*"Leave now, outsider."*

She was meant to be a villain beyond redemption.

A supporting character consumed with inferiority, filled with resentment toward the protagonist, twisted by envy. No one ever liked this role.

*"I can't accept this."*  
*"Why does everyone cheer for such a commoner…?"*  
*"I'm better than her. With no background, what right does she have to smile so proudly?"*

Her obsession took a dark turn.  
Jealous of the protagonist's shining talent, her bitter envy bloomed into an ugly flower of hatred.  
Perhaps, it was a tear for something she could never possess.

*"I don't like it."*

Before long, the girl began to despise the protagonist. She scorned, dismissed, and twisted her image.  
Sometimes, she would outright bully her, attempting to erase her presence in the academy.  
It was the story of a typical unlikeable villainess.

An obstacle, a stumbling block.  
Considering Emilia’s villainous deeds in the original story, I could have nipped this potential harm in the bud. I had the power to remove her at any moment, stopping her from hindering the protagonist.

But I chose not to, for a simple reason.

*“She hasn't done anything wrong yet.”*

I knew the future. But punishing someone for sins they had yet to commit—was that truly just?

The fundamental question made me hesitate.

*Perhaps… she could change.*  
I didn’t have high expectations, knowing how unfair the path of fate could be.  
So, I chose only to watch.

*“You never know.”*

Always leaving room for a sliver of possibility.  
Even those lost in darkness often have at least one belief they wish to hold onto.  
I was no different.

*“I want to see a future that wasn’t meant to be.”*

If it wasn’t too late, perhaps things could still be changed.  
Even with my knowledge of the original story, I hoped it wasn’t all there was to this world.

I wanted each character to live their own story—through opportunities, struggles, choices, crossing paths.

*"My lady."*

And this time, I was rewarded for that faith.

*"…"*  
*"Do you need power?"*

The blue eyes trembled.  
I found myself wanting to know more about this new chapter in the girl’s story.

*"I can help you."*

So, I reached out my hand.  
To my dear, endearing extra—  
To the young lady who might no longer be called a villain, I, the Snake, smiled gently, as if blessing a budding flower.

---

*<SKREEEEEE!!!>*

Fragments of tentacles floated in the air.  
Beyond the piercing shriek, the monster writhed in agony, withdrawing.  
The scene shifted in an instant.

*"…"*

The young lady stood still, frozen.  
Despite the gore and chaos around her, she couldn’t move a muscle.

Everything seemed to slow down.  
As if time itself had stopped.

It felt unreal.  
The scene before her eyes was like a dream, and as she watched in a daze, a figure stood at the center of her questioning thoughts.

A golden-haired snake.

*"Hmph."*

A soft, mocking laugh tickled her ears.  
A boy with golden hair rested his chin on her delicate shoulder. His faintly sweet scent brushed against her nose, causing her breath to hitch.

*"Oh dear… was this too sudden an entrance?"*

The Snake murmured calmly, unperturbed even with the monster before him.  
Instead, his lips curled into a pleased grin, as though enjoying the situation.

Unconsciously, a question escaped her lips.

*"…How?"*

Her voice, usually sharp, was stripped of its edge, replaced with wonder.  
Inside, she questioned:

*How is he alive?*

She had seen him buried beneath the monster, yet here he stood, unscathed.  
It was incomprehensible, but the boy only whispered playfully in response.

*"It’s a secret."*

A voice filled with mischief, with an undertone of something eerie.

*"My lady?"*

An ominous aura radiated around him, filling the entire lab with a suffocating silence.

It wasn’t his usual, light-hearted demeanor.  
The sheer presence he exuded left no room for doubt.

This was true power.

*"There’s no need to be so tense."*

*"…"*

Emilia held her breath, completely subdued. For the first time, she faced an overwhelming authority, a suffocating sense of inferiority pressing down on her.

She gave up trying to understand.  
She was paralyzed on the spot, and as she remained still, the boy resting on her shoulder leaned in with a sly whisper.

*"My lady."*

*"…"*

*"Remember how you once told me you wanted to live?"*

*"…"*

Was he referring to that time before her execution?  
When she had begged on her knees.

*"Please, my lord…"*  
*"I want to live."*  
*"I… I want to live."*

The boy’s smile turned wicked.  
Their faces close, his breath brushed her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

His pale eyes glimmered with a tantalizing light.

*"Would you like to make another deal, as you did back then?"*

The Snake flicked his tongue.  
In the swirling darkness, he made an offer.

*"I can ensure your story continues."*

Life.

*"If you take my hand… you will overcome that monster and escape this hell."*

The offer was sweet beyond measure.  
Just moments ago, she had accepted her end, but now hope bloomed anew.

*"In return, I ask only one thing."*

The price was none other than herself.

*"Stay by my side, so that I may witness your story."*

The boy’s words seemed to hold a deeper meaning she couldn’t quite grasp, yet Emilia could only nod, captivated.  
All that filled her mind was the chance to survive.

*"This is a new contract."*

The Snake smiled faintly.  
Their foreheads touched, and his warmth clouded her thoughts.  
In a daze, she forgot the monster’s cries.

*<SKREEEEEE!!!>*

The furious shriek sounded close by.  
Before them, the monster, now recovered, thrashed its tentacles, rushing toward them.

The boy remained calm.

*"No need to worry."*

He pulled her close, encircling her frail frame in his arms, holding her wrists.

*"With me here… you will not falter."*

*Ssshhkt.*

The boy lifted her arm, moving her like a puppet.  
Emilia was startled but soon surrendered herself to his steady guidance.

Her spear pointed at the monster.

*"Just for a moment."*

Then, shadows coiled around her.  
The pitch-black mass swirled together, gathering into a powerful surge that dyed the ice on her spear a deep black.

*"I will show you a new world."*

The spear was coated in darkness.  
The shadows gathered at her fingertips, blooming into midnight frost.

Emilia felt a thrill.  
This was a momentary power—a sensation of omnipotence.

Even amid the numbing chill, her spear gleamed brilliantly.  
Snapping back to focus, she adjusted her stance.

As if knowing exactly what to do.

*<Ugh, aaahhhh!!>*

The monster loomed close, hundreds of tentacles crashing down, but the girl stood firm, watching it without flinching.

Her fear wasn’t entirely gone, yet the quiet whisper in her ear was unwavering.

*"You can do it."*

It was a pure trust, a feeling she hadn’t experienced since childhood.  
A surge of fulfillment filled her heart.

Emilia’s eyes burned with resolve.

She focused her energy and swung her spear with all her might.  
In the next moment—

*Slash!*

A beautiful arc followed, slicing cleanly through the monster.

*"…"*

In slow motion, a thin line of light sliced through the lab, and the monster’s body split in two.

It was a flawless, fatal strike.

*<Aaah… aaah…!>*

The monster collapsed, unable to even scream fully.  
Its blackened blood pooled on the floor as the hundreds of eyes embedded in its skin lost their light.

Emilia stared at the scene in disbelief.

*"Haa… haa…!"*

As she gasped for breath, she heard a voice behind her.

*"Didn’t I tell you? You could do it."*

She wanted to turn and look at him, but her strength faded.  
Her legs wobbled, and she sank to the ground.

The tension left her, and she teetered on the edge of consciousness.

*"Oh dear."*

The boy caught her as she fell.  
Perhaps it was the warmth of his embrace that brought her a sense of peace.

*"You did wonderfully, my lady."*

His scent, sweet and calming, drifted around her.  
Gently, he patted her back, lulling her.

Her mind grew hazy, her vision fading.  
And the last thing she remembered was—

*"Rest well."*

A soft, affectionate whisper.