Struggling as a Villain

Currently, the person whom he promised to protect all his life was getting attacked by several white-robe-wearing worms.

The only thought that came to his mind when Richard saw Lilia in such a state was to shred them into pieces while keeping their consciousness intact so they could feel the pain of that degree which no human should experience.

And Richard was well-set on making it true.

Releasing Hell Blaze upon the dome he entered the barrier with ease. Covering his body with the flames of destruction he landed on the ground and looked around.

His eyes didn\'t wander for long before he gazed at her...

Lilia.

The men around the maid reflexively stepped back, wishing that they shouldn\'t have volunteered to attack her, in the first place

Richard\'s eyes remained on her closed ones, anger surging through his veins and his heart feeling heavy under the guilt of pushing his beloved into such a pitiful state.

The air cracked with heat as Richard stepped forward, his eyes cold and focused. The church members stepped aside, giving him the space; not consciously.

His whole presence was enshrouded with a thick layer of rage. It was like even approaching the person would burn them.

Richard didn\'t speak a single word as he reached his beloved maid.

"Holy-" Before the Priest could attack Richard with light energy, his body was shattered by an invisible force, bones snapping and flesh tearing, leaving nothing but a gruesome heap of blood and gore.

Richard flicked his fingers, and every man who dared stand before him was crushed like insects. Limbs twisted and cracked, bodies caving in as they were mercilessly torn apart. A river of blood flowed in his wake, painting the ground red. He moved like a reaper, calm and unstoppable, his footsteps echoing through the deadly silence.

The sight of him made people tremble, paralyzed by fear, knowing their end was near but powerless to stop it.

Nearing his beloved, Richard crouched down, and like a doll made of feathers, he picked her up in a bridal hold.

Instantly, a familiar raven-haired woman appeared before Richard and respectfully asked, "Let me take her away and heal her, my lord."

Richard nodded as he handed Lilia to her, and told her, "Heal her wounds and keep her safe."

Jasmine nodded before black wings appeared behind her back, and she flew towards the mansion, determined to protect the girl even at the cost of her life.

"You...!" The Pope staggered through the fallen bodies of his brothers which were no longer regenerating, and glared at Richard. Others tried to stop him, for the sake of his safety, but the silver-haired man didn\'t look sane enough to think rationally.

Standing before Richard the man snarled, "You vile creature took the side of the evil! You don\'t know the forces that will come after you, now that you have chosen the unholy path."

Those words hung in the air, the listeners gulping at the thought of what might happen now.

Richard looked at the man, his eyes holding no emotion that could be distinguished, as he asked, "I read in the book of eternal grace....that the path of absolution is through eternal rest?"

The Pope frowned, "It\'s strange that you know about it. But yes, that\'s correct."

Richard\'s eyes darkened as he raised his hand and declared, "Then consider me your god and receive your much-deserved blessings."

Before the Pope or anyone else could say anything, Richard raised his hand, and with a snap of his fingers, a fiery storm erupted around him—a hurricane of Hell Blaze, its flames scorching black and red as they twisted violently in the air. The inferno roared to life, expanding like the maw of a beast, swallowing everything in its path.

The church members were helpless, sucked into the blazing vortex. Their screams pierced the air as their bodies were torn apart by the raging winds, skin peeling from bone, flesh melting like wax in the heat. Some were flung into the air, limbs twisted at unnatural angles before being crushed mid-flight, their blood raining down in dark, hot splatters.

Others were burned alive, their skin bubbling and charring until they were little more than smoking skeletons.

The Hell Blaze devoured them, leaving no chance for escape. Their bones cracked and snapped under the pressure of the flames, reducing them to nothing but ash. The mansion walls themselves began to blacken and crumble under the heat, but the screams of the dying lingered, a symphony of agony that echoed through the ruin.

Richard stood at the eye of the storm, his expression calm and cold, his figure untouched by the firestorm that ravaged everything else. To him, this was no more than an act of justice—retribution in its purest, most devastating form.

