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The team formation is about to end soon.

I haven’t received any team calls.

“……Why?”

No team calls from anyone.

Unable to accept this situation, I muttered with a dazed expression.

I definitely made a significant result in the mock battle.

Even if my rank is 14th, not at the top.

Sure, I did use some shortcuts!

I even defeated the lazy genius class.

So why isn’t anyone calling me?!

“Sigh, do you seriously not know?”

As I twisted my body while cradling my head in both hands, the person in front spoke up.

Her name is Sharine Sazarith.

She was teaching me the magical inscriptions I requested once again.

“I really don’t know.”

I genuinely don’t.

“Well then, I’ll tell you a little of what the others were saying.”

Sharine straightened her posture from her slumped position at the desk.

Then she coughed and adjusted her voice.

“I don’t think anyone is going to cooperate at all.”

That was a female student’s voice.

“Isn’t the way you fight a bit dangerous? I’m not sure about the magic academy, but for personal battles…”

Now it was a male student’s voice.

“Though your stamina is solid, your offensive capabilities are honestly vague.”

Only then did I understand the whole situation.

“……Is this what they mean by not showing anything compared to what I’ve done?”

“That’s right.”

I had fought thoroughly in personal battle style to achieve results in the mock battle.

And this aspect failed to prove my worth to the other students.

In the magic academy, you encounter two types of beings.

One is the apostles created directly by the evil beings.

The other is the magical beasts that those apostles command.

Naturally, these are far from being human.

This is something second-year students who have already experienced the magic academy are well aware of.

So that put me in a very ambiguous position.

My evasion and durability are excellent.

However, they commonly believe that this alone isn’t enough to progress through the magic academy.

“Ugh.”

I swallowed hard.

In the game, performing well in the mock battle usually results in good teams calling you.

Focusing only on rankings was my downfall.

“Sharine, your team is…”

“It’s full. I’m in it.”

It’s a bit annoying that she’s so smug, but she is the top student in Magic Arts.

There’s no way there could be an opening in her team.

‘Then there was no reason to increase my rank in the mock battle.’

My mind became tangled.

Plans altered yet again due to unexpected variables.

“By the way, what do you mean by lacking cooperation?”

Is there anyone who has as much cooperation as me?

Sharine blinked briefly.

Then she stopped talking and smiled faintly.

Feeling a sense of kindness from her smile, I tightly grabbed Sharine’s shoulder.

“Hey, tell me right now. What’s wrong with my cooperation?”

“I just wasn’t suited for it.”

As I shook her shoulders, Sharine half-heartedly defended herself.

I stopped shaking her shoulders.

How could they not recognize this talent?

If I went with her, the magic academy would be the easiest thing in the world!

‘What do I do now?’

At this rate, I’ll end up on the team the professor assigns.

Naturally, I won’t achieve what I want either.

Just then, I felt a lightbulb go off in my head.

Thinking back, why didn’t I think of this before?

“I can just form my own team.”

I can assemble a dream team.

At this, Sharine looked at me with a strange expression.

“Sharine, explain what that look in your eyes means. Why do you look at a guy with no friends like that?”

“Fighting spirit.”

Sharine weakly raised her hand.

“Even later, when I form my team and come begging to be included, I won’t invite you.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

She didn’t care at all.

Next time, I’ll take all the cream filling out of her cream bread.

Now the problem starts from here.

‘Act 3, Scene 1 – The Second-Year Event and Act 3, Scene 2 – The Mock Battle passed without incident.’

Now begins Act 3, Scene 3.

Lucas, who has grown significantly compared to last year, heads back to the magic academy at the start of his second year.

Building on the experience of defeating the so-called beginner slaughterer apostles in the last magic battle of his first year.

This magic battle goes relatively smoothly, but he encounters a new threat.

‘And soon.’

The Disaster Dragon Maiden.

Nikita’s brother joins forces with the 1st Prince, predicting the horrific incident that is about to occur.

This is a forced event that cannot be stopped, no matter what one does in the game.

An event that is even impossible to evade.

Nikita’s brother is as good as dead because of fate.

‘But right now.’

The Butterfly of Flames has become a reality.

Is it really necessary for Nikita’s brother to die?

While having such thoughts.

To let this world flow according to the canon, the death of Nikita’s brother and Nia Cynthia is indispensable.

