I Am The Game's Villain

393  Nihil And Harivel [2]

”He never would have become this if Eden had swallowed his pathetic pride. It was your job and Raphielʼs, and you both failed miserably. You are the reason for Samaelʼs unending wrath. Pray, Nihil, to whatever you hold sacred, that if Samael awakens, he doesnʼt remember that wrath.”

”Do you even hear yourself, Harivel?” Nihil retorted, his voice edged with disdain. ”Donʼt let your own misfortunes cloud your judgment. I know you arenʼt Nemes. You wouldnʼt wish for such devastation. Samael will meet his downfall again if he seeks vengeance. We are more than prepared for it. Or do you desire his death yet again?” Nihilʼs tone was stern.

”Regardless of his intent,” Harivel responded icily, ”there can be no reconciliation between him and Eden. You understand this, donʼt you? Unconsciously, heʼs already begun to view Eden as the enemy, even without the full recollection of his past as Samael. Once those memories return, I assure you, I will not stand with any of you.” Her words were cold.

Nihil fell silent, but the radiant light emanating from his being intensified, pushing back against Harivelʼs influence.

”I wonʼt allow it. Eden cannot die,” he said.

Cleenahʼs lips curled into a sly smile as she let out a soft, mocking laugh. ”Samael once regarded you as a close friend. He bestowed upon you Trinity Nihil, a gift for Nevia. She was still young then, but you knew she loved Samael. Yet you never acknowledged her feelings. In the end, you kept Nevia, who inherited Fate, and had her play a role in Samaelʼs demise. Was that truly for the worldʼs sake, or because you couldnʼt bear the thought of giving your daughter to him?” Her voice dripped with scorn.

Nihilʼs smile was tinged with bitterness as the light around him dimmed, revealing a man of divine beauty who appeared to be in his late twenties. His hair and eyes were as white as Neviaʼs.

”All I ever wanted was happiness for Samael,” Nihil confessed, his voice heavy with regret. ”I loved him and Sia as though they were my own children. But when the time came to choose, I had to side with Eden. Eden must endure. As for my daughter, she was too young, too naive. She didnʼt understand who Samael truly was. At his side, she would have known only sorrow. In the end, I was right to make that decision, especially given what heʼs become.”

”Is that what you truly believe?” Harivel raised an eyebrow, her smirk deepening with a knowing glint in her eyes. ”Nevia would have found happiness with him, no matter what path he chose.”

”Nevia isnʼt as twisted as you or Nemes,” Nihil said, his voice laced with disdain as a scowl darkened his features. ”I doubt she would blindly follow Samael through whatever madness he succumbs to.”

”Perhaps~” Harivel replied, her tone dripping with vague amusement, as though she found his concern trivial.

Nihil exhaled a long, weary sigh. ”Everything Iʼm enduring now, itʼs for Samaelʼs sake. All I want is for him to find the happiness heʼs been denied for so long—to finally live peacefully with Sia and Nemes, as heʼs always wished. If you truly love him, Harivel, then stay by his side. But only if it means leaving behind those dangerous memories.”

Harivelʼs eyes fluttered shut, her expression softening into something almost pained.

ʼI am sorry, Jophiel. It seems I was truly born to be the villain in Edenʼs story.ʼ

She recalled the last words Samael had spoken to her before surrendering himself completely to his emotions, words that had echoed in her mind for millennia.

ʼBut I am glad I was born this way. Otherwise, I would have missed out on the priceless bonds I forged with Nemes and with you.ʼ

ʼI have no regrets, and I will never regret it, not even at the very end.ʼ

ʼI hope you can say the same.ʼ

Despite the countless years that had passed since those words were spoken, they lingered in her mind as if she had heard them only yesterday. It was the final time she had seen the genuine kindness in his smile, a smile unmarred by the darkness that had since consumed him.

”Harivel,” Nihil called out, his voice softening as he noticed her eyes growing moist, the black hue of her eyes slowly receding to their natural white.

”Samael just wanted to live in peace with Sia,” Harivel continued, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. ”He was happiest and most at ease with her. With her by his side, he could forget the dark thoughts that plagued him from birth. But you took that away from him. He found happiness again with Ephera, yet you couldnʼt leave it alone. You had to do something to trigger him once more. You all knew how unstable he was, and still, you pushed him to the brink.”

Nihil remained silent, the weight of her words settling heavily between them. He had argued this point for millennia, yet the truth remained unchanged.

”See for yourself,” Harivel said coldly. ”Iʼve kept Nemes silent until now, but we had a compromise. This time, I wonʼt hold her back, just for this time. Let her unleash her fury alongside her beloved Samael just for this time.”

Understanding dawned on Nihil as his eyes widened in shock, snapping to the projection before them. ”Harivel!!!” He shouted.

But Harivelʼs eyes narrowed, a sinister delight gleaming within them. ”Just one minute. Since you are here already, watch.”

***

”Ugh!” I gasped, pain shooting through my body as I collided with the ground.

This bastard is strong.

My vision blurred for a moment, but a panicked cry pulled me back to reality.

”M–Mom!!”

Turning my head, I saw a young boy, tears streaming down his face, slumped helplessly on the ground. I forced a smile, trying to reassure him, but the malevolent mana gathering above us made my attempt at comfort falter, my smile quickly vanishing.

”Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, grabbing the boyʼs arm and leaping away just in time.

-BOOOOM!

A shockwave blasted through the spot we had just occupied, and I felt a searing pain tear across my back. Blood oozed from the wound.

”Arghh!” I gritted my teeth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape.

”A–Are you okay?!” The boy asked, his voice trembling as he clung to me, tears brimming in his wide eyes.

He was reminding me of Orlin so it prickled my Daddyʼs instincts.

”What do you think?” I groaned, the pain radiating through every fiber of my being. But I couldnʼt let him see my fear. I gently pushed him away. ”Run. Now.”

”Y–Yes!” He stammered, scrambling to his feet and leaving.

”Do you really have time for such trivialities?”

-BAM!

The dark blade sliced through the air, aiming straight for me, but I reacted swiftly, summoning a shimmering, amber-hued shield just in time.

”Aegis,” I murmured, and the shield surged with thick, pulsating mana.

Ruglisʼs eyes widened in shock as the light from the shield exploded, engulfing him entirely.

-BOOOOM!

The force flung him back hundreds of meters, but I knew it wasnʼt enough. He was far from defeated, merely shaken.

”No other choice,” I muttered, a faint smile tugging at my lips despite the pain. ”Iʼll have to take things up a notch.”

But before I could gather my strength, a sudden chill ran down my spine. My knees buckled, and I collapsed, my body refusing to obey.

”What…?” I whispered, disbelief and fear mingling in my voice. I had never felt this kind of weakness before—like every ounce of strength had drained from me in an instant. My limbs were numb, completely unresponsive.

Cleenah!

I tried to call out to her, to reach for her presence, but I couldnʼt. My voice faltered, and the connection to her was gone—replaced by something else, something far more sinister.

Pale arms snaked around my neck, cold and lifeless, as a whisper filled my ears, chilling me to the core.

{Samael.}