I opened my eyes earlier than usual, about an hour earlier.
"..."
It felt as if I'd woken up from a nightmare.
I had thought that once my revenge was complete, I would feel a refreshing sense of relief, as if I'd been cleansed.
Surprisingly, it was far from a refreshing feeling.
"..."
The first thing that came to mind when I opened my eyes was Mari's tear-filled face from last night.
After confessing to me and being rejected.
Her image, grieving the cruelty of reality, flickered before my eyes.
'Let's get ready….'
I pulled myself together, washed, and changed my clothes.
Although it was a bit early, I finished getting ready and left the dormitory, heading towards the academy.
"Phew…"
Breathing in the cold morning air, I felt my mind clear.
'Why do I feel so unsettled?'
This lump in my chest wouldn't dissipate, even with deep breaths of cool air.
I firmly believed that returning her feelings would cleanly resolve this.
But it wasn't as pleasant as I'd expected.
Why?
…Is it because Mari showed me her true feelings?
…Am I feeling sympathy for her?
While pondering this and walking along the path.
Ding!
[Activating 'Mental Healing'!]
A familiar sensation enveloped my entire body.
It felt as if filth I had been covered in was being cleanly washed away.
'Right…. There's no reason for me to suffer at all.'
My foolishly weakened heart recovered.
'The reason I feel unsettled is simple… I've only finished with one person so far.'
Then, all the distracting thoughts that had been clouding my mind just moments ago vanished.
I recalled the goal I had felt when I first opened my eyes in this timeline.
Those women who had brought me despair and death over the past five timelines.
Those bastards who had trampled my heart and betrayed me.
Even if this timeline also ends in a bad ending, I will return these feelings to them.
"I had a foolish thought for a moment."
Feeling refreshed, I smiled faintly and enjoyed the cool morning air.
And with light steps, I headed towards the academy.
There's no need to hesitate about anything.
Because what I have to do is set.
—
After arriving at the academy, I attended classes as usual until lunchtime.
Meanwhile, my consciousness was always drawn to the classroom door.
'She's not coming.'
To be honest, I was a little bit expectant.
After all, I had definitely confirmed the message that 'Memories of Despair' had activated yesterday before going to sleep.
I was curious to see what attitude Mari, having recalled her memories of the first timeline, would approach me with.
But she didn't come.
"..."
Even after lunchtime began and I waited in my seat for a while, she didn't come.
Why?
I don't know the reason.
Perhaps she simply accepted it and returned to Malcolm.
'Even that wouldn't matter.'
I got up from my seat and picked up my lunchbox.
Just then.
Creeeaaak!
"Emil."
The classroom door, which I had been waiting for to open, swung open forcefully.
However, the one who opened it was not the person I was waiting for.
"Malcolm? What's going on?"
"..."
It was Malcolm who had come.
He had been absent for a while, to the extent that this was the first time we properly faced each other since the incident during the previous swordsmanship practical.
As soon as he confirmed my seat, he immediately approached me.
And then.
"...Shall we move somewhere else? There's something I need to say."
"..."
He looked around, noted the bewildered students, and then spoke.
Let's move.
What could be the reason?
Well, whatever the reason.
"Yes, there's a good place that comes to mind."
Judging by his expression, it seemed like a rather heated matter.
And that was.
What I wanted too.
—
I chose the location.
The place we moved to was the rooftop.
In many ways, it was a place filled with memories for me, both with Mari and with Malcolm.
There would be no better place to have a serious conversation with him than here.
"So, what do you want?"
"..."
After climbing onto the rooftop, I closed the door, turned around, and asked Malcolm.
Malcolm silently stared at me with a hardened expression before cautiously opening his mouth.
"Mari didn't come to school today."
"..."
Hearing his words, I realized why Mari hadn't come.
I see, she's probably still in her dormitory room, gathering her thoughts.
What conclusion will she reach?
As I was imagining what Mari might be doing right now.
Malcolm asked me again.
"Well, don't you have any idea?"
Malcolm's expression seemed to say, 'I know everything, so just tell me.'
As if he wouldn't hesitate to resort to violence if I lied.
That kind of atmosphere permeated.
Of course, regardless of that atmosphere, I intended to answer honestly.
"Ah, yes, Mari confessed to me yesterday."
"...What?"
"And… I rejected her."
"..."
As I truthfully explained the situation to his question, Malcolm's expression changed.
Naturally, for the worse.
Veins pulsed visibly on his forehead as if what he was holding back was bursting forth.
His pupils contracted, and he glared at me with a fierce expression.
And then.
Grab!
Malcolm grabbed me by the collar and pushed me against the wall.
"You bastard, what did you do to Mari…!"
