430 – The Resolve of One to Reclaim -6-

It was a day when a pure white wind blew.

“That old geezer, bothering me to go to the academy…”

On that day, I was a fresh-faced freshman, convinced that self-study was better than anything the academy had to offer – just your typical delusional kid.

The old geezer had told me, when I refused to attend.

-Why don’t you go, just once? Make some friends at the academy, maybe find love too.

-I don’t need to. I don’t need to go to places like that. I already have plenty of girls who like me, you know?

“Damn nuisance.”

Go on out, leave your cramped cage and see the wide fields.

Back then, I thought the old man’s words were meddling. Felt sorry for me, stuck in the magic tower.

Maybe it *was* meddling. Back then, I was holed up in the tower, a surly, ill-tempered mutt.

So, I was angry that day too.

No pride in the Academy.

Didn’t have any expectations for Academy life.

“Haa… annoying.”

Couldn’t stand those guys yapping about nothing. Hated seeing anyone acting like children.

Yeah.

“-Gimme! Chocolate!”

“-Here you go.”

“-Heehee!”

Just like those idiots.

I was trying to slip away quietly from this Academy, where I couldn’t find a single thing interesting…

-Thump!

Some wide-eyed freshman, not watching where they were going, managed to get on my nerves.

“Ah.”

I figured my luck was shit from day one. I was just trying to hole up in my dorm room, but even that was being ruined by these people. It was infuriating.

“…I’m sorry.”

That is, until I saw her face.

‘Wha…what is this?’

A wind blew through the proud desert.

Without knocking.

Without a greeting.

The wind that blew into the heart of a solitary wolf had burrowed into his den, and showed no sign of leaving.

Yeah.

“…Why you.”

Like right now.

Ruin’s eyes, filled with a trembling heart, began to lose their way.

“…”

Because he’d met the one person he least wanted to see here.

Pink hair.

Eyes as innocent as if they held all the freshness in the world.

The girl, with a face so pure she looked incapable of even killing an ant, was staring at him with a cold expression.

“…”

With a gaze that held emotions entirely unlike those he harbored.

When Ruin saw the golden handkerchief, signifying the qualifications of a ‘King’, tied to the sleeve of the girl who had gifted him the most mystical moment of his life, he wanted to curse at whatever god was out there.

*Why did it have to be such a damned coincidence?*

Ruin, despising this cruel world, lowered his head and spoke to her in a hushed voice.

“Yuria.”

“…”

As expected, there was no response.

“Damn…”

The feeling of calling out a name filled with old memories wasn’t a pleasant one. Because he knew what he had to do now.

-Grip.

“I should have sent Mikhail. No… Even if I had, he probably wouldn’t have come if it meant a fight.”

Ruin muttered to himself, resenting Mikhail for falling for Shuen’s provocation.

“He was the one who told me not to get baited… That son of a b*tch.”

After losing his magic, he had lost everything. Or rather, to be precise, he had made himself lose everything.

Because his arrogance had led him to reveal he could see Yuria’s inner self, and he’d spoken harshly to Yuria, who was trapped in magic.

He was just trash, with no excuses to offer.

After that, after losing his magic, things began to fall apart, and incidentally, he’d also realized just how twisted his personality was.

It wasn’t a bad experience.

Back then, he’d been so devastated he’d wanted to die and had eaten whatever he could get his hands on, but looking at this reunion with Yuria now, he thought it was fortunate he’d had that essential experience early on.

If it hadn’t ended at this point, he would have undoubtedly realized it too late, through someone’s ‘death.’

Friendships. Leadership. Dreams. The experience of being able to look back on everything was good for him. Of course, he still loathed Hans to death.

“…It’s been a while.”

“…”

“Well, not really, I saw you yesterday…”

If I had recognized the spell-touched Yuria, what then?

Would we have become friends, as before?

Or something even closer than friends?

If I hadn’t spoken those cruel words to Yuria in the first place, perhaps she would have remained at my side, even after I lost my talent. Her warm smiles were never meant for status or success, after all.

If we could have just stayed in the middle, where we wouldn’t feel awkward seeing each other’s faces… but *I* ruined everything.

I deserved it all.

The me from then.

And the me of now.

For Yuria, I, Ruin, am nothing more than a regrettable past, a piece of trash to be discarded.

That’s why.

“Haa…”

I had to be hated.

“…”

Even though I still love Yuria.

“…”

Even though I love her so, so much.

“Well… long time no see, Ruin.”

It was too late to simply forget the unrequited love of an arrogant youth who knew nothing of such feelings.

“I won’t go easy on you.”

I had to start over, slowly.

“I’ll finish you quickly.”

Because that was the only way I could remain even a friend to her.

-…Why are you standing there like that?

-Go away.

-Don’t you have any friends either?

-Grips tightly…

-I said, get lost.

