254th Episode
“Adalhyde…”
Machenia captured the fallen Adalhyde with hollow eyes.
Red blood pooled around her.
Adalhyde gasped like a carp out of water, each cough bursting forth more blood.
With the recoil of her body, Adalhyde’s head turned, and her eyes met Machenia’s.
The brilliance that always shone in her eyes had vanished.
Looking back, Machenia’s eyes clouded with darkness as well.
“Ah, aa…”
An indescribable emotion engulfed him.
“Ahhhhh…!!”
But before Machenia could even react.
Kry, sensing the absence of life from Adalhyde, lunged at Machenia.
Startled like a trembling aspen, Machenia, in a daze, unconsciously commanded his familiar.
‘Please, stop that guy! Don’t let him get close to me!’
His loyal familiars obeyed, disregarding their own safety.
Even when their master was unable to make sound judgments.
Even unable to give coherent orders.
In that moment of the contract made with Machenia, they had vowed to devote their lives to him, so there was no fear.
—Kagekeng!
—Kraaaak!
Kry mercilessly tore apart those familiars.
The overwhelming difference in strength.
In a state deprived of Machenia’s support, his familiars had no chance against Kry.
Like fallen leaves in late autumn.
They vanished easily.
In the end, the blood of all the familiars stained Kry’s white teeth, leaving only Machenia standing.
—Krrraaaak!
Kry didn’t stop his ‘unilateral violence.’
With jaws wide enough to crunch even a rock, he charged at Machenia.
“Ughh…!!”
Machenia could not withstand the onslaught and collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, he could brace himself by thrusting his staff into Kry’s mouth.
—Krrrung, rrk!
Kry’s hot breath poured over Machenia’s face.
The scent of mixed beast saliva and blood.
Several drops of crimson-spotted drool fell onto Machenia’s face.
“Grrrgh…”
Feeling the threat of death, Machenia clenched the muscles in his arms to hold on.
With twisted eyes, he glanced at Vargan in the audience seats, screaming with resentment.
“Stop this madness right now!!”
The audience seats were already in chaos.
People screamed, unable to endure the horrific sight.
Screaming people.
Those who are in a panic, stuttering their words.
Those who are hastily escaping their seats and running outside.
However, Vargan, the one who set the stage for this interview, remains still, observing as if nothing is happening.
“Can’t you hear?! Stop it—! Someone’s about to die!”
“…….”
“Stop, please, just stop…!”
—Creeeak!
The trembling arms gradually lose strength and begin to falter.
The chilling eyes of Kry are right in front of him.
Adalhyde, motionless, visible through his peripheral vision.
“Haah…! Haah……!”
Irregular breaths escape Machenia intermittently.
Tears well up from the unbearable fear, and sweat streams down like a flood.
“Haah…! Gurk…!!”
As death approaches, memories flash by.
The first time he had a Familiar.
The moment he received praise from his parents.
The instant it was decided he would enroll in the Academia and he started packing.
And there was always a woman beside him, shimmering like a mirage.
‘Adalhyde….’
She lies unconscious, possibly dead, due to his actions.
Is she dead? Or about to die soon?
Having bled so much, she must be close…?
‘Because of me.’
What exactly had he hated so much?
Looking back, Adalhyde hadn’t done anything wrong.
She had merely entered the family following her father. She was just doing her job.
‘Because of my vile jealousy.’
He envied her talent and couldn’t even give her a simple compliment.
Instead, he spat out scornful jibes and disdain.
He had constantly plotted against her and engaged in political maneuvering at every opportunity.
—Stop it! You bastard!!
It was the first time Adalhyde had yelled like that.
The pent-up emotions he had held back finally reached their breaking point.
“I’m sorry….”
Machenia murmured, recalling the past.
“I was wrong….”
A voice soaked in regret slipped out from his throat.
“I’m sorry, Adalh—.”
—Crack!
The staff shattered under Kry’s grip.
Machenia didn’t manage to finish his apology before his face was bitten off.
*
—Waaah!
—Amazing, New Student!
—Hahaha!
Cheers from the crowd.
And laughter.
Machenia could finally open his eyes to the vibrations in his ears.
The world unveiled between his eyelids.
In that world, Adalhyde was breathing.
“……!”
Machenia’s pupils widened.
Adalhyde was alive.
She seemed pretty exhausted, holding herself up with both hands, but the arm that had been severed was completely intact.
“Adalhyde…!”
Machenia was overjoyed.
He didn’t know how it had happened, but the little details didn’t matter anymore.
Adalhyde was alive!
With her arm fully attached!
“…….”
Unaware of Machenia’s feelings, Adalhyde looked down at him with narrow eyes.
Her gaze was filled with disgust and disdain.
As if being related to someone like him was a disgrace.
‘Why… is she like this…?’
Machenia felt her reaction was overly dramatic.
Then he realized that his clothes and the floor were damp.
Someone in the audience laughed at this harsh reality.
—Peeing baby! This top new student is a little pee-pants! Hahaha!
It wasn’t just sweat soaking Machenia’s entire body.
It was a yellow, smelly liquid.
It was liquid.
The liquid that spread around him was not the blood of familiars, but rather urine that came out in fear.
“Disgusting.”
Adalhyde said.
That was her honest feeling without any filtering.
“T-That… That…”
“Congratulations, Adalhyde. You’ve managed to overpower Kry.”
