The Villain's Second Time

Chapter 26

"Hey, you- damn- bastard-!!!"

The echo of the cliff and Leonard's loud voice combined to create an enormous shout that reverberated. I was disappointed that I couldn't get proper stage sound effects, but Leonard is such a wonderful audience. Who would have thought he'd participate so actively in the performance?

It feels even more vivid because of the emotions and spirit infused in it. Ah, since Leonard is shouting sincerely right now, that's natural, right? On the contrary, it's great! These days, 4D performances are all the rage! Of course, that's a story from five hundred years later!

Alright, from today onwards, I am a movie director. A 4D movie director who started working five hundred years before the first movie was even screened. For now, I'm the actor, the director, the lighting effects, and the extra, but things will change once I start recruiting actors one by one.

For now, I’ll have to be satisfied with this humble little theater and the clueless audience. But someday, the entire continent will become my stage, and the Demon King, the Emperor, and the Hero will be seated in the audience. I’ll make it happen.

"Wow, he’s falling so gracefully. Big brother, don’t you think our second brother’s backside is too alluring? If he had grown up properly, he would have charmed all sorts of females."

"O, Oscar...! What, what did you just do...!"

"What did I do? You heard second brother say he saw something down there, didn’t you? I just helped him take a closer look."

"You... crazy bastard! Have you forgotten that Leonard can’t use flight magic but has the ability to liquefy his body? If that guy comes back up, you’re dead! At the very least, you’ll break something!"

"Wow! Liquefaction ability! Wow! Impact resistance!"

Oh my! Who would have thought Leonard had such superpowers!

Not surprised at all.

Thud-.

A hollow sound echoed from below the cliff. The sound of a life’s blank space being torn apart. The sound of a demon, once filled with ambition, meeting a futile end. The appetizer stage is over.

"......Huh?"

"Well, this is obvious. Unless it’s an extremely rare ability that doesn’t require mana, no ability can be used without mana. You know that, right?"

"W-what are you talking about? You’re saying he can’t use mana?"

"Ahaha, by any chance, did dinner taste unusually good tonight? I’m the type to give my all in everything, so I poured my cooking spirit into preparing our brothers’ last supper."

Even if Retavis is flustered, he’s not so stupid as to not understand such a straightforward statement. It’s not like he hit his head as a child like Adela did.

"...So it wasn’t our aunt who prepared dinner, but you?"

"Kahahaha- Our aunt cooked, and I just helped. How much help constitutes 'helping' is subjective, isn’t it? For example, even if I took charge of the entire cooking process from start to finish, some people might still call it 'helping'!"

Hearing my words, filled with glee, Retavis began frantically checking his body. Unaware that it was already too late.

A fish on the chopping board doesn’t realize its fate until it becomes spicy stew. The demon in front of you is no different.

Like a fish being washed in icy water, Retavis, bathed in an excessively radiant blue moonlight, panicked and searched his body for the mana that should have been there.

But there’s no way he’ll find it.

"H-how? What trick did you pull on me!?"

"I poisoned you. It’s the mana inhibitor our aunt always gave me. Thanks to that, both of your mana is completely sealed? Oh right, now there’s only one of you left!"

"A mana inhibitor? Then the sound from below the cliff was......!"

"It means our dear brother Leonard crashed into the rocks and shattered into pieces! It’s only fair that you fall into your own trap!"

I spread my arms wide and jumped around, explaining why I disguised myself as our aunt to prepare dinner.

I put hallucinogens in Adela’s meal, sleeping pills in the others’, and mana inhibitors in the meals of my two adorable brothers. It was easy to get my hands on them. My aunt, for whatever sinister reason, had stored all these poisonous herbs in the kitchen.

Retavis, blame our aunt, not me. If you give a bomb to a mischievous brat like me, it’s bound to explode.

"...What about the letter? Did you write that too?"

"You should have kept your lust in check. Did you really like succubi that much? Well, I guess succubi, oozing sensuality, are every male’s fantasy."

"So luring us here and killing Leonard was all part of your plan from the start?"

"Huh? Not at all. If I only wanted to play with second brother, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths."

Retavis looked incredulous at my words. A question mark hung beautifully on his face.

"Play, you say?"

"Huh? Of course, brother. Don’t be so serious! We’re just playing a game together right now!"

"You dare spout such nonsense... and even killed your brother...?"

"You were planning to kill me once I became an adult demon, weren’t you? I just moved up the timeline!"

"You...! Crazy bastard...! Don’t you know what happens if you kill a demon who hasn’t reached adulthood? The Demon Realm Police will arrest you! Our family will suffer the consequences too!"

