Reincarnated as a Mob in an Otome Game, but the Characters Were Worse Than I Expected, So I Crushed Them All and Destroyed the Story - Chapter 17: Mob Fights a Life-or-Death Battle

Chapter 17: Mob Fights a Life-or-Death Battle

Two days later.

We stood inside the training grounds specifically built for duels.

Honestly, I would have preferred to fight on the same day I challenged her.

But it took time for the duel request to be approved, and the instructors needed to review the terms in advance.

So the duel was scheduled for today.

“Hmph. So you didn’t run away after all. If you had gotten on your knees and begged for forgiveness, I would have let you live as my personal livestock instead. But I suppose you have some courage.”

“No one walks into a fight expecting to lose. I came here to win.“

“Correction—you’re just a brainless idiot who can’t tell the difference between bravery and recklessness.”

Charlotte smirked as she looked down on me.

Even though I was taller than her, she somehow managed to exude an overwhelming sense of superiority.

It was almost impressive.

I smiled.

“That’s my line, Lady Charlotte. I’m surprised you didn’t run away after agreeing to those conditions.”

“Conditions? I don’t need to care about them. I’m going to win. The outcome is obvious—I don’t even need to read them.”

I grinned.

Just as I thought—she hadn’t even checked the terms of the contract.

For someone who prided herself on intelligence, that was incredibly careless.

She had, after all, agreed to a duel where the loser’s fate was entirely at the winner’s discretion.

Even if she was confident, this was still a fight.

Anything could happen.

(Well, I’ve got nothing to lose. Even if I die, it’s still a thousand times better than living idly in this world.)

[I don’t wanna die… I do wanna live idly…]

(Quit complaining. It’s about to start.)

[Uu… fine…]

Lana continued to grumble in my mind.

Despite the massive crowd gathering around the arena, murmuring in excitement, her voice came through clearly in my head.

But that was the end of our conversation—because the referee, one of the instructors, had stepped forward.

“The duel between Charlotte Maxwell of Class 1-A and Edward of Class 1-D will now begin. There are no restrictions—a one-on-one fight with no holds barred. Upon conclusion, both parties must fulfill the conditions written in the duel contract. Should either side refuse, the duel magic will force compliance—no exceptions.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me.”

“I have no objections.”

I had no intention of pulling any dirty tricks—like altering the contract after losing.

Something like that wouldn’t truly break Charlotte’s pride.

What I wanted could only be achieved through a clean, undeniable victory.

A win so absolute that no one—not even her—could dispute it.

“Both duelists, take your positions!”

“Lana, I’m counting on you.”

[Roger that!]

Lana transformed into her weapon form, fitting perfectly into my hand.

Across from me, Charlotte summoned her own spirit sword.

Her blade was drenched in an ominous aura, its pitch-black edge so dark it looked like it could swallow light itself.

Aside from Jessica’s Spirit Sword of Light, this was the strongest weapon in the game—Gilbert.

I never thought I’d get to see it in person.

Unfortunately, today it wasn’t just something to admire—it was the greatest obstacle standing in my way.

“…Begin!”

The instant the instructor gave the signal, Charlotte vanished.

A chill ran down my spine—bad feeling.

Trusting my instincts, I threw myself to the side.

A split second later—

Her sword struck where I had just been.

A black lightning bolt erupted from her blade, scorching the ground into charred ruin.

(Holy—! If that had hit me, this fight would’ve been over in one shot!)

[She’s way too fast! I couldn’t even see her move!]

(Yeah… but this is exactly what I expected. Charlotte being ridiculously strong? I knew that from the start!)

In MagiRom’s tutorial, Charlotte made a single cameo appearance as a temporary ally.

And in that fight, she completely dominated the battlefield—an overwhelming force, crushing enemies with absurd stats and overpowered skills.

Honestly, even with all the stat-boosting items I had used to raise my own numbers, she still outclassed me.

Her stats had to be pushing triple or even quadruple digits.

If I fought her head-on, I didn’t stand a chance.

“Oh? A commoner actually dodged that? Impressive. I’ll upgrade your status from dust to a mere insect.“

“Much appreciated! I’m looking forward to seeing what my final ranking will be once this duel is over!”

As we exchanged words, another black lightning bolt shot toward me.

But now that I had seen it once, I could read it.

Even though Charlotte only appeared once in the tutorial and as a boss fight, I had played the game enough times to memorize all her attack motions.

Her lightning attacks, despite their unnatural speed, weren’t real lightning.

Since they were created by magic, they didn’t move as fast as natural lightning.

That meant that as long as I understood their timing, I could react to her strongest moves before she even launched them.

