Episode 221
"...Puh."
Raphael, who had peeled off the handkerchief stuck to her face, quietly glared at Clana.
"Clana? Why are you acting like this?"
Then, she soon corrected her expression to a benevolent one and asked in a sweet voice.
It was the repulsive appearance she showed to the public outside, not when she was alone with her.
- Thud, thud.
Clana walked slowly toward her.
- Crackling... buzzing...
".....!"
Every time she took a step, a tingling sensation rang through the senses of those around.
"W-what... is this energy..."
The complete form of the 'Aura of Domination,' said to have been possessed by the first Empress who unified the Western Continent 1000 years ago, was emanating from Clana's body, enveloping the courtyard of the Starlight mansion.
- Whoosh...!
As Clana approached right in front of her, Raphael's guards drew their weapons and blocked her path.
"How presumptuous."
Looking at them, Clana spoke in a dry yet dignified voice.
"What right do you have to point your weapons at me?"
The guards, who had only seen Clana being bullied by Raphael all this time.
"Even if I execute you all right now, there would be no legal problem whatsoever."
Seeing Clana quietly beginning to gather a massive amount of solar mana in her hand, they made panicked expressions and began to slowly back away.
"........"
Normally, Raphael would have secretly scolded such guards, but at this very moment, she too had no choice but to swallow dry saliva.
Because for some reason, the Clana before her eyes looked completely different from her usual self.
Usually, she always maintained laziness, but when she became serious, she became terrifying to the point that no one could surpass her.
Because she was emitting the pressure and charisma of the Emperor, the only one she feared, several times more intensely.
"It seems our little sister has something she wants to say?"
However, she too could not back down.
Because in this place where the eyes of numerous people, including the guards who were her support base, were focused, she couldn't show a losing appearance.
"But, could you wait a moment? Your big sister has something she needs to do right now. So..."
Thus, she tried to maintain her expression even in this bewildering situation and tried to head toward the reporters while holding Frey, but.
- Boom...!
"Argh!"
At that moment, Clana's solar mana blasted toward one dazed guard who had foolishly kept his weapon pointed at her until the end.
"...What exactly is this behavior?"
As Clana, leaving behind the guard writhing in pain, approached right in front of her, Raphael asked with cracks appearing in her once gentle expression.
"I'm sure you know what it means to throw a handkerchief at someone's face."
To her, Clana began to answer in a cold voice.
"Of course that means..."
"...Let's duel. For the 2nd rank in the imperial succession order."
As soon as those words ended, the surroundings became as quiet as a mouse.
- Click, click!
"Lady Clana! What do you mean by that?"
"Did you just apply for a duel with Lady Raphael...?"
"Lady Clana was 4th in the succession order until yesterday..."
But after a moment, commotion began to arise in the area.
"Surely you won't refuse, will you?"
"...Hah."
As Clana provoked her by mimicking her in the center of that commotion, Raphael began to quietly grind her teeth.
'It was a perfect opportunity to make Frey completely mine...'
Then, she began to quietly look at Frey standing next to her.
'If I don't save him... you won't last long anyway...'
She began to look at Frey pitifully.
"So, are you going to go to her?"
After looking at Frey for a while, she asked in a low voice.
"You'll have to choose well. Either become my doll, or go to that foolish Clana..."
"........."
But she.
"W-what?"
Seeing Frey, who had been following her with dead eyes until just now, looking at her with wide open eyes, she began to show a confused expression.
"Clana... has already awakened?"
Before long, an incomprehensible sound came from Frey's mouth as he began to make a sinister smile.
"...Then, there's no reason for me to bow to you anymore."
Right after that, Frey removed her hand that was holding his arm.
"What do you mean..."
Raphael, who was bewildered by Frey's reaction.
"Are you running away?"
"...No way."
As Clana, who was next to her, said that once more, she approached her while biting her lip.
"How annoying..."
Then, Raphael looked at her with burning eyes.
'If it goes on like this, it'll be neither here nor there...'
Since she had already investigated Frey's condition by sending several informants, she thought the plan she had established was perfect.
She would approach Frey, who had a serious illness and had begun to be condemned by the world, and whose heart was probably half-broken in such a situation.
Then, after appropriately frightening him, she would take him to her room and abuse him for a while.
Then, if she gradually started treating him well, wouldn't he, driven to the edge by continued persecution from those around him, have no choice but to depend on her?
If Frey became completely dependent on her like that, then she would tell him it was all for you.
Isn't that actually true? She did those things to save Frey. Although the method was wrong, there are times when such extreme methods must be used.
"Why are you interfering..."
But if she's blocked at stage 1, the story changes.
Won't her heroic intentions fail to reach Frey?
This is a misunderstanding. It must be corrected.
"Fine, I accept."
Thus, she decided to first remove the Clana in front of her and start things over.
'I need to... revise the plan a bit.'
If she only criticizes him too much, Frey's heart might break.
After the duel ends, should she say some warm words? - After taking him to her room, maybe give him delicious food and start by lowering his guard - that's what she thought.
"So, what's the duel method?"
"Simple. The first person to fall on the dirt ground loses."
"...Good, it's quick."
Like that, Raphael, who began to make a serious expression, started to gather solar mana into her body.
"Then, the time and place?"
"Here, right now."
"You want to do it right now? How bold. What if our little sister gets embarrassed..."
- Crackling, zap...
As she looked at Clana dismissively, she saw that Clana had already gathered a large amount of mana and was waiting, so she made a surprised expression and assumed a combat stance.
"No weapons needed, right? After all, we both have solar mana."
"...Right."
