Fated to Be Loved by Villains

→ Cat Fight (2) ←

Daggers and gauntlets clashed.

On top of the rooftop that bathed in pale moonlight, sparks flew violently.

Their exchange of attack and defense ended up evenly matched once again. Both of them had long lost count of how many clashes at this level that they had.

Still, they definitely felt the same thing. The fact that their opponent wasn’t someone they could take lightly.

“…”

Seras frowned as she brushed off a wound near her face with her hand. She couldn’t even remember when was the last time she had seen her own blood, as it smeared on her palm.

‘…She is able to exchange blows with me…’

While stealthy assassination was her specialty, she didn’t earn the Grand Assassin title from merely using some hidden cards up her sleeve.

Only those who belonged in the level of the continent’s strongest powerhouse would be able to exchange blows with her. And out of those in that list that she knew, Riru Garda definitely wasn’t someone who could ever make it onto that ranking.

However, something about her opponent’s movements was odd.

‘…It almost feels like she can predict what I’m about to do…’

As if she was moving with knowledge of a few seconds in the future, she always interfered with her attacks in the midst of it.

Riru’s bizarre movements were the reason why, despite Seras having overwhelming physical capabilities and combat skills, the situation ended up in a stalemate like this.

-!

Once again, their weapons clashed violently. At a distance close enough to feel each other’s breaths, Seras opened her mouth with a sigh.

“I know one thing for certain.”

“Ah, what a coincidence, me as well.”

Riru and Seras backed away from each other, their eyes locked in a glare.

“You. Are you from the Holy Land?”

“And you are from the Tribal Alliance.”

One used Divine Power-based Miracles and Graces. The other, Law Technique-based Fist Arts.

From just that alone, it was clear that the sources of their techniques were different from the Mana-based Body Enhancement Techniques taught in the Empire.

“…”

Riru’s gaze briefly shifted to the lower floors of the building.

Dowd, who had been desperately trying to dissuade them from fighting until they came up here, was probably down there.

Of course, for the two, who were already steaming with rage, his words went in one ear and out the other.

“…What business do you crazy zealot have with us?”

Seras’ expression twisted slightly.

‘…Us?’

‘Is she trying to imply that man is hers or something?’

‘But, for some reason…’

‘I really, really hate that sentence…’

“Who knows? What I know is that barbarian who knows nothing but science and technology should mind their own business.”

Their eyes glinted with an even stronger animosity.

Through their clash, they confirmed that both of their ability and talent could only come from high-level training transmitted through esoteric doctrines at an early age.

Considering these techniques were usually shared secretly among the upper echelons of their respective countries, they managed to reach a conclusion.

That both were likely to be close to the ‘chief executives’ of the Holy Land and the Tribal Alliance.

And the fact that they had a common interest in a single man suggested a great many things.

“…Even if I were to mind my own business…”

Riru spat out such a sentence.

“I can’t just ignore this. After all, isn’t the Holy Land that shitty country ruled by the most disgusting and cunning human in the world?”

“…”

Upon hearing those words, Seras’s expression went blank.

“…You don’t know enough about our country to make such a claim, Barbarian.”

“You know, the Empire isn’t exactly a pleasant place to be in, but it’s still miles better than that shitty country of yours.”

“…”

“Just think about it, even a country that is uninterested in politics such as ours has heard of the nasty rumors about your nation. So, I hope you fuck off and not get Dowd involved in such a—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Riru hastily leaned her body back.

It didn’t matter if she could see the future or not. She had to take that action because she could feel the looming sense of death.

Seeing the wound across her chest left her dumbfounded.

For the first time, she could not keep up with her opponent’s speed. Hell, she couldn’t even see that blow coming.

It was by pure luck that she avoided a fatal blow.

“…”

The atmosphere around her opponent had changed completely.

Riru squinted at Seras, who now held her dual daggers in a reverse grip.

Her eyes were devoid of light. And a ‘purple aura’ was swirling around her entire body.

And then…

“…”

Seeing the animal ears sprouting from Seras’ head, perhaps influenced by her change in attitude, Riru let out a chuckle.

She now understood why her words had angered her opponent so much.

“Biped?”

A two-legged beast. In other words, a beastkin.

They were the most famous ones even among the Cardinal Humans, the mixed races of humans and other species.

“Gotta say, you really got guts. Daring to step into the Empire when you’re a Cardinal Human?”

The Empire actively encouraged discrimination against Cardinal Humans, so it wouldn’t be a strange sight to see people capturing or killing beastkin in broad daylight.

There was a reason why the races of Cardinal Humans despised the Empire.

Moreover, since Seras was from the Holy Land, known for their policy of equality without discrimination against any race, there were more than just one or two reasons for her to be angered by Riru’s words.

“…Originally, anyone who sees this should be killed.”

Seras responded in a monotone voice.

“But I won’t kill you.”

Not only the Pope, but Archbishop Luminol had also ordered her multiple times to be especially cautious when it came to Dowd’s wellbeing and personal affairs. There was no need to stir up trouble by messing with the people around him.

“…But still, there will be a price to pay.”

