Chapter 45 - <11>
"Well then, shall we begin?"
With a strange cry, Raven leaped. His speed, his movements—he was indeed of the Clan of Darkness. I knew it because I was half of the same blood myself.
Ritz had his guard closed in an instant, but he wasn't so weak as to be taken down by that.
"As if I'd let you."
He easily parried Raven's sword. He was confident he surpassed him in both speed and strength. Otherwise, he couldn't have been a mercenary captain.
Realizing he was at a disadvantage in a contest of strength, their blades locked, Raven quickly pulled back.
He, too, was accustomed to battle. As Raven swiftly increased the distance between them, Ritz was lost in thought.
He wants me to take this one alive, too.
Ritz muttered softly, still wary of his opponent.
"What a pain in the ass…"
Since it wasn't something his young companions should hear, he let the words slip out with a sigh.
This time, he had drawn his sword. He couldn't very well face an opponent he knew was skilled with his sword still sheathed.
He was used to fighting with the daggers used by the Clan of Darkness from his mercenary days. But those were fights where killing was the premise.
From the first strike alone, it was clear Raven was a considerable master. And Edward wanted him to capture the man alive as much as possible. He really asked for the impossible.
He focused, observing his opponent.
The blade of the dagger gleamed black as if wet. It seemed to be coated in poison. If so, his opponent was likely not a warrior but an assassin.
An assassin from the Clan of Darkness possessed skill on par with the very best warriors fighting on the battlefield as mercenaries. In the first place, unless one was exceptionally skilled, infiltrating another country and carrying out an assassination would be impossible.
In a serious fight, he wouldn't have the luxury of protecting his two wards.
"Ed!"
"What is it?"
"I'm counting on you to handle them!"
"Understood."
Confirming by his presence that Edward had rushed over to Anna and Franz, Ritz kept his eyes locked on Raven.
It was Raven, again, who made the next move. He crouched low, supporting the blade with one hand as he lunged forward.
His movement, slicing through the dim gloom of the mansion even in midday, was extraordinarily fast.
Instinctively, Ritz didn't dodge, but met the blade head-on.
The impact was heavier than he'd expected, and Ritz lightly grit his teeth. But he had no intention of being overpowered.
With a grating sound, Ritz's sword, infused with his strength, slid along the edge of Raven's blade. A poisoned blade was several times more slippery.
Capturing him alive is just too unreasonable.
As he pulled back, reading his opponent's breathing, he let his sword slide. Raven reacted to the gradually sliding blade with a faint smile.
By the time Ritz realized it, his opponent had sunk into a flexible, deep stance and unleashed a sideways slash with his dagger.
The forward pressure suddenly vanished, and Ritz shifted his center of gravity to regain his footing. He dodged Raven's subsequent dagger strike by a hair's breadth.
Raven leaped back from Ritz as nimbly as if he were dancing and landed with his knees bent.
It was a beautifully refined swordsmanship, designed solely for killing.
"You're an assassin, aren't you?"
As Ritz straightened up and turned to face him, Raven answered in a low voice.
"And what if I am?"
"I don't like assassins."
"The feeling's mutual. I don't like you either."
"I figured. We're on the same page when it comes to hating each other."
He shrugged, his lips curving into a smile as he kept his eyes on Raven. Similarly, Raven watched Ritz with an amused expression.
There was no smile in his eyes. Only black pupils that gave off a dark gleam.
They both attacked at the same time. Sword met sword, letting out a dull metallic clang. After several exchanges, neither would yield an inch.
He didn't know about Raven, but Ritz had a ton of people to protect and no time to be struggling against an assassin in a place like this.
Ritz swung his greatsword in a powerful sweep at Raven. Raven dodged with agility. As they slowly closed the distance, Raven spoke to Ritz cheerfully.
"That's enough testing each other's strength. How about you start getting serious?"
Ritz's lips curled into a smile at those words.
"You're right. I think I'll do just that."
Meanwhile, Franz was troubled by Laria, who had yet to make a move. She was leisurely toying with her staff, intently observing the two of them.
