My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 180

Chapter 180: Can’t be Hidden
The foxkin, Kira, crossed her arms, her smile turning playful. After looking at him for an extended period, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to his mysterious aura.

Even with his voice muffled by the mask, there was a charm to it that made her unconsciously think he was very good-looking.

“So, Ash, any strategies? Or are you just winging it like the rest of us?” Her question was casual, but it broke the tension lingering between them.

Asher’s head tilted slightly.

“None at all,” his was tone calm, almost disinterested.

Kira raised an eyebrow, her two-toned eyes glinting with curiosity. “Bold answer. Or maybe you don’t need a strategy to begin with?”

“I’ll let you decide on that,” he replied curtly, making sure to speak only the bare minimum required to avoid sounding rude.

Kira’s smirk widened, amused by his answer. “Fair enough. You don’t seem like the talkative type anyway.”

“Not much to tell about,” His tone gave nothing away.

Rhea rolled her eyes, her golden gaze flicking between the two. “If you’re done flirting, maybe we can focus on more important stuff?”

Kira let out a light laugh, unbothered by the jab. “Relax, Rhea. Just breaking the silence.”

Her smirk lingered, but the loud voice of the facilitator quickly drew her attention.

“Form your groups and prepare to move inside.”

Conversations stopped as the participants focused on their next steps.

Their group huddled together instinctively, with Asher now standing among them. He noted how naturally they moved as a unit, even if they were still technically rivals. Talira’s presence seemed to be the glue holding them together.

“You’d better keep up,” Kira warned, her tone half-teasing, half-serious. “We’re not slowing down for anyone.”

Asher’s voice remained steady. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on falling behind.”

Talira watched the exchange with a curious smile, entertained by the dynamic forming between him and the others.

She half expected them to be wary of him for a while, given his mysterious nature and the fact that he was male, but it didn’t seem to be an issue for him at all.

‘He’s naturally good at charming women,’ she muttered under her breath, finding it oddly entertaining how easily he caught people’s attention, especially the opposite sex.

She had met many impressive people in her life, yet none of them compared to Asher. Despite his efforts to stay low-key, he still managed to capture her attention—and the rest .

‘Maybe this is just his style?’

She assumed that his aloof personality was his own way of making girls curious about him—a subtle strategy that required no effort but seemed to work well enough.

If he could hear her thoughts right now, he would be cursing himself. He had genuinely thought that keeping his mouth shut would make them less interested in him, maybe even bore them to death—but it was backfiring spectacularly.

As the group continued onward, the change in atmosphere was harder to ignore. The air grew colder, heavier with tension, and each step echoed louder, swallowed by the looming darkness of the gate ahead.

The moment they crossed the threshold together, an attack headed their way without warning.

It was quick and perfectly timed.

However—

Talira reacted fast. Her wings snapped open, and a gust of wind erupted in all directions, forming a dome that deflected the spells.

“Jump!” she shouted.

In an instant, the ground beneath them erupted. Jagged stone spikes shot upward, sharp and deadly, aimed to impale them. They leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the barrage.

But Asher didn’t move.

The floor beneath his feet remained untouched, as if no spell could be casted under his shadow. The attackers quickly changed their strategy.

As the ground vibrated again, more spikes shot up, aimed straight for his body. But when the jagged stone tips came into contact, they shattered on impact, breaking into fine dust that scattered in the air like sand.

Wave after wave of attacks rained down on him—spikes, flames, wind, lightning—but with every strike, they shattered or dispersed before even touching him

It was as if the very space around him bent to his will, neutralizing every threat.

This gave the other four girls some leeway, as the attackers focused solely on Asher.

The girls, still hovering in the air, watched the entire scene with amused expressions. Those jagged spikes weren’t normal. They looked like stone, but they were far harder—harder than steel, even.

Turning those jagged spikes into fine dust with a mere touch was nothing short of outrageous—even for them. To pull something like that off, they’d have to use their trump card, which was absurd given that the tournament had only just begun.

There was a brief silence—an uncomfortable one—as the realization hit the attackers. This wasn’t a normal barrier. His spell, whatever it was, had disrupted their well-planned assault.

With that, they chose to run, knowing that a direct fight would only exhaust both sides.

Asher stood still, sensing their retreat, but he didn’t bother to chase them. It was hardly worth his time.

What surprised him more was just how powerful the artifact, Index, had created.

‘At this rate, I’ll win without even moving,’ he thought with a sigh, a mix of surprise and disbelief.

But as much as he was taken aback by its power, there was also a sense of pride. His girlfriend’s craftsmanship was on full display despite their impossibly long-distance relationship.

She was protecting him all the time. This made him happy and sad at the same time.

‘I miss her,’ he muttered under his breath.

It was a good thing he was wearing his mask to hide his emotions, or the girls with him would probably be shocked.

Here was someone who had just shrugged off a combined attack from high-level sorcerers, yet instead of feeling lucky, he was lost in thoughts of missing his girlfriend.

Well, no one could really blame him. Those spells might have been strong by their standards, but his robe was crafted by someone who had dedicated her entire life to perfecting her art.

When it came to creating magical items, it would take Asher years to even come close to Index’s skill.

THUD!

The four women landed nearby, their expressions showing mixed emotions.

Meria, the snakekin, crossed her arms and frowned.

“You shouldn’t show off like that. Using a trump card this early is a bad idea.”

The others exchanged glances, then turned their attention back to Asher. They had to admit—her logic was solid. All of them were sorcerers, and with enough information and preparation, they could find countless ways to counter him.

Kira’s fox ears twitched as she added, “She’s right. If you reveal your best move now, your enemies will figure out how to counter it later.”

Talira nodded, her tone careful and respectful. “We all have our trump cards, but we save them for when it really matters. Using them too soon is too risky. There are countless ways to handle that ambush.”

Rhea smirked, shaking her head slightly. “Yeah, rookie mistake. Hold back next time.”

Asher stood silently, his expression unreadable, but inside, he was very confused.

‘Trump card? I didn’t even do anything. ‘