That fact leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Because I know all too well that the end of Act 3 is the death of Nikita.

Nikita came to mind.

At first glance, she seems cold, but she has a warmer heart than anyone.

I have seen her break down countless times in the game after losing her brother.

“Sharine.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think you can change fate?”

The world diverged from canon due to Lucas’s death.

I’m just barely keeping it together, holding onto the rope.

This world can no longer follow its original path.

That’s why I am even more afraid.

Every time a new variable is added to a path that has already diverged from the canon.

The road grows ever more treacherous and uncertain.

Eventually, the only advantage I have—my knowledge of the game’s strategies—will disappear.

And I cannot guarantee which direction this world will head in.

My head was filled with hesitation.

Staying here with them, the bonds I formed were constraining me.

‘The reason I approached Nikita was.’

It was the necessity of having a motive to face her awakening as the Disaster Dragon Maiden instead of Lucas.

What about now?

The distant reality I had been turning a blind eye to.

Slowly began to push its way into my consciousness.

“Fate, huh.”

At my casual mention, Sharine began to think more seriously than I expected.

Then, as if she organized something in her mind, she raised her head.

“Fate is a massive lump of destiny.”

In her palms, a huge liquid lump began to take shape.

She squeezed it with her hands tightly.

“No matter how strong a force acts on it.”

Boom!

The liquid quickly returned to its original state.

“It has elasticity, so fate itself doesn’t change.”

In the end, does that mean fate cannot be changed?

“But.”

Sharine began to squeeze the lump of fate again.

In the instant a significant force was applied, the lump of fate could not withstand it and burst apart.

“Everything in existence has a limit; it can only endure so much.”

Not being able to change fate only means that stronger forces could not be applied.

So, one must exert even greater force to break fate.

She was saying just that.

“That’s reckless.”

“To break a massive shackle like fate, it must be reckless.”

There’s some truth to that.

A power capable of changing fate.

Is such power even obtainable?

‘If it’s necessary, I should create it.’

To do that, I returned to Jerion Academy in the guise of Hanon.

Outside the window facing north, I can see the distant mountains.

The Dragon Mountains.

A time that isn’t too far off is approaching.

*

The magic team consists of a total of five people.

Usually, two frontline members.

Two rear guards, and one healer.

‘I’m the frontliner, and Poara is in the rear.’

Poara, a contract partner of the Spirit Sovereign.

In terms of firepower, she could be considered the best.

‘That means I only need to recruit one more rear guard since Poara is already one.’

It’s better to add two more to the front.

‘Now, I need to figure out where to find two frontliners and a healer.’

I started wandering around Jerion Academy.

First, I tried to find second-year martial arts club students.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I have a prior engagement.”

“I already have my team set.”

And of course, most teams were already formed.

Especially the higher-ranking students didn’t even need to be mentioned.

“Are you out of your mind? Who would team up with a loser like you?”

As a test, I asked a group of four girls.

They wrinkled their noses and showered me with insults.

‘No, they’re not really a group of four.’

Then I noticed that one of the girls in the group was missing.

“By the way, where is your fourth member?”

“Fourth member?”

At first, the three girls looked puzzled, but soon realized who I meant and snickered.

The reactions from the three of them felt strange.

I sensed an air of discontent towards Seron from them.

Was there some kind of history?

“They’ll figure it out on their own.”

“Don’t worry about it, right?”

What the heck.

“Why do you have no useful skills?”

“What?!”

“That’s, that’s true!”

I quickly turned my back.

Not long after, I ran into a familiar face in the hallway.

“Ban.”

I called his name, and Ban, who was walking leisurely, turned to look.

To my surprise, Ban raised his hand more warmly than I expected.

“Hey there.”

“Where are you coming from?”

“I was working out a bit.”

Hearing his next words, my lips curled slightly into a smile.

“Are you thinking of trying to win next time?”

A faint smile appeared on Ban’s face as well.

“Yeah, look forward to it.”

The lazy genius had given up his laze.

I’m curious to see how strong he’ll be now.

“By the way, Ban, do you have a magic team yet?”

If Ban were on the same team, I couldn’t ask for anyone better.

“Yeah, Isabel came by the other day and asked me to join her team.”

But he had an unexpected prior engagement.

Surely, Isabel had recruited Ban.

‘Isabel’s team was supposed to be Lucas’s.’

