Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess-Chapter 261 - 260- Strange situation

"This is so messed up..." Jimmy muttered, eyes wide as chaos unfolded in front of him.

Half the students had gone wild—clashing with the others like they'd lost their minds. It was like someone had twisted their thoughts, making them see enemies where friends stood.

Meanwhile, the Student Council President and the well-known third-year, Rhea, were locked in battle against demons that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The President was holding back multiple demons with his clones, but his strength was stretched too thin. His attacks lacked the impact they usually carried.

"Why are you just standing there?!" Averis's voice rang out sharply from his left.

Jimmy turned his head and saw her, already summoning her Shard—a brutal chained mace—her stance ready to leap into the fray.

He hesitated. Should he go after the demons, or try to stop the students from killing each other? From his point of view, it still looked like a conflict… not possession.

But with enough strong students holding the line on the student side, he made his decision.

He summoned his Shard and stepped forward—vanishing from sight.

"Watch out!" he shouted, appearing just in time for Rhea to dodge. His blade came down hard on the orc's raised arm, slicing it clean off.

Rhea didn't waste the chance. She leaped back and fired an arrow in one smooth motion. It slammed into the monster's chest and exploded—sending a shockwave that singed Jimmy's side too.

"Are you okay?!" Rhea called out, rushing over and dropping to one knee beside him.

He was down, left arm lightly burned, his breath shaky.

"It's nothing," he said with a quick nod, managing a smirk. "Good shot, by the way."

Rhea let out a breath. She should've aimed lower.

"Rhea! Need help!" someone shouted. One of the Council members was barely holding on, pinned down by a massive demonic bird, its claws tearing at his shield.

Rhea shot to her feet, her focus snapping back to the fight.

She sprinted forward—her form a blur—as her sword came up over her shoulder. Her eyes burned with intent.

The demonic bird sensed her. With a single flap of its wings, it launched into the air, dodging the slash.

But Rhea was already changing form—her Shard shifting into a crossbow mounted on her forearm.

Midair, she took aim and fired without a moment's pause.

The arrow vanished the moment it left the bow.

A heartbeat later—boom.

The bird exploded midair, showering the field in blood and gore, a crimson rain falling over the battlefield.

Jimmy took a deep breath.

The infamous dual-awakened—Rhea. She truly lived up to her title as the third strongest student of Valorian.

But the battle was far from over.

In the distance, more demons surged from the water, like they'd been lying in wait for this exact moment. The ambush was still unfolding, and it was only getting worse.

Around him, students lay bloodied and bruised, some unconscious, others groaning in pain.

No sign of the teachers.

Jimmy scanned the field again and spotted Averis, barely holding her ground as a swarm of goblins circled her like vultures.

I should go help her—

His thoughts cut off sharply when a hand dropped onto his shoulder.

He flinched and turned his head.

"Prez?"

The Student Council President stood beside him, pale and panting, silver hair clinging to his sweat-drenched forehead.

"My magic's running out," he said between shaky breaths. "And the students… they're not stopping. I don't know what's causing it—but at least… they aren't killing each other. Yet."

"But the demons aren't stopping," he added grimly. "And if this keeps up, the students will be crushed."

As he finished, the last of his clones was ripped apart—caught off guard by an orc that lunged from the side. Sheldon clenched his jaw, suppressing a groan as the pain of the destroyed clone echoed faintly through him.

Turning to Jimmy, he spoke firmly, "You have a teleportation skill, right? Find Valerie and Austin. Without them, there's no way we'll make it out of this in one piece."

Jimmy hesitated for a second, his eyes flicking toward the distant figure of Averis, still locked in a desperate struggle. He wanted to say something—anything—but the truth was clear.

They needed firepower. And fast.

He met the President's gaze and gave a sharp nod.

"I'll bring them."

With that, he vanished.

Sheldon turned sharply toward the swarm of demons. More than twenty still remained, and only five warriors were holding the line.

If not for Rhea's relentless strikes, half the horde would've already torn through to the students.

He drew his dagger, ready to plunge back into the chaos—when a sharp screech split the air.

"KHIEEEK!"

