How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 93: A Different Perspective

[Ichiko's POV]

Although I initially wanted to stand and fight, Bell had managed to convince me to flee. If he hadn't intervened, I would have stubbornly risked my life.

Nervously, yet with confidence in Bell's judgment for us to leave while he stays back and fight with Arthurr by his side, I prepared to make my escape when Diana suddenly requested something from him.

They both vanished, surrounded by an ice barrier that I couldn't see through.

My mind raced, wondering about this secret they had to hide from me.

What were they doing inside there? Why didn't she want anyone to see?

This was the only that was on my mind. As I ran, I cast a sidelong glance at Diana, my curiosity growing.

What secret do these two share?

There had to be more to their relationship than met the eye.

I desperately wanted to ask Diana, but I doubted she would reveal it and I also had too much pride to ask her.

As for Bell, he was far too honorable to betray their trust.

He would never tell a secret that someone entrusted him with.

That was only an assumption I made but I was a hundred percent certain that was the case. He was perfect through and through.

Damn it.

My heart writhed in turmoil, even though I wished it wouldn't.

It felt like a cruel twist of fate for my own fiancé to have a secret with another girl that I wasn't allowed to know, but what could I really expect?

While Bell and I had shared countless conversations over the phone, I'd only stood in his physical presence for a few short days.

Diana, on the other hand, had been a constant presence by his side, part of his inner circle, and had the chance to intimately understand him.

But it doesn't matter. Regardless of how close they may have become, there's one undeniable truth... there's only one fiancée here, and that's me

I recognized that I was jealous of her.  I couldn't deny it and I wasn't intending to do so.

Suppressing your emotions only leads to an eventual eruption. It's healthier to acknowledge and address them.

How was I going to manage my jealousy?

"Diana," I called out as I came to a halt. We were heading towards the basement where the other students were gathering.

She stopped a few steps ahead and turned to me, her lips glistening. "What's on your mind, Ichiko?"

She even licked her lips as she looked at me.

What is she trying to insinuate?

I was distracted for a second but regathered myself and decided to be direct. "I'm not entirely satisfied with the outcome of our competition."

She raised an eyebrow, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Funny you should say that. I wasn't either."

I took a deep breath. "What if we continue it? What do you say, Diana?"

A mischievous grin crossed her face. "I never thought you'd propose your own downfall. Let's do it," she said as she grabbed the side of her skirt and bowed with elegance.

Is she trying to mock me?

As she straightened her back, an icicle suddenly materialized in her hand. She effortlessly hurled it down the intersecting hallway, impaling a menacing demon lurking in the distance.

"61," she counted, her voice tinged with satisfaction.

.

.

.

[Maya's POV]

What in the world is going on?

Amid the chaotic scene, I managed to slip away from my classmates, activating my ability to turn invisible. Swiftly, I navigated through the turmoil, avoiding a large-scale battle unfolding at the main building's entrance.

There, a formidable force of around a thousand monsters clashed with the academy's teachers and professors, who were doing their utmost to contain the threat and minimize damage.

Good luck teachers! Good luck professors! Fighting! Don't die!

I wish I could cheer out loud but that was a recipe for disaster thus, I stifled the urge and kept my exuberance in check.

How did so many monsters infiltrate the academy without prior detection? There are like a million detectors on campus that detect demonic energy.

How were these demonic monsters able to avoid all the detectors?

Even more crucial was the whereabouts of the headmistress. Her presence would have quelled the danger much sooner.

Her mana was so powerful that if she had been here on campus, I would've felt it by now but I didn't.

As I moved cautiously, careful not to accidentally deactivate my invisibility, I occasionally had to dodge attacks that happened to come my way.

Woah... that one nearly struck me.

Amidst the chaos caused by the relentless horde of monsters, a thought began to form in my mind.

Could this be connected to the mother and daughter's tragic incident on the bridge? Bell had mentioned it involved a demon. It couldn't be a mere coincidence that demonic creatures had breached the academy on the same day as the demon incident just outside the city.

Speaking of Bell... what is he doing right now?

I couldn't shake the feeling that he was entangled in something right now.

I couldn't quite pinpoint why I had this premonition.

It's not like he was prone to be in the face of danger. It's not like he had defeated a demon before and even taken down a dark arts user.

Oh wait — he did.

What building is he in?

Earlier, finding him would have been easier before the lunch break when everyone congregated at the main building for their classes.

However, the various courses the academy provides are all held in different buildings, so I needed to determine what course he could've been taking in order to pinpoint the general location of where he was before all the chaos ensued.

I quickly slipped into an empty room and took out my phone. Scrolling through social media, I traveled backward on the timeline.

