When walking down a road, for whatever reason, the path each person takes is different. There is no such thing as fairness in this world.
Someone's path might be peaceful and flat, something like a paved pathway towards the forest to have a nice trip.
The daffodils blooming alongside the road exude a beautiful flower aroma. Here and there, as you walk down the path, you will be greeted by green pines and elk trees. You will hum along to the sounds of the birds chirping… When suddenly, a stone on the side of the street hits your feet.
Then, wiggling your tingling toes and feeling timid, you speak.
"I'd also had difficulties in my life, too. It was hard, but I got through it. Because I could overcome them, I succeeded."
So for Clevius, who lifted his head, what was the path ahead of him?
The thick smell of blood and the odor of rotting carcasses filled the road he walked, gathering starving wolves to block his way. On the roadside, there was nothing like a flower. There was only a gutter with a horrific stench. It'd been a long time since the sun had disappeared underneath those gray clouds. Only a thick darkness was left on the long road that stretched ahead of him. It had become a daily occurrence to end up with rocks in his shoes. Taking them off revealed feet full of calluses.
It seemed like an obvious fact that if he tried to sprint through it for a hundred days, he would only be miserably killed down the road before reaching the end. That was why the boy never chose to run in the first place.
Back then… There were definitely times where he tried to run with all his might. But it almost always ended in failure.
"Whew…"
The first thing Clevius did as he stood there in the rain, blocking her path—was stab himself in his own shoulder.
Shink!
Plasssssh!
His body, which was already covered in blood, began to be covered in blood once more from the new injury. Clenching his teeth and enduring the pain for a moment, Clevius staggered as he stood up. His red eyes were revealed underneath his drenched, low-hanging bangs.
Elvira gulped at just the sight of that terrifying appearance of his. Blood Swordsmanship. Considered taboo by the Nortondale house, it was never to be passed on to anyone. Born with the fate of the Sword Demon, Clevius had learned it on his own, without anyone's teachings.
With his back hunched over and the rest of his body relaxed, he looked like a living corpse. The blood on his body reconciled with his magic power as it stuck to the blade of his sword.
Then, kicking off from the ground, it was as if Clevius had already 'disappeared'. Only the marble floor, which had been lifted from the massive impact, could be seen.
It was the time to put aside any moral discipline he had that centered around the prohibition of murder. If he didn't attack with the intention of killing, he wouldn't even be seen as an opponent.
Jumping out like a spring, the sword Clevius held in his hand had already cut towards Lucy's neck.
Clang!
Of course, the blade never fully reached.
The blade that touched her neck didn't move. It was as if it had been blocked by a massive iron wall.
'Beginner' defensive magic.
Despite the fact that it was only beginner magic, when Lucy's magic power is used it, it became as durable as a massive iron wall.
Lucy then waved her arm, as if she were trying to get rid of a pesky mosquito. Striking Clevius, his entire body was once again sent flying.
Clevius had been sent flying, smashing into a corner of the pavilion in the rose garden. Before fainting completely, he kicked off the ground and jumped back up.
The horrific look in Clevius' eyes was able to accurately catch Lucy's magic power. Lucy's fighting style was rather simple, as it was just tearing down enemies with an overwhelming amount of magic power. For Clevius, who was born with a transcendent agility, as long as he could familiarize his eyes to the pattern it was enough for him to avoid the attack.
However, Lucy's range of magic was so massive that it would be impossible to familiarize himself with all of it. The only reason she didn't use them all was because it was a pain to do.
A large recurve bow.
An item left by Ed that was now floating in the air. It was loaded with dozens of magic arrows, which were engraved with all sorts of mid-high level magic spells.
Clevius realized that as he turned, looking over at the direction of the growing magic power. At a speed that a human could never dream of, he quickly bent his body over to dodge, but… the dozens of arrows that were engraved with the intermediate fire magic Flame Pillar had made direct contact.
Boooooooooom!
Fwoooooosh!
Dozens of massive pillars made of fire rose up. In an instant, the massive flame pillars—which completely ignored the falling rain—erupted around Clevius.
"K-Keuk…!"
If the flames had directly hit him, he would have been fatally wounded. Fortunately, before the magic had activated he had managed to roll out of the way, escaping to the outskirts of the rose garden. Clevius clenched his teeth as he pulled out the magic power arrows that were stuck in his left shoulder and thigh.
The magic power arrows he pulled out dissipated into the air. However, the injury they left behind still remained. The blood that poured out of his new wound covered his body.
However, the major taboo known as Blood Swordsmanship used the blood flowing out of one's body as a new source of magic power.
The more wounds that were left, the more blood that poured out. That also meant a larger amount of magic power, which would wrap around his body and sword.
However, even if he were pushed to the verge of death, compared to Lucy's magic power he wouldn't even be able to reach her ankles.
The overwhelming difference in power between the two wouldn't change even if his Blood Swordsmanship were pushed to its limits.
Flick.
Lucy raised her small hand. Her palms were open. Her hand appeared so small and frail that it looked like it could easily break at any moment.
But what would really break were the necks of those that lost their focus in front of her.
And with a clench of her hand, the magic power that was spread out across the area quickly gathered into one spot.
Boom!!
Intermediate Fire Magic, Point Explosion.
Clevius, who had received a direct hit, fell to the floor as he coughed up blood. From above, the Advanced Lighting Magic, Divine Judgment, struck him.
B-Boom! Boooooom!
It was nothing special. It was only lightning. However, what made it special was that it was imbued with Lucy's magic power. Someone who boasted an immense amount of it.
A bolt of lightning imbued with her magic power was enough to have even destroyed the outer shell of Takan, the high-ranking fire spirit, in a single blow. Clevius, who was still barely able to come to his senses, took a defensive stance—but it wasn't an attack that could be defended against in the first place. He was able to tank it to a certain degree, but in the end, with the damage he had already accumulated on his body beforehand, he had already exceeded his limit.
Fighting while using her magic properly. For Lucy, it was the greatest amount of respect that she could show to her opponent.
For Lucy Mayreel, in terms of magic power efficiency against the majority of students, wouldn't even have the need to use elemental magic.
For the majority of them, they would die instantly, without ever having the chance to even question how they would go up against her advanced magic. However, Lucy had a gut feeling. Her opponent right now wouldn't die even at that level.
Through the rising smoke, Clevius once again jumped out. He didn't care about his uniform, which had become nothing more than a tattered rag, or his crippled body that was so full of wounds that it would be harder to find a part of him that wasn't unscathed.
Clevius' movements couldn't be followed with one's eyes. However, looking at the puddles on the ground that splashed and the fragments of the wall that flew around as he sprinted past, she could guess where he was.
Clang!!
When Lucy finally figured out exactly where he was, she stretched her hand out as she turned, already making contact with the end of his sword.
However, the massive defensive magic circle that had risen blocked Clevius.
Screeeech!
A trembling blade.
Clevius' body had already reached his limit.
Clevius clenched his teeth as he used all his strength, pushing his sword against the defensive magic circle. Alongside the sound of his grinding teeth, the defensive spell also started to crack.
Through the slowly widening crack in the spell, the face of the Blade Demon could be seen.
At that point, his face was mostly covered in his dark red blood rather than the color of his skin. Blood mixed with rainwater ran down between his temples and forehead.
As if his entire body that was covered in blood and wounds was nothing, his eyes—which burned with the desire to fight—were completely red.
