Villain: Your Heroines Were Delicious

Chapter 212: Chapter 82(End of Volume)

“This… is a lot to take in,” Seijirou muttered, his voice echoing in the vast, starry expanse of Aphrodite’s divine realm.

The weight of his own history, the realization that his previous life was a curated therapy session for his soul, and the cosmic stakes of his existence felt like a physical pressure against his temples.

“Take your time,” Aphrodite replied softly, her presence radiating a comforting warmth that kept his mind from fracturing under the revelation.

Seijirou rubbed his chin, his analytical mind, and at this moment, being strengthened by the Seeker, beginning to connect the dots. “Wait, you said I was being corrupted since a young age. But… how? I didn’t come into contact with the supernatural world until recently. No, wait. Could it be…”

A chilling thought surfaced, one that made his blood run cold even in this dreamscape. “…Shirohara Retsu?”

Aphrodite’s expression turned solemn, her golden eyes reflecting a deep, ancient sorrow. “Yes. The fragment corrupting you is Shirohara Retsu.”

Seijirou’s eyes widened in genuine shock.

The woman who had basically raised him, taught him the secrets of Ki, and looked at him with an obsession that bordered on the divine was the very source of his own corruption?

“That woman,” Aphrodite continued, her voice gaining a sharp, clinical edge, “is a being created by the fragment of the Outer Gods. It isn’t wrong to say that she is an Outer One herself, a terrestrial manifestation of a celestial horror. She doesn’t know this, of course, she is doing this without her knowing. You see, the reason why she sees other humans as ’fakes’ or ’puppets’ is not because she gained knowledge that she is in a so-called game world like you initially thought, but subconsciously, she knows she is fundamentally different from them. Think of her as a wolf among sheep. And the reason why she sees you as someone ’like her’ is because you were being corrupted by her presence, your soul slowly warping to match her frequency, becoming more and more like her with every lesson she taught you.”

Seijirou felt a shiver as he remembered Retsu’s cold, blue eyes, her surgical detachment, and the way she spoke of humanity as if it were a poorly written script.

“But,” Aphrodite added, her tone lightening slightly, “after you ’cleared the game’ in that other world and returned, her soul became mostly free from the direct influence of the fragments. And it was only after you showered her with your love that she became completely free. The bond you formed acted as a bridge, pulling her fully into the reality of this world.”

Seijirou blinked, the phrasing catching him off guard. “Showered her with love?”

Aphrodite’s regal composure vanished in an instant as she grinned mischievously and stuck out her tongue, creating an ’O’ with her left forefinger and thumb, and then began inserting her right forefinger in and out repeatedly with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Sex! I’m talking about sex, Seijirou! The influence of the fragment was completely erased after you had sex with her! Your union anchored her soul to the human plane! In other words, you fucked the Outer God out of her!”

Seijirou felt his cheek twitch, feeling slightly embarrassed especially when he thought that maybe, this perverted goddess saw his sexual escapades with his girls. “Can you… can you stop that? That’s incredibly embarrassing.”

Aphrodite looked genuinely offended, her hands on her hips. “What do you mean!? Sex is the highest expression of love! It is the divine spark of creation! There is nothing embarrassing about it! It’s the ultimate purification! Trust me, I would know, I am the Goddess of Love and Sex after all!”

“…Alright, alright. I get it. Sorry,” Seijirou conceded, holding up his hands in surrender.

Aphrodite huffed, smoothing her white toga. “Good that you understand. Don’t be so prudish, you are not a virgin. Remember, you are my champion, so it’s only natural for you to have sex.”

Seijirou sighed.

“Also,” she continued, her voice turning contemplative, “there is another thing Retsu didn’t mention, primarily because she doesn’t fully understand it herself. Do you know Retsu has started to get insane because she is starting to see others, not just you, as a real person?”

Seijirou frowned, shaking his head. “really? I never knew that.”

“Yes, and the reason why Retsu believed that everyone else was finally ’becoming real’—people like Rindou, Hana, and the others—isn’t because they were changing to match her. It’s because Retsu was finally becoming like them.”

