In a dark room, the individual Alen—before being transmigrated—found himself playing [Dragon's Roar].
At this point, he was at the beginning of the endgame, after yet another run that failed to meet his expectations of unlocking the secret ending.
Even though he had already played through the story multiple times, he still liked to read the dialogue, hoping it might lead him to a route he had never experienced before.
---
#^@_: Kaida, you're falling behind compared to your peers.
A pixel-art portrait appeared with a textbox. This character didn't seem to be human, demi-human, or elf. Instead, they were some kind of monster.
Kaida: I've been… having trouble keeping up with everyone.
A pixel-art portrait of the main character appeared—but she looked different. She seemed a year older, with longer pink hair, strange markings on her face, and eyes that not only had a different shape but also carried the weight of much more experience.
#^@_: Then I can help you reach the same level as everyone else.
#^@_: But it's a very risky process for a human.
Kaida: I'm willing to take the risk.
Kaida: After all, I have your £@×-% blood running through my veins.
#^@_: I guess you're right. Only you, descendant of £@×-%, could achieve something like this.
An item appeared on the screen—a serrated knife with a golden hilt, covered in gems of various colors.
#^@_: This item will help you permanently advance a tier in magic circles.
The scene changed, now showing Kaida's full-body sprite. She grabbed the knife and stabbed herself in the thigh. Bolts of electricity surged from her body as she felt her mana leaking away.
Suddenly, a generic black silhouette of a woman appeared. Inside the silhouette were five circles. Then, an animation played as a sixth circle formed.
(Ding!)
(Tier advanced)
(5 > 6)
---
I thought I'd never again wake up to an unfamiliar ceiling.
But that's the first thing I saw when I slowly opened my eyes.
Sitting up on this equally unfamiliar bed, I remembered what happened the last time I was awake.
I… failed.
I'll probably be demoted from Class S.
It doesn't matter… it just means I won't be sitting next to Fran... and I'll probably spend less time with her...
The thought made me let out a long sigh.
I need to start thinking of ways to ascend back into Class S.
My right thigh hurts like hell… well… I did stab it, and then used a chainsaw-like spell on it.
"Alen?" A surprised Fran called out to me.
Before I could react, she launched herself forward and hugged me.
"You… imbecile," her voice wavered, as if she'd been crying. "What were you thinking!?"
"What do you mean?" I knew what she meant—what I didn't get was why she was acting like this.
"Teacher Crowbell called the nurses, said there was an emergency. Everyone followed, worried about what happened." She stopped hugging me.
"And when we arrived… we saw you on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. Teacher Crowbell said his class got too intense."
It's nice to know that even he can care about others.
"But before the nurses took you here, he said…" She looked to the side. I already knew what she was going to say—I'd been demoted to Class A after losing our bet.
"Due to what happened in that class—which will be kept secret for now—you were promoted to rank eleven."
What..?
"Don't you mean demoted?" She must have slipped her tongue—there's no way.
"I don't know what happened there, but a day after, Crowbell announced your promotion, Miss Goldenlaw confirmed it."
"Wait—a day?"
"You've been asleep for four days."
WHAT!?
Four days… then that means… it's already started.
"Hmph." She looked away, pouting. "I had to stoop so low as to come see you every day to make sure you weren't dead."
…
"Thanks, Fran." I gave her a genuine smile. She's my only friend, and knowing she cares about me makes me happy.
"You better be thankful, because I'm not doing it again." She closed the distance, locking eyes with me. "Because you won't end up in a situation like this again, right?"
"I'll try not to, but I can't promise anything." I told her the truth—after all, we're going to be in worse situations.
She pulled back and sat up. "Then I'll make sure you don't end up like this."
…
"I-I mean…" She blushed, avoiding my eyes and gesturing wildly as if to explain herself.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind her. Fran turned, still red and flustered, but her demeanor quickly changed when we saw who it was.
"Alen… you're awake… thank god." Pink bangs stuck to her sweaty forehead, her cheeks flushed, breath heavy—signs she'd run here.
