The Villain Is Destined to Die: But as the Creator, I know All Endings

The moment Leon turned away from Rinna and walked deeper into the colorful smoke, he noticed two items hovering and circling around him.

One was a staff with a blue crystal sphere, and the other was a cloak that moved on its own as if it had a life of its own.

They revolved around Leon at a steady pace, like they were trying to speak to him.

The mana they emitted pulsed in sync with his own mana core. Both of them.

'A resonance phenomenon?' Leon guessed.

The two items wanted him. They had chosen him.

In Eclipse's Armory, it was never humans who chose the weapons. It was the weapons that decided their wielder.

You didn't pick them up like tools; you had to form a resonance and prove yourself compatible.

It was less of a transaction and more like a marriage proposal, except the weapon had full rights to reject you first.

Leon stopped, thinking for a moment, then activated his [Analyze] skill.

His gaze landed on the staff first.

A blue transparent window shimmered into view.

[Item: Whispering Crystal Staff]

[Rank: Intermediate]

[Effect]

-Reduces mana consumption for elemental spells by 25%

-Grants passive mana flow stabilization during combat

[Risk]

-The staff whispers random motivational speeches into your head during serious moments or sometimes randomly.

-May hum loudly when bored.

Leon stared at the last line.

"Motivational speeches…?"

That's the first time Leon's seen something like this.

The staff moved towards him.

Leon pushed it away.

"No way in hell would I choose a talkative stick."

Then, he turned towards the alive-looking cloak.

[Item: Silver Gale Cloak]

[Rank: Intermediate]

[Effect]

- Increases movement speed by 30% when casting spells

- Automatically shields the wearer from small-scale attacks

[Risk]

- Possesses a sassy personality and acts on its own when it feels "underappreciated."

- Has a habit of dramatically wrapping itself around the wearer's neck at random times.

"..."

Leon blinked at the screen.

"…This one's worse."

Two Intermediate-ranked items choose him, but…

"Who the hell made these drawbacks?"

The cloak floated closer, fluttering like it was proud of itself. Then, as if reading his thoughts, it tried to spin itself around his shoulders.

"Hey, hey—don't touch me without asking," Leon muttered, trying to pull it off.

Somewhere behind him, he could hear a few students laughing as they picked up their weapons.

Somewhere behind him, he could hear someone laughing.

"Giggle… hehe…"

Leon turned his head, frowning slightly. Rinna was covering her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter but failing miserably.

He narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say a word.

Kicking the cloak away from his shoulders, Leon simply adjusted his collar as if nothing had happened.

Rinna, noticing his stare, stopped giggling and straightened her posture, pretending she hadn't laughed at all.

'Is she… fooling me?' Leon's brow twitched slightly.

But then his eyes shifted to her hand.

'What the—already?'

She was holding a wand. A slender wooden wand with a small ruby embedded at the tip.

Leon recognized it immediately. It was her weapon in the game, the very same wand the player encountered in the early stage.

She chose herself a weapon. And an intermediate one on that.

'What was its name again?' he tried to recall, but before he could think any further, Rinna coughed lightly, regaining her composure.

"…Umm… congratulations on Rank 02," she said, looking at him.

Leon blinked once, caught off guard.

"…Thanks?"

'What is she on about?'

In the game, Rinna despised Leon. It was practically coded into her behavior in the original storyline. But her greeting said otherwise.

Silence stretched between them. Neither knew how to continue.

Rinna's eyes subtly drifted away.

'Now that I look closer… they kinda look the same.'

Except for the difference in height, both Rinna and her elder sister, Eula, shared similar facial features.

'Talk about genes.'

Rinna broke the silence first. "Anyway… thank you for the pendant," she said, gently patting the spot below her neck. "It's very useful."

She sounded genuinely thankful.

'No, no, what?' Leon's thoughts raced.

This was heading in an entirely different direction than he had expected. He thought Rinna would avoid him for the entire year, just like in the game. But this…

'Wait. Why the hell is she still wearing that pendant?'

He had assumed she'd only wear it once, out of courtesy. But seeing it on her neck now, casually, was another story.

"It's no big deal," Leon said, raising both hands politely. "I just thought after spending the entire evening greeting nobles, you must've been tired. So I ended up buying it on a whim."

Rinna's eyes widened slightly, then softened. A small smile spread across her face.

"I see. It's a beautiful present," she admitted without hesitation.

Leon didn't say anything.

"…Umm… is it fine with you?" she asked after a brief pause, fidgeting slightly with her wand. "Do you have a minute?"

Leon blinked at her sudden question.

"I can spare a couple of minutes," he finally replied, his voice was calm. "But only a few."

Rinna's lips curved slightly upward.

"Mhm. That's all I need."

She took a few steps closer until she stood right in front of him.

Her presence was quiet and composed. She wasn't the same cold, distant girl.

Rinna had always been kind at her core. It wasn't that she hated him; it was the old Leon who had made things awkward between them with his constant, shameless acts.

Leon exhaled slowly. He already had a feeling where this conversation might go.

"…I never got to ask you this properly," she began, twirling the wand lightly in her hand. Her voice was steady but soft. "But… what is it that you liked about me?"

Leon froze.

'Oh you've got to be kidding me.'

That was a question he never wanted to hear.

He mentally cursed the old Leon. 'You absolute idiot. This is on you.'

Rinna tilted her head slightly, waiting patiently. She wasn't teasing him or mocking him… she genuinely wanted to know.

Leon thought back to everything he knew about her.

The old Leon had proposed to her again and again, to the point of being a walking embarrassment. He couldn't even remember if there was any deep reason behind those feelings.

Was it her beauty? Her manners? Her kindness? Or just Lust? It had never been explained in the game either.

He sighed internally. 'Damn it. Guess, there's no turning back.'

"It's your eyes," Leon finally said.

Rinna blinked, surprised. "…My eyes?"

Leon felt his ears burn.

"No, I mean… it's not some weird romantic thing. Back then, when I first saw you, it was your eyes that caught my attention. They were… clear. They were… calm. Not the kind of eyes you'd see on someone who's trying to be anything but themselves. I guess that stood out to me."

He didn't look away while saying it, but the words still felt strange on his tongue.

Rinna's expression softened. "I see."

Then she smiled a little. "You're a better person than people think, Leon."

Leon snorted softly under his breath. "That's news to me."

Rinna shook her head.

"No. It's true. I think… it's better if we start over. Umm… just… as friends."

"..."

Her tone was light but honest. She wasn't trying to latch onto his new reputation; she was just tired of the distance, of the rumours, of how others treated him.

Leon watched her for a moment.

This girl wasn't acting any different from what he knew of her true character.

She hated how people whispered behind his back, even if she never said it out loud.

"Friends, huh?" Leon muttered, letting the words sink in.

Rinna nodded once. "Yes. Friends. I think that would make things easier for both of us."

He let out a small, amused breath. "Fine by me."

She smiled genuinely this time. "Mhmm. Looking forward to it."

.

[A/N] : 1 more chapter coming soon.

Also, we have crossed the 300 PS goal this week, I will throw 1 extra chapter along side two regular. Thank you all!

Put some more PS! If we cross 100 PS in 24 hours, I will give another extra chapter!