I'm a Villain in My Own Game?

The following day, after finishing my classes in the academy building, I headed straight for the Duel Arena.

To be honest, I had no idea whether this method would actually awaken Brian's power or not. But... there was no harm in trying.

"Hey, hurry up! The fight between Raul, the Rotten Noble, and Brian, the Monster Hunter, is about to begin in the Arena!"

"You're right. I can't wait to see Brian smash that arrogant bastard's face to pieces!"

I overheard the academy students talking. Apparently, they were really looking forward to seeing me lose to Brian.

Well... It's not as though I wanted their support or anything.

By the time I entered the Arena, the spectator stands were already packed with students from every year. Even several Instructors had come to watch the duel.

From a distance, I spotted Brian entering the Arena with Ariel. They seemed to be discussing something. A moment later, Ariel gave Brian a dazzling smile—the kind capable of making any man envious.

Looks like Ariel just gave him some words of encouragement.

After picking up a wooden sword, I walked toward the center of the Duel Arena. Brian did the same after suddenly wrapping his arms around Ariel in front of all the students gathered in the Arena.

Seeing that scene made my heart burn slightly.

At least I'd gotten used to Raul's jealous heart by now.

"I'll defeat you and make you apologize to Ariel, Raul!" Brian declared confidently.

I ignored his words. Instructor Torun was making his way toward us. Apparently, he would be serving as the referee this time.

"Are both duelists ready?" Instructor Torun asked as he stood between Brian and me.

"I'm ready!" Brian answered.

I simply nodded to indicate that I was ready to fight.

Neither of us bowed to the other to show the customary etiquette of a duel. We hated each other too much for that.

"Begin!"

The moment Instructor Torun started the match, cheers erupted from the spectators surrounding the Arena. Most of the students were supporting Brian, while only a small number of nobles were rooting for me.

Brian's wooden sword began to glow, indicating that he had activated the Temper enhancement spell.

I did the same to my wooden sword.

Brian shot toward me, combining the Acceleration spell with the Charging technique—a method identical to the one the Senior member of the Discipline Committee had previously used against me.

Brian appeared before me in an instant and swung his sword diagonally. I blocked the attack with ease.

But Brian didn't stop.

He suddenly thrust his sword toward my chest with incredible speed.

Thanks to my extensive knowledge of this game, I was able to react to his lightning-fast attack by jumping backward.

"Cih, you managed to dodge that too?" Brian muttered in frustration.

The technique he'd just used was Lunge Attack, a rapid thrust toward an opponent that academy students weren't supposed to learn until their third year.

Had Brian been secretly training with one of the Instructors?

In the game, Brian shouldn't have mastered this technique at this point.

This was clear proof that my existence inside Raul's body was beginning to disrupt the original route of the story.

"A weak technique like that won't work on me."

Hearing that, Brian charged toward me once again. Judging from his movements, it seemed he was preparing to unleash one of his signature techniques—Dancing Sky Dragon.

"Take this! Dancing Sky Dragon!" Brian shouted as he began unleashing his combo.

Slash after slash came at me, but I avoided them with ease because I knew the attack pattern of the technique Brian was using.

After Brian delivered the final slash, I immediately counterattacked, striking his left ribs.

"Agghhh!" Brian cried out in pain as the force of my counterattack sent him flying backward.

"Defeat that commoner, Lord Raul!"

"Nobles are supposed to be stronger than commoners!"

I heard the noble students cheering for me.

But I paid them no attention.

I wasn't fighting for people as pathetic as them.

I slowly walked toward Brian, who was still lying on the ground.

"Is that all you've got? You arrogantly challenged me with a mediocre skill like that. Pathetic!"

I deliberately provoked Brian.

I had to make sure he awakened his Codex during this duel.

"Don't underestimate me! I haven't used all of my secret techniques yet!" Brian shouted as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Accel!"

A faint yellow light appeared around Brian's feet.

Has he already mastered the Accel spell?

Even though he's Brian, I doubted he could maintain the spell for very long.

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Brian shot toward me again, moving twice as fast as before.