Looks like Ban filled that spot.

If Ban is an alternative for Lucas, he is certainly up to snuff.

Not a bad choice.

“Alright, do well.”

I said goodbye to Ban without lingering.

In the end, I gained nothing from the second-year martial arts club.

‘Should I check out the special first-year class?’

Since there’s Poara from the special class, I wonder if it would work if I asked them for something.

Just as I was heading towards the first-year hallway.

As I turned a corner, someone’s face suddenly popped up right in front of me.

A white forehead blocked my view.

Reflexively, my hand hit the forehead.

Slap!

What a clear sound!

I looked down in surprise at my hand.

“Eek?!”

And the one who got hit in the forehead screamed.

“W-Who the hell are you?!”

A venomous voice echoed.

What a vocal powerhouse.

“It’s me.”

“……Sweet potato?”

She’s still calling me that.

“Why did you suddenly pop up and cause a commotion?!”

“It was you who suddenly popped up, you squished tomato.”

“Who says I got squished?!”

Memory recall has already vanished.

Do I need to refresh her memory?

As Seron huffed, I glanced at the direction she came from.

“Why are you on the first-year floor?”

Seron flinched and hunched her body as if to hide her arms.

“……What does it matter if the transfer students come or not?”

That’s true, but…

“You got kicked out of your friend group, didn’t you?”

Her eyes widened.

Then she blushed as she shouted at me.

“What’s it to you? You think I’m like you! I’m doing just fine!”

Intense denial is often a form of vigorous affirmation.

As I stared straight at Seron, her lips twitched before shutting tight.

Seron has a hot temper.

To be precise, it’s messy.

She tends to clash with anyone who doesn’t make sense.

Since there are many cases where her relationships with people don’t go smoothly.

This results in her often taking the lead among girls.

Though this personality can be good for using someone alongside her, it changes when someone confronts her.

“Did you have a fight?”

For whatever reason, it’s clear that Seron fought with her friends.

Whether my assumption is correct or not, she bit her lip and glared at me.

“It’s your fault.”

“Me?”

“Since I completely lost to you, you’ve swollen my head and now they think I’m weak.”

“They said the same thing after they lost to me!”

“……I was the first to lose.”

So it was.

It was necessary to have someone to bear the brunt, and it just happened to be Seron.

She ended up being sacrificed to relieve their stress.

Seron chewed her lips before she hunched her head.

“No, it’s actually my fault.”

Though her head was down, I could sense that her face was shaking.

“I lost because I am weak, and my personality meant I never became close to them in the first place. I was just a sidekick because I could hold my own a little.”

So she’s aware that her personality is a problem.

It seems she has quite a bit bottled up if she’s expressing this much to me.

“Hey, you’re quite aware of it.”

So I confirmed it.

They say people grow more when validated.

Seron slowly raised her head.

As her astonished expression faded, she grew angry once more.

“…You have no idea what you’re talking about!”

What a bulldog; even when confirmed, she’s still raising hell.

By the way, I think it was her who claimed she had no friends and no girlfriend last time.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

“Surprisingly, I know. And I also know you were peeping at the first-year special class to see if you could join their team since you have no team.”

Seron’s face froze.

Her face turned crimson with embarrassment.

Seron crossed her legs and clutched her skirt tightly with both hands.

Her tightly pursed lips couldn’t contain her embarrassment as a soft huff escaped her nose.

Before long, tears began to form in her eyes.

Uh, she’s crying.

“Are you crying?”

“Yeah, so what!? What are you going to do about it!? The second-year teams are all filled, and the only options left are the ones I’ve fought against, so I can’t even ask them to let me in!”

She shouted while covering her face and sank to the ground.

“Ugh, I’m really getting trampled on even in front of the sweet potato I’ve hated all along.”

I quietly looked down at Seron, who began to cry out loud.

“Seron.”

“What?”

“Let’s make a team.”

Seron peeked at me between her fingers.

I could see her eyes brimming with tears.

“Just like that.”

I left those words behind as I finished heading down the stairs.

Sorry.

No matter how urgent things are, I won’t suggest it to Seron first.

Given her personality, if I propose it first, she’ll likely reject it.

‘If she’s going to join my team.’

I need to prepare her beforehand.

Seron has a messy personality.

But.

My personality is even messier.

Let’s have a pride battle between dirty folks!