Chapter 4: Kageruya Noah
“Eleven—” “Twelve—” “Thirteen—”
The dull thuds of fists striking my flesh and the queen’s delighted counting were the only sounds that echoed through the air.
Crack! Past the twentieth blow, my ribs snapped.
Desperately enduring the agonizing pain, I forced myself back to my feet again and again.
“I’m... so disappointed... in you,” I wheezed.
Spitting up a mouthful of blood and bile, I lashed out at the Hellfire Lord standing before me.
“Just what... on earth... do you hope to gain... by tormenting me like this...?” I gasped.
She, of all people, had suffered endless harassment from the other students.
Yet here she was, on the inflicting end this time.
“...Ha. ‘A princess knight... must always fight... fair and square’... was that it?” I mocked.
“Please be silent,” Verg whispered tensely.
“...Even though you bend your convictions... without the slightest resistance... the second you’re ordered to...” I pressed on.
“Silence,” she barked.
“...And you talk about... becoming a full-fledged princess knight...” I rasped.
“I told you to shut your mouth!” Verg screamed.
Her heavy fist plowed directly into my face.
The sickening crunch of shattered molars rang in my skull, and I was slammed violently against the dirt.
“I—All I need is to be acknowledged by Her Majesty!” she shouted, her voice trembling.
Clouds gradually gathered across the sky as the distant rumble of thunder began to roll.
“...As long as you win... any means will do... right?” I mumbled.
Whether chivalry was cast aside or burned to ashes didn't matter.
If beating me to death unilaterally yielded what she desired, then so be it.
“...In a world stripped of common sense and ethics... according to your rules... I suppose I have no right to complain...” I croaked.
Sluggishly dragging myself back up, I bored into her with swollen, bloodshot eyes.
Leaving all arguments aside, if there was one single truth I could speak—
“When it comes down to it... you’re no different from the queen. You’re just a piece of trash.”
“...Gh!” Verg choked, rendered speechless.
Biting her lip so hard it nearly bled, the Hellfire Lord raised her fist once more.
And so, the one-sided bludgeoning resumed—
“—Pfft! Ahahaha! Ahahahahahahahahaha!”
Looking down at my near-lifeless husk, the queen burst into raucous laughter.
Multiple fractures, copious hemorrhaging—I lay collapsed in a pool of my own blood, unable to move a single finger.
“That last strike marked the one hundredth blow! To think you would actually survive!” Queen Luferia cackled.
Feasting their eyes upon my wretched state, the queen and her subordinates beamed with immense satisfaction.
The men imprisoned here could do nothing but hang their heads in tears, powerless to intervene.
“Splendidly done, Verg! Or perhaps the assignment was far too trivial for someone of your caliber?” the queen lauded.
“...No. I am profoundly honored by Your Majesty’s praise,” Verg answered stiffly.
Kneeling before the master of the projection, the Hellfire Lord lowered her head in obeisance.
“Kageruya, you have precious little time remaining. You had best give those Rank Matches your all, wouldn't you say?” Queen Luferia taunted.
“...Ugh...” I groaned.
“Though I imagine that broken body will hardly obey you now. Why not simply beg for my mercy here and now?”
The queen erupted into howling laughter.
“—Well now, that concludes our special instruction for today! Come, pull out!” she commanded.
At the clap of the queen’s hands, her subordinates sheathed their blades and began their withdrawal.
“...Kageruya...” Verg murmured under her breath.
The Hellfire Lord cast a single glance in my direction before turning and walking away, resignation heavy in her stride.
Several of the male detainees moved forward, hoping to finally come to my aid, but—
“—Hey, you men! Get back to your barracks this instant!” a female knight barked.
The female knights strictly warned that no one was permitted to help Kageruya Noah.
Paralyzed by terror, the men froze in their tracks, yet they still looked back toward me with agonizing concern...
“...D-Don’t...” I choked out.
With eyes devoid of light, I signaled to them to stay back and pay me no heed.
Bitter tears in their eyes, they bowed their heads repeatedly before retreating into the shadows.
And now, left behind in this living hell, I was completely alone.
“...Kh...” I shuddered.
Rain began to fall, swiftly turning into a relentless downpour.
While it extinguished the lingering embers around me, it thoroughly drenched my broken body to the bone.
Prostrate against the mud, I lay immobile as one hour passed, then two, then three—
“...Uuugh...” I moaned.
