“Aria…”
In the ruined hall of the Royal Castle, Elena whispered her name.
The fire in the Royal Capital, fortunately or unfortunately, did not spread beyond a certain point due to the destruction of buildings from the fierce battle, or being burned down in an instant. However, more than that, the six pillars of fire rising from the edge of the Royal Capital began to gather into one in the sky above the Royal Capital, stirring up people’s fear with their ominous Mana.
The huge pillars of fire that Carla set up… whatever meaning they had, unprecedented damage was expected.
Normally, Elena, as royalty, should evacuate. But Elena, along with her father the King, Margrave Melrose the Prime Minister, Elvan, and even Clara, did not evacuate, but watched the battle of the girls in the distance.
The castle scribes and knights. The nobles and commoners who were late to escape stopped and stared at the battle of the two at the summit, as if they were fascinated.
And Elena clasped her hands in front of her chest, thinking of the girl she believed in, who was trying to settle things for the sake of her beliefs.
“Win, Aria… you are the ‘strongest’.”
“――――っ!!”
The Golden Dagger I swung down broke through Carla’s defense, and fresh blood spurted from her alabaster chest.
Bakiin…ッ!
At that moment, the golden blade thrust into her heart shattered with a clear sound, and the orichalcum dagger given to me by the Spirit disappeared into dust, including the guard and hilt.
Don!
Vast Mana was released from Carla’s entire body, blowing me away from above her.
Zusaa…
“…What did you do? Aria.”
Carla, who had taken distance, scraping the ground with her heels in the ruined noble district, covered her face with her hand as if she was dizzy, while blood dripped from her chest, glared at me through the gaps in her fingers.
“I told you.”
I showed her a small glass bottle containing a bright red liquid that I had taken out from my Shadow Storage.
“I’m going to kill you… remember?”
At the same time as those words, I threw the bottle at Carla.
The moment her gaze wavered as she followed it, I jumped out and kicked it as if to shatter it, and Carla jumped back to avoid the liquid leaking from the shattered bottle, and slightly frowned at the smell of the scattered liquid.
“…It seems I’ve been poisoned with a troublesome poison.”
“…………”
Only half right. The wound from the dagger thrust into her heart is not as deep as the blood flowing from it. That’s why Carla judged her discomfort to be due to the poison smeared on the dagger.
Carla’s entire body was wounded so badly that healing couldn’t keep up, and she was barely clinging to life with the Light Magic that enveloped her body.
I, too, had cracks in several bones from the fierce battle that had cracked my favorite weapon, and my left arm was already not moving properly. Carla also smiled slightly with blood-stained lips at me, who was spitting out blood that was overflowing in my mouth, perhaps because my internal organs were also damaged.
Ah, that’s right…
Daan!!
We jumped out at the same time and kicked each other, blowing each other away.
Even if only a fragment of life remains, Carla will not stop.
Even if there were a thousand knights in this place, they could not kill her.
“I’m the only one who can kill you.”
“That’s right… come. It’s an exchange for your life.”
Carla’s defense is already starting to peel off. The black thorns covering Carla’s body also began to scatter as if withering, and black rose-like petals were scattered.
Don!!
Carla had no余裕to use Magic or Martial Arts, and switched to a tactic of turning the vast Mana that shaved away her life into a shock wave. I was already unable to maintain Real Breaker, and met her with the Iron Rose’s Body Enhancement and the Martial Arts I had trained in the battles so far.
I heard the sound of my ribs cracking from the shock wave released by Carla. Without flinching at that, I moved forward and struck Carla’s forehead with a headbutt with momentum.
“”――っ!””
At the same time, we burst apart, and while dyeing one eye red with a streak of blood that spilled and flowed from our foreheads, Carla wore a gentle smile.
“Too bad… time’s up.”
“っ!”
A shock wave like an explosion was released from Carla’s entire body, and Carla, who had blown me away while taking damage herself, used even that momentum to rise into the night sky again, and behind her, who was looking down at me… a huge pillar of fire was about to become one in the night sky.
“The match is my win. So you die with me…, Aria.”
While smiling pleasantly… and just a little sadly, Carla raised both hands to the sky.
Level 8 Fire Magic — it was not the desired way to settle things, but even so, the goal would be achieved.
Carla looked around the Royal Capital, where flames were still smoldering, and swung down the Mana she had put into both hands.
“–Wrath of God (Megiddo)–“
With Carla’s activation words, a huge Mana swirled like a dragon in the sky above the Royal Capital, and then–
“–Eh.”
The huge Mana scattered in the night sky and dissipated.