"..."
Malcolm bared his teeth, growling lowly.
His expression was as if he would tear at my throat any moment.
It's familiar.
Before, even in the first timeline, I was beaten by Malcolm with that exact face, right here.
The situation was similar too.
He had relentlessly stomped on me, who was lying with my back against the wall.
Malcolm's violent demeanor was very familiar.
Therefore.
I stared back at him, unmoving, despite Malcolm's threatening actions.
And likewise, I spoke to him quietly.
"Why are you questioning me about that? I told you, Mari confessed to me and I just rejected her, that's all."
"Shut up with your nonsense!!"
Thud!
Malcolm yanked my body once more and pushed me against the wall.
And glaring at me even closer, he spoke.
"Answer honestly, you clearly hurt her somehow. Isn't that why Mari's holed up in her dorm room━!!"
"..."
Malcolm seemed enraged to the point of losing all sense of reason.
His eyes had already lost all rationality.
He'd probably throw a punch at me no matter what I said.
What on earth made this guy so angry?
That Mari hid in her dorm room?
Or the assumption that I had done something terrible to her?
In my opinion, it was neither.
"Pfft."
"...You're laughing?"
It was simple.
Malcolm was jealous.
"Malcolm."
"..."
Just as I had rushed in during the first timeline after seeing him and Mari kiss.
This Malcolm, right before my eyes, was also feeling a sordid jealousy at the fact that Mari had confessed to me.
It was the pathetic struggle of a defeated male.
"You're really quite pathetic."
Therefore, I spoke to him with a sneer.
From the moment he took Mari away in the first timeline.
The words I had always wanted to say to him.
"You bastardddd━!!!"
As if realizing the hidden meaning, Malcolm's face turned beet red, and he raised his fist.
But.
Ding!
[The effect of 'Blooming Talent' is activated! Your senses are sharpened!]
Whoosh━!!
Thump!!
"K-Gasp…!"
It wasn't me, whose collar was still gripped, who felt the pain,
but Malcolm, who had raised his fist.
"You were just about to hit me, so you started it, didn't you?"
"Ugh…!"
Malcolm was slammed onto the floor with an over-the-shoulder throw.
Perhaps because of that, he lay dazed, staring blankly at the sky, gasping for breath.
But I showed him a little mercy.
Instead of letting him be pathetically trampled right then and there, I gave him a chance to catch his breath and attack properly.
"Haa, haa…. You bastard…."
"Haha, do you fight with your mouth? You've been talking way too much since earlier."
"Shut up!!!"
Malcolm, who had briefly gotten up and regained his senses, lost his temper again at my continued provocation.
He rushed at me, eyes gleaming like a beast.
But unfortunately.
This was the 6th timeline, on Easy Mode, not the 1st timeline which was Hard Mode.
Whoosh!
Thud!
"Cough…!!"
I easily subdued the charging Malcolm and drove my knee into his abdomen.
Feeling pain in his solar plexus, Malcolm gasped for air.
"Haah, haah…."
Even after that, the situation didn't change.
Whether this guy was the original male lead or not, there were no longer any buffs for him.
Thud!
Thump!
"Ugh…."
Malcolm was subdued and beaten back every time he charged at me.
This repeated several times.
By now, Malcolm must have slowly realized.
That the reason he was being beaten wasn't just due to bad luck.
But simply that there was this much of a gap between us.
"Haa, cough…."
"Malcolm."
"..."
I looked at Malcolm, who was slumped against the wall, and spoke.
"Do you… like Mari?"
"...Shut, up."
At my question, he displayed immense displeasure despite feeling pain.
His expression was quite satisfying to see, so I smiled.
And then continued.
"Then you can have her."
"...What?"
"She confessed to me, but I'm not interested. So you should try to make things work with Mari."
"You motherf*cking bastard…. Haah, what the…."
This was a small act of revenge.
A repayment for that shitty experience of being pathetically beaten in front of Mari at the end of the first timeline.
Of course, this wasn't enough.
This guy was merely pathetically beaten in front of me.
It would have been good if Mari was here, but since circumstances didn't allow it, I was satisfied with this much.
"Haah, stop bullshitting… haah, even if a bastard like you doesn't say it…. Ugh, Mari…."
Still, Malcolm's reaction was quite satisfying.
Because at the words 'have Mari,' he cast his eyes down with a humiliated expression.
Just seeing that felt like enough.
"Then I'll go. Well, take your time going back once your embarrassment settles. The air is nice here."
"..."
After seeing Malcolm's clenched fist for the last time.
I turned my back and headed for the stairs.
As I walked, I heard Malcolm's low voice, "F*ck…", along with a sobbing sound from behind.
