The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 261: The Apostle’s stronghold (6)

"...Oh."

Hidden behind a tree, I carefully observed the fast-evolving battle.

I watched from the east as Mikhail struggled in his fight.

“Huff... huff...” “You ruined everything.” “...” “Because of you, that child got hurt.”

Then, I glanced to the north, where Yuria was desperately fleeing.

“Why don’t you remember?” “I... I...!” “You stabbed him. You said you hated him after you stabbed him with your own hands!” “Shut up...!!!” “Why? You weren’t hurt, so it’s fine, right?”

And to the west, I saw Ruin’s defeat unfold.

“You useless bastard.” “Shittttttt!!!” “You opportunist, hypocrite.” “You know, so don’t follow me!” “Why not? You said you’d look within. You should face your own inner self.”

They were all fighting remarkably well.

The Crown Prince had already won his fight. Mikhail was still struggling. Yuria was slowly overcoming her challenges.

Even though the situation wasn’t exactly as it had been in the novel, they were holding up. Well, all except for Ruin.

“Hmmm...”

The central part of the battlefield seemed to be the real problem.

Landing lightly on the ground, I carefully moved the unconscious student council members to a safer place and nodded to myself.

“They should be safe here.”

At this distance, they wouldn’t get caught up in the clash between Rowan and Elicia. After all, you can never predict how battles with monsters will go.

But for now... the center of the battle.

“This is tricky.”

I was worried about Hanna, who was up against the Apostle. Since she wasn’t a character in the novel, it was hard to predict what would happen next.

I was both anxious and curious to see how the character I had saved on a whim would navigate this situation.

I feared she might get swept away by the Apostle’s whims.

Still, she was doing quite well.

Originally, the story involved Shartia overcoming her inner fears and shattering the gemstone on the ring. However, in the process, Shartia had suffered severe damage.

“Ah... Ah... Ah...” “I... I can’t do anything...” “I’m scared... I don’t want to do anything...”

I was relieved we had avoided that tragedy.

“Good.”

Thanks to Hanna, we would also be spared the episode where Shartia falls for Mikhail. Oh, wait, that concern is irrelevant now.

She’s a girl, after all.

“Damn it.”

Anyway...

-Slash!

“Ugh!”

Hanna was struggling.

She was putting up a good fight against the Apostle, but «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» in truth, Elicia was merely toying with her. Upon closer inspection, Hanna wasn’t really winning.

It was pure luck that her surprise attack had succeeded, though even that might have been predicted by the Apostle.

After all, Elicia was a monster.

Elicia was overwhelming Hanna, turning nearby trees into slender spikes, launching them, and softening the ground to trap her movements. She was playing with her, curious to see how long Hanna could endure her attacks.

“Senior...! How much longer?!” “The signal’s been sent, the knights will be here soon!” “I’m really struggling here...!”

-Kraaaaaaack!

Seeing Hanna close to her limit, I began gathering magic at my fingertips. I couldn’t just jump in recklessly. I had to wait for the right moment.

“Not yet.”

The situation was still flowing according to the story. Elicia hadn’t revealed her full power, and Shartia was still capable of joining the fight.

I held my breath and waited.

If Hanna could just hold out for three more minutes, the knights would arrive, and the storyline as well as her character growth would proceed smoothly.

Even so, red sparks of energy crackled at my fingertips. I was ready to intervene if things went wrong. No matter how important growth was, Hanna was someone precious to me.

I wanted to protect those dear to me, even if it meant shouldering the burden.

“I really need to stop doing this.”

I couldn’t protect them forever.

“...”

But what choice do I have? It’s impossible to ignore it when someone is in danger.

It must be some instinct of the one who transmigrated here. Or maybe it’s just a man's pride when there's a beautiful woman in front of him.

I smiled awkwardly and focused all my attention on Hanna.

Elicia was smiling at her, intrigued.

"As expected, Histania is different." “Haa...” "Is it because of your noble blood?"

Elicia gracefully dodged Hanna's swift sword strikes, smiling with ease.

And then, she began to shift the battlefield's flow.

“In that case, I should show you some respect too.” “She’s coming...” “Respect for the hero of the Empire.”

Elicia didn’t make any dramatic moves. She simply gestured toward the sky.

-Krrrrrrr...

The heavens began to rumble.

Dark clouds formed overhead, and a massive storm cloud began to swirl above Hanna’s head, waiting for its master’s signal.

“What...?”

