Elysia slowly pulled herself up from on top of me. Her long hair, bathed in the moonlight, took on an ethereal, bewitching glow, and a single tear glistened at the corner of her dark violet eyes as she stared down at me. The assertive, commanding aura she had projected since my arrival was gone; in its place was the expression of a frightened child.
It was a sight that brought to mind a haunting image from the original game: "The Student Council President Who Lost Everything."
Honor, trust, and purity—a pitiful girl stripped of them all. Like the other main heroines, she had been fated to follow a path of tragedy toward a miserable end.
("Every student will survive." In the game, that declaration was never fulfilled.)
Elysia had shouted those words to inspire the students during the school assembly.
In the original story, she never achieved that goal. On the contrary, with each passing day, the casualties mounted, and Elysia’s heart slowly began to fracture.
Whenever a death occurred, the surviving students would hurl heartless accusations at her. "Why did they have to die!?" or "This is happening because you in the Student Council are incompetent!" These cruel words further eroded her mental state.
Naturally, the one who stepped in to support her back then wasn't me, but Yuu, the original protagonist.
Though they were in different classes—Elysia in S-Rank and Yuu in A-Rank—they were assigned to the same party. They dove into the labyrinth together, repeatedly saved each other's lives, and fought side-by-side until a firm bond of trust was forged between them. However, that bond eventually twisted into something far more distorted.
(The Elysia in the original game must have been at her breaking point, too.)
I allowed a wry smile to cross my face as I looked up at the girl hovering over me.
The turning point occurred just as the conquest of the Primal Labyrinth reached its midpoint, not long after several Student Council Officers had perished within the depths.
Perhaps she could no longer endure the relentless increase in casualties or the constant barrage of vitriol and blame. Driven by desperation, Elysia turned to Yuu for physical comfort. It was meant to be a one-night mistake—a desperate attempt to maintain her sanity amidst the daily life-and-death struggles and the psychological attrition of the labyrinth.
Instead, it triggered an irreversible tragedy.
Their secret tryst was witnessed by one of the main heroines in the same party—either Ciel or another girl. Consumed by jealousy and anxiety, she fell into a self-destructive despair and fled alone into the deepest reaches of the Primal Labyrinth.
The girl died, and as a result, the hearts of both Elysia and Yuu died with her.
Thus, a depraved relationship was born, where the two of them did little more than comfort one another in a cycle of mutual misery.
(Most players wouldn't suspect that choosing to "embrace her" at that point would lead to the death of another heroine.)
It was an adult game, so naturally, there were plenty of R18-rated scenes.
But no one would expect that giving in to immediate desire would kill off one of the main heroines currently being pursued. In a way, it was a classic honey trap.
The "Depraved Relationship" route for Elysia featured a significant number of intimate scenes compared to other heroines, making it quite popular among a certain segment of the fanbase... but because the mental burden of the story was so heavy, you had to be emotionally prepared to play it.
(Worse yet, if you rejected Elysia in that moment, she would suffer a mental collapse and die instead. I lost count of how many times I thought that was a spiteful choice, so typical of "CHOICE//MAZE"—forcing you to pick which girl to save.)
While I was lost in my memories of my previous life...
"...Forgive me. I lost my composure."
Elysia whispered softly and moved off of me.
I sat up and watched her as she stepped away from the bed. She flushed a bashful red, wiping the lingering tears from her eyes with her fingers. After smoothing out the hem of her disheveled nightgown, she walked toward a nearby table.
"I’ll prepare some tea. I didn't summon you here in the middle of the night just to sentimentalize our reunion. I suppose I should take care of our other business as well."
"...Is that so? I honestly thought the sentimental part was your primary objective."
"Of course it was. How lonely do you think I've been? I feel like I could stay clinging to you for another few hours at the very least."
"............You're joking, right?"
"Fufu, who knows?"
With an enchanting smile, Elysia poured tea into two cups and brought them over.
We sat side-by-side on the edge of the bed, our shoulders nearly touching. Elysia got straight to the point.
