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Not far from Duke’s Manor, the main street was filled with a bustling clamour.

The attention was drawn to Luke, who staggered along, blood dripping from his head.

“Oh dear! Are you okay?!”

Luke hurried his steps, seemingly unconcerned with the worried gazes around him.

“Damn it… how did it come to this… I need to inform that man quickly….”

The man he thought he could easily overpower was on a whole different level.

It was a catastrophic defeat where he barely managed to keep his life intact, let alone engage in battle.

Though he felt as if he could die at any moment with his grievous wounds, Luke dragged his broken foot nonetheless.

But eventually, with a thud, he collapsed onto the main street, murmuring.

It was frustrating, yet he could only accept it. He was weak; his only hope lay beyond reach.

“That guy is dangerous… Nova said there was another monster….”

*

“…You want to know my name?”

“Yeah… well, um, I want to talk when we meet later, so… how about you come to my place (Magic Tower)?”

Upon her sudden bombshell, the Unknown froze.

“…Huh?”

“…Ah?! It’s not a confession or anything like that! I-I didn’t mean it like that!”

Realizing her earlier words seemed odd, Stella hurriedly corrected herself, her flustered fingers fidgeting.

I had no choice but to cover my mouth… Her adorably bashful side was quite the enticing shock for my favorite heroine.

“I’m just curious about the martial arts you used earlier! And you were using my magic enhancement earlier; how did you do that? It’s supposed to be pretty difficult… Don’t look at me like that! That was a mistake!”

Have I ever seen anyone behave like this while gaming?

The original character I’d seen while playing was the complete opposite: a cold, aloof ice queen.

Her inner solitude and the cool detachment she had toward herself and others were the very factors that made her captivating as a feline heroine.

‘…What is this cute creature…?’

Just the unexpected joy of encountering her before the original timeline had me feeling like this was a gap moe moment.

Should I reveal my identity immediately?… No, if I did, the original flow might get disrupted.

I must avoid any situation where Stella might meet me until at least after entering the Academy.

“Ahem… now’s not the time for this. I’ll go handle things quickly and be right back.”

“Uh, okay! I believe in you, Unknown, and you mustn’t die!”

Even though I felt quite disappointed, I didn’t have the luxury to chat leisurely. Having just started getting closer, Stella left in a hurry. During all this, I exchanged glares with the threat, yet for some reason,

It seemed he didn’t care about Stella passing by, as if he had no interest at all.

“…Finally left, huh. Did we say our goodbyes?”

“Why did you wait? Earlier, you were attacking the princess’s party without restraint.”

“Well, that was part of the mission… Honestly, it’d be troublesome if that mage dies because that’s not what he wants… it’s actually the scenario he’d prefer.”

Grr…

As Stella fully departed, the atmosphere around the threat shifted. Had he been hiding his true strength until now?

I opened my status window to check his stats. Okay, I could clearly see his abilities.

Arhan (LV.???)

Strength: SS

Speed: SS

Intelligence: S

Endurance: SS

Magic Power: A

Being able to see means I can copy his abilities, and even if his body is enhanced by aura,

As for my copy ability, complete replication was possible. The same goes for magic.

So, was Arhen not teaching me about aura usage?

‘But he should’ve taught me… If there’s too much of a gap, my body won’t handle it.’

Still, it wasn’t a problem; as long as the difference in abilities isn’t extreme,

At the very least, I’m nearly equal in physical specs, and anything lacking can be made up with Insight Eye.

I could somewhat use Rune Magic, albeit clumsily… there was nothing about which to be concerned.

“I got it, so shut up and come at me. This time, I’ll make sure to kill you.”

In response, rather than attacking me, he sneered with disdain.

“What’s so funny?”

“Haha… I think I figured out why you were fighting with your fists earlier. It’s been so long I had forgotten.

While your fighting style just now was standardized martial arts, it reminded me of someone.”

“…You remember? You even tried to kill me back then.”

“Could I ever forget… That fight was enjoyable, you know? You, the leader of that adventurer party, were quite a strong opponent.”

Leo, he was the only one I acknowledged and respected as my older brother.

The man who welcomed me as a comrade while I drifted aimlessly after losing Stella, protecting me and Lena until his last moments.

Even though he couldn’t use magic or aura, I had never once defeated him.

“Leo was strong, kind, and an upright man, incomparable to worthless trash like me.”

This world is merely a world within a game. I thought everyone except for myself and the heroines was just an extra.

Breaking free from that delusion, he became a family and brother who taught me how to survive in this world.

While I was engulfed in rage, unable to see anything around me after losing Stella, he always cared about me.

[Hey Nova, why do you look so gloomy? Cheer up, don’t act like you’ve lived your whole life already.]

[…Why do you care about someone like me? It’s my problem; they’re after my abilities and attacking.

Why are you risking your life for me, you fool?]

Countless times he did things I could never understand; he was simply that foolish.

[You stubborn brat… You’re part of the party, and you’re my little brother, so it’s only natural for me to protect you.]

[Who said I wanted to be your little brother? I’m leaving your party; don’t follow me anymore.]