Most posts were about the demonic monster invasion and the current state of the academy.

However, I had a specific target in mind: a secretly taken photo of Bell or Ichiko, the person who had been by his side all day.

One that occurred before the sirens began to blare.

Come on. I don't care about the stupid monsters. Stop showing me posts of students freaking out. I don't care!

Finally, five minutes later, I found what I was searching for; a picture of Bell and Ichiko, taken ten minutes before the sirens blared.

The post had no caption, and only a portion of the room was visible.

However, thanks to my extensive research on the academy after the incident with Bell and his discovery of my secret, I had memorized every room, curtain, and detail of the walls.

The entire academy map was etched in my mind.

It took no more than three seconds for me to realize where he was.

Let's go and see what you're up to, Bell Agnus.

As I left the main building, a horrifying scene unfolded before my eyes. Horror was the simplest way to describe it.

There were three groups of people that were in unfortunate situations.

They were those who were either alone, separated from the powerful adults, or those who were stranded in open spaces with little room to hide.

In front of me was the third group.

Students, staff, cooks, librarians, researchers — all those unfortunate enough to be caught outside when the monsters attacked were running around.

Security guards and campus police valiantly tried to protect them, putting their lives on the line, but the sheer number of monsters overwhelmed their efforts.

My heart sank as I witnessed a girl my age, desperately running from a monster, only to be cornered by another monstrous creature twice her height blocking her path.

"Shoot!" she screamed.

In desperation, she came to a sudden halt, gathered her mana, and unleashed a blade of wind at the creature before her.

"Die!"

Her attack hit home, but the other monster from behind lunged forward, tearing into her back with brutal ferocity. I could see her flesh and even parts of her bones as her agonized screams filled the air.

"Arghhh!" she cried until the relentless monsters finally took her life.

...Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

I wanted to help, but I couldn't. Deactivating my ability could mean being unable to activate it again for an unknown duration because certain conditions needed to be met.

I alone couldn't contend with these hordes of monsters.

Please, everyone, survive. Run. Run and survive.

I turned away, sprinting in the direction I believed Bell to be. I didn't dare look. Gazing at the horrors around me would only fuel my anger and fear, leading to a reckless decision.

I needed to be as clear-minded as I could.

Don't look. Don't look. Ignore them all. Ignore the sounds. Ignore the screams. Ignore everything. Ignore everything!

I had to constantly remind myself.

When I reached the building, I felt sick in my stomach, not just from the constant sprinting, but from the oppressive sense of malevolence that pervaded the air.

I could still hear the screams behind me. They were distant but distinct.

Opening the door, I exhaled a heavy breath and entered.

As I entered the building, I expected to find empty hallways, as most students indoors had already made their way to the basement and into the bunker if they hadn't — died, by now.

I encountered a few adults bravely fighting off the monsters.

As I ventured deeper into the building, I noticed a growing number of dead monsters.

Hmm? What's this?

Something caught my attention. I crouched down and examined the fallen creatures.

Woah. Half of them were killed by ice magic while another half was killed by lava.

I could tell because I could still feel the cold and the heat; I could also see the frost and the melting along with the flames that still hadn't died.

Racking my brain, my thoughts immediately turned to the only person I knew by name who wielded lava magic.

There were a few other lava users but it made sense for it to be her because I did assume she was going to be in this building along with Bell.

She was also someone who had been recently in my mind so her name was fresh.

Ichiko.

And there was also an ice user who had recently been linked to her earlier today because they were arguing over Bell, or something of that nature.

Diana.

Surely it's not them right? No no no.

I shook my head. Refusing to believe it.

Could it... really be them? What on earth were they doing, battling these monsters instead of seeking refuge in the bunkers?"

With newfound determination, I leaped to my feet and sprinted down the hallways.

My focus sharpened as I attempted to pinpoint the sources of mana being employed.

In one corner of the building, an overwhelming presence of mana emanated, tinged with a dark, demonic essence. There were also three other mana sources of varying types clashing there.

But in another corner, I sensed a substantial and contrasting usage of mana, representing two distinctly different types.

It was weaker than the side with the demonic essence but was still formidable.

That has to be the two of them. What do I do? Do I go check out the demonic mana first or go see if my hypothesis is true?

Racking my brain for half a minute, I opted to check on Ichiko and Diana first.

I had to uncover what these two girls were up to.

After all, it had nothing to do with Bell, and I could upload my findings into my article without getting punished by the blood oath.

But that was definitely not the main reason why I chose them over the other group. It was because I was concerned about them and wanted to see if I could help them

Yeah. That's definitely not why I'm doing this.