Through my hazing consciousness, I wondered how many hours had actually slipped away.
The rain kept beating down; my limbs felt terribly frigid and heavy as lead.
...What in the world am I doing...?
I have to get back to the academy. I have to fight in the Rank Matches.
“...No... it’s... impossible...” I whispered into the rain.
In this shattered body, I couldn't move so much as an inch.
To make matters worse, the Rank Match scheduled for today was entirely ruined.
In the two days remaining to me, defeating every opponent from Three-Star to Six-Star and earning the right to challenge the Seven Sacred Swords—was an utter impossibility.
“Even here... I’m as pathetic as ever...” I murmured.
If I could just defeat the unbeatable queen, I could completely overturn my life and seize a happy ending.
The only reason I had been able to fight through all my bewilderment after being thrust into this other world was that solitary sliver of hope.
“...This is reality... The strong issue a single order, and I’m completely powerless...” I muttered.
In the end, I was no different than I had been as a child: all alone, and utterly frail.
I had lost my place in the classroom.
I couldn't even meet with Nurse Zeze, my sole confidante and mentor.
Nor could I ever associate with the men in the internment camp again without bringing down more ruin upon them.
And above all else... whatever bond I had shared with Verg Moldraid was over.
“...I’m not just ordinary... I’m utterly useless...” I sighed.
As if seeking refuge from the despair and solitude, my consciousness faded once more into black.
“...Haa... haa... Good grief, you’re heavy as hell...!” a girl’s voice panted.
When I blinked my eyes open in the dead of night, I found myself being carried on someone’s back.
Out of breath amidst the pouring rain, my bearer was trudging steadily toward the academy.
“...Urz...?” I croaked.
Carrying my bloody, broken frame was a familiar, beautiful girl.
“...Why... are you... here...?” I asked weakly.
“Why? ‘To repay the debt from this morning’... though saying that sounds pretty lame, doesn't it?” Urz replied with a faint scoff.
Even though she was wrapped in bandages herself, she gave a triumphant shrug of her shoulders.
Then, gazing up at the dark, overcast sky, she broke into a mischievous smirk.
“I just figured I’d go out for a little nocturnal stroll for once, that’s all.”
＊＊＊＊＊
“—Hup, there we go!” Urz grunted.
Borne on Urz’s back, I finally arrived at my room in the dormitory.
After having my soaked clothes changed, I was dumped onto the bed.
“...If anyone finds out... that you helped me... you’ll be in serious trouble...” I murmured.
“I didn't help you. Like I told you, I was just out for a stroll and happened to pick you up off the ground,” she retorted.
She casually brushed back her drenched locks of hair.
“I carried you along paths where nobody would see us, so as long as you keep your mouth shut, we’ll be fine,” she added.
As expected of the academy’s resident truant queen.
She had expertly navigated blind spots where no one would spot her to bring me this far.
“...Are you... feeling better already?” I asked.
“You’re the one who’s practically half-dead here! I’m totally fi—Ow-w-w!” she grimaced.
Clutching her flank, she let out a string of sharp hisses of pain.
It was clear she had completely disregarded her own wounds to rush out and rescue me.
“...Anyway, I’m heading back now,” she announced, turning toward the door.
“Urz,” I called out.
With a raspy voice, I stopped her in her tracks just as she was about to leave.
“...Do you know about... ‘Master-Servant Sacred Matrimony’?”
“Huh? Sacred Matrimony? Where the heck did that come from all of a sudden?” Urz asked, blinking in surprise.
Tilting her head quizzically, she nodded as if it were common knowledge.
“It’s the grand ceremony held upon graduation from the academy. You form a covenant with Her Majesty and become an official princess knight,” she explained.
Once that pact was forged, the servant owed absolute submission to their sovereign lord.
In other words, you dedicated the entirety of your future life to the queen.
“Though the station and duties you’re granted vary depending on your rank at graduation. That’s why all of us try so desperately to climb even one rank higher—wait, what does any of this have to do with anything?” Urz questioned.
If you were destined to serve for the rest of your days anyway, you would want the best possible treatment.
For these girls, the Rank Matches were essentially their job hunt—
“...Is it possible... for a student of this academy... to enter Sacred Matrimony with me?” I asked haltingly.
Submitting to a man for life was an act of sheer madness that completely derailed any career path.
