How I Lost My Life

Esteemed readers, be informed that this composition is a fabrication of the mind, a product of imaginative musings. Names, personas, settings, and events portrayed herein are either the offspring of creative thought. Delving into the realm of contentious topics like Domestic Abuse, this narrative treads on sensitive ground. Any semblance to actual individuals, entities, locales, or occurrences, whether living or deceased, is purely fortuitous. All privileges preserved.

azyke: Alrighty then! No more gloom and doom, it's time to dive into the juicy prologue! LET THE FUN BEGIN!

Prologue

December 24, Chistmas Eve. 00:30.

The dazzlingly beautiful antagonist danced in the center of the Mansion Hall. Once the song ended, she raised her hand in greeting. The people around her cheered and spilled wine from their glasses.

"Cheers for defeating Rank One Hero!"

The woman's name was Kazuna Hiraki, and she was the one responsible for the villains killing the Rank One Hero, Tear. She was also the niece of Takeshi Mizelian, the one who killed Tear.

"Congratulations to boss, Takeshi!"

Takeshi, who had been gazing at the moon with his chin resting on his hand, sat on his throne chair. He transformed his cold expression into a smile as he glanced at his crew.

"Happy Christmas Eve y'all."

The crew cheered as Kazuna approached her uncle, inviting him to step outside the corridor to watch the moonlight.

December 24. 00:46.

"Happy Christmas Eve, Kazuna. Today, tomorrow, and for all eternity, please continue to be stronger."

Kazuna laughed at Takeshi's words. "It's as if you could defeat me." Such straightforward flattery was her favorite kind.

Takeshi internally sneered at his niece, who always sought validation through these meaningless compliments.

'"You have to remain strong so that your value doesn't diminish," he thought.

According to Takeshi, Kazuna's sole merits were her legitimacy in the Mizelian bloodline, her reputation as the most beautiful villain in the villain world, and her position as the sole heir of the Mizelian Family.

'My beautiful, foolish doll.'

"Oh, please, Uncle," Kazuna said. She met his gaze, and her stunning crimson eyes mirrored him like a looking glass. "No one can defeat me."

Her attitude was nothing short of insulting to him. However, Kazuna didn't even realize that it was a problem. She saw her uncle as someone below her, someone that she can kill if she wanted to. That was a misperception that Takeshi had himself slowly encouraged.

"Do you like the gift I gave you?" Takeshia asked.

"Very much! I especially like this dress!"

"Since you love roses, I wanted to give you a dress that would remind you of them."

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December 25. 22:34.

"Uncle!"

Kazuna desperately pleaded with the man seated on the throne chair while kneeling on the cold floor, two blades poised at her neck. She barely able to lift her neck but still managed to looked up.

Even though her vision was blurry, she could still see the features of his face. His black hair and grey eyes were barely visible.

"This is ridiculous! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!"

Takeshi simply observed Kazuna kneeling in front of him without responding. His gaze felt like piercing daggers, penetrating her from every angle.

"I DID EVERYTHING YOU ASKED ME TO, AND NOW YOU WANT TO KILL ME?!"

Takeshi looked down at his niece with indifferent eyes. Observing his cold gaze, Kazuna remained silent.

"Kazuna."

Takeshi threw a dagger at her, but luckily she managed to dodge it. However, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and realized she was injured by the two swords beneath her neck.

Takeshi couldn't deny that Kazuna had done an exceptional job, but she had slowly become a bother to him.

"Do you still not understand? I get that you're stupid but I didn't expect it to be this bad."

His cold words reached Kazuna, and her instinct told her that something was horribly wrong. Unknowingly, Takeshi get up and took a few steps towards her, causing the two swords beneath her neck to slowly retreat. He seized her jaw forcefully.

"You didn't even managed to kill your boyfriend, and yet you're doing this?"

"Uncle, I..."

"I would just have to punish you."

He brushed Kazuna's trembling cheek with a gentle hand.

"I'm your niece. How could you do this to me?"

"You really are stupid aren't you? I wanted to kill you, Kazuna! You are no longer of use!"

Kazuna looked as if she was about to go mad. It seemed as though the world and everything she held dear were crumbling around her in an instant.

She looked at him in disbelief. "I HELPED YOU KILLED TEAR!"

Takeshi sighed at his niece, who still failed to grasp the situation.

Takeshi laughed at her anguished cries. "Do you still not understand? YOU'RE BEING MANIPULATED, KAZUNA!! You're merely a pawn to me!! My unfortunate, hapless puppet!"

"Why? Why are you doing this to me... Did I do something wrong? I don't understand. You have no reason to do this to me." Kazuna managed to suppress her anger and attempted to appeal to him as forlornly as she could.

"Poor Kazuna. You should have killed your boyfriend, then."

"What? You want me to kill the man that I loved when YOU MADE ME KILL MY ENTIRE FAMILY?!!"

She snapped, unable to bear it any longer. Why did he always compel her to end the lives of those she cared about? She couldn't comprehend why Takeshi issued such senseless commands.

Takeshi shook his head. "Correction. OUR family."

Takeshi returned to his throne chair and settled back as the two swords once more guarded Kazuna's neck.

He leaned on the throne chair and looked at Kazuna with cold eyes.

"... What's taking so long?"

The girl standing alongside Takeshi interjected, displaying boredom and irritation towards Kazuna's outbursts. Hearing the girl with short brown hair, sporting an eye patch on her right eye and bandages around her neck, her best friend, Rem, Takeshi reprimanded the villains holding the swords beneath Kazuna's neck.

"Kill her already! I'm getting tired hearing her voice!"

There was nothing Kazuna could do. She already knew that this day was the day she would die.

'What a stupid way to die, Kazuna.'

She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the pain in her neck. However, when she reopened her eyes, she saw a gun in front of her.

BANG!

December 25. 22:52.

'I don't want to die. I want to live.'

"I will kill you..."

Those were Kazuna Hiraki's final words on the day she lost her life.