I neatly folded the uniform and placed it on the bed.

In the full-length mirror, Lucia’s reflection stood in nothing but a bra and panties, her essential parts barely covered.

Her smooth, pale skin was surprisingly firm.

Lucia’s body, sculpted from years of self-discipline as a supernatural ability user, was flawless and beautiful.

But none of that mattered to me right now.

I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth and drew the dagger from its sheath.

“I didn’t get to test it properly in the bathroom earlier… Yeah, so I need to confirm it now.”

Back then, I’d been too disoriented, having possessed Lucia’s body less than ten minutes prior.

I confirmed the ability worked, but was there really no problem with it?

Supernatural Abilities.

One of the central settings of Dawn’s Blade—and one of the reasons humanity had yet to fall, despite being inherently weaker than the monsters.

Put simply, it’s a form of superpower.

Each person’s ability differs wildly.

Supernatural abilities don’t reside in the body but in the mind.

And since I’m the one inside Lucia’s body, there’s a chance her ability might not function properly.

Slowly, I brought the dagger to my wrist.

The blade was sharp—well-maintained.

I didn’t want to do this.

This was purely for testing purposes.

No personal motives whatsoever.

Really.

“…Okay, let’s do this.”

Muttering excuses to no one in particular, I pressed down with the blade.

Shhk.

Without a sound, the knife sliced through my wrist.

Dark red blood ran down my forearm.

“Ugh…”

It hurt.

It hurt like hell!

Hot, sharp, and stinging—I felt tears well up.

It hurt so much…

But…

“What the hell… this feels… good.”

A tingling sensation crawled up my spine.

My legs trembled.

Blood surged from the wound, seeping through my skin.

“Ah…”

Before I knew it, I let out a sigh of disappointment.

The wound healed instantly.

So this was Lucia’s supernatural ability—Rapid Regeneration.

Any injury, no matter how severe, could heal completely.

A shallow cut like this was barely a scratch.

This isn’t enough.

I need to test it more.

Just a little deeper.

Shhk!

This time, I stabbed the dagger in deeper.

And without hesitation, I slashed hard.

Shhhhh!

Blood spurted out like a fountain—

“Ah—Ahh!!”

Tears blurred my vision.

It hurt—it hurt like hell!

Seriously, this was no joke.

But…

“It feels so good…”

Maybe just a little more?

It’ll heal anyway.

Hot, red blood soaked the floor.

It’s fine.

Rapid regeneration replenishes blood, too.

With trembling hands, I slashed again and again.

Every cut sent fresh streams of blood splattering against the ground.

“Ah… ahhh… it hurts…”

But the pain never lasted.

The wounds healed instantly, leaving my red-stained arm unscathed.

I collapsed to the floor.

My legs had gone weak.

Wait—when did this puddle of blood form?

My legs were drenched in it.

Good thing I took off my uniform.

If I hadn’t, it would’ve been ruined.

I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate.

And then—

I froze.

It was just a few cuts on my wrist.

But why…

Why did it feel so good?

If simple cuts felt this good, then what about more serious injuries?

A broken leg?

A stab wound to the stomach?

A punctured lung?

I wouldn’t die.

Lucia’s regeneration ability was one of the best in its class.

But it would definitely hurt.

It would hurt like hell.

Lucia went through some horrific things in the original story.

Her rapid regeneration made her the perfect target for endless torment.

Limbs severed?

Organs crushed?

Even beheadings?

She survived them all.

Readers even called her the “Queen of Gore.”

Of course, for Lucia, all of that was a blessing.

She reveled in it.

But now, I was Lucia.

Which meant…

Would I have to endure the same?

I swallowed hard, feeling saliva pool in my mouth.

When a drop slipped past my lips, I jolted and wiped it away.

“No. No way.

I might be Lucia, but I’m not really Lucia.

There’s no way I’d enjoy something like that. Right?”

This was just an experiment to test the ability.

I didn’t hurt myself because I wanted to.

I even said it hurt, over and over again!

I’m not a pervert like Lucia.

I have no intention of becoming one.

