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

Chapter 274: The Immortal Four Seasons

“Is that a fan?”

“It’s a combat fan. This might be an unusual weapon you don’t see around here. I found it by chance while traveling in another country a long time ago. Now it’s my absolute favorite.”

The combat fan that Mejina mentioned was a weapon I had never seen before, looking sturdier and tougher than an ordinary fan.

“You look fascinated by a weapon you’ve never seen before.”

“Yeah, I am. I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of techniques you can show me with it.”

“Hehe. That’s great. They say curiosity killed the cat, but those without curiosity can’t grow stronger. That’s my personal theory. So, let’s satisfy that curiosity of yours. Come here.”

“Yes.”

As the small bell on the fan rang out a refreshing sound, I closed the distance with Mejina and swung my sword down.

“Huh?”

However, my strike was gracefully deflected by Mejina’s fan, missing her as she slightly sidestepped.

“Hehe. You’re surprised, huh?”

“Tch.”

Even after that, I relentlessly attacked with my two-handed sword, but each time my blade was redirected by her fan, my wrist’s trajectory shifted, and she effortlessly dodged everything with fluid movements.

“Tsc. I can’t believe it’s this ineffective.”

“Hehe. Your attacks are indeed fast and powerful. However, that’s only if you can follow through with them. When attacking, everyone experiences a loss of tension and stiffness. The more you relax, the more natural your movements become, and with a moment of tensing up, you can create explosive power. And you, well, you do that perfectly frighteningly well. But because you’re perfect, those moments of tension become noticeable. If you can kill that momentum before it arrives, your attacks become as good as dead.”

“Does that mean the more perfect something is, the easier it is to predict?”

“Correct.”

What Mejina said was not incorrect.

Having perfect movements means repeating the same action and timing, and strong individuals are more prone to fall into those patterns.

For example, in my case, I prioritized being efficient and minimizing waste, acquiring necessary knowledge and training along the way.

However, no matter how perfectly I mastered efficient movements, I couldn’t change the body weight shifts when dodging an attack or the timing of applying force during an attack.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that being perfect makes it harder to change those things.

And Mejina was precisely predicting and interfering with those tiny weight shifts and timings, preventing me from moving how I wanted.

“Truly remarkable insight and skill.”

“Hehe. That’s what experience gets you.”

“I thought I had experienced a lot too, but I can’t compare to the Headmaster.”

“Hmm. I don’t think you need to belittle yourself that much. From your movements and gaze, I can tell what experiences you’ve had and what skills you’ve acquired. You’ve really worked hard up to now. That’s impressive.”

“Thank you.”

Mejina smiled joyfully for some reason, and I felt a bit happy inside too.

It seemed as if the overwhelming force pressing me down was acknowledging the past me, and it filled my heart with happiness alongside the thrill of the situation.

“That’s why I want to know. Just how far can you go? And what will you show me?”

“Right. I want to test how far I can go as well. So…”

Although I wanted to save this as a trump card, I wanted to meet her expectations more than that right now.

“How about this? Celestial Battle Magic: ‘Unchanging Binding.'”

“Oh my, now this is interesting.”

“I mentioned before that I wanted to show you Celestial Battle Magic. This is something I mimicked from one of them; were you at least somewhat satisfied?”

Mejina allowed the chains reaching towards her to bind her without attempting to move, observing the chains wrapping around her body with keen interest.

Celestial Battle Magic was the magic used by Lucifer when I fought him before, and this time, I was imitating it.

“Hehe. This is amusing. I wonder how you can use this magic.”

“It seems I have talent for all elemental magic, and once I understand the wavelengths and images of the magic power infused within, I can mimic them. However, I still can’t handle the race-specific magic that monsters or spirits use.”

Race-specific magic used by monsters or spirits is rooted in the fundamental magic that constitutes them, something only they can wield.

Take, for instance, the Hydra’s poisonous magic which generates poison inside its body, or Dōna’s plant magic that harnesses the power of nature.

Those are embedded in their very souls and bodies from the moment they were born. They act as incarnations of their powers.

However, magic used by demons and angels is like diluted versions of their race-specific magic and can be loosely defined as imitations constructed to facilitate easier use by demons, angels, and even gods.

Thus, imitating such magic isn’t an impossible feat for me; once I grasp the wavelengths and images invested in their magic, I can mimic it as I am now.

“Actually, I was bound by that magic once too. During that time, I examined the wavelengths of the magic power to seize control, and while I was at it, I also tried to mimic the magic.”

