I'm the Villain, But the Heroines Keep Choosing Me-Chapter 81: What is it Worth?

The attack came thirty-six hours later, exactly as Seria had predicted.

Not the location she’d calculated – the demons had apparently learned that human tactical analysis was improving – but close enough that response forces could deploy rapidly. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The eastern merchant district. Peak trading hours. Maximum civilian casualties if not contained quickly.

Seria was coordinating guard response from the command center when the runner arrived, breathless and terrified.

"Captain! The demons – there’s hundreds of them – organized formations – they’re cutting through the market guard like paper – "

"How many hundreds?" She was already moving, grabbing her swords, her armor.

"At least three hundred. Maybe more. And Captain – " The runner’s voice shook. " – there’s something else. Something bigger. Leading them."

[MAJOR DEMON ATTACK: INITIATED]

[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]

Seria’s mind went into tactical mode. Three hundred demons with command structure meant this wasn’t probing raid – this was the assault they’d been preparing for.

"Sound general alarm. Deploy all available units to eastern district. Evacuate civilians from adjacent areas. Get the Church forces mobilized – we’ll need their barriers and healing." She was issuing orders while running. "And send word to Lord Valcrest immediately. We need every force multiplier we have."

The runner sprinted away to carry orders while Seria gathered her rapid response team. Twenty of her best fighters, already armored and armed, waiting for her command.

"This is it," she told them grimly. "The major assault we’ve been expecting. Organized demons with command structure, superior numbers, attacking civilian target. Our job is to hold them until reinforcements arrive and civilians can evacuate. Questions?"

"Rules of engagement?" one soldier asked.

"Kill anything demonic. Protect anything human. Simple as that." She checked her swords one final time. "Let’s move."

They reached the eastern district to find controlled chaos.

The demons had established a perimeter, cutting off escape routes while systematically destroying buildings and killing anyone who resisted. But they weren’t just mindlessly slaughtering – they were herding civilians toward central plaza, capturing rather than killing.

"Why are they taking prisoners?" one of her soldiers asked.

"Intelligence gathering. Or hostages. Either way, we can’t let them succeed." Seria assessed the tactical situation rapidly. "Split into three teams. Team Alpha, hit their eastern flank, create gap for civilian evacuation. Team Bravo, western flank, same objective. I’ll take Team Charlie straight through center to reach the prisoners."

"Captain, that’s suicide – "

"That’s orders. Move!"

Her teams split as commanded, and Seria led her eight soldiers in aggressive push toward the plaza where demons were holding captured civilians.

The fighting was brutal and efficient. These weren’t the disorganized beasts from previous attacks – these demons fought with military discipline, covering each other, maintaining formations, adapting to human tactics.

Seria’s paired-sword technique was devastatingly effective, but even she couldn’t kill fast enough. For every demon she dropped, two more moved into position.

We’re going to lose, she realized with cold clarity. Too many demons, too few soldiers, and whatever was leading them hadn’t even appeared yet.

Then golden light exploded across the battlefield.

The Saintess stood at the perimeter, hands raised, divine magic blazing with intensity Seria had never witnessed before. Not the gentle healing glow or defensive barriers – this was aggressive, weaponized holy power.

A wave of golden and dark energy swept across the demon ranks, and they screamed. Not killing them instantly, but burning, weakening, forcing them to break formation.

"FOR THE GODDESS!" Church soldiers charged behind Elara’s opening, blessed weapons gleaming, organized formations smashing into the scattered demon lines.

Seria felt relief flood through her, immediately followed by tactical assessment. The Church forces were effective but would tire quickly – that kind of magic expenditure wasn’t sustainable.

"Team Charlie, push forward while they’re scattered!" she ordered. "Get those civilians!"

They fought through weakened demon resistance to reach the plaza. Roughly sixty civilians huddled in terrified groups, surrounded by a dozen demon guards that looked more capable than the frontline troops.

Elite guards, Seria recognized. These were the ones actually dangerous.

"Defensive formation!" she commanded. Her soldiers formed protective circle around the civilians while she engaged the elite demons.

The first one she fought was skilled – actually parrying her strikes, reading her patterns, adapting. She killed it, but barely, and received a nasty gash across her ribs for the effort.

The remaining eleven elite demons attacked simultaneously.

Shit this is bad, she thought with distant calm. Fighting well but outnumbered.

