On a dark room, the individual Alen was before being transmigrated found himself playing [Dragon's Roar.]
At this point, he was in the beginning of the end-game, after another run that failed to meet his expectations of unlocking that secret ending.
Even though he already played through the story multiple times, he still liked to read the dialogs, hoping that they might lead him to a route he has never experienced before.
#^@_: Kaida, you're falling behind compared to your peers.
A pixel-art portrait appeard with a textbox, this character didn't appear to be human, demi-human or elf. Instead, they were a monster of some kind.
Kaida: I've been... having trouble keeping up with everyone.
A pixel-art portrait of the main character, but she looked different, one year older, with longer pink hair, weird marks on her face, eyes that looked different, not only for their shapes but they denoted how much more experienced she became throughout the game.
#^@_: Then I can help you reach the same level as everyone else.
#^@_: But it's a very risky process for a human.
Kaida: I'm willing to take the risk.
Kaida: After all, I have your £*@×-% blood running through my veins.
#^@_: I guess you're right. Only you, descendant of £*@×-% could achieve something like this.
An item appears on the screen, it was a serrated knife with a golden hilt covered in gems of different colors
#^@_: This item will help you permanently advance a tier.
The scene changes, now showing Kaida's full-body sprite. She grabbed the knife and used it to stab herself on her thigh, a bunch of electric bolts came out of her body as she felt how her mana was leaking out.
Suddenly, a generic black silhouette of a woman showed up, inside that silhouette there were five circles. Then an animation of a sixth circle being formed happened
(Ding!)
(Tier advanced)
(5>6)
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I thought I'd never again wake up to an unfamiliar ceiling.
But that's the first thing I saw when I slowly opened my eyes.
Sitting up on this equally unfamiliar bed, I remembered what happened the last time I was awake.
I... failed.
I'll probably be demoted from class S.
It doesn't matter... it just means that I won't be sitting next to Fran...
*Long sigh* I need to start thinking of ways to ascend back into class S.
My right thigh hurts like a bitch... well... I did stab it... and used a chainsaw like spell on it.
"Alen?" A surprised Fran called out to me.
Not giving me enough time to react, she launched herself to hug me.
"You... imbecil" her voice sounded off, as if she was crying "What were you thinking!?"
"What do you mean?" I know what she means, what I don't get is why she's acting like this.
"Teacher Crowbell called the nurses, he said there was an emergency. Everyone followed them, worried of what might've happened" she stopped hugging me.
"And when we arrived. We saw you, on the ground unconscious and bleeding. Teacher Crowbell said that his class got too intense"
It's nice to know that even he can care about others.
"But before the nurses took you here. He said that..." she looked to the side, I already know what she's gonna say, I got demoted to class A as I was unable to win our bet.
"Due to what happened on that class, that will be kept a secret for the time being, you were promoted to rank eleven"
What..?
"Don't you mean demoted?" She has to have sliped her toungue, there's no way.
"I don't know what happened there, but a day after Crowbell said that you were promoted, miss Goldenlaw came out to say that after being told about what happened, your promotion was accepted"
"Wait, a day?"
"You've been asleep for four days"
WHAT!?
Four days... then that means that... it's already started.
"Hmph" she looked to the side puting "I had to stoop so low to the point of coming to see you every day to make sure you weren't dead"
...
"Thanks Fran" I give her a genuine smile, she's my only friend and the fact that she cares about me makes me happy.
"You better be thankful because I'm not planning on doing it again" she closed the distance between us, locking eyes with me "Because you won't end up in a situation like this again, right?"
"I'll try not to end up like this, but I can't promise anything" I told her the truth, after all, we're going to be put on worse situations.
She separated and sat up "Then I'll make sure you don't end up like this"
...
"I-I mean..." she blushed and avoided my eyes, moving her hands on every direction to try to explain herself.
Suddenly a step was heard behind Fran, she turned around, still red and nervous. But her demeanor quickly changed as we both saw who was the one that interrupted us.
"Alen... you're awake... thank god" her red cheeks, heavy breathing that made it hard for her to talk and sweat flowing down from her forehead covered by pink bangs, all signs that showed that she ran here.
