“Dante! You little bastard...!! No, I mean—how could you say something like that so recklessly?! No matter how upset you are, how can you talk about leaving the Academy?!”

Shaman shot up like he was ready to attack me, and Balkan quickly stood to stop him.

“Are you serious, Golden Rat?”

Ezekiel frowned deeply.

“You’d leave the entire Academy over a single assistant in an assassin’s den?”

To them, it was no different from swapping out a tool in a workshop.

I was the master. Adele was the tool.

Some were flustered.

Others, like the Director, were stunned into silence.

The owl suit’s beak hung open, frozen.

That bastard was now caught in a dilemma.

1. It needed to kill Adele without my knowledge.

2. I’d figured it out and was getting in the way.

3. But System⧉ exists for the sole purpose of letting me enjoy the game. And the name of this game is Hiaka Academy. If I left the Academy, System⧉ would lose its reason for existing.

Stalemate.

“...Professor Dante.”

The owl tried to recover.

“What are you doing?”

The voice had softened again—but the pressure behind it hadn’t.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re not doing this for our own good, are we? We’re supposed to help each other. But right now, Professor, you’re asserting your rights and nothing else!”

“Director. It’s simple. If Adele dies, I leave. If she doesn’t, I stay. How is that one-sided?”

“If you keep tormenting me like this—what makes you think I won’t retaliate?”

A not-so-subtle threat.

“I have my own ways, Professor Dante.”

My eyes narrowed. Because just then, something appeared in the 【Script】.

【Director Hedwig: ‘At this rate, I’ll have to request a permanent delay to the [Hotfix].’】

Ah, shit.

That was the Director’s next move. If I didn’t kill Adele, she’d block the hotfix.

Which was a serious threat.

Right now, the only place I could get more information was [EndOcean]. That community of clear-rate players that practically worshipped me. They were the first to identify Adele’s 2.1.5 bug.

⋮

⧉ Some users are asking what the [Hell Mode] 2.1.5 bug looks like, and how it was resolved!

⧉ Many others are echoing the request.

⋮

No devs moderate the game’s communities.

Which means: [EndOcean] lies outside the domain of System⧉.

“So this is a win-win, isn’t it? Professor Dante gets to save Adele. And we don’t do our job. Everyone’s happy, hmm~?”

“......”

The Director was using the [Hotfix] as blackmail—because she knew how much I needed it.

“......”

I fell silent, deep in thought.

【Director Hedwig: ‘You’re scared, aren’t you? Nervous, hmm?’】

【Director Hedwig: ‘Dante-kun must’ve suffered a lot from bugs. But if we don’t clean up the bugs, what can you even do?’】

The longer I stayed quiet, the more confident she became.

【Director Hedwig: ‘In the end, System⧉ is the reason you exist, Dante-kun.’】

Next to me, the department chairs offered their thoughts—Balkan, Ezekiel... “calm down,” “talk it through.”

Finally, Shaman approached and sighed.

“...Professor Dante. Please don’t antagonize the Director. Conflict between Hiaka and the Academy will only lead to the worst possible future...”

The old man was worried—for me, and for the Academy’s future.

That’s when I made my decision.

“...My apologies, Director.”

“Oh? You’re backing down?”

“...Yes.”

“Hmph!”

The owl’s face curled into a pleased smile.

“You should’ve done that earlier. After all the trouble you caused, did you think I’d just forgive you now?”

“Director!!”

Shaman growled. The owl flinched slightly, then turned away in a huff.

“Ahem! Very well, Professor Dante. Then you agree to Adele’s execution?”

“Yes. I will carry it out.”

“Hmph! See? That’s better.”

“But. She’s an assistant I’ve grown attached to. Please allow me to kill her myself.”

“...Yourself?”

The air shifted subtly. Hedwig’s mouth closed.

The owl suit turned toward me—and for just a second, I thought I saw eyes glowing deep in the black nostrils of its beak.

