The Return Of The Exiled Villain

”GRAY!!”

Claire’s scream echoed through the cavern, her arms shaking as she clutched him. His head lolled against her shoulder, blood sliding down his chin in a thin stream.

His eyes were shut.

”No, no, no, no—you’re not dying here!” Claire’s voice broke, sharp with panic. She pressed both hands against his chest, as if pushing his heart to beat.

”Wake up, damn it! Don’t you dare leave us like this!”

Her flames flickered weakly across her arms, sputtering like dying candles. She slammed her fist against the stone beside him.

BAAAM!

The rock cracked under her knuckles, blood smearing across her skin. Tears burned her eyes but she didn’t stop.

”Damn you, Gray! You selfish bastard! You can’t just save us and then... t-then close your eyes like it doesn’t matter!” Her sobs tore through her words, wet and ugly, but her fists still struck the stone until her hand split open.

Selina fell to her knees on his other side. Her face twisted with rage, she didn’t understand. She grabbed his shirt, shaking him hard, her lips trembling.

”You fucking idiot!” she shouted, voice cracking.

”Why?! Why would you throw yourself like that?! I don’t even like you, I hate you half the time, but—” Her teeth clenched as her tears spilled over, dripping onto his pale cheek.

”But if you die, what was the point of all that?!”

She pressed her forehead against his chest, clutching the fabric until her nails tore through it. Her whole body shook as she screamed into his face.

”WAKE UP!!”

Mira stood frozen for a moment, her breath coming in sharp gasps, her hands trembling.

Her vision blurred with tears until she couldn’t see his face clearly. She dropped down beside him, punching the ground so hard her knuckles split open.

CRAAAACK!

The stone shattered, blood dripping onto the floor. She hit it again, screaming at the top of her lungs.

”YOU BASTARD! YOU ALWAYS DO THIS! ACTING LIKE YOU DON’T CARE, THEN THROWING YOURSELF TO SAVE US, AND NOW YOU WON’T OPEN YOUR EYES?!” Her voice broke into sobs.

”IF YOU ARE A FUCKING VILLAIN, THEN FUCKING ACT ONE AND ESCAPE OR SACRIFICE US! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO US!”

Her tears streamed freely, falling onto the broken stone as her fists kept striking, each punch filled with grief and fury.

Claire gripped his face between her bloodied hands, forcing his head up toward her.

”Gray, look at me! Look at me, damn it! You don’t get to die!” she screamed, her forehead pressing against his.

”You don’t get to leave us behind!”

Selina’s hands pressed against his chest again, her voice coming out roughly.

”You always talk like you don’t care... but if you didn’t care, you wouldn’t have done this. So wake up! Stop lying! Open your eyes and show us that stupid grin again!”

Mira collapsed forward, her bloody fists resting uselessly on his arm. She sobbed openly now, her voice echoing in the cavern like a child’s wail.

”Please... please, Gray... don’t leave us here alone...”

The three of them clung to him, their tears dripping onto his face, as their sobs filled the silence.

But no matter how loud they cried... Gray didn’t open his eyes.

Yet...

Fwip... fwip!

”Huh?” Claire gasped.

The thin threads that had scattered across the floor twitched, then slowly reeled back into Gray’s gloves.

In his limp hand, three faintly glowing gems flickered with light.

”The... wyvern cores?” Claire whispered, wiping at her wet cheeks with her sleeve.

”Did... did he need them?”

Selina leaned closer, her eyes widening slighly at how Gray still had the time to do this while being inside of a wyvern’s corpse.

Without waiting for an answer, she reached forward and quickly tucked the glowing cores into the inside pocket of her uniform, hiding their shine.

Mira exhaled shakily, brushing her bloodied hand across her forehead.

”...We’ll have to carry him. Through the dungeon,” she muttered bitterly.

Both Claire and Selina turned to her.

She clenched her fist against the dirt and added, ”If we run into other students and they see those cores... they’ll steal them.”

Her words hit hard. The three of them fell silent, the truth sinking in.

