CH 77

Final Battle 1

“Bad weather, isn’t it? I’m not very good with thunder.”

“I don’t like thunder either. Let’s play some music.”

Today, the sky had been covered with dark clouds since this morning, and the rain was pouring down hard. The occasional clap of thunder would make Erica’s shoulders tremble as she sipped her tea in my room.

“But I’m glad your date went well. Alvin-sama is in a very good mood.”

“Yes. It’s thanks to all your help, Erica.”

“Oh, it’s nothing! I’m indebted to Nina-san.”

I was enjoying the relaxing afternoon, eating sweets that Erica made while telling her about yesterday’s event.

“….”

Suddenly, a chill suddenly ran through my body, and I looked up.

I reflexively deployed defensive magic almost at the same time as I pulled Erica’s arm, who was sitting diagonally across from me.

“Gugh…!”

“Kyaaaah!”

Within a second, the window glass was shattered and my room outside the range of the defensive magic was partially destroyed.

Just as I was relieved to leave Cheryl in Dirk’s care, I heard a familiar, upbeat voice.

I instantly understood what was happening.

“Oh, Nina was here too. It’s been a while.”

The man sitting languidly on the balcony, where only the window frame remained after all the glass had been broken, arched his pale lips.

His jet-black hair swayed in the wind, and his deep dark eyes narrowed as if in mockery.

“Why are you trying to kill us?”

“Because I’m made that way.”

As expected, he was once again trying to take Erica’s life.

However, it had only been about a month since the last time, and I didn’t expect him to come so soon.

Without any news of an enemy attack, it could be seen that he had quietly killed the guards until he reached this room. The sound just now must have resounded in the entire castle.

There was no way we could defeat him on our own, so we had to buy as much time as possible.

“Ooof!”

He stepped down from the railing and approached us. Just seeing the man’s face and hearing his voice made my limbs tremble.

Still, I had prepared for this moment many times. Shielding Erica behind my back, I focused on my defense magic.

“Even though I look like this, I’m a competitive person, you know. That’s why I came all the way here to kill them before I kill you two.”

By “them,” he definitely meant Alvin-sama and Owen. It made sense why he went to the trouble of coming all the way to the royal castle.

To kill us all together.

I had heard that the third time we met, he would be even stronger than the first and second times. From his point of view, he must have absolute confidence in his own power to the extent that he was invading the enemy’s base, the royal castle.

“I can’t stand that blondie in particular. He killed me twice.”

Although he was smiling, his anger toward Alvin-sama was clearly visible on his face.

I could see a gash slashed across his cheek on his pale face.

“──Nina!”

Alvin-sama and Theo who heard the commotion immediately came and stood between the man and us. Alvin-sama pointed the tip of his sword straight at the man, while Theo held his bow at the ready.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“It’s all right, we’re fine.”

I answered Alvin-sama, who didn’t avert his gaze from the man.

Seeing us like that, the man smiled amusingly.

“You’re really cool, just like the picture of a perfect prince. I really want to crush you and make you miserable in front of your princess.”

Just as he finished saying that, the man disappeared from sight. When I came to my senses, the man was already pulling his sword against Alvin-sama.

There were intense sparks everywhere, and a series of heavy blows were unleashed.

In the man’s hand was a mass of black mist, too distorted to be called a sword, and the wall that the sword touched when he swung it through melted away.

“As expected, you’re using quite a good sword.”

“…..”

Alvin-sama remained calm and didn’t react to any of the man’s words, kicking the cracked piece of the wall away and swinging his sword again.

On the other hand, Theo’s whole body was blazing with anger. He continued to accurately shoot only the man who was fighting Alvin-sama, and the arrows that couldn’t be blocked pierced deeply, causing reddish-black blood to gush out from his body.

Just like last time, the man didn’t even flinch, as if he had no sense of pain.

“I’ll never forgive you!”

“Haha, did I ask you to forgive me?”

Theo, who cried for me when he found out that I was killed by that man, was genuinely angry. Seeing that, the man laughed.

Soon Dirk, Owen, and Lara came running in through the wrecked door. Owen came over to us, and the rest immediately joined Alvin-sama and Theo.

“I can’t believe he came all the way down here.”

“He seems quite confident.”

Nevertheless, we had of course anticipated and prepared for this kind of situation. Around this time, the people in the royal castle must be acting as instructed.

“…. He’s quite tough.”

Owen must have realized at first glance how strong the man was this time. Even with his usual joking tone, his expression was visibly tense.

Even in a four-on-one battle, the man seemed to have the advantage. No doubt he had yet to get serious and it would be a hard fight ahead.

“Are you okay? Let’s get out of this place for a while, both of you──”

“Just Erica, please.”

“What?”

“I’ll stay here and support everyone.”