The Difference Between a Protagonist and a Third-Rate Villain

The fourth floor of the Demon Palace.

The Ice Art Museum.

With Nikita at the center, swallowed by the Ancient Dragon's Magic, a pure white frost cascaded in all directions.

Yet, amidst that freezing chill, a different kind of heat began to mingle—a burning warmth unlike anything before.

A flicker of bewilderment rippled through the frost.

Whoosh!

Deep within Nikita's body, the hidden cold bared its fangs at me.

Fear.

It was the absolute, biological dread projected by an ancient dragon.

Even though I had expected it, a raw, primal terror washed over me, sending a shiver down my spine.

But the blazing heat of the fire forcibly snapped my mind back to alertness.

This damn Dragon's Vestige was finally showing its true colors.

There was another reason why I had stood by and let Nikita lay her hands on the Ancient Dragon's Magic.

It lay in the bloodline of the Cynthia family.

For generations, children born to the House of Cynthia possessed no notable talent.

It was so severe that there was a saying: a Cynthia must always have at least two children.

The reason was simple.

A very long time ago, even before the Empire's War of Unification, the House of Cynthia was originally a clan that worshipped the Ancient Dragon. This was why the secrets of the Ancient Dragon's Magic had been passed down to them in secret.

However, for some reason, the House of Cynthia betrayed the dragon.

Enraged, the dragon chose not to annihilate them, but instead implanted a curse.

Whenever the most brilliant child of a generation was born, the curse would devour their talent.

The Dragon's Vestige.

The only thing a child marked by the Dragon's Vestige could ever excel at was wielding the Ancient Dragon's Magic.

The House of Cynthia had hidden this truth for ages.

Since even the heir, Nia Cynthia, was ignorant of it, it was safe to assume that only the current Count Cynthia knew of the curse today.

They couldn't reveal it to the outside world.

If word got out, the family would be stigmatized as cursed and shunned by high society.

Furthermore, because it was a curse laid by an ancient dragon, finding a way to lift it was nearly impossible.

Thus, Count Cynthia kept it utterly buried.

Above all, the Cynthias had grown accustomed to talentless children.

For generations, they had used these talentless offspring as pawns for political marriages.

They knew exactly how to handle them.

And so, the Dragon's Vestige continued to pass down through the children of the Cynthia family.

In the present era, the second child of the House of Cynthia, Nikita, was born without a single shred of talent.

By all rights, she should have spread her wings and soared high, but the curse binding her family had clipped her wings, forcing her to crawl on the ground.

Yet, Nikita had never given up.

She picked up her sword, poured blood and sweat into her training, and eventually rose to become the Vice President of Jerion Academy.

But the great wheel of fate in this world was relentless.

Even if it wasn't today, Nikita might have been destined to wield the Ancient Dragon's Magic eventually.

At least, in the Flame Butterfly Chapter that I knew, Nikita always ended up touching the Ancient Dragon's Magic in every single route.

Of course, that was an unknown.

Perhaps if I had stopped her from ever touching it, she might have gone her entire life without ever laying a finger on that magic.

But I had no confidence in a future I didn't know.

A guy like me, who was barely scraping by just to keep up with the present beneath his feet, couldn't possibly paint a brand-new future.

And above all else, even if Nikita never touched the Ancient Dragon's Magic, the Dragon's Vestige would still remain coiled inside her.

And one day, when she happily married and had a child, the Dragon's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Vestige could bloom within that child once more.

I didn't want to imagine the sorrow on Nikita's face when she saw her own child born talentless, just like she had been.

So, I prepared.

Because the Dragon's Vestige was completely fused with Nikita, there was no way to extract it until it manifested itself.

But now, by using the Ancient Dragon's Magic, it had finally reared its heavy head.

"Go ahead and struggle all you want in there," I muttered.

This was my desperate gambit to drive out the Dragon's Vestige.

"Because I'm going to burn you to ashes."

The Mystery inherited from the Empress of Steel: Steel Skin.

The Fire's Flame of the Spirit Sovereign, possessing a heat that could rival the freezing cold of the Ancient Dragon's Magic.

