Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

"As for why you?" The Devil's voice was soft—almost sympathetic—but the curl of his lips held no kindness. "Now that's where things start getting interesting."

Rio narrowed his eyes. His fists clenched at his sides in impatience.

"But before I tell you the truth… are you sure you're ready to know it?" The Devil continued, a rare flicker of something real—perhaps regret—glinting behind those abyssal red eyes. "Because trust me, it's not pretty."

Rio didn't speak. He didn't blink. He simply nodded.

Over the years he had been curious about his reincarnation, about why he was chosen.

Perhaps if it was just about him, he could've ignored this problem.

But he wasn't alone.

His reincarnation also brought new life to many people whom he lost on earth. Amy, Katherine, and Saisha to name a few he knows about now.

And that's why him knowing this answer meant everything. The sooner he learns the truth, the better he can prepare for the worst.

That was why the answer mattered. Because if there was a reason he was here, it might also be the reason they were.

He wasn't naive or delusional enough to trust the bland description in the system: "Brought to Arcadia by ??? for a chance at happiness."

If that was true, why wasn't he born as Leon, the hero? But as Rio, the doomed devil and the villain?

"Well, as you wish then."

The Devil saw his determination and just sighed while leaning back into his throne. The golden throne groaned under his weight, as if even this structure of authority shuddered beneath his truth.

"You've seen some dramas back on Earth, right?" the Devil began.

"Do you remember any movies about the time loops?

Where the hero is trapped in a cycle, repeating the same scenes, playing the same part.

Desperately hoping to change the final outcome of a sad story by putting his endless efforts.

Crying. Losing. Dying. Just failing miserably until the very end, where the director magically creates a happy ending to please the audience."

"What does that have to do with me?" Rio asked. His eyes turning cold at the dark guess gathering shape in his mind.

"Everything." The devil replied.

"You see, you are not the villain, Rio. You're the hero…"

"But sadly, this isn't film or fiction. So there's no director, or writer, or an audience for your time loop journey. It's just a cold reality. With an ending you'll never escape."

With this, he leaned forward, his shadow crawling across the space between them like a hungry tide.

"So in simple terms, you're basically just ___ stuck."

"That's impossible." Rio's voice cracked through the air like a whip. As he stood up in anger. His fury, shaking the foundation of this dark realm. "You're lying." He shouted.

But in response to his outburst, the Devil just raised his hand and, with a flick of his wrist, stilled the storm. The dark realm obeyed his command once more without resistance.

"Am I?" he asked calmly.

"Tell me, how many times did you try to find happiness on earth? Only to fail and fall into suffering once more."

The Devil said and Rio couldn't help but remember all the times he had hope, only to watch it rot in his hands.

Be it when finding love and acceptance with Shweta, only to lose it with Ria's death.

Be it finding a friend in Kajal and Nashi, only to kill one by own hands and being killed by the other.

Or be it moving back to his family after years of loneliness and heartache, only to be betrayed and thrown into prison.

"The same is the case for Arcadia. How many times did you reach the peak? The prime of peaceful life. Only to encounter a roadblock, a painful stumble, and then fall into darkness again."

Memories surged and Rio couldn't help but remember about how happy he was with Ria's reincarnation, making new friends, and achieving his survival goals at the academy - to losing Dahlia, feeling betrayed by Lisa, and then being trapped in the dungeon with nothing but madness and despair.

To come out and receive his system again, trying to move on - only to witness Saisha and Katherine, two ghosts from his past.

And even now, when he just got Aelthar's legacy, the cult of Kali and Hand of Ruin appeared ahead of time.

It's like one after another, every time he moved one step forward, the darkness of fate pulled him two steps back.

"You see it now, don't you?" the Devil whispered."The pattern. With every smile you take, a sadness creeps closer."

"..."

"So no matter how many lives you take, or plans you make, or how prepared and powerful you become _ in the end, your story will always stop at despair. – Cause there's literally no other ending."

"You're wrong." Rio bellowed, but the echo barely reached the edges of the void.. He refused to believe this was the truth.

Though he failed and failed and failed, again and again _ but he refused to believe that he'd never succeed.