"Are you two just children?"
Not understanding her intent, Franz could only be bewildered. As he watched her, keeping his guard up, Laria, her red lips slightly parted, narrowed her eyes bewitchingly at him.
"If you're just children, I'll kill you quickly and painlessly… but you're with the king, so you can't be just children, can you?"
It was indeed a little irritating to be called a mere child. But how should he answer that…
As Franz was at a loss for words, Anna stepped forward and, with her chest puffed out, answered proudly and clearly.
"We're spirit users, sort of."
At that overly honest answer, Franz's shoulders slumped. If she hadn't said that, the strategies he could consider would have been slightly different.
Laria before him first looked stunned, then lowered her eyes. She was laughing.
"Huh? Did I say something weird?"
At Franz and Laria's reaction, the one who'd said it, Anna, tilted her head in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
"You idiot! They didn't know we were spirit users yet!"
"We're not supposed to let them know?"
Even if he talked about strategy, Franz himself didn't know what he could do, so he couldn't answer if asked. He reluctantly complained in a low voice.
"And there's no 'sort of'."
"Why not?"
"You don't want them to know we're inexperienced, do you?"
"Why?"
She required a helping hand from one to ten. Irritated, Franz couldn't reply. Ritz would have been able to talk his way out of it, but even his explanations were clumsy.
"Ask Ritz about it later."
In the end, he passed the buck entirely to Ritz. But those words seemed to make Anna remember the lessons she'd learned from her journey with Ritz so far. She nodded in understanding, once again in a perfectly normal, loud voice.
"Oh, I get it! Ritz said bluffing is a skill too!"
His shoulders sagged wearily. Franz muttered with a sigh.
"Anna… please don't talk anymore."
"? Is something wrong?"
He shook his head at the now-concerned Anna. He didn't want to repeat this joke-like exchange in front of the enemy any longer.
Besides, the one who was a spirit user 'sort of' and inexperienced was Franz more than Anna. He could only pray that she didn't realize that.
For a while now, their enemy, Laria, had been listening to their exchange, her body shaking with laughter.
"Hey, you said 'sort of,' but can you even fight?"
Laria, with a confident smile, gazed straight at Anna and sat down in the seat Stewart had occupied until just now. Then, with an elegant gesture, she picked up the wine bottle on the table.
It seemed Laria had misunderstood and thought Anna was the 'sort of' spirit user. If so, Franz's bluff might just work.
"I enjoy tormenting weak enemies, you know. But it's even more fun if they're strong."
Laria quietly poured wine into a finely polished glass. Even that movement, carried out by her tan fingertips, was filled with allure.
With a smooth, flowing motion, Laria raised the glass. She swirled it slightly, as if enjoying its color.
The poured wine was red as blood. Laria let that red wine flow past her red, glossy lips.
"Mm, delicious."
As Laria tilted her glass, Franz felt a sense of urgency. This composure. She had to be a considerable master.
He quietly glanced over at Ritz and saw him engaged in a fierce exchange of blows that Franz could never hope to keep up with.
It was impossible for the partner of someone fighting like that to lack skill.
Franz was a spirit user whose only trick was unleashing fireballs. He couldn't summon a Fire Dragon like Anna could summon a Water Dragon.
Moreover, Anna currently didn't have the water she needed to summon her Water Dragon.
Isn't there some way…
Edward, who had come to his side at some point, patted him on the shoulder.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. For now…"
When he answered honestly, Edward gave a wry smile. Just having Edward, an elder and an experienced fighter, arrive made him relax a little.
Besides, from the looks of it, Edward, who had asked the question, was far from all right himself. Even though Anna had healed him, the bloodstains splattered on his clothes and the marks of assault were painful to see.
Laria, while savoring her wine and nibbling on cheese, smiled at Edward. There was a faint air of looking down on him in it.
"Oh, Your Majesty the King. Are your injuries all better?"
"Yes, for the most part."
"Oh my. You shouldn't push yourself."
Laria tilted her wineglass again. But Edward was not to be outdone. He smiled a calm and generous smile, like an actor, and looked Laria squarely in the eye.
