[CRITICAL DANGER]
[SURVIVAL CHANCE: 3%]
[ONE CRYSTAL REMAINING]
[RECOMMENDATION: YIELD NOW]
I could yield. Should yield. I'd already exceeded expectations. Already proven I wasn't a joke but Adrian's words echoed in my mind: "I'm going to humiliate you so thoroughly that no one will ever take you seriously again."
If I yielded now, he'd spin this as mercy. As the hero showing compassion to a foolish villain, I needed one more moment. One more surprise.
And so I activated the third crystal.
Adrian's Celestial Strike flickered as the disruption took effect.
And I used Shadow Step but I did not try to escape, but to close distance between us! I appeared right in front of him, inside his guard, my blade at his throat.
He was so focused on his attacks that he didn't pay that much attention to an already wounded me!
For three seconds, we stood frozen. His disrupted magic crackling around us. My sword pressed against his neck. Close enough that I could see the pure shock in his eyes.
The crowd held its breath almost collectively.
"You're not invincible," I said quietly, just for him. "Remember that."
Then the three seconds ended.
Holy magic exploded outward from Adrian's body, a reflexive burst of power. It caught me point-blank, hurling me backward across the arena.
I hit the ground hard. Rolled like a rag doll and didn't get up.
[HEALTH: 23%]
[MULTIPLE INJURIES]
[CONSCIOUSNESS: FADING]
Through blurry vision, I saw Adrian standing where I'd left him, his hand touching his throat where my blade had been.
The referee rushed over to me. "The duel is over! Hadeon Ravana is unable to continue! Winner: Adrian Celestius!"
Immediately the crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
But underneath it, I heard other voices.
"Did you see that? He got a blade to Adrian's throat!"
"Three times he disrupted holy magic. That shouldn't be possible."
"He actually made Adrian work for it."
"That Hadeon bully lasted five minutes against an SSS-rank!"
[QUEST COMPLETE: DEATH FLAG - THE HUMILIATING DEFEAT]
[OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED: Survived without being humiliated]
[BONUS OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED: Made it a pyrrhic victory for the hero]
[REWARDS: +1,000 Villain Score, Villain Quality Upgrade, Major Reputation Change]
[VILLAIN QUALITY: Mastermind (CONFIRMED)]
[NEW TITLE: The Villain Who Doesn't Know When To Quit]
[SURVIVAL RATE: You beat the 12% odds. Congratulations.]
Medical staff carried me out on a stretcher. As they did, I caught glimpses of faces in the crowd.
Lucille, watching with an expression I couldn't read.
Marcus, grinning like a maniac.
Professor Helena, nodding with approval.
Professor Iris, looking thoughtful.
And Adrian, standing in the center of the arena, receiving applause but staring at the spot where I'd held a blade to his throat.
I'd lost.
But I hadn't been humiliated.
And sometimes, for a villain, that was enough.
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
I woke up in the academy infirmary six hours later.
Everything hurt. My shoulder was bandaged. My ribs were wrapped. Healing potions had taken care of the worst damage, but I'd need a few days of recovery.
Damian sat in a chair beside the bed, looking relieved.
"Young Master. You're awake."
"How bad?"
"Cracked ribs, second-degree burns on your shoulder, mild concussion, and general bruising." He smiled slightly. "The healer said you're lucky to be alive."
"Luck had nothing to do with it." I tried to sit up, winced. "What's the reaction?"
"Mixed. Adrian's supporters are claiming total victory. But everyone else..." He pulled out a stack of papers. "Student opinions are divided. Many are impressed you lasted as long as you did."
[REPUTATION UPDATE]
[PREVIOUS: Unknown Threat]
[CURRENT: Competent Rival]
[ADRIAN'S FACTION: Still hostile, but wary]*
[NEUTRAL STUDENTS: 40% now respect you, 35% curious, 25% still think you're a villain]
[POTENTIAL ALLIES: Significantly increased]
"There's more," Damian said. "Seven students have approached me asking about joining your faction, or side. Four professors have requested meetings with you. And..."
"And?"
"Lucille Nightshade has been waiting outside your room for three hours. She says she needs to speak with you."
[LUCILLE NIGHTSHADE: Recruitment Progress 68% → 89%]
"Send her in."
