Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings

Chapter 79: Bargaining

“Rofus!”

As Rofus was flying towards the academy, an airship pulled up alongside Despia. Riruka leaned out from the deck, calling out to Rofus.

Rofus clicked his tongue lightly and dismissed Despia, jumping onto the deck.

“…What is it? I’m in a hurry.”

“What… What exactly is happening?”

Riruka gestured towards the devastation in the royal capital. Rofus shrugged his shoulders.

“As you can see, the capital is being attacked by a swarm of monsters. I’m in the process of suppressing them.”

“I see… I thought you might know what’s going on, but it seems you don’t…”

Sorry for bothering you, Riruka said, looking dejected.

“Then, we’ll help too.”

“…Fine, we need more hands. You should focus on the city area—”

“—It’s Raymond’s rampage, isn’t it?”

Just as Rofus was about to speak, Abel emerged from the cabin and interrupted.

“You…”

Rofus frowned openly, glaring at Abel with an intimidating look.

But Abel seemed unfazed by the glare, merely looking down at the capital, where black smoke was rising.

“…The monsters attacking the capital—I recognize some of them. If my memory is correct, they are Raymond’s summoned beasts. And Riruka, you must have noticed too.”

Riruka looked uncomfortable, averting her eyes as Abel glanced at her, clearly irritated.

“There’s no way Rofus doesn’t know that Raymond’s summoned beasts are attacking the capital, right?”

“…What are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of being involved in the attack on the capital?”

“Wh-what are you saying…!”

Riruka turned to Abel, exclaiming in disbelief, but Abel just shrugged.

“No, that’s not it. The black monsters are attacking Raymond’s summoned beasts—almost as if they are protecting the capital and its citizens.”

Abel stared directly at Rofus.

“I no longer think of you as evil, Rofus.”

“Evil… such a cheap word. Don’t measure me with your worthless standards.”

Abel chuckled bitterly, continuing to speak.

“…I’m sure you’ve realized it by now, and I never intended to hide it anyway, but I am not Abel. Nice to meet you—or rather, we’ve met before, at the entrance ceremony.”

The person in front of Rofus looked like Abel but wasn’t.

This was the second time Rofus had exchanged words face-to-face with this person, including the entrance ceremony.

Yet Rofus felt a strong sense of déjà vu and repulsion.

After a moment of staring at Abel, Rofus realized the reason for his feelings.

“…No. The entrance ceremony wasn’t our first meeting.”

Rofus trembled, looking at Abel with dark, intense eyes.

Abel tilted his head in confusion.

“…Hmm? But we’ve never met before that—”

Rofus took a step forward, grabbing Abel by the collar and interrupting him.

Uncontrollable anger and frustration radiated from Rofus.

“W-wait, Rofus!?”

Riruka tried to intervene, but Rofus ignored her.

“I remember your words… ‘Gloomy,’ ‘ugly robe,’ and ‘ugly-faced jerk,’ wasn’t it?”

Rofus’s anger was palpable, and Riruka was left confused and bewildered.

Abel, still held by Rofus, covered his face with one hand and sighed.

“…Ah, that was definitely me. You heard that? Seriously? Wow… So that’s what you meant by twenty million times? Uh, I sincerely apologize for that.”

“You… How dare you kill me back then!?”

It was a memory of a dream Rofus once had—the day after the dream of the story, where he saw himself being brutally killed 20,802,001 times.

In those repeated deaths, Rofus endured countless insults and ridicule.

The Abel before him was undoubtedly one of those who killed him.

Rofus’s instincts, honed by countless deaths, screamed this truth.

Abel averted his eyes awkwardly, raising his hands in surrender.

“…I thought it might be the case after hearing from Riruka. Twenty million… That’s about the first-year sales of ‘Vice Story.’ The number matches the times Rofus was killed. So, Rofus, your grudge isn’t with Abel himself but with me.”

“I don’t care what you are. But to brazenly show yourself before me…!”

“For that, I really am sorry. I’ve killed you at least five times. I know an apology won’t suffice, but I had no ill intentions.”

“…I’ll kill you.”

Rofus conjured a Dark Scythe with his free hand, placing its blade against Abel’s neck.

Abel remained calm, responding quietly.

“I understand if you hold a grudge against me personally. But that doesn’t involve Abel.”

“You say that as if I should spare you, who are inside Abel’s body?”

“No, that’s not it… I propose a deal.”

“A deal?”

Rofus frowned, lowering Abel but keeping the scythe pointed at him.

Abel showed no intention of resisting, reaching into his pocket to reveal a magical item to Rofus.

It was a sinister-looking dagger decorated with a skull on its handle.

“What is that?”

