Transmigrated as the Villain Between the Heroine and the Villainess

The next class was Strategies and Formations. The professor was a grizzled old man with a voice like grinding stones, a retired general who had seen a hundred battles.

But Azrael heard nothing. His mind was a chaotic storm, trapped in the echo of Kaelen's threat.

He was a puppet, and the strings of the novel were yanking him back onto the stage, forcing him to dance to a tune he desperately wanted to forget.

He knew exactly what the duel was about. It was the explosive climax of the first-year end, an event that had solidified the original Azrael's reputation as a villain.

It had all started during the team formation exams.

By a cruel twist of fate, the academy's system had placed him, Kaelen, and Seraphina all on the same eight-person team.

The original Azrael's jealousy, which had been simmering since the first day, had finally reached its boiling point.

Seeing Kaelen and Seraphina standing together had shattered his fragile pride. He couldn't hold himself back.

He had walked right up to them in the middle of the crowded training hall, a sneer plastered on his face.

"Well, well," he had said, his voice loud. "If it isn't the half-blood prince, pretending he belongs here."

Kaelen's friendly expression had hardened instantly. "Watch your mouth, Ashveil."

"Why should I?" Azrael had taunted. "Everyone knows the truth. Your mother was a commoner, a stain on the Valerius bloodline."

"You're no true royal. You're just a pretender playing at being a hero."

Seraphina had stepped forward, her amber eyes flashing with fury. "That's enough, Azrael. You're making a fool of yourself."

That had been his biggest mistake. Seeing her defend Kaelen had sent him over the edge.

"And you," he had spat, his gaze turning possessive. "Standing by his side like a loyal mutt. Have you forgotten your place?"

"A woman of your standing should be with a true noble. Someone like me."

He had reached out then, trying to grab her arm. "Stop wasting your time with this mongrel and come where you belong."

That was when Kaelen had moved, slapping his hand away. The confrontation escalated, with Azrael spewing vile insults.

He had challenged the prince to a duel right then and there, a challenge Kaelen had accepted with cold, quiet rage.

'That moron,' Kenji thought now, his stomach churning with secondhand shame. 'He dug his own grave with that damn mouth of his.'

He had considered trying to avoid the battle, to apologize. But it was inevitable. The duel had been officially registered.

To back out now would be an act of public cowardice that would bring even greater shame upon the Ashveil name. His sister would never forgive him.

In the academy, official duels were a common way to settle disputes. The stakes weren't life or death, but rank and credits.

A duel was a way to climb the ladder, to take from others what you could not earn.

He didn't care about winning. He knew it was impossible. Kaelen was ranked number one among all second-year students.

He, Azrael Ashveil, was ranked a pathetic one hundred and sixty-nine.

But it was the shame that triggered his fear. He was weak, and this duel would broadcast that weakness to the entire world.

He had to fight. He had to lose with some semblance of honor.

He ignored the professor's lecture and called up the system. He surfed through the shop, looking for a miracle.

Then, a new screen flashed into existence, overriding the shop interface.

[!! NEW QUEST ISSUED !!]

[Objective: Confront the Hero, Kaelen Valerius, in the upcoming duel.]

[Time Limit: Accept one path before the duel begins.]

[Option 1: Path of Annihilation]

[-> Task: Kill the hero, Kaelen Valerius, in the duel.]

[-> Reward: 1,000,000 P.]

[Option 2: Path of Victory]

[-> Task: Win the duel against Kaelen Valerius.]

[-> Reward: 100,000 P.]

[Option 3: Path of Survival]

[-> Task: Survive for thirty (30) minutes in the duel.]

[-> Reward: 10,000 P.]

He stared at the quest options, his blood running cold. The points were astronomical.

A million points for killing the hero. It was a king's ransom.

'What? That's ridiculous! How is that even an option?' he thought, horrified. Killing the protagonist was utterly impossible.

The second option was a fantasy. Defeating Kaelen now, with his pathetic stats, was a practical impossibility.

Then he looked at the third option. Survive for thirty minutes. It seemed like the most achievable choice, but he knew it was a trap.

'In the novel, the fight only lasted for five minutes,' he remembered with a sickening lurch. 'And that was only because Kaelen was toying with him.'

Thirty minutes was not a challenge. It was an execution.

He gulped, his throat dry. But then his eyes were drawn back to the rewards. 10,000 points.

It was the exact price of a basic Fire or Water affinity. It was a game-changer. It was the key to unlocking his own potential.

He had to try. He had to take the third option, as impossible as it seemed.

His focus returned to the system shop with a new, desperate intensity. He scrolled past the weapons and artifacts. He needed something else.

Something that could buy him time.

He delved deeper into the [Skills] category, past the expensive, flashy offensive techniques.

He scrolled down, down to the very bottom of the list, to the bargain bin section where the cheap, undesirable skills were listed.

And there, nestled among skills like [Basic Trap Disarmament] and [Minor Appraisal], he saw it.

His eyes widened. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. It was a gamble. A terrible, reckless, all-or-nothing gamble.

But it was a chance.

"This," he whispered to himself, his voice a low, excited hiss. "This is perfect."