Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Tic! Tic!

"What happened to him?"

"Are those really horns?"

Tic! Tic!

"Is he an Asura?"

"I heard he spent last night in Professor Yennefer's office."

TIC!

My eyes slowly opened up as I heard the murmurs around me.

The moment my gaze landed on the students, they fell silent.

Without another word, they scattered.

Alone again, I closed my eyes.

What did I see?

My memories were still a mess.

A tangled, incomprehensible blur.

I couldn't even recall much of what I'd done last month.

'Did I see the future?'

Am I going to kill all the Asura?

But.

Why did I see the glimpse of her?

....Avilea.

Her face was clear in my mind, but everything else was hazy.

Tic! Tic!

She looked like Christina.

Absentmindedly tapping my pen against the forehead, I frowned.

"..."

Ah.

Could she be our daughter?

My heart trembled at the thought.

I should have felt joy, excitement—anything.

But all I felt was dread.

Is that future even real?

The memory of slaughtering the Asura was far more vivid.

Burned into my mind like a curse.

So.

Which one is the true future?

Tic! Tic!

[<Are you alright?>]

'....No.'

Truthfully, I felt like dying.

My emotions had dulled to nothing, but the memory of their screams—their blood—was still fresh.

I looked older… early twenties, maybe?

I still needed to sort through my memories, but one thing was clear—I had lived a longer life.

And if there was one thing I was sure of now…

Esmeray had a way to cure my problem.

But I didn't know what.

All my memories were of killing the Asuras.

Even Sir Mortis… did I kill him?

The strongest mortal, the only one capable of fighting Ragnar on equal ground.

Or was he already dead?

Either way—

'My current self is pathetically weaker than him.'

I need to become stronger and faster.

But first—

My eyes snapped open.

A presence.

Someone was walking toward me.

'...'

Were my senses heightened?

Even from this distance, I could feel his gaze.

"Elijah—"

"What the hell happened to yo—Whoa!"

His words were cut off as his eyes landed on my head.

"Are those horns!?"

I sighed, reaching up.

My fingers brushed against them—smooth, curved.

They jutted out near the back of my head, just enough to be noticeable.

Elijah looked around, then hesitantly leaned closer.

"…By any chance, are you not my broth—?"

"I am."

I shoved his face away.

He blinked, then pointed. "Then what's with the white horns—?"

"I don't know."

His mouth opened, then shut.

White horns…

Why?

It was uncommon.

The only one I knew who had them was Epione.

And that was because of her phoenix.

[<White horns are the symbol of the Origin Race.>]

The what?

[<The race before all races. You are connected to them.>]

'...'

What the hell did Esmeray do to me?

A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

Instinct took over.

My body moved before I could think.

"Wait—! It's me!!"

Amaury's panicked cry snapped me out of it.

I froze.

My fingers were wrapped around his throat, the tip of my pen dangerously close to his eye.

Shit.

I released him instantly.

"Fuck, you almost killed me!" Amaury choked out, rubbing his neck.

Carson stepped in to help him while I took a step back, rubbing my temples.

"Don't do that again," I muttered.

Carson frowned. "Why are you on edge?"

"Because your sister won't let me touch her." I grumbled under my breath.

Wait, what?

"You said something?" Carson asked, looking at me weirdly.

"...No."

I turned away, avoiding his gaze.

The hall was already packed with students.

The second-year practical exams were about to begin.

"Hmm?"

I tilted my head as the doors burst open.

Zenith stormed inside, her frantic gaze sweeping across the room—

Until she found me.

Without hesitation, she rushed forward.

My muscles tensed instinctively, preparing for a fight.

I scanned her, searching for openings, weaknesses—

But before I could think—

She crashed into me.

Her arms wrapped around my waist, squeezing me tightly.

"You're safe."

Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

"..."

My body—tense and rigid—slowly relaxed.

"Ahem!"

An awkward cough brought me back.

I looked around, and everyone was staring at us.

"Zenith?"