"Hmm... There's no precedent for this case so a referee isn't prepared either, but there are many spectators and the rules are simple, so it should be fine, right?"
Raphael, who said that.
"But... what will you bet?"
She asked with a chilling smile.
"I'm obviously betting my succession rank, so what will you bet?"
"My life."
"Hah."
Hearing those words, Raphael let out a hollow laugh.
"I don't need something so shabby... Ah, how about this?"
She whispers in a small voice near her ear.
"...The transfer of the oath Frey used on you."
- Crackling, zap...
The moment those words ended, the solar mana from Clana's body began to crackle like electric sparks.
"That much is needed..."
"Yes."
"...Fine."
Before long, as Clana answered through clenched teeth, Raphael made a satisfied expression.
"...You there, if you think both are roughly ready, say start."
"Yes, yes."
She gave that command to one guard who had been standing blankly next to them, unable to understand the rapidly changing situation.
"Th-then... please prepare."
And after a while, the guard who ended up in charge of the impromptu duel by circumstance opened his mouth while sweating cold sweat.
"...Begin."
As soon as his words ended.
- Rumble...!
The mansion's courtyard was dyed with golden light.
- Rumble...
After a while, as the stone fragments and dust that filled the courtyard settled.
""........!!!""
The reporters who were diligently capturing the scene with their filming magical tools all froze.
"Heugh... ugh..."
Raphael, who had been gathering many factions by showing overwhelming skill, was on her knees, holding her stomach and drooling as she collapsed.
"The duel is over."
On the other hand, Clana, who was standing on the ground so leisurefully, looking down at her half-sister who had once driven her to hell.
"Therefore, everyone please leave here now."
After kicking her and knocking her onto the dirt ground, she looked around at the crowd with a cold expression.
"If you wish to continue watching the imperial family's disgrace, you may stay."
The duel that took place that day was the fastest-ending duel in imperial history.
.
"Ugh... uck..."
As time passed, at the point when the guard unit, the territory's residents who had densely packed the courtyard, and even the reporters had all left.
"Uuuugh..."
Raphael, who was still dry heaving while sitting on the ground.
- Whoosh...
Soon quietly lifted her head.
"Frey."
Clana, who had been looking down at her until just before, slowly approached Frey.
"On my birthday, you protected me."
Upon arriving in front of Frey, she took his hand.
"Now I'll protect you."
Saying that, she carefully embraced Frey.
'This... this isn't right...'
Raphael's expression, who was watching that scene, distorts.
'It was going according to plan... everything was going according to plan...'
Clana, whom she had looked down on so much, is making a happy expression.
Having taken Frey, who until just before was being dragged along with his heart broken by her, into her arms.
Even after knocking her down with one blow in front of many people.
'Why? Why did it turn out like this...?'
Raphael was someone who could get everything she wanted, so failing to get what she wanted came as quite a shock to her.
"........."
She, who had been blankly staring at Clana muttering something while holding Frey for a while.
"That's right."
She reached her own conclusion.
"It's... because I lacked power."
She said while taking out a strange pill that a woman who had introduced herself as the Demon King long ago had given her from her embrace.
"Did she perhaps obtain some fortuitous encounter by chance...? If that's the case, I have it too..."
Though not known to the world, all the imperial family members except Clana were already on the Demon King's side.
They gained power by eating the pills the Demon King gave them, and in return, they swore loyalty to her.
Of course, Raphael, with her suspicious and cunning personality, had not eaten the pill until the end.
But eventually, she made her choice.
To offer herself to the Demon King.
If she could tear Clana to pieces right before her eyes and make Frey her puppet, sacrificing her soul was no loss.
"Heh, heheh..."
A pitch-black pill writhes in her hand. Is this even a pill? Such questions were of no concern to her.
- Whoosh...
She had long been blinded by possessiveness.
"...Hah."
Like that, she put the writhing pill in her mouth.
"Lady Raphael."
And at that moment, Frey appeared before her.
"Your clothes are disheveled..."
".....!?"
And he began to tidy up her clothes, which had become a mess from rolling in the dirt.
"...Are you going to eat that?"
Frey asked quietly.
"You'll regret it. Truly. You know how that's made, don't you?"
Of course, she, with the pill writhing wildly in her mouth, didn't answer.
"...Do you remember that day?"
Frey whispered to her in a low voice.
"If you remember me from that time, please spit out that pill in my hand."
"........"
"Hurry."
For some reason, Frey was making a sad expression.
"...Why would I?"
Looking at such Frey.
"Why would I listen to a bastard like you?"
She said with an expression of disgust toward Frey until the end.
'I have to eat this to save you, you know?'
She thinks to herself.
'Be grateful to me. Don't cling to someone like Clana, praise me, your savior.'
Thinking of Frey, who would eventually know her intentions and be grateful.
'There's no one else in the world who would save someone like you but me.'
"...Gulp."
Raphael, who muttered to herself like that, swallowed the pill that was now thrashing wildly in her mouth.
"Tsk."
And at that moment.
"Originally, that's something to eat during the 3rd year final boss battle as a desperate measure, but to suddenly eat it now. Seriously ridiculous."
Frey's expression turned cold.
"I knew you were irredeemable trash so honestly I didn't expect anything, but still I was going to give you one last chance to be imprisoned for life..."
Looking at Raphael, who was sleeping with a happy smile on her face, imagining the power that would soon come to her without seeing his expression.
"...As expected, there's no answer."
He muttered coldly and separated from her.
- Shaah...
Raphael's entire body was now dyed purple.
- Zap...!
After a while, a ruby-colored horn sprouted from her head.