Transmigrated as the Villain Between the Heroine and the Villainess

Zagan's crimson eyes glowed with a hungry and predatory light.

He stood tall in the broken arena, his gaze fixed on one man alone.

Azrael.

The so-called hero Kaelen no longer mattered. The wounded students no longer mattered. Even Selvara's broken form at his feet was an afterthought.

His target was clear.

Azrael stood before Selvara, his body a battered shield against a tide of death.

The remaining undead warriors charged, their bones stained black, their hollow eyes glowing with malice.

Azrael didn't hesitate.

His left arm was dead weight, limp at his side, pain gnawing at every nerve. But his right hand was steady. His sword flashed silver. His threads whipped outward, glowing like strands of moonlight.

The first skeleton lunged. A thread wrapped around its ankle, jerking it down hard. It crashed into three more behind it, and all four collapsed in a pile of clattering bones.

Another swung a rusted axe. Azrael's blade cut through its spine, and the skull rolled across the sand.

A wraith rushed in, its smoky blade raised high. Azrael's thread hooked around its weapon, tugging it off balance. He stepped in, his sword piercing through its chest. The creature dissolved into smoke with a faint hiss.

His body screamed at every movement, but he didn't stop.

Skeletons fell. Wraiths shattered. He twisted, slashed, pulled, cut. His threads turned the battlefield against them. The dead were fast, but he was faster.

Clang! Crack!

The last skull hit the sand, and silence returned.

Azrael staggered, his chest heaving, his arm trembling from the effort.

Selvara stared at him, her broken wings limp, her voice raw.

"Don't be stupid. Just run. You can't win against him."

For a moment, he thought about it. Running. Surviving. It was the logical choice. The only sane choice.

But his eyes met Zagan's.

The demon lord wasn't watching Kaelen. He wasn't watching Selvara. His crimson eyes were locked on him.

'He doesn't want the hero,' Azrael realized, his stomach twisting. 'He wants me.'

Running was no longer an option.

Then, the familiar blue glow flashed before his eyes.

[!! URGENT QUEST ISSUED !!]

[Objective: Confront the Demon Lord, Zagan]

[Choose Your Path]

[Option 1: Path of Annihilation]

Task: Kill Lord Zagan.

Reward: Additional Primary Affinity Slot.

[Option 2: Path of Survival]

Task: Survive the current threat.

Reward: Two-Sword Style Arts.

[Penalty for Failure: DEATH]

Azrael stared. A bitter laugh caught in his throat.

'KILL him? The system has jokes.'

He focused on the second option. Survive. That was all he had ever done. That was all he could do now.

He let out a slow, heavy breath. His violet eyes shifted back to Selvara.

"Running is not an option," he said.

Her black-and-blue eyes widened. She pushed herself up on her elbows, wincing. "Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you protecting me?"

He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving Zagan.

"Because you remind me of myself. Trapped in a story you never asked for. Forced to play a monster you don't want to be."

Her lips trembled. Her voice cracked. "But I am a monster. I'm… I'm a demon."

The words echoed, raw and painful.

Azrael finally looked down at her, a tired smile flickering across his face.

"So what? You think blood defines you? You think a word decides your worth? No. You made your choice. You fought him. That doesn't sound like a monster to me."

Tears welled in her eyes. Black, shimmering tears that slid down her cheeks.

Before she could answer, Zagan's voice cut across the arena.

"Touching," he said, his tone dripping with mockery. "The broken demon and her fragile human shield. How sweet. How pathetic."

His steps echoed on the sand as he walked toward them. "But playtime is over."

Selvara forced herself to her feet. Her body screamed in protest, but she stood beside Azrael, frost gathering in her hands.

Two against one.

It didn't matter.

Zagan vanished.

He reappeared between them, faster than the eye could follow. His hand slammed into Selvara's stomach, another into Azrael's chest.

Both of them were thrown like ragdolls.

Azrael crashed into the broken wall, pain exploding across his body. Selvara hit the ground hard, her wings folding beneath her.

Zagan ignored Azrael for the moment. He appeared above Selvara, his foot raised to crush her skull.

A beam of white light slammed into his side, forcing him back.

Elvara stood with her staff raised, her face pale but steady. "Stay away from her!" she shouted, her voice trembling but full of defiance.

Zagan turned, his expression flat with annoyance. "Another insect."

He flicked his wrist. A spear of black energy shot toward her.

But a broken figure moved into its path.

Kaelen.

The blast tore into him, his body thrown across the sand like a doll. He didn't get up.

"Kaelen!"

Seraphina's scream echoed. Rage filled her eyes. She slammed her hands down, and a forest of crystal spikes erupted from the ground, racing toward Zagan.

Tssk.

Zagan sighed and let the crystals hit him. They shattered harmlessly against his body.

In an instant, he was in front of Seraphina. His hand wrapped around her throat. He grabbed Elvara the same way with his other hand, lifting them both into the air. Their legs kicked uselessly.

He could have killed them instantly. But he didn't.

He let them hang, choking, gasping for air. His crimson eyes scanned their faces, then he smiled cruelly and tossed them down like broken dolls.

They landed hard, coughing and groaning.

Zagan turned back. His focus never wavered.

Azrael.

"You see?" Zagan said, his voice low. "These friends of yours, these little saviors… nothing but distractions. Weak children, broken by a single touch."

He stepped closer, his crimson gaze burning. "Stop hiding. Show me what my eyes see buried inside you. Show me my new vessel."

Azrael gritted his teeth. His body trembled. His one good hand held his sword tight.

Zagan's grin faltered, his tone darkening. "Fine. If you won't let it out willingly…"

He blurred forward.

A fist slammed into Azrael's gut, folding him over. A knee cracked against his face, blood spraying. Another crushing blow to his chest threw him to the ground.

The sand swallowed his body, his sword skidding away.

He lay there, his vision spinning, his body screaming. His breath came in shallow, broken gasps.

Zagan stood above him, his crimson eyes glowing with pure frustration.

"Pathetic," he hissed. "If you won't reveal it… then I'll kill this body and tear it out myself."

He raised his arm, shadows swirling, power building. His whole form glowed with malice as he stepped in for the final strike.

He charged.