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

Chapter 251: First, One Lunge

Having arrived at the training ground with Fiera and the others, I changed into some comfortable clothes pulled from my storage magic and started warming up with some stretches.

“Hm? Seems like more people are showing up.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

While lightly sparring with Fiera as part of my warm-up, I noticed familiar faces entering from the entrance, making their way to the chairs set up nearby.

“Why are Father and the others here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hey, Lewis, come here for a second.”

“Yes.”

As I approached my father, who had just entered the training ground, I was greeted by my mother and Iris.

“Why are Father and the others here?”

“That’s because they were asked by Princess Sharueina to come and watch. You see, I’ve been teaching her magic recently, and she requested that I show my growth by sparring with you today.”

“I see.”

It seems Sharueina had informed Father about today’s events in advance, and it also served to showcase how much she had grown.

“Lewis, how do you plan to fight against Princess Sharueina?”

“Well, I intend to use ice magic and just my sword. I could easily fight using fire magic, but that wouldn’t be fun. If I’m going to fight, I should do it on my opponent’s turf.”

“Haha. That sounds like you. Well then, as a magician, I’ll enjoy watching your duel.”

“Lewis, remember, the princess is a girl, so don’t injure her, okay? If you do, you better take responsibility!”

“Don’t worry, Mother. Even if she gets hurt, there’s a saint with superior healing magic here who can help. Plus…”

I paused and glanced at Sharueina, who had her eyes closed, focusing intently with her sword drawn, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead as if she was imagining our battle.

“The princess looks like she’s ready to kill me before anything else.”

“That’s right. But that doesn’t mean you should actually kill her. And be careful not to hurt her.”

“Got it.”

“Good luck, Lewis!”

“I’m cheering for Princess Sharueina, but I’ll learn from the two of you battling.”

“Lewis, you sometimes get carried away and forget to hold back, so be careful.”

“I’ll heal quickly if I get hurt, but please don’t overdo it.”

“Understood.”

After receiving encouragement not only from my father but also from Iris and the others, I turned my back to them and strode towards the center of the training ground where Sharueina awaited, now ready.

“Haha! This is gonna be fun.”

The gaze Sharueina aimed at me in the center of the training ground was filled with clear determination, focused intensity, and an unmistakable intent to kill.

However, that intent wasn’t fueled by revenge or hatred; it was a pure resolve to challenge me to the death.

“This is going to be interesting.”

Filled with excitement from sensing such definite intent for the first time in a while, I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Alright then, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Thus, the duel between me and Princess Sharueina began, watched over by my family and Iris.

“Is, are you ready?”

“Yes, no problems here.”

“I see. Then let’s talk about the rules first.”

Without taking her eyes off me, Sharueina began explaining the rules for our duel.

“That said, the rules are simple. We will continue the duel until one of us admits defeat. Conversely, no matter the circumstance, as long as we don’t acknowledge defeat, the duel continues.”

“Hm. But under those rules, it’s possible to die without admitting defeat, isn’t it?”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of dying in a spar. If it comes to that, I’ll admit defeat right away. Well, unless Is refuses to admit it. In that case, I might just kill you anyway.”

“Hehe, I like this. So, does that mean injuries are fine?”

“Of course. Even if you tried to sever my arm, that falls within the rules I set, so it’s no problem, and there won’t be any complaints about responsibility.”

“I see. But if I injure you, my mother would scold me.”

“Haha. There’s nothing I can do about that. I’ll try to talk to Lady Elize about it, but if she gets angry, please forgive me at that time.”

Lady Elize is not so kind as to simply forgive me, but the prospect of sparring with her made it all the more enticing, and the thought of fighting without restraint excited me.

“Alright, I’m fine with those rules. But…”

I said, conjuring a sword of ice with my magic, planting it into the ground while directing my gaze at Sharueina.

“I’ll fight restricted to ice magic.”

“Is that because you think I’m weaker than Is?”

