The vast white snowfield stretched endlessly.
There was no wind, no sound—only deep silence and an almost unnatural calm.
Zeref Fernandez and Arthur Pendragon stood facing each other.
Two reincarnators from Earth.
Two people who died in the same world but were reborn in different ones.
After going through the Trial of the Shadow of Sin and the Labyrinth of Chaos, they now stood in the same place—the place where they first met.
Zeref felt the World Key Fragment in his dimensional pocket begin to glow warmly.
The same went for the Fragment of the Eye of Chaos he had just received from Seraphis Noctra, the Goddess of Chaos.
Arthur's sharp eyes looked at Zeref with an expression that was hard to read—a mixture of respect, friendship, and something else.
"So," Arthur broke the silence. "This is the time we part, huh?"
Zeref nodded slightly. "It seems so."
Both of them were silent for a moment.
There were so many things they wanted to talk about, but the time remaining was very limited.
The fragments continued to pulse, a sign that the portal would soon open again.
"Zeref," Arthur said seriously. "There's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
Arthur looked directly into Zeref's eyes. "The system you have… what's it called?"
Zeref was silent for a moment, considering whether he should be honest or not.
But after going through so much together, he felt there was no reason to hide it anymore.
"Heroine Conquest System," Zeref answered calmly.
Arthur's eyes widened.
His expression changed from surprise to disbelief, and finally… laughter.
"Hahaha! You're kidding?!" Arthur laughed loudly while holding his stomach. "You also have the same system?!"
Zeref frowned. "Wait… you too—"
"Yes!" Arthur raised his hand, and a transparent screen appeared in front of him—a screen very familiar to Zeref.
[Heroine Conquest System]
Zeref froze.
The system was identical.
Exactly the same.
"No way…" Zeref muttered in disbelief. "How could we both have the exact same system?"
Arthur stopped laughing, his expression turning serious.
"I don't know either. But this isn't a coincidence, Zeref. Satan_666—the developer who created Megicula Online and Libra Chronicle—he must be involved in making us reincarnate."
Before Zeref could respond, the air around them trembled.
A purple light began to appear, forming the silhouette of a graceful and mysterious figure.
Seraphis Noctra appeared once again.
"Ah, you finally realized it," she said with a thin smile.
Her voice was soft but carried a tone that couldn't be ignored.
"Yes, both of your assumptions are correct."
"Why?" Zeref asked directly. "What's the purpose?"
Seraphis slowly walked around them, like a predator observing its prey.
"You two are… experiments."
"Experiments?" Arthur frowned.
"Yes. Satan_666, the Developer, wanted to see something interesting."
Seraphis stopped in front of them.
"He gave the exact same system to two people from Earth, then placed you in two different worlds that are connected to each other. He wanted to see… who would be more successful."
Silence enveloped the snowfield.
"More successful in what?" Zeref asked, though he could already guess the answer.
Seraphis smiled broadly.
"In conquering heroines, of course.
Who can build the strongest harem?
Who can conquer the heroine with the highest difficulty?
Who can change fate the most drastically?"
She raised her hand, and a holographic projection appeared in the air—showing two worlds rotating in parallel.
"The world of Megicula and the world of Libra… both are two sides of the same coin. They are connected, yet separated.
And one day…" Seraphis stopped the projection. "There will be a Final Contest."
"Final Contest?" Arthur asked cautiously.
"Yes. When the time comes, both of you will meet again—not as friends, but as rivals.
You will compete in one last trial.
And the winner…" Seraphis let her words hang in the air.
"What will the winner get?" Zeref asked seriously.
"The Ultimate Skill Reward," Seraphis replied in a mysterious tone.
"Something that can change destiny forever. Something that even I cannot tell you the details of. But trust me—it's something worth fighting for."
Zeref and Arthur looked at each other.
In an instant, the dynamic between them changed.
No longer just fellow reincarnators—they were now rivals.
However, not rivals who hated each other.
They were rivals who respected one another.
Arthur smiled broadly. "So that's how it is, huh? I like this.
A healthy competition always keeps me motivated."
Zeref smiled faintly. "I don't mind either. As long as we don't use unfair methods."
"Of course." Arthur extended his hand. "Let's make a pact.
We'll compete honestly.
No dirty tricks.
And no hurting the heroines we conquer."
Zeref shook Arthur's hand firmly. "Agreed."
They both smiled—a sincere smile, yet full of determination.
"By the way," Arthur said, releasing the handshake. "How's your progress so far?
How many heroines have you conquered?"
Zeref thought for a moment. "If we're talking about those I've truly conquered… four. Lilia, Karina, Kagura, and Kaguya."
Arthur whistled in amazement. "Four? And they're all loyal to you?"
"Very loyal," Zeref replied flatly. "Too loyal, in fact. Lilia and Karina have reached a level of obsession. They would do anything for me."
Arthur laughed. "Wow, you've got an entertaining problem, huh?
I've had a similar experience.
There's one heroine who's so obsessive she follows me everywhere.
Even when I'm asleep, she stands guard outside my door."
Zeref smiled slightly. "Looks like we've had similar experiences."
"Then, what about the difficult heroine?" Arthur asked curiously.
"I'm sure not all heroines are easy to conquer."
Zeref let out a long sigh. "There's one… Theresia Helios. My cousin.
She's… very complicated."
"How complicated?"
"She's both a masochist and a sadist," Zeref answered tiredly.
"Her pride is buried deep in her bones.
She'll never submit unless you break her ego first.
But if you're too harsh, she'll hate you forever.
It's like walking on a tightrope—one wrong move, and everything collapses."
Arthur nodded in understanding. "I get it.
I also have a heroine like that.
The proud, stubborn type who doesn't want to lose.
It took me months just to earn her smile."
"How did you finally conquer her?" Zeref asked.
Arthur smiled mysteriously. "I didn't conquer her with strength or manipulation.
I showed her my weakness."
Zeref frowned. "Weakness?"
"Yes.
Heroines like that… they're used to men who always try to appear strong and perfect.
So when I showed my weaker side—when I was injured, when I almost gave up—she finally saw me as human, not as a threat or an object.
And from there, her feelings started to grow."
Zeref reflected on Arthur's words. It was an interesting perspective.
"Maybe I'll try that," Zeref muttered.