353: A School Festival??

Our battle against the instructors had been nothing short of grueling.

There was Darius’s insane stamina and raw strength, Chloe’s magic and sharp intellect, and Coco’s absolute, overwhelming protection. And then, there was Teacher Milk’s ironclad will—the sheer determination of a woman who simply refused to lose.

In the end, we were defeated, but strangely enough, I didn't feel depressed about it.

The old me would’ve probably spent hours moping around, pathetically overanalyzing every little reason why we failed.

Wait, no. I wasn't exactly hanging my head in shame, but I was definitely obsessing over how I could’ve actually won.

While I was lost in those thoughts and swinging my sword, that protagonist bastard, Allen, decided to challenge me to a duel for some godforsaken reason.

That was when it finally clicked.

"Weiss, I’m going to work even harder!"

How many times has this guy lost to me now? And yet, here he is, always looking forward and getting stronger.

In other words, losing is just a part of life. Everyone goes through it. It’s impossible to keep winning forever.

I was certain of it now. One day, I would even surpass Teacher Milk.

So, I can’t just keep moping around like a loser. Right, you protagonist bastard?

"Uuugh... It’s my fault Master lost... hic... sniffle..."

Suddenly, I heard a pathetic sobbing sound. Or since it was coming from her, should I call it a "whimper"?

I was back in my own room. Having just finished my daily shower, I looked over to see Debi—no, Malice—wrapped in a cocoon of blankets on my bed, weeping her eyes out.