The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Tournament (5)

***

Unlike typical tournaments, which progress from 1st to 3rd year, the Solus Academy tournament operates in reverse: 3rd, 2nd, then 1st years.

The official reason is that the freshmen, the academy's future leaders, deserve the final spotlight. However, the real reason is likely that Ian, the true protagonist, needs to make his grand entrance last.

And because of this scheduling quirk, the first-year student council members, whose matches are later, are stuck in the audience, ostensibly cheering on our upperclassmen. In reality, it means we're all gathered here, watching that sword-obsessed maniac.

"Wow… Senior Irene is truly amazing…"

Ian, sitting to my right, gaped in awe, his jaw practically on the floor.

His gaze was fixed on Irene, who had just cleaved her opponent's shield in two, leaving the poor guy looking utterly terrified.

"…I'm starting to question her humanity."

Lili, sitting to my left, commented with a look of disbelief.

Even I, a fellow Knight Department student, found her brute-force approach a bit much. Lili, a mage, probably felt like she was watching a gorilla wield a toothpick.

"It's remarkable how she wields such a large sword… as if it were a mere twig…"

Elania's voice drifted from behind me.

This must be a real eye-opener for her, an elf, regarding the sheer strength of humans.

'I think she almost said "like a mad dog," but stopped herself.'

No one here, besides Ian, would have corrected her anyway. What woman in her right mind would wield a greatsword as tall as herself, roaring and smashing shields like a berserker? Apparently, Irene.

"If she's fighting like that, even in the finals… I don't think Senior Irene has any plans for marriage."

I voiced my assessment of Irene's… unique fighting style, while Selina, her face tense with focus, remained silent.

Ian immediately jumped to Irene's defense.

"What are you talking about, Berry?! She's incredible! Facing her opponents head-on without a single step back! That's the mark of a true knight!"

"Then go tell her. Tell her you're so impressed you're in love with her. Ask her to marry you."

"W-What?!"

My sarcastic jab flustered Ian. Selina, who had been silently observing Irene, turned to me, her gaze deep and unsettling, like a murky swamp. Meeting her eyes felt like staring into an abyss.

"Berry, Ian is too pure for sarcasm. Please be mindful of your words."

"…I'll keep that in mind."

"Huh? Wait, it was a joke? You surprised me, Berry!"

I nodded, not wanting to provoke Selina unnecessarily. I turned my attention back to the arena just in time to see two arrows protruding from Irene's legs. It seemed the enemy archer had taken advantage of our momentary distraction.

Unfazed, she roared and charged towards the archer, smashing her bow with a single swing of her massive greatsword. It was quite a spectacle.

Irene then pointed her greatsword at the archer, her mouth moving, likely ordering her to yield.

A triumphant fanfare blared through the arena, declaring Irene the victor, the reigning student council president.

***

After the third-year matches, Irene headed to the infirmary to have her injuries treated. With the accumulated damage from the previous rounds, it would take her at least a full day to fully recover.

The second-year matches unfolded exactly as they did in the original story, without a single deviation.

And now, it was our turn. Even I, with my knowledge of the original storyline, couldn't predict how things would play out. I took a deep breath, hoping this tournament arc would conclude without any major incidents.

"Exhale…"

"Are you nervous, Berry?"

Lili, noticing my sigh, patted my back with a gentle smile. She assumed the pressure of the tournament was getting to me.

While not entirely accurate, it wasn't completely wrong either. And I was grateful for the misinterpretation. It helped calm my nerves.

"Let's go, Your Highness."

I returned her smile, offering a silent reassurance.

"So, you remember the plan… right?"

"Of course. I'll conserve my magic until the finals, as we discussed."

Her colorless magic, while powerful and effective, consumed a massive amount of magical energy, limiting its use. So, I would swiftly defeat our opponents in the preliminary rounds, preventing Selina, our rival, from having time to recover her magic.

That was the plan I had proposed, and she, confident in her own abilities, had readily agreed.

She had looked at me as if I were insane when I first suggested it, but now, after numerous practice sessions, her beautiful eyes were filled with trust.

I wouldn't betray that trust. I would defeat our opponents as promised, and Selina would remain magically depleted.