Hanna stared at the storm cloud above her in disbelief, wearing an expression that said it was too absurd to be true.

“Haha... shit.”

The storm, heavy with lightning, gathered within the black clouds, poised to strike. With just a small motion from Elicia, it surged down toward Hanna.

-Kragagagaga!

The earth trembled.

Hanna’s expression twisted in pain as she staggered, barely able to withstand the overwhelming elemental attack—lightning.

I shook off the numbness in my hands and smiled grimly. I had used magic to help absorb some of the shock, but there was only so much I could do without being noticed.

“This won’t do.”

The situation was getting grim. I placed my hand on my sword and began to loosen up my body. I had to stop this before anyone got seriously hurt.

Drawing my aura, I aimed at Elicia’s neck.

[The limit breakthrough is...]

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“Wait a second...”

As I gathered my aura, I felt a violent energy rising from the base of the mountain. I released the sword handle.

A monster was approaching.

“They’re here.”

I thought they would be late, but they arrived sooner than expected.

Luckily, it seemed I wouldn’t have to step in this time. Reinforcements would soon arrive.

“Whew...”

Relieved, I let out a sigh and smiled in satisfaction. These little interferences were necessary to fulfill the duties of a transmigrator.

It looked like things were finally coming to an end. At least, they should have been, except for one thing. Elicia, sensing Rowan’s presence, hadn’t yet left.

“Interesting.”

Elicia smiled at Hanna and spoke.

“Lady Hanna of Histania.” “...” “I like you.” “Shut up.” “I really like how you’ve struggled all this time, never recognized by your family.”

Elicia took a step closer, smiling wickedly at Hanna.

"Why is it, I wonder? You have such a strange scent about you. A scent of someone who should have died a long time ago." “...What are you talking about?” “I’ve never died, but I wonder why that scent clings to you so strongly.” “...You're insane.” “Hehe... Maybe.”

Elicia took another step toward Hanna and spoke with a strange intensity.

“I see potential in you, Hanna. If you serve our god, you could become an Apostle, just like me.” “Stop talking nonsense and get lost.” “Haha... you’re tempting.”

Elicia smiled softly.

“Have you ever lost someone precious to you?” “What?” “Even if you died, even if your existence disappeared from this world, there was someone you wished could live again.” “...” “You must have. Otherwise, that smell wouldn’t cling to you. The stench of terrible regret. Some of the others smelled like you, too.”

“Some worse, some less so.”

Elicia cast a glance at the vacant spots where the student council members had been, sighing in disappointment.

“But as far as Apostolic potential goes, you’re unrivaled.” “...” “Is there someone precious to you?” “What are you trying to say?” “If there is, I can kill them for you, so you’ll come to our side.”

“Shut up.”

“Haha...!”

Elicia laughed like a madwoman. Then suddenly, she stopped laughing and glared at Hanna.

“Tell me.” “...” “Just like I lost my son to those people’s hands, why don’t you fall apart like I did?” “What?”

‘Ah, this is bad.’

I was startled by Elicia’s words and began gathering my power. When she mentioned her past, that’s when things always went out of control.

It was a sign she was about to fully unleash the power of an Apostle.

“This won’t do.”

It seemed like Rowan had already joined up with some of the others. He was slowly making his way here, fending off Elicia’s attacks as he came.

However.

Hanna didn’t have enough time to defend against Elicia’s next attack. Elicia’s power could have wiped this entire mountain out.

I gritted my teeth and charged toward Hanna.

[The limit breakthrough tests the boundaries of ‘Agility.’]

Just as Elicia’s magic surrounded Hanna, and her hand reached toward her body, I bolted like lightning.

Crimson lightning poured down from the sky.

The unstoppable bolt rushed toward Elicia, sealing off her movement.

Amid the thick cloud of dust, my figure emerged.

And then.

When Elicia saw my face.

“Who...? Oh...?”

She began to retch violently.

“Uweeeck!!!”

She stared at me in disbelief.

“Who... who are you?!”

She screamed at me.

“You...”

Her eyes filled with terror as she spoke.

“How many times... how many times have you died...?”

To Elicia, Ricardo looked like a demon.

Regret. Rage. Jealousy. Disgust. Sacrifice.

All emotions mixed into one black mass in her vision.

Elicia could see a person’s sadness.

The parts of their life, their history.

But Ricardo’s life...

It was twisted, like a spider's web, from countless experiences of death.

Twisted in a grotesque way.