Sickly Girl, but a Drug Addict

When you play a game, there comes a moment at least once.

A moment that definitely comes at least once,

the ‘event where you must lose.’

Occasionally, some rotten water splashes out and performs the feat of overcoming even this, but most players absolutely cannot defeat the enemy that appears at this stage.

A formidable opponent you can barely meet toward the end of the story. Or the final boss.

It simply doesn’t make sense to win with an early-game squad.

“Impressive.”

I’m fucking impressed too.

I’m so surprised that I want to ask why you’re popping up here.

“To think you’d come down here. As expected of Flash Black. Your boldness is extraordinary.”

Black’s legs are trembling about five times more than when she faced the two bulky men earlier, having seen the red gleaming eyes in the darkness.

She’s been intimidated by the pressure emanating from the opponent’s body.

And understandably so.

The figure currently staring at us with only a silhouette and glowing eyes visible in the darkness is the final boss of Day-R.

The Fire Sword Ghost.

I’ve fought him countless times in the final battle on D-Day.

Whether it was then, when he had grown enormously and was devouring the world, or now, his presence is tremendous.

It’s like he’s shouting “I am the final boss” directly into your heart.

‘Why on earth is such a boss here…’

In the original, the Fire Sword Ghost could only ever be found in rumors.

Through clues left at scenes, you could investigate what experiments he was conducting and what purpose he was moving with.

But directly encountering him was only at the very end.

Only when just days remained before D-Day.

Yet now this final boss is looking at me and Black with curious eyes.

From a distance of less than twenty steps away.

‘Black…’

She won’t be able to move right now.

The Fire Sword Ghost moves around with a massive aura that extends for tens of meters.

It’s a weakening aura that continuously intimidates Athenas.

The weakening aura, ‘Dominance.’

————————————————

<< Shana Midgard >>

Regin Academy / Aesir Dormitory / 2nd Year

— Enhancement effect ‘Vermilion Heart’ active

(Time remaining: 39 days 1 hour 15 minutes)

— Weakening effect ‘Impulse Lv7’ active

— Weakening effect ‘Knee Fracture Lv5’ active

— Weakening effect ‘Difficulty Breathing Lv8’ active

— Weakening effect ‘Dominance Lv??’ active

[ Status ]

Vitality 0/12

————————————————

Unlike other weakening effects that are rated from level 1 to 9,

the Dominance cast by the Fire Sword Ghost has an infinite level.

It’s essentially the strongest weakening effect that cannot be resisted.

There’s only one thing that can nullify such Dominance.

That’s the relationship level with the professor.

But Black enrolled this year and has only spent 7 days at the academy.

She hasn’t had time to build a relationship with Professor Yggdrasil.

‘It’s not just any relationship… you need to reach relationship level 9, and there’s no way that could happen now…’

To make matters worse,

I’ve also recently lost a significant amount of favor with Professor Yggdrasil.

Thanks to the enhancement effect of Vermilion Heart, my mind is clear, but my body isn’t.

If the Ghost told me to stab the professor, I really would.

Ah.

But my body is in such a terrible state that I can’t do anything anyway?

Is that actually fortunate?

“Uh… uh… ugh….”

Seeing Black frozen completely and only letting out moans, the Fire Sword Ghost rounds his eye corners.

“How cute.”

He’s noticed that Black has fallen under his aura.

“Come here.”

“Ah. Ugh…!”

Black’s body suddenly lurches forward.

Caught by something invisible, her body is dragged and then plops down.

Still holding me, she is forced to kneel before the Fire Sword Ghost.

“Put down the girl you’re holding.”

“Ah… ugh. N-no…!”

Black, affected by Dominance, slowly put me down.

The floor seemed hard and cold.

…Probably.

“Step back and leave this place, Black.”

“No… no. I can’t…!”

“Now.”

“Ugh… ack…!”

Black tried to resist the Ghost’s Dominance.

But it was useless.

He’s not a boss that can be withstood by her mental strength alone.

As long as we are Athenas,

we must absolutely obey this person’s words.

Shortly after, Black ascended the stairs at high speed and disappeared from the underground space.

Even the sound of her footsteps faded, and in the silence of darkness,

only the Ghost’s glowing eyes floated slowly through the void.

“Shana Midgard, was it?”

The Ghost’s attention was directed precisely at me.

Count Train must have talked about me a lot.

“Truly an interesting Athena. To maintain such a calm expression despite your condition. I’m glad I waited here.”

My expression must look terrible since I can’t breathe properly, but it seems I’m not showing any fear.

‘Of course I wouldn’t feel fear…’

I’m past the level of feeling fear toward the Ghost.

How many times have I seen this bastard?

And how many thousands of Athenas have I lost to him?

Even someone who screams at every jump scare and falls out of their chair can become a master of horror games if they have the desire to clear the game.

No, they inevitably must become one.

If you die over 100 times in the same place, you want to beat it out of sheer stubbornness.

You become desperate to kill the enemies.

That’s exactly how I feel right now.

This red gleaming eye before me is my archenemy.

The villain who blocked the completion of Day-R, the game that gave meaning to my meaningless life.

He is the villain I must defeat.

“What a pity.”

Fortunately, nothing is going to happen right away.

He doesn’t take unripe fruit.

“Truly a pity.”

I’m an essential test subject for the Ghost who wants to subjugate all Athenas to himself.

But right now, the world is maintained in order by powerful professors and Athenas.

If he kidnapped me right now, even his own forces couldn’t guarantee their continued existence.

Why do you think the Ghost only moved on D-Day?

Until then, he constantly weakened the kingdom’s Security Management Bureau and the academy’s power through pre-operations.

He created a perfect environment for himself where only the professor’s final squad remained on D-Day.

“But it’s strange.”

Thump. Thump.

The Ghost approached me lying on the floor with large strides.

Soon his pitch-black feet appeared from the darkness.

He must have crouched down, as his glowing eyes were much closer to the floor than before.

“I feel like I’ll deeply regret it later if I don’t take you now.”

You will regret it.

If you leave me alone, Professor Yggdrasil’s survival future vision will be perfected.

And the Ghost won’t be able to get the results he wants.

…But he’s even sensing that.

As expected of the final boss.

His intuition is frighteningly good.

But what can he do about it?

Reinforcements will arrive soon.

“Hmm.”

Rumble