The Fallen Lady Awakens
The body of the lady who had tumbled over began to rise slowly.
What the hell?
As I watched, a strange sense of wrongness washed over me. It wasn't just the fact that the lady was getting back up that felt off. The way she rose—like a doll being forcibly yanked upright by some external force—gave me chills.
"Hm…?"
Silvena Bronheim, locked in confrontation with her, seemed to sense it too. She furrowed her brow and took half a step back.
Just then—
Whoosh—!
"……?!"
A massive gust of wind suddenly whipped across the stage, fierce enough to make it impossible to keep my eyes open.
"She still had this much power left…!"
Perhaps sensing the unnatural ferocity, Silvena charged at the lady without holding back anymore.
But—
Kuwaaaa!
"Kgh?!"
A storm erupted from the ground at her feet, swallowing her whole. She had no choice but to retreat, denied even the chance to get close.
"What's going on? The duchess's daughter is really struggling all of a sudden?"
"Yeah, I thought it was over…."
"Aren, your lady's no slouch, huh?"
"……."
The other three from our department watched in shock, but while they marveled at the lady's skill, I frowned at that lingering wrongness.
What is this? This familiar feeling.
It wasn't a situation I'd been in before, but something about it nagged at me. The density of the air, the ferocity of the wind. And that subtle, oppressive pressure enveloping my whole body—it teased at the edge of my memory, a déjà vu that wouldn't quite surface.
Kwagagagaga—!
And as if to prove my unease wasn't imagined—
A colossal storm surged up around the stage, swelling with enough momentum to engulf the entire arena.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"What is that…?!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
The shockwave reached even the spectator seats behind their protective barriers. Objects around the arena cracked and shattered under the storm's influence, the ground splitting apart.
"Pr-professor! Something's wrong! We need to stop the match right now…!"
"I know. Prioritize evacuating the students first. Gather as many hands as you can."
"Yes!"
Voices from the professors in the stands signaled they'd noticed the escalating crisis.
"Everyone, evacuate now!"
"Hesitate and you'll die!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
"Wh-what kind of natural disaster is this?!"
"Move it! Can't you see people waiting behind you?!"
They scattered quickly, directing the panicking students to safety.
Slash! Clang!
Meanwhile, Silvena was still facing the lady alone on the half-destroyed stage.
"Kuh!"
"Duchess's daughter!"
Then a burst of wind erupted behind the lady, swallowing Silvena and flinging her off the stage.
I dashed forward, barely catching Silvena's body as it hurtled through the storm.
She flushed red as she pulled away from my arms and apologized.
"S-sorry."
"No, forget that—the lady's state feels off somehow. Did you sense anything?"
"I don't know. I was sure I was about to land the finishing blow on Roze Tail…."
She looked genuinely baffled, her face showing uncharacteristic surprise.
"Junior!"
"Siel senior."
Then Siel Balshutain descended from the sky like a falling star, landing beside us—her face still etched with the shock I'd seen in the labyrinth.
"What happened to Roze Tail junior? Any idea, junior?"
"…No, but I have one hunch. I just don't know why it happened."
"A hunch? Spill it, anything!"
I glanced at the urgent senior, then spoke heavily.
"That's probably the Spirit King."
"…What? Why would a Spirit King show up here?"
"Actually, on the way to the academy, we ran into the Wind Spirit King. It said she'd need it someday and gave her something."
As I recalled, Silvena countered with disbelief.
"So you're saying Roze Tail contracted with the Spirit King?"
"N-no way! Even in the current empire, Spirit Mages who contract with a Spirit King can be counted on one hand! It's not even about talent!"
"No. It said back then that she wasn't ready for a full contract with it. Probably gave her something else."
I didn't know the details, but given it mentioned "later," maybe it lent her a fragment of its power.
If so, it fit—the lady staring down at us with vacant eyes, and this sudden massive storm. Likely, that fragment had gone berserk due to some trigger.
The problem? I had no clue what the trigger was.
Kwaaaaaa—!!!
"Ngh…!"
As the storm swelled again to devour us, Siel quickly threw up a golden barrier around us.
Crack…!