A normal person should be able to control their urges.

So this ends here.

No more self-harm.

“…”

…But then again.

A little more wouldn’t hurt, right?

I mean—this is basically like… self-pleasure.

Everyone does it, don’t they?

It’s just a happy time.

Right?

Lucia’s ability is basically a tool for release.

Since I’m Lucia right now, testing it just a little more should be fine.

It’s fine. It has to be.

The more I use the ability, the stronger it’ll get.

Even muscles grow stronger by pushing their limits.

Rapid regeneration works the same way.

“Heh, I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”

I smiled bitterly.

I wasn’t a pervert or anything—

I was just training my ability.

With determination, I looked down at my perfectly healed arm.

“Testing’s done.

Now it’s time to strengthen it… Hehe.”

The day was still young.

It wasn’t even time for dinner yet.

And as an academy student, what better way to spend my free time than training?

We’re the warriors of the future.

The protectors of the world against monsters.

“Heh… Hehehe… I have no choice.

I really don’t.”

I raised the dagger high.

Swallowing the saliva that wouldn’t stop gathering in my mouth, I swung the blade.

Shhk!

Blood gushed out again.

 ◈

Cleaning up the mess was a nightmare.

If someone had walked into the room, they probably would’ve fainted.

The sheer amount of blood splattered across the floor would’ve made it look like a murder scene.

I was so busy scrubbing and mopping that I didn’t even get to eat.

I slumped into the chair and leaned back against the backrest with a deep sigh.

“This is exhausting…”

My hands were trembling after scrubbing the floor so hard.

But strangely enough, it felt kind of good, so I ended up cleaning even more thoroughly.

Thanks to Lucia’s rapid regeneration ability, any physical strain on my body was instantly repaired.

Even after the grueling cleanup, I felt physically fine—better than ever, in fact.

But mental exhaustion was a different story.

When the mind is tired, even a perfectly healthy body feels sluggish.

Right now, I’m in “sage mode.”

Please don’t talk to me.

I’m contemplating the truths of the universe.

After all that self-harm—no, training—I felt surprisingly clear-headed.

In the classroom earlier, I’d been too overwhelmed to think properly.

But now, in this post-recovery state, my thoughts were sharp.

“I need to build a connection with Eugene.

Whether I like it or not.”

Even if it was unlikely, I couldn’t ignore the possibility that I’d end up obsessed with Eugene, just like Lucia was in the original story.

Lucia was a heroine who practically worshipped Eugene—she was willing to give him everything, body and soul.

What if that happened to me too?

They say the mind eventually adapts to the body.

Right now, I might still think like a man, but if I kept living as Lucia, who knows what could happen?

Still, this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Lucia was a heroine.

And as a heroine, she had to form a bond with Eugene.

In Dawn’s Blade, relationships were a crucial element.

They were the foundation of the story.

Eugene’s path was filled with trials and hardships.

The heroines were the ones who supported him, helped him rise again, and pushed him forward.

If even one heroine were missing, Eugene might break somewhere along the way.

I can’t let that happen.

The world of Dawn’s Blade wasn’t kind to its characters.

If something went wrong, the story could easily spiral into a post-apocalyptic disaster.

Saving the world and enduring the most suffering both fell on Eugene’s shoulders.

So whether I liked it or not, I had to fulfill my role as a heroine and build a connection with him.

That didn’t mean I had to become his lover or anything.

Probably.

Being a trustworthy ally should be enough, right?

Not all of Eugene’s connections were heroines.

While the heroines were the ones who supported him the most, there were also others who fought alongside him.

“Yeah. That’s the plan. Let’s do this.”

I still didn’t know why I ended up as Lucia.

But whether it was for the sake of saving the world—or just to keep hurting myself—I had to give it my all.

Growl.

My stomach let out a loud rumble.

Oh, right.

I hadn’t eaten anything because I’d been too busy cleaning up.

I rubbed my empty stomach and frowned slightly.

“Being this hungry…

My stomach… hurts.”

I’ll eat later.

For now, I need to rest.