Damian left and Lucille entered, still in her combat gear. She looked at me for a long moment.
"You're an idiot," she said finally.
"I get that a lot lately."
"You could have died. Adrian's final attack, if it had hit you directly instead of just the shockwave, you'd be in critical condition."
"But it didn't."
"Because you got lucky." She sat down in the chair Damian had vacated. "Why didn't you yield? You'd already proven you weren't a pushover. Why keep fighting?"
"Because if I'd yielded, Adrian would have turned it into a mercy moment. The kind of sparing the foolish bully."
The story would have been about his compassion, not my competence.
"So instead you nearly got yourself killed for something like that?"
"Yes."
She stared at me. Then, unexpectedly, laughed. "You really are insane."
"I prefer to be called a villain."
"What? Suicidal villain?"
Someone who refuses to be a supporting character in someone else's story.
But of course I couldn't say that out loud.
She was quiet for a moment. "I watched Adrian after you were carried out. He won, but he looked... shaken. Like something didn't go according to plan."
"Because it didn't. He wanted to humiliate me. Instead, I made him work. Made him show aggression. Made the crowd question if he's really as invincible as everyone thinks."
"Is that enough? You still lost."
"I lost the battle. But I might have won something more important.. doubt." I looked at her. "Every student who watched that fight saw two things, Adrian can be pushed, and I won't back down. That's more valuable than a victory."
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Silver Tongue]
[LUCILLE IS IMPRESSED DESPITE HERSELF]
"You're either brilliant or insane. I still can't tell which."
"Why not both?"
She smiled a real smile. "Hadeon Ravana, I have a proposal."
"I'm listening."
"I'm not joining your faction as you wanted. I'm not pledging loyalty. I don't follow anyone." She met my eyes. "But I'll work with you. As an independent ally. When our interests align, we help each other. When they don't, we go our separate ways."
"Why?"
"Because you're the first person in years who's treated me like an equal instead of an accessory. Because you were honest with me when everyone else was lying. And because..." She paused. "Because I want to see where this goes. What happens when someone actually challenges Adrian."
[LUCILLE NIGHTSHADE: RECRUITMENT COMPLETE (ALLIED STATUS)]
[LOYALTY: 70% (Independent Ally)]
[RELATIONSHIP: Mutual Respect]
[BONUS: Lucille will provide information on Adrian's movements]
[VILLAIN SCORE: +500]
"Deal," I said, extending my hand.
She shook it. "Try not to die, Hadeon. It would be annoying to lose an interesting ally right away."
After she left, I laid back, processing everything.
The duel was over. I'd survived. My reputation had shifted from pathetic bully to competent rival. I'd gained allies.
[ANALYSIS: DUEL AFTERMATH]
[WINS: Survived, proved competence, gained allies, shifted narrative]
[LOSSES: Still physically weaker than Adrian, made a powerful enemy more cautious]
[NET RESULT: Positive, but it's dangerous]
[ADRIAN WILL NOW TREAT YOU AS A REAL THREAT]
[EXPECT RETALIATION SOON]
A knock at the door. This time, it was Professor Iris that entered.
"Mr. Ravana. That was quite a performance."
"Performance?"
"Don't be modest. You orchestrated every moment of that fight. The disruption crystals weren't just about surviving for you is it? They were about sending a message as well."
"What message?"
"That holy magic can be countered. That SSS-rank isn't invincible. That the one everyone adores can be pushed." She sat down. "You planted seeds of doubt in every student watching. Whether you realize it or not, you've started something."
"Started what?"
"For months, Adrian has been the unchallenged golden boy. Now there's someone who stands against him and doesn't break." She looked at me seriously. "This academy needs that. Someone to provide balance."
"Are you recruiting me, Professor?"
"I'm offering perspective. And perhaps, if you're interested, information." She leaned forward. "I mentioned Adrian has powerful backing. Would you like to know more?"
[CRITICAL DECISION]
[ACCEPT: Gain valuable information, potential professor ally]
[RISK: If Adrian discovers this, Professor Iris becomes a target]
"Yes," I said. "Tell me everything."
She smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Let me tell you about the Council of Fates..."
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
Author's note.
I want to make something clear to my readers. Please it's very important that you don't forget that my main character is inside a book, a story. As such, most things would evolve around the original main character—Adrian. For a while at least.