I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 551  Sylvia Alphonse Celesta VS Leon Grimlock Again

Footsteps echoed through the vast, desolate corridors of an abandoned castle. A woman strode forward through the corridor. Her beauty was breathtaking—platinum blonde hair cascaded down her back and her striking heterochromatic eyes gleamed with an emotion long since buried. She was Sylvia Alphonse Celeste—once a famous princess of the Celesta Kingdom, a name etched in history for her legendary role in the Second Great Holy War. Yet, time had not been kind. The woman who now walked these forsaken halls was but a shadow of the hero she had once been. She still lived—somehow, inexplicably—and now became a member of the terrorist organization Ante-Eden. Her expression remained unreadable, her gaze as impassive as ever. But to those who had known her in her era, the change was undeniable—something vital had been lost, leaving only a hollow shell behind. She was clad in a golden armored dress, her armor. As she moved, the fabric of her gown swayed elegantly, brushing against the dust-laden floor. Soon enough she reached a pair of blackened, ancient wooden doors, she knew all too well. Without her lifting a finger, the massive doors creaked open, revealing the great hall beyond. It was just as she remembered—grand yet forsaken, its former majesty long eroded. Cobwebs clung to the towering pillars and dust coated the marble floors, untouched by time or care. Yet, despite the hallʼs state of decay, the throne at the far end was not empty. He was already there, waiting for her. He had sensed her approach long before she arrived. Sylvia never came here unless it was for something important.

At the far end of the hall, seated upon the worn and weathered black throne, was a man with short grey hair swept back. Like Sylvia, he bore heterochromatic eyes—one an abyssal black, the other a smoldering amber. Those eyes, filled with boredom, flickered toward her as she entered. Leaning lazily against the armrest, his fist propped against his cheek, he let out an unimpressed sigh. ”What are you doing here, Sylvia?” Leon asked. ”Donʼt tell me youʼve finally found Lucifer?” ”No. I canʼt find him,” Sylvia replied.

Leonʼs relaxed posture stiffened ever so slightly. His amber eye darkened with irritation. ”You canʼt even find him?” His voice dropped into something colder. ”Then how the hell are we supposed to reset the world without him?” Sylvia met his gaze with the same coldness. ”Resetting the world isnʼt something done with the snap of a finger. And donʼt delude yourself. Just because you carry Lucifer Morningstarʼs legacy doesnʼt make you him. If he wanted to, he could have taken your body after killing you in your timeline. But he didnʼt,” she added. Leon smirked at that, leaning back into the throne as if savoring her irritation. ”He did better,” he said. ”He gave me back my body… after Jayden, Victor, Milleia, Roda, and that whole miserable lot killed me in Central Vedelia.” ”Do you know why?” Sylvia asked, almost snorting. Leon scoffed, rolling his eyes. ”Who cares? I did exactly what he wanted. I killed the three Apostles, the Saintess, the Prophetess, and the High Priestess. Werenʼt they supposed to be the greatest obstacles? I practically laid the world at his feet. Whatever he wants to do with it now—itʼs not my problem. That timeline means nothing to me anymore.” ”Of course it doesnʼt. We even reincarnated Gladys into Kleah for you… yet it still isnʼt enough, is it?” Leonʼs smirk faded. ”Itʼs not.” -BOOOM!

A suffocating pressure filled the room. Leonʼs Sin of Pride unfurled like a beast released from its cage, warping the air with an oppressive force. The very walls trembled, cracks spreading like veins through the stone. The ground quivered beneath Sylviaʼs feet. She reacted instantly, activating her Celesta Bloodline—a radiant golden light clashing against Leonʼs Sin. The two opposing energies collided violently, the sheer force of their struggle rattling the room. But Sylvia could feel it, her mana was barely holding on which was given. Mana, Prana, even Ruah or any type of attacks induced of any type of energy were useless against Leon. He was immune and invulnerable against them. Even her Celesta Bloodline was submitting in front of the Sin of Pride.

Sylvia glanced at her arm. It had cracked. Her body was far more durable than a normal humanʼs, but even she couldnʼt withstand his Sin. Her cold gaze flicked back to Leon. He had recovered significantly since the last time.

”It will never be enough,” Leon said with a growl. There was no trace of amusement now. Only raw, unfiltered hatred. ”What happened to Gladys… what that filth, Rickward, did to her… I will erase it.” His nails dug into his palm. ”I will erase everything. Every single thing that led to that fate. And only then—only when this world has been reduced to nothing—will I leave this garbage world behind… and live with Gladys. Far away from this wretched mess.” ”...”

”But only after Iʼve killed every last one of them. Until thereʼs not a single damn one left.”

Sylvia looked at him silently before shifting the subject. ”Utopia has fallen.”

Leon barely reacted. He leaned back, his expression one of mild disinterest. ”I know. That Elven King lost his Sin, and Nyr probably took it.”

”He has two Sins now. Are you planning to take them yourself?”

Leon chuckled, shaking his head.. ”No. Harivel is still by his side. No matter how weak she has become, she is dangerous. And more importantly, Nemes is here.” He shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. ”Sheʼd kill me the moment I laid a hand on Samaelʼs vessel.”

Sylviaʼs eyes flickered a little but she hid her expression. ”Then how do you plan to take his Sins?”

Leon raised a brow. ”Youʼre asking a lot of questions, Sylvia. Could it be that youʼre worried about him?” He laughed amused. ”Even though he isnʼt the Amael you once knew? The one you knew was killed by Zeus, if I recall correctly.” He let out a soft, mocking laugh. ”Honestly, what was he thinking, going up against an Elder God?”

Despite his taunting tone, there was an underlying curiosity in his words. But Sylvia offered him nothing—no explanation, no reaction.

