Chapter 271: Petals
Chapter 271: Petals
Translation: Godtl
Cohen and his subordinates from Manggot surrounded Sybil.
For him, who had been holding the upper hand in the battle until just moments ago, this was an incomprehensible action.
"Lord Cohen. Our Manggot forces can breach the Barrier. Let's advance now."
One of Cohen's subordinates spoke up beside him.
Without taking his eyes off Sybil, Cohen replied,
"First, we kill that bitch. Then we'll do what needs to be done."
The subordinate couldn't understand but didn't press further. Every Manggot member who had joined this war trusted the Shepherds unconditionally.
Especially since the Shepherds had all brought their own direct subordinates—it was only natural.
"That bitch is using some bizarre trick."
Cohen gritted his teeth. Losing one of his prized swords had enraged him, but first, he needed to figure out why his sword had suddenly split in two.
'So this is what they meant when they said she was "beloved by fate"?'
When Cohen first heard that intel, he'd assumed it was just a metaphor for talent. Like most so-called geniuses, this Sybil woman must have some strange epithet attached to her.
But if it wasn't a metaphor—if it was meant literally...
"Guess you've just been lucky to survive this long."
Cohen sneered. Just like before, it was a provocation to draw out an opening from Sybil.
Sybil gave a faint smile.
"That's right."
Her rapier rose.
"And all of you might just unluckily die here."
"You arrogant bitch!"
As if it were a signal, the Manggot soldiers rushed at Sybil simultaneously.
Though Cohen had intended to provoke her, it was his soldiers who ended up provoked instead. Yet Cohen remained silent, simply observing.
If his blade had shattered and now his soldiers were all suffering the same bizarre fate, this was no longer a matter of luck. Manggot had come to fight the Empire's humans, not to tangle with some unknown ghostly entity.
Swish!
Manggot's blades came flying, and Sybil swung her rapier as if to block them all.
Foolish, Cohen thought—right before...
"Argh!"
"Gyaaah!"
Every soldier whose blade touched Sybil's screamed and recoiled. Some even dropped their swords.
"What the hell? What did you do?!"
"Who knows?"
Sybil's reply was serene. Watching his subordinates clutch their hands in pain, Cohen's eyes widened.
'Is she truly, genuinely beloved by fate?'
Not loved by some God, but fate itself standing by to protect her? And for that alone, his men couldn't even touch her without suffering?
Did that even make sense? How could such a thing be allowed?
"......No."
Cohen's Aura surged. He channeled it into a single sword.
If it were just sheer luck, he could accept it. He could tolerate Sybil dodging, blocking, and surviving through some bizarre coincidences. But this?
What he'd just witnessed wasn't even coincidence—it was incomprehensible, impossible to rationalize. If it were mere luck, his soldiers should've at least tripped over stones like some slapstick comedy.
But for them to just... suffer pain upon touching her blade? That was beyond absurd.
"That can't be."
Such a thing. He couldn't accept it. Not just Manggot—no swordsman in the world could accept Sybil's current state.
What had they sacrificed their time for? What had they bled and broken their bones to achieve?
"I'll kill you myself."
Thud. Cohen took a step forward.
"Even if fate truly stands with you, even if the Gods curse me for it, even if I must suffer Divine Punishment—I will kill you."
At that, Sybil let out a quiet sigh.
"Whether you kill me or not, you won't suffer any Divine Punishment. Rest assured."
"Shut up!"
Craaash!
Cohen's blade clashed with Sybil's midair.
"Guhhk!"
Instantly, Cohen grimaced as pain shot from his hand through his entire body. So this was the agony that had made his soldiers scream. It was indeed no trivial pain.
'But this won't kill me!'
Gritting his teeth, Cohen unleashed a flurry of strikes. Sybil countered calmly, her graceful defense unwavering.
The Manggot soldiers watching the duel wore expressions of utter bewilderment.
'What the hell was that?'
Unlike Cohen, they hadn't heard the rumors about Sybil being "beloved by fate." To them, what had just happened was beyond bizarre.
Merely touching her blade caused pain, and some couldn't endure it, dropping their weapons. How could this even be called a fight?
Cohen was currently enraged. At Sybil, who seemed to be walking an easy path under the name of fate.
