My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 065: Bargaining

For Eleshia, this was an unexpected development.

The wind blade released like a roar mercilessly severed Kuroyō’s neck cleanly without resistance, and while slicing even the narrow space, bored a sword-wound-like hole in the rear stone wall. At the irreversible fatal damage to the body she’d planned to hijack, cold sweat burst from Eleshia’s entire body.

Who could have predicted Kuroyō’s neck, especially excellent in various resistances even among dragonkin, would be severed and fly off from a single wind breath released as mere restraint?

But her liver chilling at the impossible situation lasted only an instant. Immediately another shock struck Eleshia. Feeling throat dryness, Eleshia opened her mouth gasping like panting.

“Impossible… why do you possess that?”

A white severed head floated in darkness.

Ultimate beauty as if condensing all beauty in this world pasted a ghostly smile on that expressionless face. Black mist she recognized accompanied the severed neck, hovering several centimeters above the torso split in two. When white, slender fingertips smoothly touched the neck, the accompanying black mist began squirming eerily.

“Why are you surprised? I merely imitated the magic you used.”

The white severed head spoke as if it were natural.

Gradually the black mist converged, and Kuroyō’s neck that seemed severed connected as one. She placed a palm on her slender neck, nodding with satisfaction.

“Nevertheless, this usability. Quite convenient.”

—Abyssal Mist.

This was advanced magic assimilating one’s body to darkness, nullifying all attacks.

“Impossible! Impossible. Why can you use that magic!?”

“I told you, didn’t I? That I can reverse-detect and analyze touched magic formulas.”

“This, this [Abyssal Mist], is one of the ultimate magics developed by my master, Great Mage Alkis Faust. For a mere fifteen-year-old girl to master it… even having analyzed it, you shouldn’t be able to use it immediately!!”

The cold-blooded witch, who had attained detachment through a thousand years of life, revealed agitation for the first time in centuries. Even Eleshia had only barely acquired it after deciphering her master’s remaining magic tomes over an eternal span of time. To analyze and master all of that within such a short period could only be described as a divine feat—one that transcended human wisdom.

But as if rebuking the awestruck instinct, killer habits moved her body. Twisting her small body to thrust out her right fist:

“Slice through everything! Wind Fang!”

Wind blades released at maximum output from her palm passed through Kuroyō’s body without resistance, bisecting the desk behind into three vertical pieces. Perhaps like flipping a low table with a giant beast’s claws would produce this result. Part of the heavy grain-marked desk blew backward, the stack of documents and piled books on the desk were sliced, scattering as confetti danced in the air. Stationery like fountain pens stored in drawers scattered across the floor with shredded wood fragments.

Though exposed to the storm that sliced through the heavy desk as if by design and with ease, Kuroyō stood unharmed in that spot. Witnessing that transcendent state—as if it were saying there was no need to even evade—Eleshia let out a muffled sound from her throat.

“Not even worth evading… is that it?”

“Just proving it’s not a coincidence. Nevertheless, service ends here—take this!”

From Eleshia’s feet, countless triangular shadows with abnormally long sides appeared. Two-dimensional flat shadow spears thrust up like swords, simultaneously piercing Eleshia’s entire body. But black mist accompanied the base body that was Fūga, flowing to cover wounds.

“Hmph. Mutual inability to inflict damage, then.”

Chantless with formula multiple activation. Kuroyō, whose brain should bear tremendous stress, spoke boredly with a cool face.

Like a sinner, Eleshia cursed while remaining skewered.

“This many chantless spells… you truly were an outlier. I want that body even more.”

As countless shadow spears pierced her body, Eleshia stepped forward. The body wrapped in black mist was not obstructed by the two-dimensional spears protruding from the ground, passing straight through those bindings.

“This body is dragonkin, so even receiving a hundred dozen attacks of this level wouldn’t make it budge. The same applies to you, though.”

Though Eleshia wore a confident smile, inwardly she was growing impatient. Catching sight in her peripheral vision of scattered wood fragments and stationery, along with the curse orb rolling across the floor, she clicked her tongue in her mind.

The great curse was meticulously prepared over a long time. She had worked to modify the Teacher Building itself into a space advantageous to Eleshia—a one-hundred-percent darkness field. However, that plan had been established on the premise that only Eleshia could use [Abyssal Mist].

Hypothetically, even picking up that curse orb now and activating formulas, the situation wouldn’t improve one bit. Because 100% darkness field effects would apply equally to Kuroyō, essentially just making both invincible.

Rather, needing to activate and maintain great curses made Eleshia more disadvantaged. Activating the mechanism now held zero merit, the meticulously prepared plan already collapsed.

Then Eleshia must overcome this situation through pure skill contest, but given dragonkin’s sturdy bodies plus major damage attenuation from Abyssal Mist, normal attacks couldn’t inflict decisive damage.

Remaining methods were high-power advanced magics, but using such things would heavily damage the Teacher Building despite sturdy construction. Then teachers and students hearing commotion would surely gather.

The situation was extremely disadvantageous to Eleshia.