Leonʼs smirk widened, sensing an opportunity to provoke. ”It must be frustrating for you, Sylvia. Knowing you canʼt exact revenge on him because of your own weakness.”

”You should be familiar with that sensation, Leon Grimlock,” Sylvia gave an instant reply. ”Gladys was raped by a man you have spent years hunting, and yet—you still havenʼt found him.”

Leonʼs amusement vanished instantly. His eyes darkened dangerously.

In a blink, he disappeared—then reappeared mere inches from Sylvia. ”Are you hiding something from me, Sylvia?”

Sylvia met his gaze without showing anything. ”I have nothing to hide.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then Leon stepped back. ”I hope thatʼs true.” He glanced toward the distance. ”We should help each other, Sylvia. The others are too devoted to Nemes—we canʼt trust them, can we?”

”No.”

A slow, satisfied smirk returned to Leonʼs lips. ”Then weʼre on the same page.” He turned away. ”Iʼll be taking the Sins during the Festival of the Blood Moon in Raveniaʼs capital.”

Sylvia watched him for a long moment before finally speaking. ”That is… if the Iris Project doesnʼt intervene.”

Leon let out an irritated sigh, his fingers tapping idly against the armrest of his chair. ”The Iris Project… what an annoying group of pests.” He groaned. ”But their obsession with the Sins makes them the perfect pawns. Iʼll use them to my advantage—then take the Sins for myself.”

”Youʼre underestimating them.”

Leon scoffed. ”Why should I care? Once I reclaim Sloth and Wrath, Iʼll reach the realm of the Gods again. They wonʼt be able to stop me.”

Sylviaʼs expression didnʼt change. ”The Sins alone wonʼt grant you true Godhood. In your original timeline, you only achieved an artificial version of it—because Lucifer lent you his Divinity to kill Harivel.”

Leonʼs smirk faded, and he turned toward her, amusement replaced by mild irritation. ”What exactly are you trying to say, Sylvia? Are you worried about me now?”

”No. Youʼre simply overestimating yourself, thatʼs all.” She paused before adding, ”Laima could have killed you with Fate, yet she chose to sacrifice herself instead—from what I understand.”

”Kill me?” Leon laughed. ”I would have come back later.”

”Yes and thatʼs why she sent you in a new timeline,” Sylvia replied.

Leon went silent.

Laima… She had stabbed herself.

Why?

The Laima he encountered in the Enigma Red Dungeon had no recollection of the first timeline—at least, not at that point. Had she known something? Had she planned it all along? Perhaps she had simply wanted to kill him, but if she was aware of what was to come, then why did she send him into a new timeline?

He retained all of his memories.

If anything, that made him more dangerous.

Sure, he was weakened now, but once he regained his strength, he could easily reclaim the Sins, take down Lucifer, and seize Edenʼs power to reset the world.

So, what was different in this second timeline?

Did she send him in a new timeline because she thought he could be permanently killed in this new timeline?

No, he could have been killed permanently even in the previous timeline if for example Eden showed himself to deal with him yet Nevia sent him a new timeline.

Why?

The only reason coming into Leonʼs mind was because in this new timeline the Apostles, Saintess, Prophetess and High Priestess were still alive.

So she needed any of them or all of them alive?

But did she never think he could just kill them again?

The only reason he refrained from acting was his extreme caution. In the previous timeline, gods had been sent to hunt him down, with Nevia among them. Although he had managed to defeat her, it had come at a great cost. In this new timeline, he chose to be more prudent, aware that a few individuals, including Eden, knew about the events of the previous timeline. If caught, especially in broad daylight, he would be taken seriously and likely killed, with no chance of return.

This was why he had remained hidden until he could recover and why he had been hidden on the last floor of the Enigma Red Dungeon back then. He had forced Edward and the others to join him there, away from prying eyes and the watchful gaze of the gods. After all, the last floors were designed for such secrecy.

Then did Nevia counted on Leonʼs weakened state?

Or maybe she saw a future in this timeline where Leon wouldnʼt kill them?

Was that because he didnʼt care about them like he did currently or... because someone was going to stop him before he could kill them and consequently also kill him?

For a fleeting moment, an image of Nyrel surfaced in his mind.

But he dismissed it just as quickly.

That boy had been nothing more than a pawn—manipulated by Nihil, devoid of ambition, not even in control of his own life and too weak to matter. His only redeeming quality was that he carried Wrath within him.

”Youʼre overthinking it.”

Sylvia didnʼt reply. She merely turned and began walking away.

Leonʼs gaze lingered on her retreating figure before he spoke again. ”What about Emilia Raonpherys?”

Sylvia didnʼt break stride. ”What about her?”

”I need her to recover the Sin of Gluttony on Earth.”

”You wonʼt even be able to touch her—not with her Holy Beasts guarding her.”

”Iʼll kill her cute Holy Beasts—once I have recovered or once I have Wrath and Sloth in my grasp,” he said with a laugh.

Sylvia suddenly halted mid-step. For a brief moment, she remained still before glancing over her shoulder at Leon. ”You might not even need the Key to get your hands on the Sin of Gluttony.”

Leonʼs interest piqued immediately. ”Oh? And what exactly does that mean?”

He had no clue who the current Holder of Gluttony was. More importantly, he had no desire to waste time scouring Earth for that Sin. If he could avoid that hassle altogether, it would certainly make things easier.

But Sylvia didnʼt elaborate right away. Instead, she turned her gaze away. ”After everything thatʼs happened, Eden wouldnʼt just sit idly by. Several kingdoms have already been granted a blessing, along with the knowledge to wield a Divinity Spell.”

Leonʼs eyes darkened slightly. ”What spell?”

Sylvia met his gaze and uttered two words.

”World Summoning.”