I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 404  John Tarmias VS Earth Tepes [1]

John Tarmias against Earth Tepes.

The excitement in the arena stadium instantly. Whispers and murmurs filled the stands, all centered around one name first: John Tarmias. Everyone knew about John—his reputation preceded him.

John had arrived at the academy alongside Amael, both of them undergoing rehabilitation. Like Amael, John had struggled with behavior issues, his rebellious personality often placing him at odds with the strict expectations of the academy. It didn't help that he had been thrust into the Gold Class, sharing space with twisted prodigies like Alvara and Adrian. But time had changed him since then as he became stronger since the attack in the Dolphian Capital. His recent, much-publicized relationship with Amelia Dolphis had only added to his newfound fame, drawing even more eyes to him.

But today, his opponent was no less renowned. Earth Tepes—the genius adopted son of the illustrious Tepes House. Earth was the adopted brother of Elizabeth and Selene Tepes. He had been away at Edenis Raphiel for a while but now he had returned, a new addition to Elizabeth's elite White Class. His reappearance had caused quite a stir, and today, he was here to prove his worth again.

John descended the stairs leading to the arena, his expression indifferent to the excited buzz of the crowd around him. He didn't care about their cheers or the murmured speculations that filled the stands. His mind was fixated on one thing and one thing only: winning. And the reward that Amelia had promised him for doing so?

Well, that was a motivation he wasn't about to ignore. His life had taken an unexpectedly sweet turn since he started dating Amelia, and sometimes he wondered if he truly deserved the happiness that had come his way.

A small, confident smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he reached the center of the field, his gaze locking onto Earth Tepes. John had never encountered this name during his playthrough of the Game. Then again, he had skipped quite a few parts, so it was possible he had overlooked Earth's role. But if Earth hadn't appeared in any of the critical battle sequences, John concluded, he couldn't be that significant.

However, Edward's reaction told a different story. John knew something about Earth unnerved Edward deeply, but Edward had been frustratingly tight-lipped about it. Despite his curiosity, John had chosen not to push the issue. Still, he could sense a deep-seated loathing in Edward's eyes whenever Earth's name was mentioned, and that alone was enough to keep John on his guard.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, John Tarmias," Earth greeted, a practiced smile playing on his lips.

John eyed Earth's smile, seeing through the thin veil of politeness to the hypocrisy lurking beneath. He didn't bother responding, instead turning his attention to Gamir, waiting for the signal to begin.

"Remember, this is merely a training spar. You both have a practical exam in three days, so don't overdo it," Gamir cautioned as if he cared about his students.

'Not like you care about any of that, you bastard,' John thought, his disdain for the professor simmering just beneath the surface.

Unaware of the dark thoughts brewing in John's mind, Gamir raised his hand high in the air. "Start!" He said, dropping his hand to signal the beginning of the match.

John sprang into action immediately, his movements fluid and precise. With a flick of his wrist, he began to weave his hands through the air, forming patterns that materialized as three ominous, dark red circles—curses designed to cripple and torment.

"Curses, huh?" Earth's grin widened. He stretched out his hand, his palm beginning to glow with a radiant, purifying light. "It's really unfortunate for you, because I happen to wield flames that can cleanse such vile techniques."

Out of John's three ominous mana circles, fiery dark red tentacles erupted, writhing through the air like serpents, each one snapping hungrily toward Earth's outstretched arms. The air crackled with dark energy as they closed in.

But Earth Tepes was ready. From his outstretched hand, a blazing golden flame ignited, materializing into the shape of a sword. The sword gleamed with a brilliant, almost divine light, its edges flickering with intense heat. With a swift, effortless motion, Earth gripped the flaming blade and leaped into the air, swinging down with calculated precision. The sword cut through the dark red tentacles with ease, reducing them to nothing more than charred remnants that disintegrated into ash before they could reach him.

"Hm?" Earth's eyes narrowed as he noticed something unusual midair. John was no longer grounded—he had propelled himself upward with a burst of speed, his foot aimed directly at Earth's face mercilessly.

Instinctively, Earth swung his sword again, the blade igniting with renewed golden flames that danced along its length. But before the flames could fully engulf John, the latter muttered under his breath, "First Curse of Hecate."

Hearing the whispered words, Earth let out a confident laugh. "Curses won't work on me. I'm immune to—what?!"

Earth's laughter died in his throat as his eyes widened in disbelief. He had expected the dark red curse marks to appear on his body, but instead, they were emblazoned across John's face. John wasn't trying to curse him; he was cursing himself to enhance his power.

-BAM!

John's foot, now glowing with a sinister dark red aura, collided with Earth's golden flames, dispelling them in an instant. The force of the impact was so powerful that Earth had to brace himself, holding up his sword to shield against the blow. A shockwave erupted from the collision, a chaotic blend of golden and red energy rippling outward, shaking the arena and catching the audience off guard.

"Second Curse of Hecate." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

As the words left John's lips, dark tentacles, even more numerous and vicious than before, sprouted from his body, lunging toward Earth with unrelenting speed. Their intent was clear—they aimed to ensnare, to choke the life out of their target.

"Heldora!" Earth's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, focused expression as he called upon his fire. The golden flames surrounding him intensified, spiraling into a protective coil that burned the dark tentacles to ash the moment they touched him.

"Third Curse of Hecate."

This time, dark red snakes, each with glowing eyes and venomous fangs, slithered out from John's aura, hissing as they darted straight for Earth's face.

"Ahaha! You're quite desperate, aren't you?" Earth laughed, though the laughter lacked the joy from earlier. He swung his flaming sword, once again using his golden flames to incinerate the serpents before they could strike. His eyes, now taking on a more draconic appearance.

Yet John remained unfazed, his expression as cold and neutral as ever.

"How the hell did someone like you manage to win Amelia's heart? I wonder…" Earth muttered, the annoyance clear in his voice. He couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance. Despite all his efforts to make the Heroines fall for him, none had reciprocated his feelings. He had returned to find Celeste in love with Edward and Amelia in love with John. All three of them were from Earth, yet somehow, John and Edward had succeeded where he had failed. What was the difference between them?

"You're noisy," John replied flatly.

Earth's frown deepened, but before he could respond, he sensed something above him and instinctively glanced upward. His blood ran cold. Suspended high in the air was a massive mana circle, drawn with great precision and glowing with an ominous dark red hue. It was a Curse Spell, but far larger and more potent than anything John had cast so far.

Earth's eyes narrowed in realization.

'So all those Hecate Curses were just a distraction? This bastard…'

The scale of the spell was staggering, and Earth knew that his golden flames, while potent against curses, might not be enough to counter something of this magnitude. His irritation flared into anger as he gathered a colossal amount of mana, his flames roaring to life as he prepared to burn away John's spell in one devastating strike.

But John was quicker. He leaped back, his body enveloped in a protective curtain of dark red fire. The flames wove around him like a living shield as he landed gracefully on the ground. With a single, commanding gesture, he raised his hand toward the massive mana circle above and swung it down in a sweeping motion.

"Blazing Cursed Breath of Hecate."