"Regarding the class placement results, you'll naturally be in S-Rank. The same as me."
"............I expected as much."
"Hm? You look dissatisfied. Is there some problem?"
"No, it's not that."
I had shattered the crystal and vaporized a training golem. After a display of power like that, it was only natural to be classified as the highest combat asset. However, in my case, being such an outlier could potentially backfire. I shook my head to clear the unease born from my knowledge of the original game and prompted Elysia to continue.
Despite her puzzled expression, she went on.
"—Your three companions will all likely be placed in A-Rank."
I nodded. The results were following the original story exactly.
Class placement at this academy wasn't based strictly on grades.
A-Rank was essentially the main combat force. They were the advance force—the ones who would dive into unknown floors before anyone else, eliminating powerful enemies while pushing toward the core. Yuu and his companions fell into this category.
B-Rank and C-Rank were assigned to the floors already cleared by the advance force. Their primary job was floor maintenance—clearing out the monsters that constantly respawned. While it was unglamorous work, they performed the vital task of preventing monsters from escaping the labyrinth. Naturally, these ranks held the vast majority of the student body.
Then there was D-Rank. Unfortunately, this was where students who weren't expected to be combat assets were assigned. Their work focused on resupply, medical support with potions, and information management. Although almost everyone brought to the academy was expected to fight, the D-Rank students were the outliers. Despite their small numbers, they were the unsung heroes of the operation—healing exhausted warriors and replenishing supplies. They had been a massive help during my playthrough of the game.
Finally, there was S-Rank.
This wasn't just a "top" class; it was a collection of "exceptions." An S-Rank student might be deployed to the front lines with the A-Rank force, or they might be integrated into B or C ranks for floor maintenance. Sometimes they might even work with D-Rank on resupply and logistics.
They were flexible assets that could function effectively in any position. The criteria for placement were simple: sheer ability and family status. Elysia, a daughter of a Ducal House and the Student Council President, was the perfect example.
As I considered this, Elysia took a sip of her tea and let out a quiet breath.
"While we are in the same class, we'll likely be assigned to different units... Hmm, perhaps I should tamper with the paperwork now and make sure your party consists only of men...?"
"...I'd rather not spend my time in a stuffy party full of men, if it's all the same to you."
"Fufu. In that case, try to keep women other than myself or Lene at a distance. When I see them near you, it makes my chest ache uncontrollably."
"...So Lene is okay?"
"She is your personal maid, after all. But I will not permit any others. Absolutely not."
I gave a wry smile at her absolute certainty.
Her love felt incredibly "heavy." While it was flattering to be loved so intensely, it was also a little frightening. It wasn't that I doubted my ability to love her back; it was just that seeing her speak of love with such a high level of dependence made the original Elysia flicker in the back of my mind.
(Well, I just have to make sure things don't end up that way.)
After a moment of silence, I picked up my cup. The aroma of the tea was pleasant, and the faint bitterness was followed by a mellow sweetness that coated my tongue.
We enjoyed the tea in silence for a while before I spoke up.
"Listen, Elysia."
"Yes? What is it?"
"I want to go see the state of the Primal Labyrinth for myself. Can you use your authority to make that happen?"
Elysia didn't answer immediately. Her eyes narrowed as she carefully considered the request.
"...The official conquest hasn't begun yet. Ordinarily, I would have to refuse. —However, you aren't the type of man to ask for something like this without a reason."
After a few seconds of silence, she let out a small sigh and looked me straight in the eye.
"This isn't reckless or impulsive. You have a plan, don't you?"
The corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
"I'm not so narrow-minded that I would doubt my own fiancé. I'll push the request through as a preliminary investigation."
She smiled and leaned into me. Her soft curves pressed against my arm, and her dark violet eyes locked onto mine.
"On one condition—I won't let you go off on your own. I'm coming with you. I assume you have no objections?"
Her voice, sweet yet filled with a dignified authority, echoed through the room.