CH 222.1

Chapter 222.1. Duel

-Masatoshi’s POV-

Aguni Masatoshi had decided to engage in a duel. If asked whether he could win, the answer was a sure thing. It was a guaranteed victory, like hitting a jackpot in pachinko or winning a bank race in horse racing.

There was no chance of losing. The past and present versions of himself were different. His previous self was lazy, foolish, and a poor person.

However, things changed now. Even though I was in an environment where slacking off meant death, I had received Spartan education as the heir.

My father taught him Aguni Dukedom’s magic, the trial of flames my younger brother was supposed to take, and even the previously unknown “Aguni Dukedom’s secret techniques.”

As he munched on some potato chips, my younger brother looked at me, who had the same appearance and personality as me, with admiration.

But deep down, I cursed him because I had to vomit blood and tears while putting in effort.

Thanks to Aguni Masatoshi’s potential he possessed and the splendid yet fearsome educational environment, he now had confidence.

It wasn’t the baseless confidence I had in my previous life. My current self was filled with confidence built on hard work.

I stood proudly and gallantly in the arena, not losing to the likes of the seldom-seen Taiyou.

The ring was the same as the one at the unveiling ceremony two years ago. A hundred-meter square magic stone floor was laid out, surrounded by a dome. The only difference was that there was no ring-out rule.

Taiyou, with a face and personality like Shin, stood with a cheerful smile, facing me. As expected of twin brothers, they were indistinguishable.

I folded my arms, showing the typical composure of a strong person, and smirked inwardly.

I planned to easily defeat Taiyou, infiltrate Kanna Dukedom, rescue Shin who was being held captive, and bring the story back on track. Even if he didn’t know where the witch was, if I let her take a walk outside, he would run into her.

After all, he was the protagonist. The protagonist’s plot armor should work. And then, I would take the position of Shin’s best friend, fight alongside him in various events, and have a cool role.

In the end, I would marry Sena-san and live happily. Shin had many other heroines, so it didn’t matter if there wasn’t a main heroine.

After all, Sena-san and I were deeply in love. We’re the rumored perfect match couple.

Me being popular with girls. Well, that was fine. But recently, I couldn’t even leisurely drink the juice given by other girls during training.

I declined bottled drinks and only ate snacks brought in cans or packs. Being popular was… scary, I had learned recently.

“Well then, are both sides ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“I have no issues either.”

I hear a relaxed and gentle voice. It was a girl who would serve as the referee for the duel. I looked over briefly and nodded.

Standing at the center was a cute girl with pink hair, fluffy cat ears, and a short tail, like a pompom. She was the student council president of this academy, Kohaku Suzu.

In the original story, she was also the student council president in high school. With a fierce and aggressive personality, she was one of the members of the Susano’o Unit, which dominated the academy through force.

Kohaku family’s Kitty Cat company was on the brink of bankruptcy, suppressed by Menou Marquisate’s Puppy Dog company, which was siding with Kanna Dukedom. To save her family, she worked tirelessly, concealing her laid-back and gentle personality deep inside.

There, Kanna Shin saw through it all and became one of the harem members after spending some kind words and a few template events. Or so it was supposed to be.

The current Kohaku family is siding with Takano County, which is determined to crush Menou Marquisate, and they’re jointly producing magic tools to make profits. So there’s no need to work hard.

In the original story, she was an excellent girl, she remained the student council president, but her personality stayed laid-back.

Shin’s potential heroines seem to be decreasing. Ninny has become Mashiro’s fiancée, and the Tokyo druid wild child is living peacefully in Kamakura.

Sena-san is with me. Huh? Could it be that, apart from Elizabeth and Tsuki, there won’t be any other heroines left? No, there should still be heroines. It couldn’t be that way.

Well, having fewer heroines is better. That’s what Masatoshi thinks. In the original ending, Shin became an emperor buried under the heroines.

I used to envy him, but there will be fierce competition among the concubines later.

“Um, Aguni-kun, are you okay? Your face looks kinda like a hundred different expressions all at once.”

“No, no, I’m exuding the aura of a strong person, right? See, a dignified and confident smile, and all that.”

“Eh, not ugly, but it’s more like a creepy smile. Uhehe~ If a girl sees that, she might feel her life is in danger.”

Uheehe~, Suzu twisted her face, but since she had a cute face. It didn’t feel particularly unpleasant.

“That’s ridiculous! Sena-san, what do you think? It’s not creepy, right? It’s, like, full of emotions, right?”

I turned his face to Sena-san, who was sitting in the spectator seats and asked with a worried expression. She’s such a harsh girl. Come to think of it, Suzu is supposed to be a sharp-tongued character.

In the original story, she had a rough military-like personality, which suited her sharp tongue. Even though she still has a gentle and fluffy personality, her sharp tongue hasn’t changed.

“Masatoshi-san, please focus on the match. Don’t worry. Your smile is always lovely. I think it’s probably cuter than a Manticore’s smile!”

Sena-san tightly held her hand, her eyes moist, and cheered me on with a desperate expression.

“That’s right! See, my smile is wonderful!”

“Eh, well… I mean, if you think it’s good, then it’s fine. I guess…”

Who’s creepy? Masatoshi has well-proportioned features. There’s no way he’s creepy.

Sena-san vouched for me, so there’s no doubt.

By the way, what kind of monster was a Manticore again? Was it a cute cat-like creature? Well, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that my smile is wonderful, so there shouldn’t be any problem.