"Are you planning to become a Villain?"

"Ha! Like I've got a shot. Have you seen the requirements?"

"And don't forget the $50,000 application fee!"

High schoolers tossed words like these around, their footsteps quickening as they cleared the school gate.

In this world, Antagonia, cruelty was the mother tongue, and power the lifeblood.

No room for softies.

Here, your worth is judged by what tier of Villain you can claw your way up to.

Lurking in the background, Daseos Demon listened.

His 16-year-old face bore a constellation of bruises and scars, each a frozen moment of a past battle, sketching tales of survival on his young skin.

He pulled his cap lower, almost as if hiding from the world.

'Ah the annual Antagonian Ascendancy tryouts…'

'Fifty Gs just for a one in a thousand opportunity to maybe get in. Hmmm… Dark cultivation isn't cheap. If you can't even cover the entrance fee, you're destined for the bottom of the food chain anyway... Well I guess that's a good way to filter out us peasants…'

As he sighed, Daseos couldn't help but think,

'That's right… I'm now… a peasant. I can't even afford school. Fuck me…'

Another sigh escaped him as he clenched his fist.

Just then, a stunning girl bounced into his path.

Her high school uniform hugged her voluptuous curves.

Her large sultry eyes locked onto his.

"Daseos! I haven't seen you all day! The Ascendency try-outs are are days away. What Villain Institute are you gunning for?"

Before Daseos could even open his mouth, a disdainful 'Hmph!' cut through the air.

'Rex Greyson,' he thought, gritting his teeth.

'He's been on my case ever since we were kids. Never misses a chance to put me down.'

There he was—Rex Greyson. His hair looked like a rainbow exploded on his head, and that gold chain? Flashy, just like his ego.

He strutted forward, flanked by two bodyguards in sleek black suits.

"Lilith! Why bother with this peasant filth! His little whore house probably can't even scrape together the application fee! And even if he did, let's face it—this loser won't make the cut."

Lilith pivoted toward Rex, her eyes narrowing to slits as she met his gaze.

Her long, dark maroon hair wafted a rich, alluring fragrance into Daseos's nose.

That same hair, now almost a living entity, seemed to bristle with her fury.

"Rex! You better watch your tone before I—"

Rex cut her off, pointing arrogantly at a sleek limousine parked at the curb.

"Before what? Before I grab you and take you right in my car?"

Daseos clenched his fists. Rex was unbearable, but what boiled his blood was the slight against his predicament and his current family.

However, the sting was muffled by a simple, harsh truth: Rex wasn't entirely wrong.

*VRRROOOOSSSSHHH*

With a flick of her wrist, quicker than anyone could see, Lilith had metal spikes flying through the air at Rex.

*CLINK* *CLINK!*

Rex's bodyguards moved like shadows, arms a blur as they deflected the spikes.

Still, Rex's face turned a shade paler, his eyes wide in undisguised fear.

"You crazy bitch! You were actually going for the kill? Do you know what going against a Greyson means?!"

Rex spat out, visibly shaken but trying to recover his poise.

This was Antagonia, where treachery was a form of social currency, and the line between life and death was as thin as a razor's edge.

In this world of villains, this was the norm; here, you could end a life as quickly as you could start a sentence.

Among peers, murder wasn't just accepted—it was encouraged.

"I've had it with you, I'll make you mine today even if you're a corpse!"

Rex shoved his bodyguards aside, unsheathing a dagger from his belt and lunging at Lilith with a snarl.

This time, Daseos didn't stand idle.

In a blink, he darted in front of Lilith.

Like a whip, his hand shot out, gripping Rex's wrist in a vice-like hold. And then—

*BOOOOOOOM!*

With a force that seemed to shake the very ground he stood on, Daseos hoisted Rex over his shoulder and sent him crashing to the pavement.

Daseos looked down at him, his eyes a storm.

"Yeah, we know who your dad is. But that won't save you if you keep acting like an idiot."

"AhhhHHH!! Let go of me you fucking loser!!" Rex screamed.

Ka-Cha

With a swift, calm ruthlessness, Daseos dislocated Rex's arm.

"AHHHH! YOU ORPHAN SCUM! WHAT ARE YOU TWO IDIOTS STANDING AROUND FOR? GET HIM!"

Rex's voice pierced the air as he glared at his bodyguards.

They hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances.

"Young Master, we're Tier 1 Villains. If we attack a student—"

"Five grand for each of you, but break him. I don't want him standing after this,"

Rex seethed through clenched teeth.

The bodyguards looked at each other and let out a deep sigh. It wasn't so much about the money, after all being Villain tiered bodyguards meant they were well-off.

But Rex was the only son of the Greysons, an influential Villain Clan in these parts and disobedience would mean severe consequences.

Crossing them was not an option.

As the first bodyguard lunged at him with a clenched fist, Daseos immediately spotted an opportunity.

Daseos's mind raced.

'Time to make some quick cash.'

Releasing Rex's dislocated arm, Daseos braced himself.

The punch from the bodyguard landed, full force, into his gut, driving the air out of his lungs.

"Urghhh!!!"

When the first bodyguard's fist connected with his stomach, a sly smile broke out on Daseos's face right before he let out an exaggerated groan.

He used the force of the punch to catapult himself backward, flying through the air and crashing into the school gate.

BOOOOOM!!!

Biting the inside of his mouth, he spat out a spray of blood.

Tossing aside his cap, his battered face was on full display.

"A Tier 1 Villain just attacked a high school student! Rex Greyson put a hit on me! Someone call the teachers! No—get the principal!"

The crowd erupted, phones out, capturing the moment.

'Did you see that? Rex is toast! Upload it—now!'

The look on Rex's face was priceless—equal parts dread, disbelief, and unfiltered rage.

And Daseos? He remained within the dented gate that cradled his body, his disheveled appearance belying a smug satisfaction.

Rex had underestimated him, and for that, he would pay.

After all, $50,000 application fee wasn't going to pay for itself.

In Antagonia, it's survival of the fittest—like, to the extreme.

But even here, there's one rule that holds everything together, especially for Villains below Tier 7:

You can only pick fights with someone your own size—or tier, to be exact.

Antagonians are born as mortals and break through to Tier 1 Villains, then Tier 2, 3 etcetc.

Why does the rule only apply only to Villains below Tier 7 you ask?

Well... After breaking through to Tier 7, a Villain goes through a profound transformation... But! It's too early to go into all that so— back to the story!

This rule isn't just some random thing; it's vital.

Think about it: if stronger Villains just went around knocking off weaker ones willy-nilly, pretty soon, you'd run out of Villains—no, you'd run out people in general.

And that would be bad for business, bad for the hierarchy, bad for everything.

But don't go thinking it's only the low-tier folks who love this rule.

Top-tier Villains have families and friends too, and nobody wants their loved ones taken out just because some strong guy felt like it.

And just to set the record straight: here, it's not like you're not allowed to fight.

Oh, you can fight alright.

In fact, if you're the same tier, a little duel to the death is all good.

And if you want to take on someone stronger?

Be my guest. Just know that if you lose, you're probably going to die. No sugarcoating it.

Yep, surprise, surprise, the World of Villains is a brutal, cutthroat place.

But even here, some rules make the chaos work.

In Antagonia, weakness is a death sentence. But strength? That's your golden ticket—to power, to money, and to all the dark wonders this world has to offer.

The game is brutal, but Daseos is ready to play.