The Highest Score Strategy
The tournament.
Also known as the winner’s bracket, this format pits victors against one another until only the final champion remains.
However, the Imperial Academy’s tournament operated on a slightly different principle.
Instead of students facing each other directly, it pitted humans against monsters. Victory was determined by measuring and comparing their records.
In other words, the key was how many monsters one could kill within the time limit, and how strong those monsters were. The one who accumulated the highest score won.
‘Lucky for me.’
My opponent was Isabella.
If I had been forced into a one-on-one duel against her, I wouldn’t have stood a chance. I still had no defense against her mental attacks.
At least this monster-hunting format gave me some room to maneuver.
“We ended up matched early, didn’t we?”
A cool, detached voice pierced my eardrums.
It was Isabella.
“Lady Isabella.”
“Hehe. So, how does it feel to be paired with me?”
“…At least it’s better than the worst-case scenario. We’re not fighting each other directly, after all.”
“Humble as always. I know you’re hiding plenty of trump cards.”
“Isn’t that the same for you, Lady Isabella?”
“Oh? Is that so? Something like this, perhaps?”
In that instant, a strange magical energy burrowed into my body.
At the same time, Isabella’s eyes turned completely black.
She had just unleashed a mental attack on me. And a very powerful one at that.
“…….”
But nothing happened.
Her specialties—auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, mental confusion, sensory distortion—none of them activated.
A cold smile slowly spread across Isabella’s previously stiff lips.
She withdrew the magical energy she had poured into me, and her eyes returned to normal.
“It doesn’t work? Looks like you brought the gift I gave you.”
“…Are you referring to this?”
I pulled out the bizarre doll I had tucked inside my coat.
It was a figure of a young girl weeping tears of blood, her face twisted in a scream.
Isabella twisted the corner of her mouth into a smirk.
“How curious. Most people throw it away the moment they receive something like that.”
…Of course they would.
No one in their right mind would welcome a doll that looked like Chucky.
In the early parts of the game, I had done the same. The second I received it, I tossed it away in disgust.
But the moment you discard this doll, Isabella’s curse activates.
No matter where you throw it, it will reappear near you at some point.
From then on, the doll’s horrifying stalking begins.
Even if you toss it into a river, drop it off a cliff, or leave it in some faraway place, it will always find its way back.
And each time it returns, the expression of a girl crying blood and screaming gradually shifts into a smiling face.
It was one of Isabella’s particularly twisted hobbies.
‘Burning it didn’t work either.’
After suffering through the stalking long enough, anyone would eventually try to burn the doll. But that too was pointless.
The moment you set the doll on fire, you yourself would be engulfed in flames. A truly dog-like experience.
Because of all this, I had sworn never to touch Isabella’s route. That is, until my thirteenth playthrough, when everything changed.
In the game’s true endgame, I finally learned the truth behind her actions.
“Hey, commoner. Why are you so quiet?”
Isabella’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
She was staring at me with a pouty expression.
I gave her a faint smile and answered.
“You gave it to me, Lady Isabella. I couldn’t possibly throw it away carelessly.”
“…Are you naive, or just stupid?”
“Let’s call it having a good memory. Last time when you gave me this doll, you said that as long as I kept it with me, I wouldn’t get hurt. So I held onto it just in case.”
“Hah. There are actually people who believe that?”
“There’s no harm in believing it.”
“What if it really is cursed? What if this doll carries a terrible curse?”
…Well, that was true.
The doll already bore an indelible curse.
But I already knew exactly what the curse was, and I was confident I could handle it.
It didn’t apply to me.
“Then I’d just have to accept it.”
“……Why?”
“…If this doll really is cursed, that would mean you bear ill will toward me, Lady Isabella. But I don’t have the power to resist that malice. So rather than throwing the doll away and earning even greater hostility, I figured it would be better to keep it. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find me interesting and decide to withdraw your malice.”
“…….”
Since I couldn’t tell her I already knew the curse’s true nature, I added a plausible reason to persuade her.
Isabella stared at me with a thoughtful expression for a moment, then let out a small chuckle and stepped closer.
“Honestly, I’m impressed. That’s the correct answer. Keeping that doll is far better for your well-being than throwing it away.”
“…….”
“But it might be better for you to suffer moderately and be done with it. As long as you carry that doll, you’ll keep getting entangled with me. Your life could become quite exhausting.”
“…That doesn’t matter. Since I’m aiming for S-Class here, I was going to run into you sooner or later anyway, Lady Isabella. Avoiding you won’t solve anything.”
“…Hah. You really aren’t afraid of me, are you? How interesting.”