When I posed the question knowing full well what it entailed, Urz’s eyes went completely round in shock.
“A-Are you... proposing to me right now?!” she stammered, flustered.
“...No, that’s not what I meant...” I mumbled.
“You’ve taken so many hits to the head that whatever screws you had left came loose,” she groaned, shaking her head.
...The way you put it makes it sound like I was crazy to begin with.
“To give you a straight answer: it’s one hundred percent impossible,” Urz declared flatly.
“I won against you, Urz. If ‘the victor claims all’...” I pressed.
“Still impossible. Because when all is said and done, the absolute victor is Her Majesty the Queen.”
This academy was nothing more than a miniature garden belonging to the world's strongest queen.
Whether you won or lost in the Rank Matches, it all amounted to nothing more than dancing in the palm of her hand.
“Victory gets you almost anything,” Urz explained, “but defying the Queen at the very pinnacle—pulling a stunt like snatching away us girls who are bound to become her property through holy matrimony—is utterly forbidden.”
That, apparently, was the universal consensus shared by every student in the academy.
“If there were ever an exception,” she added, “you’d literally have to defeat Her Majesty herself.”
She rested a hand on her chin, lost in thought.
“Or maybe... you could challenge the student you want to marry to a ‘Duel’... No, that’s obviously impossible...” she muttered, trailing off.
The Duel System.
That’s right. With so much happening, I completely put it on the back burner.
I recalled the unread academy handbook resting on my desk, the one detailing the school’s regulations.
“Anyway, it’s completely impossible,” Urz declared with an assertive toss of her head. “If you want to propose to me, you’d better save your hopes for the next life.”
“...I’m surprised,” I teased faintly. “So you’d actually consider it in the next life?”
“Gh—! Shut up! Injured people should just go to sleep!” she snapped, flustered.
Her cheeks flushing faintly, she scurried out of the room with brisk strides.
“...A duel...” I muttered under my breath.
There might be a clue inside that handbook to break through this deadlock.
I wanted to go grab it, but the agonizing pain shooting through my body rendered me practically immobile.
Planting my hands onto the floor, I attempted to crawl my way over, but...
“...Huh?”
Beneath the bed, my fingertips brushed against something.
Shifting onto my side, I managed to drag it out—a mysterious paper bag.
“Await a discussion tomorrow at noon. —Zeze.”
Opening the bag, I found that brief message tucked inside.
Alongside it were painkillers, fever reducers, and even a suspicious-looking energy drink.
“...Things must be looking grim on Miss Zeze’s end, too,” I murmured.
The sign posted on the infirmary door reading “Male Students Strictly Prohibited” was proof enough of that.
With the Queen tightening her stranglehold, this secret drop was the only way she could establish contact with me.
“...Guess I’ll just take everything for now,” I muttered.
My circumstances were as dire as they came, but I wasn't about to roll over and die so easily.
Washing down the pills with the foul-tasting energy drink, I lay back—
“—...Wait, did I fall asleep?”
Whether induced by drowsiness from the medication or sheer exhaustion, roughly an hour had passed while I was out.
Exhausted down to my marrow and covered in wounds from head to toe, it would probably be more accurate to say I’d passed out cold.
“...Still, my body feels a little lighter,” I murmured.
On top of all the accumulated trauma, I had broken bones.
I'd braced myself for a raging fever, so the medicine must have done its job.
Even so, my limbs felt like lead, leaving me scarcely able to budge—
“...!”
Knock, knock. A quiet rap sounded from the door outside.
Could it be Miss Zeze? Or did Urz come back?
“...It’s unlocked,” I called out.
Urz had rushed out in such a fluster that she’d forgotten to lock the door behind her.
I answered in a faint, strained voice from atop the bed.
“—Pardon the intrusion,” a composed voice spoke.
The figure who appeared was the last person I expected: the golden-haired princess knight.
“Senior... Verg...?” I gasped.
The striking beauty stood there in her school uniform, a tote bag slung over her shoulder.
Lifting only my neck, I peered up at her as she approached my bedside.
“...What did you... come here for?” I rasped.
“I came to fulfill my promise,” she answered quietly.
She was referring to our intimate encounter in the library that had been cut short halfway through.
The affair where I had pledged never to speak a word of it to anyone.
It seemed she had come to see that promise through to the end, but...