However, even so…

It didn’t seem like it would matter if she taught this arrogant woman, who acted as if she had claimed the man for herself, a lesson.

After all, she had been displeased by her attitude from the start.

Her mission aside, this was how she personally felt.

At the same time…

[…Riru.]

A voice filled with vigilance came from the blue punk attached to Riru’s back.

[I can usually help with just about anything. But if the opponent is of ‘equal standing’ to me, it might be a bit difficult, you see?]

‘…What are you on about?’

[I’m saying that person is similar to us.]

Riru silently looked towards Seras.

Now it all made sense to her. She knew the reason why a strangely colored aura was emanating from her opponent’s body.

“…What’s the hell?”

And immediately after, a fierce smile adorned her face.

“So you had something like that attached to you too?”

A blue aura also started to swirl around Riru.

Following that… An Authority was imbued into her body.

It was a technique she had used a few times in the Forge of Struggle.

Pulverization. Anything her body touched would be utterly destroyed.

Since her opponent had pulled out something similar, there was no reason for her to back down.

Once again, the two charged at each other.

However, the intensity of their clash was distinctly different from before.

Previously, even though their blows were especially strong, it still felt like they came from humans. But now, it felt as if two natural disasters were colliding with each other, sending the aftermath in all directions.

The air screamed, the ground vibrated, and the building they stood on shook.

“…What the? What is happening?!”

“The dormitory building is—!”

Chaos erupted all around. Even the students sleeping below in the dormitory woke up, adding to the uproar.

However, for the two Vessels who had already engaged in combat, those things were trivial matters. They put their everything in line to knock down the opponent in front of them, that was the only thing that mattered for them at that moment.

-!

-!!!

And then, just as their weapons were about to clash again…

-…

-…!

Someone cut in between them.

Smoothly…

Yet firmly…

A single stroke of the sword simultaneously separated the two.

Riru and Seras, who had been knocked away by that one strike, both had dumbfounded expressions.

‘…I didn’t feel anything, though?’

They didn’t feel any ‘Special Power’ in that motion, not even an iota of it.

It was as if it was a natural course that a bare body that did not emit any aura could intervene in their clash.

Almost as if…

‘Just that’ was enough.

As if this existence was on a completely different level even from them, who had displayed miraculous powers until now.

“…You two.”

And, there…

“What in the world are you doing?”

Expressionless…

Yet all too clearly furious…

Stood Eleanor, the sword she had just swung reflected the moonlight.

“Get a hold of yourselves. I do not care about the reasons for your fight. But at the very least, you should avoid causing trouble in front of Dowd. You two are aware that he isn’t in the best condition, right?”

“…”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“Yes ma’am…”

“Yes ma’am…”

Eleanor looked down at the feeble response that came from below, her eyes emitting a fierce red glow.

There, Riru and Seras were doing a handstand with one arm, having been in that position for 30 minutes.

“…But why a handstand?”

Dowd suddenly asked, to which Eleanor cocked her head.

“Is there a problem with that?”

“…”

‘Uh…’

‘Isn’t there a more common way to discipline someone, like making them kneel with their hands raised?’

‘Why make them take up such a cruel posture…?’

“…Is this not how they normally punish someone?”

“…”

“But, this is how they usually do it in the Tristan Duchy…”

“…”

Dowd simply nodded without a word.

It felt like he had found a sliver of a hint as to where this Lady’s monstrous physical abilities came from.

Putting that aside…

“…How will I compensate them for all this?”

While looking gloomily at the battered dormitory building, Dowd spoke as such, to which Eleanor glanced over.

“Compensate? Why would you need to do that?”

“…Didn’t this all happen because of me?”

With a bitter expression, Dowd looked at the destroyed building.

“No, it’s hard to blame you for this situation.”

Eleanor retorted his words strongly.

“Because their greed is the sole thing to blame for this incident.”

“…No, but…”

As Dowd tried to speak again with a depressed expression, Eleanor sighed and stood up.

Then, she strode over to Dowd, before pulling him into a hug.

Dowd’s eyes widened into saucers, as she whispered warmly into his ear.

“It is alright. Eung. Yes. It is fine. You are not trash. Those women were trying to tempt you with nonsense. You have done nothing wrong.”

“…Miss Eleanor…”

“Even if you had made such a mistake, even if the whole world condemned you, I, at the very least, would still accept you. You can always lean on me. Whenever you wish.”

“…”

As Eleanor stroked Dowd’s head while saying so, the expressions on Riru and Seras’ faces simultaneously turned into complicated perplexity.

“…”

“…”

Eh?

This.

Somehow.

Wait.

So like, considering the situation, they were clearly the ones at fault, but…

[…Looks like you cooked the dish and ended up giving it to someone else, huh?]

“…”

[What was even the point of you and that person fighting so fiercely?]

Riru quietly agreed with the Blue Devil’s words in her mind.

“What is with those expressions?”

“…”

“Do you two perhaps have any complaints?”

“…I have none…”

“…No ma’am…”

However, they could not dare to retort, given the overwhelming force this woman had just demonstrated.

Faced with Eleanor’s fiery glare, Riru and Seras both kept their mouths shut.

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