Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 312 Rhys The One Dimensional Villain

"Gah!"

Rukawa let out a scream, a visceral scream that scratched the air — but alas, the only thing that could hear his voice was the dust of cloud; the dust of cloud being blown away by his seething breath as his face lay there on the ground.

"L… let me go!"

"That's not going to happen."

"Why… why would you do this!?" Rukawa was still completely pinned on the ground, struggling to get up, but was not even able to lift himself up for even an inch. The only thing he could really do was watch as the colossal Verdant Python continued to move. It was… a surreal sight.

The Verdant Python was two, or three times longer than the tallest building Rukawa had ever seen, and with its scales also being several times harder than steel — it could practically destroy anything in its path.

And with Rukawa's head on the ground, it was almost as if he was drowning just by looking at the python; even though it wasn't even heading toward him and slithering away, it felt like it could swallow him at any moment…

…and this thing was starting to move through their country?

"Stop this!" Rukawa once again screamed, "Just… The… I'll make sure the government apologizes to the people in public! And I… I really didn't know they were involved in this, I already knew the other day when they told me! But if you also want me to apologize in public, I will! Just… just stop this!"

"I already told you that's not going to happen," Rhys just let out a small but very deep sigh as he stood up; but of course, he was still pinning Rukawa to the ground, "It is not me you should convince to stop this, but them."

Rukawa looked to where Rhys was pointing, only to see several more nymphs gathering near Aengele and Calypse — their eyes, almost glowing as they all just stared at him.

"How—You're the only one who can talk to them!"

"You don't seem to understand what's really happening here…" Rhys shook his head, "...The nymphs are angry — that is the main reason they are doing this in the first place."

And finally, Rhys removed his foot from Rukawa, allowing him to at least struggle his way out of the situation. Even with his ankle cut, he would still be able to escape here due to his strength—or so he thought.

"W…what?" Rukawa then glanced at his body, only to see threads completely wrapping around him and sealing all of his movements, "When did you…"

"We need something to appease the anger of the nymphs, Rukawa," Rhys then once again breathed out as he grabbed Rukawa by the shoulder and started dragging him toward the nymph, "For this peaceful and innocent race to just start killing people and destroying things means that they are really, really angry. But nymphs aren't dangerous creatures…

…it's their anger that's dangerous. And if we don't do something about that, their anger will just continue on beyond Nihon — it needs to end here. After all, what's tens of millions of lives versus a billion, right?"

"F… fuck you!" Rukawa gritted his teeth, "They… they didn't need to know! You could have saved my people too! You… do you just want us gone from the map!?"

"Now, where did that come from?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Rukawa, "These are just the consequences of your actions, Rukawa."

"My entire country doesn't have to fucking pay for it!" Rukawa once again struggled to get away; lightning started to crawl across his entire body — but before anything could actually happen, Rhys slapped him and almost knocked him out again.

"I agree that they don't," Rhys shook his head, "But it is going to happen, so…"

"You… you're a fucking monster!" Rukawa screamed as soon as he became lucid again, "If… if people find out what you've done here, you—"

"I already told you that I haven't done anything. But if the world sees it that way then…" Rhys then let go of Rukawa, crouching down as he once again whispered into his ear,

"...they were always meant to go in the first place."

"W…what?" Rukawa's eyes turned wide as he just saw the completely blank look in Rhys's silver eyes. Rukawa was wrong — he was wrong from the start. The Verdant Python wasn't the thing he was scared of, it also wasn't the thing that was going to destroy their country.

It was Rhys.

"Your country just happens to be the first one to go…" Rhys whispered, "...It's not because I hate you more than most, trust me… I hate all of you equally. It's just because you hurt one of the people I love."

"You're… you're fucking crazy…" Rukawa gritted his teeth, "Are you… are you saying that you're going to kill all of us? What… what would you have left then? You fucking… you fucking one-dimensional villain!"

