It was cold…dark…lonely. There was no sound. No blowing of the wind or the sound of an animal's call. There was only darkness. Pure black darkness.

That was, until I saw it. A set of glowing red eyes that seemed to look directly into my soul. They were terrifying. I hated them. I wish they’d just disappear.

As I felt goosebumps grow on my skin, the eyes seemed to sense my presence and slowly inched closer.

“No! Stay away from me!

Ignoring me, they continued moving forward.

“L-Leave me alone!”

They didn’t stop. Before I knew it, they were in front of my face.

“Stop it…”

I could feel it. The intense hatred of my ancestors poured into me. They were trying to tell me something.

“Kill them all. Kill all humans. Kill them all. Kill all humans.”

Those words were echoing through my mind.

“Stop it….STOP IT!”

My head was starting to hurt. I couldn’t stop the pain. It was insufferable.

“No…NO!”

My eyes shot open as I felt my heartbeat racing like crazy.

Sweat dripped from my body as I took in several deep breaths. My heart wasn’t slowing down at all.

Getting out of bed, I made my way over to my bathroom.

Washing myself down in the shower, I slipped on my school uniform and decided to take a walk to calm myself down.

Riko looked over the edge of the roof out towards the stars. He didn’t know why he did this. It just became a habit at one point. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around to find Xara standing there taking several deep breaths as she she made her way over to him.

“Hey, Xara. Is something wrong?”

Xara looked up to him and shook her head.

“I-I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Riko gave her a look of concern. Sensing something was wrong. But ultimately turned back toward the stars.

“Okay. Just let me know if you need anythi-”

Suddenly, Riko felt something grab onto him.

“Huh? Xara?”

Xara was clinging to his shoulder. She looked like she was on the verge of crying.

“Could I just…hold you like this for a little while?”

Riko was a bit surprised by her actions but nodded. Figuring she had a good reason for this request.

“Of course.”

With that, the two stayed there silently for almost half an hour. Eventually, Xara left to head back to her room and Riko waved her goodbye before off to his dorm.

While she walked, Xara held her hand close to her chest.

“As long as I have Riko at my side…I’ll never have to worry about that curse…That’s right. As long as Riko’s by my side.”

Arriving back at her room, Xara got into bed and closed her eyes.

She recalled how it felt clinging to Riko. And the beautiful smell her nose picked up as she leaned in close.

“His scent…is truly the best.”

Those were her last words before she fell asleep.

With a yawn, I got out of bed and stretched my arms into the air. Today was another day of school and I was ready to get it started. Especially considering how much things have changed.

It’s been around two weeks now since school started up again. And thanks to my attitude change, I’ve noticed only half the people I walk past talk trash me behind my back now. That’s a fairly good improvement in my eyes. Though I guess I have Dianne to thank for all that.

Apparently, during my absence, she made a promise to be my friend if I’d survived the hell hole I escaped from.

Because of that promise, she’s been hanging out with me pretty much all the time. Leading the other students to be more lenient with my being here.

Now I didn’t really mind the attention, but it was starting to make me wonder why she was so invested in me. I get she cared about commoners, but what was her goal in trying to be my friend? Couldn’t she just become friends with any commoner? Was this a ploy of some kind like with Lily? Those questions kept popping up in my head over and over.

Well, I guess it didn’t matter. Even if she was trying to pull off something, I’m way more skilled now than I ever was before.

But moving past that, I grabbed myself a quick shower. Once that was done, I slipped into my uniform.

Right before I left my room, I looked over at my coffee table. It still had that book I hadn’t finished reading from a few weeks ago. Guess I should eventually get back to reading it. But not wanting to waste any more time, I figured it’d be best just to get moving.

Leaving my room, I made my way to the main school building.

When I arrived to class, however, I was met with an odd sight. Standing there was none other than Xara and the MC of this game. Riko Toyazoto.

For a quick reminder, Riko is the MC of this game world. His role is to win over all the girls before choosing one route to go down. And with how close he seemed to be with Xara who was holding onto his arm tightly, I figured I knew exactly who he was going for.

Even if that’s the case though, the sight of the two of them pissed me off. As a virgin with zero relationships under his belt, I wasn’t exactly a fan of seeing couples cuddling with each other acting like they were in their own little world.

Xara stopped holding onto Riko when she saw me and walked over before stopping right in front of my face.

“You’re that commoner, right? The one who escaped the dungeon? Me and my friend here have been quite interested in meeting you.”

I glanced over at Riko who simply shrugged.

“Yeah, that’s me. What of it?” I said with a voice of indifference.

Xara looked me over before giving me a sniff. Her face didn’t change to one of disgust, but she did look a bit confused.

“That’s weird…your aura doesn’t smell anything like I’d imagined.”

“Huh?”

What did she mean by that?

Tilting her head to the side, she rested her finger on her chin.

