episode_0038

The inside of the podium suddenly became noisy.

Tyrissia Bruard lying inside a giant crater carved in the center.

Lucica Lapisle, who was on top of her, thrust her dagger deep into her shoulder.

Tirisia remained motionless with her eyes closed, while Lucica looked down at her, shedding tears.

In the eyes of all the students, it seemed like this time the match was finally decided.

This is the victory of Lucica, who displayed overwhelming power as her magic circuit went wild.

“That brewer… lost? How did this happen… ”

“That guy Lapisle, was he really that strong?”

“But this isn’t even at the level of a duel.”

“I thought someone was going to die, really.”

Many students looked at them in confusion at the sight of two people with a large gap in their Academy rankings being turned around.

“Luto Gong… Shouldn’t we stop now?”

Heidiera asked Erto, who was silently looking at the two, with concern.

“He didn’t admit it himself, but fainting is also a defeat condition, so… ”

Perzena shrugged her shoulders, her eyes wide open.

However, Erto, who had been quietly staring at Tirisia lying on the ground, shook his head and muttered quietly.

“… I don’t think I fainted.”

“Ahh?”

“What is it…?”

Perzena and Heidiera hurriedly looked back at the center of the stage at Erto’s words.

Tirisia Bruard lay there, eyes closed, motionless.

Lucica’s tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

Thud, thud,

“What have I been… doing all this time… ”

That was when.

Tirisia’s emerald eyes slowly opened, and she asked Lucica calmly.

“Is it okay now?”

“… Huh?”

Lucica’s expression hardens.

Tyrisia looked at her friend’s tear-stained face and let out a cold sigh.

“I mean, are you done with what you wanted to say? If there’s nothing more to argue about, let’s end it here. I can consider this duel my loss. I’ll go home. ”

“You… Is that what you’re saying?”

Lucica answered in a trembling voice.

But Tyrisia looked away wearily, not caring about her feelings.

“I’ve accepted this much. If I had stabbed you in the body, wouldn’t you have been satisfied? If we continue talking, the same story will just repeat itself… How about we both just call it quits?”

“Ti…Tirisia.”

The sadness disappeared from Lucica’s eyes.

What returned to that empty space was endless anger.

“Tirisia Brewed―!”

She let go of the dagger she had placed on Tyrisia’s shoulder and grabbed her by the collar with both hands.

“Is that the kind of reaction you should have!”

bang!

Lucica’s fist flew into the half-raised face of Tirisia.

“Don’t you even feel sorry?!”

bang!

“If not for me, then for Erto!”

bang!

“That’s not such a shameless thing to come out of your mouth!”

bang!

“―Lucica.”

Stop.

Lucica’s hand, which was pricing Tirisia, stopped in midair.

The expression of the friend he had been hitting was reflected in his pink eyes.

In her jade-colored eyes, as cold as ice, there was anger as hot as incandescence.

“Stop it.”

A single word escaped from Tyrissia’s lips that sounded like a final warning.

But Lucica had no intention of stopping here.

Because I still haven’t heard the answer I want.

“Shut up! Apologize to me and Erto right now!”

bang!

The fist, raised with a roar, hit Tyrisia’s forehead.

A red shockwave erupted and everyone in the audience held their breath.

But the next moment, Lucica saw two shining eyes beneath her fist.

Tyrisia glared at her without turning her head at all and said:

“Stop whining, Lucica.”

Crack!

The palm that Tirisia swung struck Lucica’s cheek.

“Ah.”

In that simple blow,

Lucica’s body flew sideways and rolled around on the grass twice,

Bam!

It crashed into the wall of the podium with a loud noise.

“… ”

The inside of the podium became as cold as a mouse.

They all stared at the silver-haired girl standing with her head bowed on the grass.

An indescribable sense of awe emanated from her, standing there without even revealing her magical power.

Everyone had a gut feeling.

Now, Tirissia Broward is truly angry.

“… You should have held back when I spoke nicely.”

Swish-

Tyrissia reached out and pulled the dagger embedded in her shoulder out.

Some of the students covered their mouths, sensing the pain and the blood that would pour out, but nothing like that happened.

Bam!

Tyrisia threw the dagger she had pulled out onto the grass with an indifferent expression.

Her shoulder, which had a hole in it along with her school uniform, instantly filled with the cold air and returned to its original state.

“… Thousands of bodies.”