”Thankfully...” Claire muttered, adjusting Gray’s weight against her shoulder, ”we haven’t met anyone so far—”

”—Well, well... look who we have here~”

A teasing, playful voice cut her words short.

All three froze, their bodies going stiff.

From the shadows at the far end of the cavern, a girl stepped out with a slow stride. Long black hair framed her face, her green eyes gleaming dimly.

Her lips curled into a smile sharp enough to cut.

It was Maelis.

And behind her, three boys followed, each one looking at her with desperate, eager grins... probably some fan boys she had.

Slowly, she tilted her head, her red eyes narrowing on Gray’s limp body in Claire’s arms.

”Tchh. So it’s true... my worthless stepbrother survived long enough to crawl into this dungeon.” Her voice barely contained her killing intent.

”But look at him now. Pathetic. Bleeding out like trash.”

”Stepbrother...?” Selina muttered, her body stiffening.

Mira clenched her fists at her words.

”Shut it,” Maelis snapped, her hand lifting lazily.

Her palm faced downward.

BOOOOM!

The air shook as a crushing force slammed down onto the girls. The stone floor cracked under their feet, as if the cavern itself was being pushed lower.

”Ghhhhh—!” Claire gritted her teeth, stumbling while trying to keep Gray against her shoulder.

Her knees nearly buckled.

Selina spread her arms wide, water rushing from her hands to form a barrier. The shield trembled under the weight, groaning like glass ready to shatter.

”Don’t you dare—!” she shouted, forcing her mana to hold.

Maelis sneered.

”Still trying to play heroes? You’re weak and worthless. Just like him.” She jabbed her finger downward.

The gravity crushed harder.

CRAAACK!

The water shield broke, spraying into droplets. Selina was thrown to her knees, her arms trembling violently.

”Damn you!” Mira screamed, slamming both palms into the ground. Stone spikes erupted upward, aiming for Maelis.

She didn’t even flinch, and slowly, the spikes stopped midair, crushed flat against the floor by the weight of her magic.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

”Useless,” Maelis smirked, her eyes glinting as she looked at Gray again. ”I’ll finish him myself... and erase this stain from our house’s history.

She slowly lifted her hand higher, but then...

”Wait for your turn, Maelis,” one of the boys interrupted, stepping forward with a grin. He was broad-shouldered, carrying a long steel sword.

”Let us have a little fun first.”

”Yeah. No need to waste your magic on small fries.” The second swordsman cracked his neck, smirking.

”Besides... these girls are kinda cute when they’re desperate.” The spearman twirled his weapon with a lustful grin.

The three spread out, moving in fast.

Claire’s body tensed.

She gently set Gray against the cavern wall and stood in front of him, flames already bursting along her arms.

”You bastards... if you touch him, I’ll burn you alive!”

Selina staggered up, blood running from her nose, and raised her hands. Water gathered again, swirling like twin blades.

”We won’t let you lay a hand on him.”

Mira stood her ground, blood dripping from her temple, her fists clenched so hard her knuckles bled.

”Over my dead body.”

The first swordsman lunged at Claire, swinging down hard.

CLAAANG!

Claire blocked with a burst of fire on her arm, sparks flying. The blade nearly cut through, pushing her back step by step.

”Ghhnnn—!”

The second swordsman rushed Selina, swinging sideways.

She raised her water blades, catching the steel.

Splash!

The blade split the water, but Selina twisted, trying to counter. He shoved her back with sheer strength, his sword grinding against her defenses.

The spearman charged Mira.

His weapon thrust forward with deadly speed.

WHOOSH!

She barely dodged, the tip grazing her arm and drawing blood. She gritted her teeth and slammed her fist into the ground, pillars shooting up at his legs.

He spun the spear, smashing them apart.

Maelis watched with her arms crossed, smiling darkly.

”Pathetic... Gray always surrounded himself with trash. And here they are, fighting for a corpse.”

”EXPLODE!”

Claire screamed in fury, her flames bursting bigger as she slammed her fist into the swordsman’s chest, the fire exploding on impact.

BOOOM!

