Call me Akuma

"You're telling me that I destroyed multiple universes and even threatened the whole of existence? Don't joke with me," Akuma said with a wry smile. 

The being in front of him, visibly irritated, conjured a whip out of thin air. Snapping it with a menacing crack, the being glared at him. "Shithead, do you know who you're talking to? Just because you act like a fool doesn't mean everyone else is one, too. Or should I make you a real fool?" 

Seeing the whip hovering dangerously close to his head, Akuma sighed and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I admit. When I heard about the Angel of the Afterlife and how karma determines where you go, I figured that even the Angel must follow some kind of karmic rule. And if he follows it, then there must be someone who made him follow the rule." 

He paused, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "And if there's a rule, there has to be someone who implemented it—someone even higher than the old man. It was obvious from his title, Angel of the Afterlife, that there must be a God as well." 

He exhaled; his tone calm but calculating. "From my experience, nothing in this world is free—just like how energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So, it's not like I could just pull power from thin air. It had to come from somewhere—or someone—with the authority to grant it. That made me curious. What would happen if I became so powerful in the game that I could rival even the gods themselves? Would a god grant me that kind of power if the game were to shut down?" 

Akuma's expression grew pensive, his voice dropping as frustration crept in. "I was hoping—really hoping—that God would grant me that power. I didn't want to see the face of that old man again or end up in this white room once more. But the obvious answer was no. Gods don't just hand out that kind of power, do they?" 

He locked eyes with the being, his tone steady but resolute. "Still, I held onto some hope that my assumptions were wrong. I wanted to believe I'd avoid running into someone like you. But clearly, my suspicions were right. A god-like being can't simply grant someone the power of a god, can they?" 

Akuma's gaze hardened, his voice unwavering as he added, "But let me make one thing clear—I had nothing to do with destroying universes or threatening the whole of existence. That's just absurd." 

"'God-like power,' you say?" The being in front of Akuma repeated, before bursting into hysterical laughter. Even the old man, standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle at the reaction. 

Akuma frowned, a mixture of shame and confusion creeping into his expression. "Why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. 

The being wiped a nonexistent tear from his eyes, his grin widening. "Ignorance truly is a blessing. You're not entirely wrong, but you're only 40% correct. The real question is, why didn't you just make yourself powerful enough so you wouldn't end up here, talking to me? Why risk everything on something you knew you wouldn't get?" 

Akuma looked up at the being, his expression unshaken. "Because there was a chance, even if it was a slim one. You know how it goes—it's human nature. People buy lottery tickets knowing the odds are nearly zero, but they still do it because of that tiny hope they might be the lucky one. I had the same hope. I knew it was a long shot, but I took the risk anyway." 

The being smiled, amused. "Ah, the foolish optimism of mortals." 

His tone shifted, becoming more serious. "It's true that power isn't simply handed out of thin air. It must come from somewhere—that's one of the universal laws. When you demanded so much power from the universe, it couldn't fulfill your request alone. The only way to meet your ridiculous demand was to convert the universe itself into energy. But even that wasn't enough. Multiple universes had to sacrifice themselves, collapsing into pure energy just to give you what you wanted. That destruction? That's on you." 

Akuma's eyes widened slightly as the being continued, his voice growing more pointed. "You see; by demanding that much power, you disrupted the balance of existence itself. The scales tipped so far that the entirety of existence was under threat. And guess who would've been stuck cleaning up the mess? Me." 

The being crossed his arms, an annoyed expression settling on his face. "As a lazy person, I'm not about to deal with that kind of hassle. So, I did the simplest thing I could. I stopped the whole system, hit restart, and, well... killed you. Problem solved." 

Hearing those words, Akuma felt a flicker of confusion. But rather than dwell on what he couldn't comprehend, he simply asked, "Now, what are you going to do with me?" 

The being in front of him gave a warm smile. "Of course, I'm going to beat you with this whip until all your skin falls off." 

Hearing such a reply spoken with such a cheerful expression, Akuma's face went pale. He instinctively glanced at the old man, hoping for some help, but the old man merely lowered his head, as if to say, don't involve me in this. 

