Chapter 0 - Prologue

Atop a skyscraper, where cold winds howled and whipped around us.

Two figures stood facing each other.

"...."

The woman glaring at me from midair, her long blonde hair streaming behind her—she was the Hero, Stardus.

"Haha..."

And I, standing in opposition to her, was undeniably this world's Villain.

"Now, Egostic. Your little games end here. What more could you possibly have planned?"

She glared at me, her words sharp and cold.

Here I was, being condemned by a Hero for taking hostages and committing acts of terror.

Well, I suppose that's to be expected...?

The woman opposing me was Stardus.

Real name: Shin Haru.

Righteous, intolerant of injustice, kind, and strong-willed.

The protagonist of this comic I'd been reincarnated into.

Over the years, I had become her nemesis.

If you asked me why... well, honestly, it was all for her sake... but she'd never know that.

Hiding my true feelings, I grinned like a proper villain and spoke to her.

"Yes. You've done exceptionally well again. Truly excellent. You really are the worthy rival I've acknowledged."

As I clapped exaggeratedly while hovering in midair, she scowled and shouted at me.

"I don't need your acknowledgment, you piece of trash!"

Right, right. I get it. Sorry.

But here's the problem—I'm currently flying with telekinesis, and I don't have much time left before it runs out.

If I'm not careful, I'm going to plummet down there.

So let's wrap this up quickly.

My final farewell.

"That's right, Stardus. Yes! You've always been this way. Always the first to see through my 'games,' always standing against me, always tracking me down... it was always you."

At my words, she stared at me as if asking what nonsense I was spouting. Wait, did she just flinch like she was about to fly over here? Hey, I still have the building's detonator, remember? Don't come any closer, damn it.

"In any case, today will be my last bit of entertainment. You've already grown beyond this. You don't need to play with me anymore. I probably won't be targeting you again from now on. Farewell, Stardus."

"...What? Wait...!"

Having said everything I wanted to say, I swirled my cape in front of me and teleported away in an instant.

And the last thing I saw as I departed was Stardus...

Her eyes trembling violently.

What the hell? Why does she look like that?