"It's just life. Everyone suffers. That doesn't make me cursed. That doesn't mean it's a cycle just for me. And even if it is - I Will Break It."

However, hearing his encouraging words, the Devil only laughed and looked at him like staring at a fool.

"See, I've been watching this play out for thousands of eons, and yet even this scene is a repeat again." The Devil spoke, waving his hand to lift up the veil of darkness.

"Look, nowadays I'm really getting tired of you newbies always doubting my words." The Devil said in a tired and irritated tone, while Rio's entire focus went onto his appearance unfolding in light.

"Why can't you just listen to people who've played this part, instead of acting all high and mighty."

Rio looked up at the familiar face and felt as if the land beneath him shifted.

Never had his brain been so active and so burnt out at the same time, as it was at this moment.

Millions of thoughts galloping wildly like mountain horses, jumping one cliff after the other, while running in circles , before reaching the final ending.

How could that be?

How is it him?

Why is the devil's face the same as his?

Not Rio's face in Arcadia. But his original face. From Earth.

The same as Shiva?

Every inch of him was real. And the same. The tired face. The cold deprecating smirk that refused to disappear. And the lonely gaze which held so much pain that it could drown the world, yet refused to hide behind the tears.

Is it some transformation technique? Another illusion while trying to trick me?

But why?

To get control of my mind, my body?

The Devil's so powerful that he could slap out the system's existence with a snap of his fingers, and kill him with just a mention of his own title, So why?

Why would he even need to go through all this trouble? Possession can't be any more simple.

Unless ….

Unless what he's saying is actually the truth.

No.. no … That can't be possible.

That can't be….

"It is. And it's happening as we speak." The Devil spoke at the right time , as if he read his mind.

Guessing easily when his train of thoughts would stop at the truth station.

(Always the same process.)

"I know what you're thinking. I know what you've done. Can do. And will do, in the future." The Devil said in a menacing tone. "Because I am You. Or rather, what you become—eventually."

"..... You're lying." Rio shouted atop his lungs, while charging madly towards the Devil.

"In Aelthar's trial, I saw a vision, with me having red eyes, that was you, right?" Rio said, remembering the vision of a future shown by the divine artifact.

"Since you're that powerful, just take my body? Why go through all this madness? So tell me what you want and stop playing these tricks?"

In his blind rage, Rio finally broke free from the Devil's control. Taking charge of his own mindspace. As a sword with a dark edge appeared in his hands.

Yet before he even took one step further, the darkness beneath his feet disappeared. Swallowing him whole.

Rio watched as the Devil pointed forward, signaling to a previously drawn sigil on the floor, like he had expected his attack ages ago.

"...You and me. We are the same." The Devil spoke. "The only difference is, I've accepted this story, and reached the ending of my play."

"While you still believe in a fancy future. And are willing to fight fate. — But what you're really doing… is just becoming me."

"So, Goodbye, future Devil. Until we meet again."

The Devil's words echoed in Rio's ears as he completely disappeared in darkness.

…

Back in Rio's mind,

The Devil watched the darkness return back to it's everlasting peace and calm with a tired look

"I'm doing this for your own good, mortal. The sooner you accept your 'self', the sooner this story ends. And the less suffering you and I, we both have to witness."

The Devil muttered under his breath. Before leaving a sigh and closing his eyes.

As if trying to sleep.

####

Author note —

Before anyone jumps the gun and says this was …. Well not right. I'd explain some things myself.

The Devil was speaking the truth. Just not the whole truth.

There are still so many things he hid, and so many secrets he didn't explain.

But that's all for the future mc to discover himself.

But one thing you need to know now, is whatever happened till now was all just for this moment.

From now on, everything changes.

Not just for the mc and his mentality, but for all the plans and arcs that are about to come.

<As for why Devil has Shiva's face and not Rio's. The answer is given by mc himself in the last chapter. In his heart he is Shiva. And so is he and every other version of him in the story.

Shiva's face is what his original soul had throughout all reincarnations, – it was only in Arcadia that he changed to 'Rio' due to ???'s interruption. >

As for the red pupils, well, that's another mystery for the future.