---

“…Then can I leave the rest to you?”

“Ah… another failure… dying again, not even as a flatfish.”

It was the same game screen for the umpteenth time.

I let out a sigh as I watched the interface displaying the purple-haired girl slowly closing her eyes in the arms of the protagonist, blood streaming from her lips.

“I feel like I’ve tried everything I could.”

In the game I’m playing, ‘Eternal Fantasy,’ there’s a heroine that you can absolutely never save. It’s one of those popular RPG dating sim games currently trending.

Her name is ‘Stella,’ a character with an absurd level of difficulty, not just in gameplay but in reality.

She’s the protagonist’s childhood friend, one of the Ten Strongest in the continent, and despite her over-the-top setup that makes her seemingly unbeatable, half-way through the game, she entrusts everything to the protagonist and dies alongside the enemy.

No matter how much you try to raise her favorability and pursue her route, she dies around mid-game, fulfilling her role as the protagonist’s awakening turning point and never appears again.

Most of the people who start this game wouldn’t understand why a character is introduced right from the get-go with a blatant “I’m the heroine!” vibe only to get killed off without mercy.

Of course, the other heroine characters aren’t bad, but Stella is my one and only favorite.

With her lavender bob, usually sporting purple hair, but with eyes that shine like starlight when she uses her powers.

At first glance, she might seem aloof and cold, but she’s actually kind and nurturing to everyone, with a personality that exudes a gap-moe charm—seeming chic yet hilariously clumsy.

Everyone would have thought she was the legitimate main heroine. However, aside from a small illustration during the academy introduction, she hardly appears until she dies later on, with only vague, foreshadowing lines like “Oh, I see, it’s you…” thrown around. If that’s the case, they might as well not kill her off! Even at the end of the story, Stella is not mentioned at all.

“What in the world are the game developers thinking, creating such a fantastic character only to toss her aside?”

I’ve been a die-hard fan of ‘Eternal Fantasy’ for three years. I’ve cleared every route and can tackle any challenge.

I’ve figured out every possible pattern and route, even posting a helpful guide on the cafe.

Yet, no matter what I did, there was no route to save Stella.

In a fit of rage, I sent a furious 5700-character inquiry to the developers, questioning, “Is there absolutely no way to save Stella? Don’t you think it’s a pity to throw away such a well-crafted character? Aren’t you at least a little sorry for the person who created her?”

Shortly after, replies came rolling in.

[Player 13, thank you for clearing our game! As a token of appreciation, we are giving you the privilege to enjoy the final DLC file first!]

“…What!? The final expansion pack?” And I get to be the first to play it? This is amazing!

I clicked the link to the play screen without hesitation. Once I received the file, I was left speechless.

A Stella route was added in the heroine’s route! Plus, a brand new skill caught my eye.

“What’s this? Copy? Isn’t this ridiculously overpowered?”

In the regular game, you can choose from various skills at the start. Skills like swordsmanship, magic talent, acceleration, foresight, and a bunch of others, but there was a never-before-seen characteristic slot present.

Of course, I had cleared everything without any abilities so far because it was too easy, but ‘Copy’ is an intriguing and attractive ability, don’t you think?

I thought, “Okay, this might be too easy, but I have to try it,” and just as I pressed the button, a red warning popped up.

[Warning!! Choosing this Unique Trait will force the difficulty to Extreme Mode. Do you still want to select it?]

Extreme mode… does that mean a level beyond the usual five of very easy to very hard?

I mean, with a name like that, it certainly deserves to be tough! As a gamer, I couldn’t resist!

With no second thoughts, I hit yes. The familiar light enveloped the game screen and me, much like in a story.

“…Ba…Nova…Nova!!”

…Wait, did I fall asleep while playing the game? And where am I?

Crack.

Ouch!

“Really? Talking and sleeping at the same time? Do you want to get hit?!”

In the absurd scenario of having already smacked me, I squirmed in sudden pain and lifted my head to see a seven-year-old cute girl glaring at me, hands on her hips.

“Huh? Stella?”

“Yes, you idiot Nova, what are you spacing out for?!”

[The service has started. (3 years until tutorial completion)]

*

Three years had passed since I entered the game world of ‘Eternal Fantasy.’ Fortunately or unfortunately, I seemed to have possessed the body of the protagonist.

And it wasn’t even at the game’s starting point, but rather stuck in the perspective of a seven-year-old commoner in a rural village.

It would’ve been horrendous to possess the body of an unknown extra or have my gender swapped along the way.

But does that mean I have to physically handle the events that are going to unfold? That’s really absurd; if I had known, I would have at least held off on the furious 5700-character rant.

“Nova, are you spacing out again today?!”

“Huh? Oh, Stella.”

Well, on the bright side, I do get to see my favorite character as a child up close. Unbeknownst to me, my lips turned up in a grin.

