Struggling as a Villain

[You are here.]

Richard flinched hearing the voice, as he turned on his feet and looked at the being standing behind.

"Zulcriz." Richard has seen him more than three times, yet he still can't get used to witnessing the being.

Enshrouded in darkness stood the ten-foot-tall entity, whose eyes shone bright like stars. However, currently, unlike all the time in the past when he could see indifference in his eyes, there was something else at the moment.

Remorse.

Richard raised his brows, "What did you want to show me that you brought me here on my wedding night?" Although he and Amelia had already done the deed and the latter had fallen asleep, Richard wanted to remain by her side for tonight at least.

[You are married and now a responsible man, so I thought you might be able to understand me and my decision, now.]

The Death Lord stated, his voice lacking the usual nonchalance as he continued to look in the distance, seemingly like he was searching for something.

Richard crossed his arms, "Is it about the decision you made that made you the Death God?"

[I was born with Darkness, Richard. This is no blessing, but an unshakable fate. I am the end of all things—the final destination of all existence.]

Richard hummed, "So you were a deity, I suppose? Since no mortal ever gets such a divine fate." Richard suggested.

Zulcriz didn't immediately respond, rather, he raised his hand to point at something,

[Can you see that?]

Richard turned his eyes in the direction and found something peculiar.

It was a man with black hair and sharp eyes, lying down on the ground with his head resting on a woman's lap.

The woman had brown long flowing hair, with a tiara of flowers resting over her head, and her eyes filled with warmth. The tenderness oozing from her presence made Richard dazed for a moment, but he brought himself back to his senses.

She had a very anomalous allure that even Richard wasn't able to resist looking at her.

[You can see it, right? Why I got trapped.]

Richard's eyes widened as he looked at Zulcriz and asked in a louder tone, "That man...is you?"

The being who rules over Death remained unmoving, showing his consent to the question.

There was subtle grief and rage that Richard could sense from the God of Death, even know Zulcriz remained unchanged.

[I met her under very amusing circumstances...making me attracted to the girl who was being chased by rabbits.]

[However, I never was able to see the true face she was hiding behind the facade of a weak, innocent girl.]

The scenery suddenly shifted, and the image of Zulcriz, tattered and beaten, lying on the ground and with huge spears stabbing his back, came into view.

The same woman who was fondly looking at Zulcriz previously was looking down at him in contempt.

Richard clenched his fist, "So she is the one for whom you got reprimanded that day." Richard remembers that day when he saw Zulcriz being scolded by a being who definitely held the authority to even rebuke the God of Death.

Zulcriz nodded, before saying,

[I spent years with her...but never realized the reality behind her smile. The ugliness she hid behind those sweet words, I never sensed it.]

This was the first time for Richard to sense such raw emotions from the being. He could tell how much Zulcriz regretted his time spent with the girl who betrayed him. Continue your journey at My Virtual Library Empire

The anger he carries for the mistake of loving her, Richard could vividly feel it.

Glancing at the demi-god, the redhead asked, "What did you do for her to be reduced to that state?"

Zulcriz remained unmoving, and after a moment of delay, he revealed,

[Just wished for an eternity for her to live by my side.]

Richard...somehow expected it.

Zulcriz really must have loved that girl to go against his own principle of 'Everything must meet its end at some point'.

And because of his wish to never let the girl die, he was, "Stripped off your position as a deity...right?"

Zulcriz slowly moved his head in assent,

[Yes...that is true. I, the one responsible to make the rational judgement and remove the unfair practice of life and death, was fooled by a woman. And in the end, to realize my mistake, I was reduced to this state.]

Richard understood the whole situation now. Why, despite being a deity, Zulcriz was in a state where he needed sacrifices and fight another demi-god(Ethan) to survive.

Why, in the original timeline, does Ethan receive so much support from the Goddesses, and upon failing to completely destroy Zulcriz, they even reversed the time.

[I revealed all this because I know you will understand why I ended up making the mistake. After all, you also know the madness one could commit in love...]

Glancing at Richard, the Demi-god added,

[...and the brutality one could adopt upon being betrayed.]

Love and betrayal ..when these two words come in a single sentence, Richard only recalls a single name,

"Emily...so she is the reason why you chose me?"

After all, Richard's and Zulcriz's situation was somehow alike.

[You always were a candidate among a few others, because of your total command over your elemental form. However, what made you stand out was your decision to behead yourself after getting betrayed by your first love. Even I...couldn't have done that.]

Richard heaved a sigh, "Well, Emily brought the meaning of love into my life. So it's natural."

Zulcriz turned to look at Richard before he said,

[This is a war where everything would be decided. There have been many changes since the last time, and because of that, I think I could retain my position where none of these Goddesses could trouble me anymore.]

Richard heaved a sigh, "Well, you got my and my people's full support."

Zulcriz nodded,

[I will be relying on you, my heir.]

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