"Not at all. Aiding the young is the duty of an elder."
"…Hmm. I see."
Then, Laria silently looked at her partner. Taking advantage of her distraction, Anna, who had been quiet all this time, tugged on Franz's and Edward's clothes.
"Franz, Ed-san."
Anna's voice, calling them in a whisper, was unusually serious.
"You know, could you get the water pitcher and the cheese bowl from the table?"
"The pitcher and bowl…?"
Unlike the clueless Edward, Franz understood and nodded. He lowered his voice even further, wary of Laria.
"Can you summon the Water Dragon with that?"
"I can."
At Franz's words, Edward's eyes widened.
"Anna, you can use a Water Dragon?"
"Yes."
"…You're a dragon user…"
Come to think of it, she hadn't used any major techniques during this journey. A Water Dragon wasn't suited for close-quarters combat, and there hadn't been many opportunities.
That's why Edward had never dreamed that Anna was a dragon user.
"He'll come if I call. We're friends, after all."
For Anna, it was likely a natural answer. But Edward gave a wry smile at her. A spirit user like Anna, who wasn't proud of her abilities and simply interacted with spirits naturally, was surely a rarity.
Even Franz couldn't be like Anna.
Franz glanced at Laria. She didn't seem to have heard their conversation, but she appeared to be watching her partner's fight, while also keeping an eye on them.
On top of that, she was trying not to show it, bringing the cheese left on the silver platter to her mouth. She must have been completely looking down on them as amateurs.
If so, that was convenient.
Getting the water pitcher would be extremely difficult. But among the three of them—Franz the half-baked spirit user, Edward the injured man, and Anna the full-fledged spirit user—the Water Dragon was their greatest asset.
In that case, their roles became clear, even without an experienced fighter like Ritz or Edward telling them.
"…I'll act as a decoy and attack."
"That's dangerous!"
Franz silenced Anna, who had unintentionally raised her voice, and looked at the two of them again.
"I can only use fireballs. The Water Dragon is better."
"But…"
"There's no other way."
When he stated it plainly, Anna fell silent.
The Water Dragon, which attacked with intention, had many times the offensive power of a fireball. Plus, unlike a fireball, the Water Dragon could be controlled by commands, so it could respond to any situation.
She probably understood that much.
"Edward-san, please help me."
"Understood. I'll leave it to you."
Edward nodded to Franz like a gentle teacher. He would probably provide follow-up if something happened to Franz.
But Anna still didn't seem convinced.
"But Franz…"
"Anna, if I fail, I'll be the only one who dies."
"I don't want that!"
Franz looked at Edward as if asking for help. He couldn't explain it well to Anna. Edward crouched down and looked into Anna's face.
"If all three of us are taken down here, Ritz, who will be left alone, will also be in danger. If there's a chance, we have to bet on it, don't we?"
"But…"
"It's all right. I'm with him. I won't let him do anything too reckless."
It seemed Edward was indeed planning to assist Franz while helping him.
Anna's gaze turned to Ritz, who was clashing fiercely to the side. Franz, too, was drawn to look. Their speed and strength clashed time and again.
Perhaps Ritz's unprecedented determination to protect them and Edward got through to her, as Anna muttered.
"Ritz is always the one going through the tough stuff. So I guess it's time for me and Franz to do our best too."
Finally, Anna nodded in agreement.
"Please, Franz, Ed-san."
"Right."
Seeing the three of them turn to face her, Laria turned back.
"That was a long consultation. Have you reached a conclusion?"
Without answering, Franz readied his spear of flame.
"Oh, you're planning to fight?"
"I am."
Even as he said it, his hands were trembling with tension. Could he really buy time in a situation like this? But he had to.
Behind Franz, a strange exchange could be heard.
"Sara-chan, you're going to bite that lady and stop her, okay? Make sure she doesn't see you."
"Keeee!"
What in the world is Anna doing? But he had absolutely no room to look back. Franz focused his nerves and stared at Laria.
"O Fire Spirit, lend me your strength!"
