Reborn as an Yandere : Yandere X Yandere

The entire chamber was filled with a blinding purple light.  

The air crackled with unstable energy, and a low humming noise filled the space.  

The refinement process was completely destroyed, all because of Ethan’s reckless attack.  

"You fucking idiot!" Esdeath yelled, her voice filled with frustration.  

The purple light slowly faded, and everything became clear again.  

Elara’s clone was on his knees, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His once-powerful aura flickered and weakened—his body trembling from the backlash.  

For a moment, it seemed like he was going to collapse completely.  

But then, the coughing stopped.  

And he was still alive.  

Ethan’s attack had interrupted the refinement process, causing a heavy backlash. But unlike in Free Life Fantasy, where Elara’s clone had died instantly and his real body had suffered a serious setback, this time, things were different.  

There were two reasons for this.  

First, Elara was only at the beginning of the middle phase of his refinement, unlike in Free Life Fantasy, where he was at the very end. The closer he was to completion, the stronger the backlash would have been. That was why, back then, his real body had suffered a huge drop in power, falling to mere Rank B strength.  

But now?  

His real body was completely unaffected.  

Esdeath narrowed her eyes as she watched Elara’s clone slowly stand up.  

A smirk played on his lips.  

"Even so… his strength should have fallen to Rank B level," she muttered, piecing things together. "So does that mean…"  

Before she could finish, Elara’s clone spoke, answering her unspoken thoughts.  

"When you were busy chatting with me, I already realized the refinement process couldn’t continue," he admitted casually. "So, I slowly started reverse refining—stopping the process bit by bit. That way, I wouldn’t suffer a complete backlash."  

His smirk widened as he chuckled.  

"As long as I survive, I can always refine it again in the future."  

Esdeath’s expression darkened.  

He had planned ahead.  

But then, his gaze shifted toward Ethan, who was gripping his sword tightly, standing in a ready stance—prepared to fight at any moment.  

"But he," Elara’s clone pointed at Ethan, his voice filled with amusement, "he destroyed it in the middle of the process, making the backlash unavoidable."  

His fingers twitched slightly as he clenched his fist.  

"But even with that," he continued, laughing heartily, "I still have Rank A Awakened level strength! Is there anyone here who can rival me? Hahaha!"  

Of course, there wasn’t.  

Esdeath gritted her teeth. She was only at Rank B high-tier.  

And Ethan?  

He could barely fight against Rank B opponents.  

Even if there were four more of them, they still wouldn’t be able to match Elara’s clone’s overwhelming power.

Esdeath suddenly started laughing.  

Her laughter echoed through the chamber, sending chills down the spine. It was eerie—scarier than any monster or demon lurking in the dark. She wiped away invisible tears as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.  

"Do you really think I wasn’t prepared for this?" she asked, her voice sharp and confident.  

She stopped laughing and locked eyes with Elara’s clone.  

"I planted bomb traps, fire scrolls, and even magic circles all over this place. With just a single thought… everything will explode like a raging volcano," she declared.  

Elara’s clone frowned, his expression shifting from amusement to disbelief.  

"Huh? Are you stupid? You’ll die too!" he said, narrowing his eyes.  

But Esdeath simply covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a soft chuckle.  

"Fufufu… Unlike a certain someone, we both have a way to survive this," she smirked.  

She wasn’t bluffing.  

Esdeath had her unique ability, "Echo of Restoration," which could restore her body completely after suffering fatal injuries.  

And Ethan?  

He had his "Righteous" skill—an ability that could reverse his condition once, nullifying all pain for an hour and fully restoring his stamina.  

They had a full chance of survival.  

But Elara’s clone?  

Even if he managed to survive the explosion, his strength would plummet to the lowest level.  

It was checkmate.  

Esdeath had prepared everything in advance.  

---------- 

Elara’s clone stared at Esdeath.  

Years of experience told him one thing—  

She was telling the truth.  