Boom!
Then, Lucy's defensive magic circle broke. It was a sight that was hard to believe. Lucy's defensive magic circle was at a level where it could even block advanced magic, despite it being put up quickly.
Paang! Shatter!
Perhaps at the price of such a feat, the blade of Clevius' sword—which he was holding—also broke into half. However, even with only half the blade left, a sharp blade still remained.
Pang!
At an unbelievably fast rate, she cast a new spell. Three shots of the intermediate ice magic, Ice Spear, pierced his abdomen. But Clevius clenched his teeth, unwilling to give in, and didn't change his stance.
Then, the broken edge of his blade reached Lucy's forehead.
Clang!
Of course, it couldn't cut into her skin. That was because, apart from her defensive magic circle, the surface of Lucy's body was also covered in 'beginner defensive magic'.
In addition to that, once after a certain period of time, Storm's Blessing would also manifest. No matter how you approached it, being able to break through to her all by oneself was an impossible task.
"Seriously… You fucking monster…!!"
Clang!
After being blown away by the attack of her blessing, he stood up again. He picked up the dropped sword of a nearby student that had been struck by Time Prison.
The blade of the sword he had picked up was still intact. The original sword he used had already broken in half, so he held it in his left hand to use for defense.
The warrior that held both a full sword and one broken ran back towards her to get into range. By doing so, even if he were to get injured even more, he had no intention of slowing down.
With every one of his movements, his blood dripped down. The bleeding continued without stopping. Saying he was drenched in blood would be an understatement. It was a miraculous sight to see a human with so much blood inside of them.
But all those that went against Lucy were the same.
Closing his eyes, an image of a massive mountain came to mind.
The feeling of going up against an ever-rising mountain, only holding a mere sword… Was that what that feeling was?
He was then struck by four or five magic bullets, alongside the intermediate wind magic that was knocking him down. Yet in the thick dust, he stood up once more—as if he were a zombie.
He was a blood-crazed berserker that the concept of death didn't apply to. At that point, it was obvious that going up against her any more would still be no chance of victory. Yet, he continued to stand up as if he didn't realize it.
The memory of the day he had stabbed his older brother resurfaced in his mind.
Even when everyone within the house looked down at Clevius, treating him as a ghost, he was the person that recognized and comforted Clevius until the end.
Being thrown into a fit of blood, he slashed away at his brother. And by the time he came to his senses, he had already stabbed a blade into his stomach.
His older brother ground his teeth, enduring the pain as he held the boy's hand, barely retaining consciousness. And his final words… That memory was still engraved in Clevius' mind.
"I'm glad the person you killed this time was me, and not someone else."
How ridiculous it was for those to be his final words as he continued to bleed out.
"At the very least… I can forgive."
"So… Don't feel too guilty."
The best swordsman, rumored to bring the Nortondale family to their second heyday, had died in vain. All that was left of him were those words.
***
The rain fell onto the world equally.
No matter what part of the world you looked from, the gloomy sky would always look the same.
Even in the rose garden, where the battle was taking place, the gloomy sight of the falling rain was the same everywhere across Acken Island.
For example, the same was true back at the royal residence outside the luxurious windows.
Claire, who had heard of the accident at Ophelis Hall from the Academic Headquarters, delivered the news to Princess Penia. Sitting by the window, looking up at the rain, upon hearing Claire's report her expression changed.
***
Clevius got up from the thick smoke as he screamed out again before leaping forward. Gathering the remaining magic power of the Blood Swordsmanship, he was able to break through Lucy's defenses—but that didn't mean much.
Lucy's reflexes had also surpassed the ordinary. Holding down her hat, she gently bent down as she stabbed Clevius' body with Wind Blade. A new wound began to spurt blood into the air.
***
The rain continued to fall equally, even in the education district. There was even the occasional lightning strike that caught people by surprise. As it kept raining, it was enough to call it a proper downpour.
Assistant Professor Cleoh, who sat in the school's night duty room, furrowed her brow as she heard of the news regarding Ophelis Hall.
Professor Flubin was currently out in the Northern Cliffside for an investigation. Watching the pouring rain outside the window, Assistant Professor Cleoh fell into deep thought for a moment. Outside the window in the education district, the water continued to overflow out of the fountain in the student square.
***
Clevius rolled around on the ground a bit, splashing in the water before standing up. Holding onto both swords, he lowered his posture and crossed his arms. Then, at a speed impossible to see, he let out a sword attack.
A giant clang, one that you wouldn't even think could come from a sword, rang out. The marble floor around Lucy had exploded into pieces, flying into the air. An advanced skill even among the Magic Power Swordsmanship unique to the Nortondale House. A technique that was almost able to cause an explosion on impact. Though, of course, Lucy didn't take any damage.
***
The rain fell down equally on the windows of Ophelis Hall's hallways as well. Watching the rain beat down on the luxurious window frames as if it were trying to open it was a sight to see.
After completely defeating Wade, Ziggs took Tanya and quickly escaped through the hallway. Since there were no people in Ophelis Hall's hallways, it was quiet—as if time had stood still.
As long as he could somehow get Tanya out of Ophelis Hall, he could find a way to prevent the situation from escalating any further. With that in mind, Ziggs hurriedly ran with Tanya towards the back door of the hallway.
However, at the end of the hallway where the raindrops were falling on the window, he saw a girl that was standing still.
He wondered if there were still students that had yet to evacuate, so he went to see who she was. But her face was all too familiar. A fellow student that lived in Ophelis Hall.
Lortel Kehelland.
The young merchant stood there alone at the end of the hallway without evacuating.
***
Clevius' attack was not yet finished. Once again, he leaped at a speed that surpassed the realm of humans. He jumped forward, kicking away the large pieces of marble that were floating around Lucy. And when he found an opening on Lucy's back, he gathered all the magic power left in his Blood Swordsmanship to deliver a single blow.
Lucy's Ice Spear flew into his shoulder, piercing him. He had nearly collapsed but, grinding his teeth, he used the half-broken sword to slash at Lucy's defensive magic circle.
Crash!
With an impact beyond one's imagination, Lucy's defensive magic circle once again shattered.
And this time there was even more.
Watching him be unafraid of getting hurt, constantly putting his life at risk to attack the defensive magic that surrounded Lucy's body. Was God touched by the effort the boy was putting in?
Clang! Shatter!
The sword in his right hand, which was still intact, had shattered into pieces. And for just a brief moment, he had succeeded in breaking through all of Lucy's defensive magic.
Though in the first place, the defensive magic she was using was not at a level that would require much effort for her. With Lucy's ridiculous level of magic power resonance, it would be near instantaneous for her to recast all of the defensive magic.
But for that… it would still take one hundredth of a second. Or perhaps even less?
Yet for the Blade Demon, who also lived in that instant, it was enough time to push the blade through.
But he didn't have a proper weapon. One had completely broken into pieces and the other was still broken in half.
However, no matter how much of a genius archmage his opponent might be… her physical ability was still that of a girl her age.
Even if the attack wasn't perfect, if he could manage to just get one decent sword attack through, it could be a fatal blow.
"…Keuk…!"
Lucy's pupils trembled greatly. That brief instant was over.
Staggering back a few times, she grabbed her own shoulder tightly.
From the right shoulder of her small body to the center of her chest, the thin line of red blood from the open wound slowly began to spread out. The blood continued to flow as it started to drench Lucy's clothes.
