The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 3

In the ‘Blazing Butterfly’ arc, there are countless bad endings.

Among the worst of these, one that stands out is undoubtedly the ‘Elder Dragon.’

In the northern region of Zeryon Academy lies the Great Dragon Mountain Range.

The elder dragon that nests there is an entity designed not to be defeated.

Thus, the sight of Zeryon Academy, frozen solid after being struck by the dragon’s breath, instills a sense of overwhelming powerlessness.

Therefore, under no circumstances should the elder dragon be made into an enemy.

This is a fact I have come to know all too well after countless playthroughs of ‘Blazing Butterfly’.

‘So.’

Now.

After experiencing the bad ending, who is considered the most dangerous figure?

In Act 3, the one the protagonist is supposed to defeat, and the one who can lead directly to the bad ending involving the ‘Elder Dragon.’

The woman who will wield the dragon’s magic.

She is known as the ‘Dragon Girl of Calamity.’

Currently a third-year student, she serves as the vice president of the student council.

In Act 1, Chapter 1, she was also part of the student council, observing the entrance exam as an assistant instructor.

But, quite unfortunately.

During the entrance exam, she was defeated by none other than Lucas, who had awakened the Flame of Determination.

Since then, she and Lucas have constantly clashed, becoming sworn enemies.

‘In fact, the reason the character I’m possessing, Vikarmern, disliked Lucas so much was because of her.’

Vikarmern liked the Dragon Girl.

I don’t have those feelings now that I’ve become Vikarmern, though.

Nonetheless, it was common knowledge that Vikarmern had feelings for her.

Of course, the Dragon Girl had no intention of returning Vikarmern’s feelings.

Vikarmern knew this well, too.

That’s why he never made a rash confession to her.

In short, their relationship was a one-sided crush on Vikarmern’s part.

‘Cowardly guy.’

He could have at least tried to confess to the girl he liked.

It’s no wonder that, as a villainous extra, his narrow-mindedness is unsurprising.

‘And now, that’s me.’

I’ve never had a one-sided crush, but now I have the history of one.

It’s a good thing I didn’t enroll as Vikarmern.

If I had re-enrolled as him, rumors of being the Dragon Girl’s one-sided love interest would have followed me everywhere.

Now, back to the point.

Vikarmern disliked Lucas, who had a bad relationship with the girl he had a crush on.

The enemy of my love is my enemy.

With that mindset, he relentlessly tormented Lucas.

But Vikarmern went too far.

He made the mistake of targeting Lucas, who was in a group with the princess in the Magic Palace.

Things went wrong in the process, and Vikarmern found himself in a life-threatening situation.

But, like a true protagonist, Lucas even saved Vikarmern, who had been tormenting him.

It was a part that showed Lucas’ character.

Lucas saved Vikarmern, who had been relentlessly harassing him.

In response, Vikarmern bowed his head deeply and apologized for everything.

Additionally.

“If you ever find yourself in danger, I will repay you for saving my life.”

He became a villain seeking redemption, vowing to repay his debt.

However, he had already committed the grave offense of targeting the group that included the princess.

As a result, he was not only expelled from the academy.

He was also disowned by his family.

Originally, Vikarmern doesn’t appear again after that.

You only hear news that he’s living a carefree life somewhere.

‘No one could have predicted that I would return to Zeryon Academy.’

Though it’s Vikarmern’s story, now it’s my story.

The past won’t disappear.

So, if I ever have to act as Vikarmern in the future, I better stick to the script.

‘Anyway, enough about Vikarmern. The real problem is still the Dragon Girl of Calamity.’

The Dragon Girl is a character deeply intertwined with the protagonist’s story.

Even though she and Lucas are sworn enemies, there’s an old saying about giving an extra rice cake to the person you dislike.

In the end, through various events, both Lucas and the Dragon Girl end up developing some affection for each other.

But that affection was nothing more than the developer’s cruel trick.

It was all to maximize the tragedy of the Dragon Girl’s story.

She cannot escape her tragic fate and meets her death as the final boss of Act 3.

Through this, Lucas begins to realize, albeit indirectly, the storm brewing from the imperial succession conflict that the Dragon Girl is caught up in.

‘Thanks to the entrance exam, Lucas was connected to the Dragon Girl from the very beginning.’

The first button had already been fastened.

But what about me?

I transferred to the academy only in the second semester of my second year, right before Act 3 begins.

Naturally, I didn’t participate in the entrance exam, and I have no reason to cross paths with the Dragon Girl.

Even so, I must somehow steer this world, which has already reached a bad ending, towards the true story.

Though the world is already heading towards a bad ending, I must prevent the bad ending involving the elder dragon, which could completely end this world.

‘That’s why I’m joining the student council.’

The Dragon Girl is currently the vice president of the student council.

There’s only one way for me to make contact with her.

I have to join the student council.

