The school building was silent at night. A single silhouette moved through the deserted hallway.
He glided through the darkness, his footsteps soundless. This was Zenon Ash—the young man who had just defeated the academy's most hated figure, Hugo Clay, in a duel earlier that day.
True to his name, he was a handsome youth with hair the color of ash. His golden eyes, bright and piercing, stood out against his muted locks. Stopping before a specific classroom, he scanned his surroundings for any observers before slipping inside.
He narrowed his eyes, sensing the presence of others in the room. Voices called out to him from the shadows.
"You’re late. What took you so long?"
"Probably getting showered with praise as the hero who took down that piece of trash, Hugo. I bet he got so caught up in the attention that he figured a little tardiness wouldn't hurt."
"So, Zenon, how did it feel having the lovely Claire in your arms? Or should I call you Seto?"
"Drop it. Don't use that name," Zenon snapped. "I’ve finally been reincarnated into the world of Luminous History as the protagonist; I don't want to hear that pathetic old name ever again."
"Hahaha! Sorry, sorry, my bad. I just wanted to tease you a bit."
"Even so... Zenon Ash? Pfft. Isn't that a name dripping with chuunibyou?"
"As if you guys can talk," Zenon countered. "You’re all in the same position as me!"
A heavy silence fell as the group collectively stifled their reactions. Having had their sore spots poked, they held their tongues. Zenon—or rather, Seto Haino—spoke up again, his voice carrying a note of mockery.
"Well, there's no point in bickering here, is there? We're fellow reincarnators; let's try to get along for a while."
The individuals gathered for this midnight meeting shared a profound secret. Every one of them was a reincarnator from another world. Furthermore, they all knew that this reality was identical to the game they had obsessed over: Luminous History. They weren't just casual players, either; they were hardcore fans who knew the game inside and out.
Not long ago, Seto and the others had lost their lives in various ways in their previous world. Guided by a deity, they had been reincarnated here. They had been allowed to customize themselves as "protagonists"—player avatars—before enrolling in Luminous Academy, the central stage of the story.
Luminous History was the quintessential academy fantasy RPG, featuring a story that branched into a staggering number of routes based on player choice. With hundreds of characters to interact with, the narrative could shift wildly. It was a notoriously complex game; even the most dedicated veterans struggled to map out every ending and flag. Now, Seto and his companions were using their meta-knowledge to fulfill their deepest desires.
"I used my reincarnation bonus to pump my stats, and I set my weapon proficiency to S-rank," one of them boasted. "With a build like this, I won’t be losing to any of the local fodder."
"The rest depends on how close we can get to being heroes by following the scenario," another added. "The real question is: who will reach the best ending as the game's protagonist?"
"Solo play is fun, but a competitive match like this where we fight over achievements seems like it'll be interesting too! There's only one of each character, which means there's going to be a scramble for the top-tier ones!"
"I don’t care about being a hero or reaching the true ending," Zenon interjected. "I just want to live out a harem fantasy at this academy with Claire and all the other cute girls!"
"Ugh, Seto, you’re so gross!"
"Don't call me that! Besides, you guys are exactly the same! You’re actually talking to and touching your favorite characters now; don't tell me you're not expecting to take things further."
Zenon's words drew vulgar laughter from the group. In Luminous History, deepening one's bond with party members allowed for relationships that went far beyond mere friendship. In the original game, there were even scenes suggesting sexual encounters between the protagonist and their lovers. While it was an all-ages title without explicit imagery, the mature atmosphere was considered part of its charm.
Reincarnating into such a world meant they could actually experience those acts. Naturally, the reincarnators held high expectations.
Zenon, in particular, had already begun his move. His primary reason for crushing Hugo today was to claim his favorite character for himself.
"In the original scenario, you're supposed to defeat that piece of trash Hugo about a month after enrollment, right?" one of the others mused. "Moving it forward to right after the start... that's actually pretty hilarious."
"It couldn't be helped!" Zenon defended himself. "If I just let Hugo be, he would have stolen Claire’s first kiss! I absolutely couldn't allow that!"
As they noted, the duel with Hugo wasn't supposed to happen so soon. He was effectively the prologue boss. The "Showdown Event" was meant to trigger only after players had settled into academy life, sparked by Hugo publicly stealing a kiss from his fiancée, Claire Rouge, and reducing her to tears.
Claire Rouge was the game's flagship heroine, the "package girl" designed as the ultimate blonde, refined beauty. To Zenon, who adored her with obsessive passion, the thought of her first kiss being taken by a bottom-tier villain was intolerable. He had intervened early to "save" her from that scripted humiliation.
To Zenon, an enthusiast whose stats were bloated by reincarnation bonuses, Hugo was an insignificant enemy. The other reincarnators were somewhat exasperated that he had cleared the showdown event a month ahead of schedule.
"Don't go deviating too far from the script, man. What are you going to do if Hugo gets buffed for the next encounter because you messed with the timeline?"
"Hah! It's not a problem. That guy's trash no matter how many times you fight him. If he gets a little stronger, it'll just make it more satisfying to crush him, won't it?"
"Ahaha! True! Well, it's a pity for his little brother Fee, but it seems like he's impossible to save regardless. We'll just have to write him off as an unavoidable sacrifice."
The fate originally intended for the man they called trash was wretched. Cast out by the noble House of Clay and stripped of his fiancée and inheritance, Hugo’s descent into ruin would eventually lead him to succumb to demonic temptation. Driven by hatred for the protagonists, he was destined to sacrifice his own brother, Fee, to summon a Demonic Sword. Ultimately, he would be crushed by the heroes, dying in a fit of pathetic, delusional screaming once he realized he was nothing more than a pawn. For many players, watching this arrogant bully meet such a grisly end provided a satisfying sense of justice.
Expecting that they would soon witness Hugo's literal death, the reincarnators ended their discussion.
"Now then, tomorrow marks the start of my lovey-dovey academy life with Claire! To think I get to spend time with her a whole month earlier than planned... I’m seriously so happy!"
"Haha, you really are a creep, Seto. But well, the next month is just the tutorial period where no events happen anyway. Let's focus on deepening our bonds with our targets and getting ready at our own pace."
"I told you not to call me by that nam—well, whatever. I'm in a great mood since I made Claire my fiancée earlier than the game allows, so I'll let it slide tonight. Gufu, gufufufufu...!"
Zenon let out a disgusting laugh that didn't match his handsome face as he fantasized about his upcoming school life. However, he was unaware that his actions had already triggered a massive butterfly effect.
By defeating Hugo a month early, he had inadvertently stopped the final month of harassment that would have driven Hugo's reputation into the irredeemable negatives. For the transfer students who hadn't yet seen Hugo's cruelty firsthand, he was merely a man plagued by nasty rumors rather than a confirmed monster. His social standing was still salvageable.
Most importantly, the "Hugo Clay" currently occupying that body was no longer the villain they knew. A hero-obsessed man named Yugo Kurei had arrived as a different kind of reincarnator—one who had no idea he was inside a game. As Zenon and his cohorts daydreamed about their impending harem fantasies, the gears of the world were already grinding in a direction none of them could have predicted.