"Tch. What are you doing here?" Fran's hostility toward Kaida hadn't lessened. "I'd advise you to leave before I kick you out myself, you cursed sinner."
Kaida flinched, still as afraid of Fran as ever. "I-I'll leave in a second… I just wan—" The rest was too quiet for even a trained ear.
"You what? If you have nothing to say, then leave before I—"
"Thanks for coming, Thican." Since we weren't even acquaintances, I spoke formally.
After I thanked her, she ran off.
"I swear, if she keeps getting between us, I'll get her expelled."
"Haha, you don't have to go that far. Aren't you glad more people care about me?"
"No. Why would I be? You're only my friend."
My—she poked my chest with her finger.
"What about us?" Two male students entered the room.
"Us? At most he's your friend, Cecil," the blond boy beside Cecil shrugged. "But he isn't even that—you two have only interacted once."
"But we interacted on a deeper level, my liege." Cecil placed a hand on his chest with calm confidence. "Through training, we came to know each other—becoming friends after twenty-three long and arduous sessions."
"…Whatever you say, man."
Franchesca Von Themys, Theo Der Botcam, and Cecil Treyaro—all of them interacting with me.
"Thanks for coming, Cecil." At this moment, I truly felt happy knowing there were people in the academy who called themselves my friends, even if it was just two others.
"And what are you doing here, crybaby?" Fran's glare locked on Theo. "Can't go anywhere without your bodyguard? And when he leaves, all you can do is follow him?"
"Don't talk to me like that, you ice-cold barbarian!" His face turned red at the mockery.
"You deserve nothing more than a nod of acknowledgement from me." She stared daggers at the blonde prince, who promptly hid behind Cecil.
"I'll make you regret that, you frigid troglodyte!"
Saying that while hiding behind someone made him look just a little pathetic.
"Hahaha, that's the spirit, my liege." Cecil seemed unfazed by their so-called 'conversation.'
"Anyway… as per Cecil's request—" Theo pulled out a stack of papers. "I noted down what we covered in the last three days you were absent."
"Can I see them?" Fran didn't wait for his answer. She snatched the papers from his hand and skimmed them.
"This won't work." She crumpled the papers and tossed them into the trash bin in the corner.
"What are you doing, you cavewoman!? My notes—Cecil, pick them up!"
"Haha." Cecil laughed and slowly moved to do as ordered.
"Mine are better anyway, so he only needs my notes." Fran crossed her arms, voice intimidating.
The back-and-forth between Fran and Theo lasted a couple more minutes.
That night, I was finally free to go to my dorm and catch up.
---
Breathing heavily from all the running, the girl stopped in an alley on the outskirts of the city surrounding Aurum Academy.
Her objective tonight: meet a group of classmates from Class E.
"What took you so long, Kaida?" A student in heavy armor, holding a lance and keeping watch from the alley's edge, asked as she arrived.
"I-I had… something important to do first."
"Like going to see Alen?" A girl with a bow and quiver teased.
"N-no, I mean… y-yes, but…" Her face flushed with embarrassment.
"I don't get why you'd want to associate with him," scoffed a boy in light armor with a sword.
"D-don't say that. He's nicer than the rumors say." Someone who had stood up for her couldn't possibly be bad—at least, that's what she thought.
"I highly doubt that." The swordsman's no-nonsense tone reminded her of a gentler Princess Von Themys.
"C'mon, Tirino—she's just charmed by the knight who saved her from the 'evil princess.'"
"Yani!" Kaida shook her classmate, trying to stop the teasing.
"I do pity you, though," the armored lance-wielder—Cole—remarked.
"What do you mean, Cole?" Kaida stopped shaking Yani.
"Your rival is Princess Von Themys."
"Hmph. I'm sure Kaida is one hundred percent better than her."
Truly, if Fran weren't around, Kaida might have a better chance to approach Alen. And maybe then…
"What are you thinking about that's making you so red?" Yani grinned knowingly.
"N-nothing!"
"You wouldn't get that red over nothing." She kept smiling, dodging Kaida's attempts to grab her.
"You two, stop. It's time." Tirino drew his sword.