Rise Of The Villain : In a World Ruled By Anomalies

Arthur stood in front of the accommodation assigned to the academy’s number one student.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he read the system notifications floating before his eyes.

DING!

[ Extraction Conditions Fulfilled. ]

[ • Locate Aiden’s missing elder sister. ] [Completed]

[ • Reunite her with Aiden. ] [Completed]

[ All required conditions have been satisfied. ]

[ Extraction Link Successfully Established. ]

[ Ability Extraction is now available. ]

Arthur’s lips curled higher.

’Well, as long as I am with Astarte, performing the extraction will be difficult,’ he thought. ’And it’s not like I need an ability right now. I’ll hold it off for as long as I can, just like with Damian’s case. And if things go well, I can even use it as leverage if I ever fall out with Astarte.’

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

’Huhuhu... aren’t I a genius, System?’

[ Well, that right there was really villainous thinking. Can’t say I’m proud of you, though. Aiden’s a friend who stood up for you when you needed it. ]

Arthur snorted.

’I already paid him back, didn’t I? And haven’t you heard the saying?’

[ What saying? ]

Arthur smiled.

’There are no eternal enemies or friends. Only eternal benefits.’

[ You are one sick bastard, Host. But now I’m proud of you. Good job planning for everything. ]

Arthur’s mouth twitched.

"You bastard," he muttered. "Can’t you ever give one proper compliment?"

He then sighed and glanced at the door.

"And why isn’t she opening the door? I’ve been ringing the bell for a long time. Usually, the pattern is that she comes out, insults me to my face, and then I show off my powers and humiliate her. Then she leaves the house, saying dramatic final lines like, ’I will make you regret this, Arthur.’"

[ Yeah, you’re right. Your sister does have a personality like that. Maybe she’s too shocked and scared of you. ]

Arthur gave a small laugh.

"I highly doubt it. Those Imperius bastards would rather die than admit they’re scared of somebody."

Just as he said that, the door finally opened.

Arthur lifted a brow.

"Whoa," he said. "Looks like she’s finally ready to face me."

Standing in the doorway was a golden-haired girl with ember-colored eyes.

She looked striking even in casual clothes, the kind that should have made her seem ordinary but somehow only made her stand out more. The outfit fit her well, emphasizing her elegant frame without taking away from the sharp, proud aura that surrounded her. A sword rested at her waist, a clear reminder that this was not a girl who had ever been meant to appear fragile.

She was Arina Evan Imperius.

Arthur looked at her and smiled.

"I am sorry to inform you, Miss Imperius," he said. "Orders have come from the Headmistress. Arina Evan Imperius will be assigned new accommodation soon. Until then, you will have to live with your brother."

Arina bit her lip.

She had heard Arthur speaking outside for a very long time, but fear had kept her frozen in place. She had not been able to gather the courage to open the door.

In the end, she had packed all her belongings in a hurry and shoved them into her storage ring. Only then had she forced herself to take a deep breath and open the door.

Right now, she was using every ounce of willpower she had not to tremble and run screaming out of the house.

She could not even bring herself to meet Arthur’s gaze.

Instead, she looked at the ground.

"You got what you wanted," she said tightly. "Now move out of the way. I am leaving this house. I would rather die than live here with you."

Arthur was slightly surprised.

Not by the insult.

He had expected that much.

What surprised him was her obedience.

She was actually leaving so willingly.

Normally, she would have challenged him to a duel or made a scene first.

Her voice came again, quieter this time.

"One more thing," Arina said. "I informed our mother that you are here. I am sorry. She’ll be coming soon, demanding that you release Father."

Arthur’s expression turned cold.

"Well then," he said, "I wish you a happy life with your family, Miss Arina. You may go now."

Without looking back, Arina began to walk away.

Arthur remained at the entrance, quietly watching her leave.

Then, suddenly, she stopped.

Arina turned around and walked back toward him.

This time, her legs were trembling.

This time, fear was visible in her eyes.

Her breathing was ragged, as though even breathing hurt.

Before Arthur could react, she grabbed the collar of his clothes.

"You..." she said, shaking. "How could you? Do you realize what Mother has been going through because of you? Those branch-family bastards, who wouldn’t even dare look us in the eyes, are starting to act up whenever Mother isn’t around. Big Sister has gone missing. Grandfather doesn’t concern himself with household affairs. And Lucas doesn’t care about anything except himself."

Her voice broke with anger and pain.

"And it’s all because of you," she said. "Why are you acting so cold, huh? The Arthur I knew was a weakling, but he was warm. He was kind. He always put family first."

Tears filled her eyes.

She stared at him harder, desperately trying to recognize the brother she remembered.

"You..." she whispered. "Who the hell are you? You are not Arthur, are you? Give me back my brother, this instant, you bastard. Bring back my brother."

By now, tears were streaming down her face.

Arthur said nothing for a moment.

Then his voice came, low and sharp.

"Why? So you can torture him again?" he asked. "So your mother and father can break him over and over, crushing every hope he has?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Do you not remember the time you threw me out onto the streets, this talentless bastard, to fend for himself? Weren’t you hoping I would die or disappear from this world?"

Arina’s body trembled violently.

She could not meet his gaze.

Every word he spoke felt like a dagger driven into her heart.

Arthur continued, his tone colder now.

"You all wanted someone strong, someone capable, right?" he said. "Well, here I am. The one with the potential to surpass you all. The one even absurdly talented people like you would think twice before crossing. The one who can look down on you from the top."

His voice dropped another degree.

"The perfect child your mother and father wanted. The brother you wanted."

He stared at her with emotionless eyes.

"The one who was not rejected by the Imperius name, but the one who rejected the Imperius name."

Silence followed.

Then, in a low, broken voice, Arina said, "I’m sorry..."

That was all she could manage.

Just two words.

Arthur took a long breath, his expression tightening as he realized what he was doing.

’What the hell am I doing, letting my emotions get the better of me again?’

Without saying anything else, he turned around and started to leave.

Arina froze.

Then she shouted after him, "Where the hell are you going? Come back! This house is yours now. It belongs to you. You are the rightful owner. Come back!"

Arthur paused and turned slightly.

"I had a desire to take that house," he said, "but not anymore. It feels hollow all of a sudden, and the desire has died down. You can live in it after all. You’re talented, right?"

Then he walked away, leaving the premises behind.

Arina watched his back as he left.

All her emotions, sadness and anger alike, poured out of her in the form of tears.

She fell to her knees and cried again.

But this time, the trembling was finally gone.

Meanwhile, Arthur reached another accommodation.

Aiden opened the door.

The moment he saw Arthur standing there, he froze.

Then, suddenly, an ominous smile spread across his face.

"I was looking everywhere for you."