【Director Hedwig: ‘...Is this a trick?’】

She suspected me.

【Is Dante-kun trying to deceive me?】

And immediately, her mind spun up scenarios.

【IF this is a trick—what is Dante-kun after?】

【A: He wants access to the [Hotfix]. He’ll try to reach those other-dimensional bastards from EndOcean.】

【There are 59 minutes left until the [Hotfix]. In that time, Dante-kun will pretend he’s about to kill Adele, stalling so I won’t submit the hotfix delay request.】

【And that hotfix delay is my exclusive authority... if I’m fooled, Dante wins.】

【If he says something like “Adele, I always loved you...” and hides a dagger behind his back, how could I possibly submit the request mid-scene?】

【And Dante-kun’s illusion magic is advanced. If he creates an illusionary corpse—Adele pretending to be dead—I might not be able to tell. Then she lives, the hotfix goes through, and I lose.】

I bit down hard on my lower teeth.

Had I been found out...?

Was it too obvious?

The Director was analyzing everything, down to the last variable—dissecting my plan in real time.

And then—

【Director Hedwig: ‘Am I right?’】

【Director Hedwig: ‘Come to think of it... Dante-kun can read my thoughts, can’t he?’】

【Director Hedwig: ‘You’ve been watching me the whole time, haven’t you? Reading my shameful little secrets?’】

She realized I could see her 【Script】.

Our eyes locked.

【Director Hedwig: ‘Pervert.’】

Right after that, her thoughts... changed.

【Nuke, bug, patch, balance, nerf, buff, hotfix, update, maintenance, server, client, rank, matchmaking, report, ban, abuse, account suspension, user DB, loading, ping, debugging, rollback, traffic, event, coupon, service policy, announcements, user feedback, test server, live server, crash, disconnect, login error, server merge, content rebalancing, seasonal mode, rewards, monetization, premium currency, pay-to-win.】

You can't “not think of an elephant,” but you can drown it out by thinking of something else.

It was a countermeasure I’d once theorized. She was using it.

And just like that—she shut down every angle I’d been planning to exploit.

Then, at last, she spoke.

“Alright? Professor Dante, go ahead and kill Assistant Adele.”

She smiled. Viciously.

“But do it here. Right in front of me.”

Ah.

That was her solution.

Eliminate all tricks.  Force me to kill Adele on the spot.

“...Director. Isn’t that a bit much?”

“What is?”

I scrambled to object.

“...If I’m going to say farewell to someone I cared about—why must I do it in front of everyone? Isn’t that just public execution?”

“Yes! Public execution!”

“We’ve spent time together. Shared words. There are things I want to say. And you’re demanding I do that here?”

“Mmhm.”

The other department chairs looked visibly uncomfortable. Assassin or not, we’re still human. Publicly executing someone you knew? That was too far.

“If you won’t do it, just say so! I’ll use other means!”

The smug bastard owl kept asserting her dominance.

Some developers think gamers should be trained.

That’s how Hedwig treated me.

“......”

So now I had two choices.

Lose the [Hotfix]. Or kill Adele.

“What are you doing?”

She asked when I touched the Crystal Orb.

“Sending a message...”

“Call her, Professor Dante. On speaker!”

She wanted everything under her control.

That was the essence of System⧉.

—Hello?

Adele picked up immediately.

—Oh, Professor? Isn’t it almost our date time? Hehe~

“...Adele. Could you come to the 5th floor sub-conference room of the Assassin Building?”

—Right now? Why...?

“...It’s about your thesis.”

—Oh?! Really?!

—Did you tell the department chairs or senior faculty??

“...Sort of.”

—I’ll be right there!!

Her cheerful voice made the department chairs grimace. But even now, the Director felt she hadn’t been cautious enough.

“Chairman Shaman? Give Professor Dante the Execution Dagger Ω.”

“Director, how dare you...!!”

Shaman flared up.