…Unfortunately, there wasn't such a scene.
Even though it was only the slightest difference, Lucy's defense was faster.
***
Clang!!
The last remaining half of his sword had shattered into pieces. Clevius had fallen after getting hit by a magic power bullet that Lucy had instinctively fired.
"Eughk… Keuk… Fuck…! Seriously… You fucking monster…!"
Clevius, who was beaten silly and had injuries across his body, lay there in the middle of the rose garden… With blood all over his body, he clenched his teeth and tried to regain strength in his legs somehow.
However, his physical condition had already reached its limit long ago. His legs no longer listened to him.
Lucy… in a moment of surprise, grabbed onto her shoulder.
It was only an instantaneous moment, but the possibility of what could have happened was glimmering right in front of her eyes like an illusion.
In that instant, she had almost revealed herself.
Clevius had risked his life and pushed himself to the limit while using the Blood Sword Technique. In doing so, even though it was only for a brief moment, he was able to exceed the reaction speed of Lucy's magic power.
Of course… it wasn't possible to win a battle just by gaining a speed advantage for a 'very slight' moment. Aside from that, it was a completely disadvantageous situation for him. It wasn't a variable that was capable of overcoming the overwhelming gap in their abilities.
However, the feeling that came from someone that was willing to throw away their own life, all into one sword attack, wasn't something that could be measured. Blood-crazed berserkers… Occasionally, when having to face off against an enemy that was stronger than them, there were those that held a terrible tenacity that was able to help them overcome and strike down their opponents.
However, the gap between Lucy and Clevius wasn't something that could be resolved with such a mentality alone.
It was really only for a brief moment, but she could have really died.
The terrible feeling of being near the tip of a bloody sword… For Lucy, who had lived her entire life as a strong individual, it wasn't a feeling that she was used to.
"Eughk…! Fu…Fuck…!!!"
Clevius continued to try and somehow get his body, which no longer listened to him, to stand up. But he struggled, only having the power to support himself with one arm.
In the end, Lucy, without a single scratch to her body, walked forward. Looking down at Clevius, who was completely defeated, she gathered magic power into her hand.
Clevius relaxed his body as he was.
In the end, he knew that was how it was going to end. He couldn't understand why he himself went so far, clenching his teeth just to enjoy some glory and wealth.
Clevius let go of everything as he slowly closed his eyes.
For the end of his miserable life to be like that… Disgraceful and stupid until the very end.
Thinking such thoughts, he had managed to reach that far… finally able to put everything down.
Fwoosh! Clang!
Then, suddenly, a single arrow flew by.
An arrow made of magic power… it created a massive pool of water in an instant. From it stepped a mid-ranking water spirit, the ferocious beast 'Lacia the Lioness', which stood between Clevius and Lucy.
The appearance of the snarling, mid-ranking water spirit was savage.
A completely unexplainable situation. Clevius and Elvira, who were barely conscious off in the corner, looked towards the direction the arrow came from.
At the entrance of the rose garden, in the middle of the rain, there was a man that held a bow similar to the recurve bow that Lucy was holding onto.
It looked as if he were covering himself wearing a robe that was much larger than him. The robe itself was so worn out and frayed that it was starting to fall apart at the seams.
He looked as if he was a soul that had risen from the dead. They couldn't help but swallow harshly.
-x-X-x-
Ophelis Hall stood in silence.
Lortel Kehelland was quietly blocking the exit leading to the central hallway.
Seeing that… Ziggs grabbed onto Tanya's shoulder, who was running by his side.
"Uh, Huh?!"
Ziggs pulled Tanya back to hide her behind himself.
"Ack!"
Tanya was taken aback by Ziggs' strong grip as she stumbled, coming to a complete stop.
"A-All of a sudden….?"
"Stay still."
Ziggs' intuition was almost always correct. His sixth sense, which he had cultivated while living in the wild, had saved him from a crisis time and time again.
Ziggs' sixth sense was anxiously screaming.
As if she had been sleeping, she was wearing a light wool coat over a slip-on one piece made of lace. Her luscious reddish-brown hair flowed like a wave, unbound.
"Lortel."
Ziggs was already somewhat aware of Ed's personal relations when he was still alive.
Those that recognized Ed's true worth usually ended up forming a close and special relationship with him. That was why, even though there weren't many people he was close with, all of them were extremely powerful individuals.
Knowing that Lortel was also one of those with a special relationship with Ed, Ziggs carefully fixed his posture.
Even though he was holding onto a sword, he still wanted to avoid having to fight Lortel if possible.
Lortel's magic skills and agility were at a level that even the stingy Professor Glast had acknowledged, putting her in Class A.
However, in terms of practical experience and combat sense, she wasn't at a level that could match Ziggs. If they did fight, Ziggs would probably leave as the winner.
If it was a simple battle of firepower, then Ziggs might have been inferior to her, but in a one-on-one battle that pushed one to use their abilities to the limit and effectively took advantage of the environment, there were very few capable of defeating Ziggs.
However, the truly scary thing about Lortel didn't come from her combat abilities.
Lortel Kehelland was one that would go to extreme lengths once she set a goal. Even her adoptive father couldn't escape her grasp.
You couldn't be deceived by her beautiful and noble appearance or her elegant words and deeds, which made her highly praised as a benevolent and good-natured person.
Even though other people might not have known, Ziggs Eiffelstein was well aware of that fact. She was like a rose that was covered in thorns. Thorns coated in layers of lethal poison that would be able to kill even an elephant in an instant.
Of the individuals in Silvenia Academy that you should never turn into an enemy… She was easily within the top 3.
She was quietly waiting with her head down as she blocked the door. No matter how you looked at it, she didn't look friendly.
It was obvious that she had heard of the news regarding Ed's death.
It would have been stranger to not realize that fact, with Lucy wreaking chaos outside.
So Ziggs had no choice but to first hide Tanya behind himself.
"You need to hurry and evacuate, Lortel."
As Ziggs spoke, Lortel slowly raised her head, standing in the darkness. There was no way of knowing how the news of Ed's death would have affected her heart, or what the feelings she harbored towards Tanya would be.
He was in a spot where he had no choice but to wait for Lortel's answer.
However, as Lortel raised her head… Surprisingly, she had a graceful appearance, with a smile on her face.
"Even though you say so, Ziggs… What have you been doing here instead of escaping?"
Her tone of voice was the same as usual.
Aside from her clothes, which were more casual and comfortable than usual, her calm demeanor was the same as always… Something didn't feel right.
Ziggs didn't relax as he stared back at Lortel, who continued to speak calmly.
"This is a dangerous situation. We need to escape quickly. Isn't that right, Ziggs? And you too, Tanya."
Did Tanya also feel that something wasn't right?
But because Lortel didn't appear to be hostile, he thought it would be fine to say something back to her.
"Lortel."
Ziggs didn't let go of the sword he held in his hand.
And then he asked outright.
"Have you heard the news about our upperclassmen, Ed."
Lortel's brows twitched as she trembled.
It was a very small reaction that would be hard to catch, but the quick-witted Ziggs recognized the change in her emotions.
"Well, what do you think?"
"Yeah, I guess you won't just let us pass then."
"What are you talking about, Ziggs? I don't have a reason to stop you."
Lortel smiled, as relaxed as she normally was. However, Tanya and Ziggs didn't even think about taking a single step forward.
