episode_0036

The inside of the podium became a scene of chaos due to Lucica’s sudden outburst.

“Uh, first of all, all outsiders are requested to evacuate the academy! We have confirmed that a student has gone out of control of his magic circuit. The disciplinary committee has concluded, so from now on, we will manage the situation from within the academy!”

As the senior professor grabbed the microphone and shouted, the audience members and reporters in front of the podium began to hurriedly leave their seats.

“Students, keep your distance from them and once all outsiders have left, retreat to the auditorium!”

Even before the senior professor shouted that, the students were already moving away from Tirisia and Lucica in a circle with frightened faces.

As if the Red Sea had parted, the entities blocking their path disappeared, and Lucica began to slowly approach Tirisia.

Kurururung-Kururung-

With every step she took, thunder rumbled and red lightning shot out from all over her body.

In her pink eyes, which had been worn-out and inorganic until yesterday, there was a fierce, burning anger.

“What are you doing? Come down and accept the duel.”

The three people who have not yet left the place and are stuck between the two are me, Heidiera, and Senior Perjena.

I stood in front of Lucica for a moment and tried to persuade her.

“Lucica! You’re in danger now! Calm down and later…!”

“Erto… ”

The fierce gaze softens for a moment as it looks at my face.

But it was only a brief hesitation.

“Don’t tell me.”

A word said coldly, through gritted teeth.

I didn’t back down and shouted at her.

“Your physical condition is abnormal―”

“Vicky!”

Quaaa-!

“Eww?!”

A red wave burst from her, and my body was blown into the air.

“Leto Ball!”

Thud!

Hydiera leaped forward and created a wall of shadows, blocking the shockwave.

“Hey!”

And then, in an instant, Senior Perjena flew in and grabbed the back of my neck in the air and shouted.

“Respect me, disciple! You know why that kid is acting like that!”

“Ha, but!”

Knock!

The two of us landed on the railing of the audience seats far away and watched the strange events unfolding in the center of the stage.

“Da, are you hurt anywhere? Lord Leto!”

Heidi also seeped into the shadows and teleported next to me.

“Yeah, I just got pushed away. I didn’t plan on attacking Lucica either.”

“Thank goodness… !”

“But is it really okay to leave those two alone… ”

At my worried gaze, Senior Perjena crossed her arms and checked Lucica’s condition.

“That’s not a normal runaway of the magic circuit. The magic power is definitely under control. It means that the sanity hasn’t been blown away.”

“Is that type of rampage possible? ”

When I asked with an incredulous look, my senior opened his eyes wide and nodded.

“If you look at it one way, it’s not a rampage, but rather an expression of potential to pour out emotions. That means that guy is really thinking about confronting the little Brewer.”

Heidiera also nodded and agreed with what Senior Perjena said.

“Yes, just as humans can display superhuman strength in times of crisis… Lapisle’s subconscious instincts have determined that this level of magical power is necessary right now!”

“Anyway, I’m telling you I’m going to fight with all my heart… Damn it.”

Senior Perjena clicked her tongue at those words, but said as if there was nothing she could do.

“Dueling is one of the Academy’s traditions. If the opponent accepts, it is a fight that is conducted according to the rules and regulations. No matter what the circumstances, once it is done, we have no right to stop it.”

“If it were a normal fight, I would stop it… But I haven’t heard from Lord Brood yet.”

“Tirisia… ”

We ended up looking at the center of the stage, unable to mediate anything.

There was a red lightning slowly moving forward, and a silver-haired girl looking at her from the podium.

The girl, covered in filth and covered in eggs and flour, looked down at her approaching friend with sadness in her jade-colored eyes.

“You’re planning on fighting Lucica too…?”

*

Outsiders in the audience leave, and students hurriedly take the empty seats.

In the podium that had turned into a battlefield, Tirissia Brouard stood on the podium, lost in thought.

“Hey, I’m done with my business so I’ll go now. You take care of the rest.”

Kelg Durakal, who was standing next to her, waved his hand with an annoyed expression and went down the podium.

“Yes, I understand, senior.”

Tirissia answered him without taking her eyes off her friend approaching from the front.

Her jade eyes were gleaming with red lightning, but her mind was currently filled with completely different thoughts.

That was the conversation I had with Kelg last night.

―

――

‘Listen carefully, Tyrissia. We’re both screwed right now. This isn’t something you can just gloss over. There are hundreds of people who saw the real thing there. It’s beyond the scale of what the Academy can do.’

Last night, Kelg, who had met with Tirisia in her hideout, immediately brought up this topic.

‘I guess so…’

Tirisia also anticipated how bleak the future would be.

Both of them will receive severe punishment that cannot be avoided.

Kelg scratched the back of his head with an annoyed expression on his face.

‘If we continue like this, it’s obvious that both you and I will be expelled, and we will suffer damage not only to our family but also to society outside of the academy. It’s obvious even without looking.’

As Tyrisia slumped her shoulders, Kelg grabbed her arms.

‘senior?’

His dark eyes took on a strange light, and what came out of his mouth was an escape route that Tyrisia had not expected.

‘But if one person were to take responsibility, the damage could be reduced by nearly half.’

‘What is that…’

‘You must make some sacrifices, Tyrissia.’

‘Uh… Me?’

Tyrisia stared at his face with a chill down her spine, wondering if Kelg was about to abandon her.