"Tch. What are you doing here?" Fran's deadly intent toward Kaida has not changed one bit. "I'd advise you to leave before I kick you out myself, you cursed sinner"
Kaida flinched, still as afraid of Fran as ever "I-I'll leave in a second... I just wan..." that last part couldn't be heard even by the a well-trained ear.
"You what? If you have nothing else to say then leave at this very moment before I-"
"Thanks for coming Thican" since we're still not even acuaintances, I treat her with respect.
After I thanked her she ran away.
"I swear if she keeps getting in between our friendship, I'm going to get her expelled"
"Hahah. You don't have to go that far. Aren't you glad more people care about me?"
"No. Why would I be? You're only my friend"
"M-Y friend" she poked my chest with her index finger.
"What about us?" two male students entered the room.
"Us? At most he's your friend Cecil" a blonde boy standing next to Cecil shrugged off his shoulders "But he isn't even that, you two only interacted once"
"But we interacted on a deeper way, my liege" he calmly exclaimed as he put his hand on his chest "Through our training we got to know eachother, becoming friends after twenty-three long and arduous sessions"
"Whatever you say man..."
Franchesca Von Themys, Theo Der Botcam and Cecil Treyaro, all of them interacting with Alen, with me.
"Thanks for coming Cecil" at this moment I truly feel happy, knowing I have people inside this academy that call themselves my friends, even if it's only just two other students.
"And what are you doing here, crybaby?" she was refering to Theo "Can't go anywhare without your bodyguard? And when he leaves the only thing you can do is to follow him?"
"Don't you dare talk to me like that, you ice-cold barbarian" he got all red from being mocked.
"You deserve nothing more than an acknowledgement of your nobility from me" she was staring daggers at the blonde prince that got scared and proceeded to hide himself behind his bodyguard.
"I'll make you regret what you said, you frigid troglodyte"
Saying that while hiding behind someone strong made him look just a bit pathetic
"Hahaha, that's the spirit my liege" Cecil looked unbothered by the chat these two noble where having... if you could call that a chat.
"Anyways... as per Cecil's request" he takes out a bunch of papers "I noted down what we did on our required classes this last three days you were absent"
"Can I see them?" Without recieving an answer from Theo, Fran quickly snatched them from Theo's hand.
She quickly skimmed through the pages, pretending to read them.
"This won't work" she crumpled all the papers and threw them to the trash bin on the corner of the room.
"What are you doing you cavewoman!? My notes, Cecil pick them up!"
"Haha" Cecil just laughed and slowly made his way to do what Theo ordered him to do.
"Mine are better anyways. So he only needs my notes" she crossed her arms while sounding really intimidating.
The back and forth banter between Fran and Theo continued for a couple of minutes.
At night I was already free to go to my dorm and catch up.
____________
Breathing heavy from all that running the girl had to do.
From Aurum Academy to an alley in the city that surrounds it.
Her objective tonight is to meet a group of classmates from class E.
"What took you so long Kaida?" A student with heavy armor and a lance that was spying from the edge of the alley asked swwing te girl arrive.
"I-I had, some important thing to attend before this"
"Like going to see Alen?" A girl with a bow and a quiver on her back teased the pink haired girl.
"N-no, I mean... y-es, but..." she could feel her face beginning to turn red from embarrassement.
"I don't understand why'd you want to associate yourself with him" a guy with simple armor with a sword scoffed.
"D-don't say that. He's nicer than what the rumours say" someone that stood up for her can't possibly be a bad person, she thought.
"I highly doubt that" the no nonsense personality of the student with a sword reminded her of a gentler version of princess Von Themys.
"C'mon Tirino, she's just charmed by the knight that protected her from that evil princess"
"Yani!" Kaida began shaking her classmate to make her stop saying embarrassing things.
"I truly do pity you though" the heavy armour guy that was keeping watch to what happened outside the alley talked.
"What do you mean Cole?" The embarrassed girl stopped shaking Yani.
"Your rival is princess Von Themys"
"Hmph. I'm sure that Kaida is one hundred percent better than her"
Truly, if she weren't around she'd probably have more chances to approach Alen. And maybe then...
"What are you thinking about that got you this red?" Yani smiled as she teased the girl that couldn't escape her intuition.
"N-nothing!"
"You wouldn't have gotten this red over nothing" she playfully smiled while dodging any attempt at grabbing her from the sinner girl.
"You two stop now! It's time!" Tirino took his sword out of his scabbard.
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