"Woah, I look...really different."

That was the only way Raymond could describe his current appearance. Because nearly everything about his own appearance had been drastically changed.

His white hair was gone, replaced with black hair that had been slicked back. His pupils, usually a light blue had been changed to be a rich brown colour. His skin as well had been changed to make him look tan, something that would normally have been impossible for him and basically any awakened above the E-rank.

He was quite surprised at just how good these cosmetics were, the wig was enchanted to remain to his head and make sure it kept it’s style. Rather then wear contacts, they just casted a small spell on him that changed his eye color. Doing the same thing for his skin as well.

Although he still looked quite different from the actual Killian, he passed off as a younger version of him pretty damn well.

"You better look different. Do you know much effort this takes?"

"Sorry."

Despite using magic, it still took about two hours of work just to get him looking like this.

Luckily he didn’t have to do it everyday, they just needed to make sure he looked good in costume first.

Speaking of costume...

"When did Killian ever wear something like this?"

Dressed in a grey blazer and white collar shirt. The dominating grey color scheme with accents of gold. It actually reminded Raymond of the academy uniform somewhat.

Which as it turns out, was because it was an actual academy uniform.

"This is like the one part of the play that is historically accurate. What you’re wearing is the first uniform for the special class students back then."

Unfortunately, special class students no longer received their own uniforms. Back when the special class was first introduced around 60 years ago, they did in fact have their own uniforms.

To be fair, the party of heroes were just too unique to lump them in the with other class A students. Splitting them off into the special class was what helped them to become known as the party of heroes.

It also created an unfortunate legacy that many other special class students tried to follow.

Given by how the academy hadn’t produced dozens more heroes. It was pretty easy to see what had happened to the special class students that tried to follow in their footsteps.

"Looks good I have to admit."

"You should see what they did to Ellen. They were fighting over who got to do her makeup and costume."

"...no one fought for me?"

She let out a small cough, before quickly changing the subject.

"How’s the script? You like it so far?"

He side-eyed her briefly before answering.

"I think it’s good? I don’t really know much about theatre. Although it’s really historically inaccurate, so many things are just wrong."

"That’s the seventh time you complained about historical accuracy. How many times do we need to say it! You need to read in between the lines!"

And that was the seventh time he had heard the same exact sentence of reading in between the lines.

Honestly, you’re reading in between the lines so much. Are you even reading the lines themselves?!

Raymond didn’t say what he was thinking out loud however, he had learned that the hard way from Ellen that sometimes. Speaking your mind wasn’t a good thing. Even if you really wanted to say it, you had to hold it in no matter what.

Just remembering all the times he was wronged by her already made him gloomy.

Each time he kneeled, was leapt at, thrown onto the floor, put into a wrestling hold. He remembered them all.

His plans for revenge were already in the works, but he still needed a good opportunity to get away from her afterwards. He had thought of blackmail to try and get her to not immediately destroy his body and soul, but knowing Ellen. In such a situation, she wouldn’t care about the blackmail.

Sighing, he stood up and stretched. Almost letting out a yawn as well only to immediately have his jaw shut for him.

"Don’t do that. You’ll ruin the makeup."

"..mmfmh."

He nodded, able to speak again once she let go of his jaw.

Careful not to make any large movements this time. He left the room, gfeeting Thomas in the hallway for a little bit before splitting up.

All three of them—that being Arthur, Thomas and Lin Qingyi managed to make the cutoffs.

But most surprising to Raymond, was the fact that Audrina was also in the play!

Audrina, the person who quite literally refused to do anything that wasn’t mandatory(in her opinion).

She attended classes, attended her club mertings, studied and trained, and that was about it. She didn’t have any friends or anyone she talked to outside of them in the special class. She usually spent her free time training or in her apartment napping. Because those were all the things she considered important.

But other things such as, going out for food. Not as important, she could cook at home and eat that according to her. Although her cooking was...bad to say the least, mediocre at best and that was a very generous statement.