“Now that surprised me. Even I couldn’t do such a thing.”

“Is that so? But indeed, I’ve never heard of anyone who could do something like that apart from myself.”

I had lived in this world many times within designated time limits.

However, I had never encountered anyone else with the ability to use all elemental magic, and I hadn’t even heard of such a thing existing.

“You’re truly fascinating.”

“Thank you. But let’s put that aside for now—how do you plan to escape from that binding?”

That magic was called “unchanging” for a reason, and it wasn’t something easy to break.

Moreover, it was created with my meticulous manipulation of magic power, likely making it even sturdier than during the time with Lucifer.

“Well, it certainly looks tough to break easily. But in order to stop my movements, it’s still not enough. Here I go!”

With a rather relaxed voice, Mejina exerted just a little strength, and with that alone, the chains shattered effortlessly.

“Whoa! Are we solving things with sheer force?”

“Of course not. I’m delicate as you can see. There’s no way I could break that with just strength. Since you told me about your special abilities, I’ll share one of mine with you too. But I’m not going to explain it with words; I want you to learn by watching.”

“Understood.”

Honestly, I didn’t quite grasp what she had just done, but learning by watching meant I would get to see her abilities fully displayed.

And learning by observation was one of my strengths, so I wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

“I’m coming at you!”

With that declaration, I attacked Mejina using all the techniques I possessed—swordplay, martial arts, and magic. However, every single one was blocked by her.

(This is strange. How am I getting perfectly blocked? She shouldn’t even be using magic…)

Mejina redirecting my sword and martial arts attacks with her fan was the same as before, but when it came to magic, it was as if she was seeking out the magic to intercept it, not dodging at all.

How was she blocking it without even a hint of using magic?

Curious, I concentrated magic into my eyes while casting my spell, trying to observe the movement of her magical power.

“No way, could it be…”

“Hehe. Seems you finally got it.”

“The Headmaster has been using defensive magic at an unnoticeable speed by layering thin magic power around herself, hasn’t she?”

“Correct.”

What I saw when I concentrated magic in my eyes was incredibly simple: Mejina thinned her magical power around her, then activated defensive magic between her body and my spells at a speed unseen by the naked eye.

However, the thinness of that layer was astounding, as it required focusing magic in my eyes to observe it, and her technique was so delicate and advanced that even I couldn’t replicate it right now.

“These days, young people flaunt their magic by releasing it, but that’s only something you use for large-scale spells. Magic reveals its true value when operated thinly and meticulously. Like this…”

Mejina pointed a fingertip towards me, and before I knew it, something passed by my side, and in the next instant, an explosion erupted behind me.

“Tch!!”

“That was the fire magic ‘Flame Explosion.’ What did you think?”

“I couldn’t see at all where the magic was being used.”

“Of course not. By wrapping the thin magic around my body, the excess magic gets eliminated, the density of the magic increases, and you’re less likely to notice changes in my magical power, which means my spell usage goes undetected. Plus, the thin layer allows an increase in the speed of activation. How’s that? Did you learn something?”

“Haha. I definitely learned a lot.”

Until now, I had been intimidating opponents by releasing my magic power and using the overflowing magic to cast spells.

That method wasn’t incorrect, but when transforming released magic into spells, a slight delay in activation would inevitably occur.

Of course, that delay is generally minimal, within 2 seconds, but for a magic user who struggles in close combat, a mere fraction of that could mean losing one’s head or being easily killed by a faster magic caster.

But this was common in contemporary magical theory, and top-tier magic users honed their skills in chant shortening and martial arts to improve their survival skills.

However, what Mejina was doing flipped that modern magical theory on its head by not releasing magic at all but instead wrapping it thinly around herself, thus enhancing the circulation speed of the magic and eliminating waste, reducing the activation time to under a second.

“Typically, magic works by either releasing magic power and converting it into a spell, or by envisioning an image in the magic power within your body during chanting, but that creates a delay between finishing your chant and activating the spell.”

“Yes. But by maintaining that thin layer of magic like the Headmaster, not only can you activate spells immediately after completing a chant, but you can also get rid of the excess magic that would overflow from a release.”

“Hehe. You really do understand.”

Mejina smiled in satisfaction after hearing my response, then, for some reason, she unleashed a deep blue, dense magical power that seemed to deny her own words.

Seeing her magic, I felt an overwhelming pressure, and cold sweat ran down my face.

