Chapter Text
"So... I have to act nice and cruel at the same time?" Rin asked, his blue eyes squinting at the white ball of light floating in front of him. He crossed his arms, confused and a bit irritated, "How the heck am I supposed to do that???"
"Do not fret, Rin-sama. It's just as I've said. And with your capabilities, it should be no challenge," a robotic and emotionless female voice came out of the ball of light, which flickered with every syllable it uttered.
"No no, that's the thing! How am I supposed to 'treat everyone kindly' when I'm also supposed to be the villain?! I've been a two-faced bitch before, but that's completely different from this! One is a villain only acting kind while another is someone who's genuinely kind but also cruel? How does that make sense?" Rin ran a hand through his hair in distress.
"That's for you to find out, host. If you live long enough, this world might also finally be your last," the voice almost sounded like it was smiling.
Rin sighed. This girl, which introduced herself as 'system 01', was right. After nearly a thousand years of living in dog blood dramas, he could finally....
"Fine, whatever, I'll figure it out myself. Just make sure to fulfill your part of the deal," he grumbled, simultaneously stepping towards an ominous red portal twice his height. "I'll go now."
"I wish you a successful mission, traveler."
By the time Rin processed what the system said, he had already walked through the portal, arriving at a dizzying tunnel lit with spinning colors.
"Traveler?" he mumbled before his consciousness faded.
When he awoke, he was in the body of Aether, the neglected twin brother of Lumine, the 'darling' of Heaven.
At this moment, the pair of twins were about to depart for school. Their mother and father were there, faces filled with tears and proud smiles; but all of these were aimed at only Lumine. The three looked like a harmonious, loving family, leaving Aether at the side, clutching his bag by himself.
"Our precious daughter, you're finally going to the academy," Russelle, their mother, hugged Lumine while trembling. "I'm so proud of you."
"Mom..." Lumine felt emotional after seeing their crying faces. Her doe eyes watered, eyelashes fluttering in a way that made her look pitiful.
Hilden, the father, also had an expression filled with love and adoration. He put his hand on his daughter's shoulder, sighing at how much his child had grown.
Looking at this scene, in the body of Aether, Rin was secretly amused. He glanced at them, his golden eyes looking sad and lonely.
It was time for him to act as Aether, the 'villain' in Lumine's fairy tail-esque life.
While the family of three continued their influx of tears, Rin took this time to review his current mission.
Generally, his task was to relive the lives and fulfill the dying regrets of villains in different worlds. He'd possess their body at an early part of their life, before everything that made them a villain happened. The task this time was the same. Before his death, Aether wished for three things: for the man he loved to be filled with regret, for his sister to be hit with a malicious fate, and finally, for him to live a 'virtuous' life.
To think that he made three wishes. Usually, they would only make one, since death came quickly and most wouldn't be able to formulate many thoughts before their demise. This matter gave Rin a headache.
First of all, how could he live a virtuous life when he wished for ill things to happen to his sister? That in itself was an act that would make someone not virtuous. In fulfilling one wish, he'd be forgoing the other. And if that happened, Rin's mission would be considered a failure. The consequence would be at least a century's worth of probation, and he didn't want to waste any more time.
He'll have to figure out how to solve this dilemma later. For now, he'll act as the typical neglected son to gain other's pity.
After the parents finally calmed down, they bid Lumine farewell and let her board the carriage that was waiting. Hilden's soft eyes turned stern as he looked at Aether. "Protect your sister at all costs. If even a single strand of her hair gets misplaced, you won't hear the end of it."
"... Yes, father." Aether timidly answered.