"I would have Katarina and the others, Sir…" Rhys let out a sigh, "...And once everyone else is gone, we can finally start anew and recreate the world…

…with my children."

"You're insane…" Rukawa breathed out, "You're completely fucking—"

And before Rukawa could finish his words, Rhys then threw him right in front of the nymphs, who were all looking at him with their eyebrows completely knotted and lowered. And before he could even let out another word, the nymphs all just flew toward him and started tearing him from limb to limb — he was able to let out a final blast of electricity, but one of the nymphs just ate it.

Rhys really only just watched as the life in Rukawa's eyes faded away, almost making him remember the time Lex was eaten in front of him… and also the time that his mother was helplessly tortured and murdered.

He was not happy with this, of course — he was not happy that millions would probably die. But it has to be done. This world…

…it needs a reset.

"To think that they would do something that would threaten the lives of their entire people…" Malenia then slithered next to Rhys, letting out a sigh as she rested her head on his arm, "...I wish to believe that I am saddened by this, but every folly has its price.

And to offend the sacred nymphs is one of the biggest crimes one could have against the world itself — and now their people are going to pay for it."

"They hurt the Master's main mate," Edissa shook her head, "They already sealed their fate with that."

"No…" Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head, "...I'm still going to fulfill my mission — let's go save a grateful Nihon."

Rhys then approached Aengela and the other nymphs, whose bodies were almost completely covered by Rukawa's blood — and as soon as he stood in front of them, they all grew smiles on their faces.

"We thank you for trying to right what is wrong, Hero," Aengela flew in front of Rhys, "The others are pleased, once this unholy ground is cleansed, we will return to our homes and dream of life once more."

"Tell them it's not over yet," Rhys shook his head, "I am going inside the Golden Tree to help finish this — why don't all of you join?"

"Despite what Eurydice did to me, we will never attack our own kind," Aengela shook her head, "To do so would leave us dreaming of an eternal nightmare."

"...But Eurydice attacked you."

"And perhaps the love of the human is worth it for her," one of the other nymphs, one whose hair glowed more violent than the others, joined the conversation, "Some of us know of Orpheus and his deeds, he fought Hades himself to prove himself worthy of Eurydice's love — but perhaps along the way, the two of them were corrupted by that love. One, after all…

…does not challenge the gods and expect to just get away."

"I… see," Rhys could not help but just squint his eyes as he noticed the rest of the nymphs slightly bowing their heads at the nymph who just spoke.

"My name is Margryth," the nymph, Margryth, stretched her wings as she curtsied and introduced herself, "I am the Mother of most of the nymphs you see here…

…and also the mother of the creature you call the Verdant Python."

"You…?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he heard that.

"We were pre-ordained to meet earlier, but the Sisters of Fate, it would seem, did not allow it so…

…Descendant of Eros."

Margryth smiled — and she did so, Rhys could not help but think of how human she looked—no. She was beautiful, almost reminding him of Arachnea's beauty — but Arachnea's beauty was cold; Margryth's was playful, and perhaps her bright pink hair was a testament to that.

"We… were supposed to meet?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he glanced at Aengela, who only shrugged her shoulders in response, "What do you—"

"A conversation to be had later," Margryth then turned to look at the Golden Tree, "Your kind truly has progressed — to defeat a man blessed by Nature itself."

"Hm?" Rhys then turned to look to where Margryth was looking, only to see Ayesha and the others stepping out from the opening of the Golden Tree…

…with Ayesha holding Orpheus's head, and Eurydice hugging it tight.

"What…?" Olga blinked a couple of times as she saw Rhys surrounded by the nymphs, "Where… are Rukawa and Remy?"

The expression on Rhys's face completely changed; his eyebrows lowered and the tone of his voice became meek,

"Rukawa… betrayed us," Rhys whispered; his voice filled with lament, "He tried to kill Remy."

"What!?"

"He also attacked Calypse...

...and the Verdant Python was accidentally released."