“No, it’s just my way of fighting. Generally, I fight on my opponent’s terms and aim for victory. If they use swords, I use swords; if they use martial arts, I use martial arts; and if magic, then magic. That’s how I’ve always fought, and I’ll even more so with a strong opponent.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I gain so much more from facing my opponent. Experience, knowledge, combat skills. By following their fighting style, I can adjust my movements in the moment. There’s no better fight than that.”

One of my few favorite things is to grow as a person.

And while that applies to knowledge, I especially love experiencing and learning about unfamiliar weapons, combat techniques, and magic.

So, unless I have a very compelling reason, I’ll fight with the same weapons as my opponent, and that feeling only strengthens when they’re strong.

“So, you’re saying you’ll fight that way because you regard me as a strong opponent?”

“Exactly.”

“Haha. Hearing you say that makes me happy. Let’s fight under those terms.”

“Thank you.”

“So how should we begin?”

“We don’t need a signal. You can attack whenever you like. I’ll let you take the initiative.”

“I see. Well then, I’ll take advantage of that.”

Sharueina said this, lowering her stance, and the friendly atmosphere from before vanished, replaced by a palpable sense of killer intent and fighting spirit.

A moment of silence ensued.

Then…

“Ha!”

With a short breath, Sharueina lunged without any preliminary action, slipping into my range and drawing her sword with fluid motions.

(Fast. But…)

That strike was much faster than I imagined, but it lacked any magic or power enhancement, so I took a step back and evaded as her sword brushed past my throat.

“I knew it, you dodged.”

“If you had used magic, the outcome might have been different. Why didn’t you use magic?”

“Just as Is offered to let me take the first move, I wanted to see how far I could compete under these conditions. Well, I got dodged anyway.”

“I see.”

Wanting to test how effective my abilities are against my opponent — I understood that feeling well, having experienced it myself.

“Now then, let’s start over.”

“Alright.”

Sharueina dropped her stance again, channeling magic into her sword for body enhancement, this time stepping forward soundlessly, without any preliminary motion.

“Ice God Sword!”

Before I knew it, Sharueina was right in front of me, shrouding her blade with ice magic and unleashing a lightning-fast strike.

That speed was incomprehensibly greater than before, and the sharpness of the attack was aiming to strike my neck without mercy.

(Oh crap. I completely underestimated this.)

The speed and sharpness of that blade outmatched even my expectations, and all I could do was evade using my instincts.

I managed to lean back to dodge Sharueina’s attack and then pushed my hand to the ground to flip backward, all the while sending a kick towards her chin.

“Ugh!!”

However, Sharueina evaded my kick by tilting her head to the side and swiftly followed up with a series of thrusts and slash attacks.

“Oh no…”

Regaining my stance, I took her blows with my ice sword, but it shattered after the fourth strike.

“Phew… Huh?”

As I distanced myself, I focused on increasing the density of the magic within my next ice sword while pondering my next move, keeping an eye on Sharueina.

However, at that moment, I felt a warmth on my throat and instinctively touched it, recoiling as I saw red liquid on my palm.

“This is my blood, huh? Which means, the first strike really did reach my throat.”

I had thought I dodged her drawing cut, but it seemed the tip of her sword grazed my throat, leaving a distinct mark where my reflexes couldn’t quite keep up.

“Haha. Looks like I still have a long way to go.”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t overconfident, but it was clear that Sharueina had grown far beyond my expectations, and this duel was making me painfully aware of my own inadequacies.

“It seems I’ve landed one hit. My sword has reached you.”

“It seems so.”

Sharueina noticed the wound on my throat and smiled, her expression showing a hint of delight.

“Thanks to you, Princess, I realized how inexperienced I still am. I appreciate it.”

“Haha. I see. Looks like I need to take this seriously now. Watching you gives me the impression that I’d get eaten alive if I let my guard down.”

I wasn’t sure what expression I had on my face now, but I probably looked like I was enjoying myself way too much.

“Alright, it’s my turn now.”

“Sure.”

Gripping my ice sword anew, I focused on blending into the air, letting go of any excess power, and slowly stepped towards Sharueina.

 

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