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

Chapter 232: For a Friend

“‘Rock Spike’”

As Rogurando stepped forward, the name of the spell slipped from his lips, and spikes made of rock spread radially from the ground towards Sharueina.

“Fuh…”

In response, Sharueina exhaled sharply, opened her eyes, and instead of running away, she sprinted directly towards the rock spikes, using the oncoming spikes as footholds, closing the distance to Rogurando in swift and erratic motions.

“Oh? You’re coming at me yourself? How interesting. Then how about this? ‘Rock Sword’”

With a laugh at Sharueina’s choice to engage rather than flee, Rogurando conjured dozens of rock swords above him, raining them down as if to impale her.

“………”

For a brief moment, Sharueina caught sight of the rain of swords falling down toward her, and in that fleeting instant, she elegantly dodged every single one, even using those swords as footholds to move seamlessly.

“Fuh hah hah! Sharueina! You truly are a genius!”

“‘Ice Flower April Shower’”

As Sharueina closed in, she swiftly drew her blade and unleashed a flurry of slashes towards Rogurando, but he met them with his black greatsword in his right hand and a rock sword in his left, blocking every single attack.

“That was a nice technique. However, decreasing your power to increase the number of hits is pointless. See? It’s all too easily blocked!”

Indeed, as Rogurando said, while using this technique, Sharueina had reduced the power of the slashes in exchange for speed.

Perhaps due to this, Sharueina’s slashes couldn’t even leave a mark on the black greatsword, let alone the rock sword, and in retaliation, the rock sword landed a heavy blow on Sharueina’s side.

“Ugh!!”

Having taken Rogurando’s heavy strike directly, Sharueina crashed into the wall, embedding herself within it along with a large dent.

“Hmm. Is this all you’ve got? Even with talent, you’re still just a little girl. You lack experience, skills, and everything else.”

“Ugh…”

Despite managing to free herself from the wall, it appeared that the impact had caused a concussion, and she remained on her knees, unable to move.

Seeing her state, Rogurando wore a sadistic smile as he drove his sword into the ground and sat down instead of delivering a final blow, addressing Sharueina.

“Hey, Sharueina. You said earlier that as a princess, you have the duty to protect the people of the Empire. And that those with power have the obligation to protect the weak. But remember. Back when you were little, I once told you a story about heroes, didn’t I? What did I say back then?”

“Th-that was…”

“Hmm. Can’t find the words? Then let me answer for you. ‘People have a tendency to fear and dislike those stronger than themselves or those that are different. In other words, while the hero is admired and respected, there is also jealousy and fear directed at them.’ I told you that, didn’t I? Now, reflecting on that story, how do you feel in your current situation? Are you not in the same predicament?”

“…”

“Silence speaks volumes. So, nothing has really changed since then, has it? Because of your power, you’re despised by your brothers, and because you’re a woman, the vassals look at you with disappointment. Is there really any value in protecting such an irritating existence?”

“…”

“Be honest, Sharueina. The real you, deep down, doesn’t care about the people or your family, or even your vassals, does she? You want to throw away and escape from these worthless people who scorn and belittle you, don’t you? You pretend to be a member of the royal family, telling yourself you have to have a reason to act, but with such a weak heart, there’s no way you could defeat me. This is your last chance. If you run away now, I won’t pursue you any further, and I’ll spare your life. But if you rise and take up a weapon again, I’ll take your head next. Now, choose.”

Sharueina felt she couldn’t move further in response to Rogurando’s penetrating words, lacking even the will to rise.

(Just as my uncle said. Why am I so weak…?)

Indeed, as Rogurando stated, Sharueina was very much a weak-hearted person, and the truth was, she didn’t care about the responsibilities of royalty or the obligations of the powerful.

She hadn’t been born into royalty by choice, nor had she chosen to be a woman.

She hadn’t wished for the talents in martial arts or magic either, and while she pretended to be unaffected, the gazes of her brothers and vassals hurt her so much she wished she could run away from it all.

However, she was so weak that even the choice to flee eluded her, lacking the core of her being and having no courage at all.

(What should I do…?)

Truly, she wanted to escape right then and there.

But the pride she had maintained all this time held her back, and so with a heart that felt close to breaking, Sharueina desperately thought.

(Speaking of which, back then, that girl…)

At that moment, Sharueina recalled a night when she had spoken with Iris in Carirro, where Iris had also almost broken down just like she was now, but was uplifted by her own words.

