Transmigrated as the Villain Between the Heroine and the Villainess

The arena was silent.

The man who stepped through the broken wall walked onto the sand. His steps were steady, almost soundless.

He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.

Just standing there made the air heavy. Everyone felt it pressing down, suffocating and hard to breathe.

Selvara's broken wings twitched.

Frost cracked around her hands, and the small black horn on her forehead glowed faintly, pulsing with anger.

Her voice came sharp, cutting the silence.

"Why are you here… Lord Zagan?"

The name spread through the arena like a blade.

Students gasped. The professors still alive froze, their faces pale with a terror worse than anything they had seen so far.

Even the remaining hooded followers lowered their heads at his presence.

Azrael's chest tightened. His good hand curled into a fist. Clench.

'Lord Zagan. An unknown entity, a much more powerful threat. The one behind everything.'

Zagan smiled. It wasn't wide. It wasn't loud. It was calm. Too calm. More terrifying than rage.

"Why am I here?" he said smoothly. "I came to see the little mess my daughter has made."

The word daughter struck Selvara harder than any wound.

Her black-and-blue eyes filled with fury. "You are not my father! You took over this man's body! You forced my mother to give birth to a tool useful enough for you. You killed my mother!"

For the first time, Zagan laughed.

Pss.

The sound was sharp and cold, with no humor in it.

"Killed her? No, Selvara. That story may have been a comfort for you. But the truth is worse."

His crimson eyes burned as he spoke, his words slow and heavy.

"Your mother died because of you. The moment you were born, the devil inside her womb tore her apart. You entered this world drenched in her blood."

Selvara staggered back, her breath catching. "You lie!"

"Do I?" Zagan's voice stayed steady, cruel and casual. "You never saw her face. You never heard her voice. She was gone before you opened your eyes. She died giving birth to a monster. She died because of you."

Selvara's claws shook. Frost trembled on her hands. "Shut up!"

The arena stayed silent.

Seraphina covered her mouth, horrified. Elvara whispered under her breath, trembling.

Kaelen froze mid-crawl, staring with disbelief in his eyes.

Azrael's jaw tightened until his teeth hurt.

'So that's the truth. That's what she's been carrying all this time. That's why she hates herself so much.'

Selvara screamed, the sound tearing through the air.

Her demonic frost exploded outward. Spikes of black ice burst from the sand. She rushed forward, claws glowing, wings beating with rage.

Zagan raised one hand. A blade of shadow formed instantly, and he met her charge without moving from his spot.

Clang!

The clash shook the arena. Frost shattered like glass. Dark cracks spread across the sand.

Selvara didn't stop. She slashed again and again. Spears of black ice shot from behind her, stabbing toward him.

Zagan cut through them with simple swings. His blade split them like they were nothing.

Selvara roared and forced her claws across his chest. Frost spread over his robe, freezing it. For the first time, he stepped back.

She pressed harder, swinging both claws. Sparks and shards filled the air, the sand cracking under the force.

Then his arm shot forward. Too fast to see. His hand wrapped around her throat.

She gasped, her claws scraping at his grip. A surge of black frost burst out, but it cracked against his skin.

"You are useless," Zagan said, calm and cruel. "Even with the power I bestowed upon you."

He lifted her with one hand and slammed her into the ground. The sand split, a shallow crater forming under her body. Blood spilled from her lips.

Selvara coughed, a broken sound, trying to rise. Her wings twitched weakly.

Zagan stood above her, tall and unshaken.

His gaze drifted from her broken form, scanning the battlefield. He looked at the bodies of his followers, then his eyes landed on Kaelen, crumpled and unconscious in the sand.

He let out a sound of pure disgust. Tssk.

"I had a feeling I should come see for myself," he muttered, his voice laced with disappointment. "I came for a lion, a worthy vessel. And this is all I find? A broken lamb."

His crimson eyes then swept across the arena, passing over the terrified students, until they stopped.

They locked onto Azrael.

A slow, manic laugh escaped Zagan's lips.

"Hahaha! What a stroke of luck!"

His entire demeanor changed. The boredom was gone, replaced by a hungry, predatory excitement.

"But what is this? A real monster, hiding in the flock. How interesting."

He turned his attention back to the defeated Selvara. "Look at who you tried to protect. Look at them, daughter."

Her eyes turned slowly.

Seraphina stood frozen, fear all over her face. Elvara's hands shook around her light. Kaelen was still crawling, too broken to even stand.

Not one of them moved to help her.

Zagan's words stabbed deeper.

"Do you see? They fear me. But they fear you too. Horns. Wings. You are not human. You are the demon in their stories. You are not theirs. You are mine."

Selvara's chest hurt. Her throat burned.

For a moment, her eyes met Azrael's. His violet gaze stayed steady, full of intensity.

She looked away instantly, shame stabbing into her.

Her voice cracked. "I'll never be yours."

Zagan grinned, slow and terrifying. He raised his hand. A ball of swirling black energy formed, the faces of the dead screaming inside it.

"Then die as your purpose is served."

The ground cracked open. Skeletal hands burst through the sand.

Dozens of warriors crawled out, their bones stained black, carrying rusted weapons. Wraiths floated above them, hollow eyes glowing.

Selvara tried to rise. Her frost flickered weakly. Her wings folded against her back.

She knew. It was over.

Her heart broke. Her dream of freedom shattered.

The undead charged.

Selvara closed her eyes. A single black tear rolled down her cheek.

But the killing strike never came.

Instead, she heard steel cutting bone.

Azrael had moved.

His left arm hung useless. His shoulder burned with pain. But his right hand gripped his sword. His eyes burned with fire.

Threads burst from his fingers, silver and sharp. They sliced through skeletons, cutting bones and armor apart.

Clang! Crack!

The first wave of undead shattered.

He stood in front of her, his back straight. His sword raised. His threads spun around him like snakes. His chest rose and fell with heavy, pained breaths.

Selvara's lips trembled. She stared at his back, the line of his shoulders unbroken. She wanted to say his name, but the sound stuck in her throat.

Zagan's red eyes lit up. His grin widened with hunger.

"Good," he said, his tone sharp and eager. "Good. Show me what you're hiding, boy. Show me everything you've buried. I want to see it all".