I Am The Game's Villain

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" John asked me.

Walking with my hands in my pockets, I sighed a little. "Not really, but we'll just go with the flow, I guess?"

Tomorrow marked the final exam of this semester, to be held in the Dolphis Kingdom. However, what concerned both John and me was the crucial [Event] scheduled for tomorrow.

[Behemoth] would launch an attack to acquire the Horn held by the Dolphis Royalty.

"If they get that Horn, it will be nearly over for us."

"I know," I nodded thoughtfully.

Contemplating whether to inform Melfina, John and I decided against it. After our failed attempt to eliminate Nora, we were wary of the potential consequences. Informing Melfina would likely lead to the cancellation of the exam, and the unpredictability of [Behemoth]'s next move was a risk I wasn't willing to take.

I had learned from my mistakes the previous year and opted for extreme caution, even if it meant the sacrifice of innocent lives. The safety of Mom, Christina, and Celeste was paramount. For a fleeting moment, Elizabeth's face crossed my mind. After Priscilla's words, I couldn't help but regard her as one of my precious people. Despite the awkwardness following the incident, I recognized her genuine help against Lykhor. She could have remained silent, but she chose to assist me.

Shaking off those thoughts, I focused on more immediate concerns.

"Why do you think she called us?" I asked John.

He glanced at me with a frown. "Obviously, it's for our 'control' since we are considered criminals."

Ah.

Right, I forgot about that.

King Charles had warned that he would periodically send his men to check on us.

For example...

I glanced at the anti-mana cuffs around my wrists. If we still had them, it was also about our behavior here.

[<Aren't you in a pretty mess, Amael?>]

I grimaced, acknowledging Cleenah's point. That infuriating King would be livid if he discovered my actions against a Great Noble, using it as an excuse to seek vengeance once more.

"But why the heck did she invite us to her palace?" I groaned, expressing my frustration at Melfina's direct invitation to Zestel.

As we strolled down the main road, I couldn't help but notice that the remaining crater caused by my powerful punch had already been repaired. Speaking of which, that guy Manuel would surely return to seek revenge. What a hassle.

If only I had finished him off back then, with a bit more control, I could have succeeded. It was the perfect opportunity, catching him off guard with Samara. Now he knows that I'm Edward Falkrona.

"Ask her yourself, I didn't want to come here either," John groaned in response.

I looked at him with a questioning expression. "By the way, when the hell are you going to awaken?"

Even though he had been caught off guard by Lykhor and Alvara earlier, it was disheartening to see John in such a state, considering what he was truly capable of.

Indeed, I was well aware of his potential because of Layla's villainess route. In that narrative, John awakened quite monstrously. I remembered how he and Layla gave me numerous sleepless nights during that part of the game.

Regardless, I wanted him to awaken, as it would significantly boost his strength. He was the only one I fully trusted, although Victor was slowly reaching a similar level of trust. However, I doubted I could trust any male as much as John. The only person I had trusted so implicitly before was Emric, Ephera's brother.

Recalling our last words to each other, a bitter feeling welled up within me. I had rejected him harshly because I didn't want him to bear unnecessary guilt, but perhaps deep down, I wanted to punish myself even more than him for her death.

Maybe that's why I could trust John more easily. Emric, too, had been obsessed with his sister's safety. While there were other sis-cons like Eric and Evan, John had a similar experience to mine, making it easier for us to understand each other due to our shared objectives.

"I'm nearing it," John replied shortly.

I smirked at him mockingly. "You say that every day. Didn't you mention making some sort of evil pact with her to awaken your bloodline?"

"It's not an evil pact," John glared at me. "I agreed to carry out her dirty tasks in exchange for awakening my bloodline, but it takes time, she said."

"Hecate, was it? She's definitely lying to you, and you're being played," I retorted.

"I can say the same about you, Cleenah, was that?" John countered with a snort.

I wanted to respond immediately, but his words momentarily froze my thoughts. For a second, I felt an overwhelming sense of fear or despair just thinking about that.

No.

I shook my head.