Seijirou paused, letting that sink in. “In other words, Retsu’s perception that others are fake is just her projection, and the one that is fake is her.”

“Yes, after all, she is just someone created by the Outer Gods. The world itself was always real, and Retsu was the ’fake’ one—the anomaly, the puppet created by the fragments to lead you into the dark. But after receiving your love, after that connection was forged, she became real herself. She earned her humanity through you.”

Seijirou remained silent. This…should be a good thing, right?

“Alright, let’s get back to the topic at hand,” Aphrodite said, her voice turning urgent. “Seijirou, that fragment that escaped from you on the rooftop… it has scattered into hundreds of smaller shards across the Shinra Region. It will seek out the wicked, the greedy, and the depraved to use as new hosts. It will cause more chaos than ever before. Please, I beg you, destroy them all. Protect this world I really love.”

Seijirou stared at the beautiful Goddess, seeing the genuine desperation in her eyes.

He then thought of the girls waiting for him, the life he had built, and the “Happy Ending” he was destined to seek.

In the end, he let out a long, weary sigh, but his eyes were hard with resolve. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my best. There are a lot of people I love in this world, and I’m not about to let some space-trash destroy their home.”

Aphrodite smiled softly, her form beginning to dissolve into golden light. “Thank you, Seijirou. The path ahead is difficult, but remember… you are my champion.”

With that, a bright flash blinded him, forcing him to close his eyes.

*

*

*

When Seijirou opened his eyes, the transition from the starry void to the stark, white reality of the hospital room was actually making his head throb for a second.

The air here was sterile, filled with the faint hum of machinery and the smell of antiseptic.

He sighed, staring up at the ceiling tiles.

Was everything he just heard real? The Goddess, the Outer Gods, the truth about Retsu?

He closed his eyes and reached inward, feeling his Ki. It felt different—purer, more stable, and incredibly vast.

He supposed it was all true. After all, it’s not like it’s the first time they talked like that.

He looked down at his body. There were several needles inserted into his arms, and a heart monitor was chirping rhythmically beside him.

Surprisingly, he felt completely okay. In fact, he didn’t feel any pain at all! The gaping wounds from the rooftop felt like they had never existed, replaced by a strange, humming vitality.

He glanced at the window. The golden light of a fresh morning was spilling through the blinds, painting stripes across the white sheets.

Just then, the door creaked open, and a young nurse walked in carrying a tray of medication, and the moment her eyes met his, she froze, her jaw dropped, and the tray clattered onto a nearby table.

“You… you’re awake!?” she squeaked.

Before Seijirou could even open his mouth to speak, she turned on her heel and sprinted out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway as she screamed for the doctors.

Seijirou blinked, his hand halfway raised in a greeting.

“Am I that scary?” he muttered to the empty room. “I just wanted to ask for some water.”

He sighed, deciding to wait. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the others arrived.

Sure enough, a few moments later, a cacophony of footsteps thundered in the corridor as the door didn’t just open; it was practically burst apart as a tide of people rushed in.

“Seijirou!” Suzune cried, her eyes brimming with tears as she reached the bedside first.

“Seijirou-kun!” Rei and Touka followed, their faces pale with relief.

“Thank god you’re awake! We were so worried!” Yukina shouted, her wings almost manifesting in her excitement.

“Boss!” Renji and Sakai yelled in unison, their faces splitting into wide grins.

“Boss. You’re finally awake.” Shou added, his usual stoic mask cracking just a little.

Rindou, Haruka, and Emi crowded in behind them, the room suddenly feeling very small as the entire group surrounded his bed.

Right now, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of perfume, sweat, and the unmistakable energy of people who had been holding their breath for far too long.

Seijirou looked at their faces—each one a part of the “Happy Ending” he was fighting for as he felt a rare, genuine warmth in his chest.

“Hey,” he said, his voice a bit raspy but steady. “I’m back. Did I miss anything?”