Page 201 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

Hanna had a dream.

A dream of repaying even a little of the favor she had received.

Hanna wanted to repay the favor of untangling the tangled thread that she alone could never have unraveled. She was so grateful for the helping hand that had been extended to her, plain and unremarkable as she was, without any expectation of reward.

What could she give?

How could she repay him?

Hanna thought long and hard, but she couldn’t find an answer. There was nothing she could give, having left her family.

“The academy building won’t do, will it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s me who made an unreasonable request.”

For the first time, she wanted to fulfill the request the butler had made of her. It was a request he had made when they first met, but Hanna still remembered it.

And she felt inadequate about her own incompetence, unable to grant his simple request.

And so, Hanna took up her sword.

She calmly raised her sword before her stronger opponent and took a deep breath.

Hanna raised her sword to give strength to her words and to grant the butler’s request.

That way, she could at least minimally repay the butler’s faith in her. Hanna began to nurture her aura, imbuing her fear into the blade.

*

Sharutia was mistaken about one thing.

She was mistaken that academy students were strong.

Unknowingly, a misunderstanding had arisen. I had seen the graduating students who had received the public’s expectations bear fruit. It was clear that I had thought that the academy students were strong.

And that statement had been true.

The academy was a group of rookies within the empire who possessed the element of talent. Swords and magic, healing magic and divine power users. A group of students with various talents had gathered and easily overcome minor hardships.

Although the previous ball had been a mess due to the pagans’ raid, I thought this time would be different.

That time had been an unexpected moment, but now we knew our weapons and who our enemies were, even if we weren’t perfectly prepared. I had thought that we would be able to claim victory.

Was it because I was anxious about the student council’s lost honor, or was it because I was in a narrow well? Shartia had forgotten for a moment that his vision was narrow.

The existence of the pagans corrected his arrogant thoughts in an instant.

You are weak.

Just like flowers in a greenhouse, that’s all you are.

I thought that if the leading members gathered, it would be enough to... no, we would be able to stall for time, but we ended up losing without being able to do anything.

– Professor Shuria.

– Why did you call?

– Can you come with me for a moment?

– Hmm... should I guess?

– Yes?

– I have a really good eye for things.

– Professor.

– Shall we stop pretending now?

It was a split second.

At Professor Shuria’s gesture, the leading members collapsed like dry tree branches. SharTier couldn’t come to his senses at the sight of the leading members falling down with just a slight gesture, not a grand movement.

-Gasp...!

-You came all this way just to capture me like this?

-Come to your senses and fight!

-Didn’t you underestimate me too much? I gave you all high grades, but I’m disappointed.

The sight of the academy’s so-called leaders being defeated without being able to do anything was approaching Sharcia as a great terror.

Flesh and blood flew.

Killing intent surged.

The place where she now stood was not a training ground that offered convenience, nor a professor who prevented fatal injuries. It was not a place that set the standard of moderation, as the splattering drops of blood clearly proved.

If she had known this would happen, she would have subdued him with the professor, or asked the professor for help, but she should not have made the reckless judgment of moving first to uphold the honor of the student council.

Amidst the overwhelming regret, her judgment became clouded, and the moment fear flooded her mind,

With a ‘thud’, she found herself standing with her abdomen pierced by Professor Shuria’s hand.

Professor Shuria was smiling.

-Do something. Don’t just stand there.

-...

-This isn’t fun. I expected you all to rush in, but what is this...

Only after seeing the other side of Professor Shuria licking the blood on his fingers did Sharcia realize why we were able to fight without fear at the last ball.

-There are two archbishops. I am alone.

The reason why he didn’t back down at all when facing two archbishops. The reason why he could fight with peace of mind, she realized belatedly.

It wasn’t that the archbishops were weak.

It was that he was overwhelmingly stronger than them, a fact she realized only after feeling the piercing pain in her body.

-Clack, clack, clack...!

Before Sharctia’s very eyes, Professor Shuria’s madness was laid bare, filled with nothing but killing intent. Leading the battle with his bare fists and not a single ounce of magic, Professor Shuria’s leisurely movements were crushing the morale of the vanguard.

Rohan, the vanguard leader who had swung his sword with confidence, couldn’t meet Professor Shuria’s gaze in the face of such overwhelming force. His eyes lowered, his will broken, and the tip of his sword trembled.

With each elegant, silent gesture, Professor Shuria’s killing intent continued to paint crimson lines, severing the windpipes of his opponents. Sharctia began to feel a sense of terror toward this heathen existence.

*

Professor Shuria, who had blocked Hannah’s attack, shook the blood from his hand, his expression one of interest.

“As expected, the bloodline of Histania is different.”

With a ‘swish,’ Professor Shuria’s sharp, black magic-infused claws grazed Hannah’s face. Gritting her teeth, she twisted her waist and swung her sword.

Professor Shuria arched his back slightly to avoid Hannah’s sword, a smirk playing on his lips.

“See, I dodged that too.”

Shuria’s gaze seemed to say, ‘Did you think you could hit me with that?’ His expression was one of undisguised amusement.

“After all, people must be blessed with good parents in order to become human beings.”

“Shut up.”

Hannah’s face was set in a hard expression as she unleashed a barrage of fierce attacks at Shuria’s neck.

Amongst the fallen vanguards, voices of admiration for Hannah’s prowess could be heard.

“She’s winning...!”

“She’s defeating that monster...!”

“Hannah was this strong?”

The sounds of battle and Hannah’s dominance echoed simultaneously, but Sharctia knew.

“Try harder.”

“Whew...”

