"How about your family?" Arthur suddenly asked. "I heard from your story… you have sisters who are also heroines?"
Zeref nodded. "Invidia and Rena. Both of them… no longer see me as just their brother."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Zeref let out a long sigh. "Invidia used to hate me because she blamed me for our father's death. But after I repaired our relationship, her feelings… changed. Not just into a good sibling love—but into a romantic one. She's now a brocon. Same with Rena."
"Brocon?" Arthur looked shocked. "You mean they… fell in love with you? Your own sisters?"
"Yes," Zeref answered seriously. "And that makes it very complicated. Now they both love me in a romantic sense. I have to be very careful with their feelings so I don't destroy our family dynamic. One wrong move, and everything could collapse."
Arthur was silent for a moment, then patted Zeref's shoulder. "You have a very difficult road ahead, my friend. That's… truly complicated. But I believe you can handle it."
"How about you?" Zeref asked, changing the topic. "How many heroines have you conquered?"
Arthur's lips curved into a wide grin. "Five. All of them ranked A or higher in difficulty. One of them is even a princess with an extreme tsundere personality."
"Tsundere?" Zeref raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you know—the type that always says, 'I don't like you!' but blushes every time we meet. It took a full year to make her admit her feelings."
A faint smile appeared on Zeref's face. "Sounds exhausting."
"It is. But the result was very satisfying."
They both laughed together—a moment of camaraderie between two people who shared a unique experience in different worlds.
However, their laughter stopped when Seraphis spoke again.
"You both look very happy," she said flatly. "But there is something you must know."
Zeref and Arthur immediately became serious.
"The system you possess… has a hidden bug."
"Bug?" Zeref asked cautiously.
Seraphis nodded. "Yes. The Heroine Conquest System indeed grants you immense advantages in conquering heroines. But there is a price to pay. If you conquer too many heroines without understanding the consequences… your destiny will collapse."
'A hidden bug?' Zeref thought anxiously. 'So all this time I've been playing with fire… This system is more dangerous than I thought.'
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked seriously.
"This system doesn't just change the fates of the heroines—it also changes your own fate. The more heroines you conquer, the greater the alteration to the world's destiny line. And if that alteration becomes too drastic…" Seraphis stopped mid-sentence, letting the silence hang in the air.
"What will happen?" Zeref pressed.
Seraphis looked at them coldly. "The world will reject you. You'll be treated as anomalies that must be erased. And when that happens… no one will be able to save you."
Zeref felt a chill run down his spine. It was a very serious warning.
"So, what should we do?" Arthur asked.
"Don't be greedy," Seraphis answered firmly. "Don't conquer heroines just for points or power. Conquer them because you truly care. Because you want to protect them. Because you want to change their fates for the better. Only then will the world not reject you."
Zeref and Arthur looked at each other. This warning was very important—and they knew Seraphis wasn't joking.
"We understand," Zeref said seriously.
"Good." A faint smile appeared on Seraphis's face. "Now, before you part ways, I have a gift for both of you."
She raised her hand, and two objects appeared in the air.
They were Cross-World Summon Tokens—small silver medals engraved with the symbol of chaos.
"These tokens can be used once," Seraphis explained. "If either of you is in a life-or-death situation, you can use the token to summon the other. No matter how far apart your worlds are—this token will open a temporary portal."
Zeref and Arthur each received one token.
"Use them wisely," Seraphis reminded. "Once used, they will shatter."
"We understand," Arthur replied.
Seraphis nodded, then her gaze softened. "You two… are the first to pass the Trial of the Labyrinth of Chaos through cooperation. Normally, those who enter the Realm of Chaos end up killing each other for treasures. But you… chose to work together."
A genuine smile appeared on her face for the first time. "I am proud of you both."
Zeref and Arthur were silent. Her words sounded sincere—and somehow, they felt warmth in their hearts.
"Now," Seraphis stepped back. "It's time to part. The World Key Fragments will open portals back to your respective worlds. Once you step through those portals… your memories of this place will fade, but not disappear completely."
"Wait," Zeref said quickly. "Will we meet again?"
Seraphis grinned mysteriously. "Of course. In the Final Contest. Or perhaps… sooner than you think."
With that, she vanished—like mist blown away by the wind.
Zeref and Arthur stood alone once more in the snowy field.
Two portals began to open behind them—one leading to the World of Megicula, the other to the World of Libra.
"So," Arthur said with a wide smile. "This is goodbye, huh?"
Zeref nodded. "It seems so."
Arthur extended his hand again. "Until we meet again, Zeref. In the Final Contest, I won't lose to you."
Zeref shook his hand firmly. "I won't lose either, Arthur."
They both smiled—a smile filled with determination and friendship.
"Oh right," Arthur suddenly remembered. "If you have trouble with a difficult heroine… don't hesitate to use the trick I told you earlier. Show your weakness. It really works."
Zeref chuckled softly. "I'll try it. Thanks, Arthur."
"You're welcome."
They released their handshake and turned toward their respective portals.
But before stepping forward, Zeref stopped and looked back.
"Arthur!"
Arthur also stopped and turned around.
"Take care of yourself," Zeref said seriously. "This world is dangerous. Don't die before we meet again."
Arthur grinned broadly. "You too, Zeref. Don't lose to the original protagonist in your world."
Zeref smiled. "You too."
For a moment, Zeref felt something strange in his chest. This was a farewell with the only person who truly understood his condition—a fellow reincarnator from Earth.
Someone who knew what it felt like to die, to be reborn, and to live with the same system.
"See you, Arthur," Zeref whispered softly.
"See you, Zeref."
With one last smile, they both stepped through their respective portals.
[World of Megicula – Inn]
Zeref suddenly opened his eyes.
He was lying on a bed—a very familiar bed.
It was the inn where he stayed before entering the World of Chaos.
"Nghh~" Zeref groaned softly, feeling a slight headache.
"Woof! Woof!" The little Fenrir suddenly jumped onto his chest and started licking his face enthusiastically.
Zeref chuckled while patting Fenrir's head. "I wasn't gone that long."
But then, he noticed something.
In his hand was an object pulsing with a soft light.
The Fragment of the Eye of Chaos.
"So… it was all real," Zeref murmured quietly.
He sat on the bed, staring at the fragment in his hand.
The memories of the World of Chaos, of Arthur, of Seraphis… all still clear in his mind.
Suddenly, the system chimed.
[Ding!]
[Hidden Mission Unlocked: Prepare for the Convergence of Worlds]
[Warning: Another System User Detected in a Parallel Dimension]
[Competition Status: ACTIVE]
[Reward for the Winner of the Final Contest: ???]
Zeref stared at the system notification seriously.
"So, this is just the beginning," he whispered softly.
He rose from the bed and walked toward the window.
The morning sun began to rise, illuminating the city with warm golden light.
Zeref gazed at the sunlight with firm determination in his eyes.
"Arthur…" he whispered. "Until we meet again. I won't lose to you. I'll conquer every heroine in this world. I'll become the strongest."
He clenched his fist, feeling the power flow through his body.
"And when the Final Contest arrives… I will win."
With that resolve, Zeref Fernandez began his new day—the day when his rivalry with Arthur Pendragon officially began.