---

The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 180: Effort

~side Iris~

Standing on stage, Iris looked at Shudo across from her, and he suddenly spoke up.

“You are that person from back then…”

“Excuse me? Have we met somewhere?”

“You don’t remember me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not interested in any men other than Lord Lewis.”

Iris said this with a slightly apologetic face, but it was her true feelings—she genuinely did not remember Shudo at all, as she had no interest in anyone besides Lewis.

“Well, it’s only natural you wouldn’t remember since we only met that one day. I’m Shudo. I helped you when you were being harassed by upperclassmen during the welcome party.”

“The welcome party… you helped me… ugh!”

“Wha-What’s wrong?!”

As soon as Iris heard the mention of the welcome party, she was struck by a severe headache and wobbled slightly while holding her head.

“Stay away from me!!”

“Uh…”

Seeing Iris in distress, Shudo tried to approach her, but she surprisingly shouted to stop him in a loud voice.

(Haa, haa. Every time he tries to come closer, my head starts to hurt more. If he comes any closer, I feel like my head might explode.)

Just a few steps closer, and Shudo only intensified her headache, bringing on a feeling of nausea as if something was invading her body.

“Are you okay? If you’re feeling unwell, you can forfeit.”

“N-No, I’m fine.”

“I see. But if it really hurts, please don’t hesitate to surrender immediately.”

The teacher serving as the referee said this with concern as he moved to the corner of the stage to signal the start of the match.

(He seems to be concerned about my condition and is hesitating to attack.)

Even after the match started, Shudo held his sword but showed no sign of launching an attack, as if unsure of what to do.

“Now is the perfect time since he’s hesitating. I know he’s worried about me, but I need to seize this opportunity. ‘Spiral of Water!'”

When Iris cast her spell, a gigantic whirlpool of water appeared, closing in on Shudo as if to swallow him whole.

“What?! Magic Slash!”

In response to the approaching whirlpool, Shudo channeled magic into his sword and swung it down strongly, cutting through the vortex as if he aimed to slice it in half.

The massive magic-infused slash flew through the air like the fighting spirit of Lewis and vertically cleaved the enormous whirlpool.

“Whoa!!”

That magical slash didn’t just stop at splitting the whirlpool; it continued onward, aiming to slice through even Iris, who managed to throw up an intricate water shield in layers to absorb the blow.

“Haa… haa… I didn’t think he could send magic itself as a projectile.”

Normally, magic power contained within one’s body could only be projected if converted into a spell.

As soon as magic power leaves the body, it is immediately transformed into natural magic power, so what mages commonly call magic release just causes magic power to overflow from the body without actually losing it.

If someone, like Lewis, could master the intricate manipulation of magic power, they could even maintain magic power away from their body without it transforming into natural magic power. Indeed, Edward, the father of Lewis, utilized his exceptional magic control to keep his magic power suspended in the air.

However, as had been seen throughout the matches so far, Shudo did not possess the same level of magical control as Lewis, and ordinarily, it should’ve been impossible to project magic power as an attack.

“Though he may not have mastered it, his magic density is astounding. That must be the reason he could launch it.”

As Iris analyzed, Shudo’s magic manipulation didn’t match up to Lewis, but the amount and concentration of magic in that earlier strike were tremendous. Since the magic power was so excessive, it became compressed like stone and was sent out as a projectile without turning into natural magic.

It’s like paper—while a single sheet can be easily cut or torn, dozens or hundreds of overlapping sheets become much harder to slice through.

Shudo’s magic slash was precisely that; by packing immense magic power into his small sword, the density of the compressed magic was comparable to stacking thousands of sheets of paper, allowing it to avoid transforming into natural magic even after leaving his body.

“Earlier, the water vortex weakened the attack, so it was manageable, but stopping that directly seems tough!”

Iris pondered what to do, but noticing her plight, Shudo grew concerned she might worsen and said something that could be seen as insulting.

“Um, can’t we just stop? You don’t look well, and that last spell didn’t work on me. If you push yourself any further, you might really collapse.”

“Didn’t work… on you?”

“Yes. Your magic was magnificent, but it was ineffective against my magic slash. Since I’ve acquired this power, I haven’t faced a single spell that I couldn’t cut. Also, just wrapping myself in magic power usually defends against most spells. So please, can you surrender before you get hurt? I’d prefer not to hurt a woman.”

Looking into Shudo’s eyes, there was nothing but pure concern for Iris’s condition, devoid of malice or bad intent.

However, every single word dripped with condescension—sweet but entirely belittling.

“…Hmph. I understand that you’re worried about me.”

“I’m glad my feelings came across. I also don’t want to hurt you anymore…”

“But could you please not underestimate me too much?”

“Huh?”

As she said this, Iris released her magic power, and deep, ocean-blue magic surged from her.

While not as much as Sonia’s, her magic density and control surpassed Sonia’s, generating an aura so thick it caused cold sweat in spectators.

“Since the first time I saw his magic, I’ve always wanted to be a magician like him. However, I lack the vast magic power like his, the excellent magical talents like Sonia, or the combat skills like Fiera. Still, I persevered, practicing magic in my own way. And I realized, even without immense power or talent, I possess magic control.”

It was after Iris learned that Lewis had gone on his journey only with Fiera.

Desiring to support Lewis, she kept practicing attack magic, focusing on combat techniques with her magic teacher.

But no matter how hard she tried, her water magic lacked the offensive power to match Lewis, and though she could learn tactical maneuvers, she had trouble in physical combat like Fiera.

Nevertheless, Iris couldn’t give up on becoming stronger; she pressured her father to take her on monster hunting quests to learn the gaps in her power compared to the now stronger Lewis.

After returning to the mansion, Iris continued desperately striving to be like Lewis, but the harder she tried, the greater the realization of her gaps in strength and innate talent became.

“I really don’t have a knack for magic after all.”

Confronted with reality, Iris stopped practicing magic for a while, indulging in lethargy until one day, she remembered the day she first met Lewis.

“Oh right, when I first met Lord Lewis, he was floating due to water magic. Haha, what a nostalgic memory!”

She recalled the astonishment of seeing him float on a water cushion, having never seen magic controlled so intricately, secretly cultivating a sense of admiration.

“Yes, what I admired wasn’t Lewis’s offensive magic. It was that extraordinary manipulation of magic. Magic control can be improved through effort, so surely… I can’t just stay like this! I have to start practicing right away!”

Remembering what she yearned for, Iris shifted her focus from practicing attack spells to honing her magic control.

“Your magic density is certainly impressive. But don’t think that it’s your exclusive power. If I put in the effort, I can achieve that too.”

Though her head still throbbed painfully, Iris could not allow herself to overlook Shudo’s demeaning remarks about her past.

Feeling her strong resolve and dense magic, Shudo gulped, his expression turning serious as he readied his sword.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to lose. I want to grow stronger and prevent anyone from experiencing the tragedy I once did. Therefore, you will have to lose to me!”

With white magic power unleashed, Shudo declared this and charged toward Iris, enhancing his body with magic.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

If you enjoy this, please check out my simultaneous series, “Former Hero, Now the Demon Lord Pledging the World.”

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330663836544021

You can express your support easily by clicking the heart button. (Login required)

Support

If you have an account, please log in

Discover the reading experience possible on Kakuyomu.

 

---