He was enveloped in the sensation of the power within him awakening. It was the unique feeling of summoning a spirit, something he had come to understand since setting out on his journey.
As if giving form to his honed mind, he thrust his hands forward and opened them wide. A dazzling, massive fireball was born there.
A hot wind rose, gently rustling Franz's bangs.
"Go, Fireball!"
Franz unleashed it at Laria. The power of the flame obeyed the will of its caster, Franz, and the fireball flew straight towards Laria.
It was a direct hit course.
Edward had his rapier ready, aiming to strike when his opponent faltered.
But in the next moment, something unexpected happened.
Laria raised her staff and chanted.
"O Fire Spirit, grant me that power!"
"Eh…?"
The fireball stopped between Franz and Laria. Unable to do anything, Edward halted with a grim expression.
Franz bit his lip. This was unexpected.
"She uses fire…"
Laria smiled sweetly at Edward's hateful murmur.
"You thought I could only use dark spirits, didn't you? Too bad. High-level spirit users of the Clan of Darkness can usually master two types of spirits. You've learned something today, haven't you?"
Laria seemed amused, even while easily holding the fireball suspended in mid-air. She must have stopped Franz's fireball with ease.
Just what level of master was she?
A cold sweat ran down his back at the difference in their skill.
"A 'sort of' spirit user can make a pretty big fireball. You might just entertain me."
As Laria said this, she drew the fireball towards herself and offered a prayer.
"O Fire Spirit. Obey me."
Her gaze turned towards the fighting Ritz and Raven. Raven was being pushed back, if only slightly.
"Raven, here you go."
The fireball flew straight towards Raven and Ritz. The two of them leaped back the moment they noticed it, and the fireball exploded between them.
"Damn it!"
Ritz's curse could be heard. He probably didn't realize that it had originally been launched by Franz.
"Don't do anything unnecessary, Laria."
"Oh my, was it unnecessary?"
Laria paid them no mind and turned her gaze to Franz and Edward.
"I use fire too, you know. But since Raven got mad at me, I won't interfere over there."
Laria smiled, gazing at the palm of her hand held at chest height. A flame was burning on it.
"So, I'll attack you instead. I'm sick and tired of waiting."
The flame Laria held up burned even brighter.
"What is she planning…"
Unable to predict her next move, Franz could only watch Laria warily. Having been unable to even control fire until he left on his journey, Franz had neither knowledge nor experience.
Sensing this, perhaps, Laria smiled brightly and asked Franz.
"You know, fire can do all sorts of interesting things. I look forward to seeing what a half-baked user like you will do."
Being called half-baked made Franz's eyebrows shoot up involuntarily. Edward spoke to him in a low voice.
"…Don't rise to the provocation. Stay calm."
"I know."
Laria cheerfully aimed her hand, with the flame on it, at Franz and his companion.
"How about this? Go, Flame Arrow!"
The flame on her palm became a sharp arrow and flew towards Franz and Edward. Edward stood in front of the momentarily frozen Franz.
He deflected the incoming flame arrow with his sword. The flame shone for an instant, then vanished.
"Franz, think! You'll die!"
Edward's words brought Franz to his senses. He had to do something. Edward couldn't use spirit magic.
Come to think of it, Laria had just blocked Franz's flame with her own flame power. If he could create a wall in front of himself without launching the fireball, could he block it?
"Oh, was one arrow not enough for you? Then I'll give you a bonus."
Laria launched another Flame Arrow. This time, it wasn't just one. It was dozens at once.
"Franz!"
This time, Franz stood in front of Edward.
"Fireball!"
A large mass of flame appeared before Franz. He focused his mind, trying to hold the created fireball stationary in the air as a shield.
But contrary to his will, it slowly inched forward. At this rate, she might use the same trick as before.
Still, it was enough to block her magic. Laria's Flame Arrows were blocked by the fireball Franz had created and didn't reach them.
"Not bad."
Edward praised his quick thinking. He was once again staring at Laria. Laria, for her part, seemed impressed by Franz's action.
