"Why the hell do I have to wander around with you?! What happened to Elena? Where is she?!"
"That’s my line! Why am I stuck with a guy like you...?!"
Time marched on, and night fell. It was finally time for the night tour that Yugo and the others had been looking forward to.
The attraction was designed to let participants observe nocturnal monsters up close while doubling as a test of courage, but some found their high hopes utterly dashed.
Everyone can probably imagine exactly who those people were.
It was Woz and Torin, the duo who had applied in advance to stay on Shandia Island for the night.
Having anticipated the event scheduled for tonight, the two had come prepared. Yet, to their surprise, the "villain" Yugo and his entourage had somehow ended up staying on the island as well.
To make matters worse, the groups for the tour had been decided without their input, leaving them paired with a fellow Reincarnator for the duration of the walk.
If everything had gone to plan, I’d be with Elena right now. Why am I stuck with this guy?!
Why is Yugo still around?! Between him and this loser, everyone is just getting in my way!!
In their ideal scenarios, they should have been enjoying some private time with the beautiful Elena, their soon-to-be party member.
Instead, they found themselves side-by-side with a hateful rival, competing for her attention.
The thought of two grown men wandering a dark island together was miserable. Honestly, they would have preferred to go alone rather than walk with a person like this.
But when Elena, the one who had made the assignments, told them, "I want you two to go together so you can make up," they had no choice but to comply.
In addition, the night tour was merely the opening act for the event that would follow.
The real show would start later, and Elena's affection level would likely fluctuate significantly depending on how they performed then.
They had made preparations for that moment. Their only real problem was the existence of their rival—their greatest obstacle.
Both Woz and Torin were aiming for Elena. To claim her as their own, they were prepared to give their all in the coming event.
It would be a mistake to separate and lose track of the other before then.
While being in close proximity meant their own actions were being watched, it also offered the advantage of keeping a constant eye on their rival.
With that in mind, the two had decided to simply swallow their pride and endure the situation.
"Dammit...! If I were at least with Melt and the others, this might actually be fun...!"
"Why do we have to let Yugo and the others monopolize the Heroines...?"
Under the circumstances, they could grudgingly accept their current partner.
However, there were other things they simply could not tolerate—namely, the presence of Yugo and his group on the same tour.
It was infuriating—truly, deeply infuriating. They were currently monopolizing all the popular Heroines.
Even though his younger brother Fee was tagging along, Yugo had formed a group with Melt and was currently strolling through the night with her. Ryuga, meanwhile, was paired with his sister Yui and the Warrior Shrine Maiden Raiha.
Well, they could almost tolerate that much (though "tolerate" was a strong word). After the chaos Zenon and his cronies had caused, Yugo’s existence was riddled with bugs anyway, and if Ryuga followed the original story, it wasn't unusual for him to trigger flags with Raiha.
The real issue was Marcos. Why was that guy grouped with Elena, their target?
The fact that the monster Porulu was with them was a small mercy, but why was he, a mere game character, allowed to enjoy the romantic "lovey-dovey" atmosphere with a Heroine—a privilege strictly reserved for the Protagonist?
They had plenty of complaints, and if they could, they would have marched right up to him to give him a piece of their minds. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
The tour was divided into five groups, including Woz and Torin's team. Each group departed at set intervals.
Marcos's group had left first, followed by Yugo, Fee, and Melt’s group.
The two of them were third in line, followed by Ryuga’s group, with the final group consisting of Anhel, Setsuna, and Sakura bringing up the rear.
In other words, if they wanted to catch up to Marcos and complain, they would first have to overtake Yugo and his companions.
They didn't want to admit it, but Yugo was overwhelmingly stronger than them. If he saw them trying to harass Marcos, he would undoubtedly step in to stop them. They knew all too well that if it came to a fight, they would be beaten to a pulp.
Not that I’d actually do it anyway, since Elena’s affection level would definitely plummet if I caused a scene.
If they decided to give up on that and instead wait for the "leftover" group of Anhel and the others, they would run straight into Ryuga’s group.
Ryuga was strong—just as strong as Yugo. They couldn't win. They would lose, definitely. They could only see a future where they were taken out before they even reached Anhel.
To put it simply, they were trapped between Yugo at the Front Gate and Ryuga at the Back Gate.
The fact that they were being sandwiched so perfectly didn't feel like a coincidence; it was clear they were being kept under surveillance, which only made them more bitter.
"Dammit! Why do I have to be treated so coldly even here?! And why do I have to watch Yugo acting all friendly with the Heroines?!"
"I don't know! But no matter what, I’m going to distinguish myself in the next event and show them all up!! I’ll be the one to make Elena my ally!"
"Don't act so tough! Elena is mine! Back off, you scrawny beanpole!"
"You’re the one who should shut up, you loudmouthed idiot! Just stay quiet and watch me succeed! Elena belongs to me!"
If asked why they were suffering like this, the only honest answer was that it was the result of their own past behavior. However, neither of them was capable of the humility required for self-reflection.
As they followed the path through the darkness, bickering in the middle of nowhere, they continued their ugly squabble while desperately wishing for the coming disaster to finally begin.