Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

All those years ago, when the mortal appeared out of nowhere, what he carried as a comrade with him was a weapon.

A weapon that can change shape and become anything the man desires.

It was not just a weapon but a symphony of death.

The true weapon of disaster.

The tool that brought down Astaroth to his knees and the warrior rose through the ranks, becoming the strongest in the world.

The warrior to whom even the Gods bowed.

The one who shone brilliantly and gave humanity a ray of hope.

And that warrior...

has returned.

Carrying the same weapon and wearing the same light which pushed Astaroth to the brink of his demise.

Scar.

°°°°°°°°°The castle trembled as Austin used his newly acquired skill, 'Soulwarden Veil', and summoned his weapon.

Not the two daggers he always wields but something more profound...

something that shook the very foundation of the castle and caused Ameytr to quiver in dread.

Selner's eyes were parted wide in shock.

There was no denying it...

the curved sword he held in his hand...

was his favorite form for his Shard.

It was the Shard that defeated every mortal and rose through the rank.

The Shard was just unmatched and was praised as the arm of a deity.

She cannot be mistaken about it.

That presence...

that raw energy it was radiating.

There was no denying it.

It was the Scar.

Austin gripped the sword tightly, his knuckles pale.

The blade had a black, wave-like pattern running from the handle to the tip, as if shadows were trapped within it, writhing.

It wasn't flashy.

No glow, no shine.

A sword even a beginner weaponsmith might craft.

However, he could feel it.

The way his soul combined with the weapon made it feel like the Shard was an extension of his body.

It drained him—hard.

Just staying idle pulled in his Soul Energy like a starving beast.

Each second, it devoured ten times more than he had.

If not for Soulwarden Veil, Austin would've dropped dead right then and there.

"Austin!

" Selner shouted and instantly, Austin looked ahead—Ameytr a few feet away from him—lunging at him with her claws extended.

*Ba* *Dum*His heartbeat spiked.

And then—Without thought, without reason—He swung.

A clean, sharp motion.

Nothing extra.

SWIIISHThe sword cut the air.

Not towards her.

She wasn't even close enough to be hit.

But her body moved anyway.

A reaction?

Or perhaps a prey's instinct?

Either way—It saved her life.

SHLIIIIKA thin line of blood danced across her cheek.

She stared, frozen.

The slash missed her body——but it didn't miss the castle.

CRACK—BOOM—CRUMBLEStone split.

The far edge of the castle—Gone.

Torn off like paper.

One slash.

Just one.

And the castle lost a corner of its body.

Detached.

And not just the castle, the sky was split by that slash as well.

Ameytr stared at the open sky with her eyes widened.

What's with the absurd strength?!

Austin himself couldn't believe the ability of the Shard.

He has never seen a Shard with such an overwhelming ability.

Not even Shiverfall has such brutality in it.

"This is insane...

" Austin grinned, looking at the Shard which hummed in response.

"Stay focused!

" Selner's voice rang again before Austin looked up and found Ameytr summoning a black orb that definitely meant to harm himAustin didn't think twice before slashing the sword again.

*SHLINK*The ground split as the shockwave of the slash advanced toward the Demoness.

Ameytr was fast enough to move right after she launched the prematurely released spell.

"How can it split an intangible thing?!

" Ameytr couldn't believe her eyes.

It was a spell made to erode anything and everything...

yet it was dismantled as if it were just a smoke cloud.

"This is insane.

" Austin ignored her, enjoying the insanely strong Shard in his hand.

"You can change its form as well," Selner advised, much to Ameytr's dread and Austin's astonishment.

"That so?!

" Austin immediately willed the weapon to take the form of a hammer.

It vibrated, and the consumption of Soul Energy just surged higher, but since he had endless Soul Energy at the moment, he didn't mind.

A white light covered the sword before it slowly changed its form according to Austin's will.

Austin held the huge hammer in his hand, which, despite its size, was easy to lift.

The weapon felt too comfortable in his hand.

Ameytr didn't stand there and mentally commanded her army,"Attack!

"Rows of demons began to fill the room; the whole place started to appear small as hundreds of demons began to surround Austin.

In response to that Austin didn't show a single sign of being cornered.

He stood there, his wrist resting on top of the hammer's butt as he waited for them to fill in.

