Villain's Refund System: The Protagonist's Harem Is Mine

Applause shook Halcrest’s exhibition hall when the professor unveiled Mina’s stolen prototype beneath twelve broadcast crystals.

Damien watched from the upper gallery beside her, ’bro polished the brass after attempted murder, wow, plagiarism apparently needs presentation quality.’

Hallow stood beneath the central lights in fitted blue faculty robes, with white hair framing a smooth narrow face.

His tall body carried no weapon, though six control rings covered the fingers wrapped around an ivory command rod.

The copied construct rested behind him as a golden wolf twice the size of any natural beast, with folded limbs hidden beneath armored flanks.

Damien counted six visible joints across its shoulders, ’Mina built four, shit, Hallow added weapons before pretending this thing protects anyone.’

Mina leaned over the rail wearing clean amber goggles, while her captured rune plate remained locked against one wrist.

"That bastard changed my shoulder assembly after wiring it backward," she muttered, zooming her phone toward the wolf’s rear joint.

"Does improvement make the theft less insulting or considerably worse?" Damien asked, checking every exit around the crowded floor.

"Worse, since he understood enough to hide what belonged to me," she replied, sending three files toward academy moderators.

’She wants him exposed, while the system says fatality detected, focus on the machine before enjoying public humiliation.’

Lucas occupied the front row in a white academy coat, surrounded by cameras waiting for his reaction to Hallow’s achievement.

Vivienne sat two seats away with her cape folded across one arm, ignoring every attempt Lucas made toward quiet conversation.

Hallow raised the ivory rod as the golden wolf’s eyes opened beneath applause.

"Today, Halcrest proves that disciplined scholarship can transform abandoned student concepts into reliable public defense," he announced, turning toward Mina’s gallery.

Her fingers tightened around the rail until one bolt squealed beneath them.

"Hey, abandoned means I stopped working after your rune tried killing me," Mina called across the hall, making nearby heads turn.

Hallow’s pleasant expression survived, though one control ring flashed against the wrong finger.

"Student Park remains understandably attached to an early sketch," he replied, offering the cameras a patient smile, "today’s machine bears little resemblance."

Mina lifted her captured rune plate and sent its enlarged seal across the nearest broadcast crystal.

"Nah, your signature crawled out of my early sketch last night," she answered, keeping the timestamp beside his face, "explain that resemblance first."

The hall erupted around Hallow while moderators tried removing her projection from twelve separate screens.

His ivory rod shook above the platform, ’that smile finally cracked, nice, now expose whatever panic makes him activate the machine early.’

Lucas rose below them and turned toward Mina with concern arranged perfectly across his features.

"Professor, perhaps the activation should wait until these serious questions receive independent review," he said, placing himself inside every camera angle.

’Of course, he gets to sound reasonable after Mina brought the actual proof, damn, Fate really loves good lighting.’

Hallow struck his rod against the platform before security could reach him.

The golden wolf rose, but black residue opened between its armor plates and swallowed every polished seam.

[Correction-class Event Detected]

[Divergence Response Active]

Its head turned away from Hallow’s command and locked directly onto Mina above the gallery.

"Fuck, get down before that chest opens and cooks this gallery," Damien shouted, grabbing the back of her workshop coat.

White fire crossed the hall where Mina had stood, cutting through stone seats before hitting an upper barrier.

Damien pulled her beneath the rail as the wolf launched from its platform through three rows of screaming guests.

Lucas drew Daybreak and jumped toward the expected interception point, yet the construct changed direction in midair.

’It ignored him, the Correction wants its scripted victim, so golden hero privileges do not matter until she needs rescuing.’

Damien Flickered from the gallery and struck the wolf’s jaw before it reached Mina’s lowered body.

His saber cut one golden plate, exposing black threads that grabbed the blade and hurled him across the central aisle.

Iron Veil formed before his spine hit a marble display, though impact shattered both barrier and glass behind him.