So, right after finishing my martial arts class, I was on my way to the student council.

Zeryon Academy’s central building is surrounded by five towering structures.

Each tower is dedicated to one of five fields of study: Martial Arts. Liberal and Military Arts. Magic. Divine Studies. Special Studies.

These towers collectively form what is known as the Zeryon Pentagon.

Suspended in the air, bridges connect the towers to the central building.

Floating above these bridges is a single building where the dean’s office, professors’ offices, and the student council are located.

Thud—

At that moment, I arrived at the bridge leading from the Martial Arts Tower.

Just as I was about to step toward the central building on the other side, something caught my eye.

A gust of wind blew across the bridge, sending flowing strands of silver hair into the air.

Seeing that, I instinctively halted mid-step.

Amid the fluttering silver hair, a girl’s strikingly beautiful face came into view.

Though she was shorter than the character I had disguised myself as, Hanon, a handsome young boy, her proportions were shockingly good.

The reason was her incredibly small head.

Her small face somehow contained delicate features—eyes, nose, and mouth all perfectly in place.

Despite her petite frame, her chest hinted at her maturity as a woman, drawing the eye naturally.

I know exactly who she is.

That’s because she was the very woman I had been looking for.

The Dragon Girl of Calamity.

Nikita Cynthia.

The final boss of Act 3.

‘What a surprise.’

I had planned to go find her myself, but I never expected her to appear right in front of me.

Caught off guard by this unexpected encounter, I momentarily froze.

And then, Nikita and I locked eyes.

There were only the two of us on the bridge of the Martial Arts Tower.

It was natural that we’d meet eyes in such a situation.

As she continued walking toward me, Nikita glanced at me briefly before turning her head away with a cold expression.

At first glance, she seemed indifferent.

But I know Nikita’s true nature.

I didn’t think much of it.

‘Her cold exterior gradually changes as she becomes enemies with Lucas.’

She may appear as cold as her silver hair and looks suggest, but in reality, she has a fierce desire to win and can be mischievous at times.

She’s highly vulnerable to praise, but tough when faced with criticism.

And, despite her petite stature, she’s more self-conscious about her height than people realize.

This is Nikita’s personality, which I’ve come to know all too well through countless playthroughs of Lucas’ story.

Right now, what I’m seeing is just her mask.

Undoubtedly, she’s pretending to be aloof because she’s in front of a freshman.

“Nikita Cynthia, senior.”

So, I called out to her.

I had more business with her than with the student council itself.

Nikita, clearly surprised that I had addressed her, turned back to me, curious.

Her silver hair swayed with the movement, and I could understand why she wore that mask of aloofness—she was stunning.

“I have admired your work in the student council since before I enrolled. I wish to join the student council where you serve, senior Nikita.”

I spoke loudly, bowing deeply.

I felt Nikita flinch at my words.

I didn’t need to see her face to know.

She must be shocked right now.

But I know what’s going on inside her mind.

‘Admiration.’

I know exactly what that word means to her.

And why she’s secretly weak to praise.

I discreetly lifted my eyes to gauge her reaction.

As expected, Nikita’s face showed signs of confusion.

But her lips were trembling slightly.

She is particularly vulnerable to compliments that involve the word ‘admiration’.

My praise had hit its mark, striking her deeply.

Praise can make even Nikita dance!

Already, there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes as she looked at me.

“…What’s your name, freshman?”

Her curiosity quickly turned into interest.

This was my moment to push forward.

To avoid the bad ending involving the elder dragon.

I must build a connection with Nikita, no matter what.

‘By any means necessary.’

As long as it leads to the true ending, it doesn’t matter how I get there!

So, without hesitation, I shouted back at her.

“My name is Hanon Airei! I transferred into the second year as of today!”

Hearing my name, Nikita’s shoulders flinched again.

Because Nikita already knew my name.

At the beginning of Act 3, Chapter 1, Nikita hears a piece of news.

Her older brother, Nia Cynthia, has aligned himself with the First Prince’s faction.

This means the Marquis family of Cynthia has become enemies of the Third Princess.

Hanon Airei is the cousin of the final villainess, the Third Princess.

Though the cousin connection is ultimately meaningless.

Still, you never know.

Naturally, Nikita would have been keeping an eye on me since I transferred.

“Freshman Airei…”

Sure enough, Nikita recognized me.

She had probably just now pieced together the connection between my outward appearance and the princess.

Having finished her calculations, Nikita’s eyes glinted sharply.

“Ahem, hmm… I’m curious why you suddenly said you admired me.”

Still, Nikita didn’t accept me too hastily.

She was wary that I might be a trap set by the Third Princess.

But at the same time, she couldn’t help glancing at me, curious about what praise I had for her.

Cute. So, you’re that hungry for compliments, huh?

Alright, here it comes.

“Then, I shall explain in detail why I admire you, senior Nikita Cynthia.”

Time for a barrage of praise!