Page 357 of The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

As Shartia returned to the arena, she spotted me, her eyes wide with shock.

“You... what did you do?!”

“Hm?”

I shrugged with a smile, looking up from my tea in the waiting room to greet her familiar face.

“Is something wrong?”

“Of course, something’s wrong!”

She didn’t look angry, though. If anything, she seemed more shocked than furious. After all, she’d expected a fierce battle, only to end it with a single spell. Her surprise was understandable; even I hadn’t anticipated such a one-hit finish.

—Froststorm...! —...!!!

—Wow, boss. —...What did I just witness? —An impressive show, wouldn’t you say? Haha...

Even I had been taken aback.

“Just from wearing a bracelet, you knocked out the Crown Prince in a single strike?!”

“Haha!”

Rolling up her sleeve, Shartia revealed the crimson bracelet on her right wrist, demanding to know what on earth it was.

“...A secret?”

“You little...!”

For a good minute, we stood there with awkward looks, until a small voice came from the bracelet on Shartia’s wrist.

—Master...?! “Oh, I forgot about that.” —Can I... go back now?” “Of course. Did you enjoy your little outing?” —Yes...!

Helping Shartia win against the Crown Prince was simple: give her a stronger weapon. It was the easiest and most harmless approach. There was no time to teach her more or craft a plan.

It turned out Caliburn could change forms freely, and I’d found a way to temporarily use some of its power by incurring a magic-use restriction afterward. So, I’d loaned Caliburn to her.

Some might call it cheating, but the restrictions on weapons had long been ignored since Mikhail started using the Holy Sword. Besides, the Crown Prince seemed to have come armed to the teeth.

From what I saw, he’d brought more than a couple of royal treasures.

A ring that amplified magic power. A sword that heightened magic sensitivity. Even a bracelet that boosted magic resistance. The Crown Prince had clearly come prepared, so it would have been foolish to fight fair.

“A win is a win, isn’t it?”

Knowing about the Crown Prince’s arsenal, Shartia didn’t argue further, but her expression remained blank, clearly amazed at how easily she’d overwhelmed him.

“Teo went down with one hit.”

“Oh dear... How unfortunate. Maybe I should pay him a visit?”

“Stop teasing...!”

I shrugged, countering her remarks.

“As they say, gear is everything in a fight.”

“...”

“The Crown Prince brought a whole armory too, so it’s fair.”

“Still...!”

I offered Shartia a gentle smile.

“If not for me, the one lying in the infirmary would have been you, Princess.”

“...!”

I reached out toward her wrist, and as I did, the bracelet she wore shifted back into the form of a sword.

—I missed you...! “Haha.” —You’re the best, Master! “Am I?”

Shartia stood there, stone-still, watching my calm demeanor.

“...”

“You don’t need to feel guilty.”

“...”

“If it had been Mikhail or Hannah, it wouldn’t have worked. And I wouldn’t have helped if it was my friends.”

“...”

Shartia clenched her fists and asked me, “Why...?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you doing this for me?”

“Well... good question.”

I smiled warmly at her.

“I have a weakness for beautiful people.”

“You...!”

—The next match is the semifinals! The rising star, Yuria, faces off against the Academy’s unshakable hero, Mikhail!

The booming voice of the announcer echoed through the arena, cutting off Shartia.

“The next match is starting. I’ll be off.”

“Wait...!”

“Let’s talk slowly next time.”

As I left, Shartia watched me walk away, running a hand through her hair.

“Sigh...”

No matter how hard she thought about it, I was impossible to figure out.

In the arena, Mikhail and Yuria stood facing each other.

Holding the Holy Sword, Mikhail gave Yuria a lighthearted wave.

“It’s been a while, Yuria!”

Yuria smiled brightly, bowing her head in response to Mikhail’s friendly gesture. They had been friends for a long time.

Mikhail and Yuria were close friends who trusted and supported each other. They had leaned on each other during tough times, especially through the events involving Ricardo ★ ?????????????????? ★ and Olivia.

