Reborn as the villain in the game

- After we arrived in the academy, as the story progresses the Protagonist and the Heroine met and were together for the entire ceremony.

- As me, I went there and got my room and my uniform for the school. My room was small, with a single bed and a desk, but the window offered a stunning view of the sprawling academy grounds and the shimmering magical barrier that protected it.

- The next day we went to our assigned classes, in this academy different types of classes indicates one's abilities.

- S, A, B, C, and D. These are the classes that divide the students, where S is for the most talented students and D for the lowest abilities students.

- I, the Protagonist and the Heroine Rose are in the S-class with the hero's party and some other students like the normal students.

- A teacher entered the room, he was a man with a built body and some scars on his face holding papers in his hands and suddenly said.

- " All the students in this class will take a sparring match as a test to determine their abilities and know if someone shows weak abilities they will go to the lower classes." Teacher.

- Everybody looked at each other nervously, and I knew why: in the original game story, this match was supposed to be when Allen defeated Leon, leading to the villain Leon's deep-seated hatred.

- As the current Leon, a reincarnated soul trying desperately to avoid the gruesome fate of that villain, I knew the importance of this moment.

- In the original timeline, this initial sparring was quite normal, just a fair fight where Allen eventually triumphed.

- My goal, therefore, was to ensure Allen's victory in this match, hoping that by sticking to the established events, I could somehow steer clear of my destined villainous path.

- We immediately went to the training grounds to take our test. As in the story, everyone would fight someone chosen by the judge or the teacher.

- As the story goes, I was paired with Allen, and we were the last to fight. Before our match, we watched the other students fighting, trying to put on a good show of their abilities.

- The best fighters were the future hero's party: his fiancée Anna, Jack the tank, and Tristan the magician, all of whom put on a great fight in their matches.

- Only Rose, as a supporter, didn't participate. Instead, she got another chance to check her mastery of support magic.

- We waited until it was our turn to enter the arena. I received a wooden sword, but a different style, so I used my magic to change it to my preference.

- We took our stances. He placed his sword above his shoulder, pointing its tip at me, and I took the lai stance for a quick attack.

- I wanted him to win, not only to put on a good fight but also to follow the story, but somehow, out of nowhere, Allen started insulting me without any specific reason.

- "Look at this pathetic excuse for a fighter," Allen sneered, his eyes gleaming with an unexpected malice. "You think you can even stand in the same arena as me? "You know, for someone who fancies themselves a hero, you're certainly embracing the darker shades of the spectrum, aren't you, Leon? It's almost... villainous how easily you fit into that role."

- His words stung, not because they were true, but because they were so unprovoked. This wasn't in the original story.

- The sparring was supposed to be normal here, a clean fight where Allen's skill genuinely shone.

- This sudden, aggressive hostility from him was a glaring red flag, a deviation I hadn't anticipated. It made my plan to simply let him win, to follow the script, incredibly difficult.

- Was the story already veering off course? My grip tightened on my sword, a knot forming in my stomach.

- "Is that all you've got?" I retorted, forcing a smirk onto my face. "Empty words from an empty head. Let's see if your sword is as sharp as your tongue, Allen."

- A flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by a sneer. "You'll regret that," he growled, and with a burst of speed, he lunged.

- His attack was aggressive, a flurry of strikes aimed at overwhelming me. I parried, the wooden swords clashing with sharp clacks.

- He was strong, but his technique was unrefined, fueled more by this inexplicable anger than genuine skill. It was messy, full of openings that the original Allen wouldn't have made in a fair match.

- I tried to anticipate, to move in a way that would allow him to gain the upper hand, but his sloppy attacks were forcing me to defend more actively than I intended.

- He left himself wide open after a particularly wild overhead swing, practically inviting me to counter.

- This was it. I had to decide: intentionally lose and risk making my own defeat look too obvious, or win and completely derail this initial, crucial point in the story. My instincts screamed to take the opening.

- With a burst of my own, I moved, feinting a high block before dropping my sword to sweep low. He stumbled, caught off guard. In that brief moment, I brought my sword up, the tip resting lightly against his throat.

- The arena went silent. Allen froze, his eyes wide with shock.

- "Checkmate," I said, my voice low and steady. A ripple went through the crowd as the judge raised his hand, signaling my victory.

- Allen stood there, stunned, then a deep flush spread across his face. He snatched his sword back, not meeting my gaze, and stalked away.

- I watched him go, a wave of profound unease washing over me. I had won. I, Leon, the reincarnated villain, had just defeated the future hero in the very first significant sparring match – a match where, in the original story, the hero was supposed to win cleanly against the villain, leading to the villain's hatred.

- My heart sank. The script was already broken, and Allen's unprovoked hostility had certainly set a different tone.

- This wasn't how it was supposed to go. This wasn't how I was supposed to avoid my grim fate.

— What would happen now?