"Do you know where I live, Retavis? I’ve already prepared for the aftermath. I’m not the type of demon to make plans, but I can at least think ahead."

As I spoke, I tapped my temple lightly. Retavis gritted his teeth. His fists clenched tightly, ready to strike me at any moment. Just imagining it made my body burn with excitement.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump-.

The sound of drums echoed in my head, audible only to me. It heightened my excitement. Like Pavlov’s dog, I felt a chilling thrill whenever I heard this sound in my heart.

"So, you’re saying you’ll fight me?"

"Fight? Let’s not use such lowly and dreadful words! This is just a game!"

"Fine, that game. I’ll join in too. I’ll kill you and cover up this mess."

"Such active audience participation, I love it! The best shows are the ones that take unpredictable turns!"

Though I expected to face him.

I shouldn’t crush his spirit too much.

A frightened prey doesn’t let its guard down.

Step-.

Retavis took a threatening step toward me, standing at the edge of the cliff.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with various emotions. The instinctive fear of seeing his brother die and wondering if he’d meet the same fate. The boiling bloodlust to ensure his survival. The forced hostility and anger.

He’s clearly the prey. The mindset of a weakling puffing itself up to avoid being eaten. Like a pufferfish inflating its body or a hedgehog raising its spines when faced with a predator.

But ironically, even Retavis is stronger than me. Overwhelmingly so.

Even if I can’t use mana, I’m still a juvenile, and he’s an adult demon. The difference in bone structure, size, height, and strength is clear.

And.

"Ah, right. I almost forgot."

"What?"

"I need to participate in the show for it to be a game. I almost committed my most hated act."

I took out a small bottle, removed the cap, and poured its contents into my mouth.

"Gulp-."

Ugh, the raw liquid doesn’t taste too bad. Our aunt really is a master of flavor. Well, even as a child, I never skipped meals because the food was bad. Though I did avoid it sometimes because of the poison inside.

"...Oscar, what did you just drink?"

"Ah, this? The same thing you drank, brother. The virtue of chaos is equality, so I can’t look down on you from a superior position, can I?"

"You’re truly insane. What do you think you’ll do without magic......!"

Even if I had mana, there’s nothing I could do with it. My mana capacity is pitifully small, and my current magic level is the lowest. It’s practically useless.

"Fine, if you’re going to be so arrogant, I’ll teach you the price of arrogance myself."

A glimmer of hope shone in Retavis’s eyes. Yes, that’s better. It’s better to raise baseless confidence and increase the chances of exposing weaknesses than to cling to useless mana. By giving up mana, I’ve created the possibility of exposing his flaws.

And above all, I hate those who look down from above. In reality, they’re no different from the scum at the bottom, yet they act all high and mighty, drunk on their false sense of superiority.

In the distant future, among the Seven Nations dividing the continent, there was a chancellor in the Dark Nation. He would gather slaves from the bottom, strip them naked regardless of gender, mix them with beasts, and release them into a large circular cage, calling it a game to observe human instincts.

When I saw that, I swapped the chancellor with one of the slaves, changed their clothes, and threw the chancellor into the cage. No one noticed the difference. Even as the chancellor screamed that he didn’t belong there, the soldiers just beat him, thinking a slave was rebelling.

I enjoy such barbaric games, but I hate it when some fool tries to reign as a god-like observer from above. That’s why I opposed the Demon King, who sought to rule the continent.

How could I, of all people, commit such shameless acts?

Slice-.

"Now, let’s begin tonight’s main event."

I took out the pocket knife I brought from the Southern Duke’s Mansion, where the King once resided. A sharp aura flowed smoothly along the back of my hand. I spun the pocket knife around my finger.

I hope you don’t call me cowardly just because I took out a dagger. The skin of the adult demon Retavis is tougher and more durable than this dagger. Unlike the capricious mana, the body I’ve steadily trained over the years hasn’t betrayed its owner. I’m just maintaining the balance of power.

"The show’s title is, ! It begins now!"

Now, the height difference between me and Retavis is laughable, and even if I hold the pocket knife, Retavis’s reach is two cheeks longer. Moreover, this pocket knife is nothing more than a common dagger that can’t even cut through Retavis’s flesh. It’s a show where the outcome is as predictable as a fight between a goblin and a troll.

However, a Joker is a Joker because they overturn all common sense and expectations. The frivolous Joker who would plunge half the continent into darkness 500 years later is here now.

Retavis clenches his fist and charges at me like a bull. I chuckle softly and spin the pocket knife with my gloved hand.