Spending time with them whenever they hung out? Not as important, sleeping and recovering energy was more important. A healthy body was a healthy future.

It was the ultimate bland boring life. The stark opposite from what Raymond wanted to live like.

Yet she had chosen to join this play. Something that could be considered the ultimate waste of time. She wasn’t even getting paid like Raymond was.

From what he heard, Thomas had supposedly convinced her to try out. Which made him the equivalent of a miracle worker in Raymond’s eyes.

He knocked on a door, hearing several hushed whispers behind it.

"It’s me, Raymond. Can I come in?"

"Hold on. Just a second!"

Raymond proceeded to count a total of four minutes and eleven seconds. During which he heard a total of four dropped items, six ’where is it?!’, seven ’you look so gorgeous right now’, and two ’is he still there?’

Averaging one dropped item every minute, one ’where is it’ every forty seconds, one ’you look so gorgeous right now’ every thirty five seconds and one ’is he still there’ every two minutes.

So definitely not just a second.

Still counting down the time internally, the door finally opened. A frazzled looking girl he recognized as one of his juniors coming to tell him. Only for her to pause when looking at him.

"What, is there something on my face?"

"Yeah. Candy."

She briefly licked her lips before rapidly shaking her head,

"She’s ready to see you now."

So much fanfare just for Ellen’s Viviana costume, was this even necessary?

Well, he did understand it a little now that he finally saw her.

Viviana was always considered one of the most beautiful women alive, although Raymond still personally believed Ellen deserved it more.

But right now, Viviana’s glory was being recreated in full by Ellen.

Ellen’s facial features, soft and defined were now clearly brought out. Her cheeks were slightly rosy, her lips a bright red. Fitting together in a way that felt slightly unreal. Her hair was let loose, now a vivid shade of lavendet. The same color as her pupils. Wearing a similar uniform as him, she held an elegant and refined feel.

Ellen had always had this calm, cool and unbothered aura surrounding her. It was probably why she was his favorite ’character’ in the first place, the effortless coolness was just a vibe that he really liked about her.

Seeing her so different now, it really made him wonder whether or not they were the same people.

Turning to look at him, their eyes made contact. Greeting him with a smile.

"How do I look?"

"...I think I prefer the regular you."

Someone else in the room let out a gasp, followed up by nearly collapsing onto the floor before being caught by someone else.

He wasn’t sure what exactly Killian was like back in his younger days. But he was known to be an extremely kind and caring person so in that case, he would probably react like this right?

Raymond held out a hand, recalling some of Arthur’s advice at the same time.

’You need to get close to them! Don’t give them room to think or space to dodge!’

Walking up to her and bowing slightly, standing directly over her. He held out a hand.

"Shall we?"

***

Nicole stared at the two. Their current appearance was fat from what they actually looked like, and although they did resemble the actual Killian and Viviana quite a lot. They were still different in their own ways.

But wow...

She wanted to thank whoever it was that decided to get Raymond included in the play. Because where else would one be able to spot such a piece of eye candy?

That sharp jawline! That slicked back hair! That face! What an absolute gem!

Sure Ellen was extremely beautiful as well, but she wasn’t interested in women romantically.

Not that she would try to approach Raymond romantically either. She was a fourth year already, whereas he was still only a second year.

But there was nothing wrong with ogling a little.

Her intense gaze practically burned a hole into the two of them, the two of them thought they had gotten used to the gazes of others. Raymond often received many looks from people for his appearance and strength on Erde, and Ellen used to be a hero in the previous timeline after all.

But the current looks they were receiving was vastly different then what they were used to.

"Are we going to start or...?"

Oh right, today was supposed to just be a brief stage reading to prepare them all.

Neither of the two lead roles had any actual acting experience after all. So it was important for them to learn fast.

Nicole cleared her throat, "Just to start it off. We’ll begin with one of the earlier scenes where the two meet for the first time. It should be pretty simple."

The two of them looked at each other, maintaining the same look on the outside.

But internally, their plans to defeat the other were already in motion.

Starting with, this introduction scene!