A Game of Despair

A few days ago, when the System advanced to Stage 2, the Item Shop had been updated. And there, he found something he never would have expected.

"Observer's Perspective...? No. No way. There's no way—"

There was a way. It was the very same "perspective" Elysia used to watch the world.

"I never thought I'd see the day I'd get to use this...!"

He could only buy it three times, and each purchase burned through 10,000 points — but he had already felt the sheer power of that effect in his bones.

"I've got over a hundred thousand points. I could buy every copy and still have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠some left!"

He purchased Observer's Perspective on the spot. And he regretted it immediately.

"Ah..."

Observer's Perspective could not be reapplied to a target who already had one. In other words, if Elysia had already attached her gaze to someone, the item was useless. That single restriction locked him out of every major character and every core villain. Elia was no exception.

"Giving me this now is just cruel..."

Ten thousand points, gone in a puff of smoke. He was still poking at the thing in the faint hope it might work on someone when a name crossed his mind.

"Darius de Dritania..."

"Obviously not. Don't need the Emperor... What about this?"

"Huh?"

Beatrice was a supporting character of no small importance. Considering that people like Professor Lung and Maria already had perspectives attached to them, Beatrice should have been the same. He turned the problem over in his head, and the answer clicked into place almost at once.

"She already put a perspective on Andras...! Beatrice is always with him, so there was never any need for a separate one!"

Fortunately, that laziness had worked in his favor. Through Beatrice, he could watch Andras.

"Seri, how do I use Observer's Perspective?"

"Synopsis... So that's why they gave me this."

X activated the Synopsis Function. The moment he switched the perspective he wanted to see, the subject of the narration changed with it.

"Yes...!"

The synopsis was written from Beatrice's point of view as she watched Andras. Thanks to that, X now knew exactly what kind of situation Andras was in — and what he was planning.

Back in the present, he reviewed Beatrice's synopsis and checked the newly added material.

"I did need a villain to raid the Academy, but..."

One of the pieces his plan required was a villain willing to attack the Academy. To that end, he had intended to dominate the demon worshippers hiding in the Empire and use them as he pleased. A raid by an actual demon, however, was a different matter entirely.

"At least those cultists can be reined in with an order not to kill humans. A real demon can't be controlled. And if it's a demon directly under the Papal Holy See, it won't be some small fry..."

The option of running a con with Berith had been sealed off as well. On top of that, there was an unknown variable.

"Who is 'Gremory'? A newly created demon?"

He purchased another Observer's Perspective at once. He had roughly 80,000 points left, but he had already confirmed the item worked. He tried to apply it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Gremory immediately. The result was exactly what he expected.

"Figured as much..."

If Gremory had been created the same way Elia had, there was a real chance she was another monster in the making. The only reason he wasn't sure was Andras's reaction.

I don't know how far Elysia's power actually reaches... but could she create a character Andras would hate this much?

Every intervention of Elysia's so far shared a common thread.

The Mana Awakening Agent distribution. The Demonification Accelerator and the monster-type demon support. All of it happened on March 8th.

March 8th was the day the story had changed. From that, a theory suggested itself.

She can't rewrite anything prior to the current point in time?

He set the deepening thought aside.

Don't get certain. I don't have enough information.

The top priorities were Elia and Andras.

Andras will come looking. I need to be ready.

The Berith card was off the table, so he needed something else. The cleanest story was to claim he had become a demon after receiving the ring. In the end, it came down to fooling Andras one more time. And the method was almost laughably simple.

"Seri. Buy all of it."

The week-long closure ended, and Monday arrived. The students were in for a considerable shock.

"Isn't that Screaming Herb? He looks different every time I see him..."

"I heard they call him Weed these days... Wait. Is that even him?"

"I heard he did nothing but train the entire break..."

The whispering followed him into the classroom. Lola's reaction, in particular, was the most violent of all.

"...You're not a commoner."

"I am X, my lady."

"Commoners don't look like that! A commoner's face looks like someone stopped kneading the dough halfway — not exactly ugly, but not like this! You're a fake! I'm sure of it!"

"Come here a moment. No, I won't hit you. How could I possibly hit you, my lady?"

"Waaah! The commoner was never this violent!"

X took in the students' changed stares and felt a grim certainty settle in his chest.

This'll work. I'll fool Andras for sure.

The cause of the transformation was this:

He had bought every purchasable stat up to its current cap. The Charm increase of a full point had done the most work by far.

The bill was just as enormous...!

He had braced himself for a price hike once the System advanced a stage. He had not braced himself for the prices to double.

