ALL NOVEL I Was Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble But I’ll Be Executed as a Traitor if I Do Good Deeds Chapter 99
99: The Scar Left in My Heart
Even if something depressing happened, I can’t stop. If I don’t become strong, I won’t be able to protect anyone. I’ll kill someone if I have to, to protect the important people. That’s what I vowed to do.
So, I can still endure. Whether it’s the guilt of killing people or the self-loathing for going berserk. I’ll use my own hands to protect everyone. We’ll all live a happy future together.
That’s why I’ve been working hard. Maybe I’m just running away from unpleasant things, but either way, I can’t stop training.
My mindset has changed, but some things remain the same. That’s the attitude of the people around me. If they weren’t like that, I would have been cornered even more. I would have lost hope. But I love everyone, and that’s what I truly understand.
“Hey, Rex-san. Will you accompany me today as well?”
“I also want to fight alongside you.”
Even being challenged by Ruth and Hannah is soothing my heart. They don’t fear me. Just that gives me a strong sense of security. I’m probably feared because I kill people lightly. But even during the entrance exam, I was feared just because of my magical power. Even if the two of them have distanced themselves, it’s not strange.
“Anyway, you guys are something else. Let’s take you on all at once!”
“You’re making fun of us, aren’t you, Hannah-san? I want to see her face crumble!”
“I agree. It’s troublesome to be looked down upon from a high place all the time.”
Should I say they’re hostile towards me? Anyway, they’re trying to break me. That’s what makes me incredibly happy. With just that feeling, I can put in even more effort.
So, I’ll respond with all my might. That’s why I’ll prepare myself.
“Let’s combine our powers! Explosion Boundary (Explosion Border)!”
“Of course! Ultimate Blade (Ultimate Blade)!”
Ruse’s Explode Sphere, a technique that combines multiple explosive arrays. And Hanna’s Tempest Blade, a technique that binds a single sword with multiple blades. These refined techniques have even been given new names.
Multiple layers of membranes enveloped us, and from the slight gap above, a condensed magical sword descended. An explosion occurred, and the sword accelerated due to its power. What an incredible technique!
But I can counter it.
“Darkness Wear! Silent Blade!”
I layered my magical defense to prevent the explosion, and then layered magic on my sword to crush the enemy’s sword. Although they possessed considerable magical power, I somehow managed to deflect their technique.
“Absolutely ridiculous power. You needed two people to do that?”
“I agree. He must have been serious about fighting before. In other words, he didn’t know his own limits.”
Well, there was a moment when we were evenly matched one-on-one. Even then, I was definitely giving it my all. I mean, I’ve never experienced magical exhaustion. What kind of feeling is that?
Generally, when you use up all your magical power, you’re hit with tremendous fatigue, and you can’t use magic anymore. But after that, your magical power recovers. However, I’ve never experienced that. Well, if I think about my Darkness Wear becoming unusable, it’s a difficult judgment.
That means I still have room to grow. It’s a wonderful thing. Even though I’m scared, my desire to become stronger hasn’t faded.
“Yes. But our feelings are the same.”
“That’s right. We’ll definitely defeat Lord Rex. That’s all.”
“I’ll keep fighting as much as you want. I’ll just keep winning.”
I really want them to challenge me again and again. The bond between us two is precious to me. If I can keep this up, it’s a moment I’ll cherish. Well, I also want to spend time with other people.
With that feeling, I slowly calmed my heart. In the midst of that, a new lesson began.
“… Practical training. Students will engage in combat with each other. You can decide the pairs as you like.”
“Don’t worry, we’re supervising, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
Phillis, the highest authority on magic, is also here. Well, Phillis seems to be on good terms with Eri, and sword techniques aren’t prevalent in this school, so our current position is advantageous.
“Then, let’s fight! It’s a chance to show off our coordination with Rina-chan!”
“Good. It’s perfect for teaching Lord Rex our power.”
With that, we began preparing for battle. We moved to the wide hall, where Phillis and the others watched over us.
“Are you ready? 3, 2, 1, start!”
I need to move quickly. According to my knowledge of the original story, Mira’s techniques are extremely troublesome. In the worst-case scenario, her light-attribute hand might suppress my dark magic interference.
However, launching a preemptive attack is also difficult. Since there are two of them, if I attack one and show an opening to the other, it’ll be bad. So, layering my defense is the right approach.
“Darkness Wear!”
“My God’s Judgment!”
“And our combined technique, Call Meteorite! Please take it, Lord Rex!”
God’s Judgment is a technique that burns the enemy with a torrent of light. Call Meteorite is a technique that drops meteorites.
It seems they’ve combined these techniques by wrapping light magical power around the meteorites, creating a counterforce against light-attribute magic, and amplifying the meteorites’ power. Moreover, there are multiple meteorites.
I can’t take it head-on. Time to change plans.
“Fatal Blade!”
I released multiple magical blades to destroy the meteorites. As a result, I managed to destroy some, but some remained. If I continued like this, I’d get hit directly, and my defense would be broken. So, I switched to an attacking stance.
“Still not enough. Then! Silent Blade!”
I layered magical blades on my sword, combining the power of swift sword techniques and magical power. By doing so, I eliminated the remaining meteorites. In essence, I used Silent Blade multiple times. I wish I could prepare an even stronger trump card. Of course, that’s not possible right now.
“Hehe, we lost. If we do the same thing again, it won’t work, so this time we lost.”
“That’s right. Lord Rex has real power, not just talk. I understand that now.”
“I had fun! If we get another chance, that’d be great!”
“Please wait, Lord Rex. Next time, we’ll come back stronger!”
As Mira said, it was really fun. The dark feelings that lingered in my heart were blown away, and I felt like I could do anything. If I get another chance, it’ll be amazing. I dislike fighting, but with friends, it becomes an incredible experience.
“I’ll win every time. If that’s okay with you, then do as you like.”
The royal sisters left, and the students who didn’t fight remained. I could feel the unpleasant gaze on me. It was the same feeling as during the entrance exam.
“This is bad, really bad… Even the royal sisters can’t keep up with us?”
“That’s because there are two of them… It’s not something to be taken lightly.”
It was clear that I was feared by almost everyone, except for acquaintances. Suddenly, I remembered the moment when I was feared as a thief hunter the day before. Was I seen as a murderer or something? That’s why my strength was feared, I suppose.
As I was thinking about this, Phyllis and Erena approached me.
“…Amazing. Rex has gotten even stronger. Show us more, please.”
“Yeah. The Silent Blade was an impressive technique. But I’m sure you’ll show us even more.”
“Of course. I’ll show you how strong I can become.”
Although I said that, my heart wasn’t in it. I wondered why, and I realized the answer.
If I became even stronger, wouldn’t I be feared by my acquaintances as well? At that moment, I realized that becoming strong was scary for the first time.