A shadow flashed across the sky. A monstrous bird demon, wings spread wide, was diving—not toward the fighters—but toward the defenseless students.

Sheldon's breath caught. No… it's not stopping. It's bypassing the front!

"Rhea!" he shouted, urgency cracking his voice.

The pink-haired warrior was already moving. She turned and aimed, her crossbow trained on the descending monster. But the bird, sensing danger, tucked its wings and accelerated midair like a spear fired from a cannon.

"Shit!" Rhea cursed under her breath.

The arrow missed by inches.

The demon shrieked again as it closed in—a blur of feathers, fangs, and hate—just seconds away from tearing apart the violent, unaware students who kept fighting amongst themselves, oblivious to the real threat.

But then—

CRACKLE.

A jagged bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a thunderous roar that shook the ground. The bolt struck the demon mid-dive, exploding against its back with blinding force.

The bird screamed in agony, its body convulsing, wings spasming as raw electricity coursed through it. The creature was flung backward, smoke rising from its charred feathers.

Rhea's eyes gleamed.

She didn't waste the moment.

"Haa!" With a sharp cry, she dashed forward, her blade slicing clean through the stunned demon—splitting its grotesque form in two.

The pieces hit the ground with a heavy thud, twitching once… then falling still.

Surprised, Sheldon turned towards the person who launched that attack...only to find his gaze turning warm upon seeing the familiar girl making his way to him.

"Was I late?" A smiling Anna asked.

Sheldon shook his head, "Just right on time."

They shared a brief hug, a fleeting moment of comfort amidst the chaos before Annabelle pulled back and quickly assessed the scene.

"What's going on?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at the clashing students.

Sheldon shook his head, frustrated. "Not sure. It's like they're under a trance… maybe a spell. I haven't been able to snap them out of it."

Annabelle observed closely. The students weren't going all out—more like they were being dragged into violence by something foreign, while a small part of them resisted. Their attacks were wild but lacked true intent.

"They're not fully gone," she muttered. "Something's suppressing their will but not their instincts. It's forcing them to lash out, but not to kill."

"Do you think a subtle shock could help them?" Sheldon asked, desperation flickering in his eyes. "Just enough to break the spell?"

He didn't care if it hurt a little. Watching them wail and tear at each other like puppets while demons circled closer—it was unbearable. Worse, every time he tried to interfere, they turned on him as if he were the enemy.

Annabelle heaved a sigh, her brows knitting. "We don't know the cause of their condition, so unless we find the root of the problem, we shouldn't act rashly. One wrong move could make things worse."

Sheldon nodded, though the answer didn't bring him any comfort. Still, it was the right call—tough as it was to watch.

Then the ground trembled.

GRUOOOH!

A deep, guttural growl rolled across the battlefield like a shockwave. Both of them turned toward the lake—only to see the water parting.

From its depths, a massive figure emerged.

A Titan.

Dark yellow hair clung to its face, dripping with lake water. Its eyes glowed faintly, and every muscle on its towering body rippled with raw power, bulging like solid rock. With each step, it shattered whatever came in its path.

It was heading straight toward the students.

And nothing in its path was surviving.

....

Meanwhile, Jimmy kept teleporting, blinking across the broken terrain with rapid flashes. The area was crawling with demons, but something felt different here. Unlike the chaos near the beach houses, these creatures weren't attacking aimlessly—they were standing guard, posted like sentries.

'Who are they guarding…?' he thought, a chill running down his spine.

He got his answer when he reached fairly away from the beach houses—and saw them.

Valerie and another woman, locked in battle, fighting as if their lives were hung by a thread.

But it wasn't the battle that made his breath hitch.

It was her.

A stunning woman fighting the S-rank, effortlessly fending off her attacks. Her movements were fluid, almost mesmerizing—long black hair whipping with every motion, crimson eyes gleaming with deadly grace. For a fleeting second, Jimmy felt like stepping in—not to fight, but to stop Valerie from harming something so divine.

Then he saw them.

The horns curling back from her head.

The tail swaying like a serpent behind her.

Jimmy's expression twisted in horror as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"She… she's a Demon General!"

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.