Looking at his cocky stance, Selner couldn't help but sigh, "Some things never change...

"The whole main hall was now filled with demons.

Austin stood in the middle—the only human in the castle.

Every demon growled aggressively, ready to charge and stomp the human to death.

Seeing his nonchalant response, Ameytr gritted her teeth.

But there was no point in hesitating.

She was going to end him right here!

"CHARGE!

" She barked while extending her hand toward Austin.

*GUOOOOOH**ARRRRRGHHHH**UGHOOOOOOO*Every demon and demonic beast charged toward the human, their weapon raised, teeth bared and eyes filled with blood lust.

The ground trembled under their weight.

The room was filled with Demonic energy.

The victory seemed just inches away from Ameytr's reach.

But then—"Heh~" Austin twirled the hammer, and turned its head towards the ground before—**CRACK**—with all his strength, he slammed the hammer on the ground, and an explosion occurred.

**DOOOOOOM**The hammer struck the ground.

And the world—ended.

No shockwave.

No wind.

Just—silence.

For a breath.

For a heartbeat.

Then—BAAAAAAAAAAAANGReality shattered.

A black dome of energy erupted from the point of impact, swallowing everything within a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

Walls evaporated.

Stone turned to dust.

Demonic energy, once thick in the air, was torn apart like paper.

The charging beasts never reached him.

They never even saw it coming.

They were gone.

Not slain.

Erased.

The explosion didn't just destroy—it was unmade.

A perfect sphere of nothingness carved through the castle, leaving behind a crater where life once stood.

The ground no longer shook.

It didn't even exist.

Dust fell like snow.

Broken pieces of the ceiling rained down and melted in midair from the residual heat.

The throne, the pillars, the demonic banners—everything that made this hall what it was… was now a memory.

Austin stood at the center, smoke rising from his shoulders, his hair flicking slightly from the dying currents of force.

His eyes stayed cold.

Expression blank.

As if what he'd done wasn't even worth reacting to.

Ameytr's body was swallowed by darkness, the skeleton of her left side visible and the Demoness wobbling on her remaining body.

She stared at Austin with her eyes lifeless...

her body trembled as she muttered, "You....

the...

world shouldn't fear me...

you...

you are the...

real monster...

you don't deserve to live...

"Austin rolled his eyes as he approached the Demoness.

His Soulwarden ability was about to run out so he released Scar from his hold—missing the sensation of the weapon already.

Standing before the Demoness, he told her, "Your army is dead.

You are about to die.

And all that happened before your father...

I don't find anything more embarrassing than this.

"Ameytr didn't feel provoked...

she couldn't feel anything at the moment.

After what she has seen, all her emotions seem to have been wiped off.

Looking at him, she uttered her last few words, "Mark my words...

that power...

will cause you everything you desire to protect...

and only you would remain in the end...

all alone...

all de-"*SQUELCH*Austin stabbed her using his dagger, silencing the Demoness as her body faded into nothingness.

It was a weakness on his part...

because of what she was saying, Austin started to imagine it.

He didn't know why.

Soon Selner approached him and rested her hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?

"Austin took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah...

it was quite a day, but I think everything is fine now.

"Selner noticed that even though he tried to sound casual, his eyes betrayed him.

He was shaken up.

But then again, the power he wielded just now would surely leave some aftereffect on him.

'I hope this doesn't end up like the last time...

'Not so long after Selner brought Austin back to the human realm.

And after arriving the first news Austin heard was,"Valerie fainted?!

"Just as he heard the blue-haired lady's words about where she was resting, Austin didn't think twice before charging toward the nearby medical center.

He used the ring to locate her, and the way it was glowing, clearly signified that she was in distress.

He rushed through the gallery, crashing into people but not stopping to apologize.

The previous indifference and precision of a warrior faded.

All one could see on his face right now was panic and anxiety.

Not the Demoness nor the Demon Lord made him this nervous as Valerie's condition did.

His heart continued to race until he reached the room where the ring led him.

And once his eyes landed on her...

"Finally, I found you.

"....

he knew everything was fine.

°°°°°°°°°°°°A/N:- I hope you are not dissatisfied by his powers.

It will be explained in detail as we move further ahead.

Thanks for reading.