The protagonist of the game called [Retry], Aria Rias, grew up in a small village and was loved by many.

The detailed lore about her provided by the game developers, and her small yet cute appearance was quite impressive.

And as you played the game, you would naturally fall for her lively charm and cute actions.

If someone were to ask if [Retry] was successful because of her, it wasn't.

In fact, even when it failed, it was hard to imagine that it would fail that badly.

The so-called game, where lively characters collided with the worst worldviews, was notorious for throwing unexpected twists at players, leaving them emotionally bruised.

The gameplay itself could be considered quite good.

However, the dreadful worldview and depressing plot didn't blend as harmoniously as expected.

Moreover, the attitude of the protagonist, Aria Rias, was what was most irritating.

No matter what happened, she would overcome it.

Even in the face of despair that brought her to her knees, she would eventually rise again with a bright smile.

Players found it too unfamiliar, resulting in resistance.

Nevertheless, I couldn't help but continue playing such a game. Even after seeing the ending multiple times, I kept going back to see it again.

Because that was all I could do.

"The Previous round?"

As if questioning what was said, Aria hesitated momentarily, but after a brief moment, she let out a sigh and said.

"Ah! Right! You asked about the first round, right?"

Taking a deep breath, Aria showed a hint of disappointment.

"In the end, everyone died. As you know as well, Professor, there are inevitable endings for the world."

"."

"Where should I start?"

And so, Aria began her somewhat chaotic and disorganized recollection of the First Round.

* * *

Professor came to find me toward the end of my second year.

The winter vacation for the second-year students would soon begin.

Professor was hospitalized around that time. However, with the help of Professor Erica, he took the time to see me.

"Aria Rias."

Looking at me with an exhausted appearance, Professor exhaled roughly while seated in a wheelchair.

"Yes?"

"Winter vacation will start soon. Where do you plan to go?"

I was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

"I'm going back home. But, who are you, Sir?"

"Tsk!"

Hearing that, the Professor clicked his tongue and thumped the wheelchair with his fist weakly. Instead of doing it weakly intentionally, it appeared that he was simply unable to muster any more strength than that.

"Go to the Sahar Desert. Right away. It is winter now, so this should be the perfect time. Find Hin, the master of the Flaming Sword, and become his disciple. With your talent, you should be able to learn everything during the winter vacation."

"Excuse me?"

What in the world he was talking about, I wondered.

I was planning to return home and have a stew with my family!

"This is for your own good. Erica will accompany you, so go there with her."

"But, even if you say that all of a sudden"

"Come spring of your third year, you will be grateful for listening to me. So, make haste!"

Looking back now, I think the main reason I followed his instructions was because Professor Erica also requested me to do so.

I heard that he had a kind of split personality, and attempted to commit suicide occasionally.

Since it seemed somewhat like his final request or something like that, I decided to follow it just this once.

After leaving the kingdom, I arrived at the Sahar Desert after passing through the Marias Forest. There, I really met Hin, the master of the Flaming Sword, and trained under him.

It happened just as Professor said. On bringing him a Yellow Scryer's Bloom, he accepted me.

I also learned about my talent. It turned out I was pretty skilled at swordsmanship!

And then, surprisingly, in the spring of my third year, during that fresh and vibrant season, it almost felt like the flaming sword I learned had been waiting for this very moment to shine.

When a Yeti brought by a circus went wild and caused a commotion during the Spring Flower Festival in Loberne, I managed to save my friend, Florensia!

If I hadn't learned the Flaming Sword, Florensia could have been seriously injured or perhaps even killed.

I went to Professor Deus and spoke about it.

At that moment, Professor Deus calmly uttered a single sentence.

"You have managed to avoid the route where Florensia dies."

"Excuse me?"

At the time, I wondered what he meant by that, but Professor immediately gave me the next set of instructions.

"You must come first in the upcoming midterm exam. In order to do that."

It was a bit out of the blue, but coming first in the midterm exams wasn't a bad thing, so I heeded his instructions.

Surprisingly, the students from each grade who ranked first in the midterm exam were allotted a dedicated time to meet with the Saintess, who had visited Loberne at the time, individually.

Professor Deus had instructed me to memorize what needed to be said at that time, and I followed his instructions to the point.

It was quite fascinating.

I met the Saintess privately and was able to become close with her!

After that, everything progressed just as Professor said.

Leorus became a spear master.

He also became proficient in water-attribute magic and always did his best as our vanguard.

Happy also changed her weapon and started using a Magic Gun that we got from the Clark Republic, which greatly enhanced her skills.

Florensia's magic abilities had become so formidable within the academy, that in terms of mastery, she could be compared with Princess Eleanor.

Jin cut off ties with his family.

After he was no longer part of an assassin family, but was now just ordinary Jin, he was able to display his versatile side while being with us.

Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. Whenever I followed Professor's advice, things were resolved in the best possible way.

He continued to give me orders even from his hospital bed and nodded approvingly when I followed his instructions properly before issuing the next command.

And then during the winter vacation of the third-year, exactly one year after we met, that person asked me for a favor.

"A Dark Mage. To be more specific, I need you to find me a Necromancer."

