Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!-Chapter 69 -: 68 Rosalina’s Helplessness.

Thud!

The masked man hit the ground hard with a dull ’thud’. Blood pooled under him. His body went still.

The crowd stared in shock.

"She... she really killed him? Just like that?"

"What the—?!"

"I can’t believe it. He was just one step away from the Spirit Core stage... and he couldn’t even fight her?"

"Damn! She’s a monster!"

Then the cheers exploded.

"Rosalina! Rosalina! Rosalina!"

Students jumped up and down, eyes shining with pure respect and excitement.

Some clapped wildly. Others wiped tears of relief.

The girl they used to call arrogant and cold had just saved them all, twice in one night.

"Snap!"

Rosalina snapped her fingers. Mary, her sword, vanished from her hand in a flash of light.

"Everyone," she said calmly, voice cutting through the noise like a knife, "walk in formation toward the exit. I will break the blockage."

She turned and walked straight toward the pile of debris that blocked the main door.

No hesitation. No fear. Just pure confidence.

From the side, Alia Ruth watched everything. She bit down on her lip hard enough to taste blood.

’What is it...?’ she thought, frowning deeper.

Just this morning she had sat with Cillian and said Rosalina’s speeches felt too suspicious, like bait, like she was waiting for something big to happen so she could look like the hero.

And when the monster roar echoed earlier, Alia thought: ’This is it. She’s behind it. She’ll act like the savior.’

And Rosalina had. Perfectly. Too perfectly.

But something still felt wrong.

’This scale is too large,’ Alia thought as she joined the line of students moving forward.

’A summoned monster that strong... and not a single instructor has shown up to help? That can only mean one thing, whatever’s outside is way too powerful for them to handle quickly.’

She kept walking, mind racing.

Her eyes landed on the masked man’s body, still lying in a pool of his own blood.

The creepy white mask hadn’t come off. His face was hidden.

’Who could he be?’

Alia glanced ahead.

Rosalina was already at the blocked exit, slamming her fists into the debris with superhuman strength.

Rocks cracked and flew. The crowd cheered louder.

Alia slowed her steps. No one noticed her falling behind a little.

’Could it be him...?’

Her eyes narrowed.

’Haa...’

She took a deep breath. Heart pounding.

’Let’s see who you really are.’

She moved quietly, slipping to the side so no one would see her.

Step by step, she approached the fallen man. The crowd was too busy following Rosalina to notice.

Her hand reached out slowly toward the mask.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Fingers inches from the chin of the mask.

She was about to grab it—

*Grab!*

A strong hand clamped around her wrist.

"Got you!"

Alia’s eyes widened.

The masked man, who everyone thought was dead, suddenly sat up.

His grip was iron-tight.

Blood still dripped from his stomach wound, but his voice sounded perfectly fine, amused, even.

He tilted his head. That creepy painted smile stared right at her.

Alia froze for half a second.

Then her free hand flashed with a spell, ready to strike.

"Don’t move... hehehe."

The masked man’s laugh was low and creepy as he pressed a small, sharp knife right against Alia’s throat.

The cold blade bit into her skin just enough to sting.

"Behave, or I’ll kill you right now," he threatened, voice dripping with amusement.

Alia’s eyes went wide. Her hand froze mid-air, inches from the mask.

Her heart hammered so hard she could hear it in her ears.

"You!! Who are you?!"

He only laughed again, that same creepy "hehehe" and didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned his head toward the crowd and shouted loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Rosalina Valentina!"

The moment his voice rang out, every head turned.

Rosalina froze. Alia froze. The students froze. Even the distant monster roars seemed quieter for a second.

The masked man pressed the knife deeper. A thin trail of blood slid down Alia’s neck.

"I have a hostage," he announced with sick satisfaction. "If you want her to live... step aside!"

He took a slow step forward, dragging Alia with him.

Blood still dripped from his own stomach wound, soaking his robes, but he didn’t even wince.

He acted like the stab wound was nothing.

The crowd stared in horror.

"What the—? Didn’t he die?!"

"How does he have Alia?!"

"What was she doing going near him?!"

Whispers turned into panicked murmurs.

Some students looked guilty, realizing they hadn’t noticed Alia slipping away.

Alia’s eyes wavered under the sudden attention.

Being held hostage in front of everyone made her cheeks burn with shame. She felt small, stupid, exposed.

"Could it be...? Is she...?"

The thoughts raced through the crowd, some wondering if Alia had been working with him all along.

"Enough!" Rosalina shouted from the side.

Her voice cut through the chaos like a whip.

"Everyone — step aside!"

The students obeyed instantly. They backed away, creating a clear path to the half-broken exit.

The masked man chuckled.

"Good choice."

He dragged Alia forward, step by step, toward the exit Rosalina had just cleared.

He stopped right in front of Rosalina, close enough that she could see the creepy smile painted on his mask up close.

He leaned in slightly, voice low and full of poison.

"Hehehe... today was my loss, Rosalina Valentina. But the next time I see you..."

He paused, tilting his head like he was savoring the moment.

"...I will eat you."

"You!!" Rosalina snapped, eyes flashing with fury.

She gritted her teeth hard. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

But she didn’t move. She couldn’t risk Alia’s life.

From the crowd’s view, Rosalina looked angry, red-faced, glaring, ready to explode.

But no one noticed the tiny blush that crept across her cheeks for just a second.

She quickly pinched the back of her own hand, hard, to snap herself out of it.

The blush vanished as fast as it came.

Alia, still held tight with the knife at her throat, looked straight at Rosalina.

"Rosalina... we are enemies," she said through gritted teeth, voice shaking with frustration and shame.

"So just... kill me with him! He instigated everything! You must—"

"Shut up, bitch!" the masked man snapped, pressing the knife harder. A fresh bead of blood appeared.

Alia winced but didn’t cry out.

Rosalina’s jaw tightened. She turned her gaze away, fists trembling. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"She hated this. Hated standing there helpless."

"Hated that she couldn’t just charge forward and end him. Hated that Alia, her rival, was right there, bleeding, and she could do nothing." At least that’s what the crowd was thinking.

The masked man blew a mocking kiss toward Rosalina.

"I’ll see you next time, Rosalina~"

He stepped through the half-opened exit, dragging Alia with him.

The moment he was clear of the doorway, he shoved Alia hard to the side.

She stumbled and fell to the ground with a gasp.

The masked man laughed one last time and shot into the sky, vanishing into the dark night like smoke.

"I will kill you for sure the next time I see you!!!!"

Rosalina shouted after him, face burning red from pure anger.

Her voice echoed across the auditorium.