“…Your gaze is quite unsettling, but more importantly, look at this, Nova! This is my third water droplet!”

Stella, appearing excited, was floating three tennis ball-sized droplets in her palm.

“Oh, you’ve already added one more. Impressive!”

“Hehe, this is easy-peasy! I’m a genius, after all!”

As she spoke, Stella’s joyful expression radiated as she twirled around, clearly embodying the title of a prodigy.

Having been raised with elite training since childhood, Stella was already controlling water elemental magic with freedom.

In this world, magic ranges from Tier 1 to Tier 10. Tier 1 is the awakening stage for non-elemental magic, laying the groundwork to use future magic and materializing magical power.

The next is Tier 2, which Stella is currently using – elemental materialization. It allows her to form fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning elements from her magical power.

Typically, a person can only use one or two elements at most, yet in the story, Stella uses all five elements.

Most students entering ‘Aegis Academy,’ the main setting of the story, start from Tier 2 and above.

Tier 3 is about merging two or more elements to create a new one or enhance existing elements.

For instance, one could fuse water and wind to create ice or enhance fire to produce high-temperature blue flames.

Currently, humanity, including the revered Archmage, manages up to Tier 8.

Hmm, but why can’t I copy yet?

I thought that ‘Copy’ was an ability that disregards someone’s efforts and time, allowing me to rip off everything instantly, yet I couldn’t replicate Stella’s magic.

“Is the ability just not activated yet…?”

“Huh? What did you say?”

Come to think of it, Stella hadn’t activated her ‘Unique Trait’ either. The reason the original Stella was referred to as one of the continent’s ten strongest was not just due to her magical talent.

Stella’s Unique Trait, [Blessing of the Stars], allows her to use various overpowered skills related to the cosmos, thanks to the love of the constellations. She could summon shooting stars to rain meteors or manipulate gravity—ridiculously powerful abilities.

Unique Traits are abilities typically held by noble offspring of magical families or high-ranking personnel in magic towers. My own ‘Copy’ ability is also one of these unique traits. But how do Unique Abilities awaken?

When playing the game, it felt like they were naturally embedded in me. Perhaps I need to reach the academy to access mine?

“Nova. Nova, can you hear me?”

To enter the academy, you need to be 17, so does that mean I’ll be a powerless person until then? That’s just too pitiful; do I have to train my body? Ugh, what a hassle. Wouldn’t I need to copy stats to thrive?

Splash!

Suddenly, water drenched my entire body. Was that from earlier’s water droplets?

“Ugh! Phew! Huh?”

“Nova, why do you keep spacing out? Are you feeling ill?”

Crap, did I get lost in thought? Right now, I should be enjoying this moment, but I have tasks at hand.

“No, it’s nothing. More importantly, Stella.”

“Yes?”

“Where shall we go for fun this time?”

I need to figure out why she’s destined to die. We should deepen our bond to uncover and prevent her death.

“…Haven’t we gone out to play too much lately? I think the Aunt might get mad…”

“Don’t worry. My mom and dad will only come back tomorrow.”

In the story’s setting, Stella, as a baby, was drifting in a basket near the protagonist’s rural village’s river before the protagonist’s mother saved her and raised her together.

Maybe that’s why Stella was loved and raised just like family.

“Okay… sounds good! Then let’s go defeat that wild boar that has been wreaking havoc on the farm!”

“Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“Do you see me as weak? I can handle that wild boar in a single blow.”

Stella puffed out her chest, boasting loudly.

“But that wild boar is so fierce that even the villagers can’t touch it; they just set traps in the forest that keep breaking…”

“Just trust me. Even if it’s dangerous, don’t worry. I’ll protect you, Nova!”

Seeing her smile so innocently, I could only raise my hands in surrender.

“Then you come down immediately if things get risky, okay?”

“Don’t worry! I’ll take that wild boar down in one go!”

“Why are you so eager to take it down? Is it because you’re hungry?”

At that, Stella delivered a solid jab to my arm.

“Ouch!”

“Who do you take for a pig? Recently, the uncle said that the wild boar is inflicting a ton of damage—say it’s some kind of mountain spirit or whatever. If it continues, there won’t be any crops left this winter.”

I had initially thought she just wanted to show off her magic powers, but it was for the villagers? Even if she’s a bit of a brat, she truly has a kind heart. It’s no wonder I love my favorite character so much.

I gently ruffled Stella’s hair.

“What… what are you doing? Stop it…”

Stella tried to swat my hand away, but she accepted it without protest. She looked like she enjoyed it when mom did it last time; clearly, she’s weak to compliments.

“Stella is such a good girl.”

“… You’re just a kid yourself… hurry up and let’s go!”

“Okay, okay, our little one.”

Just then, a cracking sound echoed from somewhere.

Boom!

“Ouch!”

Did I overdo it? This might cause a problem.

 

---