The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Tournament (6)

***

"Wait, you're not seriously planning to face us both alone, are you?"

"…."

Elania Lifre, the top scorer of the Archery Department, stared at me, her clear eyes wide with disbelief.

Even with my reputation as a "monster," she hadn't expected me to face both her and the Martial Arts top scorer alone.

"That's not confidence, that's arrogance, Ellie. Let's teach him a lesson."

Bianca Lopez, the top scorer of the Martial Arts Department, cracked her knuckles, the sharp edges of her gauntlets gleaming. Her husky voice was a low growl.

An elegant elf and a fierce, almost bestial, human.

How these two, seemingly like oil and water, had become partners was a mystery not even explained in the original story. I was curious, but,

It was a question I could ask later, not during a match.

Thud. I took a step forward, ignoring their taunts. I could almost hear the sound of their bruised egos.

Or perhaps, it was the sound of Bianca stomping her foot in frustration.

"You're going to ignore me after I gave you some friendly advice?!"

Bianca closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.

As a Martial Arts specialist, her speed was almost on par with Ian's.

But only almost.

The two steps she had gained were her undoing. She couldn't smoothly transition into her next attack, and her fist cut through the air, missing its target.

Whoosh!

I dodged to the right, twisting my body. I saw a smirk flicker across her lips.

Then, the sound of something slicing through the air. I didn't need to turn around to know what it was.

'So, Lifre provides cover fire when Bianca's attacks fail.'

Even without her elven bow, her innate archery skills were evident. The arrow, instead of flying in a straight line, curved towards my legs.

'Dodging is a bad idea.'

With Bianca so close, moving my legs would leave my upper body vulnerable.

I deflected the arrow with my sword, my eyes still fixed on Bianca. I could predict Lifre's attacks by the sound of the arrow.

If she had her elven bow, she could have used silent arrows, or arrows that split into multiple projectiles.

But with her ordinary wooden bow, such tricks were impossible.

Bianca lunged again, and two more arrows flew towards me, one from behind on my right, and another from behind on my left.

Three attacks, from three different directions, impossible to dodge or block completely.

"Idiot."

Bianca smirked, confident that at least one of the attacks would connect.

She seemed to be mocking my arrogance, my foolish decision to face them both alone.

I dashed forward, stepping towards Bianca, deflecting her gauntlet with my sword, then channeling magic into my feet, twisting my body and appearing behind her in an instant.

The arrows, meant for me, now hurtled towards Bianca.

"What the…!"

I aimed for her shoulder, hoping to disable her arm.

Slash!

" Ugh!"

Her body must have been incredibly tough, because even a direct hit with my sword only left a shallow wound.

Perhaps I should have aimed for her muscles?

But I couldn't risk targeting vital points.

Even with Grace and the other Divine Arts students on standby, I couldn't guarantee their safety in such a chaotic situation.

If they died before being healed, there was nothing I could do.

But it didn't matter. My goal wasn't to incapacitate Bianca first.

The key to victory wasn't defeating the frontline fighters. It was targeting the support units—mages, healers, archers—whenever an opportunity arose.

I left Bianca, her arm numb from the shallow wound and her attention focused on defending against the arrows, and charged towards Lifre.

Like an assassin, I appeared behind her.

I didn't breathe, not wanting to give away my presence a moment sooner than necessary.

My eyes, fixed on my target, didn't even blink.

My killing intent was suppressed, hidden like the morning mist.

Swish.

My blade rested against her neck, as if it belonged there.

It seemed she felt the cold steel against her skin before sensing my presence.

She froze, her hand gripping her bow trembling.

It would have been a miracle if she had dodged. I had poured half of my remaining magic into that single movement.

If she had sensed my approach and defended herself, I might not have even made it to the finals.

"Where did you…!"

"Surrender."

Bianca, who had been searching for me, finally saw me, my sword at Lifre's throat.

Her eyes widened, then darted towards Lili.

Lifre must have signaled her, telling her to take Lili hostage.

An eye for an eye.

Thud!

"Aaaaaaaaagh!!!"

I didn't give her the chance. I stabbed Lifre under her arm, before Bianca could even react.

Her scream echoed through the arena.

Bianca hesitated, her eyes and lips trembling, so I repeated,

"I won't ask again. Surrender."

Twist.

I twisted the blade, grinding it against her ribs.

"……!!!"

She couldn't even scream, her body trembling uncontrollably, like a vibrating phone.

"S-Surrender!! I surrender!!!"

The referee immediately summoned the Divine Arts students.

"The winners are Berry's team! Divine Arts! Get the healers! Hurry!!"

Lifre flinched, trying to escape the pain, but I held her still.

"Agh…! Ugh!"

"W-What are you doing?! The match is over!!"

"If I pull the sword out now, you'll bleed out and faint. Just breathe and try to stay still. It won't hurt as much if you don't move."

"…"

Bianca glared at me, but she didn't argue. She knew I wouldn't lie, not now that the match was over.

The healers arrived and began treating Lifre, carrying her to the infirmary.

***

"Berry, you fight too ruthlessly. Our next opponents might fight to the death."

Lili warned me after the second match.

They might be afraid of suffering the same fate as Lifre.

Fighting to the death… it wouldn't change much. In fact, if they were driven by fear, if their emotions clouded their judgment, it would only make things easier for me.

If Lifre and Bianca had been willing to die from the beginning, it would have been a different story.

But my next opponents weren't as skilled or as resolute. Their recklessness would be their undoing.

And as expected,

"Gasp… pant… pant…"

"The winners are Berry's team!!"

I was tired, my magic reserves depleted, but we had won again.

The healers, waiting on standby, immediately began treating my opponents.

Only the final match remained. Against Ian and Selina.

My plan was to give Ian an opening, to collapse dramatically, and then, feigning disappointment, accept the Secret Garden Pass, the second-place prize, and go back to my room to sleep.

"Berry! I know you're tired, but there's only one match left. Let's stay focused."

Lili, sensing my exhaustion, encouraged me as the fanfare for the final match echoed through the waiting room.

"…You're right. I'll hang in there."

"Just trust me. I'll crush them, just like you did."

As we walked towards the arena, I saw fireworks exploding in the night sky through the window.

A grand finale for the final match?

I clutched my head, my mind still sluggish from magic exhaustion, and continued walking.

***

"You're late, Bifrons."

"I apologize, Lord Poras."

Bifrons, his wings folded, appeared before Poras in the darkness.

"I was replenishing the magic orbs I had prepared for the winter attack."

He subtly hinted that he had been prioritizing the original plan, the winter attack.

"That's understandable. Did you manage to fill them?"

"Of course. I was planning to infiltrate alone, so I gathered more than enough."

"Good. We're ready, then."

"But wasn't our original target Ian Cedric? Are you sure it's alright to change it to the Imperial Princess…?"

"They said the Imperial Princess and a swordsman are disrupting our plans. We have no choice but to obey the Demon King's orders."

The image of the fireworks, exploding in the night sky, reflected in their dark eyes.

Poras gripped his jet-black sword, and Bifrons held a crimson magic orb.

"Commence operation. Our targets are Lilisiana Yekaterina and Berry. No mistakes."

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