Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

338  ××××

Scenes of the dungeon for the year end combined academic tournament

"Hey, that Kendrick guy is glaring at you quite intently, I think you broke his pride." Bernhardt said, walking with Rio towards the stage below the glowing gray portal through which students were to enter the vast land of the dungeon.

"Like you're any better, just look at that guy, his face is screaming that he wants to give you a tight brotherly hug and squeeze the life out of you." Rio joked pointing at Alfred walking ahead, a metal hair band wrapped over his head, as Bernhardt's electricity left quite the static on the poor prince.

"You both really lack the finesse and elegance that the nobles should have. How can you even fight like that? So inadequate." Dahlia, who was walking beside them said as she slapped Bernhardt on the head.

"Says the girl who nearly made barbecue out of her opponent. I can still smell the burnt meat in the air." Bernhardt said mockingly as he slapped her back.

"Th_that was Pyro's fault, not mine." Dahlia said, blaming it all on her contracted spirit.

"Yeah, blame it all on the poor pixie, who can't defend herself." Bernhardt joked.

"Well, why're you talking about just me? Lisa defeated two of her opponents after embarrassing them too." Dahlia said, trying to change the topic, before her spirit went mad again in another mood swing again, burning down this thick skinned prince. Again.

"Don't drag me into your lover's quarrel." Lisa, who was walking on the side, couldn't help but muse as she saw her roommate using her as a shield again.

"It's not a lover's quarrel." ×2

But just as Lisa said that, a surprised voice from both of them came out. Before they went and made a disgusting and disbelieving expression looking at each other and started disrespecting each other again.

"Only someone blind or really really stupid would fall for this idiot." Dahlia said, scrunching her nose, while she was swatting the air away from her hands, afraid to breathe it in the same place with him.

"ohh yeah, well I'm still better, unlike you, whom even idiots can't stand." Bernhardt said, before suddenly grabbing her hands and towering over her petite figure.

Causing Dahlia to blush in embarrassment for a few seconds before she snapped out again and started insulting him again even more, while Bernhardt just kept smiling at her trying to hide her bright red face.

Lisa and Rio looked at them fighting and teasing each other and shook their heads, ignoring it like it was an everyday thing, which it was by the way.

Lisa turned to look at Rio and smiled slightly. "You should still be careful about him and them. The professors this time aren't exactly happy with you either." she suggested, looking at some of her classmates and then at the few flying figures staring intently at their direction.

"The professors can't interfere now or the matches would be canceled and they'd be suspended. And once this exam is over, it's not clear how many of them can retain their posts at Zenith." Rio said nonchalantly while smirking at an old man with long white hair and golden mark between his eyebrows, whose only disciple jumped out the window and killed himself a few weeks ago. Leaving behind only a suicide note, saying that he couldn't take any more of his master's abuse, causing the old man's reputation to drop down to the bottom instantly.

(A/N - Totally not Rio's fault. Removing Leon's supporters and future brothers one by one.)

"Just be careful and don't jump into battles without thinking. The council president mentioned that many of the other academies would group together and target Zenith, and especially you." Lisa further added, hoping this guy would forget his fun and games, and take this tournament more seriously.

"You should look out for yourself. I already have my plans prepared." Rio said with an inexplicable smile as he glanced at the stage where he noticed many familiar and unfamiliar faces from the novel.

"Man, look at them, practically drooling at the sight of you." Bernhardt too, stopped teasing Dahlia and spoke seriously once they reached the open stage below the portal, where he could see representatives of other academies already sitting in silence and staring at them.

It's just that the vocabulary of this bastard prince had been a little dirty lately, and what he wants to say and what he says are sometimes two completely different things.

"Fuck off." Rio said the moment he heard his words and looked at all the boys at front with eyes burning with competitive and fighting spirit, instead of the 'drooling' his friend spoke of. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"So how many do you think would challenge you?" Dahlia asked, looking at the groups of students who started talking amongst themselves. While a few leading ones started ordering their minions and lower rankers.

"He'd be sure to break the record, along with their bones." Bernhardt laughed looking at the poor fellows lining up to test Rio's strength, before they go ahead and enter the dungeon world.

"Well, since stupid people keep jumping forward, asking for a beating, then I can only comply and help them openly." Rio said, turning his head at the red haired boy with bandages wrapped around his forehead and wrists. Mocking the guy for being an idiot and challenging him for the final battle at the Zenith ranking tournament.

Though there was a lot of chatter from students and audience all around them, Kendrick who was walking by the side couldn't help but clench his fist in anger as he heard Rio's remarks.

Yet he couldn't refute him at all.

As the difference in their rank and skill was just demonstrated in front of the whole academy a few days ago.

Challenging Rio was just asking for another beating, as he phrased it.

'Just you wait, once this tournament is over, I'll have your head on a spike and turn your body into a skewer, you bastard.' Kendrick thought in his heart planning to kill Rio once he left the floating islands.

Similar thoughts were in the mind of many people, all in one way or another hating on Rio or planning revenge on him somehow, be it Alfred who lost to Bernhardt in an open and fair battle, or Pandya who was bullied and one slapped by Rio, Heirchal who was kicked out by Dahlia, or Orcsty and Myenta who were defeated by Lisa.

Every one of the top ten representatives from Zenith were hating the group of four friends laughing and joking together. Their eyes burning in hatred and displeasure over their success and smiles.

Rio, who noticed all of this, finally put aside his funny and laid back attitude for a second and looked at everyone. His eyes sweeping over the crowd of students and the few staff members lined up nearby with a cold smile on his face.

'I wonder how many of you would live to tell the tale once this exam is over.' He said in his heart, praising his plan that would spell all of his future troubles doom in one full sweep.

Experiment number 101

If I kill all the important characters that would grow up to play important roles in the future and the plans of destiny, before the plot even begins, would fate replace them silently, or restart another story?

Or I finally feel the backlash of fate that so many novels talked about.

'Nyx, you with me, right?'

[Always]

'Good. That's all I need then.'