"Not bad, boy."
With a mocking smile, Laria launched an even longer arrow at them.
The arrow pierced the still slowly advancing fireball with great force. After a moment of silence, the fireball erupted in a massive explosion and vanished.
"Wh-…"
Laria smiled at the stunned Franz with even more contempt.
"How foolish… To extinguish a flame, you just need to cause an explosion and remove the air. You don't even know that?"
In other words, the Flame Arrow Laria had just launched at Franz had caused a violent explosion in the fireball, canceling out its power.
He had no idea that was even possible. At this rate, no matter how big a fireball he launched, he had no chance of winning. They would just be shattered one by one.
On the other hand, a small fireball would be useless. But Franz had no other skills.
He glanced at Anna without letting Laria notice, but she seemed to be having trouble closing the distance and still hadn't reached the table.
Franz needed to buy a little more time.
But how?
The only other weapon Franz had was his spear of flame. Was his only option to challenge her directly with it…?
But there was no time to think. Laria, smiling, began to create a large fireball in her palm.
"You know, those arrows from before can do this too. I'll show you as a special treat."
Laria turned the flame in her palm into countless small fireballs and launched them at them. The fireballs, each a few centimeters in diameter, flew straight towards them.
Instinctively, Franz created another fireball to defend.
"The same trick again?"
Laria, smiling bewitchingly, seemed to know what would happen next. When Laria's small fireballs made contact with Franz's fireball, they immediately caused a huge explosion.
Most of the fireballs were annihilated along with Franz's fireball, but a few managed to pass through the explosion and reach Franz and Edward.
For a moment, Franz couldn't move. But he saw Edward next to him challenging those fireballs.
Even though the fireballs were small, they caused surprisingly large explosions. And there wasn't just one.
What do I do? What should I do…
As he panicked, his vision suddenly turned red. A fireball had hit Franz's leg. The burning pain and heat made him scream involuntarily.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Franz!"
Edward next to him rushed over, but he was on the defensive and couldn't do anything. Fireballs relentlessly assaulted the two of them one after another.
At this rate, they'd be defeated. What should I do? Franz didn't want to die, but if he let Edward die, it would lead to a civil war.
A war would break out… in Yuresla.
That was the one thing he wanted to avoid. Just as he thought that.
"Franz!"
Anna called out from across the table. Franz was supposed to be the decoy, but Anna had called out, becoming the decoy herself.
As expected, Laria, hearing a voice from an unexpected direction, hurriedly turned around.
"Damn it!"
Edward, who had extinguished the flames on Franz, let out a short groan. He hurriedly tried to move towards Anna, but it was too late. Laria had already thrown the same flame at Anna as before.
"Anna!"
At Edward's cry, Anna reflexively launched a wind arrow. The wind became a veil protecting Anna. It wouldn't last for more than a moment, but it was effective in a situation like this.
Just as Franz felt a sense of relief, the flame grazed past Anna and crashed into the wall behind her. An explosion sounded and flames erupted.
"Oh, you again?"
"It's not 'you,' it's Anna!"
Anna stared at Laria with a tense expression. She was obviously planning to protect Franz.
Franz felt pathetic. His leg throbbed with pain, and he was frustrated.
The table was right there, just a stone's throw away. He had to draw the enemy's attention, but he was so pathetic he couldn't even move because of a burn.
He bit his lip and looked down, and someone touched his burn. Looking up, he saw Edward quickly applying a medicinal herb to the burn and wrapping it with a bandage.
"Edward-san…?"
"I can't use spirits. It's better if you can move, even a little, right?"
"…Thank you."
"This will do. Have Anna heal it for you after everything is over."
"Yes."
That's right. Even if it's just a little, I have to do something I can.
Franz raised his head. He could see Laria and Anna facing each other.
"You know, I like to operate from the shadows, but I don't like it when others do the same to me."
"I hate both! It's not fair and square!"
At Anna's resolute statement, Laria's eyebrow twitched. She seemed quite irritated. Perhaps Anna was Laria's natural enemy.
