Why?
"You shitty little bug, messing with my brother?"
A chilling voice cut through the air.
The girl's harsh words, contrasting sharply with her cute appearance, were enough to shock everyone present.
Who was Ariel?She was the popular girl of the Academy, known for her kindness and gentle demeanor.
A student who avoided even the slightest hurtful words, let alone curses.
Yet, the most vulgar curses were spewing from her mouth.
The others stared at Ariel with blank faces.
Especially Raiden and Rachel, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Their expressions seemed to say, 'What did our girl just say?'
But Ariel, oblivious to their gazes,glared at Allen, who was standing behind Raiden, with murderous intent.
She gritted her teeth and said,
"You... do you even know who you're pointing your sword at?"
"No, it's not like that... I didn't mean to..."
"Shut up."
Ariel was further enraged by his pathetic excuse.
It didn't matter whether Allen's excuse was true or not.
All she could see was the bastard pointing a sword at her brother and her brother's pale face.
"How dare you..."
Ariel pressed her middle finger and thumb together and snapped them forcefully.
-Snap!
As the sound reverberated, a strong winter wind began to swirl around her.
Unlike before, when she was merely exuding her aura, the mana in the atmosphere was now actively churning.
With a backdrop of winter descending upon summer, Ariel chanted a single spell.
"Hundred Spears."
Despite her soft murmur, her voice, infused with mana, clearly echoed through the stillness.
-Crackle, boom!!
A hundred ice spears materialized in the air around Ariel.
The wickedly sharp icicles glared at the blonde boy with murderous intent.
At the chilling sight, everyone except Raiden flinched and stepped back.
Unfazed,
Ariel grabbed one of the floating spears and pointed its icy tip at Allen.
"For the crime of antagonizing the Lishite Dukedom... atone with your life."
"P-Princess... please calm down...!"
Allen hurriedly tried to reason with Ariel,
but the Hero's mana residing within him wouldn't allow it.
Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, Allen's body automatically began to emit brilliant golden mana.
Ariel scoffed in disbelief.
"Ha... You really want to try it?"
"Wait a minute, this is...!"
"I was going to give you a light beating, but I've changed my mind."
I need to break at least one of your bones to satisfy my anger.
The red-haired girl muttered, assuming a combat stance.
The two were locked in a precarious standoff as if they were about to clash at any moment.
Ariel was preparing to cast 'Frost Storm'.
Allen was preparing to cast 'Wave of Flame'.
The one who stepped between them in this volatile situation was...
"That's enough, both of you."
It was the black-haired boy who had been standing behind Ariel.
"Blink x7."
With a calm chant, his body flickered.
-Crackle...!
The boy disappeared in a flash of sparks, reappearing between the two adversaries.
Raiden, having suddenly taken center stage, sighed deeply and reached into his subspace.
-Click...
He firmly grasped the scabbard of Sorrow.
"Sorrow, tear them apart."
-Mana Dispel-
As the boy muttered the activation words, Sorrow roared fiercely.
-Screeeeeech!!!
The earsplitting shriek echoed through the empty sky.
The sharp sound wave traveled through the air, tearing apart all the mana in the vicinity.
And naturally, that included the mana of Ariel and Allen.
"......Huh?"
"What's going on...?"
The two were bewildered as their prepared spells vanished in an instant.
They tried to recast their spells, but their mana scattered aimlessly.
It was as if mana itself refused to respond to them.
"My mana..."
"It's not gathering...?"
After several failed attempts to gather their mana,
Allen and Ariel's gazes naturally turned towards the boy.
The black-haired boy was looking at them with a slightly tired expression.
***
"Sorrow, tear them apart."
-Mana Dispel-
As I uttered the activation words, the blade of Sorrow in my hand trembled violently.
I tightened my grip, holding it steady, preventing it from going berserk.
The resonance from the blade intensified.
Finally, when my arm began to tremble along with Sorrow,
the trembling stopped, and Sorrow let out an earsplitting shriek.
-Screeeeeech!!!
"Ugh...!"
I winced, my ears ringing,
and after a moment, several blue windows appeared before my eyes.