But even the student council president's barrier screamed under the strain—a perfect gauge of the thing before us.
"If that's true, we need to snap Roze Tail junior out of it fast! She's probably lost her consciousness to it!"
"Snap her out how? If we just try to take her down, Roze Tail could get hurt."
"That's…."
The senior looked stumped, no concrete plan coming to mind.
Then—
—Ah, Ren….
"Lady…?"
A familiar voice echoed quietly across the arena, resonating in my ears.
I looked up in disbelief, and saw the lady's lips twitch faintly.
—I'll protect you… Ren, I'll….
"……."
—I'll get… even stronger….
Her voice came faint, like she was on the verge of death.
Hearing it hit me like a punch to the gut.
—Sorry, Ren. If I'd been stronger than you, I could've protected you.
—Come on, don't say it like that, lady. Of course I'm stronger than you. I'm your bodyguard, right?
—That's not it. I….
Right after the labyrinth incident, alone in her hospital room with her.
She'd said it with a grave face, but I'd brushed it off as a joke.
No, I'd never thought it was a joke. I'd just said it because she didn't need to think that way.
I protected her—not the other way around.
That was why I'd resolved to grow stronger, why I'd decided to enter this academy.
But maybe we'd been running parallel all along.
I wanted to protect her; she wanted to protect me.
Locked in that contradiction, racing ahead without knowing each other's true hearts.
If I'd realized sooner, maybe we'd be laughing it off now with a casual "Oh, I see."
But I was too late, and now it was this mess.
What a ridiculous joke.
"Damn it."
I spat the curse into the wind and stepped out from the barrier.
"J-junior! Where are you going?! We need to fall back and wait for backup!"
"She's right. I get how you feel, but stay calm…."
Siel and Silvena called after me.
I half-turned, flashing a wry smile.
"How can her bodyguard back off when she's like that?"
Tak—!
Without hesitation, I charged forward.
Hwaaaaak—!
As I leaped onto the half-ruined stage, three vortexes swirled to surround me—like they'd detected an intruder disturbing their master.
Damn it, who's the real intruder here?
"Kuh!"
Thud.
I couldn't withstand the storm's force and was flung back out.
No way to even approach like this. Unless I grew wings….
"The resistance is too strong! We need more manpower!"
"Can't! We need people for the students too!"
"Of all days, the principal had to be away…!"
"Quit complaining and focus on the barrier! Want the whole arena to fly away?!"
The professors had no spare hands to help us either.
Guess it was just the three of us.
At least the others had mostly evacuated….
Kuung—!
"Student! Get out of there!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Then a massive decorative fixture shook loose from the stands in the storm's wake, plummeting toward the ground.
The boy below screamed and curled up; everyone braced for impact, eyes squeezed shut.
Shhh….
But a pale purple barrier appeared over his head, pulverizing the debris into dust.
Followed by a piercing soprano voice.
"I said run, what are you doing, you idiot!"
"Hiiik! S-sorry!"
"Save the apologies and get out!"
Neriel Marit?
"Tch, this is why weaklings are… You get out too, you ape! You're just in the way!"
She grumbled while scanning around, then spotted me and snapped.
But right now, that narcissist purplehead's venom was music to my ears.
"Hey, narcissist purplehead. One favor—can you launch me up there?"
I asked as she approached from the stands.
She scowled like I'd spouted nonsense.
"Are you insane? Is your ape brain just for show? You know what'll happen if you go into that storm?"
"That's my lady up there. As her lowly bodyguard, don't I gotta save her?"
"……."
She looked like she had a retort, but just clicked her tongue and gathered mana at my feet.
My body floated up lightly into the air.
"Don't blame me if you die."
"Thanks, slave!"
I'd been ready to remind her of our bet if she refused.
But she fulfilled her "duty," so I thanked her—and she exploded.
"Don't call me slave!"
"Got it, slave!"
"You rotten ape… Just don't come back dead!"
Eh, thanks for the well-wishes.
I brushed off her barbs and soared toward the lady.
Kwagagagak—!
But floating didn't mean I could pierce the storm. It raged fiercer, as if mocking my puny tricks.