"First off, there's no way I could possibly beat you in a one-on-one, Ziggs."
It would hurt one's mouth to list off every single one of Lortel's abilities one by one.
However, if you had to pick one amongst them all that stood out the most, it was her ability to maintain reason and remain calm regardless of the situation.
Even when Takan destroyed the student building, or when Professor Glast created all those magic towers, regardless of the situation she never panicked or lost her sense of reason.
She was like a monster. A machine built with the objective to always search for the best course of action. Even in the situation where Lucy, who always looked uninterested, had suddenly erupted in anger… Lortel still stood, clenching her teeth and keeping a cool head.
However, reason and rationality didn't always work together as one.
She lived the life of a merchant that converted everything in the world into money. But even then, she sometimes deviated from her own rationality. And that was when Ed was involved.
Lortel wasn't blocking Ziggs. The reason for that was that Ziggs simply had a higher combat ability than her.
But if that was the case, then one couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the situation were different.
"What if it wasn't me… But instead, Tanya was alone. What would you do?"
Even though she might appear calm on the outside, there was no guarantee that it would be the same on the inside. She was a girl that never revealed her true feelings honestly.
So, no matter how messed up she might feel on the inside, you would never be able to tell just by looking at the outside.
However, there were times when fragments of it were shown.
"I would have torn her apart."
Goosebumps ran down Tanya's back.
Her expression was still as calm as always. The tone of her voice didn't change in the slightest. However, that sharp threat of hers that could cut flesh remained suspended in the atmosphere.
"You're quite lucky, Tanya. You should thank Ziggs for accompanying you."
Lortel's amber eyes, which didn't move in the slightest, carefully watched Tanya's expression.
Probably the reason Lortel was still standing there, guarding this hallway…
"You're being hasty, Lortel."
"That's right, Ziggs. Looking at this situation, it seems you are on Tanya's side."
Ziggs couldn't say anything.
Right now, all circumstantial evidence pointed towards Tanya as the culprit behind Ed's assassination.
Tanya's past actions had always clearly shown malice towards Ed. And the vassals of House Rothstaylor appeared to be the perpetrators of the assassination. It also overlapped with the fact that they were vassals that received their direct orders from Tanya. There's also the fact that it was extremely rare for a vassal to act arbitrarily, without the orders of their master.
Ziggs' decision to believe in Tanya's innocence… Rather than rational, they were much more emotionally based. Ed Rothstaylor wouldn't want Tanya to have a gruesome ending, it was just a guess based on the experiences he had with him.
That was why Lortel, who always acted rationally, was terribly incompatible with Ziggs, who was rather emotional.
"But rather than killing her myself, I would have first tortured her. Though, if she ended up confessing, that would be another story."
Seeing Lortel with a wide smile across her face, Ziggs swallowed harshly. That girl was also not in a normal state at the moment. She might seem completely calm, but she was certainly messed up somewhere.
"It looks like it hasn't been long since you had your nails done, Tanya. That's quite fortunate."
Tanya flinched and trembled as she hid her hands behind her back. Lortel's words, which had been thrown in the dark, had a creepy meaning behind it.
Hearing that, at the very least, her nails wouldn't be left untouched… it made her heart tremble in fear.
"N-No… I didn't…! No…!!"
"Stop it, Tanya. She's not someone you can convince with emotional arguments alone."
Ziggs calmly interrupted Tanya, who was about to say something. Lortel expression didn't change in the slightest.
However, she quietly allowed them to pass by.
"Here, go on through."
Lortel never wager victory in a fight. She only fought fights that she would win.
That was the dignity she had by firmly surviving and growing up on the business front, where the wind blew by like knives.
That wasn't the battlefield for Lortel Kehelland. Rather than bleeding by exchanging swords or magic, she was one that would work behind the scenes under the water, taking the entire battlefield into her own hands.
Turning her into your enemy, you were bound to come across and see horrific things.
It went without saying, but by turning Ed into your enemy, you were also turning her into your enemy as well. Even though Tanya wasn't aware of that fact, now that things had become like that, her whole body was drenched in fear.
Ziggs stared at Lortel with a wary posture.
She really wasn't moving a centimeter. Was she really not planning on stopping them? Or was it all just an act for her greater plan?
He couldn't tell the difference.
If it were only an opponent that had strong combat abilities, he could have found a way to try and outrun them, or he could have found a compromise between them, or even ended up fighting them based on his gut feeling.
However, against an extremely cunning person like Lortel, it was impossible to be certain that whatever action he took would be the correct choice. It felt as if he were wandering blindly through a smoke screen. To him, she was a much more difficult opponent.
As they continued to confront each other without an answer—
"Then, Lortel…"
Clash! Clang! Thud!
"Aghk…! Ah!"
[Be careful! Are you hurt?!]
"Uh, no…! I didn't get hurt, but… What should I do? The window… Ahh… It completely shattered… This is an extremely high-class item. I didn't even realize it, and… What should I do…? Uhh… Ahh…"
[In this situation, do you think they are going to find the culprit behind each broken window, asking for compensation?]
At one end of the hallway, a girl had broken through the window, making her way inside. The sound of the pouring rain outside began to reverberate directly off the walls of the hallway.
Her braided pink hair had been completely soaked by the rain. The same went for her clothes. Her white blouse and dark blue skirt were completely drenched by the rain, sticking to her skin.
While squeezing out the water in a part of her skirt, she shook her head like a puppy, drying her hair. She then looked towards Tanya as her face lit up.
"Ah, I found you, Tanya!"
After shouting, only then did she realize the current atmosphere in the hallway.
"..."
Tanya was trembling as Ziggs held a sword in his hand with a cold sweat going down his face. There was also Lortel, who was staring at them calmly with a cold gaze.
"Uh… Uhm… Did I perhaps ruin the atmosphere…?"
Yennekar stopped squeezing out the water from her clothes.
Then Merilda, who was sticking her head in from the window, let out a sigh.
[No, it seems that we came just in time.]
***
Shwaaaa.
Because his body had been pushed to the extreme and the rain poured down hard, his vision was blurry.
The Blood Swordsmanship, which had run wild as if it were taking over his whole body, had already reached its limit… Now, all of his magic power was gone.
He gathered all his power as a swordsman and rushed forward, putting his life at risk, but in the end Clevius was only able to gain a situational advantage for a hundredth of a second.
Even then, it was only a result of Lucy's carelessness rather than Clevius' strength. Ironically, it was an opening that had been created because of their overwhelming difference in power.
If Lucy had completely focused on fighting Clevius from the start, there never would have been such an opening. In fact, the match would have been over in just a few seconds.
Lucy had been controlling her power to make sure there weren't any casualties. She was also maintaining those cast with Time Prison out in the garden. And there was also the sphere made of magic power floating up in the sky that she was maintaining as well… Clevius was really nowhere close to having defeated her.
It was a tragedy and rather sad, but it still wasn't unexpected.
Another defeat. He was already accustomed to defeat.
"Euh… Keuhk… Ughk…"
Even if he were to keep pushing up on the floor to try and raise his body, he would only lose strength, unable to lift himself even halfway up. Laying on the ground, he raised his head and looked up at a man in a robe that was looking back down at him.
As soon as that man entered the rose garden, the first thing he did was look around at the surroundings. Looking at him, it was as if he were troubled, looking for someone.
