Bad Ending
After setting fires throughout the mansion according to the prearranged plan, they withdrew. I listened quietly to the orders crackling over the radio, when suddenly words burst from my mouth.
"No! Don't! You can't!"
Wearing a frantic expression, I started running somewhere. What the hell? Is it auto-progression?
I'd been wondering if I needed to act in line with the situation, but this was a relief. No need for pretense now.
Shing!
"Stop! All of you, stop!!"
Lost in those thoughts, I dazedly drew my sword and began slashing at the assassins in front of me.
"...Kuhk!"
After cutting down assassins for a while, I was ambushed from behind by one who'd snuck up quietly. A blade pierced my side.
"Gaaaaaaah!!"
Good. Doesn't hurt at all.
Thankfully, since this was a reenactment from the Trial, I felt no pain. Though the me with a sword in his gut was screaming horrifically.
"N-No..."
As I staggered, howling, the wary assassins pulled something from their pockets and tossed it to the ground. Flames erupted fiercely across the floor.
Whoosh!
Soon, fires blazed simultaneously in every corner of the mansion. Watching in despair, an assassin slowly approached me.
Bzzzt!
"...I have to save them. Everyone."
I fired a silver laser at him, muttering as I hurriedly moved my feet.
What? There are still civilians everywhere?
I'd evacuated most of them earlier, leaving only some students on the second floor and in the basement. But in this Trial-manifested scenario, droves of students lay slumped throughout the mansion.
Truly the worst-case scenario, huh.
"Cough! Cough!! Urgh..."
Reassessing the System's character as utterly vile, I suddenly realized I was bent over, coughing.
"I can... I can still do this... I've endured worse..."
Staring at the blood on my hands, I lifted the students in front of me and headed for the entrance.
And so, the tragedy began.
......
"Cough! Cough!! Urgh..."
Smoke choked the air. Toxic mist of Moon Mana mingled with acrid fumes, blanketing the historic mansion passed down for a thousand years.
"Hah... Hnngh..."
A girl crawled desperately across the floor, now filled with hazy yellow haze.
"Not that way."
"...! Gasp!"
To survive somehow, to not end her wretched life so pointlessly, she crawled on despite her tears. But a low voice startled her, making her suck in a breath.
"Kehk...! Kehk... Cough!"
The toxic gas of Moon Mana and black smoke invaded her nose and throat. She'd held her breath while crawling, but now writhed in agony.
"Pl-Please... sp-Spare me. Spare me."
After writhing in torment, she noticed the man who'd spoken was right in front of her. Tears streaking her face, she begged for her life.
"D-Don't kill... H-Help me... Please..."
"Haa..."
Having inhaled the gut-wrenching poison, her tongue was numb and stiff. Desperate to live, she pleaded with the man before her.
"Stay still. Thrashing makes it hard to lift you."
The man watching her sighed and carefully reached out.
Krunch!
"...!"
But then, an ominous creak came from the chandelier directly above her, and it plummeted at terrifying speed.
"Ah... Ahh..."
Frozen as he watched, the girl sensed death and quietly closed her eyes.
In the end, it was all meaningless.
The days begging fiercely alongside her only sister on the market streets.
The day she bought her first book with money scraped together bit by bit—and learned her sister had covered most of the cost, hugging her and sobbing.
Studying relentlessly to enter Sunrise Academy, then embracing her sister again amid joyful tears.
Precious memories flashing like a panorama in an instant, happy recollections—all futile.
She'd die here, pointlessly and pathetically.
Scorned and mocked her whole life—first by passersby on the streets as a child, then by nobles after entering the academy.
Sis... I'm sorry...
Recalling her sister, thrilled about her new job at the recently opened orphanage in the capital, the girl murmured inwardly as the chandelier loomed.
I couldn't keep our promise...
"Duck!!"
"Hik!?"
But astonishingly, the frozen man bellowed, tackling the resigned girl down.
Crash!
"Agh...!"
The next instant, the chandelier shattered, mixing with the man's agonized scream in a horrific cacophony.
"...Huh?"
Staring blankly, unable to comprehend, the girl realized the man shielding her was trembling violently.
"Um... Are you... okay?"
Kind-hearted, she touched the shuddering man above her and asked, then panicked.
Her once-stiff tongue was now perfectly fine.
"Wh-Who are you? And this is..."
She noticed sparkling mana emanating from his body, enveloping her, and asked in confusion.
"...We need to get out of here. Get up."