“...Forget about that already,” I scoffed weakly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
After being brutally beaten to a pulp, I was completely sick and tired of everything.
“B-but you see...” she stammered, flustered.
“You didn’t actually keep it a secret, did you? You went right ahead and tattled to the Queen, didn’t you?”
“Th-that's not true at all...!” Verg protested.
The Hellfire Lord shook her head adamantly, insisting the Queen had nothing to do with it.
“This is a matter strictly between you and me!” she declared.
“...Sure it is. Did the Queen order you to come attack me again?”
“N-no, that's—!” she cried out.
I should have known better. You can never trust anyone so easily.
...I was on the verge of softening up to her. What on earth was I thinking?
She's the enemy through and through. There's no reason to treat her with any sincerity.
“I-I only wished to show you proper gratitude...” she stammered.
“What, more babble about chivalry? Didn’t you throw that away already?” I sneered.
The moment the Queen commanded it, she’d gleefully take part in a slaughter show.
Whether old men or little boys, every male was wiped out as subhuman dregs.
“...I only... for Her Majesty’s sake...” Verg murmured, her voice breaking.
Clenching her fists in bitter frustration, she hung her head low.
“Good for you, then,” I spat. “You got praised by your beloved master, didn't you?”
When I said that, her eyes inexplicably welled up as if on the verge of tears.
...I just want her out of here. Right now.
“Do you... despise me now...?” she asked in a trembling whisper.
Her face was fraught with sheer dread, as if terrified of the answer.
“I know it is shameless of me to ask, but... if even the slightest piece of you still feels—” she pleaded.
She’s being utterly relentless. What does this woman even want from me?
Cutting across her words in my mounting irritation, I blurted out the words without thinking.
“Despise you? We’re enemies—I’ve hated your guts from the very beginning!”
“—!”
A look of profound sorrow washed over her features, followed by a faint, powerless smile.
“...O-of course... you are right... I knew that all along...” she whispered, her voice trembling.
It’s ridiculous. She looks as heartbroken as someone who just got dumped.
“...Even so, I still wish to fulfill my promise,” Verg pressed on.
She clutched the tote bag on her shoulder, which seemed packed to the brim with all sorts of things.
“I studied... so that I might bring pleasure to a man—no, to you specifically,” she confessed earnestly.
She declared her wish to resume where our intimate tryst had left off with heartbreaking sincerity.
“I was gathering all the necessary items for it, but then things turned out like this...” she explained.
“Wait—”
“I have already bathed! I will not take up your time or trouble you in the slightest!” Verg rushed on.
“Listen to me—”
“Just for today, there are no disciplinary violations! If you wish, I will kiss you as many times as you like, and you may touch my breasts all you want! I-I am not accustomed to shameful acts, but even so, I will do everything I can to satisfy you—”
“Senior!” I yelled, cutting her off.
To the girl putting on such a desperately cheerful front, I coldly told her that enough was enough.
“Please... just leave,” I demanded.
Doing something like this won't change a thing. It's completely meaningless.
“............I... I understand,” she choked out.
The Hellfire Lord gave a frail, dejected nod.
“Lastly... I brought food and water as well. If you would at least take those...”
Her voice quavered as though clinging to a single, fragile ray of hope, but...
“...No, of course... you wouldn't want them. Never mind.”
There was zero trust between us. No fool in their right mind would ever consume food offered by an enemy.
Understanding that harsh reality herself, her grip on the tote bag slackened.
“Forgive my intrusion. I shall take my leave...” she murmured.
Despite her tall, imposing stature, she turned on her heel with the tiniest, most meek parting words.
“...You are a man, and I despise men,” she said.
Yet as her hand turned the doorknob, the girl paused for a brief instant to speak.
“Even so, when it comes to Kageruya Noah, I li—...”
She was on the verge of confessing what lay beyond those words, but stopped herself at the very last second.
Instead, she gave a lonely smile, amending her words to brush it off before walking out.
“I never hated you, you know.”
Deep down, I knew the truth.
There was no way Senior Verg would ever take pleasure in hurting others.
Back when she was beating me at the internment camp, she had looked in far more anguish than I ever was.
She had been saved by the Queen, driven entirely by a desperate longing for her acceptance.
Even if shunned by all others, serving beneath the Queen was the only place she could find any reason for existing.
And I was the exact same. Conquering the labyrinth had been all I had.