Realizing that she was at a disadvantage, and as if pressing the flustered Eleshia further, Kuroyō said:

“One thing—I’ll tell you something useful. I have a six o’clock rendezvous with Kishō at the clock tower. If I don’t show up, I also instructed him to confess everything to Seiran-dono. And the current time is five forty-five. Fifteen minutes until the time limit.”

Though it was highly questionable whether revealing such information at this stage actually offered any advantage, that declaration only accelerated Eleshia’s impatience.

(But it’s not like I have no options. Light. If I can just illuminate the room, the darkness will be dispelled and the effects of Abyssal Mist will be greatly weakened. In that state, attacks can connect.)

Two light sources existed in the room. One was the small chandelier room light. The switch was behind Eleshia, at the room entrance. And the other was the lamp placed on the reception table. However, wise Kuroyō should be wary of both. Actually, before combat, she’d deliberately extinguished the lamp.

Even hypothetically forcing room lights on, Kuroyō surely wouldn’t miss that opening. After all, the moment lights turned on, even Eleshia’s Abyssal Mist would be nullified, attacks becoming connectable.

Couldn’t move carelessly. But couldn’t twiddle thumbs either.

Cornered in a completely blocked situation, Eleshia cursed inwardly.

(If I generate light or flames to dispel the darkness, attacks can connect. Unfortunately, this vessel can’t do that. The dragonkin characteristic of only being able to use one’s aptitude attributes becomes a shackle at this point. Then only one method remains.)

Glancing at the small window, she immediately lowered her hips and took stance.

The killer wearing a young girl’s face spoke to avoid revealing her certain-victory plan.

“Nevertheless, coming alone caught me off-guard. Though with such skill, that’s natural. However, that’s also the reverse side of not trusting your master. Can’t trust males inferior in strength?”

Though trivial provocation, Eleshia knew through long dragonkin life that this type of provocation was a category dragonkin females couldn’t ignore. Actually, displeasure flickered across Kuroyō’s unwavering face. Interpreting that as agitation, Eleshia applied further pressure.

“Yes, I understand. A half-dragonkin with no aptitude attribute isn’t worth entrusting your back to.”

The reception table exploded spectacularly.

Kuroyō released a dark breath.

Larger wood fragments flying while rotating pierced through Eleshia’s black-misted body, hitting the rear wall making loud sounds. Where the reception table had been, a large hole was bored in the floor, raising black smoke in dimness.

“That I don’t trust Kishō? Wrong, I trust that person more than anyone.”

Internally gloating at the provocation working, Eleshia shrugged with the young girl’s body. Opposing Kuroyō maintained a transcendent stance, but her voice contained anger.

“Kishō is a fine dragonkin male. And what defines fineness? It’s already decided. Protecting the pack at the risk of one’s life is precisely the mission—and the very essence—of dragonkin males. That man isn’t spineless enough to stay silent when his woman is hurt.”

“Then all the more, shouldn’t you have joined hands and challenged together?”

Conversational technique drawing into her own pace. That was also a killer’s essential skill.

Eleshia was regaining composure.

In contrast, Kuroyō’s words began gaining heat.

“That body you hijacked holds the princess rank sixth class, supreme-ranked Warrior Princess title. As I said earlier, dragonkin males have a duty to protect packs. And that’s the same even for Father who is Dragon Emperor. If Kishō were to damage that body, then even under the righteous banner of protecting me, Father would impose punishment. In that case, at best it would be expulsion; if the legitimacy could not be proven, the death penalty would also be possible.”

Eleshia’s mouth corners rose grinning.

“Ahahaha! Warrior Princess is rank second only to Six Consorts. If consorts die in line of duty or receive demotion punishment, the next consort is selected from Warrior Princesses. Hehe, from the master’s perspective, a future consort candidate. For Dragon Emperor His Majesty, Fūga is a precious existence. Nothing could be more convenient for me.”

“Precisely why it is troublesome too. Just the reason that Warrior Princess was harmed can escalate even to war.”

“Yes, exactly so. Precisely because of that, my safety was guaranteed as long as my identity wasn’t discovered. And even hypothetically if identity was discovered, I also assumed that male students couldn’t make a move.”

“Hmph, that’s a big mistake. I’ll say it again—Kishō isn’t spineless enough to stay silent when his woman is hurt. But precisely because of that, I must settle this matter myself. That person would surely never forgive you for having hurt me.”

“Oh my, will you… destroy even Warrior Princess Fūga’s body?”

“Princesses inherit their mother’s rank, so my rank is General Consort equivalent. Meaning, if you bare fangs at this me, even ‘Warrior Princess’ can be condemned by these hands.”

“So you came alone so brazenly! You!”

Then, snap—flash dispersed the room’s darkness. Though an instant occurrence, Eleshia who’d prepared for this moment could move to action accurately.

Dwelling [Sword Ki] in the concealed dagger, closing distance in one leap, she thrust it into Kuroyō’s abdomen. The thunderbolt’s roar arrived delayed.

“One instant’s carelessness was fatal.”

The killer disguised as a young girl smiled bewitchingly with adult allure.