The Empress of Steel craved heat more than anyone. The Steel Skin inherited this trait perfectly.

Yet, separate from that craving, the power of the Mystery naturally repelled heat.

It was a dilemma.

The Empress of Steel desired warmth, but if she accepted it fully, the steel would melt. Thus, the Steel Skin instinctively pushed the heat away.

Here, the unique property of the Fire's Flame also came into play.

The Fire's Flame was the remnant of a Spirit Sovereign born from fire. To ensure its final spark burned as brilliantly as possible, it sought to incinerate anything that tried to extinguish it.

Right now, the greatest threat to the Fire's Flame was the Dragon's Vestige.

Consequently, as my Steel Skin repelled the Fire's Flame, the flame began to leap directly onto the Dragon's Vestige.

The more my hands, saturated with the Fire's Flame, clashed with Nikita, the more the fire transferred to the Dragon's Vestige.

Naturally, the worst match for freezing cold was heat. With every surge of warmth, the power of the Dragon's Vestige weakened exponentially.

Rumbleeee!

The frost swirled violently as the Dragon's Vestige unleashed its fury.

Nikita's feet slid backward.

Sensing imminent danger, the Dragon's Vestige was trying to flee.

Boom!

But there was no way I would let it escape.

Closing the distance instantly, I thrust my hand forward like a blade.

Nikita's sword swung up in a panic to block it.

The Dragon's Vestige had realized that direct contact with my attacks was fatal. The moment we touched, a massive torrent of the Fire's Flame would flood into it. Knowing this, the vestige couldn't afford to ignore me.

"Trying to run?"

My crimson eyes gleamed ominously.

"The Nikita I know wouldn't run."

Red streaks of heat sliced through the swirling frost in a continuous, relentless barrage.

Crash! Bang! Crash!

My heated hand-blades repeatedly battered the Dragon's Vestige, driving it into a corner.

"If you're going to run..."

I hammered a deep, primal fear straight into the Dragon's Vestige.

"...then run by yourself."

The Dragon's Vestige convulsed. In that split second, Nikita's mouth fell open, and a blinding white flash of light gathered. The moment I saw it, I twisted my body violently. The beam of light shot past, narrowly missing me.

Kabaaaam!

The ceiling of the Ice Art Museum took the direct hit and shattered into a million pieces. Massive shards of ice began to rain down upon us.

I leaped back to dodge the falling debris.

Nikita did the same, retreating through the shower of ice.

Through the gaps in the falling shards, I saw her figure growing distant. The Dragon's Vestige was urging her to escape.

Creeeak.

My feet dug hard into the ground. Dropping into a low crouch, I pulled my hand back, preparing to spring. I took a deep breath.

The moment Nikita's figure was completely obscured by the falling debris, the magic engraving etched into the sole of my foot flared to life.

The activated magic was Explosion.

At this moment, the effects of the Mystery and the Magic Engraving locked together, creating a devastating synergy.

Kaboom!

With an explosion so violent it felt like my foot was being torn off, my body launched forward like a cannonball.

My hand-blade ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thrust straight through the falling debris blocking my sight.

Crack!

My hand shattered the falling ice shard, spiderwebbing it with fractures.

With a loud shatter, I burst through the debris and lunged at Nikita.

But the Dragon's Vestige had anticipated this.

Nikita reversed her grip on her sword, which was now heavily condensed with frost.

Her eyes, now those of a dragonman, flashed in the dark. I could feel the raw, suffocating bloodlust radiating from her, meant to tear me apart.

Staring into that gaze, I kept my hand thrust forward and activated one of my rings.

Come, Lightning Caller.

Crackle!

A brilliant, incandescent flash of white light filled the chamber. Defying even the absolute laws of the Demon Palace, a bolt of lightning struck down, sweeping through everything in its path.

Caught in the storm of electrical discharge, the Ancient Dragon's Magic roared in agony.

I raised my hand toward the ceiling. The electric currents flowing over my Steel Skin were forcibly drawn into my palm.