If our positions had been reversed, I might very well have struck her one hundred times myself.
“...Gh...!”
My body had passed its absolute limit long ago, yet sheer willpower forced me up onto my feet.
Throwing myself from the bed, I scrambled after the girl who had vanished beyond the door.
“...I know this is completely pointless, and yet...” I gritted out.
The old me would have just stayed in bed and slept it off.
Women can’t be trusted anyway, I would have told myself.
“...Even so...”
I went too far. I was painfully aware of how spiteful my words had been.
Trapped in a fog of confusion and bitter frustration, I’d lashed out at her in a fit of emotion.
“...Senior Verg!” I cried out.
Running barefoot, I sprinted after her, calling her name at the top of my lungs.
“Kageruya...?!” Verg gasped, wheeling around in disbelief.
I made it in time. She turned back toward me, and as she closed the distance, our eyes locked together—
“...Is this really what you want?” I panted, breathless.
Are you truly going to cast aside your chivalry?
Are you really going to become just another one of the countless ordinary women in this world?
“...Is dedicating your entire life to that tyrannical Queen really the right path for you?”
If she looked me in the eye and told me that brought her true happiness, I wouldn't say another word.
“For the record, I despise who you are right now, Senior,” I said.
I was going to answer the parting words she had left me with, returning the exact same sentiment in kind.
“The Senior you were before... I didn't hate her.”
Noble, righteous, and beautiful—a strong way of life that someone as weak as me could never hope to embody.
From the bottom of my heart, I had thought she was incredible.
“...I have lived my entire life for Her Majesty,” Verg murmured softly.
Taking in my words, the girl hung her head low.
“...I do not know whether what I did earlier was right or wrong.”
It was an absolute order from the Queen she revered like a mother.
Having obeyed her every decree since childhood, she couldn't simply turn around and defy her overnight.
“And yet... it is not as if I have never harbored doubts about Her Majesty's deeds.”
Perhaps it was only because I was the Queen's declared enemy.
Whatever the reason, she was finally confiding the true feelings she could never dare reveal to any other woman in this world.
“The rule of this world is that the strong claim everything. That is why such emotions are utterly useless, and yet...”
The omnipotent Queen was permitted any cruelty, no matter how outrageous.
Even so, human beings possessed hearts and emotions.
“Even I... do not want to throw away my chivalry!” she cried out.
Even when logic dictated one thing, the human soul sometimes refused to surrender.
A mournful smile crept onto her lips, full of hollow resignation.
“If only there were a master more worthy than Her Majesty, perhaps I would not have had to cast it aside...”
“If there were,” I asked, “what would you do?”
My question caught her completely off guard. Senior Verg blinked in wide-eyed astonishment for a moment, and then—
“I would serve them for the rest of my life. Upon my chivalry, I would dedicate everything I am to them.”
Her expression shone with the unmistakable, noble dignity that defined who she was.
If someone could truly claim her as their knight, that person would surely be the most blessed soul alive.
“...The most blessed soul, huh...?” I murmured under my breath.
“Kageruya?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion.
How was a human being supposed to find genuine happiness?
The Queen had arrogantly boasted that bedding her was the greatest bliss anyone could achieve.
Even so, the question that had plagued my thoughts for so long seemed to finally reveal an answer, if only a fleeting glimpse.
“...You told me once before, didn't you? That fighting for someone else's sake is what truly matters.”
“Y-Yes, I did,” she replied, taken aback.
Listening to my own heart, I steeled my resolve.
I had thought about bringing justice to the oppressed men who suffered beneath this regime.
And right here, in this very moment, a brand-new reason to fight had taken root.
“—I want to fight for your sake, Verg.”
Everyone else bowed in blind obedience to the Queen. I was the only one who refused.
In this world, I was the only person left capable of reaching out a hand to save her.
“Fufu. For my sake?” Verg let out a soft chuckle. “Then are you offering to become my new master?”
She phrased it as a playful jest, but I pressed forward with unflinching seriousness.
“Would obeying a man really be so intolerable to you?”
“It would,” she admitted, then faltered. “Though if it were you, Kageruya—... No, entertaining such daydreams is pointless.”
No, it wasn't a pointless dream at all.
Though the precise intricacies of the Duel System were still shrouded in mystery, the pieces were undeniably beginning to fall into place.
“Besides, Senior, you also told me something else before, remember?”