Sadly, there weren't many people left in the rose garden to see him, since the majority of the students had already escaped.
The students and maids that were already trapped by Time Prison didn't matter. And at best, there was only Clevius and Elvira, who was lying next to him.
And because of the falling rain, the wet fog was rather thick. It wouldn't have been easy to see his face even if there were many other people around.
The mid-ranking water spirit 'Lacia the Lioness', who had blocked Lucy, had disappeared in an instant. At a glimpse, it looked like a manifestation that wasn't stable. A summon that was made by barely drawing out one's remaining power after reaching their limit.
In the end, all that was left was Lucy, Elvira, Clevius, and the man wearing a robe.
Looking up close at him, he was barely able to see his face.
A boy with aristocratic features and short blonde hair. A familiar face to him.
"…What the fuck…?"
Barely supporting his upper body with his trembling arms, Clevius let out a smirk.
"You were alive. You motherfucker."
"..."
"Ughk…"
Clevius, who was bleeding out, clenched his teeth as he looked up at Ed.
"Seriously… You piece of shit… If… If I had fucking known… Eughk…"
"You were holding her off, Clevius."
"Yeah… Why…? Got a problem with that…?"
The boy had his head bowed in the pouring rain. He could finally let out all the accumulated feelings and resentment he held.
"You don't like it…! Fucker…!!"
No one said anything. Clevius was entitled to be angry. Ed stood there as he listened to all of it.
However, in Ed's eyes there was a certain kind of astonishment.
Clevius had endured nearly ten minutes up against 'Lazy Lucy.'
How many people in the school right now could achieve such a feat? Even Ed, who had a thorough understanding of Clevius' overall combat abilities, didn't even fathom that such a feat was possible.
"Yeah… Seriously… I was beaten to shit… I know that, too… I'm a pathetic, idiotic, disgraceful piece of shit. I know all of that… I know that shit better than anyone else… Fuck…!!"
Clevius clenched his fist and teeth.
"I knew it, too. Fighting her was stupid as shit. I already knew that even if I risked my life, I wouldn't have been able to do shit to her… Yeah… I wanted to run, but fuck. My legs wouldn't move, so what else could I do…?"
In that idiot's eyes, he could see all of the rose garden.
There was no way they could stop that monster. Everyone that ran in to try and do something were all idiots.
The head maid and the other maids that followed after were trapped in Time Prison. The top students of each grade that also had tried to stop her… And in the end, even that alchemist girl that was always bothering Clevius.
Those idiots were the type of people Clevius had seen so much of in his entire life that he became sick of it.
He lived a life leaving them behind, running away to a safe place, not challenging himself, setting boundaries on what was impossible and never raising his head.
Everyone wanted Clevius to live such a life. He was taught that doing so was the smart thing to do. And Clevius himself also believed so. He had no idea just how many more people he would end up killing if he challenged the blood of the Blade Demon that ran through his body.
When you become used to defeat, you also forget the pain that came from it. His self-esteem had completely worn away and his emotions wouldn't change. There were moments when someone insulted him for running away, calling him a coward, but all he would do was nod his head and agree.
That was definitely how it was supposed to be.
"Fuck… How long… will I have to keep living a life running away from it all…?"
The image of a hero that drew his sword and charged forward into the oncoming army that resembled a mountain. A picture of the founder of House Nortondale, seen in a picture book. Valkers Nortondale.
Everyone was afraid of the curse of the Blade Demon in Clevius blood and gave up on him. His older brother, who died alone supporting Clevius as a member of House Nortondale until the very end, had been the only one who hadn't.
The high-ranking fire spirit Takan, which even the top students of the class trembled in fear of. In front of it stood Ed Rothstaylor, who came up with a trick to defeat it in the end.
Among the countless magic power towers that were raised high in the sky, the swordsman Taylee rushed forward at Professor Glast without losing his will.
The maids, top students, and Elvira, who tried their best to stop Lucy.
All of those idiots ate away at the defeatism that was ingrained in the boy's heart.
Like a light in the filthy gutter, they showed off his ugly and disgraceful face.
They made him drop both legs to the ground, taking out a sword until it lost its blade.
They made him bang his head on the floor like an idiot to try and overcome an ordeal that everyone had defined as impossible.
"Seriously… I'm… A fucking piece of shit… I know that as well…"
He bled out too much. It was about time that he took a break.
When Clevius couldn't speak anymore, he collapsed, falling unconscious.
Ed had just stood there, listening to Clevius' harsh words up until the very end. Leaving Clevius, who had finally fallen unconscious, he was about to talk in a quiet voice.
"Phew…"
Shwaaa.
Elvira, who was a complete wreck, intervened between Clevius and Ed. It looked as if she had already been defeated and was now struggling to even control her body properly. Still, she stood between them with her arms wide open.
Perhaps she had misunderstood that Ed would end up doing something harmful to Clevius. Elvira awkwardly sat there, blocking him with her lips tightly closed and her arms trembling in their struggle to stay up.
It looked as if she was going to fall over with the slightest touch.
Still, with her eyes full of determination she continued to tremble and somehow managed to take a defensive stance.
"..."
Ed, who was looking down at Elvira, quietly opened his mouth.
"Thank you, Elvira. Clevius. Your efforts weren't in vain. They were really helpful."
Elvira's pupils suddenly widened, as she couldn't have imagined that such lines would have come out of Ed's mouth.
There wasn't any reason for Ed to harm Clevius. Rather, Clevius' efforts were a big help to Ed.
However, since Elvira still didn't like Ed, she couldn't help but get a little nervous.
However, contrary to Elvria's imagination, Ed calmly patted Elvria's shoulder a couple times.
And with that gesture, Elvira lost all the strength in her body, falling to the ground.
"…You…"
"Just get some rest for now. Since you now know that I am still alive… I have a lot to tell the two of you later."
Then Ed quietly took off his hood as he turned around, walking forward.
It was now time to bring Lucy back.
***
Solitude was a disease that led to death.
It was a curse that came to everyone fairly and ate away at one's heart, little by little.
That was why people depended on each other to survive.
Even for a girl that lived a life looking down on everything in the world with a disinterested expression, that disease was bound to plague her without exception.
However, the reason that girl couldn't understand the fear of loneliness… was all because, from a young age, she had Glockt.
The presence of an old man that stroked her hair with his wrinkled hands as he sat by her side, always being there for her… protecting her from the fear of loneliness.
However, it was difficult to become aware of it on one's own.
That was why it was only natural for one to realize and suffer the pain of loss only after losing someone.
Shwaaa.
When Lucy saw the boy with his robe hood on, her body almost lost all her strength in an instant.
She rubbed her eyes just in case she had been hallucinating, but the boy was still there.
She didn't show a dramatic reaction. She wasn't the type of girl to scream and run up to hug him.
"I'm sorry, Lucy. I wasn't able to tell you beforehand. But I had to die for a reason."
However, only after hearing that low-pitched voice of his that she thought she would never be able to hear again did she start to realize it.
"However, since I was in a situation where my life was on the line, I couldn't make any preparations in advance. That's why I didn't have the chance to tell you about it."
Ed trudged through the rain towards Lucy, who was standing there blankly. And only after he was standing right in front her did her blank expression finally express her feelings.
"I am alive. Now, here."
Lucy looked up at Ed blankly.
His sturdy body, his blonde hair, and even though he was drenched in rain the faint smell of grass was still there. It was truly Ed Rothstaylor.