Just as Machenia, now fully awake, began rambling.
Vargan approached, clapping.
As he said, the chimera Kry, mixed with various familiars, was being pressed down by a giant hand made of mana.
That hand was a magic he had never seen before.
“Well… I suppose it was possible because I didn’t provide Kry any support. Still, it’s definitely something to be happy about that there is a strong contender among first-years who can take down Kry.”
Vargan lightly placed his hand on Kry and simply released the magic.
Then, he took Adalhyde’s soft hand and lifted it up.
“Ah.”
Startled, Adalhyde blushed shyly.
Vargan then spoke loudly so everyone could hear.
“You all have seen it! How brave and tenacious this girl fought!”
He revealed that he had cast curse magic on both Adalhyde and Machenia, making it easier to understand the adversity Adalhyde overcame.
“Even in the desperate situation of her family meeting death, Adalhyde did not fall into fear, but instead charged in like a battlehorse! Isn’t her strong will and strength worthy of praise?”
Vargan seemed accustomed to this kind of situation, captivating the audience’s attention.
Everyone in the arena responded affirmatively to Vargan’s question, cheering loudly.
“Yes. Adalhyde has shown her abilities sufficiently! Therefore, I wish to recognize her and declare her passed! Is there anyone who disagrees?”
The crowd unitedly yelled no.
It was clearly a special treatment, but she confidently proved her worth.
Vargan turned his gaze to Adalhyde.
Even though Adalhyde struggled to meet his gaze, she summoned her courage and looked up, meeting his eyes.
“Adalhyde. Congratulations once again on your success.”
—Waaah!
—Whoosh! Whoosh!
The audience clapped and celebrated her.
It looked like everything had ended well in a happy ending.
“…….”
However, Machenia, still unable to rise from his spot.
He, who would henceforth be called the ‘Pee Pants,’ could not find his place there.
“…Ah.”
Machenia briefly made eye contact with Vargan, who had gently placed his hand on Adalhyde’s shoulder.
Vargan ignored Machenia, treating him like furniture scattered around.
And just like that, he left the arena with her.
Machenia’s interview ended like that, without receiving any notification whatsoever.
*
Once they brought Adalhyde outside the arena, the executives of Arbol Frutal followed them.
The special interview had concluded.
‘So this is how it turned out. I do feel a bit regretful, but it’s not bad.’
I glanced at Adalhyde, who was beside me.
Even though they shared no blood, she seemed completely unfazed despite Machenia’s downfall after years together.
Rather, she even looked somewhat relieved, suggesting that she must have been quite unhappy for a long time.
‘Adalhyde and Machenia… Their bad relationship was evident even in the original work.’
Adalhyde and Machenia… their relationship was clearly not great in the original work.
It wasn’t just a simple rivalry.
It was a dangerous relationship, filled with enough hatred that they’d be ready to end each other’s lives.
“Well… to be precise, it’s only Adalhyde who harbors such a murderous grudge against Machenia.”
This happened in the later parts of the original story.
Adalhyde and Machenia, exhausted, barely managed to track down the fleeing Bishop.
But by then, the Bishop had already reformed his forces.
On the brink of collapse themselves, they had to muster every ounce of strength they had left to secure a hard-fought victory.
However, just as the Bishop was about to meet his end, he split the ground beneath them, creating a massive crack.
With his mana depleted, Machenia found himself dangling from Adalhyde’s grasp, his hand clenched tightly onto hers.
—D-Don’t let go, even if it’s a mistake! Adalhyde…!
Now entirely dependent on her.
Without mana and beyond exhaustion, Adalhyde struggled to hold on with both hands, barely keeping them steady.
If she tried to pull him up, she’d likely lose the battle against gravity and go down with him.
In the end, they had no choice but to wait for a rescue.
—Hang in there! Hang in there! Adalhyde!
Terrified of dying, Machenia ordered her to endure no matter what.
Adalhyde too strained to keep from letting go.
Even though he was an opponent she wanted to kill, could she really… like this… just let him go?
—W-What are you doing?!
As she held onto Machenia with both hands, Adalhyde gradually relaxed her grip, letting one hand go.
Feeling the danger in her actions, Machenia tightened his hold on her remaining hand like a lifeline.
But with his strength all but gone, Machenia’s grip was no match for the pull of the crack.
Hands gradually slipping apart.
Just as in their last moment of hope, Machenia’s desperate eyes locked with Adalhyde’s.
—Just die, bro.
That’s what Adalhyde said.
Shocked, Machenia’s face was frozen in disbelief as he fell into the never-ending abyss.
…….
“That was pretty much a given outcome. Owing to jealousy and spite, Machenia’s twisted affection had haunted Adalhyde like a specter.”
Never once had Machenia apologized to her up to that point.
He had forced a false justification for his previous actions, pushing her to the brink.
It’s often said that a clueless boy might tease a girl he likes, but he took it to an extreme level.
Anyway.
So, this time, I decided to put both of them in the same situation as an experiment.
Personally, I hoped Machenia would rise above adversity and shine, but it seemed his affection for Adalhyde ran deeper than I thought.
In any case, he was a real idiot.
Unable to take a fool along, I brushed off those thoughts and turned to the other woman nearby.
“Alicia. As mentioned earlier, you’ll need to lead the remaining formal interviews.”
“Yes, understood. I will ensure not to cause shame to Lord Vargan.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Let’s proceed with the remaining schedule in order.