It was the first time Professor Deus, who always gave me orders, made a request without any further information.

"The items you can obtain in this winter vacation are trivial. So it does not matter if you do something else."

As he said that, Professor Deus body was thinner than ever before, and there were more scars on his wrists.

According to Professor Erica, he now attempted self-harm even with the injections the nurses put on.

There were also times when he screamed that the owner of his body was a different person.

Eventually, my friends and I left to find the Necromancer. It was quite difficult, but we eventually found the Necromancer with the help of the Saintess.

"Yes, I knew this day would come someday."

It was a mature woman with purple eyes who wore a black robe.

With a semi-transparent black veil covering her face below the nose, the necromancer spoke with a hollow voice while facing her death.

"In the end, perhaps it has no end."

Her voice, filled with hollow sighs, gave us a sense of unease that we had done something we shouldn't have.

Nevertheless, the Necromancer died, and we presented the book she wrote about the Basics of Necromancy to Professor.

So, after a month.

Exactly one month later.

Professor was discharged.

He said that he had completely annihilated the other personality within him.

At that time, I didn't understand what that meant.

"From now on, I will accompany you as well."

Then, he started to act as our guardian. At that time, I had great trust in Professor.

Thanks to Professor, I managed to escape from the brink of death several times and possessed the necessary abilities before the incidents occurred.

Yet, even so, Professor always seemed anxious.

Even when I followed Professor's orders properly, he didn't seem too pleased.

Instead, he kept repeating the same words as he bit his lips.

"This cannot continue."

Why was that?

Even though I did my best to follow his instructions, why was Professor always dissatisfied?

Just like that, time continued to flow.

In the spring of my fourth year at the academy.

Professor Deus married Professor Erica.

However, the wedding was quite modest, and it seemed more like Professor Deus did it out of necessity rather than love.

It was because Professor Deus was not well-regarded in the Verdi Household.

He said that he would be kicked out of the Household unless he formed a connection with the Bright Household.

Still, Professor Erica didn't regret it. Having tended to Professor Deus during his illness, she had genuinely grown to love him.

And thinking that Professor, who was constantly worried about me and always made the best decisions for me, was taken away by someone else, I felt a little jealous as well.

Perhaps that was why.

I always wanted recognition from Professor. However, whenever I did something remarkable or defeated a formidable enemy, all Professor did was calmly acknowledge it and move on to the next agenda.

"Subdue Dante, but do not kill their leader. Be prepared to make some sacrifices."

It was the name of the organization of Dark Mages, whom I had fought against numerous times. I didnt understand their goals, but they claimed they were fighting for the salvation of the continent.

I thought the opportunity had come.

I believed I could resolve things beyond what Professor hoped for.

Thus, when Dante's leader held my friends hostage, I slit the throat of Dante's leader without hesitation because everyone would have been in danger otherwise.

And so, Dante was destroyed.

Their goal was indeed absurd, but they definitely had the power to achieve it.

However, upon hearing my story

Bang!

Professor slammed the desk once and after that, he ordered me with a gesture.

"Get out."

"P-Professor?"

"I said get out. There is no need for you to approach me anymore now."

Why was he behaving like this?

It was natural to punish Dante if you considered the countless atrocities committed by them.

"Is it because I killed their leader? But my friends would have been in danger if I hadn't done that!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Bam!

Again.

Professor slammed the desk roughly as he yelled.

"In order to save this world in your first round, you had to at least accept some level of damage! To avoid the end of this damn world, some sacrifices are inevitable!"

"First round? Huh? What are you talking about?"

"You should have just followed my orders, and everything would have been fine!"

Professor Deus massaged his forehead as he spoke.

"It's over now."

Professor was truly mysterious.

Everything happened just as he said.

Indeed, within a few weeks, the scene on this continent could fittingly be described as hell.

Since the dead no longer had a place to rest on this continent, they began to wander around endlessly, never sleeping.

Driven by resentment, the evil spirits of the dead thoughtlessly slaughtered the living they came across.

As they possessed some knowledge about Black Magic, the surrounding nations were able to cope temporarily, but with so many people dying, they eventually collapsed as well.

Of course, the first to fall, and that too, in an instant, was the kingdom that lost its functionality the Griffin Kingdom, which had staunchly rejected Black Magic.

People died helplessly.

Mages, knights, and even priests.

The Kingdom fell without even being able to counter the numerous evil spirits.

Those who died at the hands of the evil spirits also turned into evil spirits, pouring their grievances onto both the living and the dead.

And just like that, at the end

Professor, who always regarded me as the last hope, fought against the evil spirits to protect me.

Being a Necromancer, he was the only one capable of standing up against them.

He even abandoned his wife.

I watched his figure, which was originally frail, try to save me.

However, because he learned Necromancy late in life, and was self-taught as well, he was unable to keep up with the battle.

In the end, with his heart pierced by the evil spirit, Professor looked at me.

"If you get another chance, at that time..."

That was the end.

As Professor fell victim to the evil spirits, I too closed my eyes without being able to overcome the transcendent beings.

I would have been able to save everyone if I had listened to Professor, wouldn't I?

With such regrets lingering in my mind, I restarted from the beginning.