“Try harder. You must have something hidden, so show me that too.”

The fact that Professor Shuria was holding the winning hand in this battle. In contrast to Hanna’s rough breathing, Shuria’s breathing was incredibly calm.

Because the powerful attack that accompanied the ‘thudding’ leap did not force Shuria to budge an inch.

Shartia knew that if she did not help, Hanna would end up losing.

Shartia was not the only one who knew this.

Mikhail slowly drew his sword and began to concentrate. He was gathering his aura and concentrating in order to find an opening.

Shartia also began to prepare magic in her hand, enduring the terrible pain she felt in her abdomen.

“I have to hang on.”

Thinking that they had to buy as much time as possible until reinforcements from the academy arrived, and that was the only way to see the light in this dark battle, she gathered her magical power.

The odds of victory began to tip in Professor Shuria’s favor.

“Student Hanna. You really are interesting.”

“Your compliments don’t make me happy.”

“You really are amazing.”

Shuria clapped her hands and flashed a wide smile.

“Your hands are pretty too.”

“...”

“Your face is pretty too.”

“...”

“I covet you so much that I want to take you with me.”

Schulia began dyeing her fingertips black, a dark smile on her face. As an eerie aura quickly spread throughout the academy, Mikhail and Sharutia took deep breaths and rallied their magic power.

“Tchaaang!” With that sound, Hanna’s body began to be pushed back, and Mikhail and Sharutia unleashed their attacks.

It was the first time the three of them had fought together.

It was the first time Mikhail had fought together with Hanna.

Just when the exhilaration of having such reliable backup was about to turn the tide in their favor, Schuilia spoke to the three of them, a sinister smile on her face.

“Do you know what kind of professor I am?”

The moment Schuilia’s voice briefly echoed...

-Kyaak!

A horrible scream began to ring in the ears of the three of them.

It was pandemonium.

The eyes of every student in the stands rolled back in their heads as they began to tear at each other and fight. Schuilia smiled and slowly began to [N O V E L I G H T] speak to them.

“Come down here and die.”

At Schuilia’s words, the students began to descend into the arena. They approached like zombies, their gazes fixed solely on Mikhail and Hanna.

Schulia disappeared into the surging crowd, saying,

“I guess I never introduced myself.”

“The Archbishop of Insults.”

“That’s my name.”

An impenetrable darkness began to consume the academy.

*

Luin could do nothing.

The academy students flooding over the seats and Hannah and Mikhail fighting while being mindful of the students rushing down were all things Ruin had to helplessly stand by and watch, unable to lend a hand.

“What the...! Why is everyone acting like this?!”

The students with weak mental fortitude were being swept away by Shuria’s magic and weren’t listening to Ruin’s words.

‘Thud!’ The students passed by, bumping into Ruin’s shoulder as he stood still. They surged towards Mikhail and Hannah without sparing him a glance, as if to ignore his non-participation in the battle.

-Please stop them!

-I’m trying to... right now!

Unable to cut down innocent people, Mikhail was unable to focus on the battle as he dodged the hands of the students flooding towards him.

Hannah, who had her eyes closed in preparation for Blink, continued to expose openings to Shuria due to the constant interruptions.

He wasn’t being of any help.

Not even a little.

Rather, just standing on this battlefield was becoming a hindrance, filling him with fear and dread.

The pure malice he felt so strongly was terrifying enough to make his stomach churn, and the selfish sight of someone sacrificing others to achieve their goals was making Ruin anxious.

Experiencing the terror of a being called an archbishop for the first time, Ruin couldn’t pull himself together against the overwhelming hostility.

Hans was different from that woman.

Was it the effect of the magic Professor Shuria had cast, or had he simply become a coward?

Ruin couldn’t shake the anxiety that he desperately wanted to escape this battlefield.

He wanted to run away.

-Please stop them! You can’t do anything! Just kick and push them away!

-...!

-What good are you if you can’t do anything!

I don’t want to stand there like a scarecrow, but I’m too scared and terrified to get swept away by that attack that’s moving coldly.

“...No.”

I have to pull myself together.

-Thud.

Ruin’s steps were already moving away from the battle.

One step.

Two steps.

Unable to overcome the encroaching fear, I was retreating.

You can laugh at me for being a coward.

That’s why.

‘I want to run away.’

From noble mtl dot com

Ruin turned around and ran towards the exit like crazy. I ran into someone who was also running away and knocked them over, but I kept running while looking at the floor.

How long did I run like that?

A short woman’s scream was heard along with a ‘thud’ sound. Ruin looked down at the woman sitting on the floor with trembling eyes.

“Ugh... It hurts...”

Ruin’s pupils began to shake violently when she saw the woman’s face.

With pink hair.

I didn’t want to meet the woman who uses healing magic to find the injured like this.

The school girl looked at Ruin and spoke in a trembling voice.

“...Ruin?”

Ruin was.

“Dammit...!”

He ran past Yuriah and escaped.

Ashamed.

Pathetic.

Terribly embarrassed.

But he was too scared.

That’s why Ruin ran.

Quite a while later, when he finally reached the exit.

Ruin began to realize what he had done only after seeing the students’ backs as they ran away.

“Dammit.”

Ruin turned around and tried to go back to the battlefield.

To help, even though it was late.

He tried to endure his fear and move his legs to help even a little, even if he would be a burden.

However.

He was already too late.

In the middle of the stadium, a bright light began to shine.

Ruin let out a hollow laugh and hung his head at the familiar magic power that poured down like the sun.

“What am I...”

The hero had arrived.

The hero I called grandpa already put an end to his choices.