"I need to run!" he thought, panic rising in his chest.  

Without wasting a second, he turned and bolted toward the exit.  

But then—  

Esdeath flicked her fingers.  

"Too late," she whispered.  

And then—  

She activated everything at once.  

Elara’s clone froze in place, bracing himself for an earth-shattering explosion.  

But then…  

Whoosh.  

A gust of wind blew past him.  

That was it.  

Nothing happened.  

"What?" Elara’s clone blinked, utterly confused.  

Slowly, he turned around to look where Esdeath and Ethan were standing just moments ago—  

And they were gone.  

Yes.  

They had run away.  

Esdeath had tricked him again.  

Elara’s clone clenched his fists, his face twitching in anger.  

"Are you kidding me?!" he shouted, his furious voice shaking the walls.  

--------

Outside the academy, Maruti was sprinting toward the entrance, panting heavily.  

"I’m late, I’m late! I couldn’t even find that gloomy girl!" she muttered, frustration clear in her voice.  

But then—  

BOOM!  

A loud explosion erupted from inside the academy. The ground trembled. Smoke and debris shot into the sky.  

Maruti stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.  

"What the hell was that?" she gasped.  

Before she could even process what had happened, two figures suddenly burst out from the thick smoke—  

Esdeath and Ethan.  

More like…  

They were falling from the sky.  

They twisted their bodies mid-air and managed to land on the ground without much trouble.  

Esdeath’s eyes immediately locked onto Maruti, who was just a short distance away.  

"Run… run…" Esdeath said between breaths, her expression serious.  

Maruti had no idea what was going on, but she didn’t need to be told twice.  

She immediately spun around and started running, glancing back over her shoulder.  

Then she saw it.  

Another figure emerging from the smoke.  

Elara’s clone.  

His entire body radiated an overwhelming pressure. His violet eyes burned with rage.  

"You’re not getting away, you brats!" he roared.  

Even his voice alone created a shockwave, shaking the ground.  

Esdeath looked at Ethan.  

"Hey, you! Why are you running? Go fight him! You’re the protagonist!" she yelled.  

Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief.  

"What?! How the hell am I supposed to fight a Rank A?!" he shouted, trying to make himself heard over the chaos.  

Esdeath grinned.  

"I know you can do it! Just go and die by his hands!" she encouraged him.  

Ethan almost tripped.  

"Huh?! Are you seriously telling me to die?!" he asked, his expression blank. "I have zero trust in you!"  

The situation was already chaotic, but his completely dumbfounded expression somehow made it even funnier.  

Esdeath waved him off.  

"Come on, you can do it!" she pushed.  

Ethan didn’t even get the chance to argue.  

Elara’s clone was getting closer—fast.  

His speed was insane.  

Only Maruti could match him in pure agility.  

Ethan’s mind was screaming.  

This was not how things were supposed to go.

---------------

Esdeath gritted her teeth and abruptly stopped running.  

"Fuck this! Running won’t solve anything!" she cursed, her voice filled with frustration.  

There was no point in escaping. Elara’s clone was too fast—sooner or later, he would catch up to them.  

Ethan skidded to a stop as well, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.  

"Alright, let’s do this!" he said, determination flashing in his eyes. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his blade and got into his stance, ready to fight.  

Only Maruti kept running for a while before she finally slowed down, glancing back with a hesitant expression.  

"Let’s see how things play out first," she muttered, choosing to keep her distance.  

Elara’s clone smirked as he slowly drew his sword, the blade gleaming under the moonlight.  

"Walking straight into your death," he said, his voice cold and mocking.  

But then—  

Swish!  

A blur of purple lightning suddenly flashed across the battlefield.  

Before Elara’s clone could even react, a devastating kick struck the side of his face.  

The impact sent a sharp shockwave through the air.  

He barely had time to recover when—  

BAM! 

Another kick landed.  

Then another.  