Seeing Akuma's reaction, the being burst into hysterical laughter again. "Okay, okay! I'm just joking. I won't hurt you." The being waved the whip lazily. "There are three reasons why I won't. First, I'm the one who killed you. Second, it's against my own rules. And third, the most important reason—the old man doesn't want you to get hurt. Though, I am upset he acted on his own, trying to give you a new opportunity." 

Relieved, Akuma let out a deep sigh. "So… what happens to me now?" 

The being grinned, the whip vanishing into nothingness. "Well, you made quite a mess by dragging me into this mundane situation. Since you forced me to intervene, you're entitled to make three requests. However, let's talk about your karmic value." 

The being's smile grew mischievous. "Your karmic value is deep in the negative billions. If I were to go by the rules, you wouldn't get reincarnated. Instead, you'd be sent straight to hell, where you'd suffer for all eternity. Oh, and just so we're clear, you wouldn't be allowed to use any of your requests to get out of hell either." 

Akuma's heart sank, his face contorting in fear. But before he could say anything, the being laughed again. "Relax, I'm just kidding! Since I killed you, I won't send you to hell. You'll be reincarnated somewhere. Now, quickly—what are your three requests?" 

Hearing that, Akuma let out a relieved sigh, his lips curling into a slight grin. "Shouldn't I be getting three wishes? That's what the old man said." 

The being in front of him raised an eyebrow, then smiled knowingly. "Oh? Did he really tell you that you'd get three wishes?" 

With a flick of his hand, the whip materialized once more, its ominous snap cutting through the air. He leaned closer, his voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Did he?" 

Seeing the whip back in the being's hand, Akuma hurriedly waved his hands and said, "No, no, he didn't!" 

The being's wide grin returned as he banished the whip again. "That's what I thought. Now stop fooling around and make your three requests before my beautiful wife gets angry." 

Akuma didn't hesitate, his voice steady and resolute. "I want the old man free from you." 

The being tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "And why are you making such a request?" 

Ignoring the being's amusement, Akuma replied firmly, "Because everything I've gained was through him. Even when my karmic value was low, he pulled me into the white room where time flowed differently and helped me accumulate enough karma to reincarnate. Everything I had was because of him. I don't want to owe anyone any favors, so I'm requesting you to grant him freedom from you." 

The being smiled, shaking his head as if Akuma's words had amused him even more. "He did more than that, shithead, but I think you already know that. There's no point in asking you to explain further." 

The being paused, his grin softening, but his tone grew serious. "But your request is rejected. What you're asking for simply cannot happen. If I granted your request, you might as well kill yourself right now, because you're basically asking for the same thing. Don't worry about him—he's content with his life. But I must say, I'm impressed by your request. As a reward, I'll grant you one of your main childhood wishes." 

Akuma's eyes lit up momentarily, excitement flashing across his face. In his childhood, his dreams had always revolved around grand ambitions: becoming the richest person in the world, the best doctor, or the most powerful being in existence. He eagerly awaited the announcement of his reward. 

The being raised his voice dramatically, as though making an official proclamation. "I shall grant you mastery over all musical instruments!" 

The words echoed in the air, and Akuma's excitement instantly crumbled into anger. "That's not my childhood wish!" he exclaimed, frustration seeping into his tone. 

The being's grin widened, clearly enjoying Akuma's reaction. "Oh, but it is the childhood wish—of the body you currently possess. Did you forget? You died. You're now living as Max Ito." 

Akuma's jaw tightened, his frustration mounting. "That's still not my childhood wish! I don't want that wish!" 

The being burst into hysterical laughter, his voice reverberating through the space. "If you don't want it, then fine. I'll just not give it to you." 

Akuma's mind raced, realizing his mistake. He quickly forced a smile and said, "W-Who would dare reject such a generous gift from someone as noble as you? I humbly accept it!" 

The being stopped laughing, raising an eyebrow as if sizing Akuma up, before bursting into another round of amused chuckles. Akuma, meanwhile, thought to himself, Better than nothing... 

But the being's laughter didn't stop, as if mocking Akuma's reluctant acceptance. The room seemed to fill with the sound, making Akuma feel both annoyed and helpless. 

"Now hurry up and make your three requests," 

----

Also, Beggar King has left a few pop culture references and memes. If you find them, comment, and Beggar King will give you a like. 

If we reach 100 stones, I'll reward you all with a bonus chapter!