“If you’re speaking as you did earlier, does that mean you’re about to use a large-scale spell?”

“That’s right. I’ve seen everything about you—your swordsmanship, martial arts, and magic. All exceeded my expectations. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this excited. So now, let me show you part of my power.”

As she said that, the vast magical power enveloping Mejina began to shimmer and transform slowly.

“‘Immortal Four Seasons'”

And the moment Mejina uttered the spell name, her magic formed a gigantic spear combining the four elements of fire, water, wind, and earth, crackling as if it were about to explode at any moment.

“Whoa. This is insane.”

“Actually, I can use all seven elements stored in the Seven Seasons, but that would probably kill you. Well, even four seasons should pack quite a punch. So… brace yourself.”

Facing that mass of magical power I’d never felt before, I grinned despite feeling a bit intimidated and held my hands out in preparation to receive it.

As soon as Mejina lowered her finger, that magic was unleashed towards me at an incredible speed.

“I really don’t feel capable of blocking this!”

Right now, I couldn’t possibly defend against this spell perfectly.

Yet why did I feel this rush of joy swelling from the pit of my stomach, with not a single thought of fleeing crossing my mind?

“This is the best! Multi-layered Barrier!!!”

The feeling of happiness rising up from inside me.

The sight of the flawlessly controlled, beautiful magic I had never seen before.

The long-awaited sensation of utter defeat for a change.

All of that mingled into a single emotion of joy within my chest, and in response to the overwhelming strength’s trust placed in me, I summoned every last ounce of magic I had to create twenty barriers.

“Ahaha! There’s no way I’m going to let this fail!”

The minute I voiced that determination, Mejina’s magic clashed against my barriers, pushing me backward toward the sea.

Moreover, my barriers were shattered one after another by her magic, and by the time I had fallen close to the sea’s surface, I still had only eight left.

Even so, Mejina’s magic showed no signs of stopping, eventually carving out the sea’s surface, and before I knew it, my feet were on the seafloor.

“Tch!!!”

Seven… five… three…

And finally, when only two barriers remained, her magic erupted in one final explosion, destroying all remaining barriers, and the wall of seawater surrounding me evaporated as I was sent rolling away by the blast.

“huff… huff… huff…”

“Hehehe. You really did endure. I believed in you, Lewis-kun.”

Descending from above with a satisfied smile, Mejina stabilized the incoming seawater with defensive magic and slowly walked over to where I lay.

“You sure look ragged.”

“Haha. Yeah, that’s true.”

To objectively describe my current state, my limbs were torn and bloodied from enduring her magic, and rolling on the ground from the blast had left me with broken bones and countless cuts.

“You’re in rough shape. But it’s quite something that you lived through that magic. When I used it on an SS-rank monster before, it didn’t last like you did.”

“Is that so?”

I didn’t know what kind of SS-rank monster she was talking about, but against a monster like a Hydra, which wasn’t renowned for its defensive or recovery abilities, it’s definitely plausible that it would die from just one hit.

“Ahh, I really like you now. I’ve grown fonder of you. So, how about we get married? I can make you happy.”

“Is this really the time to be discussing that?”

“It’s exactly the time! My heart is racing; that must mean this is love. I believe in acquiring the things I like without hesitation. So, don’t think for a second you can escape. I love you, Lewis-kun.”

“Haha. Honestly, I’m getting too tired to deny it.”

I truly wanted to refuse and leave right away, but regrettably, with my magic power completely depleted, I couldn’t even move a finger.

“Well then. Since we are both satisfied, looking at this state, I think it’s fair to say I’m the winner, right?”

“Yeah, sure. I won’t say I won in this state. But next time, I will.”

“Hehe. Even after seeing that magic, you’re still that confident? I like you even more now.”

As she said this, Mejina used wind magic to lift my body and cradled me in her arms, smiling beautifully.

“Uhm, why exactly am I being carried?”

“Because as you can see, I can’t use recovery magic. And you don’t have any magic left to use flight magic, do you? Otherwise, you won’t be able to get back from here.”

“That’s true, but… sigh, I understand. This will do.”

“Hehe. I’m glad you catch on quickly. So let’s head back to the academy, my prince.”

In the end, I was carried by Mejina back to the academy, where Sephiria cast recovery magic on me and treated my wounds without leaving a single scar.

Thus, I had challenged the strongest magic user in the Empire, but the outcome was a complete defeat for me.

 

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