Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain-Chapter 476: Rio and the Devil -3

"I. Am. The. Devil."

The words dropped like lead weights in a dead sea.

And for a moment, Rio's mind shattered.

Thoughts—dozens of them—screamed at the gates of his consciousness. But when he tried to grasp even a single one, they dissolved like ash in wind.

It felt like his brain had been licked by a Cthulhu Codex—cursed and unreadable. Making him numb. Blank. And void.

He didn't even register the next motion until it hit him.

The Devil—casual as a lord plucking lint from his coat—flicked a bead of darkness from his hands. It flew with purpose, bypassing all of Rio's defenses, and merged into his pupils.

A wave of cold. A snap of pain. And then the world finally flooded back in.

"Phewww... phuhhh... fuuuck," Rio gasped, stumbling three steps back as he clutched his chest. As his heart trembled quietly.

(Did I just fucking died?) He couldn't help but ask himself that question, as chills shot through his spine remembering the emptiness he felt a few seconds ago.

It wasn't a trick – as he remembered it. That feeling of no warmth, no self, and no time… That's how he felt when he died and entered the darkness.

He trembled.

The horror he felt towards the entity reached an all-time high. And Rio couldn't help but think about just turning around and running away.

Very well knowing how futile it sounded, yet that felt like the only thing that was in his hands.

(No…what the fuck….when did I ever get so scared of death?...I already died once before, I shouldn't be…Is it him?...An illusion or a mental attack…).

As soon as that final thought flashed through Rio's mind, his ears registered a sound like that of ringing a drum.

Lifting his eyes, he saw the same entity, the Devil, looking at him with a meaningful smile and clapping his hands playfully.

"It seems you aren't that weak… at least your mentality is pretty good for a human." The Devil said, gently sitting back on his throne with a relaxed look.

"What happened?" Rio asked coldly. His senses stretched to their sharpest limits.

"Well, let's just say you went through the passive effect of my _ prestige." The entity replied.

"You see, the Devil isn't just a name, it's a title. Earned only by the one despised by the whole creation."

"So you can expect how much weight that has. And how associating with it, in any little way, has a few certain _ consequences."

"So I really just died by hearing your name?" Rio couldn't help but laugh a little self deprecatingly.

How much effort had he wasted for survival,_ how many plans prepared just for the living — and yet it was all lost just by listening to a title.

Ahaha hahha ahhahh

"Don't be too bad. It's quite normal, after all." The Devil said with a chuckle.

"On the other hand, the fact that you managed to break the illusion and snap back…now that's quite surprising."

"Even in the entire cosmos there aren't that many people who could do that. You should be proud."

Rio listened to those words, and just felt annoyed.

This helplessness.… He hated it.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Rio just closed his eyes , and when he opened them again, calm returned to those pupils like a tide creeping back to the shore.

After learning just the consequences of hearing his title, Rio gave up on all the questions and curiosity he had towards the mysterious entity.

Who knows what kind of secrets and consequences they might unfold. So it's better to be safe.

On the other hand, the Devil noticed all his changes and just curled his lips with a knowing smile.

(Your mind, your rules and yet so … predictable.)

…

"Let's talk." Rio said, while sitting down on a floor to better relax his tense nerves.

<As if why not summon the system or conjure a chair – cause well , you know … maintaining stature when the gap in strength is so much is _ just stupid.>

"You're not going to tell me what you want, and now I don't care about who you are? So what now?"

The Devil's grin widened.

"Let's play a game."

"We both ask a question, and the other has to answer it truthfully." The Devil said with a smile before adding, "Ohh, and you should know I hate liars."

".... I thought you knew everything about me?" Rio replied with raised eyebrows.

"I do. But I just want to hear you say it." The Devil said calmly.

Hearing his words, Rio always felt something was wrong with them, yet he had no other choice but to continue forward.

So just to minimise his losses and give him some more time to think, Rio spoke first.

".... Since you announced the rules, then I'll start the questions."

"When did you enter my mind?"

The Devil looked at him, and nodded his head, as if approving of his thoughts. After all, if the mortal dared to ask how instead of when, then surely he'd hear something he'll live to regret.

But just asking about the time, he not only saved himself from the consequences of truth, but will also get hints about when he got compromised.

(Too bad, you asked me this question…) The Devil thought and couldn't help but feel funny in his heart.

And so he answered truthfully in simple words. Yet something which shocked Rio to the core.

"I've been in your mind ever since you came back to life."

Rio's brain froze and he couldn't help but shudder, wondering how that was even possible. He guessed the Devil probably possessed his brain somewhere around the dungeon event, as that was the first time he sensed his presence.

But now it seems , he was still way too naive. And in the dark.

"You—were you the one who brought me back? And to Arcadia? Why me?"

The shock of his reveal was so much that Rio couldn't help but think too much, and in a short breath, ask 'em all vocally.

But the Devil only laughed and raised his hand to seal his doubts.

"First of all, those are 3 questions, not one. And second, it's my turn now."

The words poured over like a bucket of cold water on Rio's brain, as he was too shocked by 'truth' to think about his turn and simply blabbered too much.

But now clearly wasn't the time to regret. So he could just curse silently in his heart.

(I bought time and then wasted it…)

"Who are you in your heart – Rio? Or Shiva?"

The question sounded simple, yet Rio could feel the answer the Devil wanted him to utter.

Years ago, he might have instantly answered this question, saying he was Shiva. And Rio was just a character in a novel he possessed.

But not today….cause now

Who was he? – Of course he was both.

But who was he really? In his heart? Was the question…

Rio? _ Someone who had friends, family, and people who loved him. And he was living to fight their happiness and being able to protect them.

Or Shiva? _ Someone who lost everything. Was a living dead. Someone who stood at the edge of the abyss. Alone. Drenched in blood from the past and pain. Just waiting for a gentle pull that could push him into that darkness forever.

It was a simple question, yet Rio could feel the Devil wanting to force him to make a choice. Between picking a life.

Past or present

He could say both and possibly escape this round. But he was 100% sure the damned Devil would surely drag this farther again, until he was finally forced to pick only one.

And deep down, he already knew the answer which he'll pick by then.

So to save himself the conflict of moral dilemma and the heartache. He simply gave in.

"I'm Shiva." He replied, his tone calm yet cold, like the darkness which was present all around him. "Rio is just a dream of Shiva wanting to change his reality."

"Haha haha ahaha aha. You know I thought you'll drag this out. Take a while, and make me make it nasty." The Devil laughed as he spoke. Confirming Rio's thoughts about his wish.

"But you gave in so easily. That it makes me so happy."

Rio heard all this and just shook his head, hiding his expression while thinking what Devil's next question might be. Suddenly looked up in surprise, hearing his next words.

"So before we go further, I'll answer those 3 questions of yours. Let's call it a gift."

"Was I the one who brought you back to life? – No. It wasn't me."

"Did I bring your soul to Arcadia? – Again, No. It wasn't me."

"And lastly, why you? Why were you chosen?"

The Devil said and leaned closer. Making the shadows shuttle behind him.

"Well now... that's where things start getting interesting."

Buckle up to know it in next chapter lol 😝

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Author note - Was the devil's game inspired by the trial time conversations Rio and Aelthar had? Who knows....

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