But there was a hidden aspect to my plan she wasn't aware of: both Ian and Selina were far stronger than I had anticipated.

From observing Ian during our sparring matches, I knew that he could easily evade Lili's magic if given even the slightest opening.

So, I had one clear objective:

To exhaust myself before Lili faced Selina, ensuring Ian had the advantage in the final round.

Swish.

As we stepped out of the passageway and into the arena, the bright lights and the roar of the crowd washed over us.

I looked across the arena at our opponents from the Spear Arts and Magic departments… a couple of nameless extras I'd never seen before.

The spearman's hand trembled noticeably, the tip of his spear quivering, betraying his nerves.

"This should be easy, right?"

Lili's voice came from behind me. She, too, seemed to think our opponents were weak.

I nodded silently, for her benefit, just as the magical bell signaling the start of the match rang out.

Before they could react, I shot forward, moving directly towards the mage girl hiding behind the spearman.

" Gasp!"

She barely had time to yelp before I punched her in the gut, winding her, preventing her from casting any spells.

"Oof…!"

"C-Catherine!!"

The spearman, finally realizing what had happened, turned towards me, but I grabbed the winded mage by the scruff of her neck and threw her at him.

"Damn it!"

He couldn't lower his spear to block me without risking impaling his own partner, so he raised it high, catching the mage girl.

Thud!

The impact made him stumble.

He looked at me, his eyes wide with shock and fear. Perhaps it was my cold, merciless gaze that unnerved him.

I wasn't going to show them any mercy. There was no point in prolonging the fight, and it would only be an insult to their skills.

I swept his legs out from under him as he tried to regain his balance, then placed the tip of my sword against his throat.

"Yield."

"…I… I yield."

….

….

The arena remained silent, even after his surrender.

I looked at the instructor acting as referee, who finally seemed to snap out of his daze and activated the magical bell, signaling the end of the match.

"The… winners! Lilisiana and Berry!"

""Wooooooooo!!""

While cheers erupted from the crowd, the only ones truly celebrating were my fellow first-year Knight Department students.

They were used to my brutal efficiency.

That's why Ian and I were the only first-year Knight Department students participating in the tournament. The others had claimed they had no chance against us "monsters."

The other students, still bewildered by the unconventional fight, slowly began to applaud, tilting their heads in confusion.

It was a decisive victory, but there was something… unsettling about it.

I didn't care about their opinions. They were irrelevant. I turned to Lili.

"…Berry, you're really ruthless against your enemies, aren't you?"

Lili said, surprised by my brutality, even though we had trained and completed missions together. She hadn't expected me to treat fellow academy students this way.

"I'll be more careful next time."

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant! It's just… you don't seem to care about anyone who isn't your ally. I was just surprised, that's all. You don't have to hold back."

Seeing my seemingly hurt expression, she backpedaled, trying to reassure me.

While I wasn't actually hurt, her flustered reaction was endearing, so I simply nodded and walked towards the waiting room.

Two more matches.

And then, the final round against Ian.

'And then, there's that demon who attacks Ian after the tournament…'

Considering Ian's current strength, he should be able to handle a slightly stronger demon without any problems.

So, my role was to exhaust myself as much as possible before facing him, ensuring he had enough energy left to win the championship.

I smiled faintly when I heard that our next opponents were Elania and her partner.

***

"Lord Poras, the diversionary tactic is ready."

Taking advantage of the academy's lax security during the tournament, the demons began gathering outside the walls.

"Good. And you made sure they all have self-destruct spells in case they're captured?"

Poras addressed one of the lower-ranking demons.

He was personally overseeing this operation, determined to secure a flawless victory for the Demon King. He couldn't afford any mistakes.

"Of course. But when will we commence the operation…?"

"We're waiting for a signal from inside the academy. Look to the sky at sunset. You'll know. Bifrons should arrive by then as well."

"I wonder what that human is planning. I never imagined someone from the academy would collaborate with us."

"…I don't know either. But if the Demon King commanded it, there must be a reason."

Even Poras, known as the Knight of Hell, couldn't fathom a human betraying the academy.

He stroked his jet-black sword.

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