Back when she had enlightened me about the existence of holy matrimony in lieu of ordinary marriage.
“You told me: ‘If you wish to conquer me, fight and defeat me.’”
If that was the way of things, then that was precisely what I would do.
“For your sake—I am going to defeat you.”
＊＊＊＊＊
“—My apologies for summoning you to such a secluded place,” a composed voice spoke.
Noon the following day. I had made my way to a quiet, secluded courtyard garden.
The academy grounds were vast, peppered with numerous quiet corners completely hidden away from prying eyes.
“Yesterday as well, despite being your accomplice, I was powerless to do anything...” Miss Zeze murmured contritely.
“There's no need to apologize,” I replied. “Besides, you just set my broken bones with your ice.”
“It was quite a crude method of treatment, I admit... Even as the school nurse, I am deeply ashamed.”
The Queen's harassment was only escalating with each passing hour.
Not only the infirmary, but the faculty offices, the library, and even the cafeteria...
Practically every single area on campus had been declared strictly off-limits to male students.
“...Though leaving only the classrooms and the training grounds open is pretty malicious in its own right,” I noted dryly.
Leaving behind just a sliver of false hope was quintessential cruelty from that tyrannical Queen.
To make matters worse, she had reportedly issued an edict explicitly forbidding anyone from associating with me.
“...You have been entirely isolated, haven't you,” Miss Zeze murmured heavily, weighed down by guilt.
She muttered with visible contrition, carrying the weight of my predicament on her shoulders, but I shook my head.
“Not entirely. I still have you, Miss Zeze.”
“Kageruya...” she breathed, touched by my response.
“Even if we can't be seen together openly, having you in my corner is an immense source of strength.”
Both emotionally, and when considering how to navigate what was to come—
“—What do you intend to do about the Rank Matches?” Miss Zeze asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
She brought up the central dilemma before us.
Under our original plan, I was supposed to climb all the way up to Six-Star, and then challenge the Hellfire Lord to a Rank Match.
Through that, I was meant to secure the right to challenge the Queen herself.
“The grace period granted by the Queen is a mere two days, including today,” Miss Zeze reminded me.
That meant I would have to defeat every single rank from Three-Star to Six-Star before the day was out.
And then face the Hellfire Lord tomorrow...
“...Which is completely impossible in reality, right?” I conceded with a wry grimace.
Miss Zeze gave a solemn nod, echoing my assessment.
There was no earthly way anyone could fight through four consecutive matches in a single day.
Even if I scraped past the early bouts, by the end I'd be battered into a bloody rag.
“Regrettably... I believe we have reached the stage where we must formulate a retreat,” she advised quietly.
She was proposing that I abandon the academy and flee.
“There is a curse placed on my neck by the Queen,” I reminded her.
If I attempted to escape beyond her reach, it would trigger instantaneous death.
“...Don't tell me, Miss Zeze, are you capable of dispelling it?”
“I cannot,” she admitted. “However, if we use what little time remains, perhaps we might find a way...”
Her words were uncharacteristically hesitant and strained.
Beneath her usual deadpan mask, I could distinctly sense the anxiety churning within her.
“—I'm not running away,” I told her firmly.
Meeting her desperate attempts at persuasion, I stated my intention without a shred of doubt.
I had spent my entire life running away from one ordeal after another, but...
When I realized I wasn't just fighting for myself anymore, turning my back was no longer an option.
“But the battle lines are already drawn against you...” she protested.
“It's not checkmate just yet,” I countered.
To the disheartened teacher, I shared the crucial intelligence I had uncovered in the library archives.
“...Roughly five years ago, there was a princess knight hailed as the academy's greatest masterpiece,” I began.
A woman who possessed the supreme pinnacle of ice abilities, ascending swiftly to the ranks of the Seven Sacred Swords.
“Her name was—the Absolute Frost Lord, Zestia Zenelvia.”
At the sound of her true name unveiled, Miss Zeze's eyes flew wide open.
“The legendary princess knight who led a rebellion against the Queen,” I added.
“...You went so far as to investigate my past?” she asked in a low whisper.
She was the rebel who had orchestrated an insurrection during her time as a student.
In the present day, she was officially treated as deceased.
Under the Queen's autocratic regime, everyone went out of their way to avoid even whispering her name, and yet...
“I combed through every single combat log and battle record in the library from top to bottom,” I confessed.
