'Confusion.'
That was the only word that could accurately describe what I was feeling right now.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of figuring out what was happening. Right in front of me, Brian was charging toward me, raising his wooden sword to strike.
He swung a horizontal slash.
Reacting instinctively, I leapt backward to avoid the attack. Strangely enough, I could move this body with surprising ease—even though my real body rarely exercised and spent most of its time in front of a computer.
"Even if this is only sparring, at least fight me seriously, Raul!"
Again, Brian called me Raul—one of the antagonists in the game I created.
Did I really… switch bodies with that character?
Is that why I can move this body so effortlessly?
Judging from the armband on Brian's shoulder, both he and Raul were second-year students of Grunbelt Academy—an academy that trains the official Knights, Mages, and Priests of the Aragon Empire.
Which means…
This must be the first event in the game Path of Destiny, where Raul spars with Brian during the first swordsmanship class of the elite division.
Brian seemed ready to attack again. From his stance, it looked like he was about to use one of his signature techniques.
What choice should I make?
Should I let Brian land his attack and allow Raul to lose this sparring match?
If that happens, the story route from the game will most likely unfold exactly as written. The nobles would abandon Raul, isolating him from the other students. Eventually, he would sell his soul to a demon in order to gain power to defeat Brian—the Hero.
But if I defeat Brian here, the academy's higher-ups might overlook him and ignore his potential. And Brian plays a crucial role in resisting the Demon Army's invasion that will occur several years later.
So… what should I do?
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a beautiful girl with silver hair watching Brian with worry in her eyes.
She was Ariel de Lusignan—Raul de Garcia's greatest love.
For some reason, seeing Ariel look at Brian with such concern stirred something inside me. My emotions began to rise.
Are Raul's feelings still lingering in this body?
I don't know.
But… I think I'll satisfy your soul, Raul—by beating Brian up a little.
"Prepare yourself, Raul! Here I come!" Brian shouted.
A faint yellow glow began to wrap around his wooden sword.
Temper magic, huh?
One of the enhancement spells that makes objects far stronger than normal.
Brian rushed forward and swung a horizontal slash, immediately followed by a diagonal strike.
I avoided both easily.
But he didn't stop there.
He unleashed a seven-hit combo.
I dodged four of the strikes and parried the remaining three.
"That's impossible! You avoided my entire combo!?" Brian looked shocked.
Well…
I designed your attack pattern, remember?
Of course I know the movements of the techniques you use to fight several of the main villains.
"But don't think this is all I can do! Accelerate!"
Particles of light began to gather around Brian's legs.
He really is talented…
Even most third-year students struggle to properly use basic Accelerate magic.
Brian dashed toward me again—this time moving twice as fast as before.
Tak!
Our wooden swords collided.
A crack appeared in the sword I was holding.
Brian swung again with tremendous force, forcing me to retreat.
I jumped backward to evade the strike, but he immediately chased after me and brought his sword down in a diagonal slash.
Crack!
My wooden sword shattered under the impact.
Seeing my guard completely open, Brian widened his stance and launched another strike—clearly aiming to deal a decisive blow.
Heh…
You're too naïve, Brian.
A faint glow enveloped my hands as I activated Temper magic.
With my left hand, I caught Brian's sword mid-swing.
Then I drove my right fist straight into his stomach.
"Guhhh!"
Brian dropped his weapon and doubled over, clutching his abdomen in pain.
Not wasting the opportunity, I punched his handsome face several times.
He couldn't respond at all.
"Stop! The match is over!"
Hearing the instructor's command, I delivered one final punch to Brian's chin.
The blow sent him flying across the arena, knocking him unconscious.
Ariel and the instructor quickly ran over to check on him. Ariel immediately began casting healing magic.
"The winner of this sparring match is—Brian!"
The instructor glared at me coldly.
"Raul de Garcia, minus thirty points!"
Well…
I knew that would happen.
In sparring matches, the winner is decided if either participant is knocked unconscious—or if their weapon is destroyed.
After finishing Brian's treatment, Ariel walked toward me.
Judging by the expression on her face, she was clearly furious about how badly I had beaten him.
Her silver hair flowed like silk threads.
Her eyes sparkled like precious gems.
Her beauty resembled that of a goddess.
My heart pounded as the unbelievably beautiful girl stood right in front of me.
Ariel de Lusignan.
One of the heroines from the game Path of Destiny that I created.
And seeing her in person…
She was far more beautiful than she had ever looked on a computer screen.
"Why would you do something like that!?" Ariel shouted angrily.
"The match was already over when Brian broke your sword! Didn't you accept your defeat—by someone you always mocked as being beneath you!?"
Tears began to stream down her cheeks.
My chest tightened at the sight.
The harsh words from the woman Raul loved felt like blades stabbing into my heart.
"Why have you become such a cruel man, Raul?"
My body trembled.
I wanted to explain that I had only been defending myself—that Brian had tried to strike me when my guard was open.
But not a single word came out.
As the creator of Ariel's character, I should have been unaffected by her harsh words toward Raul.
But it seemed Raul's emotions were still lingering in this body, making me feel the same pain he once did.
Ignoring Ariel's words, I turned and walked away from the arena.
Even as I left, I could still feel the weight of her hatred staring at my back.
For the first time, I truly understood Raul's emotions when Ariel spoke those cutting words to him.
After leaving the duel arena, I headed toward the noble dormitory of Grunbelt Academy.
This dormitory was reserved exclusively for noble families. The buildings were spacious, and the interiors far more luxurious than those of the common students.
Grunbelt Academy had around two hundred students per year.
Raul belonged to the second-year elite class, which only had twenty students.
The remaining one hundred eighty students were divided into six regular classes with thirty students each.
Once I reached my dorm room, I approached the mirror hanging on the wall.
Reflected in it was a black-haired young man with a cold expression.
Raul de Garcia.
The heir of House Garcia.
One of the antagonists in the game I created—Path of Destiny.
In every scenario of the game, this character survived at most three chapters before being killed by Brian—the main character controlled by the player.
Raul's arrogant, prideful personality eventually drove Ariel—the woman he loved—away from him.
He wasn't particularly talented in swordsmanship or magic either. His abilities were only slightly above average compared to other students at the academy.
However, Raul possessed a unique Blessing known as Villain Destiny.
Blessings were special abilities granted to individuals at birth in this world.
However, Raul often lost control whenever he used this Blessing.
The ability had one major drawback.
The more someone hated you…
the stronger the buff became.
Which means if I want to become stronger, the risk of people wanting to kill me will increase dramatically.
"…If I reach the ending of this game, will I be able to return to my original world?"
I didn't know.
But one thing was certain.
This was my reality now.
I had to survive in the body of Raul de Garcia, avoid every death flag, and ensure that humanity would not be destroyed by the demons.