Is he crying?
Over something like this?
I laughed.
Of course, it was embarrassing and humiliating to confidently charge in relying on his own skills, only to get beaten back instead.
But compared to what I had experienced, it was such a trivial humiliation.
Feeling dumbfounded, I left the rooftop.
—
Malcolm stopped crying and remained on the rooftop for a while.
He had no intention of returning to the classroom.
Because it was obvious he would be ridiculed if he went back in this state.
"F*ck…, F*ck…"
Instead, Malcolm sat slumped on the rooftop, spewing curses until dismissal time.
The target of his curses was Emil, who had made him like this.
"That damn bookworm…."
Rage surged within him.
He hadn't liked him from before.
His gaining Mari's attention with the title of top student in their grade.
His meddling in her family affairs and being unnecessarily nosy.
And ultimately, Mari falling for him and fawning over him.
He disliked all of it.
"..."
But he lost to that guy.
"F*ck…"
The fight itself wasn't even a contest.
He clearly wasn't like this during the previous swordsmanship class.
"So all that was an act…. That bastard…."
Rage surged up.
And so, Malcolm spent time on the rooftop for a while.
As Emil had said, he stared blankly at the sky as his embarrassment subsided.
And a few hours later, he heard the voices of students leaving school from outside.
"..."
But Malcolm didn't move from his spot for a while.
He simply waited quietly.
So that he wouldn't meet anyone until he returned to his dormitory.
As he waited, the sun began to set unnoticed.
Soon, the surroundings were enveloped in darkness.
"...Shall I go?"
Only then did Malcolm get up from his spot.
The pain had subsided to some extent, and he got up with an indifferent expression, heading down from the main building.
Even so, Emil's face still lingered in his mind.
'That bastard…. I'll definitely get him back next time.'
To restore his shattered pride, he had to repay it twofold.
Therefore, Malcolm promised himself for the future and left the academy behind.
Just then.
"...Mari?"
As he was walking towards the dormitory.
On a secluded, dark path.
The pink-haired girl, Mari, appeared.
"Ma-Mari…."
"..."
The girl stood there silently.
She didn't respond to Malcolm's call, just stood still.
Clench…
At Mari's appearance, Malcolm felt a surge of indignation again.
"Mari, …I heard what happened."
"..."
"…You didn't come out today because of Emil, did you?"
"..."
Mari still didn't answer.
Normally, she would have confided all her troubles to him, her childhood friend.
Mari simply stood there silently.
Seeing her awkward demeanor, Malcolm realized anew how much she liked Emil.
Then, Malcolm's expression contorted in indignation, and he lowered his head.
"I…"
"..."
"You have me, Mari."
And Malcolm said that with difficulty.
"Don't suffer so much just because you were rejected by a guy like that! After all, it's always been me who's been by your side all this time!"
"..."
"Not Damien, not Emil, but me!"
Malcolm shouted, hoping his words would reach her, who remained silent.
'Yes, Emil. …As you said, I'll have Mari.'
In that moment, Malcolm made a vow.
He thought that since things had turned out this way, it was for the best.
Since Mari was rejected by Emil, he just needed to comfort her by her side and win her heart.
Thinking that, Malcolm approached Mari.
Smoothly…
He placed both hands on her shoulders.
"So… let's go back. From tomorrow, we'll go back to living normally."
In the gentlest voice possible.
He spoke words to comfort Mari's heart.
And the moment Malcolm finished speaking.
"Malcolm…"
Mari, who had been silent all this time, finally opened her mouth.
"Ma-Mari. Yes, it's me. From now on, I'll always be by your side."
At her reply, Malcolm smiled brightly.
Forgetting the humiliation he had suffered on the rooftop as if it had been washed away.
Rejoicing at Mari's voice, he squeezed her shoulders.
And then.
Embrace!
Mari threw herself into Malcolm's arms.
"Mari…."
Is she accepting me?
Malcolm thought that for a moment, his cheeks reddening, and then.
He carefully put his arms around her back.
And buried his face in her hair.
He felt hope.
No matter how humiliatingly he was defeated by Emil and heard miserable words.
If he could ultimately have Mari, then he would be the victor.
"Mari…."
"Malcolm."
But unfortunately.
That was Malcolm's huge misunderstanding.
Shhhhk….
"...Huh?"
Mari didn't embrace him because she was accepting him.
"Malcolm."
Squeeze….
Crunch….
"Ma-Ri…."
The reason Mari entered his embrace was very simple.
If she had been standing apart,
it might have missed.
"Die. Now…."
Malcolm looked down at her, feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen.
And then.
Her empty pink eyes, filled with a curse, looked up at him.