episode_0301

Since childhood, Yuri and I have frequently sparred. I was her friend and protector, and also her instructor in swordsmanship, martial arts, and various other forms of combat.

Yuri raised her wand, summoning mana. A long, blue stream of mana extended, forming a blade. A straight sword, reminiscent of the Muyeong Sword, appeared in her hand.

I also drew the Muyeong Sword. After a brief exchange of glances, we simultaneously lunged at each other.

*Taaat-*

The Muyeong Swordsmanship I taught her. Her swift movements, leaving no trace, clashed in the center of the training ground. I met her sword, suppressing her strength.

*Hwirik-* *Hweeng-*

Yuri gracefully retreated, as if conceding the strength contest. Her sword’s trajectory circled through the air, returning towards me. Her movements were as elegant as flowing water.

I advanced, parrying each of Yuri’s strikes. She was slightly faster, but lacked power. Yuri’s space began to shrink.

Then it happened. The blades Yuri had preemptively created began to fill the gaps. When I attacked from above, she would counter from below. When I blocked from below, she would strike from above.

Truly flawless swordsmanship, beyond perfection. I used the Muyeong Sword’s durability to withstand her strikes, relentlessly pressing Yuri.

“Just using your sword? Show me your real strength.”

“Y-yes… understood.”

My words urging her to show her true self ignited a spark in Yuri’s eyes. She imbued her sword with more force than necessary and brought it down. I blocked Yuri’s strike, and her water-attribute magic sword shattered, scattering a mist of water.

*Chaeng-glang—*

My vision was instantly obscured. When I swung the Muyeong Sword to clear the fog, Yuri was already gone.

A sharp pain shot through my head. It was Yuri’s intense killing intent. I swung my sword to defend against her attack. However, a dagger grazed my back.

I continued to raise my sword guard. But through that gap, Yuri’s dagger pierced. My Muyeong Armor bore more and more scratches, rendering my defense meaningless.

*Pit-* *Chut-* *Ssak-*

Yuri’s light movements, while lacking in sheer power, deliver undeniable destructive force. She compensates for this weakness with her superhuman speed. Even the weakest strike, accurately placed on a vital point, becomes a deadly blow.

However, my body is surrounded by thick ether. I can easily block Yuri’s dagger. Therefore, I abandoned defense and focused all my energy on controlling the ether.

*Paaat—!*

A pure white aura erupted in all directions, restricting the flow of mana. Even Yuri, who was moving so quickly, was immobilized. I seized the opportunity, reaching out and grabbing Yuri by the nape of her neck.

“Got—”

*Ssiik-*

Yuri couldn’t inflict significant damage on me, but neither could I harm her. Therefore, I thought preventing her movement and holding her was paramount.

However, that was a naive thought. Yuri, held by me, wrapped her arms around my body, settling into a stable position. With perfect proximity, Yuri’s fingertips pointed towards my face.

A very small mana orb formed. It was so small it could be called a point. I realized it was an outlet. The vast amount of mana Yuri had gathered within her body erupted in a single stream through that tiny hole.

*Jiiiiiing—!!*

Hydro Ray. A torrent of water, surpassing the limits of compression and reaching the level of an intense beam of light, erupted right in front of my face. It was Yuri’s Water Jet Blade magic, enhanced to its utmost limits.

Instinctively, I twisted my head. The intense light pierced the ether barrier and Muyeong Armor, narrowly grazing my cheek.

*Pit-*

…!!

Yuri, engrossed in the frenzy of battle, quickly regained her senses. She released her hold on my arm and stepped back.

“A-are you alright?”

I wiped the blood from my cheek. A few drops of red blood appeared on my hand.

*Psik-*

Laughter escaped me. I never imagined Yuri would achieve what no one else could. Even if I were the one she loved, no one in this situation would have controlled their strength like that.

So then… Yuri, who inflicted the first wound on me, was arguably the strongest.

“…That was surprising. To think you could penetrate my Muyeong Armor.”

