- A few days had passed since the dungeon raid, and the academy was still abuzz with rumors of Leon's team's success.
- One day as they were finishing a late lunch in the cafeteria, a familiar figure approached their table.
- It was Allen, the hero and the Protagonist of the story, his face a mask of simmering resentment.
- His entourage, a group of powerful and arrogant students, stood a few paces behind him.
- Allen looked at Leon, his eyes filled with a cold, piercing hatred that went beyond mere rivalry.
- "We need to talk," Allen said, his voice low and venomous. He gestured toward a more secluded corner of the courtyard. "Alone."
- Leon's friends bristled, but he held up a hand, silencing them. He followed Allen to a quiet spot near a fountain, away from prying ears.
- "You," Allen began, his voice barely a whisper, yet filled with venom.
- "You think you're so special, don't you? Going off on your own, stealing my glory. The dungeon, the S-rank monster... you're always one step ahead. It's like you know what's coming."
- Leon's heart skipped a beat. A flicker of unease went through him.
- How could he know? He had to keep his composure. "I don't know what you mean. We were given a mission, we completed it. There was no 'glory' to steal."
- Allen's sneer deepened. "Don't play coy. This isn't just about missions. This is about everything. The hero is the one who's supposed to get the girl, the saintess, the glory. The story says so."
- He leaned in closer, his gaze fixed on Rose, who was sitting at their table with a look of confusion on her face.
- "You shouldn't be with her," Allen snarled, his voice dropping even lower.
- "She belongs with me. She's the saintess, the one destined to be at my side. But you, you're a villain, a nobody who somehow managed to worm his way in."
- A cold dread settled in Leon's stomach. The words hit him like a physical blow. He knows.
- The game's storyline, the destined path of the protagonist and the saintess... Allen's words were an impossible echo of the game's plot.
- This wasn't just arrogance; it was a deeper, more chilling knowledge.
- The Principality's actions, the changes in the petrification spell, and now this.
- The game's storyline was being twisted and manipulated in ways he couldn't have predicted.
- Leon's mind reeled. Is he also a reincarnator? Is he from my world? The world felt like it was spinning out of control.
- "I challenge you," Allen said, his voice rising, drawing the attention of everyone in the cafeteria. "Aduel. Tomorrow, at the training grounds. We'll see who the true hero is."
- The next day, the entire academy was present to witness the duel between the hero, Allen, and Leon.
- The air was thick with anticipation. Allen, surrounded by his entourage, looked confident, almost arrogant.
- Leon stood alone, his friends watching from the sidelines, their faces filled with worry.
- The duel began with a flurry of motion. Allen, with his heroic stance and powerful swordplay, was a textbook example of a protagonist.
- His every move was filled with an explosive power that sent shockwaves through the ground.
- But Leon was different. He was calm, his movements fluid and efficient, his sword a dance of lethal precision.
- Allen was fast, but Leon was smarter. He dodged Allen's powerful attacks, conserving his energy, watching for an opening.
- He was a master of his craft, his every parry a lesson in efficiency.
- Allen, frustrated by his inability to land a single blow, began to grow more reckless, his heroic rage turning into blind fury.
- "Why won't you fight back?!" Allen screamed, his sword a blur of motion.
- Leon just smiled, a small, weary smile. "I don't need to."
He saw his opening.
- As Allen lunged with a final, desperate thrust, Leon sidestepped the attack with a practiced ease.
- In a single, fluid motion, he disarmed Allen, his sword clattering to the ground.
- Leon's blade, a cold, sharp point, rested on Allen's throat. The hero's face was a mask of disbelief and shock.
- He had lost. And he had lost badly. The crowd was silent, a collective gasp echoing through the training grounds.
- Allen stood there, frozen, watching as Leon sheathed his sword and walked back to his friends. The silence of the crowd was a judgment far harsher than any blade.