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Chapter 21: The Evil That Looms
It has been several days since I witnessed the hideous nature of Alice’s brother, Yolande.
However, the events of that day are still vividly etched in my mind.
I will probably never forget it.
To make things worse, I am currently engaged to Alice.
Just the thought that that guy being my brother-in-law is terrifying.
It’s a big deal to make me fear for my life.
And I never thought that the day would come when I would feel sorry for Alice.
That’s right, I pity her.
Maybe she would have been a kinder, more decent woman if it weren’t for that creepy brother of hers.
… No. Is it even his fault?
Well, this is nothing to think about.
For now, all I can say is that the man, Yolande, is nauseatingly evil.
However─── it is also true that what happened that day triggered my interest in “pawns”.
Up until now, I have only thought and acted to make myself stronger.
I didn’t compromise, and it wasn’t wrong.
And of course, I have no intention of stopping my pursuit of strength in the future.
However, the range of what one person can do alone is inevitably limited.
I will always need people to be my hands and feet eventually.
“… tch.”
I don’t like following Yolande.
And more than that, it’s really uncomfortable that my rational mind, even if I don’t like it, understands the usefulness of this “pawn” called him.
Then I suddenly remembered.
Although I was not interested at all, it was convenient that one of them would definitely “lose”.
” ───Kuku, this is just perfect for an experiment.”
Come to think of it, it was today.
The battle of ranks between Mia and Lloyd───.
＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋
For most of the population, ‘combat’ is far from everyday life.
This is especially true if it is “magic warfare”.
Therefore, the Aslan Academy of Magic’s “Rank Battle” competitions, which are open to the public and open to spectators, are a great source of entertainment for the people of the kingdom.
Although Abel and Luke’s rank battle was an exception, originally the rank battle had to be informed to the school first, then it was made public, and then the battle went live.
Therefore, today’s battle had already been publicized and many people had gathered at the arena in the school.
“Today is the 1st year’s, right?”
“Rank-3 girl, Mia, and the rank-4 girl, Lloyd, are going to fight each other. Kuuu, fight between the top! That’d be hot!”
“The first-years are not as flashy or fierce in battle as the seniors. So I still like the battles between the experienced 3rd year students the most.”
“You’re an idiot. You’ve already lost half your life. The 1st year is like buds. Why can’t you understand that there is tremendous room for their growth? The important thing is not how strong you are, but whether or not you can push through. It doesn’t matter if you start out weak. It’s when you work hard and grow without giving up that makes you shine. That’s the kind of kids we need to support and cheer for. We have to push them!”
“You really have changed, man.”
“No, you’re the odd one out.”
Steadily, people are gathering in the arena where the preliminary rounds are held.
There were a few empty seats, but within an hour, they were all filled.
All that remains is to wait until the start time.
“I can’t believe so many people would come…”
In the midst of all this, Mia was feeling small for the first time in her life.
She was in pain as if someone was grabbing her heart.
“It’s okay… relax…”
There is no reason to be afraid.
I am the chosen one who manifests the three attributes.
Besides, I have been studying hard since losing to Alice in the entrance exam.
There is no way I can lose.
Mia desperately told herself.
“It’s time.”
“… yes.”
Apparently it’s already starting.
The bad feelings swirling in her heart have not disappeared.
But she doesn’t want to lose.
That’s the one thing she absolutely hates.
So Mia replied emphatically.
To force herself to do it.
Slowly advancing her feet.
She didn’t even fight, but a disgusting sweat ran down her spine.
And as soon as she set foot in the venue— a thunderous cheer echoed through the air.
“───”
The piercing public gaze was overwhelming.
That disturbed her even more.
Her own heartbeat seemed to reach even her ears.
“What’s the matter, Kid? Your face is kind of stiff?”
“…Nothing, it’s not what you think.”
In contrast to Mia, Lloyd has a smile to spare.
It also weighed down the lead in her mind.
“Keep your distance, both of you.”
Mia took another deep breath and slowly walked away.
Inhale and then exhale.
Then she felt a little calmer.
(Don’t worry… I can do it. I will beat Alice and eventually catch up to Luke. I can’t lose in a place like this…!)
A fighting spirit burned in her eyes.
I can’t lose— that thought raged in her mind.
“That’s good. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fun!”
Lloyd smiled ferociously.
Get started quickly, or so she was told.
“You two ready?”
They nodded.
Believe in your own victory.
“Then let’s begin!”
Finally, the battle was on.
And then the fierce magic battle that everyone had anticipated──── never happened.
The ending of their battle was too disappointing.
Mia’s attributes are “Thunder,” “Chain,” and “Healing.”
An unavoidable magic attack by “Thunder.”
A physical attack and restraint ability by “Chain.”
And with the ability to heal wounds with “Healing,” even a regular magic user is not allowed to fight her fairly.
Yes─── she was the rightly chosen one.
However, she hesitated during the most important moment because she had so many options to choose from.
This, combined with the immaturity of her mind, slightly delayed the activation of her magic.
In contrast, Lloyd’s only attribute is “flame”.
But, with his extraordinary talent, he has maximized his firepower.
His “blue flame” is different from ordinary flames.
It’s pure overwhelming power that burns everything in its way.
That is why Lloyd had no hesitation.
That is why Lloyd was strong.
He simply twisted everything with the blue flame he created with his enormous magical power.
Not that there was no lure, but that was basically all Lloyd had in mind, and he was convinced that this was his strongest tactic.
“───”
A blue flame spread across Mia’s field of vision.
A terrifying flame that reflexively instills fear.
It was almost at the same time that she activated her “lightning magic,” but she decided that even if she won in terms of speed, she would be vastly inferior in terms of firepower, so she switched.
She immediately activated the “magic barrier” to prevent it.
However, its power was so great that there was no room for other magic to be activated along with it.
If you divert your attention even slightly from what you are trying to prevent, you will be burned out instantly.
It is because of this fact that she couldn’t do anything about the current situation.
───It’s a dead end.
“Hey, hey! You’re done already, Kid!”
“───Kuh, ugh, no way…”
From there, it’s just a matter of time.
The end of the show was too stunned.
“Aa Aa Aa Aa… aaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
The last thing Mia felt was the intense pain that burned her whole body, and the last thing she heard was the enthusiastic cheers and thunderous applause───.