[I don’t like that. I’m trash, after all; I won’t let you leave.]

[Ha… I’m really going to lose it.]

Was he simply foolish, or was he just too pure? I couldn’t fathom why he was such a kindhearted person.

In a world where even keeping one’s life is hard, he ended up dead trying to protect someone he couldn’t abandon.

I thought there was only one such fool in this world, but when I was with them,

I felt as if they filled in the voids I had within me, to the point it was a cozy experience.

“I can never forgive you, the one who killed my family. I will definitely kill you.”

For their sake, I would willingly sever the breath of a hundred and slay a thousand.

Even if my own body became irreparably tainted and I fell into hell, I would not stop.

“Ah… that hatred-filled gaze… the excitement isn’t settling down…. Come! Let’s kill each other!”

I had waited a long time for this day. To kill him, to kill Ned,

And to leave the organization before entering the Academy before the original story begins.

Perhaps encountering Stella here was a stroke of luck.

“You’ll be the one to die; I have a reason to survive, after all.”

I realized there was more left for me beyond just revenge.

*

As I exited the mansion, I immediately detected magic and sensed the princess’s presence.

Perhaps from losing a lot of blood, I felt light-headed, and using teleportation magic was impossible.

“This is troublesome… If someone else ambushes me in this situation, it could be dangerous.”

The grand scheme of kidnapping a princess couldn’t have been executed alone.

At least, there should be some higher-ranking individuals involved. I had clashed with the Akandis a few times.

Just like the princess, there were those who approached, targeting my abilities.

I had fought against those called elite among them a few times, but they hadn’t been particularly impressive.

Most could be easily subdued, yet that grey-haired guy was a different story.

“At that level, it feels almost on par with my Master….”

It was expected, but he clearly seemed to have some energy left. There was that mysterious curse he used on me earlier,

And while he entrusted me to the Unknown, I honestly didn’t know if he could win.

The Duke was currently engaged with the demons emerging from the portal opened at the northern edge,

So it would take some time for him to arrive here.

“I’ve signaled the Duke and the other top ten, but… just hold on a little longer.”

If possible, I hope the Unknown is alive… Why am I thinking like this…?

What’s so appealing about an unknown man whose face and name I don’t even know? Have I grown attached just from being together?

Oh come on… never! Neveeeeer! It’s just basic human decency! I just hope he survives, yep, definitely not!

“I must be going insane thinking about a guy…. It’s just curiosity since we’re both martial artists!”

From those thoughts, as I chased after the princess’s magic, I heard a scream just ahead.

Clearly, there are more reinforcements. My body might not be in peak condition, but this isn’t the time to worry about that.

With magic concentrated in my toes, I leapt with all my strength, my body soaring into the air.

“There! It’s not far!”

At the entrance plaza of the Duke’s Manor, knights were engaging in battle with someone.

Immediately, I reached up into the sky, creating a meteorite to use as a stepping stone for another leap.

Crash… Boom!

Shattering the stepping stone, I was propelled like a missile directly to the scene.

Upon noticing me, the Duchess’s face lit up with surprise, relief, and gratitude.

“Stella, dear! You’re safe…. I’m so glad….”

Tears streamed down Duchess’s face as she hugged the sleeping princess tenderly, revealing a tragic scene, where most of the knights lay unconscious on the ground.

“Did you do this?”

“Wow… that really surprised me! I thought a catapult had hurled something.”

The people here should all be well-trained knights, yet they had all fallen to just one person?

Fortunately, no one had died yet.

Turning my head to look at the man who caused this situation, I doubted my own eyes.

He was in a distinct brown outfit, the kind that starkly contrasted with the country’s clothing, with a peculiar hairstyle.

Was he assisting in the kidnapping of the princess? That shouldn’t be happening, because the man before my eyes—

“…Why are you here…?”

“Oh?… Didn’t expect you, huh?”

As soon as the man laid eyes on me, he lowered his stance. No way… this is dangerous…! Bang!!

In the blink of an eye, a swift kick came hurtling toward my abdomen.

I managed to cross my arms just in time to block it, but my body was sent soaring.

It felt strange, like the kick connected instantly upon release. If I hadn’t blocked it, I would’ve been dead.

“Oh, you blocked that! You’ve got some skills!”

“Ugh… what are you doing? I thought fighting amongst ourselves was prohibited in the Empire? Have you gone mad?”

“Wow… before, you didn’t even acknowledge my presence, yet now you have some spirit, huh?”

From the previous blow, I felt a slight crack in my left arm’s bone.

Yet I had clearly used magic for protection; the sheer destructive force… Just as rumored, he’s a monster.

“That’s why I don’t understand… Why are you doing something so trashy?”

“…Who in the world is he to make you act like this?”

Faced with my unusual reaction, the Duchess hesitated to answer my question. What should I do now?

The man shrugged as though it didn’t matter. Does he mean I can say what I want?

In the end, I opened my mouth; at this point, honestly, it has nothing to do with me,

“…His name is Rio Chen, a disciple of the ‘King of Power,’ one of the top ten, and a candidate for the Hero Party….”

 

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