Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

'What is happening?'

I wondered as I walked through the forest that led toward my old kindergarten.

The place was slowly sinking into darkness that looked like a fog, obstructing my view.

A sense of uneasiness crawled within me as I felt a familiarity with the darkness.

"The fuck happened to her?"

I grimaced as I rushed toward the kindergarten faster.

The firecrackers filled the sky, but the fog slowly started to engulf their light.

And even though I was still some distance away, I could clearly feel the divinity within me pulsating.

'What is she doing?'

I wondered, thinking about Taishareth as I looked up through the heavy fog.

Is she using Shyamal's depressed state to forcefully awaken her?

...But why now?

It's not like she's going to have a battle for control over her body right now.

At most, she can possess her body for a few moments.

She can't do a full possession before the fifth awakening—.

[She isn't trying to awaken her, Az.]

"Wait, what?"

My steps halted as I asked anxiously, the space around me feeling heavy.

[She is trying to fulfill Shyamal's destiny.]

My arms turned cold as I heard his words, and I once again rushed toward her, faster than before.

"WHY?"

I yelled, throwing off my coat and ripping the back of my shirt.

[You already know about it.]

"...No way."

I bit my lip as my shoulder blades twisted, making way for my wings to unfurl, black feathers hovering in the air as I propelled myself upward.

"Is this the reason why she chose a new vessel?" I asked, flying through the heavy fog. "...And how does she even know Shyamal's destiny!?"

The pressure around my body kept increasing as I closed in on her.

[There is only one god who controls destiny—.]

"Sabaoth," I growled, feeling frustration and anger building within me.

In every route of the game, Shyamal's death was inevitable.

No matter how much one tried, there was no way to keep her alive.

[You should have taken a different approach with her.]

"Stop acting like it's my fault, and it's not like I care enough about her—."

[Then why are you going to save her?]

"I promised Shane—."

[People don't run toward their death for one promise, Az.]

"..."

[Remember, a vessel kills the one they love the most.]

"...Taishareth can't kill me—."

[She can. If she possesses Shyamal's body, she will kill you.]

"Then I have to stop her before that."

I rushed deeper, and after a while, I could finally see the kindergarten.

It was surrounded by blackish threads weaving around, covering the place.

I flapped my wings to halt as I gently landed in front of the gate; an eerie feeling crawled all over my skin.

I walked inside as Andarnaur's ring infused within me sprawled out, a sun and moon emerging on my palm, connecting my body with the blackish threads.

"It's not harming me."

I quickly concluded as I walked further, looking around.

Few small animals were dragged toward the center, where a big cocoon made of transparent black thread held Shyamal, rolled up and unconscious.

"Shyamal." I whispered as I moved closer, but I couldn't.

The divinity around her stopped me.

"El, what is this?"

[...Taishareth is trying to destroy her mind.]

"..."

I bit my lip in frustration as I tried to think of something.

Shyamal is mentally weak; she won't last against a goddess.

I stepped back, my gaze on the cocoon that slowly started to grow larger.

"Wait."

My gaze shifted to my hands that had markings engraved on them.

They resonated with the divinity.

"El, can the divinity I have interfere with another divinity?"

[Yes.]

I quickly turned toward the closest animal as I walked to it.

The animal resembled a rabbit, its life slowly slipping away as it was drained by the blackish threads.

"I am sorry," I whispered as I used Andarnaur's ring.

A ball with a sharp needle attached to it materialized in my hand.

I slowly pierced the animal's body with it before repeating it three more times.

[You will be on your own.]

"I know."

[...Try not to spend too much time inside.]

"Yeah."

[Use Sabaoth's weapon if necessary.]

I nodded, stepping back as I walked toward Shyamal again, an uncomfortable feeling surging within me.

Ignoring it, I touched the cocoon covering her, my skin burning the next instant.

I drew in a deep breath as I slowly parted my lips,

"I sacrifice the beast's soul in the name of goddess Taishareth."

The world around me turned blank.

.....

.....

.....

A boundless and invisible force surged out, falling on Azariah as soon as he arrived inside.

"Argh."