Then he leaped into the air.

It seemed he was about to use Leaping.

"Leaping Slash!"

I raised my wooden sword to block Brian's attack.

—Clack!

Our swords collided, and my body was pushed slightly backward by the momentum behind Brian's attack.

"Take this!"

Unsatisfied that I had managed to block him, Brian launched a barrage of attacks at me.

How naive...

He was wasting his stamina on nothing but an obvious series of attacks.

Well... I suppose this was only natural for Brian, who still lacked much combat experience at this point.

I easily evaded his attacks.

"Cih, you've been dodging my attacks this whole time! You're a coward after all, Raul!" Brian shouted, trying to provoke me.

I'm not as naive as you are, blindly attacking without a plan.

Looks like I have to teach you how to land an attack on your opponent.

"Acceleration..."

I activated the speed-enhancement spell.

This time, I would be the one initiating the attack.

Brian immediately prepared himself to respond. He lowered his stance defensively.

I pulled back my right arm, the one holding my sword, deliberately giving Brian the impression that I was about to perform Lunging—a thrusting attack.

My plan worked.

Brian shifted his feet into position, preparing to move his body to the right because he believed I was about to launch a thrust.

I immediately spun my body clockwise and performed a Spinning Slash toward Brian's right shoulder.

His face was filled with shock when he saw me suddenly change my attack pattern.

"Agghhh!" Brian cried out in pain.

I then kicked him in the chest with my right foot, sending his body flying several meters backward.

See?

That's how you're supposed to attack your enemy.

If you can't break through your opponent's defense with Power or Agility, then you have to use feints or tricks to defeat them.

This was common knowledge among veteran Players like me.

"Damn it!" Brian cursed as he rose once again.

He then took a deep breath before slowly exhaling.

This time, he gripped his wooden sword with both hands.

It seemed he was preparing to unleash his strongest technique against me.

Light particles began appearing around his hands and feet once again.

"Raging Blade..." Brian muttered the name of his technique.

Raging Blade was a technique that utilized both Power and Agility.

I had designed this technique as Brian's ultimate move for eliminating his enemies in the game.

His sword strikes would become significantly stronger and heavier without sacrificing the speed of his attacks.

It was an original technique that Brian had created himself.

"Prepare yourself, Raul! I'll make you apologize to Ariel this time!" Brian shouted before charging toward me.

Just as Brian had said, I prepared myself to face his ultimate attack.

One direct hit from that technique would be enough to bring down an ordinary student.

"Haaaa!"

Brian launched his first attack, swinging his sword toward my legs.

I immediately jumped into the air to evade it.

However, Brian continued his assault without hesitation.

He swung his sword vertically from below, forcing me to block it with my own sword.

—Clack!

Our swords collided.

The force behind his swing pushed me far backward.

I landed on both feet.

But Brian immediately pursued me, giving me no opportunity to initiate a counterattack.

With Brian's Power and Agility enhanced this time, I couldn't keep avoiding his attacks forever. I was forced to block his strikes with my sword instead.

—Clack...!

Our swords clashed again.

I once more deflected Brian's attack with my wooden sword.

This isn't good.

If this continues, I'll lose because my weapon will eventually break under his attacks.

I need to break his chain of attacks.

"I'll defeat you, Raul! Take this!"

Brian launched a Horizontal attack.

I lowered my body to evade it before sweeping my leg toward Brian's feet with a Sweep Kick.

"Waaa!"

He fell to the ground.

I immediately kicked his left ribs with all my strength, sending his body flying before it rolled several times across the ground.

"Ugh... Uhhk..."

Brian coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Is that all the strength you've got?" I asked as I walked toward Brian, who was sprawled on the ground.

I then planted one foot on his head.

"You pathetic weakling!"

I kicked Brian's body hard once again.

Come on, Brian.

How long are you going to remain weak and allow the enemy you hate most to humiliate you?

Awaken your Codex already and defeat me!

"Ughhh..." Brian groaned in pain.

The match would not end until one of the participants surrendered or became unconscious.

"Agghhhh!" Brian screamed in pain.