“Well hearing you were a commoner, I expected you to be filled with a scent of lust and forwardness. But your smell is more lonely and distant than anything else. Like you try to keep people at arm's length.”

Really? I thought I was pretty straightforward with people. I wonder where she got such an idea.

As she sniffed me a bit more, I got a look at her. As expected of a heroine, she was cute. And her purple hair really did add to her perfect figure. Plus the wings, horns, and tail were oddly enticing. Guess that was the appeal of the succubus for you. Man. The things I’d do to have a cute girl like her as my girlfriend.

Just then, the image of her cuddling with Riko before flashed through my mind. As I mentioned, I had no plans to steal these girls from the MC anymore.

However, if they were gonna blatantly cuddle like that when they probably weren't going out yet, I figured it wouldn't hurt to tease them a little bit.

“Say. You’re a succubus right?”

“Hm?”

Hearing my words, Xara looked into my eyes with an expression of confusion.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Well yeah, I am. What about it?”

I grinned.

“I heard awhile ago the succubus race would seduce men in order to sleep with them and drain them of their fluids. Was that true?”

Xara seemed to be growing uncomfortable.

“Er…I guess so.”

“Well, I’ve never talked to a succubus before so there’s this question I’ve always wondered.”

“Um…And what would that be?”

Not giving her a moment to blink, I saw Xara’s eyes go wide as I cupped her chin and tilted her head up toward my face.

“I always wondered…what would happen if the guy tried to seduce the succubus instead.”

With that, I began guiding my lips towards hers. Curious to see how she'd react.

But just as our lips were about to make contact, a hand swung in front of us and I swiftly took a step back.

Riko jumped in front of Xara with an angry look on his face.

“Don’t you dare touch her!”

“Riko!”

Xara looked at him like he was her savior.

Seeing the two of them like that was hilarious!

"Hahahahahaha!"

Before I knew it, I was already bursting with laughter.

I had already planned to back away at the last moment, but seeing them look so surprised was priceless.

“Wha-! What’s so funny!?”

Riko seemed taken aback by my reaction.

“Sorry. Sorry. I just wanted to tease you both a bit cause of how close you are. Don’t worry dude. I’m not planning on taking your girl.”

“My girl!?”

Riko’s cheeks went red as he looked behind him at Xara who had a confused look on her face.

This caused me to laugh again.

“You guys really are a riot. Geez.”

Finally recollecting myself, I gave them a wave before making my way into the classroom.

“It was cool meeting you two. If we ever run into each other again I’ll make sure to say hi. See ya.”

With that, I went into class.

As Axel closed the door behind him, Xara let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness. I thought he was actually going to do it.”

She didn't want him to, but considering the position Axel had her in, it was hard to say whether she would've been able to escape or not. Making her glad Riko was there to help her.

Frowning, Riko turned to Xara. Expressing his concern.

“Are you okay? He didn’t try anything besides that kiss did he?”

“No no. He didn’t. But that certainly surprised me. Especially since I didn’t smell any lust coming from him. I think we can just say I was caught a little off guard.”

Turning around, Xara began making her way to class.

“Well, I gotta get going now. See you later Riko!”

“Er. Yeah. See ya.”

Still not exactly sure about what just occurred, Riko began heading to class himself.

While Xara was walking, she let out a huff.

“Still, that guy sure was rude. He nearly took my first kiss.”

Thinking back to that moment, Xara’s face blushed with embarrassment.

“I swear. If I ever see that guy again, I gonna give him a piece of my mind!”

As the third period of the school day rolled around, I waved to Xara who looked at me with a blank expression.

“Hey. Looks like our classes got mixed today.”

It was kinda crazy considering how rare events like these happened in the game. It’s actually kinda hilarious.

To quickly explain, we were currently going through the third and final period of the day. That being PE class. And sometimes when the school wants us to get along with other classes, they have us meet up with each other and bond over some exercise.

It didn’t make too much sense to me, but if the school figured it’d work, who am I to argue?

“Hm? Do you know this girl Savoncho?”

Dianne walked up behind me in her PE uniform. And before you ask, no they aren’t like the ones in anime and manga. The shorts go down all the way to a little under the knee and the shirts are loose enough to the point it’s easy to move around in.

On a side note, Dianne seemed uncomfortable using my first name, so she’s been calling me Savoncho since that was easier for her to say. I didn’t mind it, but since I came from a world where using people's first names was pretty normal, it was a bit off-putting being called by my last name. But moving past that, I responded to Dianne’s question.

“I know her vaguely. We met earlier today when she and her boyfriend were standing outside our classroom.”

Xara’s cheeks went a bit pink when I called Riko her boyfriend.

“Let me think. Actually, I don’t think I ever got your name.”

As I said that, Xara realized that was true.

“Oh. That’s right. My name is Xara Femashito. A pleasure to meet you.”

Xara bowed to Dianne.

