Seraphina Nightshade

Zephyr sat on his bed, deep in thought about how to proceed with his task. Suddenly, the door of his room swung open, and a breath-taking girl with black hair and red eyes stepped inside. She was tall and slender, with a figure that could make any man's heart skip a beat. Her breasts were full and round, perfectly proportioned to her slender frame. Her ass was firm and curvy, just begging to be touched.

Zephyr couldn't help but stare as she walked towards him. She wore a simple white dress that clung to her body in all the right places, revealing just enough to make his heart race. As she approached him, he could see the way her nipples hardened under the fabric of her dress, and he felt a sudden surge of desire but he controlled it.

"Zephyr, have you prepared for the awakening? All of us are waiting downstairs. Come on, today is your special day! And… happy birthday, Zephyr!"

Hearing her warm voice, Zephyr felt an unfamiliar warmth bloom in his heart.

"Someone, actually cares about me?"

In his previous life, he had been an orphan, alone in a world that never gave him the love or comfort of a family. He had never celebrated a birthday with someone who genuinely cared. Yet, in this new life, he had everything he had ever wanted—a family, friends, wealth, and status.

But as his eyes met hers, a deep sadness settled in his chest.

Because he knew who she truly was.

This girl was none other than Seraphina Nightshade—the final boss of Hero Quest.

In the game, Seraphina was a tragic figure, a woman who fell deeply in love with his older brother, Valen Aurion. However, Valen never reciprocated her feelings, always looking at her with cold indifference. But her love never wavered—it only grew stronger, becoming an obsession.

And when Valen met his tragic end, that love turned into madness.

She became a force of destruction—an entity the world had never seen before.

Her rage and sorrow drove her to annihilate entire kingdoms, and it took the protagonist and his entire harem, along with a legion of the world's most powerful figures, to bring her down. But even against an army of the strongest beings in existence, she stood alone, slaughtering them all, until she finally exhausted her power and was defeated.

A single woman against the entire world.

And yet… she still lost.

Seraphina Nightshade—The Greatest Villain.

Zephyr clenched his fists.

But something had changed.

In the game, Seraphina was hopelessly in love with Valen, but now, in this reality, she showed no interest in him at all. Instead, she had become his friend.

A small smile crept onto Zephyr's lips.

"Good… this is good for her."

As a reader, he knew something that even the game never revealed—Seraphina was far more powerful than anyone realized. In the game's future timeline, she would awaken as an SSS-rank, the first person in a million years to reach such heights. Even the protagonist couldn't surpass her, and she had only been defeated through sheer numbers, not because she was weaker.

Now, she stood before him, completely unaware of the fate that awaited her.

But this time, he wouldn't let things play out the same way.

If fate had given him a second chance, then he would protect her from that tragic ending.

Zephyr took a deep breath, flashing a small smirk. First, he needed to complete his mission.

"If the system wants me to impress a heroine… then why not start with the strongest one of them all?"

Before Zephyr could formulate a plan, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the task!"

Zephyr's eyes widened. Wait… what?

[Target Affection Update: Seraphina Nightshade – 95%]

His breath hitched.

Ninety-five percent?!

"What the hell did I do to get such a high affection score!?"

All he did was look at her, and now she was practically at the brink of absolute devotion. Wasn't this way too fast!?

Zephyr stole a glance at Seraphina, who was still standing by the door, her black eyes watching him intently.

For the first time, he noticed something… off.

Though her expression remained calm, her fingers subtly curled, and a strange glimmer flickered in her gaze. It was brief, almost unnoticeable, but to Zephyr—who already knew what she was capable of—it was a red flag.

"Wait a minute… this isn't normal. The game never mentioned this level of attachment this early."

And then it hit him.

This wasn't the game.

Seraphina wasn't supposed to have this level of attachment so soon!

This was dangerous.

In the game, she went mad after Valen's death because of her obsessive love.

If that same obsessive tendency was being redirected toward him instead…

Zephyr gulped.

"I need to be careful. If I mess this up… I might create something far worse than the original villain."

But before he could dwell on it any longer, Seraphina suddenly stepped closer, her usual composed demeanor softening.

"Zephyr."

Her voice was gentle, yet held an undeniable weight.

"I'm glad I met you in this life."

For a moment, Zephyr was stunned. Those words… they weren't just casual.

His mind screamed at him—this was not a normal friendship!

Zephyr's heartbeat quickened.

"I knew the system was going to be broken… but this is way too much!"

Seraphina, the final boss, the woman who had once stood against the entire world, was now looking at him with eyes filled with warmth—no, something deeper than just warmth. There was an unspoken intensity behind them, as if she had already decided something in her heart.

Zephyr forced a calm smile, hiding his inner turmoil.

"Heh… well, it's not like I'm going anywhere, Seraphina." He tried to keep his tone light, casual. "I'm just about to awaken, remember? You should be worried about that instead."

Seraphina blinked before giving him a soft, knowing smile.

"No matter what happens during your awakening, you will always be Zephyr to me."

"Ah… this is dangerous."

He could feel it, her personality. She was still the powerful, independent warrior she was supposed to be, but something inside her had shifted. Instead of being obsessed with Valen, that devotion was now aimed at him.

And with the 95% affection level, who knew how deep that attachment ran?

Before he could say anything else, Seraphina gently took his hand, her touch warm yet firm.

"Come on, everyone is waiting. You shouldn't keep them waiting on your big day."

Zephyr hesitated for a split second before nodding.

"I don't have time to think about this right now. I need to focus on the awakening."

No matter what happened, he couldn't afford to be weak.

If fate had changed, then he needed to become strong enough to face whatever awaited him.

Taking a deep breath, he followed Seraphina out of the room.