The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 50

Bad Ending. Elder Dragon.

The Summer Demonic Palace Battle.

Nikita, who had mastered the magic of the Elder Dragon, kills the third princess, Iris, in the Demonic Palace with her own hands.

And at that moment, an unexpected turn of events occurs.

The power of the Archdemon, which had resided in Iris, reaches out to Nikita and consumes her.

Nikita’s hatred for the world and the Archdemon’s temptations.

As the two forces intertwine, Nikita ultimately falls into the hands of the Archdemon.

With the magic of the Elder Dragon and the power of the Archdemon, Nikita completely destroys the world.

That is the Bad Ending.

That is the Elder Dragon.

「Lucas junior, I… I just wanted to live freely… To do what I wanted and marry the person I love.」

The tearful cry of Nikita from the Bad Ending in the Blazing Butterfly arc came to mind.

「I hated my life so much that I could toss it away this easily—the life bound to the Cynthia family.」

Nikita Cynthia, born without a shred of magical talent in the prestigious Marquis Cynthia family renowned for their magic, spent her entire life shackled to her family. Her future, too, was entirely dictated by them.

Cynthia family wouldn’t even permit her to hold a sword upright. She was merely a pawn to be used in political marriages.

The title of an imperial marquis is enormous.

This isn’t modern society.

No matter how much effort a daughter might put in, she cannot escape the constraints of her family.

Her brother Nia was the only possible escape for Nikita.

「This must be my sin of leaning on Brother Nia without thinking. My life is something I must carve out for myself.  hen my brother died, I despaired not over his death but over my life, which would remain unchanged.」

Nikita shed frozen tears through the magic of the Elder Dragon.

After witnessing that sight, I played the Blazing Butterfly arc countless times, trying to change Nikita’s fate.

However, in the Blazing Butterfly arc, there was no way to save Nikita.

To be precise, even if there was, Lucas at the time could not achieve it.

A massive fate.

Nikita was destined to die there.

「Every being has its limits, its breaking point.」

I remembered Sharin’s advice.

To break such a colossal fate, one must be equally relentless.

So I waited and waited.

For one way to free Nikita from Cynthia and let her live freely.

For the one way to pull her out of the inevitability of the main storyline.

Now my gaze fell on the present Nikita.

There was no trace of her former kindness.

Consumed by anger and revenge, she was now merely a specter of vengeance.

“Nikita, senior, you don’t look well. Are you okay?”

“Hm? I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”

Nikita replied with the brightest expression I’d seen on her recently.

The flames blaze.

The fire consumes even the tiniest remnants of itself.

Her eyes no longer held any attachment to this world.

“Junior.”

“Yes, Nikita, senior.”

“You’re coming to the Summer Demonic Palace Battle this time, right?”

“Of course.”

Unless you’re a first-year special student, all second-years participate unless their condition severely deteriorates.

“Well, don’t go too deep into the Demonic Palace this time.”

Nikita turned her back as she spoke.

“It’s advice from a senior.”

With that, Nikita walked away.

As I quietly watched her retreating figure, I realized my fists were clenched without me noticing.

* * *

From then on, I worked diligently as a member of the student council.

Preparing so that the students could enjoy themselves before the Demonic Palace tournament began.

Once everything was ready, I noticed some students finishing their meals and heading off to rest.

Among them, some were still eating.

‘Nikita.’

Thankfully, she was in the middle of a conversation with the professors.

She probably wouldn’t have the time to pay attention to this side.

I quietly moved away.

Soon, I found myself standing beside someone who was still eating.

Next to her was a towering pile of plates.

Yet, judging by the way she continued her meal, her appetite seemed far from satisfied.

Even the larger boys had given up and stopped eating.

Her appetite was astonishing.

“Third Princess.”

Standing by her side, I quietly called out her name.

Between her jet-black hair, ruby-like eyes turned toward me.

Those decadent, alluring eyes carried a hint of curiosity.

It was as if she hadn’t expected me to approach her at all.