The soldiers were bewildered. Fate or whatever—they were trying to comprehend the situation that had befallen them.
Thus, at this very moment.
The soldiers of Manggot were far more composed than Cohen, who knew Sybil's background.
'This pain, somewhere...'
One of the soldiers recalled a memory from the past.
Of course, he had never experienced Divine Punishment or anything like that. Nor had he ever faced such a bizarre resistance against fate or whatever it was.
Yet, the pain he felt when Sybil's blade touched him carried a strange sense of déjà vu.
So, he sifted through countless memories of clashing blades. Thinking that since the pain came from a blade's impact, perhaps something from those battles would come to mind.
"......Huh?"
But what surfaced in his mind wasn't a memory of battle.
It had nothing to do with that. He recognized this pain. It wasn't the first time he had felt it.
......But if that was the case.
How could it come from a 'blade'...?
"Co—Cohen!!"
The soldier shouted.
Rather than pondering fate's intervention or whatever,
he had realized something far more direct and chilling.
"Send me to the Barrier."
Sybil said to Frondier.
It was when Frondier was examining the Barrier's structure with his 3D Map.
"......What?"
"When assigning positions, send me to the Barrier."
Frondier blinked for a moment at the voice that seemed oddly resolute.
He scratched his head and replied.
"Most of the Constelle students will be stationed within the city to handle public safety and emergencies."
"That's 'most,' not all."
As Sybil pointed out, it wasn't everyone. Those with skills comparable to the Zodiacs—like Aster and Elodie—would head to the Barrier.
"......There's no guarantee things will go as I arrange. I'm merely proposing this in the meeting."
"Still, I'm fine with that."
Sybil nodded.
Frondier made a troubled expression at her unwavering gaze.
Tilting his head, he checked the map again.
"Hmm, I'll review it once."
From Frondier's tone, Sybil could read his true thoughts.
Frondier had no intention of sending her to the Barrier.
Sigh— Sybil took a light breath, then voiced what had been on her mind.
"Do you think I'll die?"
At that, Frondier's pupils froze. He lifted his head and looked at her.
"......Can't I at least worry about a classmate?"
"Or do you think someone else will die because of me?"
"Don't say such things carelessly."
Frondier's expression changed.
Sybil flinched slightly at his suddenly sharpened face and the coldness in his voice, but she stood her ground.
"I... actually heard it."
"Heard what?"
"When we were in the dungeon. When you carried me toward the Sanctuary."
"......!"
Frondier's eyes widened as if recalling the memory.
"'I don't believe in gods.'"
"......"
"'Because I don't believe in fate.'"
The time Frondier had spoken to the Sanctuary.
For the first time in her life, Sybil had felt 'shame.'
She had taken the luck and blessings bestowed upon her for granted. She had even tried to exploit them. Perhaps, before long, she might have attempted to push someone into misfortune for her own gain.
But Sybil had changed.
When Frondier saved her, when she heard his answer.
"......But I still—"
Yet, regardless of whether Frondier believed in fate or not.
"I hear the sound of gears."
That Sybil was loved by fate was an undeniable truth.
Creak, creak—
Sybil still lived, receiving fate's unwavering favor.
"Hey, Frondier."
Before she knew it, Sybil's voice had grown shaky as she spoke to him.
"......The reason you've been avoiding me."
"......!"
For a long time, Sybil had wanted to ask.
Yet, she had kept hesitating, too terrified to hear the answer.
But she couldn't delay any longer.
For this war, for her resolve to stand firm—she had reached a point where she could no longer postpone it.
"Is it because I rely on fate?"
"......"
"Because you don't believe in fate... you don't believe in me either?"
As she asked, Sybil felt pathetic.
Her trembling voice, uneasy expression, the desperate plea in her heart—Please don't say that.
Despite all that, she still wished to hear his true feelings.
Neither her voice nor her expression was under control.
So.
"That's not it."
When Frondier denied it, Sybil regretted it.
It felt as though Frondier was giving an answer he didn't truly mean, just for her sake.
She should have asked more casually. Then, perhaps, Frondier's true feelings would have come out naturally.
"The reason I've been avoiding you—"
Meanwhile, Frondier's words continued.