(That night, Lady Iris said there was something she wanted to stay by even at the cost of her life. And now uncle is saying everything means nothing to me. Then, what is truly important to me? Something I wouldn’t want to give to anyone and could even bet my life on…)

As she thought that, a vision of a young man, two girls she had traveled with, and several friends she had shared tea with before embarking on this journey appeared in her mind.

“I see. I…”

When Sharueina lifted her gaze to look behind Rogurando, there was Lewis quietly watching her, and his gaze held neither scorn nor pity.

What filled it was merely interest in the outcome of their battle, as if he were watching a play or story unfold.

Moreover, Iris and Miria, who were not present at the site, were likewise not burdening her with whimsy expectations or jealousy, with Iris even offering to stay by her side.

“What I lack is resolve…”

On that night, having realized what she truly lacked, Sharueina thought she was prepared to act due to her royal status.

However, in reality, that resolve was merely skin-deep, and for someone like Sharueina, who had never felt any pride in being part of the royal family, it could never become a true resolve.

“What I truly want to protect is…”

“Hm?”

Watching Sharueina’s trembling hands reach for a nearby sword, Rogurando displayed a hint of surprise, but upon seeing her face as she stood, he couldn’t help but laugh joyfully the next moment.

“Just as my uncle said, I don’t care about the people, the vassals, or even my brothers. My heart is weak, and to hide that weakness, I’ve made excuses and put on acts all this time.”

“True. You’re a hopeless coward. Turning away from reality, cloaking yourself in lies, fretting about what others think, and trying to flee like the weak you are.”

“That’s right. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I have friends I truly want to protect now. I have friends who said they want to stay by my side, and there’s another who quietly yields the field to me to witness the future I’m striving for. To walk the same path as them, I would abandon the people, my family, and even this weak heart of mine. If by risking my life I can share the same view as my friends, I wouldn’t hesitate to die right here!”

“Ha ha! Fuh hah hah! I see, you’re willing to throw away even your last chance. Very well. Then, as you wish, I shall take your life here!”

Having seen the true resolve that wasn’t a mere façade but also the resolve to die, Rogurando rose with a grotesque smile, shouldering the black greatsword.

“Show me your resolve, Shar.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

Thus began their final battle.

Sharueina was the first to move, and despite the damage and fatigue, her movements flowed like water. She had clearly improved her footwork and mastery of magic, moving without waste compared to when the battle began.

“Shh!!”

“Fuh ha ha! That was a good hit. My hands are tingling a bit. That’s far better than your earlier impotent strike!”

Sharueina’s blow was once more blocked by Rogurando’s greatsword, but even so, as he said, that strike had transformed into something sharper and heavier than before, and even Rogurando, confident in his strength, felt a slight tingling from the impact.

However, due to the difference in base power, Rogurando immediately launched a counter-attack, but Sharueina jumped to evade his horizontal slash and used the greatsword as a foothold to charge forward.

“I see. Now you’re pressing forward even more. It must reflect how you feel right now.”

Rogurando said that with admiration as he hefted the greatsword upward to throw Sharueina off balance.

Yet, having anticipated that, Sharueina reversed in mid-air, swiftly swinging her sword to slice through Rogurando’s back.

“Ugh…”

At long last, Sharueina landed a hit, blue blood oozing from Rogurando’s back.

“Ha. I never thought I’d receive a blow from you.”

“We’re just getting started.”

“Fuh ha! You’re not wrong. This isn’t over. In fact, it could be said that it has only just begun!”

“I’m coming!”

She sheathed her sword again and closed the distance to Rogurando with a swiftness that was incomparable to before, but Rogurando, having diligently tracked her movements, utilized his great sword, magic, kicks, and martial arts to try and seal her movement.

(I can see it. I understand Uncle’s movements now.)

However, having learned to read Rogurando’s actions through their previous battles, Sharueina no longer felt anxiety or hesitation; she could now view the unfolding fight from above, as if she were observing herself and Rogurando’s movements from the sky.

(Rightward horizontal slash… upward magical attack from below… sweep the leg… descending slash to cut upward…)

Though not perfect and sustaining some cuts, Sharueina skillfully avoided fatal injuries while finding openings to counter-attack, and gradually but surely, she increased the number of wounds on Rogurando.

“Tch! So you’re faster than me, huh? But let’s see how you handle this! ‘Rock Breaking Rumble’!”

Frustrated by Sharueina’s rapid movements, Rogurando slammed his great sword into the ground, causing a rumble that shattered the earth, sending chunks of stone flying indiscriminately like a barrier.