Erto, who noticed the strange phenomenon, muttered with a regretful face.

That was one of the reasons why the Brewers were able to become a prominent noble family.

The vision of the Broward family, who freely manipulate the ‘flow’ of all things, including water, liquids, and more.

Among them, Tirisia Bruard, who was born with the greatest talent of all time, had a slightly special body.

A thousand-year-old body that explosively accelerates the body’s metabolism with magical power, giving it wondrous resilience.

Tirisia was always automatically activating that monstrous power that could be called semi-immortal, without even realizing it.

She once told Erto that she didn’t even know how to release it.

“… Huh, Tirisia!”

Lucica, who had raised herself up from the wall, spat out bloody saliva.

Tirisia stood still without even creating a weapon and spoke to Lucica.

“And you have to speak properly, Lucica.”

“What?”

“You wanted to bless me and Erto? How long are you going to leave out the most important facts?”

“… What are you trying to say?”

Tirissia sighed and spoke with a face that seemed to offer sincere advice to her old friend.

With the composure of knowing full well what she is thinking.

“You liked Erto too, just like me. Do you still do?”

“Uh… ”

“Are you still trying to pretend it didn’t happen?”

To Tirisia’s question, Lucica opened her mouth and said nothing in response.

“In fact, if you really like Erto, you say things like you’ll be a supporting actor or step down for us… Do you know that’s a little funny? Lucica.”

“Tirisia―!”

Boom!

Lucica, transformed into lightning, rushed straight towards Tirisia.

The gap is literally the blink of an eye.

It was a speed attack that was beyond the capabilities of human reaction speed.

-But Tirissia Bruard’s metabolism is beyond human.

Thud!

Lucica’s punch was blocked by Tirisia’s palm.

and,

Ppaang-!

Tirisia’s palm, wrapped around water, struck Lucica’s cheek again.

“Aaak!”

Lucica, who had rolled on the grass again, barely managed to regain her bearings by scratching the ground.

“That thing you keep telling me to give in to is actually wrong.”

Tirisia never made the first move, but attacked Lucica only with words.

“You didn’t have the confidence to beat me, who liked Erto just as much, so you backed down on your own. Right?”

“Shut up, you little mouth!”

Boom!

Lucica’s figure disappeared, and the next moment she appeared behind Tirisia.

Thud!

But her fist was blocked by a blob of water that appeared in midair.

“That’s true.”

Ppaang-!

Tirisia’s backhand, which had been swinging as she turned around, hit Lucica’s cheek.

“Gyaaak!”

Lucica flew away screaming in pain and rolled across the grass.

“You gave Erto to me despite your lack of status, skills, and looks? Don’t make me laugh. You just didn’t have the courage to fight me.”

“Ugh… Haa… Haa… ”

Lucica struggled to get up.

Red blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth.

Tirisia looked at the sight calmly, and continued to reveal the bare face of Lucica, whom she had watched over as a long-time friend.

“You didn’t even have the guts to compete with me and take Erto, and you rationalized it as if you never had feelings for Erto in the first place… Did you not know that?”

“Shut up, shut up!”

“No one asked you to be a supporting actor. Don’t call it a concession. You’re just a coward who gave up on Erto because you lacked confidence.”

“Eeee―!”

Boom!

Lucica, who had moved at the speed of light with a flash, grabbed Tirisia by the collar with both hands.

Parts! Parts! Parts!

Red lightning emanated from her entire body.

“What do you know! How do you know what was in my mind!”

The lightning, which had gathered into a sphere, filled the space and was so hot that it seemed as if it would annihilate all objects within it.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwa!

In that dazzling mass of light, Tirisia looked down at Lucica coldly.

Her skin was burning in the high temperature current, but at the same time, it was repeatedly restored to its original state.

As a result, it was as if no damage was being done.

“Your love was just that much. A shallow love that would run away without even trying if the other person was stronger than you. Lucica Lapisle.”

“Ahhh! Shut up! Please!”

Tears welled up in her pink eyes.

Tirissia snorted at the sight of it, as if she was in awe.

“Are you crying again? Is crying what you do best? Crybaby Lucica.”

“Ahhhh… Ahhh!”

Tyrissia raises her hand in the midst of a torrent of lightning.

Lucica’s body froze, and she couldn’t even think of escaping. She just shut her eyes tightly, afraid of the pain that would come the next moment.

and,

Ppaang!