I wedged through desperately, aiming for her side….
Whoosh!
"……!"
Like it had anticipated me, a vortex surged from below.
"Junior!"
Kwaaaang—!
Siel's voice rang from below, and a translucent golden barrier blocked the vortex.
But it couldn't hold fully—crack, crack… The barrier strained, anxiety flashing on Siel's face.
Seizing the gap, I shot toward the lady.
"You idiot! Look down!"
"What?!"
Neriel's sharp yell cut through from afar.
Sensing danger, I glanced below—a vortex like the last one, swelling fast.
Danger.
The thought echoed in my head.
Kuwaaaaaa—!
"Shit…!"
The storm swallowed me; I couldn't open my eyes.
My clothes shredded, skin slicing open everywhere.
"You there!"
Silvena's desperate cry reached me from afar. She was probably coming to save me.
But retreating now meant no second chance.
I ignored it.
Shing—
Instead, I reached for my sword hilt at my waist.
The blade I'd learned for her sake.
I hadn't wanted to draw it before her.
But that was foolish.
This wasn't to cut her—it was to protect her.
So, lady, forgive me just this once.
Slash—!
Mana and sword aura burst forth together, cleaving the storm that engulfed me.
Then everything stopped.
The roar around me, the ruined arena—nothing registered.
Only that girl in the distance, standing as if desperately awaiting someone.
"Lady Tiiiiaaa!"
The name only I could use.
I screamed it desperately and charged toward her.
—Ah, Ren…?
Had my voice finally reached? A faint spark of life flickered in her dead eyes.
Whoosh—!
I embraced her tightly.
The storm surged again to devour me, but I didn't budge.
I just wanted to protect her, bring her back.
If I could, I'd give my life a hundred times over.
＊
Tiabel huddled alone in her mental space.
Devoured by the fragment of power the Spirit King left, she could do nothing but wait desperately for someone.
No—she hoped no one came.
She'd wanted greater power to protect one person, but it had paradoxically thrust him into greater danger.
That contradiction filled her with aching helplessness.
I don't deserve to protect Aren—or even be protected by him.
She drew her knees tighter, curling like a turtle shelling itself from the world.
But her intent was different.
Not to shield herself from the world—but because she didn't want someone like her to face it again.
—…Lady Tia!
"Ren…?"
Was she the only one who wished that? A desperate voice calling her name made her lift her head cautiously.
Suddenly, the outside world she'd lost sight of flooded back into view.
"Ah…!"
And right before her eyes—the face of the man she'd longed for most.
She'd hoped he wouldn't come just moments ago.
Ridiculous—she reached out instinctively, joy overriding everything.
No.
She caught herself, pulling back her right hand with her left.
But—
Kaaaang—!
As if refusing even that, something shattered her mental world.
Black barriers scattered like broken glass.
Beyond them, the man appeared and embraced her without a word.
"Lady, come on, let's go. What're you doing hiding alone like this?"
"……."
He spoke warmly, teasingly—like when she'd been grounded by Camilla and holed up in her room.
"Ren, sorry. I'm… not worthy to be your lady…."
His gentleness made tears well in her voice.
She hadn't kept her promise to protect him—or her vow to grow stronger.
As she listed her failures, his voice cut in.
"Lady, aren't you misunderstanding something?"
"Mis…understanding?"
"I got this strong because I wanted to protect you. But if you get stronger than me, what am I?"
"……."
His usual playful tone, but utterly sincere.
"I won't tell you not to think that way. Just—don't think you're wrong for it."
"…Aren, don't you find me pathetic?"
"Pathetic? Come on."
He let out a big laugh, genuinely exasperated.
"I told you before. You're always my proud lady. The one I protect, the one who whines for snacks, the one who spaces out at flowers."
"Ah…."
His gentle touch spread white paint over the darkening waters.
"The lady I hate is the one who hates herself. So chin up, be proud—like always. Got it?"
"…Yeah."
To not be the self he hated—that was reason enough for her to turn her heart.
She grasped the hand she'd sworn never to hold again, letting him lead her.
When she looked back, the vines binding her were gone.
And so the storm ceased.