“What? If she’s going to die anyway, shouldn’t it be painless? That’s a mercy.”

Item #82 from the Imperial Assassination Manual: Execution Dagger Ω.

Grade: [Legendary I].

One of Shaman’s three prized throwing daggers.

Pierces deep, severs life signals instantly.

Shaman didn’t refuse. He, too, believed Adele had to die.

But when the towering old man approached me, his face was shadowed—like he was mourning the tragedy about to unfold.

“......”

I took the dagger without a word.

It was heavy. Cold.

And then... we waited.

Silently.

For Adele to arrive at this room.

⧉ 53 minutes until [Hotfix] begins.

⧉ 52 minutes until [Hotfix] begins.

⧉ 51 minutes until [Hotfix] begins.

⋮

⧉ 43 minutes until [Hotfix] begins.

Knock, knock. A knock at the door. I told her to come in.

The 5th floor belonged to senior officials. Adele stepped in cautiously. “Professo—...oh?” She smiled at me.

Then tensed at the sight of the three department chairs.

Then froze when she saw the Director.

Understandable. The owl was notorious but rarely seen.

Because I said it was thesis-related, Adele bowed deeply and greeted everyone cheerfully: “Hello!”

That’s when the Director whispered.

“Do it now.”

She wanted to crush even the smallest pause for emotion.

“Adele.”

“Y-yes...?”

“Nervous?”

“Y-yeah...”

“Before we talk with the chairs, I have something to say to you. Privately. Is that alright?”

“O-of course...?”

I moved with the dagger hidden near my waist. Approached until I was right in front of her.

We’d never been this close in public.

Adele looked startled, stepped back. I followed.

“Profess—wha...?”

I bent down and hugged her. My dagger hand behind her back. My other hand cupping her forehead.

She didn’t resist—just froze up.

And I whispered in her ear.

Not a farewell. Not a last word.

But an order:

‘Kill the Director.’

From under my coat, Adele’s hand hesitated—then sealed a 『Sign印』.

Splatter—!

The “head” inside the owl suit exploded.

In the same instant, I grabbed Adele’s hand and dashed for the window.

“Run, Adele!”

“P-Professor?! What the—!?”

“Shut up and run!”

“Professor Dante!!” Balkan leapt to stop us, but Ezekiel’s arm blocked him.

“Sir Ezekiel—!”

“......”

As the two growled at each other, the window loomed ahead.

“Professor?! This is the fifth floo—!”

“We’re jumping!”

“Whaaa!?”

Crash!!

I smashed through the window and leapt with Adele.

From the fifth floor. Down to the ground.

“Kyaaa—”

I clutched Adele as tightly as I could. We landed. Hard.

And then—a car drifted to a stop in front of us.

“Get in!”

It was Ran, already waiting after receiving my message.

We dove in. She slammed the gas.

Vrrroooom!!

The clue had been this:

The Director’s earlier thought—

【Hotfix delay is my exclusive authority... if I’m fooled, Dante wins, right?】

That meant:

Once the Director died, no one else could stop the hotfix.

And no matter how powerful a [Challenger] or [Constellation] might be—

No one survives Curse No.96: Curse of Instant Death.

It has to be stopped before it activates. But I had shielded Adele—hidden her hand.

Still, this wasn’t over.

Even if the hotfix couldn’t be canceled, System⧉ would # Nоvеlight # now do anything to kill Adele.

Anything at all.

“Professor! Hostiles incoming!”

Of course. Pursuers were right behind us.

If I could keep Adele alive until the [Hotfix]...

Then I’d reach the truth.

And solve everything.

Now, it came down to 40 minutes.

⧉ 40 minutes until [Hotfix] begins.

If we could survive that—

Victory was mine.

And exactly 40 minutes later...

Adele and I were still alive—barely—inside the wreckage of a totaled car.

⋮

Logging out.

⧉『Game System』 temporarily shutting down.