"Ugh... Dammit! Why did it have to end like this!?"
"The event flag changed on us again... We were supposed to be admiring naked girls, not... not that."
Simultaneously, in a particular room, Woz and Torin sat in a state of absolute misery. They had been caught red-handed trying to peep, leading to a scorched-earth lecture from Uno and the rest of the faculty.
It wasn't just the scolding that hurt. Instead of the glimpses of the popular girls they’d been banking on, they had been blindsided by the sight of hulking, muscle-bound men. They were utterly demoralized.
They weren't the only Hero Candidates involved in the peeping attempt, and everyone’s reputation had plummeted across the board. However, the despair radiating from these two was on a different level.
They had tried to play it cool before, claiming they had no Trust left to lose and didn't care about the consequences. But now that they were actually being shunned and subjected to those freezing glares, the weight of it all was crushing them.
"God... It’s fine for the others. They’ve at least got Party Members to comfort them!"
"Our reputations might be in the gutter, but at least they have someone to back them up. Unlike us..."
The penalty for not having a single friend—or a single Party Member—was never more apparent than in moments like these.
Usually, when a peeping scandal broke, the girls would despise you and the guys would look down on you, but there was almost always at least one person who would offer a word of comfort. In the game’s system, your Trust and Evaluation would tank, but on the surface, you’d still have a companion to lean on.
But for Woz and Torin, who had been forsaken by everyone, no such person existed. All they could do was wallow in their shared misfortune and trade bitter complaints.
"Once the School Trip is over, we’re going to get hit with another Penalty. I can't take this anymore..."
"What’s going to happen to us? You don't think... we'll end up with a School Expulsion like Cyan, do you!?"
The punishment was only being delayed because they were currently on the trip. The moment they returned to the Academy, the hammer would fall. They had already been on Uno’s watch list since the last incident. He’d made it clear there would be no more chances.
Given Cyan’s fate after his own blunder, the threat of expulsion loomed over them like a guillotine.
"How did it come to this? All we wanted was to live our best lives as Protagonists...!"
"Losing everyone’s respect, failing to woo the girls, and now a Game Over is staring us in the face... This is the absolute worst!"
Everything had seemed to be going well enough at the start, but then everything had spiraled out of control. Abandoned by their comrades, forced into an Academy Life that was a far cry from a hero’s journey, and now facing a literal Game Over.
Where exactly had it all gone wrong?
As Woz and Torin let out long, dejected sighs, a voice cut through the air.
"Yo. You guys were just talking about me, weren't you?"
"Eh? Whoa!"
"Wait—whaaaat!?"
The familiar voice had barely registered when a Black Darkness suddenly rushed up to meet them. They were swallowed whole, floating in a void. As Woz and Torin shrieked at the impossible anomaly, the familiar voice rang out again.
"Heheh... Don't be so pathetic. Calm down."
With a heavy thud, Woz and Torin hit the floor on their backsides. When they timidly opened their eyes, they saw a face they hadn't expected to see again: Cyan, the man who was supposed to have been expelled.
"C-Cyan? Why are you here?"
"And where the hell are we? What happened?"
They were staggered by his sudden appearance, but even more so by the fact that they’d been warped from their hotel room into an Unfamiliar Space. Cyan flashed a wicked, predatory grin as he looked down at them.
"I was watching you. Looks like you two screwed up just as bad as I did, huh? Facing expulsion with zero allies—it’s a pretty pathetic situation, isn't it?"
"Guh...!"
Cyan mocked them, throwing their own misery back in their faces. Woz and Torin glared at him with pure resentment, feeling like they were being toyed with. But Cyan continued, his tone shifting to something almost inviting.
"I get it. I know how you feel. You’re pissed off, right? Everything’s unfair, everything sucks. If that’s the case... why don't we just tear it all down?"
"What? What are you even talking about—?"
Destroy everything? Woz and Torin looked at him with skepticism, unable to grasp his meaning. They were completely lost—until an overwhelming, terrifying pressure suddenly manifested behind them. They spun around, hearts hammering against their ribs.
"Hehehe... Woz Star and Torin Mathis, I presume? A pleasure to meet you."
"W-who? Who the hell are you!?"
A man cloaked in a suspicious, malevolent aura stood before them. The pressure he radiated was suffocating, leaving Woz and Torin trembling in fear. Cyan stepped forward.
"You're in luck, boys. Just like me, you’ve been chosen by him."
"Chosen? By him...?"
The two turned their gaze back to the mysterious man. The man smirked, bowing with theatrical flair as he addressed them.
"A pleasure. My name is Abyss. I am the Conductor—the one pulling the strings behind the various incidents on this island. I’ve called you here because I wish to scout you as Performers for my Stage. And so—"
The rhythmic clatter of metal rang out.
Woz and Torin’s eyes went wide as a cascade of Metal Fragments scattered across the floor. Abyss looked at them, his eyes gleaming with dark intent.
"—First, let me show you what I’m capable of. Please, feel free to choose any one you like, and try to challenge me."