A voice brought my attention.

I looked forward as Siersha stood there calling for her.

Zenith quickly pulled away, her face flushing red.

"I-I was just worried about him," she stammered, her voice unsteady. "I had a nightmare and—well—"

"You're soft," I muttered. "Like a marshmallow."

She elbowed me in the ribs. "Shut up, stupid!"

I swallowed a groan as she stormed off.

"I was complimenting her," I grumbled, rubbing my ribs.

Siersha's crimson gaze burned into me.

Her expression?

Pure murder.

'...She's pissed.'

And I had no idea why.

Her crimson gaze lingered on me for a while before she turned around, walking away.

The fuck is wrong with her?

I wasn't the one who hugged her.

"What?"

I snapped as Elijah had a grin on his face.

"Nothing~."

I flipped him off and turned—

Straight into Aimar.

He crossed his arms, unimpressed.

I grinned. "What's up, uncle?"

He looked at me weirdly.

"The fuck did you smoke this morning?"

Before I could answer—

"Alright, students, time's up!"

A bright voice echoed through the hall.

"Prepare for teleportation."

"Wha—?"

A magic circle flared beneath us.

No warning.

No time to react.

It swallowed us whole.

******

Himmel's eyes groggily blinked open.

His gaze instinctively swept across the unfamiliar surroundings.

Gone was the academy hall—replaced by the grandeur of a vast, opulent chamber.

The place was nothing less than a royal palace that had a rich history.

"Where are we?"

Himmel turned to the familiar voice.

Zenith stood beside him, her brows furrowed as she scanned the massive hall.

"A palace?" Siersha murmured, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Himmel nodded.

Around them, other students—those who hadn't been with them when they were teleported—now stood close.

Confused.

Just like him.

Himmel's gaze shifted as he noticed other students.

In every corner of the hall, there were students standing.

"Have they already divided us into teams?" Himmel wondered aloud.

"AHHHHH!"

A scream echoed within the hall.

"Died! Someone died!"

A student yelled as he pointed to the centre of the room.

Panic spread as the crowd instinctively backed away, forming a circle around the centre of the room.

Himmel pushed aside the students as he walked forward.

"..."

His gaze landed on the ground.

A girl lay motionless.

Blood pooled beneath her, seeping into the cracks of the stone.

"Welcome to your practical exams, dear students!"

The panic stilled as all eyes turned to find the source of the voice.

"As you can see, you've been divided into four groups—Azure, Crimson, Onyx, and Verdant.

Each team consists of thirty students and has been assigned to a specific wing of the castle.

The color of your bracelet—blue, red, black, or green—determines your group."

Himmel looked around and just as she said, his team had 30 members.

"Now," the voice continued, "four murders took place in this castle last night."

A pause.

"And the killers... are among you."

Gasps filled the air as they all looked at each other warily.

"Each team has been assigned one of the murder cases to solve." The voice's amusement was palpable.

"But here's the twist—the murderer responsible for your case isn't in your group. They're in another team."

The hall buzzed.

"That's right!" The voice giggled. "The murderers have been swapped between teams!"

Himmel's gaze landed on his hand.

A translucent bracelet emerged on it, showing—.

Points: 0

Case: Blue

Team: Azure.

Role: ––––

"And here's another fun rule!" the voice chimed.

"The murderers among you can continue their work. For every team member they eliminate, they'll earn 500 points."

"If you successfully identify and eliminate the murderer for the case you were assigned to, you'll earn 2,000 points! But…" the voice giggled again,

"if your own team's murderer is caught—poof! Team disqualification!"

Himmel rubbed his chin.

"So, we need to protect the murderer in our team?" Zenith mumbled, glancing at Himmel. "And he can kill us and earn more points?"

Himmel rubbed the pen against his forehead. "It's more complicated than I thought."

A heavy silence settled over the hall.

"In just a moment, your bracelets will reveal your role—guardian or murderer."

Every student's gaze snapped to their wrists.