Magic Engraving: Lightning Catcher

For a fleeting second, the raging lightning was forged into a solid shape.

Gripping the spear of lightning, I slammed my foot down.

Boom!

With an explosive burst from my elbow, my body twisted sharply, and the spear of lightning flew from my hand.

Zzzzzzt!

The spear of lightning streaked forward and pierced straight through Nikita.

Nikita and the Dragon's Vestige screamed in unison.

The moment her body was lifted into the air by the impact, I threw myself forward without hesitation.

The Fire's Flame gathered in my fist once more. I channeled every ounce of my strength into it.

"Ni... kita!"

I roared her name, clenching my fist tight.

"It's time to wake up!"

My fist, carrying the full weight of my power, struck her down.

As Nikita's body slammed into the ground, the Fire's Flame went wild.

Desperate to survive, the Dragon's Vestige fought back, spewing a frantic torrent of frost.

The sheer force of their collision felt like it would tear my body to pieces. My clothes shredded, and the Shroud's Bandage began to unravel.

Beneath the unravelling Shroud's Bandage, my true face was exposed.

Strands of snow-white hair whipped wildly in the tempest, revealing my bright, amber eyes.

My flesh was patchily transformed into the Steel Skin. The intense heat of this clash was likely melting the steel, causing it to fuse deeper into my body.

'The heat of the Spirit Sovereign is close to the Flame of Fighting Spirit.'

Just like what had happened with Lucas, my body was absorbing the steel, gradually turning into a Steel Body.

On top of that, perhaps because I had been struck by lightning twice, jagged lightning scars were etched across my skin.

I was an absolute mess.

I couldn't imagine what kind of face anyone else would make if they saw me right now. But at this moment, none of that mattered.

I poured every single drop of the flame into Nikita. The blazing fire swallowed the frost whole.

Sssssssss!

The agonizing shriek of the Dragon's Vestige echoed through the chamber.

Meanwhile, my own body was stripped of its heat, absorbing the freezing cold in its place.

Yet, the light in my eyes didn't waver for a single second. If anything, a fierce fighting spirit flared up within them, burning more brilliantly than anyone else's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in this very moment.

'You know it too, don't you?' I spoke directly to the Dragon's Vestige. 'If you take any more of this heat, you will be the one to vanish.'

The Dragon's Vestige thrashed frantically. Soon, it understood my meaning.

If it wanted to live, there was only one option left: it had to migrate to a new host.

Normally, the Flame of Fighting Spirit that filled Lucas's entire being would never have given the Dragon's Vestige such an opening.

Thus, unable to find a way to migrate, the vestige would have chosen to perish along with Nikita. That was the primary reason why Lucas could never save her.

But right now, I was merely borrowing the Fire's Flame.

Inside me, there was plenty of room for the Dragon's Vestige to slip in. This was the difference between Lucas and me. And it was the only difference that could save Nikita.

Lucas couldn't save Nikita because he was the protagonist. But I was a third-rate villain—Vikamon Niflheim, a character who had already exited the official history. This was something only I could do.

'I never had any talent to begin with.'

The original Vikamon didn't possess a single shred of the magical talent Nikita had so desperately craved. That was why he had to rely on Magic Engravings, etching them one by one onto his body to trigger spells.

Even if the talent-devouring Dragon's Vestige entered me now, I had absolutely no talent to lose. This was the true difference between Lucas and me.

Unlike Lucas, whose overflowing talent left no room for the Dragon's Vestige to enter, I was completely empty!

Inside Nikita, the Dragon's Vestige hesitated, locked in a fierce internal conflict. But its hesitation didn't last long.

It could no longer endure the torrent of the Fire's Flame flooding into her. And so, it made its choice.

It would migrate to a new host here and now.

The thrashing Dragon's Vestige surged up through my fist, which was still pressed against Nikita.

In that instant, a deep, biting cold invaded my body.

The scales that had patchily covered Nikita's skin melted away. Her horns and tail dissolved like snow, leaving behind only the faint traces of her fangs and reptilian eyes.