-Ding!
[The Divine Weapon 'Sorrow’s' unique skill 2, 'Mana Dispel,' has been activated.]
[Mana usage of all targets in the vicinity will be suppressed for the next 30 seconds.]
[Skill cooldown time is 48 hours.]
[Time remaining: 47 hours 59 minutes 51 seconds]
A skill that indiscriminately suppresses mana usage for 30 seconds.
The cooldown time was a bit of a bummer, but the effect was outstanding.
Moreover, Dispel wasn't a common skill, making it even more valuable.
"Phew......"
I clutched my tingling right arm and looked back.
The kids who almost caused a major disaster were staring at me with blank expressions.
They were about to clash with their ultimate moves.
They could have been seriously injured.
What would they have done without me?
Or rather, would this have even happened without me in the first place?
I don't know, damn it...
'What am I even doing right after getting discharged...'
As I rubbed my tired face, Ariel's bewildered voice reached my ears.
"Brother... did you do this...?"
By 'this,' she meant the Dispel, I assume.
Instead of answering, I smiled and nodded slightly.
Surprise flickered in her red eyes.
They sparkled like a cat who had just discovered a can of tuna.
'......Right, I can't get mad at a kid like her.'
It was commendable, in a way.
She almost caused a disaster, but she was trying to protect me.
I took a deep breath and turned my gaze towards Allen.
He seemed to have come to his senses, lowering his sword and looking flustered.
I frowned and spoke.
"Let's stop this, you two. Things are getting too heated."
"......I apologize."
"You better."
How dare a mere third son of a Viscount point his sword at the eldest son of a Duke?
"Young Master Reinhardt. Your actions just now almost caused a major disruption in the Empire."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"Look around you."
"......Ah."
Allen glanced at the people standing beside him and let out a gasp, as if he finally understood.
The princesses of the Empire and the Saintess were right next to him.
It was fortunate that no one else was passing by.
Otherwise, rumors of the Imperial family and the Church antagonizing the Lishite Dukedom could have spread.
With the Empire barely entering a period of stability, such political discord would have caused chaos.
"I acknowledge that Ariel was agitated... but from the moment you drew your sword, the fault lies with you."
"......Yes."
"If you wish to associate with those of high standing, you must first become someone of high standing yourself."
Coming from me, a former delinquent just a few months ago, these words might sound hypocritical,
but someone had to tell him this.
Because I know you will overcome these shortcomings and eventually become a true hero.
I have to be patient.
'Yes, that's the right thing to do.'
But,
even as I thought that...
"I don't know why you're so wary of me... but learn to distinguish between public and private matters."
I couldn't help but feel disheartened.
I tried to suppress the bitter feelings, struggling to maintain my neutral expression.
If I let my guard down even for a moment,
I felt like I would see the all-too-familiar face of my past self.
"You will face the consequences of your actions later."
I said coldly and closed my mouth.
As silence descended once more, and the awkward atmosphere lingered,
a carriage conveniently arrived at the stop.
I looked at it and said,
"The carriage is here. Take these esteemed individuals and go first. We'll take the next one."
As I stepped back, Allen boarded the carriage with his companions.
As they were getting in,
my eyes met Lucy's, who was the last to board.
"......"
She was looking at me with trembling eyes.
Eyes filled with fear, as if she had seen something terrifying.
She flinched and quickly averted her gaze, scrambling into the carriage as if fleeing.
-Thud...
The sound of the carriage door closing seemed particularly harsh.
I stared blankly at the door that she had closed, severing our connection.
-Neigh!
With everyone aboard, the carriage set off energetically.
I couldn't take my eyes off the door until the carriage was far away.
And only when it turned a corner and disappeared from sight,
could I finally voice the question that had been lodged in my heart like a thorn.
"......Why."
Why, are you making that face?
You... were the one I saved.
The one I risked my life for, covered in blood, to protect.
Why are you looking at me with the same eyes as those people from my past life?
Why,
"......"
Naturally, there was no answer to my echoing question.
All that remained in the faint reverberation was a pair of blue eyes that had looked at me with fear.
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