429 – The Resolve of One to Reclaim -5-

Mikhail, watching Schoen, clenched his fist.

“Heh heh.”

I haven’t a clue what amuses her so.

Face to face with a Prosecutor.

Any mage with their head screwed on straight would avoid this situation, would want to put as much distance as possible between them. That’s the natural thing to do.

But.

-Schuen Angel! Arrived!

Even with such a sudden entrance, Schuen showed no sign of creating space, only deepening Mikhail’s wariness.

Schuen, after all.

-I won, did I not!

Was a woman of inscrutable designs.

Just because she haunted the convenience store didn’t mean you could underestimate her. Though her actions were always unpredictable, she *had* climbed to the top spot in the ranked battles.

Of course, she’d seized that first place with the Holy Sword’s power, but skill had to be there to begin with for her to reach the finals. A master, in other words.

“Heh heh heh.”

‘…Don’t know what she’s planning, but I need to be on edge.’

“Heh heh heh…”

Mikhail gripped his sword tightly, watching Schuen’s slightest movements with care. He wouldn’t lose due to some petty oversight.

“Heh heh heh…”

Likewise, Schuen stared back at Mikhail, lost in thought.

“Heh…”

To be honest.

‘I’m about to die, seriously.’

Schuen was at her limit.

Enduring a tight schedule of bombardment magic every hour had left her body drained, neither stamina nor mana to spare.

‘Gonna die…’

At first, it had been manageable.

The opportunity to unleash artillery spells with abandon didn’t come often. There was the risk of collateral damage, the chance of accidentally hitting someone with a stray blast.

-This is an opportunity, it is!

The chance to accidentally hit someone with a spell didn’t come often, and she had gleefully fired off her magic.

However.

-Fire.

-…pew pew.

-No speaking, just cast the spell.

-I’m completely out of mana!

-Magic Teacher, please, Yuria, give me a mana boosting buff.

-Please stop with the buffs already..!

With the buffs gone, all that remained was Shuen’s self-assurance.

Within the castle walls, Hans and Yuria would grant buffs, letting her cast magic without a care, but on this final day, not a single buff was given.

-I need buffs..!

-No.

-…Eh?

-With the siege team potentially breaking through any moment, we can’t have you mindlessly squandering mana.

-Then… what about me?

-Hmm?

-I’m saying, I’m all out of mana!

-Hmm… I suppose there’s no helping it then.

Shuen found herself volunteered as a meat shield.

-You will block the path leading to the center of the castle.

-But I have no mana?

-I believe in you, Shuen.

-Don’t believe in me..!

-Didn’t you do a splendid job holding back customers at the convenience store? Remember. The hungry monsters swarming in during lunch rush.

-I can stop them..!

-Then I’m counting on you.

Right.

The truth is.

Shuen was…

‘…Death Stare Barrage!’

She was holding on by sheer force of will.

Clinging to the single-minded belief that nobles don’t fall before commoners.

‘The proud eldest daughter of House Tetra… Shuen! A high-ranking noble Tetra Shuen, self-sufficient through part-time work at a convenience store…!! I can’t fall here…!’

Shuen, whose mana had been completely drained by her earlier spell, was racking her brain, trying her best to stall Mikhail.

-Block them.

– One!

– Grab his ankles if you have to, just stop him, Shuen!

– One!

‘I have to stop him…!’

– If you do that, I’ll give you a raise.

– Huh? How can the director give me a raise?

– Didn’t you know? I own the place.

– …A god?

‘No matter what, I have to stop him.’

Even if it was just to get a reward from the benefactor. She absolutely had to grab Mikhail’s ankles and hold on tight.

Even if it meant using the secret technique passed down through the Tetra family.

“Shuen.”

“…”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’d appreciate it if you moved out of the way.”

“I won’t.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t want to hurt a commoner either.”

After a brief exchange with Mikhail, Shuen took a deep breath and began to recall the story her mother had told her by the bedside before going to the academy.

While picturing her mother’s face, earnest and holding her hands tight.

– Shuen. You need to learn what I’m about to tell you.

– One!

– This technique is something your grandmother taught me, so you can’t tell anyone about it.

– …A secret!

– That’s right, it’s a technique that is forbidden in the Tetra family. You have to be very careful about when you use it.

– …I understand.

Originally, it was a technique only to be used in moments of grave danger, but there was no time to worry about such things now.

‘Mother told me to avoid using it if at all possible… but I have to use it to win!’

Shuen clenched her fists and smiled. A technique that her commoner mother had learned from her noble grandmother.

‘Tetra Secret Technique…’

“What are you looking at! You lowly commoner!”

[Harassing a Commoner.]

Tetra, a family of philosophy who’d turned useless things into secret arts.

“…Shuen.”

“A commoner should keep their mouth shut, you know!”

“We still have things to discuss.”

“I have nothing to discuss with a commoner, you know!”