Mana and Charm at 2,000 points per 0.1 — a fourfold increase! Thirty thousand points gone in total. Remaining balance: 55,200. A hundred thousand points, cut in half in a single day...!

When he thought about the prices of the cheats he still hadn't bought, he was already in the red. He was earning like a dog and spending like a king.

But the effect is undeniable!

At this rate, there was no way Andras would recognize him. His hair had turned white, too, which only made it more certain. If Andras saw through it anyway, that would be a violation of Probability itself.

The little commotion passed, and morning assembly began. As always, Roxwell walked in on the stroke of the hour. There was a brief incident in which he caught sight of X's face mid-briefing and actually paused — but even that was nothing compared to the news that followed. Roxwell delivered it with a look like he had bitten into something rotten.

"Hah... We've got a new student. Give her a welcome."

Don't tell me...

X already had a guess. At this timing, there was only one new student who could possibly walk through that door. While the rest of the class erupted in cheers at the unfamiliar face stepping inside, X went taut.

"Hello! I'm Elia!"

It was her. The entrance of an S-rank peerless beauty with a Charm of 5.0. For a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heartbeat, the entire room forgot to breathe. Then the cheering broke loose, boys and girls alike.

"What a beauty! Why is someone like her in Class F?!"

"Look at that skin! Is that marble or what?!"

"Wait, we even have new students? She's not a transfer or anything?"

Roxwell killed the noise with a look and went on.

"Elia asked to be placed in Class F herself. Under any other circumstances, she would have been assigned to Class A. So don't you maggots treat her like she's on your level. You might end up dead."

Of everyone in the room, only X understood what that actually meant.

Don't get cocky or you'll die.

It was the kind of warning you could only give after you had seen Elia's strength firsthand. Roxwell sighed when it became clear the rest of the class had not understood a word.

"Anyway. Elia. Anything you want to say for yourself?"

"I'm Elia!"

"...Anything else?"

"I came here to meet X!"

Every pair of eyes in the room swung toward him. X shot Roxwell a look of pure betrayal. Roxwell only shook his head.

How did it come to this?!

This was the best I could do.

Roxwell had confirmed the nature of their relationship the last time. He had felt it in the blow he blocked — Elia had been trying to kill X in earnest.

I cannot take her into my class.

He had argued against it tooth and nail at the faculty meeting. The Academy Chairman had shut him down without a flicker of hesitation.

And so Roxwell had been forced to take her. In exchange, he had made one thing brutally clear.

"You will not lay a hand on X — or on any other student. If you try to kill an innocent, I will deal with you myself. Immediately."

A handful of additional warnings later, the result of all that correction was the girl standing in front of them. It was not, of course, a result that did X any favors. And the bad news was not finished.

"May I sit here?"

"Uh. Y-yes. Go ahead..."

"Thank you!"

Elia sat down beside X, cheerfully displacing the student who had been occupying the seat. Lola was now on his right. Elia was on his left. Her reason for choosing that particular chair was not subtle. She said it loud enough for the entire class to hear.

"I have to stay with X from now on, after all! We're a community of fate — something like that!"

Killing intent crept into the stares aimed at him from every corner of the room. At this rate, he was more likely to die at the hands of his classmates than at Elia's.

"Why are you following me..."

"Stopping you from doing anything wicked is a hero's duty too, X! So I'm going to keep you under... surveillance!"

Even after morning assembly, even after the morning classes ended, Elia stuck to him like a shadow. She clung through lunch as well, which meant he could not even eat in peace.

"Commoner, what's her problem...? Did you do something?"

"She's... a bit unwell, my lady. I'd appreciate your help as well."

Lola spent the rest of the time until they parted walking on eggshells around Elia. Elia only smiled, and offered Lola not a scrap of interest. She really did seem intent on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠watching X's every breath, every step, every twitch.

It isn't as if I didn't see this coming...

He had expected surveillance from the moment he guessed at Elia's true nature. He had not expected it to be this close, and the closeness was starting to unnerve him. She might snap without warning and come at him with a blade. Which meant he needed to lay the groundwork now.

When the halls had emptied, he turned a hard look on her and asked,

"What is it you actually want?"

"Surveillance, of course!"

"Wasn't your goal to kill me?"

The question sent a visible ripple of confusion through her.

"Oh! That's right! I do have to kill you, X! But my homeroom professor? He told me I mustn't attack anyone as I please!"

"So now you're just going to watch me?"

"No! Goddess Elysia's word matters more! I will kill you, X! So..."

"So you'll kill me if I do something evil. Is that it?"

"Ah, yes! If you do something bad, that's when I'll kill you!"