“I haven’t eaten yet. May I join you for a meal?”

Sitting beside royalty and sharing a meal isn’t something that’s easily allowed.

However, this is Zeryon Academy, a place that prides itself on a certain level of equality.

More importantly, Iris wasn’t the type to be bothered by such formalities.

“Go ahead.”

True to her nature, Iris didn’t stop me.

Instead, she shifted slightly to make space for me.

“It seems you have something to say.”

I hadn’t interacted much with Iris until now.

To be precise, I’d determined that it was too early to get involved with her.

The massive currents surrounding her.

If I got involved prematurely, I’d likely be torn apart.

So, even if I were to work with her someday, I had avoided her until now.

But now, with the Bad Ending, the Elder Dragon, looming ahead, I couldn’t keep avoiding her.

Besides, I’d already made a strong impression during the group competition.

It was time to convey my intentions to her.

“For this Demonic Palace tournament, may I join your team?”

In the original story, Lucas reached Iris’s team just in time to save her when she was in danger.

But with Lucas absent now, none of the students would be able to reach Iris in time.

In that case, there was only one solution.

To be by Iris’s side from the beginning.

Iris’s gaze lingered on me as she bit into a piece of meat.

She’s sharp.

She’d definitely know this wasn’t a casual suggestion.

“That’s a problem.”

Which is why she didn’t give in easily.

“However, if you explain the situation clearly, I might cooperate.”

She might have been intrigued, but she wasn’t the type to offer blind assistance.

Cautious as always—that was Iris.

“There is someone targeting the Third Princess in the Demonic Palace.”

Iris’s spoon paused mid-air.

Targeting a member of the royal family was among the gravest of crimes in the empire.

Not only would the perpetrator’s family face annihilation, but everything associated with them would be eradicated.

Three generations wiped out.

It was the punishment most fitting for such a transgression.

“So, you want to stop it.”

“Yes, I will stop it at all costs.”

Iris resumed eating.

What I’d just said carried a certain level of risk for me as well.

Even though I knew someone was targeting the princess, I hadn’t reported it properly, instead skirting around the issue.

It was nerve-wracking.

If Iris took offense, my life could very well be forfeit.

This wasn’t a game.

There were no do-overs in reality.

“Fine. That’s not too difficult.”

Iris’s reply came more readily than I had expected.

“But if this involves someone connected to you, they’ll recognize you.”

“That’s fine. I have a plan for that. Could you remove one of your usual team members and transfer them to ours instead?”

“A swap, then.”

I mimicked Iris and took a bite of meat.

Perhaps because of the tension, I couldn’t taste anything.

“All right. I’ll allow it.”

With her permission granted, the tension in my chest finally eased.

I was lucky Iris was more accommodating than I’d anticipated.

No, to be exact…

What filled her eyes wasn’t generosity but curiosity.

Iris was watching me intently.

From the fact that I was her cousin, to my team defeating hers and claiming first place in the group competition.

To Iris, I must have seemed like a very peculiar individual.

And now, I had approached her with a proposition.

It was natural for her interest to grow further.

‘Of course, she wouldn’t consider the possibility that she might actually be assassinated.’

That confidence of hers.

It wasn’t for nothing that she was called the strongest royal in history.

But even she wouldn’t be able to handle Nikita once she became the Dragon Girl of Calamity.

‘Originally, Lucas was supposed to stop her.’

But this time, it was my turn to fulfill that role.

“By the way,”

Iris suddenly added,

“There’s only one member on our side with a physique similar to yours.”

Since I’d be joining Iris’s team, someone from her team would have to disguise themselves as me and join ours.

For me, it didn’t matter who it was, as I had the Veil Bandages.

But that wasn’t the case for her team.

“One person, huh…”

Ah.

I realized who it had to be.

“To avoid suspicion, we’ll switch the day before,”

Iris said, a bewitching smile forming on her lips.

“Swap rooms as well.”

Suddenly, everything went dark before my eyes.

* * *

What is life, really?

Why do I have to go this far?