With those words, Isabella took two more steps toward me.
We were now close enough to feel each other’s breath.
“…Impressive. You might actually be able to handle me.”
“…….”
…We were still in the early stages of the game, yet Isabella’s event had already begun.
She had called me impressive.
From now on, I would be properly entangled with her.
“Handle you? What kind of cringey line is that?”
At that moment, a sharp voice cut between Isabella and me.
It was Enya.
“Don’t you think that line is a bit cliché? ‘I am Isabella, Grand Duchess of the Graham family. How dare a mere commoner think he can handle me?’ …Something like that?”
Enya walked over while perfectly mimicking Isabella’s expression and tone.
Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
Isabella let out a small laugh and replied.
“How unlike you to get so worked up. You must really like this commoner.”
“W-what? No, that’s not it? I mean, I do like him! But not in the way you’re thinking!”
“…Oh, really? Then would it be alright if I took this commoner for myself? I’m quite interested in him, you know.”
“What? No way!”
“Hehe. Just kidding. Looks like I was right about what you were thinking.”
“Eh…?”
Enya’s face turned bright red, as if it might explode.
Isabella smiled leisurely and turned away.
“Do your best, then. Though I’m not sure how well you’ll be able to manipulate this cunning commoner.”
With those parting words, Isabella walked off somewhere.
Enya looked back and forth between Isabella’s retreating figure and me with a flustered expression, then gave me an awkward greeting with a face as red as a tomato.
“U-um, hello? Haha… She really says some weird stuff, right? Just ignore her. It’s not like this is the first time she’s said strange things. It’s all nonsense. Nonsense.”
Rather than a proper greeting, it was clearly an attempt to smooth over the suddenly awkward atmosphere.
Her desperate efforts were so adorable that a natural smile formed on my lips.
“Haha. Yeah, did you sleep well last night?”
After that, I chatted with Enya for a while.
Though calling it chatting might be generous. It was mostly Enya unilaterally giving me information—essentially tips for the upcoming second round.
Things like the weaknesses of the monsters we would face, their abilities, and so on.
“Good luck! You have to beat Isabella!”
Having delivered only the information I needed, Enya practically fled into the grand hall.
Seeing her still awkward about speaking casually to me made me chuckle softly.
“Well, I’ve already finished all my preparations anyway.”
Even without Enya’s concern, I had made sufficient preparations.
The night before, I had upgraded my gauntlet even further before going to sleep.
With a relaxed mind, I entered the grand hall.
Students were gathered in groups of three or five, forming small clusters.
Everyone looked busy preparing for the second round.
However, because of the strong impression I had left during the entrance ceremony and the first class evaluation, students who recognized me quickly swarmed over.
“Attention! The second round is about to begin, so everyone return to your positions!”
The instructor’s booming voice saved me from the crowd.
The students quickly dispersed.
The instructor then gave a concise explanation of the second round’s rules and announced its start.
“…That concludes the explanation of the rules. Without further delay, we will begin the second round immediately. Denver, Roger. Step onto the platform and place your hands on the teleportation magic orb.”
And so, starting with the students who had received the lowest scores in the first evaluation, the second round began.
The two called students followed the instructor’s orders, placing their hands on the teleportation orb. In the next instant, their bodies scattered into particles and were transported to the battlefield.
A supervising instructor was already waiting there to ensure the students’ safety.
[Nice to meet you. I am Instructor Kaiden. I will be watching your backs in case of any unforeseen situations, so feel free to display your full abilities. Without further words, the test will begin in three seconds. 3… 2… 1…]
Bang!
With the sound of a gunshot, the two students charged into the battlefield.
Just like in the first round, the video transmission magic orbs followed them around, broadcasting the situation. Thanks to that, we could clearly watch their battles on the screens.
The students in the grand hall observed how the pair dealt with the monsters, analyzing their characteristics and weaknesses, and calculating what strategies they themselves should use.
Everyone was busy formulating their own plans.
—Flash!
Of course, I was no exception.
I began running combat simulations using holograms.
There were roughly five types of monsters in the field.
Each type was assigned a different point value, so I started looking for the optimal route that would let me score the most points, taking into account my firepower and each monster’s traits.
How much time had passed?
“Next match: Edga Fix versus Isabella. Step onto the platform and place your hand on the teleportation magic orb.”
It was finally my turn.
I dismissed the hologram equipped with the Plasma Blade and stepped onto the platform.
As I did, I mentally reviewed the strategy I had been refining the entire time I waited for my match.
‘No need to waste time on small fry. I’ll go straight for the boss and secure the highest score possible.’