The Villain Professor's Second Chance

Sophie watched, her breath catching in her throat as Draven's gaze briefly met hers. There was no warmth in his eyes, just the same impenetrable wall of ice she had come to associate with him. Yet, even in his detached demeanor, she felt a strange connection—an understanding that they were bound by more than just duty.

But that fleeting moment passed as his eyes turned back to the goblins, his focus now razor-sharp. The tension in the air thickened, almost suffocating in its intensity.

Beside Draven stood her brother, Lancefroz, Duke of Icevern, his usually calm and collected face twisted in a rare display of irritation. Sophie's stomach churned with anxiety as she watched him. Was he disappointed in her? Had she failed him by not being able to defend the fortress on her own?

Her thoughts spiraled as she remembered the many times she had looked up to her brother, wanting to prove herself worthy of the Icevern name.

But then, as if sensing her turmoil, Lancefroz turned his gaze toward her. To her surprise, his expression softened. A small, almost imperceptible sigh of relief escaped his lips as he offered her a reassuring smile. It wasn't a smile of disappointment but one of understanding, of pride in her efforts despite the overwhelming odds.

It was as if he was silently telling her that it was okay now, that she had done all she could, and that they would handle the rest.

The surreal scene before her felt like something out of a dream—her feared and distant fiancé standing alongside her brother, the person she admired most in the world. The stark contrast between the two men was striking: Draven, cold and calculating, a man of strategy and precision; and Lancefroz, a beacon of strength and warmth, whose very presence inspired those around him.

Sophie felt herself torn between the two, caught in the vortex of emotions that swirled around her.

The moment was fleeting, though, as the reality of the situation crashed down upon her like a tidal wave. The goblin horde, vast and terrifying, was still advancing. There was no time for introspection, no time to dwell on the complicated feelings stirring within her. She had a battle to fight, and now, with Draven and Lancefroz by her side, she had to steel herself for what was to come.

The battle commenced with a ferocity that took Sophie's breath away. Draven, now fully in command of both the Drakhan and Icevern forces, moved with a cold efficiency that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. He barked orders with precision, placing the knights of both houses in perfect formations.

The mages and archers of Drakhan were positioned at strategic points around the battlefield, their spells and arrows raining down upon the goblins with devastating accuracy.

"Archers, hold your fire until the signal! Mages, prepare your incantations! On my mark—release!" Draven's voice cut through the chaos like a knife, and the response was immediate. The archers loosed their arrows in perfect unison, their shafts cutting through the air like a deadly hailstorm.

The mages followed suit, unleashing torrents of fire, ice, and lightning that tore through the ranks of the goblins, leaving charred and frozen corpses in their wake.

Sophie could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Just moments ago, the battle had seemed hopeless, the sheer number of goblins threatening to overwhelm them. But now, under Draven's command, the tide was turning. The once-impenetrable horde was being decimated with a ruthlessness that left her breathless.

It was as if Draven was orchestrating a symphony of destruction, every move calculated to inflict maximum damage with minimum effort.

The adventurers and soldiers, who had been on the brink of despair, now found themselves invigorated by the sudden shift in momentum. "Look at that!" one adventurer shouted, his voice filled with awe. "He's cutting them down like they're nothing!"

"Did you see how he positioned the archers? It's like he knew exactly where the goblins would be!" another chimed in, his eyes wide with admiration.

"And the Duke of Icevern," a soldier added, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and disbelief. "He's a beast! I've never seen anyone take down so many goblins in one swing!"

Sophie's heart swelled with pride as she watched her brother in action. Lancefroz was a whirlwind of power, his greatsword cleaving through the goblin ranks with terrifying ease. He moved with a speed and grace that belied his massive frame, each strike perfectly timed and executed. The goblins, who had once seemed so unstoppable, now fell before him like wheat before a scythe.

"That's our Duke!" a soldier cheered, his voice filled with fervor. "He's unstoppable!"

Sophie couldn't help but smile, despite the chaos around her. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt a glimmer of hope. The battle, which had seemed so hopeless, was now within their grasp. But even as that hope flickered to life, a part of her couldn't shake the nagging fear that this victory was only temporary.

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The goblins were vast in number, and she knew that the true battle was still to come.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, a guttural roar echoed across the battlefield. The goblin king, who had been watching the carnage from atop a crude pedestal carried by his demonified goblin variants, let out a furious bellow. His eyes, glowing with malevolent rage, locked onto the figure of Draven, who was in the midst of issuing another command.

The goblin king's fury was palpable, his enormous body trembling with barely contained rage. With a frenzied howl, he leaped from his perch, charging toward Draven with a speed that belied his massive size. His demonified guards followed close behind, their twisted forms exuding an aura of darkness that made the very air around them shimmer with malevolent energy.

"Draven!" Sophie screamed, her voice shrill with panic. She could see what was about to happen, the terrible realization crashing over her like a wave. She had been a fool to think that they could handle this alone. She had forgotten, in the heat of battle, that Draven had only recently recovered from his injuries at the royal banquet.

He was still vulnerable, and now he was about to face the full wrath of the goblin king.

But even as the words left her lips, something strange happened. The goblin king, who had been barreling toward Draven with murderous intent, suddenly froze in place. His eyes widened in shock and confusion, his massive body trembling as if some unseen force had stopped him in his tracks.

The demonified goblins behind him came to a sudden halt as well, their ferocity tempered by the same inexplicable force.

Sophie's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. How had the goblin king been stopped? What was happening? She scanned the battlefield frantically, searching for any sign of what could have caused this sudden turn of events.

And then she saw it. A flicker of movement in the shadows, just behind Draven. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what it was. The goblin king's shaman, who had been lurking in the background, had activated a teleportation portal. The goblin king, who had been charging toward Draven, had been transported to a different location.

Her heart leaped into her throat as the realization struck her like a physical blow. The goblin king had reappeared directly behind Draven. He was completely unaware of the danger looming over him, his attention still focused on the battle ahead.

"Draven, behind you!" Sophie screamed, her voice raw with desperation. But it was too late. The goblin king was already raising his massive weapon, the dark energy swirling around him crackling with malevolent intent. He was about to strike, to end Draven's life with a single, devastating blow.

Time seemed to slow as Sophie watched in horror, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts at once. She had failed him. She had let her guard down, and now the man she had only just begun to understand, the man she had sworn to protect, was about to die. The terror that gripped her heart was unlike anything she had ever felt before, a cold, suffocating fear that threatened to consume her whole.

But then, just as the goblin king's weapon was about to descend upon Draven, something miraculous happened. The air around them seemed to shimmer, a faint, almost imperceptible glow enveloping Draven's form. The goblin king's weapon stopped in mid-air, inches from Draven's back, as if some invisible barrier had blocked the attack.

Sophie's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the goblin king struggle against the unseen force, his face contorted with rage and confusion. The demonified goblins behind him hissed and snarled, but they too were unable to move, their twisted forms paralyzed as if held by an invisible grip.

"What's happening?"