A slap from the face sent Lucica crashing to the ground.

The lightning ball disappeared, and smoke rose from the charred ground.

Likewise, black ash rose from her body and Tirisia climbed on top of the fallen Lucica.

“So, do you understand now? There is no time you lost for making that concession.”

“Ugh… Black! Sob!”

Tirisia grabs Lucica by the collar.

Lucica was now just sobbing with a look of resignation in her eyes.

Crack!

A merciless slap echoes through the podium.

“It wasn’t a concession from the beginning, it was a surrender. Now, even if you ask me to give you back that time, there’s nothing I can say. I have no apology to offer you.”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Lucica’s voice gradually turned into sobs.

What was more painful than his swollen cheeks was that he was unable to refute Tyrissia’s words.

In fact, everything she said was right.

Because it was he who gave up on Erto.

Crack!

“Still, as a friend, I tried to accept your venting, but your whining always goes too far. Lucica.”

“Whoa… ugh, huhhh!”

Crack!

“And,”

Tirisia, who had been pulling Lucica’s head back, spoke in a cold voice to her tearful eyes.

“If I left Erto right now, I would be grateful and accept it. Why are you making things so complicated?”

“Ah… ! Aah… !”

Her pink eyes opened wide, then were soon consumed by sadness, and a childish cry burst from her mouth.

“AAAHH …

“Why, you’ve been pretending to bless us so far, but now that you’re trying to take over Erto, you’re scared?”

“Stop, please stop! Aaaah!”

Even as Lucica cried, Tirissia never stopped talking.

“That’s right. You’ve always been self-deprecating and angry at Erto.”

“No… No! ”

“Are you scared to tell Erto that you love him now? You’ve always been like that. A crybaby and a coward. That’s Lucica Lapisle.”

“No, I said… Huhhhh! Huh, huh!”

“You won’t admit it until the end, Lucica.”

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Bam.

Lucica’s hand fell limply to the ground.

Repeated shocks finally caused her to lose consciousness.

But Tirisia continued to speak into the face of the unconscious Lucica.

“Yes, that kind of dishonest part. It really annoyed me since long ago.”

Crack!

The podium is in an uproar.

Crack!

Tirisia’s hand continued to slap the unconscious Lucica’s cheek.

Crack!

Red blood splatters across the grass.

and,

“Stop.”

widely!

The boy who appeared behind her grabbed her wrist as it was about to swing again.

Her jade colored eyes look back with murderous intent.

Standing there was a man she had once loved.

“Erto… ”

He hummed to Tirisia, his eyes filled with sadness.

“The game is already decided. So stop it now.”

The two female students who appeared following also gave Tyrisia hostile looks.

“Do, keep your principles… Lord Bruard!”

“If you act any more violently than that, I’ll deal with you, kid.”

“… ”

Tirisia stared silently at Erto’s face, then quickly got up and stepped away from Lucica.

Her jade-colored eyes, where anger had disappeared and sadness had returned, examined Erto’s complexion.

“… I didn’t want to be like this either.”

“… Just go away.”

Erto knelt down next to Lucica, examined her condition, and exchanged a brief greeting.

“I… If I go now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to leave the house.”

Tirisia spoke to Erto with a face that seemed to be hoping for a more sincere farewell.

But Erto answered without looking at her face.

“… So?”

“… ”

Tirisia looked surprised for a moment, then accepted it and turned her back on Erto.

“Sorry, I’ll go.”

“… Wait a minute, Tirisia.”

Tirisia, who was about to leave, turned around at Erto’s call.

He spoke to Tirisia with a somewhat empty look in his eyes.

“Be happy.”

“… ”

“Otherwise… this whole thing would be a ridiculous farce, right? ”

Erto’s words were both a request and a warning to Tirisia.

A warning that if you don’t get more happiness than you give, everything becomes meaningless.

It was a warning that there might come a day when we would have to bear the full weight of what we had destroyed.

Tirisia quietly turned her head and―

Phew―

It disappeared into the fog.

“… I’ll take Lucica to the hospital. You two, please sort out the situation.”

“Ah, I understand, Lord Leto.”

“Leave this here and take good care of that guy. Damn it.”

After hearing the two people’s answers, Erto walked out of the stage with Lucica in his arms.

The duel is over.

There was no winner.

Everyone was just hurt.