“I learned it all from Her Royal Highness. Thank you so much.”

Even in this situation, she didn’t apologize for hurting me. It was a session meant to assess everyone’s condition and improve their skills, so hearing such words would have made me feel embarrassed.

Instead, she created pure distilled water and cleaned the wound on my cheek. Tier soon arrived and neatly healed the injury. I could have done it myself, but for some reason, I wanted her to do it.

After confirming the skills of all five of them, we went outside the training grounds.

With only a few days left until the war, it was understandable that I felt anxious. But having those with such abilities supporting me made my heart feel at ease.

I embraced them all and whispered softly,

“Let’s…prepare for the expedition.”

“Yes.”

“Yes…!”

“Yeah!”

“Yes… understood.”

“Understood.”

May no one be harmed.

* * *

About a month ago, Moriarty’s stronghold, Fortress.

Eve, having finished the declaration of war, returned with her troops. Her clothes were stained with a large amount of blood, but it was all Nari’s blood. Eve herself was spotless, unharmed.

Or, rather… it was hard to call her spotless. An immense shock had dragged her consciousness to the depths of despair. The Duke’s curse had worsened, and she frequently lost her mind.

In that state, she raised an army, fought Nari, and finally… pierced her chest…

“Ugh- Woo-oop—”

*Thud-*

Eve collapsed, vomiting everything inside her. The line behind her stopped like machines. Without any emotion, they simply stopped because their commander had stopped.

The dark corridor was filled with numerous Moriarty soldiers. But only Eve possessed a human heart. The thought of being alone kept circling her head.

She had betrayed her closest friend, who had always believed in her and loved her… Now, all that remained for Eve was her worn-out duty.

Eve wiped her face with the back of her hand and walked down the corridor again. Her trembling steps led to Duke Darius’ office.

*Thud-* *Creak-*

Eve approached with a fierce determination, as if she had resigned herself to everything and lost her mind.

“The assassination of Princess Narita… seems to have failed.”

“Yes, it failed. So… what will you do? Will you kill me?”

Duke Darius was relatively kind despite Eve’s failure. It was a gamble, after all. A broken Eve was easily handled.

But the aide listening to him didn’t think so.

“Don’t be so disrespectful, Eve Ista. How dare you—”

*Phwahk—!*

Something tried to berate Eve. But before he could finish his sentence, his head exploded, killing him instantly. A white light swirled around the corpse.

It was Eve who struck the aide. She used ether to crush his head in an instant. Even a superhuman who possessed magic would die instantly if their head was destroyed.

“…You seem rather sharp today.”

“Do you have a complaint? Then kill me now.”

“Even if you wanted to die that easily… you are not someone who can die so easily. You know that, right?”

……

Eve was adamant, but Duke Darius was not easy to deal with. He already knew everything about Eve, so he had nothing to fear.

“I’ve declared war as you wished. In a month, Nifrantz will be a sea of fire.”

“Princess Narita is still very much alive… what do you intend to do?”

“You are there. And… ‘that being’ behind you.”

“…It seems I need more power.”

Eve turned her head sharply without answering. To defeat Nari… Now, what good would that do? Even if Adam were saved, the world would still be destroyed.

She just wanted to die quickly. If she started over, maybe she could become something. That’s when Eve’s life was removed from her list of “things to protect”.

“I will kill Princess Narita.”

She only desired one thing. She wished this hellish world would end as soon as possible. Eve left the Duke’s office and descended into the Fortress’s underground.

The Blood Altar. In the dark space, countless occult tools were piled up – all pieces of the demon Tenebris’s corpse.

To resurrect the demon, as Duke Darius intended, countless souls were needed. That would inevitably be fulfilled in this war. There was plenty of the demon’s blood to spare.

*Floop-*

Eve undressed and stepped forward. She bathed her entire body in the surging demon’s blood, throwing away even the last hope remaining in her hands.

“Now… nothing can be undone.”

Intense magic pierced Eve’s body. She collapsed, overcome by agonizing pain that took her breath away.