“…”

“I am the proud eldest daughter of the Tetra family. I might speak with a land-dweller, but I wouldn’t grant a mere commoner the chance for conversation, you know!”

Mikhail’s gaze began to turn increasingly cold.

-Shling.

It seemed better to show rather than tell.

As the chill emanating from Mikhail, who was drawing his cold sword, approached Shuen, Shuen widened her eyes and began to rack her brain.

“Wait a moment, you know!”

“…”

“You said I had something to say, you know!”

“You said you didn’t.”

“That’s just what I was saying, you know. As a commoner, you should read the atmosphere!”

“If you’re thinking of stalling, you shouldn’t get your hopes up. I need to rejoin Ruin quickly too.”

“…In that case.”

“What are you trying to do?”

Mikhail frowned, watching Shuen grovel on the ground, fumbling for something.

Last time, he lost because his Holy Sword was stolen, but this time he wasn’t going to let his guard down and would defeat her at once.

“It won’t hurt.”

“…”

“It will only sting.”

“That’s what hurting is, you know!”

“…”

“Wait a moment.”

“…”

“I need to prepare too, you know.”

“What do you intend?”

Mikhail, unable to spare another moment, was about to lash out with his sword when—

“This!”

Shuen produced a white handkerchief before Mikhail’s eyes, a wicked smile blooming on her face.

“Huhu…”

Mikhail scowled, his brow furrowed as he watched the fluttering handkerchief and demanded, “Are you surrendering?”

“Nope.”

“Then?”

“Huhu…this, you see,” Shuen tied the handkerchief above her head, her smile widening. “Is a handkerchief given to me by a commoner.”

“…What?”

“A handkerchief stained with their sweat.”

“Why do you have *that*?”

“I…borrowed it when I visited a commoner’s home last time.”

“…”

“With this, I am invincible.”

“…You.”

“I don’t even envy the Holy Sword.”

Mikhail ground his teeth and clenched his fist, rage twisting in his gut at Shuen’s trophy, so brazenly claimed through…love?

*Something* he couldn’t obtain himself…’

*Had he known, he would have swiped something from Olivia’s mansion when he’d been unconscious,* Mikhail thought, tightening his fist before finally swinging his sword.

And at that very moment, Shuen unleashed the remainder of her magic, blasting it towards Mikhail.

*

At the same time, elsewhere.

Fulkner bit his lip as he stared at the student collapsed in the middle of the main thoroughfare, after having destroyed all the stairs connecting to the ramparts as planned.

“Luke…!”

For it was Luke, the leader of the Healing Arts Department, who lay sprawled on the ground.

“Senior…”

“What happened? What about the others?”

“I blocked their path and sent them onward.”

“…Let’s get to the stronghold first. With treatment, you’ll be moving again soon enough.”

The moment Faulkner grasped Rook’s sleeve, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Senior.”

Rook lightly placed a hand on Faulkner’s chest, whispering in a low voice.

“[Retouch]”

Words that should never have passed a swordsman’s lips.

“You…!”

Faulkner, sensing the magic, swiftly moved to begin an incantation, but breaking a spell initiated through direct contact proved too much.

With searing pain, Faulkner collapsed to the ground, his brow furrowing as he glared at Rook, who was brushing dust off himself as he rose.

“What have you…”

-Click.

“Huh…?!”

-Click.

Standing before the fallen Faulkner, Rook offered a small smile and a greeting.

“…Sorry.”

His voice began to sound double.

Rook’s voice and a woman’s voice overlapped, and Rook’s face began to shift into a familiar countenance.

Faulkner, watching Rook’s form change, gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

“Damn it…!”

“Exactly. Can’t let your guard down.”

A small smile playing on her lips, Chartia looked down at Faulkner, balling her own fist.

“Just stay unconscious for a bit.”

“…Cowardly.”

“Isn’t that the way of a mage?”

-BANG!!!

Chartia slowly started to move, heading towards Shuen.

Bearing in mind that king will never lose.

*

Everywhere else was the same.

Hanna, having climbed to the highest tower in the castle, let out a dry laugh at the man sitting there as if expecting her.

“Huh…? So you were here.”

The man returned a chilling smile as he saw Hanna.

“As expected, you came.”

“…”

“Welcome.”

“Far from welcome, actually.”

“Is this a sibling showdown?”

Hanna, rolling up her sleeves, gazed at Malik sitting before her, a cruel smile spreading across her face.

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re my brother.”

She spoke as if this was a chance she’d hoped for, and it had finally arrived.

“Sorting out the pecking order, are we?”

“You’re still my older brother, you know.”

“Such impeccable manners. I’m impressed.”

Malik drew his sword, exhaling a low sigh.

“As disciples under the same master, I look forward to this.”

“Likewise.”

The siblings’ blades clashed, cold and unforgiving.

And as for Ruin…

“…”

He stood face to face with the one person he prayed he wouldn’t meet.