In contrast, scales began to sprout across my own skin.

A dizzying cold flooded my senses, so intense it threatened to snap my consciousness. It was a horrific chill that felt as if it would freeze my very brain.

Nikita had been enduring this exact cold to wield the Ancient Dragon's Magic.

Grind!

But a portion of the Fire's Flame still lingered in my body. The heat and the cold clashed, canceling each other out.

Having migrated to a new host, the Dragon's Vestige struggled desperately to take control of me, but I had no intention of letting it have its way.

The Dragon's Vestige had already been battered repeatedly by the Fire's Flame, leaving it incredibly weakened. In this state, it lacked the power to seize control of my body.

With a soft hiss, the weakened vestige was finally driven into a corner.

The scales that had sprouted on my face peeled away. Instead, my right eye briefly warped, taking on the slit-pupil of a lizard.

As if completely exhausted, the Dragon's Vestige fell into a deep slumber within my right eye. Thanks to that, my eye quickly returned to normal.

The heat of the Fire's Flame also began to fade. The cold and the heat vanished, leaving behind only a gentle, soothing warmth.

Pitter-patter.

The melted snow fell from the ceiling like a gentle rain. The warm drizzle brought a strange sense of peace.

My head drooped.

I didn't have the strength to move even a single finger. Just breathing took everything I had.

But it wasn't over yet. Nikita had to be presumed dead here.

'To preserve the official history and save Nikita...'

...she had to be removed from the main timeline. The story could only progress forward through Nikita's death.

So, I reached out with trembling hands. I gently cradled the unconscious Nikita's head and scooped up her legs, lifting her into my arms.

My body swayed as I forced myself to stand.

With the Dragon's Vestige asleep, everything around us was melting. I began to walk, dragging my feet forward.

My destination was the fifth floor of the Demon Palace.

There was a passage there that almost no one knew about—a secret exit that allowed immediate return to the surface.

While it was practically a convenience feature designed for players, in the story, it was a passage that Lucas would eventually discover by chance. I made my way toward it.

I descended the stairs leading to the fifth floor.

My body threatened to collapse multiple times, but I somehow managed to keep my balance.

At some point, my leg had broken. It must have fractured during the impact of our clash earlier.

If I fell here, I wouldn't be able to get back up. Knowing this, I gritted my teeth and pushed through the pain.

"Junior..."

At that moment, Nikita's voice drifted up to me. She was slowly regaining consciousness.

This was bad.

I hadn't had the chance to fix the Shroud's Bandage, which meant I was currently in my true form as Vikamon. It was a mistake born from having absolutely no mental leeway to worry about my disguise.

Left with no choice, I pulled Nikita closer, burying her face against my chest.

Fortunately, unlike Hanon, Vikamon had a broad, sturdy build. If I covered her like this, she wouldn't be able to see my face.

Besides, Nikita's mind would still be hazy after being possessed by the Dragon's Vestige. She was likely too out of it to recognize me anyway.

Perhaps because I held her a bit too tightly, I felt Nikita flinch slightly in my arms.

Holding her like this made me realize anew just how small she actually was. With such a small body, she had struggled and strived all on her own until now.

But from now on, things would be different. There would be no Dragon's Vestige to devour her talent, and no House of Cynthia to oppress her.

"Senior Nikita," I said softly as I continued down the stairs. "As I've always said, I truly respect you."

I, too, once had a time when I poured my heart into something. I had trained and strived so hard that people called me a rising star. But a single mistake led to an injury, and just like that, I had to retire from sports.

Because I had dedicated my entire life to it, once it was gone, I had nothing left. That was how I fell into gaming. And that was where I met Nikita.

No matter the circumstances, Nikita never faltered, holding onto her convictions and continuing to strive. Watching her, I found a strange, inexplicable comfort. No matter how much those around her belittled her efforts, she remained steadfast.

Even though her fate of a political marriage made all her efforts seem ultimately meaningless, I felt a swell of joy seeing her refuse to submit to her destiny. Yet, in the end, Nikita had died, unable to defy her fate. Every time I saw that ending, I swallowed my bitter resentment.