“A magical item that temporarily turns the living into ghosts. I haven’t done it before, but I think this will allow me to separate from Abel’s body.”

Rofus took the dagger from Abel and examined it closely.

The dagger was inscribed with an ancient spell that Rofus recognized from old texts on necromancy.

“How do I use it?”

“Just stab it into my heart. It won’t harm the body.”

“I see.”

Rofus looked intrigued, gazing at the skull-decorated dagger. He dismissed the Dark Scythe and aimed the dagger at Abel.

“Then let’s try it out immediately.”

“W-wait! I said it’s a deal!”

For the first time, Abel showed signs of panic, stepping back.

“A deal? Whatever your demands might be, the dagger is in my hands now. Or did you think I wouldn’t actually kill you, since I’m supposedly not ‘evil’?”

Rofus advanced, testing the dagger’s point against Abel.

“Whoa!?”

Abel twisted his body at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the blade, but a dull crack sounded from his waist.

“Aaaah! My back!”

Screaming in pain, Abel rolled around the deck. Rofus looked down at him with disdain and turned to Riruka.

“…Hey. What’s with this guy?”

“Well, I don’t really know either. I was surprised to hear he had a connection with you.”

Riruka responded, her eyes a mix of confusion and discomfort directed at Abel.

Was I really killed by this guy? Rofus thought, massaging his temples as if in pain. But the sight of Abel’s ridiculous display drained his anger, and he lowered the dagger.

“…What is this deal? I’ll hear you out. Keep it short.”

Realizing now wasn’t the time to be dealing with this, Rofus took a deep breath to calm himself and looked towards the academy.

Abel, still struggling to stand, rubbed his aching back and replied through tears.

“You’re going to stop Raymond, right? At the academy, same as last time?”

“And what if I am? It has nothing to do with you.”

“No… Raymond is a friend, right? Then you shouldn’t fight him. You’ll die.”

“What…?”

Rofus’s previously softened demeanor turned sharp again.

“If my guess is correct, Raymond isn’t in his right mind. No one’s voice, not even yours, will reach him. Not until he dies. You won’t be able to stop him without killing a friend—”

“—Hey.”

Before Abel could finish, Rofus grabbed his collar again and yanked him closer.

“Don’t speak as if you know everything. What could someone like you possibly understand?”

“And what about you? How much do you understand about Raymond’s current state? He’s almost certainly being manipulated by the Dark God.”

Rofus’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the “Dark God.”

“The Dark God…? Nonsense. He… Raymond only remembered his past as the ‘Second Demon King.’ Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I think it’s a difference in perspective… The original story—Raymond, the ‘Second Demon King,’ was also mentally corrupted by the Dark God, which led him to rebel against the kingdom.”

Abel spoke as if explaining gently.

Rofus, however, was not receptive, becoming more agitated.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Raymond became twisted because he was betrayed by his beloved Asteria! That woman neglected him for a commoner named Abel! If it weren’t for that, Raymond would—”

“What are you talking about? Asteria and Abel’s relationship only developed in the second part—after the battle with Raymond. Sure, Asteria’s behavior towards the commoner Abel might have been questionable while engaged, but Abel saved her life at the beginning. It’s only natural she’d try to protect him from unjust treatment due to their association.”

“…nu”

“And don’t get it wrong. Even if your fiancée betrayed you, it doesn’t justify launching an attack on the entire kingdom. At least, by the time the Demon King Rath was defeated, Asteria intended to marry Raymond. It was Raymond, the ‘Second Demon King,’ who went on a rampage without even listening to her. That’s how the public sees it. But the truth is different. Raymond wouldn’t have been foolish enough to betray the kingdom over something like that. Or are you telling me, Rofus, that your friend was such a small-minded person?”

“…”

Pressed by Abel, Rofus fell silent.

Indeed, there was a sense of discomfort.

In the dream he saw, after Asteria and Raymond clashed over Abel at the entrance ceremony, and with the appearance of Demon King Rath and the Four Demon Beasts, there didn’t seem to be any proper conversation between the two.

Then, right after that issue was settled, Raymond’s side took the insane action of a rebellion—an abnormal behavior even in Rofus’ dream, which is why he was extremely cautious when he met Raymond in reality.

Therefore, the phrase “beloved fiancée” that Raymond uttered at their first meeting struck Rofus as extremely odd.

No, you will betray the kingdom and turn against your fiancée in the future.

However, after actually interacting with Raymond and understanding his character, Rofus questioned why Raymond would commit such a rebellious act.

Raymond, though sometimes ruthless in his methods, was essentially a kind person.

He hated injustice and couldn’t tolerate the oppression of the weak, which is why he said he wanted to become the king of the world and create new rules.

