Chapter 2: Betrayal and Salvation – 2

People who enjoy subcultures often have a favorite character—commonly referred to as their “ultimate favorite,” or “bias.”

This favorite doesn’t necessarily have to be the protagonist.

Some may favor the villain or the final boss, while others might be drawn to a sidekick or even an insignificant extra who barely has a presence.

Since individual tastes vary, favorites within a single work can differ widely depending on personal preferences.

In the RPG game I’ve played the longest, Black Star, my favorite character wasn’t someone particularly popular.

She had a decent presence in the story but wasn’t a lead character.

She appeared occasionally, her role more as a supporting figure than a mainstay.

That character was the Great Witch, Mari Christina.

As the mentor to the protagonist, she stood out among the many characters in Black Star and captivated me the most.

As a Great Witch, she was among the most powerful figures in the game.

She served as a pillar of strength, both emotionally and physically, for the protagonist, who faced constant hardships in the war against the demons.

Despite her significant age according to the story’s lore, she was one of the most beautiful and well-proportioned female characters in the game.

Her youthful appearance was attributed to having about 20% elven blood, which slowed her aging.

And as a bonus, her red ponytail—a style I adore—perfectly matched my tastes.

These qualities of hers, especially her tender yet dependable demeanor in the grim story of Black Star, created an instinctive emotional connection for me.

Coming from a troubled family background, I felt a maternal warmth from her character.

Her words of encouragement and comfort in the game gave me more strength than I ever received from my parents, becoming a source of inspiration that helped me overcome life’s challenges.

Although she was fictional, Mari became a benefactor and emotional anchor for me, deeply rooted in my heart.

However, my feelings for her as my ultimate favorite were destined to reach an unexpected conclusion.

Online games, by their nature, update their stories periodically.

This means that characters can live or die based on the developers’ whims.

Such dynamic storytelling can gain immense favor from players when done well but can also provoke significant backlash if mishandled.

And so, hoping that Mari would have a significant role in the new storyline, I eagerly began progressing through the story faster than anyone else.

But what awaited me was a development so unexpected that it felt like a hammer striking the back of my head.

Mari’s death.

A sudden plotline where she perished during a battle with the demons.

The situation unfolded without any prior hints or signs, leaving me momentarily wondering if I had misunderstood something.

Wasn’t Mari supposed to be stronger than the protagonist, a character who could only be rivaled by the Demon Lords, the highest-ranking beings among the demons?

Moreover, there were still unresolved “important plot threads” involving her and the protagonist, making her sudden departure seem utterly nonsensical.

Fueled by both my devotion as a fan and a desperate need to understand this absurd turn of events, I powered through the story relentlessly.

I used up all the consumable items I had carefully saved and even spent cash I had planned to avoid using.

Yet, all that effort was in vain.

After the news of Mari’s unexpected death, the protagonist and others reacted with brief sorrow early on—but that was it.

The story completely buried her, with no further mention or development regarding her death.

Even in the following updates, I held onto hope, clinging to the idea that she might return, like waiting for a lost family member to come home.

Each new chapter brought renewed anticipation as I pushed through the content.

But by the time the latest storyline rolled around, several years later, Mari’s story had still not been addressed.

Even as Black Star’s popularity, once firmly among the top, began to decline, and even as I, her most devoted fan, gave up hope of her reappearance—there was nothing.

That moment, when I finally “let go,” marked a turning point for me.

From then on, my affection for Black Star—no, for subculture as a whole—began to fade.

The disappointment of accepting my favorite character’s erasure, the emptiness that followed, and the realization that I had to focus more on real life as a moderately successful fund manager, all played a part.

And so, Black Star and Mari became a distant memory, a faint scar gradually fading in my heart.

At least, until that day.

The day of the sudden car accident.

Before I was transported into the world of Black Star, I had started to forget them.

I had heard ridiculous theories before—like, “When you die, you reincarnate into your favorite work of fiction.”

But somehow, that absurd idea became my reality.

I found myself unexpectedly transported into the world of Black Star.

And not just as any ordinary character, not the protagonist, nor even an ally.

No, I ended up in the body of a villain.

Specifically, one of the mid-tier boss characters in Black Star, who is fated to be obliterated by the protagonist in the early stages of the game.

I had reincarnated as none other than Kesar.

Of all the characters, I had to end up in the body of someone whose demise was practically guaranteed.

Of course, I couldn’t help but feel frustration and anger.