As expected of her, her expression didn't change in the slightest. But the lumps of water forming around her eyes and falling down weren't from the rainwater.
She sniffled before jumping into Ed's chest. She then buried her face into Ed's wet collar, rubbing her face against it.
"I thought you were dead."
The emotion in her voice was rare for Lucy.
In the calming rain, Ed slowly wrapped his arms around Lucy's shoulders.
As he looked up at the raining sky, he tightly held onto Lucy, who was crying.
***
The spring rain fell.
Only after the rain swept away the petals piled up on the roadside and masked the floral aromas from the flower bed would spring show a new face.
The same went for one's emotions.
After exhaling and regaining one's reason, even in a stable relationship that had already been established, a new state would come.
It all started with a small sense of disharmony.
Lucy, who cried in Ed's arms, let go of all of her emotions for a long moment… She succeeded in taking care of the weak feelings that were hidden in her solitude.
Lucy had been looking for Glockt's face over Ed's… Yet no matter how much she thought about it, the feelings she had towards Ed were fundamentally different from those she had towards Glockt.
The feeling of sitting by the warm fire as Glockt's wrinkled hands stroked her hair, and the feeling of crying in Ed's arms as he held her tightly… Even though they felt similar, they were also strangely different.
The rain slowly came to a stop as the moonlight began to shine through the clouds.
Lucy, who was in Ed's arms, rubbed her eyes as she suddenly swallowed her breath.
Worrying about just what the difference between the two was… eventually, the answer would show itself.
Once you became aware of it, it wasn't something that you had to seek the identity of.
Suddenly—
All of a sudden, Ed was surprised to have regained his balance.
Lucy, who had been crying profusely in Ed's arms, suddenly stopped crying as she pushed at Ed's chest as she lifted her head.
And then… She looked up at Ed's face once more in disbelief. Surprising not only Ed, but Lucy as well.
Her eyes were still wet, and she was clearly embarrassed.
Like a stray cat that seemed to have met an unexpected natural enemy… Lucy, whose eyes were trembling like crazy, felt her face start to heat up.
"Lucy?"
Ed called out Lucy's name like normal, but Lucy felt like a fire was burning in her chest.
When she tried to respond, it felt as if her voice was trembling, and nothing would come out. Lucy quickly took a step back.
Even the high-ranking magicians of the school couldn't help but tremble in front of her… Lucy was an existence like that of a massive mountain.
Yet that same Lucy now looked at Ed with a trembling face, as if she were facing an unknown entity. The only thing written across her face was bewilderment.
-x-X-x-
Ziggs Eiffelstein has always lived by following his intuition.
It wasn't a realistic or rational judgment, but rather a wild and instinctive intuition that had saved his life's many times out in the wild, where dying at any moment wasn't uncommon.
It was the opposite of Lortel, who had always lived in an orderly system, only making rational judgements. That was also why Ziggs was now facing a one-on-one confrontation with her.
He lived his life full of experiences that a bird trapped in a cage could never even imagine.
It was a near daily occurrence to hide and run away from the wild beasts out in the grasslands. It wasn't an usual feeling for him to have his life threatened every day.
That was why Ziggs was rarely ever afraid, nor did he feel a sense of fear or panic.
However, at the moment he couldn't help but swallow harshly.
A feeling of crisis that he hadn't felt in a while. A feeling of fear, which made his back stiff and breath short, swept over him.
"Ughh… I'm going to catch a cold like this."
In front of him was Yennekar, who had run through the rain without taking a break.
And the eerily still Lortel, who was standing in the way of the exit.
Ziggs Eiffelstein was someone who was well versed in the relationships of Ed Rothstaylor while he was alive. That was why he was able to quickly understand the situation.
He already knew that Lortel was half out of her mind because of the news regarding Ed.
He still had an uncomfortable feeling not knowing her hidden intentions, but in any case, in a one-on-one battle Ziggs would never lose to her.
However, with the inclusion of Yennekar Palerover, who had just arrived… that was a variable that scared the life out of him.
Anyhow, as if Ed Rothstaylor had saved a country in his previous life, she was one of the females close to him that was particularly strange.
There were many women that followed him around, so there wasn't much to say about his ability. Out in the wild, it wouldn't be surprising for a handsome male to have several females. However, in a civilized world that was too complicated a question.
Either way, that wasn't a good variable in the current situation.
Above all else, Yennekar Palerover… was one of Ed's most devoted acquaintances.
Lortel was already surrounded by a cold anger to such a degree that there was no way that the more emotional Yennekar wouldn't be affected by it.
At least from Ziggs' common sense, he was sure that Yennekar wasn't the type of person to sit still upon hearing the news of Ed's death.
That being the case…
"I found you, Tanya."
Hearing Yennekar's words… he couldn't help but swallow hard.
Ziggs glanced back at Tanya, loosening his grip on his sword.
Tanya was already trembling, backed up in the corner of the wall.
Lortel's cold anger had a dangerous feeling that made people have goosebumps.
However, it seemed as if Yennekar was much more normal than he had thought.
Even so, Tanya already had bad memories regarding Yennekar… so she was crying and
Ziggs also imagined just how scary the situation must be in Tanya's shoes. It must have felt like hanging off the side of a cliff by a rope.
With things panning out as they were, it seemed reckless to still take Tanya's side. But still, Ziggs was determined to trust his intuition. Ziggs had been watching over both Ed and Tanya. That was why he was certain that Tanya didn't have any direct intentions of actually killing her brother.
No matter how strong Ziggs was, it was still too much to face off against both Yennekar and Lortel at the same time.
Ziggs was a master of dueling. His experience and skills, alongside his innate sense of combat, were not even comparable to those in school.
However, that didn't mean he was without weakness. Even his prediction ability, which was close to foresight, his incredible agility, and sense of combat were all ultimately… difficult to utilize in the face of overwhelming firepower.
If his opponent were one who that was only 'a subject of a duel' that utilized swordsmanship and magic, he would never be defeated. But against, Yennekar who fought with the quantity and firepower with numerous spirits on her side, it was extremely disadvantageous.
"I have something to tell you about Ed—"
And then, when Yennekar was telling her story, he had no choice but to go through with his last move that he had been trying to avoid.
Boom!
Ziggs' magic, which was as fast as light, broke down a wall of the hallway. Ziggs didn't want to cause damage to the building as much as he could avoid it. But with the situation turning into something that would be difficult to manage, he didn't have a choice.
"Waaaah?!"
"Keuk!"
Yennekar stumbled back from the sudden violent wind and dust that erupted.
In that brief movement, Ziggs wrapped his waist around Tanya's as he threw himself out of the collapsed wall.
The rain had nearly stopped.
A gust of wind blew by as the remaining drops of rain covered them.
The sound of the collar flapping in the wind and the feeling of falling in the air injected Tanya with another fear.
Thud!
Although he had wrapped himself around with wind magic, the impact of the landing wasn't completely alleviated.
Landing by the back gate, barely able to stop himself from falling over, he let go of Tanya and put her down. Taking the trail behind Ophelis Hall and running off to the western part of the commercial district, they should have been able to find someplace to hide.
Ziggs then stood up straight as he looked around Ophelis Hall.
He didn't have a choice but to take a deep breath.