"How cheeky of you. When we first met, you were the only one who noticed something was strange about me, weren't you?"
"Because that outfit was weird."
"…You're quite blunt, aren't you?"
"Because lying is wrong."
What kind of childish argument is this… he thought, but then his eyes met Anna's. The moment they did, she smiled in relief, and he understood.
Anna was buying time for Franz.
She was being the adult in this moment, the older one. Normally it would be irritating… but right now, he was grateful.
Eventually, at Anna's stubbornly firm attitude, Laria furrowed her brow and shouted.
"You impertinent brat!"
Anna stared right back at Laria.
"I'm not a brat, I'm Anna!"
"You're an eyesore, disappear!"
Anna's wind barrier dissipated. Laria had been waiting for this timing.
"Anna!"
Shouting, Franz created a fireball. He thought it might distract her.
But it was too late. Before Franz's eyes, Laria, holding a fireball incomparably larger than his, slowly stood up.
There was no way to dodge this.
"Anna!"
"This is goodbye!"
Franz's and Edward's shouts and Laria's confident smile occurred at almost the same time.
It's over, Franz thought, gritting his back teeth.
Just then, something completely unexpected happened. Laria suddenly let out a scream.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
The fireball in Laria's hand flew far past Anna and shattered the staircase.
"Ouch! What is this?"
A stark contrast to before, Laria was in a panic. A small flame was attached to her leg, desperately clinging to her with its tiny hands and biting down to avoid being shaken off.
It was Sara the Salamander.
"Sara-chan!"
Anna's face broke into a happy grin. Franz remembered the mysterious conversation he had overheard behind him just now. Come to think of it, Anna had ordered Sara to 'bite that lady and stop her.'
And long after the person who had sent her had forgotten, Sara, having reached her target's feet, executed her command without any situational awareness.
…In other words, with exquisite timing, she had bitten Laria's leg.
"…What perfect timing…"
He muttered softly. But this was no time to be stunned. Franz created a fireball in his hand and yelled at Anna.
"Anna, now!"
As if snapping back to reality, Anna turned on her heel. She dashed towards the table.
"Ow-ow-ow-ow… What are you planning to do?"
Laria, unable to pry Sara from her leg, screamed with the salamander still attached. Sara, too, was desperate not to be shaken off. Franz threw a fireball into the mix.
"Go, Fireball!"
At the approaching fireball, Laria, with her leg immobilized, screamed and canceled it out with a smaller fireball. But since the fireball had gotten quite close, Laria was showered in sparks and shrieked in pain and heat.
Still, Sara didn't let go. Sara liked flames to begin with. The heat didn't matter. Franz took this opportunity to throw fireball after fireball at Laria.
It was clear he had to deal as much damage as possible while Sara kept her leg pinned.
Once she fully recovered, Franz would be utterly powerless against her.
"How annoying! Let go!"
Laria's hair was singed from the shower of flames. Her proud face was also covered in soot.
Eventually, Laria, letting out a shriek of intense, heartless agony, grabbed at Sara. Sara was fire itself. To grab her was unthinkable.
Screaming, Laria then kicked Sara away with her free leg.
"Keeee!"
The kicked Sara went tumbling across the floor. Using her hands and feet, Laria had finally succeeded in removing Sara.
Laria's freed leg was red and swollen from the burn. The fishnet-like material she wore had melted and stuck to her skin, centered on where Sara had been biting.
No, that was… her skin itself was peeling off…
He belatedly recalled Ritz's words after the bandits had attacked.
'My sword, your fire, Anna's Water Dragon. All of them have the ability to kill people. But, by using them correctly, they can protect lives.'
That's right. They had to be used correctly. Franz raised his head with determination. In his line of sight was Laria.
Her hair, singed by sparks and flames, was smoking in places. Her face and body were covered in burns, a tragic sight that was the complete opposite of her earlier composed figure.
As he silently readied his spear of flame, Laria's intense gaze locked onto Anna.
"…I won't forgive you…"
By the time Laria turned around, her anger blazing, Anna had already reached the table and had the water pitcher and silver bowl in her hands.
