The Return Of The Exiled Villain

”Sooo... you’re telling me you’ve got, like, a second personality hiding in there?” Cassandra tilted her head, asking curiously.

Lyra’s fingers twitched as she lowered her gaze.

”...I-It seems so,” she admitted with a slight nod.

Gray, standing just off to the side, froze.

A bead of sweat slid down his temple.

’...Oh, hell no.’

’If she really has two personalities...’ His frown deepened. ’...does that mean I have to seduce two Lyras?!’

’And wait—if one personality can peek at what the other’s doing... doesn’t that mean they’ll both know I’m trying to seduce them?!’

[Why are you suddenly so quiet?]

’WHY WOULDN’T I BE?!’ Gray snapped inwardly.

’My whole plan was to slowly reel Lyra in under the pretense of being her ’trustworthy friend.’ Slow burn, subtle... flawless! But now?! Now it’s screwed! Her other personality could be some unhinged, knife-happy psycho!’

He gritted his teeth.

’I mean, did you even see that?! She went straight for Cassandra’s throat without hesitation!’

[...That’s hot.]

Gray’s face darkened.

’Ah... right. I almost forgot you’re into that insane shit.’

Cassandra twirled her scythe lazily, her eyes locked on Lyra with a sharp curiosity.

”So tell me... how does it work?” she asked lightly. ”Does the other you just... slip out whenever she feels like it? Or do you switch when you’re scared? Maybe when you’re angry?”

Lyra shifted uneasily, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

”I... I don’t know. It just... happens sometimes. I can’t really control it.”

”Ohhh...” Cassandra’s smile grew, almost amused. ”So you’re basically a little time bomb. Cute.”

Gray’s lips twitched.

’...Fucking hell. Don’t make her sound like a weapon!’ he thought bitterly.

His eyes darted toward Lyra, who looked like she was about to crumble under the weight of Cassandra’s gaze.

’Damn it, this is worse than I thought... she doesn’t even know when the other side comes out? That means I can’t predict it either. If I push too far, I could trigger the psycho half by accident!’

[Oh, but wouldn’t that make things fun?]

’Fun? FUN?! Are you insane?! I’m trying to live here! Not get struck by lightning because Lyra’s dark side decided she doesn’t like me smiling too much!’

Cassandra leaned in slightly, her eyes glinting. ”Tell me, little girl... when the other you appears... do you remember everything she does? Or are you left in the dark?”

”...Sometimes... I see it in my head, like I’m... watching through glass. Sometimes... nothing. Just black.” Lyra blinked, struggling to answer.

Cassandra’s grin sharpened.

”Fascinating.”

Gray felt his pulse spike.

’Oh, great. She’s treating Lyra like a fucking lab rat. Just perfect. And here I am, caught between a smug reaper girl and a girl with two personalities, one of which could kill me. Yep. This is exactly the kind of bullshit I signed up for.’

[...What’s wrong with you?]

Gray breathed out.

’I panic when anything in my plans, even if it’s a really small detail... falls apart...’

[Are you really that controlling?]

’What do you expect? I spent three years of my life following orders, and even with that, I was still thrown away...’ He clenched his fist.

’I need to make sure everything is within my grasp! EVERYTHING!’

[...]

”Other than that,” Gray interrupted their conversation. ”When is that little rat of yours going to crawl out?”

”Oh?” Cassandra smirked faintly. ”Funny. I was wondering the same thing.”

Both of them turned their gaze toward the treeline.

Rustle...

A pained grunt escaped the shadows.

”Agh...”

Dimitri cautiously stepped out from between the trees.

The moment Gray’s eyes landed on him, his body reacted on its own, his hands twitched, fingers opening and closing uncontrollably, his shoulders trembling as if he were suppressing a laugh.

[...Breathe. Calm yourself for now.]

’I know... I know... it’s just—’ Gray’s throat tightened, his lips pulling into a quivering grin he couldn’t hold back.

His pulse quickened, his face reddening slightly.

’The feeling of seeing him again... I-it... It’s... It’s euphoric~’ His eyes widened, trembling with delight.

’I can’t wait to tear him apart... slice him piece by piece...’ A shiver ran through his body, and a choked sound slipped past his lips, halfway between a laugh and a moan.

[...And you called me the sadist?]

’Shut up, bitch.’

[Childish.]

Gray straightened up suddenly, rolling his shoulders back as if nothing had happened.

His trembling stopped, and his face smoothed into a perfectly calm expression.

”...And who’s this?” Cassandra asked, her eyes flicking from Gray to the boy stepping out of the trees.

Her scythe tilted lazily in her grip, her voice full of curiosity laced with mockery.

”...My teammate...” Lyra’s head turned slightly.