An enormous fire lizard wrapped itself around the outer wall. All around, there were all sorts of spirits floating in the air. There was even a wolf the size of a house that was leaning against the window. As for the low-ranking spirits, there were nearly a hundred of them.
Calling such an enormous number of spirits all at once was a crazy sight to behold, no matter how many times one saw it. It seemed as if the spirits were wandering around together in search of someone.
It went without saying that it was Tanya Rothstaylor.
And that fact… Tanya seemed to have realized it herself. The speed at which her teeth trembled grew even more.
"Get a grip on yourself, Tanya Rothstaylor."
Ziggs wiped his face a few times to get rid of the rain as he then swung the robe he was wearing around Tanya.
"Run down the trail back there, and when you come to a fork in the road go west. If you run like crazy, you'll be able to make it to the commercial district. Once you get there, make sure to hide in the middle of the district. The more complex the roads get, the harder it will be for them to find you. Once you feel like you're not being chased anymore, find a place to call for help. Since you're the heir to House Rothstaylor, it will be best for you to find someone with imperial power or a close noble acquaintance."
The heir to House Rothstaylor. For such a person to be in debt to you, there was a high chance that it could raise one's social position or even political reasoning. Tanya's life itself was a good bargaining chip.
"Th-Then, what about you, Ziggs…?"
"I will do my best to block them as much as I can so that they can't chase after you. It will be impossible to take down Yennekar and Lortel, though… But I can at least do my best to block them and run away when the time is right."
"Wh-Why are you doing so much…?"
"I wouldn't have done this if you weren't Ed's younger sister. You should just think that you got lucky."
Ziggs then pulled a magically engineered item from his pocket. It was four red marbles embedded into a stone slab.
'Hellgo's Winged Shoes'. An item that temporarily made one's body more agile.
Ziggs used the leather strap to tie the magically engineered item to her waist. He then grabbed Tanya's shoulder as he swung her body around, shoving her forward.
Unable to do anything, Tanya took a few steps forward before stopping and looking back.
Ziggs was no longer paying attention to Tanya and was already looking up at Ophelis Hall, which was filled with spirits.
Tanya hesitated for a moment before clenching her teeth, closing her eyes tightly she ran straight forward through the trail.
"Phew…"
Ziggs took a deep breath as he drew his sword.
With his other hand he checked the flow of magic power.
Yennekar was slower than he thought chasing after her. Since the spirits had already seen Tanya run off, chasing after them shouldn't have been difficult… There was no way to know why she wasn't.
Presumably, it was probably because she was talking to Lortel.
But were they really just having a nice conversation when the person they were chasing after ran away, right under their noses? From his knowledge, in the first place the two of them didn't even get along very well.
However, Ziggs immediately shook his head. What was the use of worrying about any of that since they both came here after hearing news of Ed's death? The two of them must have been like vengeful ghosts that were trapped by grief and sorrow.
It wouldn't be easy to deal with the two of them, but at the very least he could buy enough time for Tanya to get far enough away and escape himself. Doing that much was possible. However, even though he knew that fact, he couldn't stop himself from breaking out in a cold sweat.
Then, from the broken outer wall, the elementalist showed herself.
Her clothes were completely soaked, with a few strands of her hair stuck to her cheek. She looked extremely exhausted.
Riding a huge hawk that was made of water, all the fluid spirits around her followed her to the ground.
It was like the arrival of a monarch. She was like a queen of spirits that slowly descended on the ground while holding a long oak wand in one hand.
Ziggs took a fighting stance, looking straight at her as she slowly landed on the ground.
Clenching his teeth, he shouted at her as she jumped onto the ground.
"You won't listen to anything I say now, Yennekar. I know that already."
Pointing his sword toward her, Ziggs spoke with an intimidating posture.
"However, people can believe in different things. Even if all the evidence points to that girl as the culprit, I still decided to live by my gut. If you can't understand that, then it can't be helped! That's… my way of life….!! I've been like that my entire life!"
However, Ziggs didn't say that while not understanding how Yennekar felt. He also had someone he loved with all his heart, Elka Islam.
That was why Ziggs was able to cry out sincerely to Yennekar, who had a broken heart, more than anyone else. He didn't look down on the pain she felt insincerely.
"I know because I'm in love with someone, too. Just imagining it, the pain is too unbearable… I fully understand that. If I lost her, I would resent the entire world. The rest of my life would become futile, and if an opportunity for revenge presented itself my whole body would burn in anger. I wouldn't be able to do anything else. Because I love her! And because for you, Yennekar, who loved Ed more than anyone else…!"
"Wh-What…"
Unfortunately, there was no way for Ziggs to know that he was the only one having a heartfelt moment.
An inevitable situation. And truly an unfortunate one.
From Yennekar's point of view, already knowing about the ongoing situation, hearing him say such a thing she couldn't help but have her face burn up.
"Even though Ed has already passed away, I don't know what else I can tell you, Yennekar. How heartbreaking it must be for you, who loved Ed so sincerely…!!"
"N-No….! Don't talk about such a thing so loudly…!!"
"That wound on your heart won't heal so easily…but I firmly believe that there is still value in that love you have. Even if it's now a lost love, I strongly believe that your enthusiastic heart, which admired Ed, will forever remain a part of you anddddddddddd!"
Boom! Boom!
A fire spirit's flame exploded as Ziggs was directly hit by the unexpected attack, falling over.
Even the cruelest forces of evil would still patiently wait in between transformations and serious monologuing scenes…
He didn't expect that the kind Yennekar would suddenly attack him midway through his serious speech.
As for Yennekar, her ears were bright red and her eyes started to tear up as she trembled in place, stabbing Ziggs with her wand.
"Ed didn't die! He is still alive! So please, stop…!!"
***
Sniffing, the sweet scent of grass had calmed her down making her feel comfortable once more.
Sometimes, that same grassy smell would come from the haystacks piled up on the side of the cabin.
Lucy didn't particularly hate that smell, so sometimes she would roll around in it.
However, the maids of Ophelis Hall hated the smell of grass so much that they would spray perfume on Lucy, lecturing at her and telling her to maintain her class.
The fragrant smell of a Freesia flower that she would sometimes smell while being carried in the arms of a maid.
The smell was quite pleasant, even to Lucy's nose, who was not particularly interested in luxury products. But still, she wondered if she should really spray such a thing on her body to get rid of the grassy smell.
Saying such a thought, the words the maids spoke back to Lucy were quite amazing.
By repeatedly spraying yourself with such a scent over and over again, it would eventually settle into your own body, even turning into one's own body odor in many cases.
It was said that the body of a person that smoked tobacco every day would always smell of tobacco. And a girl that grew up playing in a peach field as a child would always have the scene of a fragrant peach in her hair. Lucy tilted her head, but the maids were very serious.
So, what is important was the 'initial response'.
It was very difficult to change one's body odor once they became aware of their own scent.
Though, it was possible to change one's body odor little by little when a smell first started to emit off one's body.
"There is a lot to do. First off, I should gather all the people that were involved and explain what happened. We're tight on time… Soon, the school's faculty will come…"
As she was trying to figure out why such useless memory suddenly came to mind, Ed wiped his face as he spoke.
He wasn't saying anything particularly interesting. However, as Ed's heavy voice went into her ears, Lucy's spine seemed to burn.
It was hard for her to look at him, so she pressed down on her hat. Lucy felt a great, strange sense as her chest burned. It was only natural, as it was the first time that she had felt such a way.