Anna backed away, holding the two items, but it seemed that action no longer meant anything to Laria.
Laria had lost every shred of composure. Only rage surrounded her.
"I will never forgive you…"
Laria raised her staff. It was clearly different from before.
A crimson flame that engulfed her entire body blazed up. The flame was a vivid red, as if it were her anger itself.
"What… is this…"
As Franz muttered, Anna, clutching the pitcher and bowl, answered in a strained voice.
"She's about to go berserk…"
Franz's eyes widened. He knew just how terrifying that was from his own experience of going berserk.
Involuntarily seeking help, Franz and Anna glanced at Ritz, who was still fighting.
Ritz, on the other hand, was panting. His opponent was the same, dripping with sweat. How many times had they clashed?
Somehow, he had managed to avoid the poisoned blade so far. Both of their clothes were now tattered from the sword fight, but it was fortunate that the blades hadn't reached their bodies. However, he couldn't inflict a fatal wound either.
He wanted to knock the man unconscious and take him to the capital, but he doubted this man would let himself be captured quietly.
A simmering frustration was building in both of them.
"…How about you give up already?"
Ritz said as he swung his greatsword. Raven dodged by bending his body. His movements were reminiscent of a supple wild beast.
"You're the one who should."
With that softly moving arm, he simultaneously launched a frontal attack on Ritz, but Ritz quickly blocked it with the base of his sword.
Only the weight of the sword traveled up his arm.
"Damn it, this is getting us nowhere."
Ritz's mutter was likely Raven's sentiment as well.
Ritz was trying to devise a way to slam his greatsword into the unbladed inner side of Raven's crescent sword and make him drop it.
But Raven was surely well aware of that. He had no intention of being captured or losing.
If they both remained stationary, there would be no progress. Was there some move he could make?
It was Ritz who moved again. With his greatsword ready, he charged straight at Raven. Their blades grated against each other. Since Ritz had the advantage in strength, he was slightly favored in this kind of clash of power.
But Raven had the speed that came with a lighter weapon. At this rate, it would just be a repeat of the same thing.
The moment he thought that, a change occurred that was different from before.
A woman's scream was heard.
"…What?"
For a moment, Raven's attention wavered. That single moment, which even he himself didn't notice, decided the match. Ritz was not one to miss his first and last chance.
He slid his sword along the surface of Raven's blade and instantly thrust it into the unbladed inner side of the crescent. By the time Raven noticed, it was too late. Ritz was standing right beside him.
"Damn it!"
As Raven cursed, Ritz traced the curve of the blade and brought his greatsword down in a single slash.
There was the heavy thud of something falling, and the sharp clang of metal dropping.
At the same time, a violent spray of blood erupted…
Raven's right hand, from the elbow down, rolled onto the floor, lying in a pool of blood with the sword. The arm, as if unaware it had been severed, still gripped the sword tightly.
"Match over."
Ritz muttered, pressing his greatsword to the man's throat.
"…So it seems."
Covered in gushing blood, Raven let out a low chuckle.
"…What's so funny?"
Raven continued to laugh as if he found it unbearably amusing at Ritz's suspicious question.
"It's true you defeated me. But you have lost this battle as a whole."
"What?"
But Raven didn't answer Ritz's question. Instead, crimson blood dripped from his lips.
"You bastard, poison?"
Raven brushed off Ritz, who tried to grab him to make him spit it out, and sneered. He seemed to be able to see what would happen next.
"It is not my hobby to live in shame. My apologies to you for taking care not to kill me."
Ritz clicked his tongue. It seemed assassins were destined from the start to choose death if they failed their mission.
"Laria, I leave it to you."
Raven took a step back, then coughed up a large amount of blood, collapsed, and breathed his last.
Ritz stared at the man's final moments, and after confirming he was completely dead, he raised his head.
"Is it over?"
Muttering, Ritz looked towards Franz and Anna and realized the meaning of Raven's cheerful expression and words of assured victory.
Laria was inside a large mass of flame. And swirling around that flame was a pitch-black darkness.