(Lana! Cover the small ones—I’ll handle the big ones!)

[U-Uh, got it! Leave it to me!]

I blocked her major attacks head-on, while Lana handled the aftershocks of the lightning strikes.

Using her ice, she redirected the energy away, preventing the damage from reaching me.

“Tch…! How annoying! Just kneel already!“

(Damn—this attack—!)

Above me, countless dark clouds had formed in the sky.

This was one of Charlotte’s strongest techniques—one of her top two finishing moves in the game.

“Black Thunderstorm.”

Like a relentless downpour, countless lightning bolts would rain down, each one powerful enough to be fatal.

Meanwhile, Gilbert, her spirit sword, acted as a lightning rod, absorbing any stray bolts and allowing Charlotte to move freely without harm.

That meant I had to defend against the lightning from above while also blocking her direct attacks from below.

“Master! I’ll block as much as I can—just focus on keeping her in check!”

(Alright!)

I didn’t even have time to ask if she could handle it.

I barely managed to catch Charlotte’s sword in time—and in the next instant, a cocoon of ice formed around me, shielding me from the falling lightning.

Some bolts still broke through, forcing me to dodge for dear life while continuing to defend against Charlotte’s relentless sword strikes.

For thirty grueling seconds, I endured.

It felt like an eternity.

But finally—

The storm ended.

“W-What…!? You’re still standing!?”

“Well, if nothing else, I am good at surviving. You’re gonna have to try harder than that.”

(Lana, you still with me?)

I had used a lot of strength already, so I called out to Lana to check on her.

But—

She didn’t respond.

Just as I was about to ask again—

A high-pitched laugh echoed inside my head.

[Ahaha! Ahahaha! This is fun! This is so much fun, Master! Is this what it feels like to drag the strong down from their throne?! She’s so powerful, and we’re on the verge of collapse—but I can’t help it! I’m having the time of my life!]

It was the laughter of the deranged.

The same twisted grin I had the moment I vowed to shatter this world’s fate.

They say spirits reflect their contractor’s heart.

Even in the midst of battle, I couldn’t help but acknowledge how true that was.

[Master… I’m going to crush them with everything I’ve got! There’s a thrill in this fight that I can only feel here! If we don’t enjoy this to the fullest, we’re wasting it!]

(…Yeah, you’re right. For my sake—)

[For my sake—]

“(We’re taking them down!)“

In that instant, an intense chill radiated from my sword.

The entire blade froze solid, coated in an otherworldly layer of ice.

The very air itself turned frigid, creating a space so cold it could freeze bone and soul alike.

“This… this can’t be real…!? A mere commoner wielding this kind of power…!?”

“Hey, Lady Noble! Looks like it’s time for a change of throne!“

“D-Don’t be ridiculous! I will never—NEVER—NEVER—lose to anyone!”

Charlotte’s Gilbert began crackling with black lightning, signaling the activation of one of her strongest techniques—

“Black Thunder Slash.”

This would be our final clash.

Both of us were pouring every last ounce of strength into this final strike.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!“

“I… I WILL NEVER LOOOOOSE!!!!“

With a deafening crash, our swords collided.

Ice and lightning clashed violently, neither side yielding an inch.

But then—

The fight was suddenly decided.

[Master, we can still go further! This isn’t the limit of our strength!]

A single ice blade shot up from the ground at blinding speed, piercing through Charlotte’s right leg.

Her body faltered for just an instant.

And I didn’t miss my chance.

“It was a good fight, Strongest.“

[Cold Blade Flash]

That was the name later given to the final blow that decided the match.

“Gah…!? Kugh…!”

With a heavy thud, Charlotte collapsed.

Her spirit sword, Gilbert, dissolved into light, retreating back into her body.

“That’s it! Winner—Edward!”

The entire audience fell silent.

Most of the spectators were nobles.

They knew better than anyone just how terrifying Charlotte was—how powerful she had always been.

And yet, I—someone they all dismissed as a lowly commoner— had defeated her.

No wonder they didn’t know how to react.

Charlotte was still conscious, but she couldn’t stand.

The duel magic prevented death, but a fatal-level injury took a few minutes to heal completely.

“So, Lady Noble—how does it feel to be looked down on by a lowly commoner?“

Charlotte said nothing.

She just glared at me—her fury burning hotter than ever.

(This is just the beginning… I’ll tear that arrogance of yours apart, piece by piece. Completely. Utterly. Until that so-called ‘pride’ of yours crumbles to dust. The real story change begins the moment Charlotte herself starts to change…!)

Imagining her beautiful face twisted in disgrace, I couldn’t help but grin.