"Dream on," I said.

(<What a rude duo.>)

"...!"

I startled, leaping backward as my surroundings transformed into a dark, eerie place in response to the voice.

What the hell?

"Calm down," John advised, seemingly unsurprised.

"Do you know what's happening?" I asked, and he nodded.

John scanned the area as smoke gathered. "Why did you bring us here, Hecate?"

Hecate...

The Goddess who had bestowed her bloodline blessing upon the Tarmias House.

She manifested in a swirl of dark red fire before us, clad in a dark dress. As a Goddess, she exuded a beauty beyond human comprehension, but what caught my attention was her sinister aura. I had never sensed anything like it before.

"A pleasure to meet you, Edward, or should I call you Cleenah's favorite?" She chuckled, hovering above the ground.

"He isn't really my favorite," a swift retort echoed as a woman of surreal beauty materialized beside me. With long, shimmering green hair and irisless green eyes, she wore a white tunic adorned with belts and ornaments embellishing her entire attire and hair.

When John caught a glimpse of Cleenah's divine appearance, surpassing even Hecate's beauty, he instinctively averted his gaze.

It seemed like he understood the potential consequences if he continued to stare at her. He handled her better than I did the first time I encountered her.

However, I caught a slight pout from Hecate after she noticed John's reaction in the corner of my eye.

"It's been a while, Cleenah," Hecate quickly recovered, smiling.

"Indeed," Cleenah grimaced, arms crossed, surveying the gloomy place.

"A lovely place, you mean?" Hecate giggled.

Cleenah fixed her gaze on Hecate. "Then why did you bring Amael here?"

"Oh my! Don't give me that look, Cleenah! I just wanted to see my cute Layla's lover. She's always talking about him!" Hecate grinned.

This girl...

Now, I understood why Layla ended up the way she did. After her mother passed away, Hecate raised her. I felt like I was seeing a mature version of Layla.

Suddenly, Hecate disappeared and reappeared in front of me, her eyes fixed on my face. A twisted smile crept across her lips as she continued.

"I see... indeed," she smirked slightly. "What a cruel twist of fate... Lucifer's light and 'his' darkness."

"What?" I frowned at her words.

Hecate glanced at Cleenah, who maintained an expressionless face, then floated back, smiling at me. "Nothing."

"Did you call us just to see that guy's face?" John asked, glaring.

I grimaced at John's words but brushed it off.

Hecate giggled and appeared behind John, wrapping her hands around his neck. "Don't be so jealous, Jonathan. I just wanted to see... you." Blowing in his ear, she made John shiver.

"G-Get off me!" John shook her away, his face slightly red.

Ignoring John's embarrassed expression, I turned my attention to Hecate. "When are you going to awaken him? He's your protege as well, right?"

Hecate glanced at me with a smile. "Of course, he is, but John is special. I want to see more of him." She added with a blush on her cheeks.

What the hell is she blabbering about…

"Enough. Send them back, Hecate," Cleenah said with a stern gaze, to which Hecate smiled and snapped her fingers.

The last thing I saw was Cleenah and Hecate exchanging glances.

***

"The next time, kindly tell me of your intentions before engaging in such activities," Cleenah said with an impassive stare.

"Why should I~?" Hecate inquired, drifting about with a captivating smile.

Cleenah offered no response.

"Remarkable resemblance, wouldn't you agree, Cleenah?" Hecate redirected the conversation. "It felt as though I was seeing Lucifer and Samael simultaneously."

"…"

"Jophiel?" Hecate called out once more.

"Do not call me in that manner," Cleenah retorted, fixing Hecate with a frigid gaze.

"Scary, Jophi!" Hecate chuckled.

"I'm leaving," Cleenah declared, turning away, but...

"How many lies have you fed him, Jophi?" Hecate's voice resonated in a grave tone.

Cleenah halted her in her steps at Hecate's sudden serious words.

"No matter how much he resembles Lucifer, he is neither him nor Samael," Hecate said, looking at Cleenah's back.

Cleenah maintained silence before fading away.