"Now that things have ended up like this, I should explain my circumstances… But it's still going to be troublesome if I say too much… Hmm… First off, Clevius and Elvira… Plus Ziggs and Lortel should be informed. Yennekar went to find Tanya… Alright. For now, let's just go inside to get away from the rain."
"Uh…"
Finally, her voice started to come out as Lucy asked a question.
"Wh-What…?"
"…Were you not listening? Anyway, I had a bit of a situation, so I'll have to explain it. Let's just gather everyone and I'll talk about it. And if we can at least all be on the same page, then it should be easier to deal with the aftermath… There's going to be the disciplinary committee for you to deal with. And…Clevius and Elvira look pretty injured, so you should apologize."
"A-Apologize…?"
"Yeah, because they got hurt trying to stop you. It looks like Elvira lost nearly all of the magically engineered products she had been working so hard on for a long time. And Clevius spilled blood all over the place, like a waterfall."
"Th-That's… because of me…"
Though, it wasn't like Lucy was completely with ill intentions.
Although she was half out of her mind, she still tried to subdue all those that stood in her way as mildly as possible.
Of course, since Lucy's magic power was ridiculously strong, being one of the people trying to stop her it might not have felt like that… Either way, she still ended up hurting Elvia and Clevius quite a bit.
Lucy didn't think much of it, but Elvira had brought all of her magically engineered products only to have them explode. And Clevius even stabbed himself in order to perform the Blood Sword Technique.
From Lucy's stance, all she did was 'deal with their attacks…'
But that was all from Lucy's stance alone.
"No matter what happened, it doesn't change the fact that people got hurt because of you. Even though I didn't want things to end up like this either, I should also take some responsibility for how things turned out as well. We can go tell them together."
"But still…"
Trying to refute the words, Lucy's voice only ended up crawling back.
It was because she looked straight at Ed's face, who let out a sigh. It wasn't much of a reaction, and from Ed's point of view, it was normal… But to Lucy it felt like a thunderbolt in her chest.
He hates me. He will treat me like I'm a pathetic person. Ed Rothstaylor is disappointed.
As soon as she suddenly had such thoughts, her spine grew hot.
Was that really Lucy Mayreel, who normally ignored other's opinions and impressions of her? The girl that would lay down anywhere, just to take a peaceful nap?
However, seeing Ed's expression… It felt as if she was getting clogged up. She quickly grabbed the brim of her hat as she responded.
"Okay. I-I'll apologize."
"…Oh, alright. How great of you."
Even though she was a girl whose incredible magic power could pierce through mountains, and the magic she wielded even makes the elder professors stick out their tongues in awe.
Lucy couldn't understand why Ed Rothstaylor's words meant so much to her.
Did she need time to organize her thoughts? But the conclusion was already there, wasn't it?
If the identity of those feelings was truly love, then she was left with the question of how she ended up with such feelings towards him.
Then, Lucy started to have a flashback about the regrets she built up over a long time. The incident was a disaster, all because her heart had been beating like crazy.
She and Ed had lived together for quite a long time. In fact, she didn't even realize that was the case before.
Because from the start, Ed's camp was just one of the best places to take a nap in.
Ed Rothstaylor was just a guy that was nothing more than a manager of sorts, taking care of the camp. There shouldn't have been any reason for her to be so upset.
But thinking back over the past year living in the camp together, what types of romantic acts even took place between the two?
She would walk in and out of Ed's cabin as if it were her own house. In the same bed he slept in every night, she would cover herself in his blanket and take a nap.
She would cling to him when he was reading his book or would crawl into his lap.
On his shoulder, he would carry her all the way to the wooden shelter as she kicked her feet around. They would also sit by the warmth of the campfire, staring up at the starry sky with their backs together. And sometimes, they could even sit next to each other as they ate their meals.
In a relationship like she had with the old magician Glockt, the meaning of those acts was completely different. An old teacher and a young pupil. A grandfather and granddaughter. Whatever relationship you compared it to, she could somehow come to understand it.
However, if you reconsidered those memories and didn't feel any sense of disharmony, then there was a big mistake being made.
As soon as the subject had become Ed and the relationship between the two became that of a man and woman, blood started to rush in Lucy's head.
The heat rushed to her head, but at that point she couldn't do anything about it. She could change the future with her own hands, but what had already passed was set in stone.
They said that initial responses were the most important when it came to controlling one's body odor well.
However, there was no way that Lucy, who was always inattentive and insensitive, could react with such a sensible initial response.
If you were already conscious of a scent, wasn't it already ingrained in your body?
It was a pity that love was the same. Lucy… she had already gone too far.
Although it was unknown when that change of heart began, from her hair to her collar to her hat, that characteristically grassy smell from Ed had already started to bloom from her.
By the time you became aware of the change in your heart, you would have already missed the golden time to change it. Most of the methods of initial response lost their meaning if the timing had been missed.
Then, for the remaining methodology… She had no choice but to find a way to somehow control her burning heart over time.
"Looking at you, it doesn't look like you got hurt. I guess that would be the case. Anyway, we don't have much time, so let's hurry inside."
If she got careless, then she would lose her breath once more, since all her feelings had gathered and built up all at once. The timing might have been bad, but that was really bad.
"No… Uhm…"
"Even so, Yennekar must be struggling to find Tanya. Now that I'm indebted to you again, I have to hurry up and do something to take care of all of this."
As soon as Yennekar Palerover's name came up, Lucy took an action that even she didn't understand.
"...?"
Ed quickly turned to head towards Ophelis Hall. Then, the way she grabbed at the sleeve of his clothes… it was like she was whining.
"...??"
It was obvious that Ed would be confused, but Lucy—who was holding his sleeve—had trembling eyes.
Only then did the girl begin to open her eyes to the idea of monopoly.
"D-Do you have to go now?"
It was a complete mess.
***
"Huff… Huff…!!"
As Tanya ran through the forest, she tripped over a jagged stone, falling heavily. After rolling a few times on the muddy ground, she was able to stop herself.
"I-If I keep going… Then I'll reach… The commercial district…"
With a tearful face, after wiping off the mud a few times she took another deep breath and stood back up.
"I-I don't have the slightest clue how things ended up like this… B-But first… I need to live… I need to survive…!"
Tanya clenched her teeth as she held back her tears, moving her legs once more.
"First… I need a place to ask for help… A place that can contact House Rothstaylor…"
Right now, surviving was the most important thing.
The first place that came to mind… was the royal residence. As House Rothstaylor produced many key officials for the Empire, they also had a deep connection with the Imperial family. Right now, the head of the house Krepin Rothstaylor should have been Emperor Kroel's closest confidant.
The imperial family might be able to help her. Of course, there would be a great debt. Still, there wasn't anywhere else that she could lean on right now.
"First… I have to move my legs…! I can't rest… I'm sure… They will be chasing me… If I'm caught… I can't get caught…"
It was a shame, but… in reality, no one was chasing after Tanya…
"And then… the murder charges against my older brother… that too… I need to escape from it… I have to find the truth… Huff… Huff…!"
Again, it was really a shame, but… the murder charges against her had already been lifted…!
"Never… I can never get caught…!"
It really was tragic and quite a shame to say, but… It was all just shadow boxing…!!
However, there was no way for Tanya to discover that.
In the end, there was only one thing to say to her.
Just be strong… Tanya Rothstaylor…