Into the Apocalypse: Saving My Favorite Villain-Chapter 123: Only Her

Considering how weak those people were, I didn’t even need to expend much effort to subdue them.

Their movements were clumsy, their coordination was poor, and their attacks were filled with hesitation and fear.

In the old world, perhaps they might have been considered dangerous—armed men, trained, holding weapons meant to kill—but in this broken era, they were nothing more than insects struggling against a tide far greater than themselves.

I had already decided that I would leave Joe and Sebastian to deal with them on their own.

I would only intervene if the situation exceeded their capabilities.

After all, it was necessary to test them.

To test how far they had grown.

To see whether their cooperation had improved—or if they would crumble the moment real danger appeared.

Firearms were indeed powerful.

Lethal.

Even superhumans could not ignore them completely.

But when I saw the missile earlier—when I watched it streak through the air, screaming toward us with murderous intent—I didn’t feel even the slightest hint of worry.

Not fear.

Not tension.

Not caution.

Only boredom.

Any one of my supernatural abilities could have reduced that missile to nothing more than dust—like a child crushing a fragile toy beneath his heel.

Yet...

When Rosalia rushed out of the car—

When I saw her small figure stumble toward me, her steps uneven, her breath erratic—

Everything else faded.

Her eyes were wide, shimmering with anxiety, terror, and unmistakable fear.

Fear not for herself.

Fear for me.

That realization struck my chest like a hammer.

And before I could stop myself...

I smiled.

I know.

I know exactly how disgusting that makes me.

A complete bastard.

But what am I supposed to do?

Every time I see Rosalia’s emotions stirred so violently because of me—every time her calm façade cracks and reveals that trembling concern buried beneath—I feel something warm bloom in my chest.

An overwhelming joy.

An immense sense of relief.

And beneath it all—

Exhilaration.

A dangerous, intoxicating thrill.

Just like now.

Her fingers were trembling visibly as they clutched at my clothes, yet she held on as if letting go would cause me to vanish. Her grip was weak, but desperate.

Those black eyes—

Eyes so deep they seemed to contain an entire galaxy, a vast and beautiful night scattered with silent stars—

Were shaking as she slowly lifted her head to look at me.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

That innocent, confused gaze melted every last shard of ice that had encased my heart for years.

Rosalia.

Ah... Rosalia.

Nothing has ever affected me like this before.

In my dark, hollow world, I had never desired anything other than revenge. Survival. Control.

Even that burning desire paled in comparison to what I felt during the time you stood by my side.

Sometimes, I think I may have fallen under the influence of yet another curse.

A far more dangerous one.

A curse that makes me melt—collapse—at your feet with terrifying speed.

A curse I never saw coming.

One that makes me want to brand you as mine.

To carve my existence into yours so deeply that separation would become impossible.

I barely manage to restrain myself from locking you away somewhere untouched even by sunlight.

Somewhere no one else could see you.

Touch you.

Covet you.

Because I’ve realized something terrifying.

I’m jealous.

Jealous of everything.

Even the sun’s rays when they dare fall upon your skin.

I barely manage to force the beast inside me back into its cage.

Locking it away with chains forged from reason and restraint.

Because I don’t want to hurt you.

I don’t want to possess you so completely that you grow unwilling to stay by my side.

Or worse—

That you begin to fear me.

I don’t want to see terror reflected in your eyes because of me.

Slowly, I parted my lips and spoke, my voice low and controlled.

"What should I do with you, Rosalia?"

As usual, she didn’t understand.

She never did.

Her expression only grew more confused, her brows knitting together slightly as she stared at me.

I sighed quietly.

It’s fine.

It’s fine.

As long as she’s by my side.

As long as she’s with me...

I can endure.

At least for now, she is mine.

Here.

With me.

Her heart is with me.

Her presence is with me.

Her existence overlaps with mine.

That’s enough.

I can move forward slowly.

Step by step.

...

"Boss! Boss—stop!"

"Boss, you’ll kill him! Let him go!"

The voices crashed into my ears all at once—loud, chaotic, frantic.

So loud that they scraped against my nerves.

So loud that they made me want to kill everything.

I want to destroy this world.