He staggered back, smoke rising, but he kept his stance, grinning with a burned jaw.

Selina spun with her blades of water, slashing across the second swordsman’s shoulder.

Blood sprayed, but he only roared and slammed his sword down again, nearly breaking her defense.

Mira’s stones rose again, this time sharp and fast, striking at the spearman’s chest.

THUD!

THUD!

He grunted, blocking with his spear’s shaft, then shoved her back with a heavy kick.

BAAAM!

Mira slammed into the wall, coughing blood, but she pushed herself back up, glaring through her tears.

”I... won’t let you...!”

But as they fought... they slowly got bested.

Claire was the first to fall.

The first swordsman grabbed her wrist mid-swing and slammed his knee into her stomach.

BWAAM!

”Ghhh—!” She coughed blood, her body folding as she dropped to her knees.

Her flames flickered weakly around her arm before dying out.

”Pathetic,” the man spat, yanking her up by her hair and tossing her against the stone wall.

Her head cracked against it, leaving her dazed, blood dripping down her forehead.

Selina tried to rush to her side, but the second swordsman grabbed her throat mid-step.

GRIP!

”Khghhh!” She clawed at his hand as he lifted her off the ground. Her legs kicked desperately, water splashing helplessly from her palms.

”Still think you can fight with those soft hands?” he smirked.

He slammed her down into the ground.

BAAAM!

The stone floor broke under her back, her body bouncing once before lying limp, coughing blood and saliva.

Mira roared and charged, her fists trembling with stone spikes. She punched forward again and again.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

The spearman blocked each blow, grinning, before driving his boot into her ribs.

CRAAAACK!

”AAAGHHHH!” Mira’s scream echoed.

She flew back, slamming against the cavern wall, collapsing to her knees.

”Gaaah... it h-hurts,” she clutched her side, her breath ragged and broken.

All three girls crawled, dragged themselves, their blood smearing across the stone as they staggered toward Gray.

Even beaten, even half-conscious, their eyes locked on him, on the one boy who hadn’t moved once since Maelis appeared.

They collapsed beside him. Claire hugged his arm tight, her forehead pressing against his shoulder, her tears soaking into his shirt.

”Please... wake up...” she whispered, her voice trembling with despair.

Selina, broken and bloody, lay across his chest, clutching his clothes so hard her nails tore the fabric.

”Don’t leave us like this...” she sobbed, her tears dripping onto his face.

”I... don’t want to... die like this...” Mira pressed her forehead against his leg, trembling, her body shivering with pain.

The three held him as the fanboys loomed above, their grins savage.

”Well, well... look at them now.”

”Heh... weak little girls. So desperate they’re hugging a corpse.”

”Guess we’ll break them in before we finish him off.”

The spearman crouched low, his hand reaching toward Selina’s pale cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut, sobbing harder, bracing herself for the shame.

”Yes... let them see what happens when they cling to trash.” Maelis tilted her head, smiling cruelly.

But then...

GRIP!

The spearman’s wrist stopped, and his grin faltered.

Slowly... he looked down.

Gray’s hand... was holding him.

”...What...?”

Before he could finish...

BAAAM!

Gray’s other hand shot up, grabbing the first swordsman’s face and slamming it into the stone floor with such force that the ground cracked apart.

CRAAASH!

The man’s head bounced off the ground, his body twitching from the impact.

At the same instant, Gray dragged the spearman down by the arm and smashed his face beside the first, grinding them into the stone until their skulls left bloody cracks.

The cavern fell silent for a single breath.

Claire’s eyes went wide.

Selina froze mid-sob.

Mira’s breath caught in her throat.

And then, slowly, painfully, terrifyingly, Gray pushed himself up, blood still running down his lips, his black eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

”Who... the fuck...” His voice was extremely hoarse and dead tired, but even still, it contained an enormous amount of killing intent, ”...touched... my girls?”

The two fanboys’ faces remained pinned, blood dripping down the stone beneath their cheeks, their muffled groans shaking.

And then, for the first time since coming to the dungeon...

Maelis’s smile faltered.