I continued kicking his body like a soccer ball.

"That's cruel..."

"Isn't he already helpless? Why doesn't Raul just finish him off?"

The spectators began sympathizing with Brian.

Apparently, they had already given up on the possibility of Brian defeating me.

I then looked toward the spectators.

More specifically, toward a beautiful silver-haired woman who was watching Brian's battered body with a worried expression.

"Ariel! Why did you abandon me for trash like this?!" I shouted at her while continuing to kick Brian's body.

"Look at this pathetic man you've chosen!"

I stomped on Brian's head, deliberately provoking Ariel.

I hoped that involving Ariel would finally trigger Brian's Blessing.

Ariel began to cry.

She clenched her fists tightly.

Then, all of a sudden, she leaped into the Arena and ran toward us.

---

[Brian POV]

My entire body hurts so much...

Since when did Raul become this strong?

I had even trained with Instructor Torun beforehand to become stronger.

Yet, somehow, none of my attacks had managed to land on him.

It was as though Raul already knew what I was planning.

As though he knew what attacks I was going to use.

As though...

He could see the future and knew exactly how I would attack.

I don't want to lose...

"Brian!"

I suddenly heard Ariel's voice.

The silver-haired woman jumped down from the spectator stands and entered the battlefield.

What was she thinking, entering a duel like this?

"Get up, Brian! Didn't you promise me you'd defeat him?!" Ariel shouted, her cheeks stained with tears.

What am I doing?

Hadn't I promised myself that I would never let Ariel cry again?

"Don't give up, Brian! If you lose now, your dream of becoming a Knight will disappear, won't it?"

Once again, Ariel's words echoed through my ears.

I tried to stand, enduring every ounce of pain coursing through my body.

"Thank you, Ariel... I promise I won't give up against that man!"

I reached for my wooden sword.

Yes...

I had promised myself that I would achieve my dream of becoming the strongest Knight in the Empire.

To defend the weak from the oppression of nobles and protect them from terrifying monsters.

That dream would disappear if I lost to Raul here...

I won't let that happen!

"Hooo~ You still refuse to give up fighting me? Even though you know all of your attacks are useless," Raul said coldly.

"I won't give up, and I won't take back what I said before..."

For some reason, the pain I felt throughout my body suddenly disappeared.

"I will never surrender to any challenge that stands in my way..."

A strange light began illuminating my body.

"Because that is... my Knight's way!"

A strange Mark suddenly appeared on my left hand.

What does this mean?

I don't know.

What I do know is that I will defeat him and make him apologize for making Ariel cry!

"Raaahhhh!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, igniting my body with the flames of determination.

I charged toward Raul once again.

This is strange...

My body feels incredibly light, completely different from before.

What's happening to my body?

I poured mana into the wooden sword in my hand to strengthen it.

A golden light began enveloping the wooden blade.

Right in front of me, Raul was smiling...

What was he thinking?

Raul tried to block my attack with his sword.

—Crack...!

But with my newfound strength, I managed to shatter his sword with a single strike.

Raul's defense was wide open.

I immediately unleashed a barrage of attacks against his body.

This time, he couldn't react to my attacks.

"Take this, Raging Blade!"

I unleashed my strongest attack against him.

Raul's body was sent flying backward until he crashed into the Arena wall.

A crack appeared in the wall from the impact.

Instructor Torun immediately rushed over to check Raul's condition after I struck him with my ultimate technique.

"The winner of this duel is Brian!" Instructor Torun announced.

Silence descended upon the Arena...

"Woahhhh!"

"You're amazing, Brian!"

"What the hell was that technique he used?!"

I heard the spectators erupt into cheers.

But there was only one person's voice I wanted to hear this time.

I turned around.

There was Ariel, crying as she covered her mouth with both hands.

I walked toward her.

"I won ..." I said weakly.

"Yes... You really were amazing, Brian," Ariel replied with a dazzling smile.

Suddenly, my vision became blurry.

My body felt completely drained, causing me to collapse into Ariel's arms.

"I'm so tired, Ariel..."

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