"What the hell is going on? Even this event went completely off the rails."
"It wasn't just the Gigantes going berserk—why the hell were Yugo and Ryuga the ones who took it down?"
That night, the reincarnators held an emergency meeting to discuss the chaos that had unfolded during the day’s exam. Reflecting on how the event was supposed to play out in the original Luminous History, they wore sour expressions, looking as if they had swallowed a swarm of bitter insects at the sight of yet another deviation.
This exam was a scripted event that existed within the game. By earning points during the trial, a player could raise the Affection Levels of the three shrine maidens. The reincarnators had established a non-aggression pact, competing only after staking their claims on which of the three—Sakura, Setsuna, or Raiha—they intended to pursue.
For instance, those targeting Sakura had planned to defeat as many enemies as possible to demonstrate the martial prowess she valued. Every reincarnator had been moving to maximize their standing with their chosen maiden, but the anomaly of the Gigantes going berserk had left them visibly shaken.
Cyan, who had actually been at the scene (though he had been unconscious and useless the entire time), was consumed by an agonizing anxiety that he had looked pathetic in front of the Warrior Shrine Maidens. He had gone to the trouble of using his game knowledge to butter up Lamy—the faculty member in charge—just so he could make a better impression on the girls. Now, he fumed over his wasted effort.
Egos, the other reincarnator present at the scene, remained composed as he addressed the group.
"Well, what’s done is done. It’s clearly just another case of Zenon’s—or should I say Seto’s—blunders causing a lingering bug in the system. Let’s just assume Ryuga and Yugo defeated the Gigantes to fix that bug."
"How can you be so optimistic?" Cyan snapped. "This could have a massive impact on the story!"
"It’ll be fine. It’s a bit late to worry about the storyline now. Besides, we could have taken that Gigantes down ourselves if we’d really wanted to. More importantly, it doesn’t matter what Scum Yugo does by teaming up with Ryuga. Since we’re the protagonists of this game, Ryuga’s life is in the palm of our hands."
Egos brushed off Cyan’s frustration with casual ease. His aloof attitude was grating, but he wasn't wrong. Ever since Zenon had defeated Yugo without waiting for the proper event, the scenario of Luminous History had been in a state of constant flux. Between that and Isaac’s rampage, there was no point in complaining about the changes now.
The same logic applied to the Gigantes' defeat. As long as one prepared properly and leveled up their character within the game, it was a perfectly achievable completionist element. Defeating the Gigantes would have earned praise from all three Warrior Shrine Maidens at once, but Cyan and the others had deliberately avoided doing so.
Their prior agreement dictated that they would target the maidens individually. If anyone had broken that pact to go for a grandstand play, the other reincarnators would have united to eliminate them. Having seen what happened to Zenon and Isaac, none of them were willing to invite that kind of hostility. They wouldn't have bothered killing the Gigantes even if they could.
Then there was the final, most crucial factor.
In the original game, Ryuga—the man who had supposedly defeated the Gigantes alongside Yugo—was a character who would leave the party permanently unless the player met specific conditions. None of the reincarnators had any intention of meeting those conditions. The storyline they were aiming for was one where Ryuga died, while the other exchange students remained.
Ryuga was undeniably powerful; his victory over the Gigantes proved that much, even if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes. The reason they refused to keep him as an ally was simple: if he lived, he would automatically end up with one of the Warrior Shrine Maidens.
Ryuga and that specific maiden would eventually become lovers. No matter what the player did, that fate was set in stone as long as he drew breath. In short, he was an obstacle. For Cyan and the others, who dreamed of building their ideal harems, they couldn't stand the thought of an NPC stealing "their" women.
And so, he had to die. Fortunately for them, the route where the three Warrior Shrine Maidens and his sister, Yui, remained available was the one where Ryuga met a miserable end.
The reincarnators—who only ever saw eye-to-eye when it came to eliminating "trash" who tried to steal their women—began to deliberate on their next move. Egos spoke up once more.
"We can't change what already happened. The problem is what might happen next. If Yugo and Ryuga get too close and keep interfering, things will get messy. So, I’ve decided we need to tear them apart."
"Tear them apart? How?" Cyan asked. "You think you can just spread some rumors and make them hate each other?"
"There's no need for anything that subtle. I have a much simpler, more effective way. Not only will it sever the bond between Ryuga and Yugo, but it’ll break that eyesore scum so thoroughly he'll never recover...!"
Egos flashed a grin that was nothing short of vile. As the group leaned in, intrigued by the prospect, he laid out his plan with absolute confidence.
"Luckily, the next event is the perfect opportunity. During that event... we’re going to erase Fee. That should ensure Yugo is in no position to hang around Ryuga. We strike exactly where the enemy is weakest for the maximum result. Well? Isn't it a perfect plan?"
The reincarnators caught their breath for a moment at the sheer ruthlessness of targeting Fee—a child who was not only young but completely devoid of combat ability.
However, the fact that not a single person voiced an objection spoke volumes about the depths of their malice.