For a fleeting second, text flashed across their bracelets.

A secret now known only to them.

"Now, don't tell if you're the murderers to others." The voice giggled again. "Unless you want to become a sacrificial lamb."

"...."

A clock materialized on the ceiling, a timer ticking down:
Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

15 HOURS REMAINING.

The palace walls shimmered, splitting into four distinct colors—one for each team's designated area.

"The game consists of three cycles," the voice continued.

"But wait!" Siersha interrupted, her gaze darting to the body in the center of the hall.

"You said there were four murders last night, but this is the fifth body. What about her?"

"Oh, that!" The voice practically sang. "This game is inspired by a riddle from Lady Lumi's legendary book."

A gasp filled the hall once again.

Himmel subconsciously gazed at Zenith.

She was smiling.

No.

She was grinning.

"The fifth murder is a bonus case!" the voice explained.

"Just like Lady Lumi gave everything she had to her husband when he solved the riddle, the one who solves this case will win everyone's points—becoming the sole victor!"

The room fell deathly quiet.

"But don't get your hopes up," the voice chuckled. "In the past thousand years, no one has solved it."

Then—

A bloodcurdling shriek cut through the air.

A student convulsed violently as electricity arced around him.

His body writhing before collapsing to the ground with a sickening thud.

Another death.

In Aimar's team.

"First blood!" the voice clapped.

"And with that, the game began—

—Who killed Mary?"

No one dared to answer.

*******

"..."

I rubbed my temples as I stared at the dead body lying on the bed.

A dagger was embedded in her heart, her lifeless eyes staring into the void.

"Is this really a dummy?"

The boy beside me mumbled under his breath, reaching out to touch her.

"Don't touch anything." I warned, slapping his hand away.

He scowled at me, but I ignored him.

I turned my gaze to the rest of my team, who stood idly around the room.

Most of them were strangers to me.

The only ones I recognized were Siersha, Zenith, and—

My gaze landed on the Asura girl with pristine white horns.

…Epione.

I forced myself to look away, suppressing the urge to hug her.

"How are we supposed to tell who killed her?" Zenith grumbled, scanning the room. "It's impossible."

"It's not," Siersha chimed in. "There must be clues left behind. We just need to find them."

I nodded at her words.

There had to be something.

'Did they gather information about the students beforehand?'

It was possible.

"Let's go out."

I said, looking at them.

They complied without any problem.

Gathering outside the room, I closed the door.

"From now on," I began, scanning their faces, "I'll be the leader."

"..."

No objections.

"Alright, first—"

"Wait!"

An irritated voice cut me off.

I turned to see a girl with long silver hair and crimson eyes—traits unmistakably Asuran.

She snapped. "You can't be the leader!"

I frowned. "Who are you again?"

Two boys immediately stepped forward, their eyes burning with anger.

"How dare you insult my lady?!"

I tilted my head, genuinely confused. "I seriously don't know who she is."

"Sibry!" the girl yelled, glaring at me. "I am the princess of the Asura highbloods!"

"Good for you." I turned away, uninterested. "Anyway, as I was saying, we need to form groups of two—"

The sharp sound of a blade being unsheathed cut through the air.

"Are you ignoring my lady?"

One of the Asura boys snarled, pointing his sword at me.

I let out a tired sigh.

'Should I use it?'

Something my mother wields so effortlessly.

And after witnessing so many deaths at my hands, I think I can do it too.

"Are you going to oppose me now?" I asked, my voice turning cold.

A wave of pressure seeped from my body, bearing down on him like an invisible weight.

His face contorted in fear, his knees almost buckling.

But his partner had other plans.

With a swift movement, he rushed towards me unsheathing his sword.

Without warning, he slashed at me.

"Himmel!"

Zenith rushed to aid me, but it wasn't needed.

Because after killing so many Asuras…

I knew every weakness they had.

The next moment.

A sword clattered to the floor.

"..."

Along with an arm.

"AHHHHH!"