The clouds that had remained were also erased by the shock of the Mana disappearing, and Carla, who was staring up at it in amazement in the starry sky, quietly turned her face to me.
“…Aria!!”
Carla and I glared at each other from the sky and the ground.
“I will kill you. But…”
Daan!!
At that moment, using the Levitate that was still left, I soared into the sky in an instant and kicked up Carla’s chin.
“I won’t let you have it your way.”
Wrath of God (Megiddo) misfired — no matter how amazing a Magician Carla was, Fire Magic would not activate without the fire attribute.
That was the “price” for Carla that she had asked of the Spirit.
“Kuh!”
Black thorns were released from Carla, who had opened her eyes wide at my words, as if attacking, and while I was being slashed by the thorns on my shoulders and arms, I parried the thorns as if rotating and slammed my right elbow into Carla.
Carla caught it with her arm wrapped in thorns, and used the thorns to rotate backwards, throwing me away, and then fired Mana as a shock wave.
“–!”
I felt faint for a moment from the shock. But even so, I grabbed Carla’s thorns, and flew towards the castle as if dragging Carla along with the momentum.
“Aria!!”
I heard Elena’s voice. When I glanced at the destroyed hall, I saw not only her but also many other figures. But in that instant, Carla, who had regained her posture, slammed me onto the floor of the hall as if kicking me away.
“It’s not over yet!!”
Baan!!
There was a sound like the air exploding, and Carla, who had released a shock wave on her back, became covered in blood, but kicked out the Mithril Heel, which was no longer different from a weapon, at me, who had fallen, with all her might.
Gakin!!
“っ!”
I stopped it head-on. Carla’s heel was repelled by the “Rage” I had placed in my chest, and I grabbed the dress of Carla, who had greatly lost her balance, with my right hand, and slammed Carla onto the floor over my shoulder.
“Ariaaa!!”
“Carlaaa!!”
The voices calling each other echoed in the battlefield.
Quickly clicking my heels, I jumped onto Carla, who was trying to get up, as if riding on her, and pinned both of her hands to the floor with the blades on my heels.
“Kuh!”
Carla’s face distorted and she groaned. I wrapped the Pendulum thread I had taken out from my Shadow Storage around Carla’s neck, bit the end of the thread with my teeth, and pulled the thread with my remaining right hand, and Carla’s eyes widened greatly.
“”――――っ!””
The thread dug into Carla’s slender neck. Her hands were sealed by my legs, and even if she could move her legs, kicking in this position would not cause any damage.
The shock waves of Mana released by Carla struck my body from front, back, left, and right. While enduring that, I used my teeth and right hand to pull the thread with all my might.
No one in this place will interfere.
Even if it’s a god or a spirit, I won’t let anyone interfere!
Killing Intent and Intimidation burst out from us as if rejecting everything, and the moment the shock wave suddenly stopped — Carla closed her eyes and smiled as if sleeping.
“–Aria–”
Carla’s lips… I felt like she whispered that.
We met six years ago –.
Since then, Carla had been hoping to be in my hands.
And finally… her Desire comes true.
Gishii…ッ!
The sound of bones creaking echoed in the silent hall. I released the thread from my mouth, collapsed as if the strength had left me, and gently touched Carla’s cheek with my trembling hand.
[Carla Leicester] [Race: Human Female] [Rank 5]
[Mana Capacity: –/–] [HP: –/–]
“Carla…”
Carla, who had turned completely pale, was dead, smiling.
In the air where no one could make a sound or move, I put my still moving right hand around Carla’s waist and lifted her up as she was.
I started walking quietly as she was, and stopped in front of a certain person.
“The request is complete.”
“Alicia…”
Grandfather… Margrave Melrose, gasped at my words.
I’m sorry to Grandfather and Grandmother… but for her sake, I had no intention of living my life as a Melrose Princess.
And Elena, who met my gaze for just a moment, nodded silently as if she understood everything.
“Wait, where are you going!”
“Aria!”
As I started walking towards the broken window while holding Carla, His Majesty the King’s voice echoed, and not only that, but I also heard the voices of Mikhail and Theo who had rushed over. I stopped at the window and gently turned back to them.
“If you have a request, I’ll rush over anytime.”
I jumped out of the window while holding Carla, and amidst the roar released by Nero who caught us, we disappeared into the darkness of the night.
The showdown with Carla.
In the end, instead of a flashy special move, friendship, or victory, I aimed for a gritty showdown where we exhausted every last bit of our strength.
What lies in Aria’s heart as she takes Carla away…
Next time, the final chapter of the main story!
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