"Dammit, this is seriously the worst! Why is this happening to me!?"
While the others were beginning their journey home, Cyan and Egos had been transported back to the city by the Security Force. Having finally regained consciousness, they immediately began bemoaning the misfortune that had befallen them.
As Cyan clutched his head in a state of dazed despair, Egos spat out curses, his voice thick with a mixture of irritation and localized rage directed entirely at Yugo.
"That piece of trash Yugo... How dare he punch me in the face! He’s nothing but a bottom-tier villain, yet he had the gall to defy me, the Protagonist!"
"Who cares about that? We lost something way more important! That pig-faced hag stole our virginity, you know!"
"Shut up! I was trying so hard to block that out! Ugh... I’d spent twice as long as you guarding mine, Cyan-kun! To think we were tricked into giving it up to a filthy crone like that... hurgh!"
As they reflected on the incident and the sheer weight of what they had lost, the air around them turned heavy with a leaden, gloomy despair.
This was especially true for Egos. He had come to this world with the sole goal of living a happy, charmed life, yet he had managed to trip and fall flat on his face at the very first step. The damage to his ego was immense, and as if to kick them while they were down, a notification echoed through their minds.
"Presia Rice's Scenario Route has been deleted. It is no longer possible to recruit her as an ally."
"Guh...!"
They had expected as much, but having the reality thrust upon them in such clinical terms was a bitter pill to swallow. Both men groaned in unison, their faces contorting in pain.
Neither of them had actually harbored any romantic interest in her, but compared to Naruru, Presia seemed like a goddess in hindsight. They both shook their heads to clear the regret, looking at one another to offer hollow words of encouragement.
"It's okay. We're fine. This whole thing was a fluke—it doesn't count. We'll just act like it never happened. What matters is what comes next! Everything starts now!"
"Y-Yeah, you're right! It's just like you said, Cyan-kun! The future is what matters! Once the next scenario kicks off, those girls are finally going to show up!"
The two nodded to each other, their conversation taking on a meaningful, conspiratorial tone. Knowing the future of the Game Scenario, it seemed they had already set their sights on a specific set of characters due to appear shortly.
"They're all charming, but which one are you aiming for, Cyan-kun? It'd be bad if our targets overlapped, so tell me! By the way, I'm taking the oldest sister!"
"Well, all three of them are top-tier Popular Characters. I like them all about the same... but if I had to pick just one, I guess I'll go with the youngest!"
"Oh! Nice, very nice! Looks like we won't be clashing. Since we’re at it, why don’t we find whoever’s targeting the middle sister and form a Three-way Alliance? We’d be able to play the field much more effectively that way!"
As they prattled on about their supposedly bright future, it was clear that neither of them had learned a single lesson from their ordeal.
In their minds, the fallout of their failure was negligible. Aside from the Cooking Club, they believed they could win over the rest of the students using their "Protagonist Charisma," and losing Presia as an ally was a minor setback at most.
After all, Luminous History was packed with many more attractive female characters. They would simply move on to the next targets.
By averting their eyes from the failures that had led to their current predicament, Cyan and Egos were managing to bounce back, despite the lingering mental scars. As they continued to discuss the upcoming characters, the tone of their voices dropped into a lower, more serious register.
"Oh, right. Just to be safe, I wanted to ask you about something, Cyan-kun. Regarding that character..."
"Ah, that guy. I can guess what you’re thinking, and I’m sure the others feel the same way. He... has to go. Permanently."
"I knew it! What a relief! I was worried you’d say you wanted to recruit him, Cyan-kun!"
With terrifyingly light tones, Cyan and Egos laughed as they decided to erase someone’s future.
If there had been anyone present who could understand the context of their words, they would have been driven to despair—not just because these two could decide to kill someone so casually, but because there were many others out there who shared this exact same mindset.
"He's strong, for sure. He's undeniably one of the Strongest Characters in the game. But as long as he's around, our wishes will never come true. That means he has to disappear."
"He'd definitely be a powerful asset, but it’s a problem if he’s so strong that he stands out more than we do. We are the stars. We are the strongest. There’s no room for an overpowered sub-character who’s more reliable than the Protagonist himself!"
As they spoke, they reaffirmed their commitment to their alliance and began plotting their next moves. Egos, a sickening smile creeping across his face, leaned toward Cyan.
"Heh... You know, that guy's little sister isn't a party member, but she is a Capture Character. If I play my cards right, she’ll make a fine addition to my harem!"
"Ugh, that's gross. Think about the age gap, you old man!"
"Come on, who cares? The best part about games is that things impossible in reality become possible! Doesn't it sound fun?"
Their perspective remained entirely unchanged.
To them, this world was a game and they were the Protagonists. Therefore, what was wrong with enjoying themselves however they pleased? This fundamental belief—held by Cyan, Egos, and many other Reincarnators—was likely something that would never waver.
Yugo had once mused that these so-called Hero Candidates were far more loathsome than the masterminds who toyed with people's lives. As it turned out, his assessment was entirely correct.