And there, I had found it.
The Sacred Regalia and ice powers that Miss Zeze demonstrated on my first day of transfer matched her records perfectly, and furthermore—
“If you string the initials of Zestia Zenelvia together, you get Zeze. It felt a little too obvious, to be honest.”
“...You have truly bested me,” she sighed.
Shaking her head side to side, she threw up her hands in utter surrender.
“After fleeing by the skin of my teeth and being sheltered by Malris and the others, I finally managed to infiltrate this academy... only to be unmasked like this,” she lamented with a wry sigh.
“...I’m the only one who’s noticed,” I assured her gently.
She had been utterly meticulous about never wielding her Sacred Aura or her Regalia.
On top of that, she went out of her way to avoid interacting with students or staff any more than strictly necessary.
Even having spent so much time right by her side, it had taken me until now to finally piece it together.
“Even if you have uncovered my true identity...” Miss Zeze murmured, trailing off.
Her body was simply no longer capable of fighting the way it once had.
She wouldn’t be able to launch an ambush against the Hellfire Lord or the Queen either.
Nothing about our desperate situation would change—that was what she meant to convey. Even so...
“We still have the Duel System,” I pointed out.
“Wha—?!” she gasped, her eyes flying wide.
When delving toward the deepest recesses of a dungeon, raiders always have to choose their route.
There was the safe route that took an enormous amount of time.
There was the dangerous route that could be cleared quickly.
—And then there was the ultra-hazardous route that got you there in an instant.
In the dungeon-raiding community, people referred to that sort of method as an “exploit.”
“The Duel System is an exploit,” I explained. “It’s a mechanic that allows for a coup along the shortest, fastest route possible.”
By all rights, I should have learned about it much sooner.
Then again, it was only natural that Miss Zeze had kept it secret from me...
“...Are you in your right mind?” she asked, staring at me in utter disbelief.
“I researched the overview of the system thoroughly,” I replied.
In the Rank Matches, you could only fight those of equal rank or exactly one tier above you.
A duel, however, was an entirely different beast.
“Rank, social standing, age, sex—it’s a system where you can issue a challenge regardless of any disparity, right?”
Even a One-Star could challenge a Seven-Star.
By taking advantage of this, I could challenge the Hellfire Lord directly.
“...If so, then you must surely know the conditions of a duel as well,” Miss Zeze said, her gaze hardening.
“That you must fight with your life on the line, correct?” I answered.
During Rank Matches, a special barrier was erected across the field.
It provided a “revival measure” that healed injuries and resurrected the dead.
In a duel, however, no such safeguard existed.
“In a duel, restrictions are placed on the barrier. While it seems injuries are still treated—”
“—Your life is not guaranteed,” she interrupted sternly. “If you suffer a fatal wound, you will truly die.”
Exploits always came with tremendous risk.
There would be no continues, Miss Zeze reminded me.
“Furthermore, even if a lower-ranked student duels one of the Seven Sacred Swords, the outcome is already decided,” she continued.
A level-one monster stood no earthly chance of defeating a level-one-hundred monster.
And in this case, defeat literally meant death.
“You can surrender in theory, but whether they accept it is entirely at your opponent’s discretion,” she added.
As a man, I would undoubtedly be slaughtered without a second thought.
Either way, with my lifespan already whittled down to almost nothing by the curse, I had no intention of surrendering in the first place.
“...The Duel System is an archaic institution dating back to antiquity,” she said.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, speaking as though nursing a splitting headache.
“It only remains on the books as a formality of tradition...” she murmured.
“Even if no one else uses it, I will,” I said firmly.
To secure victory, I would stop at nothing.
“...I had prayed you would never learn of it,” Miss Zeze confessed.
If Kageruya Noah ever discovered this system, he would inevitably exploit it.
Having anticipated this exact outcome, she let out a heavy, anguished sigh.
“Come now, Miss Zeze, it’s not all bad,” I countered.
From what I had learned, the outcome of a duel was absolute and binding.
“...If I defeat the Hellfire Lord, everything she has belongs to me,” I said.
Her rank, her wealth, her achievements, her body—and even her life itself.
Under a system where combatants staked their very lives, not even the Queen herself could interfere.
“In the end, all you can obtain by winning Rank Matches is whatever doesn’t displease the Queen,” I pointed out.