Suddenly, a surge of purple lightning crackled around him, illuminating the area in a dazzling glow.  

A fist came rushing toward his face, aiming for a direct hit.  

But this time, he was ready.  

BAM! BAM! BAM!

A fierce exchange began.  

Dozens of punches and kicks rained down on Elara’s clone, each one fast and powerful.  

But he was no ordinary opponent.  

He swiftly blocked each attack, his movements precise and calculated. Sparks flew as his sword parried the relentless assault.  

Then, in a single leap, the attacker retreated, landing gracefully on the ground a few meters away.  

Elara’s clone wiped the side of his mouth, his expression unreadable.  

"To think there would be another strong student," he muttered, his gaze locked onto the figure in front of him.  

The person stood tall, completely unfazed by the intense battle.  

It was a girl.  

An academy student.  

Her presence alone was striking.  

She had a mature and alluring face that made her seem older than her actual age. Her body was both athletic and curvaceous, her movements smooth yet deadly.  

Her long, flowing purple hair shimmered under the night sky, while her glowing purple eyes carried an air of mystery and danger.  

She radiated confidence.  

She radiated power.  

She was the Alive Arlecchino.

“Are you with us? Nice! We got another subordinate!” Ethan’s morale surged, feeling relieved that at least someone strong had joined their side.  

But his excitement was short-lived.  

Alice turned toward him, her expression sharp. “Subordinate? I’m not anyone’s enemy or subordinate,” she said firmly, lightning crackling around her body. “I only want someone strong!”  

Before Ethan could react, she vanished from her spot and reappeared right in front of him.  

Bang!  

A powerful kick was aimed straight at him, but Ethan instinctively raised his sword just in time to block it. The impact sent vibrations up his arms, and he gritted his teeth.  

“She’s strong… way too strong for an ordinary student!” he thought, barely holding his ground.  

But before he could counterattack, she disappeared again, only to reappear in front of Esdeath.  

A punch came flying toward Esdeath’s face.  

Boom!  

Esdeath lifted her elbow at the last second, blocking the attack with precision. The sheer force behind the punch sent a shockwave around them, stirring up dust and debris.  

“Tch… that idiot didn’t kill her?” Esdeath muttered, thinking about Maruti.  

Alice took a step back, lowering her hands as she stared at the ground for a moment. Then—  

Fufu…  

A soft chuckle escaped her lips before it grew louder.  

“Hahahaha!”  

She threw her head back and laughed, eyes burning with excitement. “One, two, three… three strong opponents in one place! Today is such a great day!” Her grin stretched wide as she looked toward Elara’s clone, Esdeath, and Ethan, as if she was savoring the moment.  

But then…  

Her eyes shifted.  

And landed on Maruti.  

The playful grin vanished. Her eyes widened slightly, her lips parting in shock. For a second, she froze, staring at the girl in the distance.  

Then—  

Whoosh!  

Alice vanished in an instant.  

She reappeared right in front of Maruti, their faces inches apart.  

Maruti blinked, caught off guard. “Wait… aren’t you—”  

She recognized Alice, but before she could finish speaking—  

Alice’s arms wrapped tightly around Maruti’s neck.  

“I knew it,” Alice whispered, her voice laced with relief. “I knew you would survive!”  

And then, without warning—  

She leaned in and kissed Maruti.  

Passionately.  

Right in front of everyone.  

Elara’s clone: “……”  

Ethan: “………”  

Esdeath: “…………”  

Maruti’s eyes widened in shock. Her body tensed as Alice’s warm lips pressed against hers. Before she could even process what was happening, she felt Alice’s tongue slide inside her mouth, deepening the kiss. A shiver ran down her spine as they exchanged breath, their lips locked in a heated moment.  

Finally, Alice pulled away, licking her lips with satisfaction. Her gaze burned with desire as she stared at Maruti.  

“I’ve taken a liking to you,” she said with a smirk. “Be mine.”