He grunted, barely holding himself from kneeling as he looked around.

The place looked the same as the kindergarten, with the only difference being the environment.

Hundreds of plants with human-like mouths crawled around the place, a crimson moon lighting it.

Azariah walked toward the main building of the kindergarten. His steps were steady, and he remained fully alert.

His head slowly tilted up as a huge shadow formed over him.

Dense, illusory black threads suddenly floated up from the place to an infinitely high height.

They slowly weaved together, forming a pair of greenish gem-like eyes that sparkled in the darkness.

Azariah stared at the eyes of the goddess, but unlike last time, he didn't flinch or step back.

Under the gaze of the goddess, he walked toward the main building.

Twisting the door, he opened it and was immediately greeted by something he wished to forget.

...The young Shyamal stood in front of Shane while his younger self crawled toward the two girls who lay unconscious.

"....Shyamal?"

Azariah whispered softly as he looked at the girl who sat on her knees with a broken expression on her face.

The room surged to life as tens of black hands rushed toward Shane, who calmly dodged them.

Azariah walked toward the older Shyamal, the surrounding fights not affecting him in the slightest.

He gently lowered himself in front of her, sitting across from her broken self.

Taking a deep breath, he called her, "...Shya."

Shyamal's blank gaze flickered to life as she looked up at him.

It took her more than ten seconds to recover from her trance state as tears started streaming down her crimson eyes.

"...I am sorry." She whispered, her voice broken, cracking with every word. "...I am sorry—."

"Sigh."

Azariah sighed, rubbing his temple as he looked back.

Shane was fighting off Shyamal, possessed by Taishareth.

He remained calm, not letting his emotions take hold.

On the other side, his younger self had arrived just beside Arianell and Ashlyn, who both had pale faces, their breaths slowly growing shallow.

....They were dying.

Both of them.

"...I am sorry—."

"It wasn't your fault." Azariah softly whispered as he looked back at her. "....Whatever happened wasn't your fault."

Tears trickled down her cheeks continuously as she lowered her body, her head touching the ground.

Azariah gently rubbed her back while she cried her heart out.

Because he knew what was going to happen next would break her completely.

"Snap out of it, Shyamal!" Shane yelled at the young Shyamal as he rushed in, deflecting the hands with his long sword.

And just as he reached close to her, a scythe materialized in her hand.

His body moved swiftly, propelling itself back to evade the scythe.

"Tch." Young Shyamal clicked her tongue in annoyance as she jerked back.

'She' wanted to kill at least one person close to Shyamal so it would be easier for her to control her.

But 'she' couldn't control the small body for long as it was already a drain to move.

A low booming voice echoed within the room as a cluster of green covered young Azariah's entire body.

It slowly moved, covering the bodies of both Ashlyn and Arianell.

Older Shyamal looked up, while her younger self turned toward Azariah, radiating with life energy, his eyes closed.

Azariah turned and hugged older Shyamal tightly, burying her face in his chest.

He didn't want her to see what happened after that.

"...Move." Shyamal whispered quietly, pleading with him. "....Please, I want to know what happened."

Azariah thought hard before gently moving aside.

Young Shyamal grinned as she rushed toward Azariah, her gem-like eyes glowing.

CLANG!!!

The sound of metal clashing resonated as Shane arrived just in time to save Azariah's head from getting sliced.

With a gentle hit on Shyamal's wrist, he made her lose her grip on her scythe.

With one hand, he grabbed her before throwing her to the ground, slamming her hard.

Young Shyamal groaned in pain as the black threads around her began to dissipate, vanishing into nothingness.

"...Sigh."

Shane sighed lowering his guard as he turned to look at young Azariah, who was somehow growing paler.

He moved to stop Azariah, but before he could, his instincts kicked in.

Slick!

He turned his body around, but it was already too late.

Shyamal's scythe cut right through his stomach as he turned around, gutting him.

And with one last smile, Shyamal's body turned limp, falling unconscious.

"Ahhh."

Older Shyamal let out an unrecognizable cry.

While Azariah froze in his place as he noticed someone else in the room.

...A maid with an ordinary face.