Then shadows exploded from beneath the demons.

Darkness erupted like living thing, shadow spears punching through demon armor, tendrils wrapping around throats and limbs, crushing with brutal efficiency.

Damien materialized from the shadows themselves, looking like nightmare made flesh. His eyes were cold – already past 10% corruption, probably higher – but he was in control. Barely.

"Get the civilians out," he said flatly. "I’ll handle the elite guards."

"There’s eleven of them – "

"I can count." He was already moving, shadow blade forming in his hand. "Seria, evacuate the civilians. Now."

She wanted to argue, to fight beside him, but recognized tactical necessity. Her job was protecting civilians, his was eliminating threats too dangerous for normal soldiers.

"Team Charlie, on me! Civilians, stay close and move fast!"

They began evacuation while Damien engaged the elite demons with frightening efficiency. Even outnumbered eleven to one, he was winning – his supernatural speed and shadow manipulation making him impossible to pin down.

But Seria could see the cost. His eyes getting colder. His movements becoming more mechanical. The corruption rising with every use of power.

They were halfway to safety when the real threat appeared.

The plaza shattered as something massive emerged from beneath the stone.

Not a demon. A Demon General.

[DEMON General: REVEALED]

[THREAT LEVEL: CATASTROPHIC]

It stood twelve feet tall, armor that looked like black crystal, a blade that seemed to drink light. But worse than its size or equipment was the intelligence in its eyes.

This wasn’t a beast or even a tactical soldier. This was a general. A leader. Something that could think and plan and adapt.

"Damien Valcrest," it spoke, voice like grinding stone. "The shadow-touched human who’s been killing my forces. I’ve wanted to meet you."

Damien stood motionless, assessing the threat. Seria could see his mind calculating odds, probably concluding what she already knew – he couldn’t win this fight.

Not at his current power level, not without pushing corruption past any safe threshold.

"Seria, get everyone out," he said quietly. "This one’s beyond your capability."

"It’s beyond yours too – "

"I know. I’m just buying time." He raised his shadow blade. "Go."

The Demon General laughed – actual laughter, deep and amused. "How noble. The corrupted human playing hero. Tell me, shadow-touched, do you even remember why you’re fighting? Or has the darkness consumed your purpose already?"

"I remember enough." Damien’s voice was ice. "I remember you’re invading human territory. That’s sufficient motivation."

"Is it? I wonder." The Demon Lord began circling, and Seria realized with horror that it was moving between Damien and the evacuation route. "What if I offered you choice? Join us. Use your shadow powers for the winning side. We could teach you things about darkness your pitiful human understanding has barely touched."

"Not interested."

"No? Not even if I sweeten the offer?" The Demon Lord’s blade pointed toward the evacuating civilians. "Those humans you’re protecting. I’ll let them live. Every single one. If you surrender yourself to us. Your power, your knowledge, your existence. Trade yourself for their survival."

Seria felt cold horror. Damien was calculating. She could see it in his expression – he was actually considering it.

"Don’t you dare," she said. "That’s not a real offer. The moment you surrender, it kills everyone anyway."

"Perhaps." Damien didn’t take his eyes off the Demon Lord. "But if there’s even a chance – "

Golden light slammed into the Demon Lord from the side.

Elara appeared, hands blazing with that weaponized divine magic, expression furious. "No negotiation. No surrender. We fight together."

The Demon Lord staggered from the holy attack but recovered quickly. "The Saintess. How delightful. Both of the shadow-touched’s targets, here together. This will be interesting."

"Both?" Damien’s voice was sharp. "How do you know about – "

"We watch. We learn. We know about your precious bonds, about the corruption eating you alive, about your desperate attempts to stay human." The Demon Lord’s voice was mocking. "We know everything about you, Damien Valcrest. And soon, you’ll join us willingly or we’ll take what we need from your corpse."

Seria moved to Damien’s side, swords ready. Elara took position on his other side, divine magic coiling around her hands.

Three against one. Against something that outclassed all of them individually.

"Together," Elara said firmly. "We fight together."

"Agreed," Seria added. "Coordinated assault. Captain?"

"Seria takes point, I’ll support with shadows, Elara provides covering fire and healing." Damien’s tactical mind was working even through the corruption. "It’s suicide, but we’ll make it expensive suicide."

"Such optimism," the Demon Lord laughed. "Come then. Show me what your precious bonds are worth."