He thought this would slow Sharueina’s movements, but she quickly discerned the sizes and angles of the flying stones, identifying the optimal path, and without hesitation, propelled herself towards Rogurando’s center.

In the process, stones struck her arms and forehead, causing bleeding, but she pressed on, undeterred, until she finally closed in on Rogurando.

“Cursed! I can’t believe you charged right in without hesitation!”

“Four-Style Sword Draw Technique…”

“However, if I know where you’re coming from, it’s no problem. I’ll just cut you down here! Die!”

“‘Cold Grave Chant’”

Rogurando’s descending great sword absorbed itself into Sharueina’s left shoulder, severing her arm, but she had drawn her blade earlier, and it swept smoothly past Rogurando’s body, enveloped in a cold, tranquil chill.

“………”

“Ha ha. You’ve grown, haven’t you, Shar?”

With those words, the upper half of Rogurando’s body slowly began to shift sideways, his lower body remaining standing, while only his torso fell to the ground.

After stopping the bleeding from her severed shoulder with ice magic, Sharueina approached Rogurando, kneeling beside him as she spoke.

“Uncle.”

“Sha…ru.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve become strong. Your final technique…was magnificent.”

“Thank you.”

“And…I’m sorry. I made you handle my aftermath…”

“Don’t worry about it. I just did what I needed to do. Besides, without you, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat you. Had you not resisted the demon, I would have been the one to die.”

“I see… So you realized that.”

“Of course. You only attacked within the range I could handle. You could have killed me from the outset, yet you chose not to. It must have been so I could gain the strength to kill you, right?”

“Ha ha. With the way you put it, it seems you’ve realized it, huh…”

“Yes. At first, I thought you were just toying with me, but then I noticed. At the start, you called me Sharueina, but towards the end, you only referred to me as Shar. In that moment, everything clicked. You, despite being possessed by a demon, were continuously resisting, fighting to avoid being controlled by your desires and destroying the Empire.”

As Sharueina said, it was true that Rogurando had been amplified by the demon’s desires, yet for twelve years, he had never acted on it.

This was proof that he had resisted the desires amplified by the demon, showing that he was genuinely fighting not to be consumed by them.

If he had truly been consumed by desires, he would have started a war long ago, plunging the world into chaos, and would have carried out what he spoke of before their battle began.

In other words, Rogurando had merely pretended to drown in desire from the start. His arrogant demeanor and attacks, which had been just within Sharueina’s reach, were all acts to allow her to grow stronger while making it easier for her to kill him.

“I could feel my personality being increasingly dominated by the demon with each passing day. All I could do was convince myself I needed to prepare for war and buy time. I’m sorry.”

“No, rather, if you hadn’t bought time for me, it would have been far worse by now. Thank you so much.”

“Don’t thank me; I’ve done nothing worthy of thanks. In the end, I succumbed to my desires and struck a deal with the demon. It all started because of me. I may deserve to be accused, but receiving gratitude is wrong.”

“Uncle…”

Indeed, while the fact that Rogurando had made a contract with a demon was not pardonable, thinking of him as someone who had resisted the demon’s desires alone to protect Sharueina and the Empire made tears stream down Sharueina’s cheeks.

“Ha ha. Don’t cry, Shar. You’ll ruin that pretty face of yours.”

Rogurando said that as he tried to wipe away her tears, but perhaps he had lost all strength, for he couldn’t move even a single finger anymore, making it impossible for him to do so.

“I’ve always thought this, but you truly aren’t suited to being a king. You’re too kind. You’re better off marrying someone you love and finding happiness.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely. So just live freely without worrying about what others say. Your father should allow you to do so. He’s kind, just like you.”

“I understand.”

Whether it was near his final moments or not, Rogurando’s voice grew weaker and weaker, and his eyes became unfocused as they lost sight of her.

“I’m truly sorry for what I did to you. It has weighed heavily on my heart that I betrayed you.”

“Don’t concern yourself with it. Though I was lonely and hurt at that time, now I have friends. I’m no longer lonely.”

“I see… You have friends, Shar. That’s wonderful…”

“Yes. So please, Uncle, rest easy now.”

“Ah… Yes. I’m a bit tired, so let me do just that…”

Having said those final words, Rogurando closed his eyes, and his body turned to ash, disappearing without a trace from this world.

“Uncle… Thank you so much.”

Standing firmly, Sharueina picked up Rogurando’s sword, drove it into the ground, and wiped her tears away as she expressed her gratitude to him once more.

Then to convey the end of the battle to Lewis, who had watched closely until the end, she moved back toward him.

 

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