Side Character Who Became the Pseudo-Protagonist

Chapter 38: A Place To Belong

[Displaying Character Data]

[Name: Colette Astaron]

[Role: Heroine]

‣ Control: C+

‣ Processing: A+

‣ Output: C

‣ Projection: B

‣ Storage: D

[Spell Drive Data:]

‣ [Edel Veld (Field of Eden) — Innate Anchored Array Type]

‣ [Magic Bullet] — Tier 1 Offensive Piercing Type]

I had forgotten what Colette’s specialty was. Since she was captured and couldn’t be used in the first arc, a lot of people assumed she was weak.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many speedrunners would have a common saying within the community.

"If you bring Colette, you can clear any dungeon solo with her. It just takes time."

And this saying stems from only one thing.

Since her Processing speed was so fast, she was naturally spec’d into using formation-based Spells, ones that usually have a set-up time.

Yet, she also just happened to possess one of the strongest formation-based Spells of all time, [Edel Veld], which allowed Colette to create a nigh-impenetrable surface if she was able to cast three "anchors".

’We might be able to beat Tina...I just needed to position Colette in a way so that—’

But the moment I thought about it, I instinctively caught myself.

I wasn’t sure when I stopped thinking of this world as a game.

Was it after the prologue? Or maybe it was when the realization of the plot being able to change hit me.

Everything was real.

The people, the events...the consequences.

Though because of that, it opened my eyes to a single fact that couldn’t be ignored no matter how hard I tried. Even with the knowledge I possessed about the "future"...

Did it really mean anything?

People often say just the act of knowing the future...changes the future. And honestly? I was inclined to believe them after all that had happened.

So, instead of commanding Colette like I had always done in the game, I instead turned toward her with a determined look on my face, uttering a single sentence.

"Let’s save her as well."

She nodded softly, her tired eyes narrowing into a small grin.

"Yeah. Let’s."

But even as that was said, it was clear the situation was at a stalemate. Looking back at Tina, she was heaving heavily, a line of blood rushing down from her nose—

The sign of Excessive Cortex Strain (ECS), caused by overuse of the Logos Cortex in processing and casting Spell Sequences over a prolonged period of time.

Though Colette and I weren’t much better either.

I couldn’t use [Overload] at all, probably for the same reason, while Colette was already exhausted from before but decided to keep fighting.

A heavy inhale came from the other side of the room, before Tina broke into a soft laughter all on her own.

"Ha...you really live up to your name, Midgard," she turned to face Colette with a scowl on her face. "And you...princess. Do you suddenly feel guilty now for your indecisiveness and negligence?"

"Both of you are the same. People who know their place in the world. People who have somewhere to belong."

Colette, sensing where the conversation was heading, tried to step in.

"You do too! Tina, the Valentines...they took you in, didn’t they? And Asgard Academy was supposed to—"

"SHUT UP!" Tina yelled in frustration, cutting Colette off. "DON’T GIVE ME THAT GARBAGE!"

"A loving family? HA! You mean the same ones that were paid by House Vanaris to take care of me in secret? Then beat and abused me when they stopped receiving their money?"

"And don’t get me started on Asgard Academy!" she continued. "A worthless shithole of classism that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about their students? Where was Asgard when the people were throwing stones at me on the way home? Where were they?"

Seeing the situation turn for the worse, I decided to step up as well.

"Look, whatever deal you made with White Noise, it’s not worth it," I slowly extended my arm, trying to make myself look as harmless as possible.

"The Vanaris? Astaron? Screw both of them. You are your own person. So let’s just forget about this and—"

"...Forget?"

’Shit...I chose the wrong word.’

The last thing you should tell someone who was suffering from trauma, was to forget about it or bury it.

"No..." Tina shook her head softly, the motion becoming unnaturally faster the more she did it. "No you don’t understand..."

"I want revenge..."

"I want Vanaris to burn and pay for their sins. I want Astaron to choke on the mercy they were so proud of giving me. And I want Asgard to crumble for their sloth—"

"I WANT THEM TO ALL DISAPPEAR!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she reached a hand into her pocket and produced a small serum from within.

A purple-black liquid sloshed as she pointed the needle at her neck.

"Colette!"

[Spell Sequence Initiated: Tier 1 Offensive Piercing Type—]

[Magic Bullet]

BANG—!

The bullet hit the vial, but by then...

All of its contents were already inside Tina’s body.

"That...can’t be good."

Instantly, the veins underneath her skin that were supposed to not be visible, bulged like blue cables running along her body.

It reached her eyes, turning them bloodshot and caused her skin to suddenly pull tight against her bones so much that it made her look like a skeleton.

I couldn’t tell why exactly I knew this. but it almost looked like...all the autonomous functions from her body had been suppressed to the bare minimum.

Like every function of her brain was dedicated to one thing:

The Logos Cortex.

But as soon as the image settled into my brain, I couldn’t help an exasperated gasp escape my throat.

Why?

Because I knew exactly what she had just done.

A drug that was supposed to appear in the next arc of the game, one that increases an Operator’s power and pushed their Logos Cortex to the absolute limit...

A drug so dangerous that it was banned in all countries and in any cases, usage is considered doping and will be treated as severely as attempted murder.

A drug that someone like Tina Valentine should never have gotten her hands on.

Ethos—

The antithesis of all Logos...

And Pandora’s Sin.