As the last of the church members were obliterated, their bodies crushed and incinerated into nothingness, the hurricane finally subsided, leaving only ash and scorched earth in its wake.

"Now you four...." Richard turned around and looked at the four men who earlier were hurting Lilia. He protected them using his barrier, as dealing them with Hell Blaze would have been mercy for them.

The four priests were already on the ground, their heads pressed and streams of tears flowing down their eyes.

"Master, let me take care of them." Suddenly the hulking form of a black-haired man appeared before him.

Richard could faintly sense Aembr radiating from the man.

An apostle of one of the Generals, Richard discerned.

Jasmine told him earlier that there are apostles of all the Generals. Every General has two at least, and Richard was just like them, an emissary.

But the difference was, that he inherited authority from the Lord of Death. That explains why this man, Jasmine and Brad have been so respectful toward him.

For Brad to not sit on the same seat as Richard was not a casual act but something he did subconsciously. Brad himself hasn\'t realised it. Richard sensed that presence from him, which no living human should be possessing.

And this man was the same.

\'You spare them if they kneel, huh...\' Richard nodded before telling him, "Keep them alive."

Hearing those words, massive wings three times bigger than Jasmine\'s and more grotesque appeared behind the man but just as he was about to pick the priests, someone called out,

"Release them, Richard. You have already committed a grave sin by executing these many worshippers."

Those words were spoken by a certain silver-haired who stood there with pure indifference in his eyes.

Richard raised his eyes, as he asked, "So you finally showed up. I started to think that I might have to take down a church or two to help you grow some balls."

Richard was informed by the Headmaster that Ethan and Eleanor were involved in Amelia\'s abduction but for some reason, even Marcus couldn\'t locate them.

Ethan stared at Richard with no particular reaction; however, inwardly, he was nervous standing before the man who once held a bit of innocence in his eyes.

Now...he looked nothing like his previous self.

"You do know what is at stake yet to dare talk back?" Eleanor snickered, appearing from behind.

Her eyes held ridicule and deep-seated hatred she had been carrying for Richard for this long. She never forgave this piece of trash who had tormented Ethan in the previous timeline and in this itinerary, he was acting all innocent and harmless

However, Eleanor knew deep within Richard was still vile and corrupted. And today, he proved her belief to be true.

The clouds beside Ethan parted and revealed the familiar black-haired girl whose eyes were closed and she was bound from head to toe with ropes.

Richard growled, his eyes darkening. He never thought that Ethan would betray him, but it seems he was hoping a lot from the Emissary of Light.

In the end he would be blinding following the orders he received from those Goddesses.

Richard clenched his fist, his aura becoming denser passing each moment, urging Eleanor to threaten, "If you made a single move, this girl dies. The key to unlock those binds is in our hands, so unless you want to lose your pitiful lover, kneel before us!"

Eleanor spat, her eyes turning red in rage. She raised her hand and showed the key of the bind that surrounded Amelia.

Trying to get rid of those binds without the keys, one of which Ethan had and the other one in her possession, would instantly choke Amelia to death. And this was something that Richard also knew.

Tension grew between them. Richard was forced into a corner. Not even once he thought of endangering Amelia\'s life...and looking at Eleanor it was evident that she would not stop unless she humiliated him.

Richard gritted his teeth and was about to kneel....when suddenly an audible thud was heard.

Richard, with wide eyes looked at Eleanor\'s who was pushed down on the ground with the key from her hand missing.

No one could believe that Ethan just now shoved her down and took the key from her.

Not even once Ethan thought before unbinding Amelia as he voiced, "I knew you were rotten to your core, and today I got to see your real face as well, "Those words were directed at Eleanor, who somehow overcame her shock and looked at her beloved with tears in her eyes.

Once Amelia was unbound she began to fall, only to Ethan to catch her and look at Richard with a soft gaze before he said,

"Please take what\'s yours."

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A/N:- Nah, bro. He did Eleanor dirty. Thanks for reading.