Villain Throne:I Build An Empire On Bones

The bandit camp sat like a wound in the cursed forest, tucked under sharp cliffs and twisted, bare trees. It was a mess of ripped tents, rough wooden walls, and blood-stained ground. The air smelled of sweat, rot, and blood, showing the evil that ruled here. Shaky towers, built from broken logs and rusty iron, stood high, with archers watching coldly, arrows ready. In the middle was a dark fortress of stolen stone and wood, its walls hung with skulls—some human, some not—tied on worn ropes. Fire pits burned, casting shadows that moved like ghosts on the muddy ground. Rusty cages lined the camp's edges, filled with captives' whimpers and the clink of chains. This wasn't just a bandit camp; it was a place of cruelty, where hope was gone.

Varek stared at Zairen, his eyes hard. "You, Edna,Rolan, Taz, Mira, Kael, and Soren—take the rescue mission. Rolan's a wiry tracker, quick with a bow. Taz is broad, strong with an axe. Mira's sharp, good with locks. Kael's a young mage, fast with sparks. Soren's quiet, deadly with knives. Your job is to free the captives—women and children. Not one dies, got it? Sneak in, stay quiet, and show no mercy to those bastards. Understand?"

Everyone thumped their chests, shouting, "Yes, Captain!"

Edna stepped forward. "Yes, Captain. You're the leader of this group, understood. Aye, Captain."

Varek pulled her aside, voice low. "Come here, Edna. I need to talk." She nodded, stepping close. "Listen, protect Zairen. I know I said It's his blood, his choice — he can do whatever he wants with it.,But I knew his father—my blood brother. So, even if I didn't order it, keep him safe. Got it?"

"Yes, Captain," Edna said, her voice steady. "I'd protect Zairen anyway.we show them no mercy."

Varek nodded. "Go. Make them pay."

Edna, Zairen, and the four others slipped into the shadows, moving toward the captive area. Varek turned to the rest, his voice a roar. "We attack straight on! No warning, no hesitation—just chaos! Me and five two-star magi will hit the main base. and the rest of u attack the front.Everyone clear"

The group roared back, "Clear!" and charged, ready to tear the bandit camp apart.

Meanwhile,

Zairen's red eyes glowed faintly in the dark, his breath steady. Edna, her brown hair tied back, gripped her dagger, face burning with rage. Rolan, Taz, Mira, and Kael moved silently behind them, Soren scouting ahead. Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the camp. Edna, Zairen, and the others froze, glancing toward the sound. "The Captain's started the attack," Edna whispered. "Let's go!"

They rushed forward, reaching the captive area. It was a grim sight: rusty iron cages held women and children, their faces pale, eyes empty. Some were chained to posts, ankles bloody. Others clawed at bars, their cries weak. The ground was filthy, the air thick with despair. Some women stared blankly, broken by loss. Others wept silently, tears long gone.

Edna's fists clenched. "How can they do this to innocent people?" she growled, her voice shaking. Zairen stayed quiet, his eyes locked on the guards. Ten bandits patrolled, some leering at the women, others laughing cruelly. One guard, hands dirty, yanked a woman from a cage, her chains clanking as she fell.

In cages made of iron, hope is dead,

Where innocence is crushed by crueler dread.

Edna crept forward, grabbing a guard's mouth and slitting his throat. Blood sprayed, his body slumping. Another guard turned, spotting them, but Zairen was faster. He lunged, stabbing his blade into the man's side. The guard gasped, blood gushing, and collapsed, dead. Edna nodded at Zairen, and they moved again.

But a third guard stumbled from a tent, drunk, and saw them. "Intruders! Get up!" he shouted. Edna drove her dagger into his neck, blood pouring like a fountain, but it was too late. Bandits woke, yelling, grabbing weapons. Then boom—a massive explosion shook the camp as Varek's attack hit the main base. Fire and ice spells lit the night, screams and steel clashing in a storm of chaos. All the bandits panicked and ran toward the main camp.

Edna cursed. "Move, Zairen! This is our chance" They sprinted with Rolan, Taz, Mira, and Kael toward the captives. The area was a nightmare: women and children cowered in cages, some too broken to move, their bodies like discarded dolls.

"We're here to save you," Edna whispered to a young girl, her hands shaking as she pried open a cage. The girl's eyes were hollow, her body trembling. Zairen worked fast, his blade snapping chains like string. Mira picked locks, Taz broke shackles, and Kael and Soren guarded their backs.

Two bandits staggered from a tent, laughing cruelly. They froze, seeing the rescuers. "Who the hell are you?" one snarled, hurling a fire spell. Edna dove, shielding a captive woman, but the flames grazed her arm, burning skin. The woman, eyes lifeless, didn't move. Fire swallowed her, her scream short as her charred body fell. Edna's rage exploded. "You monsters!" she roared, charging the bandits. Her dagger slashed, but these were one-star magi Master, their spells sharp and deadly.

In darkness deep, where cruelty's roots grow strong,

The heart of man turns cold, no right, just wrong.

Edna's blade clashed with a bandit's sword, sparks flying. Taz and Soren freed more captives, leading them to the forest's edge.

Mira came to Edna to help her, but Edna said, "Go, I can handle this. You go and rescue the others and get them to safety."

Mira replied, "But Edna…"

Edna shouted, "I said go!" — her voice full of fury. "I'm the leader! You have to listen to me."

Mira hesitated for a moment, torn and worried, but then finally ran off, heart pounding. But Edna was losing. A fire spell hit her chest, knocking her down. She gasped, pain burning, vision fading. The bandit loomed, grinning. "You bitch," he sneered, grabbing her Breast with a filthy hand. "We'll break you like them."

Edna groaned, helpless. For the first time in her life, she felt scared and helpless, hoping someone would come to save her. And then suddenly The bandit's laugh stopped. Zairen's blade pierced his throat, blood gushing. The steel twisted, severing his head with a crunch. It rolled, eyes wide, blood pooling like a dark mirror. The second bandit turned, spell half-ready, but Zairen grabbed his face. "Burn," he whispered, his voice cold. Fire burst from his hand, melting the bandit's flesh, eyes popping, leaving a charred skull, jaw locked in a scream. The stench of burned flesh choked the air.

Edna stared, heart racing. Zairen's red eyes, cruel and fierce, softened as he offered a hand. "You okay?" His voice was calm, but his bloodied blade told another story. "Y-yes," Edna stammered, shaken. She wanted to ask about his power, but Zairen cut her off. "No time for waiting. The captives are safe, but the fight's not done." He turned toward the clash of steel and spells, his figure sharp against the firelit camp.

Through blood and flame, the reaper's hand does roam,

Yet mercy lingers where the heart calls home.

Edna nodded, swallowing fear. The captives were being led to the forest, Mira,Kael,Taz and Soren guiding them. The camp burned, towers crumbling under Varek's attack. Zairen and Edna rejoined the battle, blades ready, hearts heavy with what they'd seen. The war raged on, a storm of blood and magic, and the night was far from over.