The victor claims all.
If you truly desired that, you either had to defeat the Queen and claim the throne at the pinnacle...
...or completely subjugate your opponent through a one-on-one duel.
“...Besides, this is a crucial stepping-stone,” I added.
“A stepping-stone? Do you have an objective beyond mere survival?” Miss Zeze asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Dueling the Hellfire Lord is the first step in our raid to bring down the Queen,” I explained.
A complete strategy guide to conquering the strongest Queen.
By employing the Duel System, the formula for victory was gradually, yet unmistakably, coming into view.
“...There really is no stopping you, is there?” Miss Zeze conceded softly.
Resignation washing over her features, she lifted her gaze to meet mine.
“Even so, even if you duel her, do you realistically stand any chance of victory against the Hellfire Lord?”
“Well, technically... I do... sort of...” I muttered, trailing off.
“Your voice dropped rather noticeably just now. Your teacher is deeply concerned,” she chided.
She gave an exasperated shrug, looking at me like an older sister gazing upon a hopeless younger brother.
“A moment ago, you went out of your way to bring up my true name and my past,” she pointed out.
Having evidently steeled her resolve, her demeanor turned deadly serious.
“Looking ahead to this duel, what do you want me—no, what do you want Zestia Zenelvia to do?” she demanded.
Her tactical instincts were razor-sharp. She was truly a former member of the Seven Sacred Swords.
“Then I’ll get straight to the point. There are two favors I need from you—”
It was a brute-force stratagem, but it would undeniably improve my odds of victory.
“...That will be quite the gamble,” Miss Zeze murmured.
Having listened to my plan, she showed a rare flicker of tension.
“Still, we have no other choice. Consider the assignment accepted.”
“Ngh... Thank you so much...!” I gasped, relief washing over me.
“However, I have two conditions of my own,” she stated firmly.
Leaning in close, she fixed me with an unblinking stare.
“First: you must win without fail, and return alive.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am,” I answered, swallowing hard.
“Second: once this entire matter is settled—”
Her hand, as exquisite as sculpted ice, gently caressed my lower body.
“—You will keep me company in bed.”
She murmured something about needing comfort and stress relief if she was going to work so hard for me.
It was true that I had asked a rather absurd favor of her, but still...
“B-But blowing off steam with sex is a little...” I stammered.
“Is there a problem?” she pressed.
“For a teacher, I mean...”
“Is there a problem?” she repeated, her tone dropping dangerously.
The sheer, overwhelming pressure emanating from her left me with no choice but to nod with a strained smile.
“Knowing you will be waiting for me gives me all the more reason to fight,” she whispered softly.
“Miss Zeze...” I murmured.
“Just be prepared when night falls. I won’t hold back at all when we mate in earnest.”
M-Mate...? Exactly how dry does she intend to milk me?
Even if I survive the duel, am I just going to get killed by sex instead?!
“A-Anyway, let’s wrap this up—” I stammered, frantically steering the conversation back on track.
I would issue my duel challenge to Senior Verg before the day was out.
And tomorrow, I would face her in battle.
In the meantime, Miss Zeze would maneuver behind the scenes.
“Speaking of which, this is somewhat of an aside, but—” Miss Zeze began.
Just as we were about to part ways, she spoke up deliberately.
“You mentioned earlier that no one ever uses the Duel System, Kageruya, but that is actually incorrect,” she said.
She pointed out the flaw in my understanding.
“Throughout the academy’s centuries of history...” she continued.
“Someone besides me actually used the Duel System?” I asked.
“Yes. Only a single person in the past, however,” she answered.
My investigation had evidently fallen short. Just what kind of person could that have been?
“Nearly fifteen years ago, a certain girl fought a duel on the very day of her enrollment,” Miss Zeze explained.
“What? Her first day? But she would’ve only been a One-Star, right?” I gasped.
“Indeed. Yet the outcome was a decisive victory. She achieved an overwhelming triumph against one of the Seven Sacred Swords of that era.”
N-No matter how you look at it, that has to be a lie.
As if a monster like that could ever exist in this wo... rld... Wait.
“D-Don’t tell me... You mean...” I stammered, blood draining from my face.
“It is astonishing, truly. She was just like you—refusing to let any method go unused in pursuit of victory.”
The only person in all of history to ever invoke the Duel System—
“—That girl’s name was Luferia Avalonics.”
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