[Iron Veil Mastery: 2]

Pain crossed his ribs as the wolf climbed toward Mina using vertical seats beneath hooked claws.

"Stop chasing me with those stolen legs, you ugly bastard," she shouted, throwing two magnetic charges against its exposed shoulder.

The charges pulled opposite directions, wrenching one limb backward before Damien returned through Flicker.

He landed on the bent shoulder and drove his saber through its joint, breaking Hallow’s modified assembly under Mina’s control.

"Your expensive improvement lasted almost eight glorious seconds, Professor Hallow," she called toward the platform, triggering both magnets until brass tore apart.

The professor backed behind academy guards while his command rings flashed through useless patterns.

Damien saw black light skip across every ring, ’none of those commands reach it, damn, the Correction already ate his authority.’

"Contain Student Park immediately, her interference has corrupted a regulated defense construct," he ordered, pointing his ivory rod toward her gallery.

"Arrest the person your machine keeps trying to eat," Damien said, cutting another black thread, "that should look wonderful during review."

Several guards hesitated as every broadcast crystal turned toward Hallow’s extended rod.

The wolf twisted beneath Damien and formed a second pair of forelegs from broken display frames.

’It adapts after seeing one angle, shit, Gutter Style becomes readable when the enemy rebuilds itself around each mistake.’

He Flickered low beneath its chest, but a new tail struck the arrival point before his boots settled.

The blow launched Damien through the arena barrier and into Hallow’s showcase platform.

His shoulder broke the ivory rod during impact, sending six control rings across the floor around Hallow’s shoes.

[Flesh Debt: 129]

Mina jumped from the gallery using a folding barrier as one descending amber step.

"Damien, stop repeating that left-side entry before it learns every other bad habit," she shouted, landing beside a shattered display.

"Helpful advice after the tail demonstrated that problem against my spine," he replied, pushing himself upright through sharp pain.

Lucas reached Mina from the opposite aisle with Daybreak glowing across both hands.

"Lady Park, remain behind me while I open a safe route toward the western doors," he said, placing his body between her and the wolf.

"Move your bright coat before it blocks my control signal," Mina answered, shoving past his shoulder to reach Damien’s side.

Lucas’s public smile vanished for one frame before concern rebuilt itself around the watching crowd.

’He hated that answer, damn, the perfect smile really does arrive slower whenever Mina chooses somebody else.’

The wolf opened its chest and released black cables across every exit, sealing the hall beneath a tightening web.

One cable wrapped around a fleeing attendant and lifted her toward the construct’s forming second body.

Damien Flickered through a deliberately broken rhythm, cutting the woman free before landing against one knee.

’My left entry went too high before I stopped completely, good, let the machine choke while predicting technique I refuse to repeat.’

’Wrong side, ugly pause, then straight upward, come on, learn that pattern if your stolen brain can handle nonsense.’

The first wolf struck where his textbook arrival should have ended, missing by two meters as Mina laughed near its flank.

"Congratulations, your technique finally looks much worse than usual today," she called, planting a control spike inside the exposed joint.

"Please insult me after we survive your professor’s creative ownership dispute," Damien replied, marking the black core through Eye of Reckoning.

[Correction Core]

[Level: 284]

[Primary Target: Mina Park]

[Secondary Body Formation: 72%]

The hall barriers slammed shut before Lucas could reach the western doors, separating him from Damien and Mina inside the central arena.

Black residue pulled wreckage toward the wolf’s side, building another golden head from Hallow’s destroyed displays.

Mina’s control spike blinked beneath its chest, ’she found the stolen circuit, good, keep both mouths away until that light turns amber.’

Mina looked at the growing body and tightened both hands around her control spike.

"Rich boy, keep the ugly one busy while I steal my work back," she said, running straight toward the opening chest.

Damien raised Iron Veil as two sets of jaws turned toward them, then followed her into the sealed exhibition floor.