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

Chapter 231: Incompatibility

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Understanding that further conversation was pointless, Sharueina and Rogurando gripped their weapons and glared at each other.

“Shh!!!”

The first to strike was Sharueina. Using body enhancement, she stomped the ground hard enough to crack it and in an instant, closed the distance to Rogurando.

Then, channeling magic into her sword and enveloping it in ice magic to eliminate unnecessary friction, she unleashed an incredibly swift strike aimed at Rogurando.

“Hmph. Too naive.”

“Gah!!”

However, that single strike was effortlessly caught by Rogurando’s great sword, and as a counter, he unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick to Sharueina’s abdomen. She leaped in the same direction as the kick, deflecting the force and avoiding a fatal blow.

Even after that, Sharueina launched attack after attack using all her techniques and magic, but every single one was shattered against his great sword and skills, failing to even leave a scratch.

In contrast, Rogurando accurately countered Sharueina’s attacks, so while she took damage, she didn’t suffer any fatal injuries. From the outside, it was an overwhelmingly one-sided battle.

(Certainly, it must be the experience accumulated until now; Princess Sharueina is being toyed with like a child.)

Sharueina possessed talent in martial arts and magic, and it was not inferior to Rogurando’s. Given time, she could eventually surpass him.

But for now, the overwhelming advantage in experience lay with Rogurando, and with that supremacy, Sharueina, lacking real combat experience, was unable to bridge the gap.

Moreover, being inexperienced meant a slight hesitation when facing the threat of death, a gap that could only be filled by having crossed many such life-or-death situations.

“Are we really okay with letting that person fight alone?”

“Fūshiru…”

As I sat on a water cushion, observing the battle between Sharueina and Rogurando, Fūshiru approached me from beside the throne, his expression suggesting he couldn’t understand something.

“What’s bothering you?”

“Well, that woman is your ally, right? Seeing her being overwhelmingly dominated like that highlights the clear power gap with Rogurando. At this rate, she’s going to die. Is that really fine with you?”

“You’re surprisingly kind, huh?”

“Kindness? More like Dragon Kin value their comrades. Thus, I can’t comprehend why you would act in a way that would let your ally die.”

“I see.”

Indeed, the Dragon Kin had a strong sense of camaraderie, often showing arrogance towards other races, but they treated their own kind equally, respecting even women and children.

That’s why Fūshiru couldn’t understand why I, as a fellow human, would take actions that could endanger Sharueina’s life.

“It’s simple. I don’t care that much about others, you see. Well, that applies to myself as well. I generally have no interest in other people’s lives, how they live, or how they meet their end. Once you die, everyone is the same, right? So, I let them live however they want, die however they want. That’s my way of kindness, and I believe it’s the best form of tribute I can offer.”

I quietly added the thought, “Well, I can’t die anyway,” then turned to Fūshiru to ask something that had been on my mind.

“By the way, how did you notice me? I was dressed as a woman when we met, right? But you recognized me right away. Why was that?”

“It’s because the magic power within you was the same as that woman’s. We Dragon Kin have a special sight called Dragon Eye. This eye allows us to see an opponent’s magic power and its wavelengths, no matter how much they try to suppress it.”

“That sounds like a really handy ability.”

Understanding the hidden magic power and its wavelengths means you can gauge how strong an opponent is.

However, one lingering question remained—why didn’t you use that Dragon Eye when you first met me?

If you did, you would have figured out I was an opponent you couldn’t handle right away, and we wouldn’t have spent that time playing around.

“I was immature. I let my guard down, thinking you were just a human. You looked like a little girl who hadn’t even lived half of my life, so I didn’t use my Dragon Eye. I now regret that choice.”

Curious about his reason, it was indeed a rather arrogant and foolish justification. The Dragon Kin tended to look down on other races, so it was a natural attitude for them.

For now, it seemed pointless to continue this discussion, so I decided to change the topic back to Sharueina and Rogurando who were still battling.

“Hey, Fūshiru. Who do you think will win between those two?”

“Well, honestly, I thought your ally might have something up her sleeve given the circumstances, but at her current level, she won’t win against Rogurando. Right now, while she’s actively attacking, she’s the one taking damage from the counters. If this keeps up, it’s certain she’ll be the one to die.”

“Got it.”

“Is that not the case?”

Fūshiru seemed puzzled that I didn’t agree with his assessment.

“Well, I do agree that at this rate she can’t win. However, that’s just if things continue as they are.”

“You think something will change?”

“Well, who knows.”

I said that and wrapped up the conversation, shifting my focus back to the battle between Sharueina and Rogurando.

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(Whoa! What a heavy sword!!!)

Having blocked yet another of Rogurando’s counters, Sharueina struggled to endure the weight of his blow.

“Oh? You stopped my sword, huh? But you’re still not bracing yourself enough!!!”

“Cough!!”

However, Rogurando sent Sharueina flying with pure strength, overwhelmed by the magical power she tried to channel into her block.

“!!”

“Hmm. You rise again so quickly. I’ll give you credit for that unyielding spirit.”

Though he complimented her with words, there was a hint of exasperation in Rogurando’s eyes as he watched her stand back up.

“Hey, Sharueina. Why do you keep getting back up? Why do you try to stop me? Is it because you don’t want to die? If that’s the case, then when I become Emperor, I’ll spare your life. You know you have no chance against me, right? So just give up already.”

“I… I will absolutely not give up! Even if it’s just me who survives, what does that matter?! If I don’t defeat you here and now, many citizens of the Empire will suffer, and my friends, my family will die! A nation exists for its people! I, as a princess, will definitely kill you here to protect the citizens!”

“Ha. Foolish. The citizens are merely a powerless rabble, countless but without might. What have you seen and learned on your way here, Sharueina? Powerless humans are ruled by the powerful, showing no resistance to their fate. They accept it, ignore it, and look the other way. They might complain among themselves, but they say nothing to their leaders, and even if their comrades suffer, they ignore them as if it were someone else’s problem. Tell me, Sharueina, do you really think it’s worth risking your life to protect such hopeless beings?”

“Certainly, there are those hopeless people. In fact, in some towns I’ve visited, guild staff have kidnapped people to sell as slaves, and greed-driven individuals attacked me. But not every person is like those hopeless beings! Some sacrifice themselves to help others, and some risk everything to save many! It is our duty as royalty and the responsibility of the strong to protect those people!”

“I see. Then die along with that so-called responsibility of royalty. You won’t achieve a single thing.”

Rogurando said this with cold eyes before finally attacking her instead of merely countering.

Sharueina was sent flying again by his heavy blow.

Yet this time, she somehow managed to take a tumble and quickly got back on her feet, launching into a counterattack without hesitation.

Thus, the battle between the two intensified further, while Lewis quietly watched the outcome unfold.

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If you’re interested, please check out my simultaneously serialized work “The Former Hero, Becoming a Demon Lord, Devotes the World”!

I would be thrilled if you could take a moment to read it!

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330663836544021

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