The rebellion in the story and the recent attack on the royal capital with summoned beasts were far from Raymond’s true desires.

Was Raymond a small-minded person?

Rofus quietly shook his head.

“No. Indeed, there is some truth in what you say. I see, it’s the mental corruption by the ‘Dark God.'”

Rofus gently released his grip on Abel’s collar and turned away.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“To talk to Raymond.”

“What if he won’t listen?”

“If I determine that he is no longer the Raymond I knew, then I will—kill him. If the ‘Dark God’ is controlling Raymond, then I will kill them both.”

Rofus, emanating dark magic power, spoke with murderous intent.

“Wait, don’t include ‘killing’ as an option. At least let me help. I can use magical items too, and I can be of some help…”

As Abel desperately tried to catch up, Rofus pushed him away irritably.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Do you really think you are my equal? That’s outrageous. I will deal with Raymond alone. You can wait your turn. Go wash your neck and wait.”

With that, Rofus turned his cloak and left.

A complete rejection, an almost predictable reaction.

Abel, looking up at the sky, sighed.

“I was planning to make a deal, to have Raymond back off in exchange for my life later. At worst, I wanted to at least work together. But why did it turn into him wanting to do it alone…”

Abel sighed and, as if making a decision, glared at Rofus.

Then he slowly approached and grabbed Rofus from behind.

However, Abel’s hand was blocked by Rofus’s magical barrier.

Rofus, with a vein bulging on his forehead, glared back at Abel.

“What are you trying to do? Do you want to die here?”

“If my life can stop you, then I’ll offer it. But I know you won’t stop, Rofus. So, I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to do this…!”

Abel crushed the crystal he was holding.

It was a teleportation crystal.

The light of teleportation enveloped Rofus along with the magical barrier.

“Teleportation…!? You even have something like this… but don’t underestimate me.”

Normally, once teleportation magic is activated, it cannot be undone.

However, with his immense magical power, Rofus could resist the spell.

No matter how powerful the teleportation crystal, Rofus could resist it if he wanted to.

But Abel had anticipated this.

Without hesitation, Abel pulled out an item from his pouch and threw it into the air.

It was an eye with a red pupil—an evil eye of the Catoblepas.

An artifact that temporarily and significantly reduces the target’s magic resistance.

The red eye glared at Rofus, and the sound of something breaking echoed from Rofus’s body.

It was the sound of Rofus’s resistance being nullified.

The light of teleportation fully enveloped Rofus.

Rofus gritted his teeth and glared at Abel with hatred.

“One after another, you…!”

“Raymond will be stopped by me and Abel. Don’t worry, we won’t let either of you die.”

With those words, Rofus was swallowed by the light and disappeared.

＊

After the series of events, Rofus vanished somewhere due to the teleportation.

Riruka, who could only watch in a daze, came to her senses and grabbed Abel.

“What are you doing…? Where did you send Rofus…?”

Panicking and angry, Riruka pressed Abel.

Abel shrugged his shoulders and said one word.

“Empire.”

“What?”

“I once got caught in a dungeon’s teleportation trap. It was one that moved between dungeons, and I was sent to a dungeon on the outskirts of the Empire. That’s where the teleportation went.”

“I never heard of such a thing…! Why did you send Rofus? We were supposed to work together!”

“That was the plan, but Rofus wanted to solve the Raymond issue alone. He was in a mood to render us unable to act if necessary. If that happened, it could lead to the worst outcome.”

Riruka, still holding Abel by the collar, narrowed her eyes.

“What worst outcome?”

“The death of either Raymond or Rofus.”

Upon hearing Abel’s words, Riruka turned pale and let go of him.

“No way, not Rofus…”

Riruka seemed to want to say it was an exaggeration, but Abel shook his head.

“I don’t know who is stronger between Raymond and Rofus, but I don’t think there is a significant difference in their abilities. However, while Rofus can control black beasts, Raymond can use summoned beasts as his forces. Moreover, Raymond has demonization. If they fought seriously, who knows what would happen.”

“That is…”

Even Riruka couldn’t be sure.

That’s why she thought they should fight together.

“But how do you plan to deal with Raymond without Rofus? Can we handle him ourselves?”

Their former companions were not there, and they didn’t have the protection of the six gods.

Only Abel and Riruka, with memories and experience from the past but with less power than before, were there.

It was impossible to think they could win against Raymond.

However, Abel smiled confidently.

“Raymond will be handled by me and Abel. Riruka and the ‘Scarlet Wind’ group should deal with the summoned beasts.”

“Huh?”

Seeing Riruka’s confusion, Abel proudly thumped his chest.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”