Villain: The Play of Destiny

The last battle in the Round of 16 ended with Victor managing to seal another narrow win, and the dusky sky was turning darker with every passing second.

As far as everyone knew, the Round of 8 was going to take place tonight as well, but seeing that there were no arrangements for lighting, some doubts rose in their hearts.

Their doubts were put to rest when the Participants who made it into the Top 8 were summoned inside the Arena for the next draws.

All of a sudden, there were sounds of wood being scratched and split apart, and even though it was dark, everyone watched in dismay as the Colosseum sprouted large and round wooden torches which were soon lit up in a beautiful orange flame.

Even in the stands, Pillar Torches came into existence, and then there were smaller torches on the walls all around the Arena.

This magical sight was something that would forever remain fresh in their minds, and instinctively, everyone turned to look towards the King's Box, knowing well that the one responsible for it was sitting there. However, they could not figure out who exactly made it all happen.

Now the Colosseum was brightly lit, and the temperature had turned warmer as well. A distinct scent of scented wood burned and filled the air, soothing their senses.

The change in the atmosphere even invigorated the tired Participants, and then out of nothing, eight wooden chests appeared in the Arena.

They knew what was inside them, having already gone through the process before, and the eight of them stepped forward to make their pick.

Victor was grinning madly when he opened the box and took out the badge bearing the number 4, knowing that he would get to have his match at the end, giving him enough time to recuperate. But his smile solidified when he watched Yexuan take out the badge with the number 4 on it as well.

He did not like how Alana's younger brother smiled at him, and his brows furrowed, knowing well that he could not win this match.

The Muscle-Head was very clear about the difference in their skill and strength, having already fought against Yexuan. And when both he and Samrath could not take him down, he alone stood no chance at all.

Though displeased, he was still relieved in his heart that he had made it into the Top 8, fulfilling his end of the promise, and his Master would help him later to grow stronger.

He hated giving up the battles, but he knew that risking it would only earn him Lady Rebecca's ire, and his body involuntarily shivered in fear.

Yexuan caught him contemplating and smirked in his heart, knowing well that the Metal-Head was thinking about forfeiting the match.

"Scared now, aren't you?" He provoked Victor, who furrowed his brows at his words and turned to look at him, but then just honestly nodded his head.

"You are way stronger than me right now. I will not win." He admitted and turned to look at the Master of Ceremonies. "I forfeit!"

Yexuan was a little taken aback by the wisdom that Victor showed, but it only made him remember the times he and his comrades had fought against the Tyrant.

He was dangerous, and would only grow more dangerous.

Even if he could not harm Keith, he would take out his loyal servant and some more key people by his side who were not too strong right now. And then he would escape from this world.

It was not that he had not contemplated on it before, but he had been against the idea for Alana's sake, fearing that harm would befall her if he did something like this. However, as things stood right now, she was already far too lost for him to save her.

These dangerous thoughts were soon followed by fears and an aching heart, and he subconsciously looked at the King's Box.

It seemed like he was not destined to be with his love even in this Timeline, and sadly for him, whose Soul was that of an Immortal, there was not going to be another life.

Even the Steele of Time & Space had lost its Power to Travel back and forth in Time, and it was going to take an eternity for it to recharge and be ready again.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed down his turbulent heart and thoughts.

"I will find a way to you, Alana. No matter how long it would take me, I will save you from him... Even if you end up hating me for it." He promised himself.

Some part of his mind whispered to him that she would be safest by Keith's side, and happy too.

Despite him being an Evil God, he had something in him that even the most righteous lacked, and it was his absolute devotion to his family.

If he was indeed sincere to her, Yexuan knew that Keith would never let any harm come to her.

He remembered how cruel the Evil God was to those who tried to target his family.

But giving up on your love was not easy. It was painful and suffocating.

Yexuan also knew that even though Keith possessed such an admirable quality, he was still the greatest threat and the Evil God that would have the blood of countless on his hands.

Could he let such a man have his way? No.

He had to save the people who were going to die at his hands, and he needed to warn the Heavens and the Immortals about his emergence.

Yexuan knew that he needed to help the Righteous Side be ready for the time they would have to face the Evil God, and he was prepared to make sacrifices and even shed some innocent blood for the greater good.

Someone had to make the hard choices, and since life had given him another opportunity, he had to make the most of it.

His greatest weapon was his knowledge of the Future, and he needed to leave this world as soon as possible to start working on his plans.

His heart ached again when he realised that Alana was likely not going to be by his side as he had hoped, but he was not going to give up without trying.

Suddenly, another dangerous thought crossed his mind, and his eyes narrowed.

He could still take her with him, albeit forcefully.

If he hides her in the Steele of Time and Space and leaves this world after passing his Primal Desolation, he could save her from Keith.

Unfortunately, he could not do it right now as he could not keep her inside it indefinitely. But capturing her a few days before leaving this world was still possible.

Yes, she would hate him for doing it, but maybe, with time, as she learned more about Keith's evil deeds, she would realise how dangerous he is, and her obsession with him would wear off.

Maybe, she will even fall in love with him...

Yexuan walked back into the stands and took his seat, lost in his thoughts, not in the least interested in the first or second match, but he did pay attention to the third match where Samrath was up against an old Auror in the Middle-Stage of the Spirit Profound Realm.

He needed to get the treasure first, as it might help him assimilate the Heart's Blood of the Divine Dragon faster. He could not improve his Cultivation anymore unless he assimilated more of it, so he had to deal with this good boy first.

Sadly, once again, Samrath was not pushed to his absolute limits and did not reveal any secrets of the treasure he possessed.

Then again, it was something that relieved Yexuan as well since he did not wish for the treasure to be found by the Demiliore.

Thinking things through, the former Immortal Sovereign sighed as he realised that he might have to take risks when dealing with Samrath.

The issue was that there were very strong Shadow Guards around this boy, and he needed to make a perfect plan to get his hands on him.

When Samrath's match ended, the day came to an end as well.

Keith and the girls left first, and when they arrived in the backroom, the girls could not help but giggle as they found Victor excitedly waiting for them.

"Master!" He happily called out to Keith and then knelt to him properly, which made some of them laugh as he was not usually so careful with the etiquette.

"You did well, Victor," Keith told him. "You will receive your reward in the morning."

"Thank you, Master!"

Keith smiled at him and then patted his shoulder before walking past him, followed by the girls, who made sure to congratulate the Muscle-Head, who was even more happy after getting all the compliments.

"Are you going to change him too like you changed Ryu, Ayesha, and Nana?" Rebecca curiously asked, guessing his intentions.

"Yes." He nodded, piquing the interest of the girls who were not aware of what they were talking about.

"Is it the same..." Kashish stopped herself from finishing her words, remembering the words Keith had told her about his plans to change her as well.

"No," He answered but did not explain anything to her.

"Are you going to meet the Hazenborne?" Amelia suddenly asked and he smiled.

"No." He shook his head. "You will." He met her eyes. "This war and the issues of the Mourntale are your headaches, not mine." He playfully said, and she smiled at his words.

"They are willing to submit."

"Your call." He shrugged and replied indifferently.

He did not care if the Hazenborne lived or died as they were of no consequence or value to him.

Besides, he needed to give Amelia room to grow into the Monarch she was destined to become.

And these things were a good learning experience for her.