Yes.

I’ll destroy it—

If this world refuses to let me be happy, then it doesn’t deserve to exist.

If it dares to separate her from me—

I will burn it to ash.

Chaotic thoughts.

Mad thoughts.

Dark, twisted thoughts.

That was all that remained in my fractured, furious mind.

How dare they?

How dare they take her from my hands?

How—

Just moments ago, Rosalia had been behind me.

She had been in my arms.

How could I lose her so easily?

Even though I knew Matthew had nothing to do with her disappearance—

Even though logic whispered that this was not his fault—

The moment he stood before me, raising his voice, accusing me—

Something inside me snapped.

Matthew’s body lifted off the ground.

Black and crimson tendrils erupted from the shadows, coiling tightly around his limbs and throat, crushing the air from his lungs as he was suspended helplessly in midair.

Yes.

This was my power.

This was the abyss I commanded.

What hurt the most—

What truly enraged me—

Was he right?

Even I blame myself.

I blame myself deeply.

For not protecting her properly.

For letting my guard down.

For assuming she would always be there.

But by what right does this piece of trash dare blame me?

By what right does he raise his voice at me?

Rosalia is mine.

Mine alone.

I will retrieve her.

I will bring her back.

I cannot allow her to be away from me.

"You... you should have... protected her."

Despite the shadows crushing his throat, Matthew continued to glare at me with fury, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as he forced the words out again.

This time, I threw him to the ground.

His body slammed into the earth with a deafening crash.

The sound echoed painfully through the suddenly silent surroundings.

Joe and Sebastian both inhaled sharply.

Neither moved to help him.

Their bodies were covered in bruises, their clothes torn, blood staining the ground beneath their feet.

They had been the first to suffer my rage.

To protect myself—

To lie to myself—

I had lashed out at them, accusing them of failing her.

Of standing too close yet doing nothing.

Even though I had been closer.

Even though this was my failure.

But anger needs an outlet.

And they had been convenient.

No.

Enough.

I can’t waste time like this.

I need to find Rosalia.

Now.

Immediately.

One of those scum must possess teleportation abilities.

We’re still in the early stages of the apocalypse—no one’s power should be capable of transporting an entire group across a vast distance.

The disappearance of Henry’s vehicles.

The missing teams.

Scenarios raced through my mind at terrifying speed.

My breathing slowly steadied.

The red haze around my vision faded.

Anger solves nothing.

A man is far more terrifying when he remains rational.

I glanced at Joe and Sebastian.

"I’m sorry," I said quietly. "I lost control. This is my fault."

Their expressions softened slightly.

One waved his hand dismissively.

The other nodded. "It’s fine, Boss. We understand."

I didn’t linger.

I was already preparing to activate my ability—

When I remembered something crucial.

I had marked her.

A unique fragment of my power rested within Rosalia.

I always did this.

For two reasons.

The first was protection.

In a critical moment, that fragment could shield her—if only briefly.

Though she was immune to zombies, this world held far greater threats.

Mutated beasts.

Living plants.

Humans far worse than monsters.

The second reason...

Superhumans can sense auras.

Especially powerful ones.

And I would never admit the truth—

That the mark ensured others would know she belonged to me.

And I always reclaim what is mine.

Those who dare take my possessions—

I will never forgive them.

I pressed my palm to the ground, power surging outward—

And then—

Engines.

Multiple vehicles.

I lifted my head.

Blurred shapes appeared on the horizon.

Cars.

Trucks.

Familiar ones.

They were our vehicles.

It seemed...

The lost team had finally returned.

But my heart—

There was no ripple in my heart.

Because to me, nothing—absolutely nothing—could ever compare to having Rosalia by my side.

Only with her beside me can my frozen heart begin to beat.

Only with her can my life hold any meaning at all.

To be honest, it never mattered to me whether everyone else lived... or whether they all died.

Because in my world,

in my mind,

in my life—

nothing matters but Rosalia.

If I were forced to choose between sacrificing the entire world or sacrificing her,

I would choose, without hesitation and without remorse,

My girl—my one and only woman.

Because she is the chosen one.

Because she is mine.

Because she is... her.