But her question was dismissed by the man's cold reply.
"B-But... the smoke... Huh?"
"...Don't make me say it twice."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Confused, she looked around.
The choking smoke that had gripped her was gone; a refreshing sensation spread through her body.
"Th-Thank you... Hek!"
Assuming he'd saved her somehow, she started to thank him but gasped at the staggering man.
"Urgh..."
Blood poured ceaselessly from his horribly mangled body.
His clothes were shredded beyond function long ago.
"Um..."
His exposed skin was covered in burns and wounds from the surrounding flames, masked by blood and ash.
"We have to move... This place'll collapse soon."
"B-But... you... can't even walk..."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me—start moving."
Hearing that, she finally looked at her savior's face.
"What're you doing? Not going?"
"Ah, y-yes..."
His clothes were rags, but he'd kept his mask. Why did he feel so familiar?
"...Damn."
"Hik!"
As she stared blankly at the masked man while walking, the ceiling crumbled, raining flaming wooden planks.
"Curl up."
He tripped the panicking girl, then hugged her tightly as she curled up on his command.
Crack! Crunch!!
"Kuhk!"
Securing her safety, he drew his sword and began batting away the rushing planks.
One. Two. Three.
Suddenly, he screamed while deflecting more.
"Kuhk!"
"Wh-What's wrong?"
"...Nothing."
He claimed it was nothing, but she caught the tremor in his voice.
"...!"
Unable to stay still, she peeked up and spotted the wooden shard embedded in his leg.
"...Get up. We move again."
Yet he rose calmly, leading her outside.
"Puhah... Puhaaa..."
After walking far more, she finally emerged—outside, into life itself, so longed for.
"Um... Excuse me..."
Before relief at surviving, she expelled lung filth and gulped fresh air. Feeling better, she spoke to the man beside her.
"Thank you... Really, thank... Huh?"
But the man who'd been there was gone.
"W-Wait!!"
Looking around in bewilderment, she spotted him heading back inside and desperately blocked him.
"Why go back in? You just escaped...!"
"...Still some kids on the second floor."
"What? You planning to save them all...?"
"Move."
Stunned by his words, she tried to stop him, but he shoved her roughly. She fell, staring blankly as he entered the mansion.
"Ah, Miss Ariane? Where are you going?"
"To help that man."
As the battered Ariane, protected by magic, followed him, the girl cried out desperately.
"Don't push yourself! Please save that man! He's my lifesaver..."
"He's not just yours."
"Huh?"
Ariane added curtly to the tilting head.
"He's the savior of every kid behind you."
"...!"
Only then did she notice the students gathered densely behind her, all staring blankly at the mansion entrance he'd entered.
Coughing, vomiting, burned, wounded—they'd all been saved by one man.
"...Take care of my fainted friend Irina. She passed out fighting the intruders with me."
Ariane entrusted her friend to the dazed girl behind her and entered the mansion.
No deaths yet... So if I just save the ones on the second floor...
Gazing at the toxic gas of Moon Mana and black smoke, and the intensifying flames, Ariane thought as she dragged her heavy feet—then paused.
"But... who is that man?"
Pondering the identity of her rescuer, she murmured lowly.
"...Looked familiar."
His mask had torn briefly during a intruder's desperate attack while saving them from skilled foes.
"No way..."
Those silver eyes were familiar to her—and every student.
"...Not Frey, right?"
Chuckling, Ariane headed upstairs.
Frey saving commoners? The world ending tomorrow sounded more believable.
......
"I-It’s... all my fault... Everything..."
"Please. Take this child and go. I have no chance."
"......"
The masked man and Ariane stared blankly at the scene.
Before them: Lulu deep in self-loathing, a female student collapsed from smoke, and Aris pinned under a wooden pillar—total chaos.
"...You take the self-flagellating girl out. I'll handle these two."
"O-Okay."
After brief thought, the masked man ordered. Ariane nodded urgently, hoisted the still-weeping Lulu, and fled outside.
"Thank you for the help."
Aris, watching, bowed gratefully and continued shakily.
"I'm pinned under this pillar—can't escape. So please, at least take the girl beside me..."
"Heave..."
"...Um?"
As the masked man tried lifting the burning pillar crushing her leg, Aris spoke in panic.
"Don't. If you take me too, it'll be too late. The flames are already..."
"Bite down. This'll hurt like hell."
"Huh? What... Hyaak!"
Ignoring her, he lifted the pillar and hurled it away. Agonizing pain shot through Aris's leg; she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Still got arm strength? Climb on my back. We need to get out."