"Because to me, you weren't a mage or a warrior—just a girl."
"......Huh?"
For a moment, Sybil couldn't comprehend his words and reflexively asked for clarification.
Despite appearances, Frondier was being completely sincere.
The reason Frondier avoided Sybil was clear.
Because Sybil was a villain.
Blessed by fate's favor and spreading her wings with extraordinary talent, she had eventually betrayed the Empire and fled.
Countless players had directed their wrath toward Sybil, and Frondier had once been no different.
But the current Frondier held memories of his time with Sybil.
'During the School Trip, I had similar worries.'
While working as a lifeguard for volunteer service, Frondier had watched Sybil and thought.
Preventing Sybil from becoming a villain was important, yes.
But when the time came, would he truly be able to believe in her if she changed?
'That's when I realized.'
When those worries brushed past him, Frondier came to understand one thing.
The very act of worrying whether he could trust Sybil meant he had already subconsciously acknowledged her potential to change.
'Sybil was a character who received so much of fate's favor that she grew up without facing any hardships.'
Having matured without obstacles, she would stumble over the smallest pebble.
That was why she ultimately betrayed the players.
If this were just a game of numbers, Sybil's stats would undoubtedly surpass anyone else's.
......But that wasn't how things turned out.
Frondier finally understood that.
"I'm just worried about you."
If you stripped away all the labels—fate's favor, villain, betrayal—what remained?
Sybil was just a young girl.
A girl who never had the chance to grow through hardship, adversity, or trials—always pushed by the Empire's hand toward the most dangerous places.
So she ran away. So she became a villain.
'Now I can't even say things like that anymore.'
In the dungeon, stabbed by Slav's blade. In the cabin, surrounded by Indus bastards, firing arrows at Frondier. In Tyburn, raising ice walls with Aten until her eyes burned red.
Every time Sybil was with Frondier, she endured all kinds of suffering.
"......Sybil. Do you remember what I told you?"
Remembering all of it.
Knowing that Sybil wasn't a girl who relied on fate.
Frondier spoke.
"Fate lies beneath your feet."
Frondier sent Sybil to the Barrier.
Just as he had trusted her back then.
Just as in the past, when he hadn't known she was a villain.
"Lord Cohen!! Dodge!!"
Cohen suddenly heard a soldier's frantic shout.
Dodge? What nonsense is this? He was just getting used to the pain that flared with every clashing blade.
In swordsmanship, he had the upper hand—just a few more moves, and he could behead that girl.
But then came the next cry.
"Lightning!!"
That was something he couldn't ignore.
"That girl! She's using lightning!!"
"......What?"
Cohen's eye twitched. What did they just say? Lightning?
Why would something like that suddenly come up? They were fighting with swords, weren't they?
How could lightning possibly intervene in this?
"Ah, you noticed."
Sybil tilted her head slightly and murmured.
"Fate's favor... how amusing."
Her eyes darkened again—an eerily low gaze.
It was the same look she'd had when she shattered Cohen's sword in two.
——You know what, Elodie?
When I found out you were Frondier's childhood friend, I was jealous.
While I was dismissing Frondier as the Human Sloth, you were the one talking to him.
When you achieved the Three-Element Combination, I was actually insanely jealous.
Because I realized Frondier never worried about you.
You could stand proudly by Frondier's side without hesitation.
For me, that was unimaginable.
I could only do what I imagined.
Sybil Forte Original
——Aura-Mana Combination
Petal
Crimson
Flare-
The rapier, lowered.
Without any metaphor, it burst into scarlet flames.
Cohen could only stare, speechless at the sight.
Indescribable terror surged through him, paralyzing him where he stood.
A sword wrapped in Aura. And now, flames blooming upon that blade.
The explanation was absurdly simple.
Absurdly simple—she had simultaneously wielded both 'Aura' and 'magic.'
"......This is a lie."
Cohen was witnessing something that should never exist in human history.
"Such a thing shouldn't be possible."
Whether she heard him or not, Sybil raised her burning sword and spoke.
"'I don't believe in fate.'"
Those were Frondier's words, a line that had shaped her beliefs for so long.
But now, she held a conviction slightly different from Frondier's.
"'You can take that shit and shove it.'"