I'm in Love with the Villainess!-Chapter 43: Main Character Powers...?

CLICK-FWOOSH!

[Dark Manipulation]

Evelina and I moved quickly, attacking them at the same time, but with Lillian still temporarily out due to the pain from Evelina’s first strike, Julius had to take us on himself momentarily.

CLANG!

CLANG!

He deflected both Evelina’s tendrils and my dagger with swift and precise movement, his eyes locked on me.

"You don’t have to do this, Julius."

Lillian winced, standing up and grasping her wound, applying healing magic from the water attunement to soothe the wound.

"I can’t just let—"

Julius attempted to reply to Lillian, but was abruptly cut off by me, charging head-on with a kick to his chest.

"Pay attention."

THUD!

Julius barely blocked my attack with his fists.

But that didn’t matter; I just wanted to remove him from the picture and let Evelina have her desired one-on-one.

"You’re coming with me."

[Dark Step]

"Huh?"

Julius grunted, feeling himself getting blanketed with darkness as I teleported us away to the other side of the field.

FWOOSH!

We reappeared away from them, Julius quickly counter-attacking after we teleported, his palm glowing with a bright ball of light.

[Light Explosion]

SWISH!

I dodged it easily, weaving past it with the grace of a dancer.

Being extravagant while fighting wasn’t really my thing in the past... but with an opponent so weak? It was a good time to show off.

"And you’re supposed to be a mage?" Julius uttered.

"And you’re supposed to be an S-Rank?"

I shoot back, taunting him.

And it sure as hell worked.

"Bastard!"

[Light Sword]

He charged straight at me, but closing the distance with me was the worst thing he could have possibly done.

A trained assassin versus a skilled student, how one-sided.

FWISH!

SWOOSH!

His sword swung fast, splitting the air every time he barely missed my body.

But he wasn’t just barely missing due to skill; I was purposefully giving him a sense of hope that he could hit me when he tried harder.

In truth? He wasn’t even close to touching me, at least, not at this point in the novel.

A self-trained swordsman against me? How amusing.

CLICK-FWOOSH!

"Watch yourself."

I snicker, firing a dagger at point-blank range at his left shoulder.

[Light Displacement]

He moved at the last second, getting off with only a minor scratch instead of a crippling one.

Even for someone who still didn’t have as much experience as me, he really was a genius, as expected of a main character.

"Get away, brother!"

The voice of Marcellus pricked my ear... can’t he just let the two of us fight without any disturbance?

"What...?"

Julius looked away for a quick second to where Marcellus was sitting on the bleachers.

Giving me a big enough opening to deliver a swift elbow strike to his chest.

"F-Fuck!"

Julius grunted, feeling his ribs struggle against my blow as he dashed backwards, increasing the space between us just like his brother told him to.

"He’s better at you than close-range, don’t let him get close to you!"

Marcellus yelled out, observing the battlefield, making sure Julius had every advantage possible.

"Got it!"

Julius replied, removing his sword and instead fully focusing on a magical barrage.

I would commend their combined efforts and teamwork... really.

But there is one thing very wrong with their plan...

I also have far better aim than Julius.

CLICK-FWOOSH!

Julius’s body sprang, expecting my shot.

SLASH!

It was no use; despite his effort to dodge, he was still struck, grazing his cheek as he winced from the unnatural pain that came from it.

"H-How!?"

Julius gasped. He was sure of its trajectory; there was no way in hell he should have been hit.

In the head no less!

"How? Magic."

I laugh. Did he really not think I could redirect my daggers mid-air?

BOOM!

Huh...?

What the hell was that?

I looked in the direction of the explosion, to where Evelina and Lillian were fighting.

And to my surprise, the silhouette of what seemed to be Lillian was flying straight towards me.

"Yeah, no."

I teleported away before she landed on me.

[Dark Step]

BANG!

Lillian hit Corvus’ barrier hard, the air leaving her lungs from the impact as Julius’s eyes widened at the sudden appearance.

"Lady Valemont!" Julius shouted, catching Lillian before she fell to the ground.

As for me, I reappeared beside Evelina, who looked very appeased and amused, and well... a bit bloodlusted.

Couldn’t blame her; being able to crush your ’only’ rival like this without repercussions was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Should we finish them off together?" I ask.

"No." She replied quickly; in fact, she probably answered a second quicker before I even asked my question.

"She’s mine."

Evelina raised her hand, the tendrils behind her already acting.

"No!"

Julius shouted, standing in the way of the tendril’s attacks.

And...

To our surprise.

[Light Guardian]

Had a breakthrough...

What kind of bullshit is that!?