The Villain Rising: Ascension of Arcane Trickster.

"So, you have chosen, huh?"

An ominous sensation spread through me but before I could say anything, she suddenly pushed her chair back and rose to her feet in anger.

"They were right after all." Her distorted voice trembled violently as she spoke. "You either die a hero... or live long enough to become the villain. But you... you are doing the exact opposite. Why are you trying to become a hero?"

"You... of all people... should have been perfect. You should have remained untouchable. You should have used people for your own benefit and when they became a nuisance, you should discard them without any hesitation."

Her breathing became rough as she clutched her head.

"So then, why... Why are you starting to care about them? No, no, no. This... This can’t be real, this can’t be happening."

A suffocating killing intent filled the room.

"I will kill them all, that’s the only way to bring you back. Once everything and everyone you care about disappears, dying a brutal death, you will finally understand how meaningless emotions and attachments truly are and then you will focus only on yourself again and nothing else."

"Hey... wait. I don’t care—"

I slowly extended a hand toward her, trying to lie, trying to stabilize the woman but before I could even complete my sentence, she slammed her hands onto the table, hunching forward.

"Just shut up! Don’t talk. Don’t say another word. You are tormenting me with every single word."

Her voice dropped into a trembling whisper as she clutched her head even tighter.

"So please... Don’t lie to me with a face like that. Just don’t or I won’t be able to control it anymore. I will kill them right at this moment, paying whatever price is necessary without caring for the consequences which will follow."

I didn’t say a single word. My mind had completely frozen. I should have been thinking logically. I should have been creating a plan to neutralize her. I should have already been thinking several steps ahead.

But I couldn’t.

I wanted to lie or bluff and to convince her that I didn’t care about anyone but I couldn’t even do that because her threat was real.

I could feel it deep within my very being that she truly could destroy everyone I cared for with a single snap of her fingers. Maybe it was just my paranoia or maybe it was the truth but I didn’t wish to gamble for the first time in my life.

So instead, I gripped the edge of the table tightly, suppressing both my rage and the overwhelming urge to deceive her.

And yet...

That damned smile still remained on my face as the warm blood slowly trickled down my chin from where I had bitten through my lip.

My gaze hardened silently before I finally spoke.

"What do you want?"

My voice had turned completely cold now as the woman immediately stopped her rambling and looked at me for a long moment and then suddenly she let out an excited cheer.

"Yessss...!"

Her distorted voice trembled with excitement.

"Yes. This is it. This is my Rael. This is the one I admire. The one I idolize. The one I love. You should be like this. Perfect and cold."

A delighted chuckle escaped her lips.

"And that... That is exactly what I wanted."

My expression remained emotionless as she continued speaking in a strangely affectionate tone.

"But don’t worry, Rael... You don’t need to concern yourself with those burdens for now. I will kill them in the most brutal ways imaginable right before your eyes eventually..."

Her voice softened again.

"But I can’t allow them to interfere with your growth just yet. They still have a purpose to serve. So you should focus on finding a cure for your condition and in return... I promise not to touch them until then."

With those words, she turned away and looked out the window toward the soft moonlight as the shadows surrounding her slowly began to disperse.

"Ahh... time completely slipped from my mind while being with you. It seems it’s already time for me to say goodbye."

She lightly swung one leg before turning her upper body toward me with a slight tilt.

"I really loved being near you..." For the first time since entering the room, her voice sounded almost hesitant. "But before I go... Um... can I ask for something?"

I remained silent as her fingers tightened lightly against the shadows.

"Can I have your hair... and maybe your toenails? Just one would be enough."

She quickly added another sentence afterward as if afraid of being rejected.

"It’s completely fine if you don’t want to but if you do... I might give those women a little more time to live. And if you even toss the shirt you are wearing now along with an autograph, I might even spare some of the people close to you. Not the women though, they will be dying either way."

"So..."

She stared directly at me through the darkness.

"Can I?"

I honestly didn’t know how I was supposed to react to that but if something so trivial could buy me even more time, then I didn’t particularly care and it’s not like she could use them for black magic or some instant-death curse against me anyway since I was already immune to those kinds of things.

So, after a brief hesitation, I reluctantly gave a small nod as the woman immediately jumped in excitement.

"Yaaay!!!"

Her cheerful voice echoed through the room.

"You really are the best."

It didn’t take long for me to give her what she wanted. The moment I handed them over, she lightly waved her hand and the items vanished instantly into the shadows.

"...So I suppose it’s finally time to say goodbye." Her distorted voice sounded strangely soft now. "I know you won’t miss me. You shouldn’t, anyway but I will miss you. Still... these will suffice for now."

With those final words, the darkness surrounding her completely scattered before vanishing into thin air but just before the last traces of shadow disappeared...

...something fell out onto the floor.