“Greetings. My name is Dianne Riosha.”

After making exchanges, the two stared at each other for a moment as I turned around.

“Whelp. I gotta go finish ahead of everyone on whatever we’re doing today so you two have fun.”

I was about to just leave them be when suddenly-

“Eh?”

-I felt something grab hold of my shirt. It was so tight that had I not noticed it, I would’ve been yanked back like one of those old-timey cartoon characters before crashing into the ground.

Turning around, I saw Xara standing there and keeping a strong grip on my shirt.

“May I…help you?”

I was lost. Why was she grabbing me right now?

“Can I…speak with you for a moment?”

I couldn’t explain it, but it felt like Xara was surrounded by a menacing aura right now.

Not sure what to do here, I responded quietly.

“I…guess I could spare a few minutes.”

Standing a little ways away from the others under a tree for some shade, Xara looked me in the eyes while Dianne went back to the others.

“That wasn’t a nice stunt you pulled back there.”

“Hm? Are you talking about the fake-out kiss?”

“Y-Yes. That’s what I’m talking about.”

I shrugged.

“All I did was tease you a bit. You and that guy seemed close, so I figured what’s a bit of fun gonna do?”

Xara clenched her fists. Seemingly annoyed.

“Why are you so insistent about my and Riko’s relationship?”

“Hm?”

“Whenever I’m around everyone else, they don’t even bat an eye. But when we talked with you, it was all you brought up. Why do you keep talking about that?”

I shrugged again.

“I’m simply stating what I see. And when I watched you too act like a married couple, I couldn't help but mess around with you. Though, it's not because I hate you two or anything. I’m just doing what I want. That’s all there is to it.”

Xara was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. Figuring it wouldn't help to give me a big talking too. After that, she walked up next to me. my neck a sniff.

“Seriously. What is up with your aura?”

“Huh?”

“It’s like…nothing I’ve ever smelled before. I tried my best to describe it this morning, but it’s hard to get a reading on it. It’s like you tried to replace one aura with another but ended up combining them instead. Not like reincarnation or anything, but something else entirely. It’s like….two aura’s reside inside you and they’re messing with one another.”

“I…see.”

So that’s what it is. Looking down at my belt where I’d shrunken down my grimoire and basically turned it into a keychain, I glanced at it for a moment as I thought about the spirit residing inside.

More than likely she was smelling both mine and Nia’s auras. They both reside in me since she and I are connected and all.

Xara gave me one more sniff before sighing.

“Well, maybe I’ll never understand you. So moving past that, there’s something I wanna clear up. Riko and I aren't boyfriend and girlfriend. We’re just really close.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. It is. So please don’t tease me and him anymore. I beg of you.”

After saying that, one glance at my face was all it took for her to think her words hadn’t gotten to me.

"Actually, you know what, forget what I just said. After looking at your face, I can tell you’ll just keep doing….”

“Okay.”

“...Huh?”

Xara looked at me like she couldn’t believe what I just said. It was a single word. You don’t need to act that shocked.

“Y…You’ll really stop?”

“Sure. I mean you asked me directly so I don’t see why I’d keep trying to push your buttons.”

“Y…You’re not just saying that?”

“Geez. How clear do I have to make it?”

Letting out an annoyed sigh, I spelled it out for her.

“I. Won’t. Tease. You. About. That. Again. Clear now?”

I really didn’t care about all this. I just figured I’d mess with them since they’ll get together anyway. But if they don’t like it, I’ll stop.

Xara still looked a little unsure. Seeing that, I knew it was still struggling to get through. So, without thinking, I slammed my hand against the tree she was standing in front of.

She let out a gasp of surprise for some reason and I clarified my words.

“I’m not a royal asshole. I don’t care about your love life or what you wanna achieve in the future. I’m just here to live my life. If you don’t like me messing with you, I’ll stop, as long as you don’t try and mess with my life, I won’t try to mess with yours. Does that make sense?”

I tried making it as clear as possible. But from the look on her face, she didn’t appear to be listening. Her face was slightly red. She looked embarrassed. Why?

It was then that I noticed I unintentionally did the wall slam move on her when I hit my hand against the tree. A rather popular move for picking up chicks in stories.

I was about to remove my hand from the tree and apologize when something suddenly hit my shoulder.

Looking down, I saw what appeared to be a glove lying there.

Turning my head towards the direction it was thrown, I saw none other than Riko standing there. He was still in his school uniform so he must’ve just been wandering about. Is the MC even allowed to do that?

“What do you want?”

I took my hand off the tree and Xara seemed to be clearing her head.

“What the…Riko?”

That's when she noticed her friend standing there. Glaring at me while gritting his teeth.

“Axel Savoncho! I challenge you to a magic duel!”

“...Huh?”

As those words left Riko’s mouth, all I could do was stare at him in disbelief. It seemed I might’ve made a mistake.