***

*Harem POV*

*Haa… Haa… Haa…*

Breathing hard, I gazed down at the mess I've made. I've killed plenty of monsters before. Whether they were a  beast or a criminal, they all went down the same.

But none of their ends came close to what I'm feeling right now.

Is it guilt? Fear? Relief? Probably all of those, really.

If I didn't act stupid… If I just told her everything… If I was thinking straight…

Couldn't her death have been avoided?

*Clap, clap, clap, clap!*

"Good job Harem~! You defeated the monster!" Saehl congratulated as he walked towards me.

His gait was slow and mocking, his clapping drowned out by the fighting around us. 

“…”

Instead of replying, I focused on my breathing. With everything that’s happened, the end seemed disturbingly clear.

While I was battling for my life, Saehl silently watched us. I may have men outside the school fighting, but they won’t be worth anything against the reincarnators. 

That's where I was supposed to come in. That's where I was supposed to turn the tide. Instead, I’ve become another casualty.

"Are you ready to go, Harem?" He asked, brandishing his sword.

"I won't go down easy," I retorted, drawing out my remaining blade, the other broken during that final attack.

I may be feeling weak, but I could still figh—!?!

***

*Saehl POV*

Ho…

Watching Harem get slammed into the wall for the eleventh time, I turned back towards the two halves of the girl's head as they converged into a single severed head.

Then, the head grew back into a person, clothes and all. It was super gross, to say the least. But she seemed human and normal this time. No deformities or horrors.

Just a normal looking girl.

What was her name again...?

Ah, that’s right.

"Congratulations, Azalia, you have defeated the villain!" I say taking a step towards her.

I didn't plan for her to survive this battle, let alone dominate it with this OP ability of hers. What could this be except a stroke of luck? 

If I play my cards right, I’ll definitely come out on top.

Keeping a smile on my face, I continue talking as I come closer to her.

“Thanks to you, the day is saved. I want to personally thank you for protecting not only me, but our entire class!” I tell her as I grab onto her hands.

Gazing into her eyes, I activate my ability.

Once I get her under my control, my plan to create a worldwide har—!

*Thseck!*

…E-Eh? 

As my vision turned dark I spotted a tail behind her, blood dripping and meat hanging from it.

***

*Unknown POV*

Blocking the blow in front of me, I feel a surge of energy climb up my spine and pierce my brain. The pain almost made me drop my weapon, but I somehow kept my grip on it.

W-What was I doing…?

Like a fog had been lifted from my mind, I became more conscious of the world. 

In front of me was a woman with the same gaping expression I felt I was wearing. Glancing around I could see that a large majority of the people here were in the same situation. Both my classmates and the people on the woman’s side.

For now, the fighting seems to have sto—

“Keep on fighting! Do you think they’ll let us go after what’s happened!” cried out a woman who seemed to be their leader.

I–I’ve seen her before.

“Hyah!” yelled the woman in front of me as I’m swept back into battle.

I’m not sure how I was able to hold out so long against her with my measly swordsmanship. I’ve been learning it on the side since it’s a staple of fantasy, but I haven’t learnt enough to be called competent.

I had my ability, but it wasn’t really geared towards combat. All my ability could do is heal me, but that isn’t very useful if I have no chance of winning in the first place.

The only reason I probably haven’t been killed was because I was on the edge of the battle, and only had to worry about fighting against one person.

Blocking her strike and returning my own, we exchange blows and almost reach a stalemate until I fumble and drop my sword. 

Taking the opportunity the woman thrusts at me, only stopped by a body lobbed at them.

Turning towards the direction the body flew from, I too am hit and topple under the weight of the person.

Quickly pushing them off me, I wipe my face and look down at my hand.

It was red from blood. I don’t know whether it was mine or theirs, but it didn’t matter. 

In the center of the battlefield was a storm of red liquid as somebody tore through it like butter.

The attacker was on neither side, and cut through both sides with mercy. Already a tenth of the people here were dead.

As the enemies ran my classmates went to attack, but none of us had the power to defeat such a monster.

When a majority of the other side had left, I get a good look at the monster on the battlefield. 

The center of the beast was human. It was the new girl, Azalia. 

And sprouting from every angle of her body were things that looked like tails. These tails extended far and were tipped with a blood red blade.

I–I need to go help! B–But my sword…! Ah!

Picking up a discarded sword from the ground, I rush forward to attack.

Getting close, I steel my nerves as I get ready to fight.

*Thk!*

*Schlik!!*

Suddenly and without warning, blood fills my mouth and I lose feeling in my legs.

Falling to the ground I reach out my arms to brace myself.

*Thk!*

*Schlik!!*

But those too fail to work as panic and pain sets in. In my frantic mind I push myself to heal heal heal.

My consciousness fades for a moment before my healing gets to a point where I return to lucidity.

Scanning the floor for my sword, I spot it and lunge towards it.

My body was on fire but my survival instincts won over any pain I was in.

Grabbing it I quickly get to my feet and get ready for ba—

Feeling a blade pierce my head I scream out as I unconsciously heal over, embedding it inside my brain.

*Chik!*

The blade is pulled out and the wound is healed over, but instead of taking another step I instead just drop to the floor like I was dead.

I–I can survive this, r–right?

*Iyaaa—!!!*

Not t–through b–battle, that's for sure.

The coward that I am, I played dead as the screams of my classmates rang out around me.