-Hehe… Just like me.

-What are you talking about?

-Hey… will you be my friend?

-Whatever.

“…What?”

-I’m a tremendously bright person. I laugh easily and I’m kind. Of course, I’m not very funny… but still, you’d be better off having me as a friend.

-Squeeeeze…

-…Ha.

-Hehe.

-Amusing.

‘Damn it.’

With a resolve solidifying in his heart, emerald mana began to flow from Ruin’s hand. Simultaneously, Yuria’s Divine Eye began to shine.

The eye of essence that pierces all.

As Yuria’s eyes, discerning the weaknesses of living things and the flow of mana, turned towards Ruin, he clenched his fist tightly, and then, with trembling hands, began to cast a low incantation.

“Here I come, Yuria.”

Ruin knew it.

“Seed Shot.”

That the victor of this battle would be him. Just as a puppy cannot transcend its species to become a bird. Ruin, clearly aware of the limitations of a healer, clenched his fist and fired a spell that launched sharp seeds.

“[Domain of the Divine, Unleash.]”

Ruin had overlooked something.

“Push away all magic.”

[Rejection]

That the protagonist of this novel was Yuria.

In Ruin’s memory, Yuria was a presence hidden in the back as a healer, but Ruin was unaware that she was a monster who had risen to the top 16 in the rankings through countless efforts and outstanding talent.

Malik’s reason for handing over the qualifications of ‘King’ to Yuria was also for strategic reasons, but also because he believed in Yuria’s personal power.

“Ruin.”

Ruin was unaware that the distance between him and Yuria was closing.

“Brace your stomach, tight.”

*

“Ugh, grrrk!!!”

At that very moment, as Ruin and Yuria’s battle continued…

“Ugh, grgrk!!!”

Schuen was clutching onto Mikhail’s leg.

“You can’t go anywhere. Commoner!”

“Shuen…!”

“I’m heavier than I look, you know?!”

“…”

“Hngh…!!”

Shuen, judging that combat was impossible, used her remaining mana to grab Mikhail’s legs.

“Tetra Family Secret Art!”

“…”

“Become Heavy!”

“Haa…”

“Just tense your stomach really hard, and you get heavier!”

Mikhail, looking down at Shuen, sighed deeply, a troubled expression on his face. Even in a duel, he couldn’t just kick her roughly.

“Heh heh… How is it? Commoner.”

“…”

“I won, didn’t I?”

Letting out a short sigh, Mikhail hung his head low, then slowly began to raise his sword.

“Don’t move, Shuen.”

“Hiii!?!”

“I’ll detach you without hurting you.”

Shuen, seeing the sharp tip of the sword, raised trembling eyes to look at Mikhail, but Mikhail’s sword showed no sign of stopping, only approaching.

“I absolutely won’t let go!”

“…Okay.”

“Just… don’t kill me!”

“I won’t…”

“Don’t fight with a sword like a coward…”

Shuen’s voice, filled with sincerity, echoed loudly, and Mikhail breathed a quiet sigh, placing his sword on the ground and beginning to release aura.

“Hwik!”

He had learned how to manipulate aura in Ricardo’s class, after all.

“Hiiiii!!!”

Mikhail had also been able to master how to apply that ability on his own.

Shuen, gritting her teeth against the wind pressure that accompanied the aura, was blown away from Mikhail’s legs, and as she flew through the air, she immediately ran back, attempting to embrace Mikhail’s legs again.

“This time, I’ll show you for real! Tetra Biggie…!”

“This is really going to hurt now.”

“…Still, I can’t budge!”

Seeing Shuen approaching, Mikhail braced himself.

“Shuen, halt.”

At the sound of reinforcement from behind, Shuen’s face lit up, and she shouted.

“Finally here, is it?! My buff…”

“Rest up, Shuen.”

“Eh?”

Shuen was deflated; it wasn’t the buff she’d been expecting.

Chartia, joining the battlefield, walked toward Mikhail with a serene smile.

“How much strength do you have left?”

Mikhail gripped his sword and replied.

“Plenty to spare.”

“Is that so?”

Chartia smiled faintly, starting to gather magical energy at her fingertips.

“Indulge my little whim, will you? Please.”

“…”

“I don’t quite know what I should say.”

Chartia’s magical power began to stir slowly.

-Whoossssh…

Along with the potential she held within.

Gripping his sword, Mikhail eyed Chartia warily, starting to imbue his blade with aura.

“I believe this is the first time I’ve fought the student council president.”

Chartia shook her head at Mikhail’s words.

“You’re going to win anyway, so please be gentle.”

“For someone who says that…”

The moment Chartia’s hand moved swiftly, Mikhail rolled across the ground, slashing with his sword.

“You seem to be quite serious, though.”

Chartia’s eyes glimmered faintly.