Schneider’d had enough time to heal now. I stretched my arms out and lifted my head. He lifted his body from the wall and waved his wand in a large up-down motion!
My entire field of vision was covered by blades of ice. He was several times more powerful now than last time!
“You’re on a completely different level than you were two years ago, Serephione. Talk about a growth spurt.”
You’ve gotten stronger too, you know. I can’t fit this much in my Magic Room...
“You may be my only kindred spirit in this world...” Schneider continued, “but you’re also the only person who could defeat me. I’ll be anxious as long as you’re alive.”
I wouldn’t have to defeat you if you would just leave me alone!
“Aren’t you going to call one of your helpers?” Schneider asked.
One—no, two—blades began to strike the ground like a summer rain. They were even falling near my brother and Gillain, who were near the field. Watch out! I mentally shouted.
“Bye... See you at the beer garden in our next lives.” Schneider looked on with sad eyes.
Who are you...to act like this is over just because you say so?!
“I’m...not calling any helpers!” I screamed.
Do you realize how much pain and hard work I went through in my training? How much boring basic strength training I had to do? And in an unfamiliar place! I was being chased and attacked, and battling desperately with loneliness, and I still had faith that I could become stronger like Lou said!
“I’ve told you this before, but you’re not the only one who’s going through a hard time after being reincarnated!” I staggered to my feet and glared at Schneider. “I’ll end this between us if it’s the last thing I do! Miyu!”
Miyu jumped out of my pocket and grew to full size!
“It’s time, Miyu!”
“Got it, Miss Sere!”
I gasped for breath, synchronized with Miyu, and pointed at the sky!
“Calcium chloride!” we both shouted.
Miyu made a torrent of seawater appear above our heads, as much water as Schneider had made before. I extracted the calcium chloride from the water with almost no time lag. Then I turned it into fine powder and sprayed it at the ice in the air!
This had been what they scattered on the roads in winter to melt the snow in my past life. I figured it was the only way to melt ice other than fire. Our timing was crucial to pull this off, but we’d just barely managed.
Schneider’s ice slowly vanished.
“Why is the saint’s heavenly beast listening to your orders...?”
I had no obligation to answer him. Thanks, Elise.
I shook off Terl’s gravity with sheer willpower and made a dash for Schneider.
Miyu slithered up to Terl and wrapped around him, and Lou pushed Terl’s head down with a front paw. The gravity disappeared! As Schneider stood dumbfounded, I put all my weight on my left foot as I stepped forward...and punched him right in the face!
Thunk! Schneider went flying into the wall again with a strong impact.
I was breathing heavily, but with the gravity magic gone, I realized that I wasn’t hurt much. My brother’s earrings and Gillain’s plate had protected me.
Schneider propped himself up on an elbow, put a hand to his red, swollen cheek, and looked at me wordlessly.
“The fight is over. If you want to continue to whine, then you’ll have to face me.” Gillain shot a sharp glare at Schneider. Asu also flapped his rainbow wings and sent a gale of pure, paralyzing fear in Schneider’s direction.
“Serephione...you’re strong.” Schneider chuckled. “You’re stronger now.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I can’t believe you’re able to order holy beasts around without making them your servants.”
“I don’t order them around!”
“True...so they’re volunteering to help you, then. Either way, I can’t believe it.”
He put his hands against the wall and slowly stood up...but his legs immediately gave out, and he collapsed back onto the ground.
“I had some other ideas to use against you, but I can’t keep up with your speed.” Schneider gazed into the sky...and smiled.
“It’s over. Finish me off, Serephione.”
Huh...? How can you just say that like it’s nothing? Was this your plan the whole time? Did you want to die? Do you feel so empty and disappointed that killing the queen didn’t bring things back to normal that you wanted to force my hand into killing you? Or do you want to hurt me emotionally by making me kill someone who shares my past life in Japan?
No...he’s not that sensitive enough to other people’s feelings. He’s just an idiot who was focused on nothing but keeping himself and his mother alive this time around.
Either way, it made me mad. I glared at Schneider and clenched my fist again.
“W-Wait!”
Someone ran up between me and Schneider...General Avenger! He’d been allowed to live.
“Serephione! Please, I beg of you, on my own life, please spare the prince!”
Terl began to shake. Miyu and Lou slowly released the paralysis on him, and he slid over to Schneider, hiding his master.
“Terl, you...” Lou’s sky blue eyes were wide. Terl’s amber eyes were clear and sparkling. This was his own will. He was protecting Schneider while in full control.
“I wish you wouldn’t talk like I’m a murderer, General. Schneider was the one who chased me with the intent to kill in the first place. I ran away so I didn’t have to face him, remember?”
“Th-That’s true, but...”
“I never wanted to kill Schneider. Even if I had wanted to, I wouldn’t anymore after hearing him ask to be killed. He wouldn’t say that unless death would be the easier option for him...and I’m not letting him get off easy.”
The general looked at both me and Schneider.
“Not to mention, Schneider, you’re a background character! Who’s supposed to benefit from the villainess and a background character fighting to the death?”
“But if you let me go, I could attack you again.”
“I’m not letting you provoke me! I’m sick of this. Why should I involve myself in a battle without the heroine? I know...the next time you attack me, I’ll sic my fiancé on you. Right, Gillain?”
Gillain raised one eyebrow.
“What if I attack someone you love?” Schneider asked.
“The general’s job is to prevent that!” I looked over at him, and he nodded obediently.
“I’m going to let you live so that you can use your magic power to make up for all the hurt you’ve caused to other people until you die. Your uncle Gil, who has no grudge against you and went through the same hardships as you, will help you from the background.”
“Terl, you’ll lead him,” instructed Lou.
Schneider smiled wryly. “I’ll live and atone for my sins... How cruel of you, Serephione.”
“You’re going to live in repentance to the people who you involved in your personal vendetta. I’m being completely honest here. Also...you may have lost your mother, but you’re not alone.”
Schneider looked at the back of the man standing before him, then the turtle shell, and remained silent.
“I’ll be looking after you, as someone who shares your birthplace,” I reassured him.
Schneider sighed and gazed into the heavens, his back still against the wall.
“It’s over, Sere... Good job,” Lou said.
Miyu looked over at me. “Miss Sere...”
So...it’s over? Schneider was strong, wasn’t he? But I was stronger than I thought too. Lou had powered up too, and most of all, Miyu supported me.
“It was inevitable that you would win, Sere. You put in a lot of work, of course, but you were also a child last time. You’ve grown in size in the past two years, and your capacity for magic has grown to match. You had more room to grow than Schneider. Miyu being here was also a huge plus. You’re strong, Sere. You won as you should have.” Lou said with a serious look in his eyes.
The red rose at Schneider’s chest was completely dried out from the heat of Lou’s sand and my magma.
I’d...made it through, right? I’d avoided the condemnation that was set for my seventeenth year?
Had I finally gotten...the peaceful life I’d almost resigned myself to never having?
“Larouza!” My father’s piercing scream rang out.
A light shone from behind me.
“Oh, finally! Finally, you’re here!”
Maribelle had recovered consciousness and pulled herself into a sitting position at the end of the field, her face entirely black.
Standing next to her and holding her hand tenderly to help her up...was my brother, Larouza.
“No...”
“Why...?”
I zigzagged my eyes to examine my brother in detail. The lapis lazuli necklace around his neck...was gone.
My brother turned around. His emerald eyes pierced me, coldly and quietly.