But now, I had finally made it so she wouldn't meet that same tragic end.

"And that will never change."

No matter what path Nikita chose to walk from now on, I would always respect and support her. This was my repayment for the comfort she had given me when I watched her inside the game.

"Your brother is waiting for you outside. I'm sorry for keeping it a secret from you until now."

I had contacted Nia separately today. It was a promise I had made with him back when I saved his life. Since it involved Nikita, he had undoubtedly rushed over in a heartbeat.

I didn't know how Nikita would react when she saw that Nia was alive. That wasn't something I could witness. Since she was involved with the Ancient Dragon's Magic, Nikita could no longer show her face to the world. Nia would surely take care of those details for her.

"You hated a life where you were just used for a political marriage, a life where no one expected anything of you, didn't you?"

I gently cradled Nikita's head.

In the bad ending, 'Ancient Dragon,' those were the words she had screamed out in tears:

"I hated my life—my life bound to the House of Cynthia—so much that I was willing to throw it away this easily."

But now, she didn't have to throw her life away anymore.

"Let's take this chance to live freely, doing whatever you want to do."

Before I knew it, my feet stopped at the secret location on the fifth floor. Pushing aside a heavy stone slab with my body, a strange passage revealed itself. Looking at it, I slowly slid Nikita inside.

This passage led to a location far away from the main entrance of the Demon Palace. I had told Nia to wait ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there, so he would be standing by.

This was my final moment with Nikita. Just as I opened my mouth to say my last goodbyes—

Grab.

Nikita's hand caught mine.

Had she fully regained consciousness in that short time? I couldn't comprehend what kind of monstrous willpower she possessed. But more importantly, this was bad. I still hadn't fixed the Shroud's Bandage.

"Junior... no."

The hand gripping my arm trembled violently.

"Vikamon."

...So she had already figured it out.

I had neither the energy nor the presence of mind to hide it anymore. As a bitter smile slipped onto my face, Nikita looked up at me, biting her lower lip. Her lips trembled as if she had a mountain of things to say, but she looked utterly lost on where to begin. Tears welled in her eyes, as if she were completely overwhelmed by her emotions.

"I... I always turned away from your feelings..."

Only then did I realize why Nikita was reacting this way.

The original Vikamon had loved Nikita. And Nikita hadn't been blind to it. She had simply chosen to ignore it. She was destined to be used in a political marriage anyway; she had no intention of dating anyone, nor did she allow herself to fall in love. Vikamon, knowing this, had never confessed his feelings.

"Why would you go this far for me...?"

As if everything I had done up until now finally made sense to her, Nikita poured out her emotions.

"It's fine," I said.

It was a fact that Vikamon had loved Nikita. And since I was currently Vikamon, I couldn't deny it.

"It's enough that you're safe, Nikita."

It was a pity I couldn't call her 'Senior' anymore, but...

"Nikita."

I gave her a bright, reassuring smile.

"Be happy."

A miserable end didn't suit someone as strong-willed as her. Gently prying her fingers away, I pushed her into the passage.

"Vikamon, wait!"

Nikita seemed to have one last thing to say, but I couldn't afford to listen. In the distance, demonic beasts and an Apostle had already sensed my presence and were closing in.

"No...!"

With her final cry, she slipped away into the passage. With a heavy thud, the secret door closed completely.

I couldn't leave through this passage. If I did, there would be no way to explain my sudden disappearance from the Demon Palace.

Stumbling, I forced myself up. I managed to pull up the Shroud's Bandage and wrapped it roughly around myself. Soon, my appearance reverted to Hanon.

Fleeing from the pursuing beasts, I dragged myself toward the stairs of the fourth floor. Demonic beasts didn't enter the stairwells. But just as I stepped into the passage and tried to climb, my foot slipped.

Thud!

I collapsed onto the cold floor, gasping for breath. Damn it, I had hit my absolute limit.

'Just a little...'

Just a little rest.

As my consciousness began to drift away, my eyes slowly closed.