Cassandra arched a brow, smirking as her eyes lingered on Dimitri.

”Your teammate? Really? Hm...” She leaned on her weapon, chuckling softly. ”For someone like you, he looks awfully weak.”

”Weak?!” Dimitri clenched his sword tightly.

”Oh? Do you want to fight?” Cassandra’s smirk deepened as she stepped forward, dragging her weapon with a faint scrape across the dirt.

Dimitri’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, his boots shifting back a step. His jaw clenched hard, teeth grinding, but he didn’t raise his blade.

He knew that she was much stronger than him, so he couldn’t really do anything.

”...Pathetic.” Cassandra shook her head in disappointment, the amusement draining from her face. She turned away with a casual flick of her hair.

”Yo, let’s get moving.” Her voice was light again as she glanced at Gray, lips curving back into a playful grin.

”I want to have some fun before this exam is over~”

”...Alright,” Gray nodded slighly, following just behind her.

’...Cassandra got interested in Lyra, huh...’

[Is that bad for you?]

’Potentially. I’ve been entertaining the thought of killing Cassandra myself... so if they start getting close—’

[It would ruin your relationship with Lyra.]

’Exactly.’ Gray’s eyes narrowed faintly, fixed on Cassandra’s swaying back. ’I just don’t understand her character yet...’

Cassandra’s faint smile hadn’t vanished since she mocked Dimitri. It was like she was constantly entertained, even when she was silent.

Then, without warning, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Her scythe tilted upright, her body straightening, eyes locked ahead.

”Hah...? What’s this?”

Gray followed her gaze.

A massive cave loomed from behind a thicket, its jagged mouth etched with glowing marks that pulsed faintly in the shadows.

Strange sigils crawled across the stone, wrapping the entrance like chains.

Cassandra’s eyes widened, her breath catching in excitement.

”T-that...!” Her lips parted, her grin breaking into something sharper.

”Is that... an inheritance dungeon?!”

FWOOOP!

Without a second thought, she dashed forward, boots pounding against the dirt as she launched herself straight into the glowing cave.

Gray’s eyes narrowed, not even following after.

’An inheritance dungeon here? That shouldn’t even be possible...’

[Idiot.]

Jasmine’s voice slithered coldly into his mind, sharp and mocking.

[That’s not an inheritance dungeon.]

Gray’s brow twitched.

[Look at the marks again, Gray. They’re not blessings; instead, they’re bindings.]

[That place isn’t a dungeon. It’s a temple.]

Gray’s eyes snapped back to the cave mouth.

Now that he looked closer, the glowing sigils didn’t shine with guiding warmth.

They twisted, claw-like, pulsing like veins, as though the cave itself was alive and hungry.

’...A temple...?’

[Yes.]

Jasmine chuckled darkly.

[A place where gods were once worshipped... or sealed.]

”...Sealed?”

The words escaped his thoughts.

[You don’t have to worry about it, as only a descendant of that god can actually enter the temple.]

THUMP!

The stone wall groaned and split apart the moment Cassandra casually pressed her palm against it.

The sigils flared brightly, and the entrance yawned open like it had been waiting for her.

[...]

”.....”

Gray dragged a hand down his face, muttering through his teeth.

”...You were saying?”

[Shut it.]

Kruum...!

The wall began to shut again, the stone grinding against stone, and seeing this, Gray didn’t waste a second.

”[✧Swap✧]”

His body flickered and vanished, switching places with a loose rock that had rolled inside just before the entrance closed.

The wall slammed shut behind him.

”...That was close.”

Gray let out a sharp breath, brushing dust off his shoulder.

But then, as he took in his surroundings, he froze, his eyes widening slighly.

The chamber stretched wide, with dozens of stone statues standing in rows, all worn but still radiating a faint pressure.

Some were cracked, others headless, yet each one still felt like it was watching.

One statue, however, stood apart at the very center.

Taller than the rest, carved with painstaking detail, it was the image of a goddess. Her face was calm, but her stance was fierce.

In her many arms, she gripped different weapons: sword, spear, axe, bow, and even a chained blade.

Every weapon was pointed outward, as though she were guarding the place from intruders.

[...Divika, the Goddess of War.]

Jasmine’s voice echoed in his mind.

Gray’s eyes widened slighly at her words. Then, he looked at Cassandra in surprise, but something bothered him...

If Cassandra had inherited the power of a dying god... then how could she also be a descendant of the Goddess of War?

’Jasmine...’

[Yeah?]

’Can someone who inherited the power of a dying god be a descendant of another god?’

[...Not really. Unless... she forced the God itself... just like you did to me.]

’I see...’

Gray looked at Cassandra’s back.

’It seems that...’

His lips curled up into that familiar devilish smile.

’...you’ll be a much more delicious prey~’