A condition had been bolted onto a blind objective. That was a good sign. It was proof that Elysia did not have full control. X decided to give the whole structure a shake while he had the chance.

"And if Elysia has been lying to you—"

"That's impossible."

Elia was in his face before he could finish. She seized him by the collar and hauled him up, staring into him with two hollow eyes, and spoke like a broken recording.

"..."

"I will not forgive anyone who insults Lady Elysia. Anyone who does is a wicked creature, a nauseating villain, and a thing that deserves to be erased at once."

She let him go, stepped back, and smiled brightly.

"You wouldn't do that, would you, X?"

It was a strange, chilling smile — the smile of absolute faith.

She believes it completely. This is going to be hard.

One of X's longer plays had been to bring Elia over to his side. Turn a weapon that strong into an ally, and he would have a card capable of stopping the end of the world. Humiliating Elysia would just be a bonus. He had not expected the brainwashing to run this deep. He had underestimated how cruel Elysia could be.

But you underestimated me, too.

With a condition like that, he could buy all the time he needed. X slowly put his face back in order.

"Keh-heh-heh..."

A twisted smile. A look of pure malice, leveled at Elia like a blade. The sudden shift in atmosphere pulled her taut. X opened his mouth with a laugh, as if he were enjoying himself.

"That faith of yours looks hard to break. An impressive conviction."

"I knew it! Lady Elysia was right about you!"

"Then what are you going to do?"

X smoothed the collar she had rumpled.

"I am already a kind, innocent student of this Academy. I have never committed a single wrong. Even that foul-tempered Roxwell protects me — my reputation isn't half bad."

"It can't be... That weakness back then was an act!"

"And now that you've figured it out, what of it? Will you kill me here? Then you'll simply be a madwoman who slaughtered an innocent student in cold blood. There is no glory in that. No honor."

"Ngh...!"

If she was trapped inside a narrow way of thinking, he would use the walls. Package himself, brazenly, as a villain she could not afford to touch too soon — and that alone would steer her next move. X raised a single finger.

"I was getting bored anyway. Allow me to propose a game."

"A game...?"

"If I win this little game, I will reveal my true identity before everyone and grant you the duel you want. Not that the likes of you could ever defeat my true form."

"I'm not afraid of anything!"

"But other people will be."

"Other people...?"

X pointed at a nearby calendar.

"In one month, a tournament will be held on Grand Feast Day. Students, instructors — even ordinary citizens will come. A massive festival. A great many people will gather here. A great many..."

"A great many people... You don't mean—!"

"Yes. That is exactly what I mean."

X drew a thumb slowly across his own throat. There was only one thing that gesture could mean.

"You monster...!"

"Tut, tut. Put the sword away — unless you'd like to become morning dew on the execution ground before the tournament even begins."

"How cowardly...!"

Elia had the blade half-drawn. She sheathed it again. Killing him here would only land her in trouble. For now, she had no choice but to listen to this wicked thing speak. She set her resolve and locked eyes with him.

"What kind of game?"

"The tournament finals. Climb to the last stage."

"...What is that supposed to mean?"

X sighed, as if the question itself wearied him.

"I am terribly bored. The only amusement left in my life is watching human despair. But even that has started to feel too easy here. It isn't fun anymore. And then—"

He pointed at Elia.

"The despair of someone with a conviction as hard as yours! Just imagining it sent a shiver down my spine!"

"You— what you're planning to do is—!"

"That's right! I will crush you in the tournament finals. Thoroughly. I will defile you. I will make certain every last person hears your despairing defeat. I will teach them all a simple fact: that no matter how hard a human tries, a human still loses!"

The insulting declaration stole the breath from her lungs.

Lady Elysia was right. She was always right.

The thing standing in front of her was, without question, a wicked existence that threatened the world. This was why she had been chosen as a hero. This creature was her trial.

"I will not yield! The tournament finals — I will defeat you there!"

"I'll give you credit for the will. Remember this. If you run, or if you fail to reach the finals, I will create a situation worse than anything you can imagine. People's screams are a delight no matter when I hear them."

X put his face back in order. The malice in the air vanished as if it had never been there. All that remained was an ordinary student named X.

"Until then, I'll play along with your little surveillance game. You couldn't take me down even if you wanted to. Watching that humiliation up close should be entertainment enough."

"That's what I wanted! I will watch you. I will make sure you can't do anything evil!"

With that, Elia simply glared at him. She seemed to have no further interest in conversation. Only then did X let himself breathe, a long, quiet sigh of relief.

What am I doing at my age.

Needless to say, every word of it had been a lie.