Gazing at her, he murmured lowly. Aris slowly shook her head.
"No. I don't deserve to escape."
"What're you saying?"
"I caused this mess..."
Sighing, Aris explained. The momentarily frozen masked man forcibly lifted her.
"What do you mean?"
"Um! I don't belong here..."
"Tell me."
He picked up the fainted girl too and left the room. Hesitating, Aris sighed and spoke.
"...I was a hidden pawn of the Moonlight family."
"Oh, really."
Tsking, he replied. Aris sighed.
"Not a pro assassin—just an informant."
"I see."
"I don't know who you are, but seeing you save people... You get how wrong I was. So leave me here..."
"...Dunno. Need more story to decide if I ditch you."
As he navigated the fiery corridor, Aris continued shakily.
"I kept feeding info to the princess, plotting Frey's assassination. But the secret leader didn't trust me."
"What do you mean?"
"Dunno why, but she thought I was leaking info. So she secretly ordered me to kill Frey myself."
"And?"
"Failed. Frey kept spilling food lately. Today, prepping to kill him myself, the pissed secret leader sent the hit squad."
"...So it's the secret leader's doing. Not yours."
He spoke disbelievingly. Tears streaming, Aris replied.
"No... My fault. Botched jobs provoked her, failed assassinations... Put everyone in danger..."
"Weird. How'd she spot the leak? Serena's handling should've been perfect..."
"...Please, drop me now. I don't deserve to escape."
Muttering alone, he smirked at her resolved face.
"Whatever. Confess after we get out. That's atonement."
"N-No... Moonlight family will... Ah."
Dark-faced, she replied, then gaped at the sight ahead.
"Fuck."
The masked man cursed too.
The once-clear exit was blocked by collapsed wood and pillars.
"Hraaaah!!"
Bzzzzzt!
Frozen briefly, he shut his eyes, drew his sword, and unleashed sword energy.
"Wh-What!?"
Shimmering mana sliced toxic gas and demolished obstacles. Stunned, Aris slowly turned to him.
"Who... are you?"
"...None of your business."
He replied curtly and advanced slowly.
Damn... Vitality's bottomed out... No more people inside, right...
Finally exiting with the two girls, the masked man collapsed in the courtyard, breathing raggedly.
"Wh-Where's the Saintess? Where's Saintess Perloché!?"
"...Miss Perloché! Are you there!?"
But urgent voices searching for Perloché came from behind. He bolted up in horror.
"You lot! What do you mean!?"
"We were passed out in the warehouse... She gave us divine power to escape..."
"But Perloché's gone! She said she'd follow soon, go first..."
"Fuck!!"
Panic rising, he scanned wildly.
"Ariane! Where's Ariane!"
"She got crushed by a pillar coming out... Magic saved her life, but massive mana drain—fainted now..."
"...No, you can't die. Game over if you do. No no no."
Panicking, muttering, he steeled himself and whispered to a nearby student.
"My will's in the secret pocket in my bag."
"Huh?"
"Just in case. Remember that."
The next instant, the masked man plunged into the hellish mansion.
"W-Wait!!"
Rumble!!
"...Ah."
The Starlight Mansion began collapsing.
A thousand years of history crumbling to dust.
......
The next morning,
"Miss Perloché!!"
Someone madly rummaged the Starlight mansion, toxic gas cleared.
"Miss Perloché! Where are you!! Miss Perloché!!"
"Princess."
"Perloché!!!"
"...Face reality."
Despite pleas from the imperial investigators, knights, and students involved, Clana dug through rubble till her hands bled. Isolet's cold words froze her.
"Perloché is dead. Thanks to your brilliant plan."
"Ah... Aah..."
Dazed, Clana sank into the debris, bursting into tears.
"I... I just..."
"...Life signs here!"
"...!"
A Magic Tower mage shouted urgently. Clana rushed over, clawing rubble.
"Basement! She must be here!!"
Finding the entrance, hope-filled, she blasted the door with Solar Mana and entered.
"P-Perloché...!! You're al—"
"...Huh?"
Finding Perloché alive inside, Clana ran tearfully—but froze.
"Why... Why won't the life force infuse... Why..."
Perloché clutched someone, weeping.
"Wh-What's... this?"
"Wake up... Please wake up..."
Clana's trembling question ignored, Perloché murmured through tears.
"My fault... Please... Frey..."
Frey Raon Starlight lay as a cold corpse.