A bitter smile appeared on Kelg’s lips.

‘If everyone kisses along with the plan you planned, Tirisia, and forcibly mobilizes me as a victim, at least I will be able to get away with a light punishment. Mother won’t touch me anyway, and the directors and professors won’t be able to touch me at will in the academy. It’s the perfect condition to minimize punishment.’

There was certainly some truth to what he said.

But it was a story that could be established under one premise.

‘Are you saying that you will sacrifice me for that, Senpai?’

Tirisia’s eyes were half-doubting, but she wanted to trust Kelg.

Kelg’s expression hardened for a moment, but he soon smiled fiercely and patted her arm.

‘Hey… Think about it. What if I say it was me who planned it? If you become an innocent victim, your family will hire an assassin to target me. We don’t have much influence outside of the Academy, so we can’t do that, but Brood has the power to do it secretly. Am I wrong?’

‘that…’

Although she wanted to say that the Broods were not a dirty family that assassinated people, this was an unprecedented situation and she couldn’t guarantee anything for the future, so Tirisia kept her mouth shut.

What if Kelg set it up and his parents found out?

What if the story of the young daughter of the Brewery family being raped by an outsider under the pressure of power spread throughout the world?

What parent wouldn’t want to tear their partner to pieces, especially if they had the power to do it secretly?

When she imagined that, Tirissia couldn’t possibly shift the blame to him.

…

Kelg sensed her hesitation and leaned in close to her, urging her to make a decision.

‘Do you want to see me fall? Huh? Tirisia.’

‘Ha, but senior… if I do that, I’ll be really punished at home.’

Her concern wasn’t simply whether he would attend the Academy or not, so Tyrisia spoke to him with a look of hope for a solution.

When Kelg heard that, he grabbed his forehead and burst out laughing.

‘Hey… Hey, hey! Hahaha! Are you kidding me? Who are you? I’m Tirisia Brood. The most powerful sorceress in the history of the Brood family! Do you think a noble family like yours, crazy about talent and power, would lightly dismiss such a talented person? Absolutely not! I’ll pretend to punish you on the outside, but hide you deep inside the house, and when the incident is forgotten, I’ll secretly bring you back. I promise.’

‘Is that so?’

Tirisia, who had never been scolded by her parents since she was born, felt moved by Kelg’s words.

Somehow, I felt like if I just did what he said, I would be able to make the best out of the worst situation.

‘Can you embrace everything for me? Tirisia.’

Tirisia ended up nodding to Kelg, who was embracing her and speaking kindly to her.

‘Yes, I understand. I will protect you, senior.’

Not noticing his bloody smile floating over her shoulder.

――

―

That’s why there was no hesitation.

That he had planned the whole thing in front of the whole world, that he had forced Kelg into his dirty deeds.

That I have been playing friends with commoners for the sole purpose of enjoying the pleasure of betrayal.

He deceived, cheated, and willingly became the protagonist of a terrible love story.

It didn’t matter if tens of thousands of people pointed fingers at him and criticized him.

Because this was a matter of life and death for a loved one.

A sense of duty to protect him and a sense of satisfaction that he was relying on her permeated Tirisia’s entire body.

“… ”

but,

No matter how blinded by love you are,

I couldn’t just ignore everything and ignore it.

The gazes of the people gathered on the stage were full of disgust, as if they were looking at an ugly being.

The sharp criticism that the students who remain here are muttering.

Her ex-boyfriend and oldest childhood friend, looking at her from afar with a resigned expression.

Friends and seniors with whom I always had conversations and smiled.

Tyrisia felt a great deal of stress as she felt that all her warm memories were now being covered in filth like her own body.

And above all,

Phagejik – gurgling –

This was something that went beyond sight and words, it was something that reached my skin.

An old childhood friend who is venting his anger towards you right in front of you.

The red current pouring out of her seems to keep hitting my heart.

No matter how much I covered my ears and eyes, and rationalized that it was all for Kelg, this was something I couldn’t bear.

I have no regrets, but what I had to endure was a mountain of resentment.

iced coffee-

petulance.

I’m annoyed.

From the moment I entered this podium,

Even when I got hit with eggs and flour on my body,

Even when thousands of people called her a rag,

Tyrissia felt a palpable irritation rising in her head.

She was now in a state of immense anger, incomparable to the one she had when she had met Lucica on the back mountain peak.

Now, no matter if the person attacking you is a friend or not, you can’t even think of treating them nicely―

[Answer me, will you accept the duel?]

Lucica Lapisle’s roar filled with magical power.

At that rebuke, Tyrissia finally let out a deep sigh.

“Haa… ”

And she jumped down from the podium and stood on the grass opposite Lucica Rapisle.

“Yeah, if you really have to fight like that.”

Ki-ki-ki-ki-ki!

An ice sword radiating cold air extended from Tyrisia’s right hand.

Kookung!

The space sinks heavily.

A dense silvery magical power began to emanate from her body.

“I will accept the duel. Lucica Lapisle.”

The strongest spirit of Brewery is reflected in his jade-colored eyes.

Tirisia, with her usual freshness and gentleness nowhere to be found, had an icy expression and pointed her sword at her friend as she muttered.

“I’ll take it until you calm down. Come at me as much as you want.”

like that,

The duel between two childhood friends has been decided.