“All the money and time I poured into this damn game, and this is how it pays me back?”

But there was no one to complain to, no way to demand a redo.

The only silver lining was that I had been reincarnated relatively early in the timeline.

This gave me plenty of opportunities to rewrite fate.

I started by changing the outcomes of battles, forging connections with humans and elves in advance to secure allies, and even secretly showing “mercy” to the protagonist and their companions—who valued kindness and reciprocity above all else.

All these efforts were aimed at dodging the looming death flags.

And thanks to my relentless struggle, I managed to survive far longer than Kesar was supposed to in the original story.

I remained alive as one of the four Great Demon Lords, a high-ranking figure among the demons.

Though the war between demons and the free races—humans, elves, and others—raged on as fiercely as ever, I had significantly reduced my chances of an early death.

With my survival somewhat secured, my attention naturally shifted to something I had been longing for ever since arriving in this world.

Mari.

The ultimate favorite I had once decided to bury deep in my heart after years of waiting in vain.

The person I had been most desperate to meet since the moment I arrived in this world.

Though Mari was now my enemy, and meeting her face-to-face would likely result in a fireball filled with killing intent being hurled my way, I still genuinely looked forward to encountering her.

Whenever she appeared on the battlefield, I made every effort to be there.

While I hadn’t yet managed to speak with her directly, I had caught glimpses of her from afar.

And she was even more breathtaking than I had imagined.

Far beyond what I had seen through a screen, her beauty was incomparable.

Her crimson hair flowed as she commanded the battlefield like a goddess of war, shaping the tides of battle with precision and grace.

There were moments when her presence put me in danger, but even then, just seeing her in person left me filled with awe.

It was a bittersweet feeling to see my ultimate favorite come to life in this world.

And yet, I waited.

Waited for today.

For the moment that brought me my greatest grief—the event that left me in utter despair.

The moment of Mari’s death.

“Ugh…”

There she lay, collapsed in the middle of the battlefield, blood flowing from her body.

The strongest witch, the Great Witch Mari, now lay on the brink of death.

Seeing her in this state made my mouth taste bitter.

This was the scene I had only seen through subtitles in the original story, now unfolding before my eyes.

The battlefield was chaotic, making it difficult to discern exactly what had happened.

I could only guess that she had fallen to one of the demons amidst the chaos of combat.

But unlike in the original story, I had no intention of letting her die here.

The reason I fought so hard to survive in this world wasn’t just for my own sake—it was so I could save her.

Mari, who had met such an unceremonious and forgotten end in the original story, deserved better.

Though she was my enemy in this world, Mari was my savior, my ultimate favorite, and someone I had come to regard as a mentor in my previous life.

As soon as I spotted her fallen body, I immediately cast a healing spell, working to mend her wounds.

Even if I extended this act of grace to her, Mari would undoubtedly continue to view me, a demon, as her enemy.

But that didn’t matter.

To me, Mari was like a distant star—an unreachable, radiant existence.

Just knowing she continued to shine far away was enough to give meaning to my life.

Perhaps if the demons ultimately triumphed and this world reached its end, things might be different.

But for now, all I wanted was for her to return to the protagonist and her surviving disciples.

That alone would suffice.

As the healing spell finished, a moment passed before she regained consciousness.

“! K-Kesar? Why… why are you saving me…?”

Her bewildered voice broke the silence.

Seeing her up close, her beauty was even more overwhelming, making my heart pound uncontrollably.

But I couldn’t let these feelings show to someone who would inevitably be my enemy again.

Moreover, with so many watchful eyes around us, letting her go outright wasn’t an option.

Maintaining a facade of composure, I dismissed my subordinates with a firm command, ensuring no further interference.

Then, I carefully lifted Mari into my arms and began heading back to the main camp.

Releasing her openly as a high-value prisoner would only invite suspicion and criticism.

For now, the best course of action was to give her time to recover and find an opportunity to discreetly release her later.

It was absolutely not because I wanted to have a private conversation with her.

Nor was it because the sensation of holding my ultimate favorite—the woman I had admired so deeply—was making my head spin with delight.

Absolutely not.

As I silently justified my actions to myself while heading toward the camp…

“Will you join hands with me?”

“…What?”

“If you spare me, I’ll help you achieve what you desire—the fall of the Empire, the destruction of those wretched fools.”

“!?!”

Mari, the strong and noble mentor, whose unwavering determination had always been her defining trait.

Hearing such unexpected words from her left me truly stunned.