Neither had expected to meet in the ranking match. It was obvious Mikhail would be here, but Yuria? She hadn’t expected herself to make it this far, nor had Mikhail expected it of her.

They hadn’t thought they’d face each other in the arena like this.

“I’m so nervous I could die.”

“Haha!”

Despite their nerves, both smiled at each other encouragingly.

“For someone nervous, you’ve come pretty far.”

“I’ve worked hard. You’re amazing, too, Mikhail, beating Hannah and all.”

“That was just luck. Without the Holy Sword, I would have lost.”

Yuria smiled lightly and asked, “Are you going to use the Holy Sword?”

Mikhail shrugged.

“Of course.”

“No mercy, then?”

“Nope. I promised to use the prize money to buy something delicious.”

“For who?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Boring... I also plan to treat someone I like if I win.”

“You have someone you like?”

“Secret.”

Yuria smiled as she loosened her wrists.

Mikhail had always been a strong friend whom she admired from afar at the Academy. He was considered unreachable, just as others said he was beyond everyone’s reach. Yuria, too, saw him as someone she couldn’t surpass.

Mikhail was exceptional in every way. But her admiration wasn’t romantic; it was respect, person-to-person.

He wasn’t her type, anyway.

Her ideal man was kind, good-looking, and only had eyes for her. She felt motivated by his presence in the audience, knowing that Ricardo, sitting with the senior director, was watching her.

When their eyes met, Ricardo waved. Mikhail also glanced at Ricardo.

Both seemed to direct their gaze at him, and Ricardo mouthed something silently.

“Win, Mikhail...!” “Win, Yuria...!”

They thought he was calling out their names in support. In reality, he had different words on his lips.

“What should I have for lunch?”

Fired up, both resolved to win, just as the announcer declared the start of the match.

“The semifinal match begins now!!”

Mikhail and Yuria sprang into action.

Mikhail’s sword moved swiftly to close in on Yuria’s throat, while Yuria, keeping her gaze fixed on the blade, gathered her holy power.

“Just like in the nightmare...”

With a steely expression, Yuria gathered sacred flames in her fist and struck out, forcing Mikhail to quickly dodge and create distance.

—Boy. Stay focused.

The Holy Sword spoke to Mikhail.

—I cannot use my power against a cleric. “What? Why not?” —It’s an oath I made long ago to myself.

Grinding his teeth, Mikhail spoke to the sword.

“You had no problem during the fight with Hannah.”

—She didn’t use holy power. “Yuria isn’t a cleric either.” —Still, it feels wrong to harm someone who channels holy power...

“Ugh...”

Yuria’s attacks were unrelenting, her strikes intense enough to inflict severe damage if they landed.

Having the ability to discern her opponent’s weaknesses with a divine eye, she could quickly pinpoint vulnerabilities.

And on top of that, white flames rose around her, scattering magical energy and making it difficult to wield the sword effectively.

Seeing this, Mikhail kept his distance, eyeing her cautiously.

“You’re amazing, Yuria.”

“Right? I am amazing... ha... ha...”

“You’re getting tired, though.”

“No, I’m not...!”

“It takes a lot of stamina to maintain those white flames, doesn’t it?”

“...”

Mikhail’s words struck true. Yuria was visibly exhausted, her breathing rough, and sweat dripping from her forehead.

Knowing she couldn’t keep the flames up for much longer, Mikhail gripped his sword tightly, speaking to her with a calm voice.

“Sorry.”

Mikhail prepared for a powerful finishing move.

When the holy flames weakened, he planned to use a hidden technique to close in.

Yuria, too, gathered the sacred flames around her fist, preparing her own final strike. She took a deep breath, stepping slowly toward Mikhail, determined to end it with this move.

“I’ll tell you in advance, Mikhail.”

“...”

“You’d better dodge this attack.”

“Same goes for you.”

They spoke in unison.

“This move might really hurt.”

Both let out small smiles before rushing at each other.

—BOOM!!!

Amidst the smoke from the massive impact, only one person remained standing.

“...”

The announcer’s voice quivered as he spoke.

“The winner of this match is...!”

“I won...!”

“It’s Mikhail!!!”