With these thoughts weighing on my mind, I walked down a hallway.

The long hair brushing against the back of my neck was annoying.

My usual black hair was gone, replaced by soft peach-colored locks that fluttered with my movements.

Maybe it was because of this unfamiliar body shape, but even walking felt awkward.

To be precise, the wider hips and heavier upper body were uncomfortable.

I couldn’t fathom how someone could fight with this body.

‘Good grief.’

I muttered curses to myself as I slowly turned my head.

In the window, the reflection of a strikingly beautiful woman appeared.

Her fox-like eyes and slightly upturned lips exuded charm.

Her crimson lips held an allure capable of ensnaring any man’s heart.

The problem was, this face was mine.

I let out a sigh, briefly pressing a hand to my forehead.

This current appearance belonged to none other than Hania Rapididia, the runner-up in martial arts studies and the daughter of the Empire’s Chief Knight Commander.

Always by Iris’s side, Hania was, in her own way, an icon for men.

Not only did she possess stunning looks, but she also knew how to melt hearts effortlessly.

After a few conversations with her, most men ended up completely enamored.

The issue was, it wasn’t just men.

Women, too, were vulnerable to her beauty.

She had an uncanny ability to win people over, even if they were of the same gender.

‘If nothing else, it’s a talent.’

She used her assets to their fullest advantage, turning them into a clear benefit for herself.

Hania was, personally, a woman I found intimidating.

There was something unsettling about her type.

More than anything else…

“Being separated from Lady Iris… How will I manage, as Hania?”

I knew full well who she genuinely cared for.

In the distance, I could see someone wiping away tears while standing next to Iris.

The peach-colored hair had been replaced with short black hair, and her eye color was different too—now a deep red, like Iris’s own, glinting in the light streaming through the window.

That was Hania, disguised as me.

Among Iris’s team members, the only one with a physique remotely similar to mine was Hania.

Seeing her like that, acting all emotional toward Iris in my appearance, felt painfully awkward.

“You’re here.”

Iris noticed me and smiled faintly.

Judging by her expression, she was clearly amused by my hesitant demeanor.

“…Yes, I’m here.”

“Hania doesn’t talk like that.”

“Is that so.”

I couldn’t bring myself to mimic her mannerisms completely.

When it came time to enter the Demonic Palace, I’d have to keep my mouth shut as much as possible.

“Hanon Eirei.”

At that moment, Hania turned toward me and called my name.

The affectionate gaze she had been directing at Iris moments ago was gone.

Instead, her cold, calculating eyes were fixed on me.

“For today, make sure you assist Lady Iris properly. If, by any chance, you do something that inconveniences her…”

Hania left her sentence unfinished.

She simply smiled faintly, leaving the rest to my imagination.

“Hania, don’t be too harsh.”

“Yes, yes, if Lady Iris says so!”

But the moment Iris spoke, the threatening atmosphere instantly vanished.

Hania truly adored Iris.

For her, anything Iris said was law.

Perhaps it was only because Hanon shared blood ties with Iris as a cousin that she reluctantly allowed this.

If she knew I wasn’t Hanon but Vikarmern…

Hania would’ve done everything in her power to stop me, even at the cost of her life.

I absolutely could not let that secret slip.

I vowed firmly.

“Take care of my role, too.”

“Hah, you’d better handle yours properly.”

It was clear she didn’t like me, probably because I had defeated Iris’s team in the group competition.

With a sharp tone, she finished speaking and turned back to exchange an emotional farewell with Iris before leaving.

Even until the last moment, she seemed devastated about having to part from Iris.

But since it was Iris’s request, she had no choice.

“Alright, let’s go.”

At that moment, Iris turned around and began walking away.

“…Are we really going?”

“Hania doesn’t talk like that. Come on, now.”

She once again corrected my way of speaking.

Damn it.

“Are we really going?”

“That’s a bit better.”

Iris said this with a slight smirk.

“Yes, we’re really going.”

Disappointment was written all over my face.

For today, I’d have to live in the girls’ dormitory.