**【Winner! Ayla Triasta!】**
Even as the barrier was released and the winner’s name resounded throughout the training ground, no one reacted.
That was how unbelievable the event was.
Everyone knows.
Magic power is an absolute value.
Magic Power 19 cannot defeat 21.
Magic Power 21 can never overcome 22.
It’s a law. The world operates on laws.
Just as there is the natural law of channeling magic, running circuits, applying auxiliary formulas, and manifesting—
There is the law that those with lower magic power cannot surpass those with higher.
Of course.
Magic Power 8 can sometimes overcome 9. 10 might overcome 11.
But those called the “human limit”—17—cannot surpass the “genius” called 18.
Geniuses cannot defeat monsters, and even monsters cannot surpass the archmages who write pages of history, and history cannot exist above the myth that encompasses the entire world.
Yet she did it.
Ayla Triasta succeeded in defying heaven.
As the audience dared not even breathe before this great rebellion occurring before their eyes—
Only one person was free from that silence.
*Clap. Clap. Clap.*
Everyone turned their gaze toward him, and soon nodded.
Only he had the right to break this silence.
The one most entitled to arrogance in this world.
Perhaps the only one here who had been certain of Ayla Triasta’s victory.
**Wolfram von Lohengrin** alone wore a smile on his face, applauding the victor.
—
“Wolfram!”
Leaving the fallen Regina being carried away on a stretcher, Ayla ran up to me.
Her entire body was covered in dirt, her once-gorgeous hair full of dust—but her smile was unclouded.
“Did you see? Did you see? My rebellion! Oohoo, oohoo-hoo!”
Seeing Ayla cover her mouth with both hands, stomp her feet, and laugh, normally I might have thought *she’s causing a ruckus again*—but not now.
This girl showed me something I had never seen.
Just as Millefeuille von Sabre had carved her own fate, Ayla Triasta had used her own power to punch down the fate laid before her.
She had accomplished her trademark **rebellion**.
An ending that even I, with 20,000 hours of playtime, had never once seen or anticipated.
Ayla’s smile, having seized her own fate, was brilliant enough to make me smile back.
That rebellion, prepared in secret and soaring gloriously—
“Say something to me.”
“……”
“What! I can tell just from that smile even if you don’t say it—Wolfram actually smiled, I’m surprised…”
“Good work, Ayla. I’m proud of you.”
“…Eh.”
At my praise, Ayla’s expression froze.
I know. I know.
I’m aware that Wolfram von Lohengrin’s praise is blunt and doesn’t convey affection—but I just wanted to sincerely praise her, what can I do?
“Sorry. I’m not good with words.”
“Ah, no. Nooo… Th-thank you.”
“Hm. I appreciate you saying that.”
“Hm, hmm. Even if I did well, Wolfram going all out with praise… Wasn’t all of this part of Wolfram’s calculations too?”
“I did calculate. But what you accomplished is yours, Ayla Triasta.”
Yes.
A future I never once saw in 20,000 hours of play.
It’s different from Millefeuille.
She had been an extra who was going to disappear, so honestly, I couldn’t get invested.
But—
In the original, Ayla Triasta, with those cold eyes that reflected nothing, I had seen her fall countless times.
【You think you can destroy me? You!? Ha!】
【Regina Sieraaaa!!】
【Black Crystal: Final Strike: Annihilation: Death: Rampage: Barrage】
【I, I don’t want to fall.】
【To complete the rebellion, someday…】
【That promise… with him.】
And so, defeated by the allied forces of Kelter, Regina, and Eve—Ayla’s shredded screams came to mind.
20,000 hours. During that long, long playtime, how many times had I seen this girl fall?
Every time, Ayla cursed the world, lamented, and crumbled.
“Hehe. I got praised…”
“……”
She had never smiled so innocently.
She too—like Millefeuille—showed me a side that surpassed my belief that I knew everything about this game.
“Thank you, Ayla.”
“…For what?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
This is why I love this world.
I love it to the point of madness.
—
Ayla Triasta walked toward the infirmary with steps that seemed to float.
Zefflin’s medical system is so advanced it rivals the Imperial Family’s private hospital of the Empire.
Not quite to the point of reattaching severed limbs, but most wounds can be made to disappear.
That’s because within this academy, **healing skills** receive countless bonuses.
Should this also be called the First Emperor’s arrangement? As expected of Lohengrin. Ayla thought so and nodded. Amazing! And Wolfram, who has that person’s daughter as his sister, is also amazing!
She didn’t know why she had that flow of consciousness, but Ayla just thought that way and headed toward her destination.
Toward the infirmary where *she* lay.
“I’m coming in.”
“……”
She opened the door and entered—
Regina Sierra lay there with a lost expression, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Look at those hollow eyes. Oh my. Oh my. I want to capture this with a fixation skill right now, print it with an imaging skill, and hang it on the wall.
“I don’t recall telling you to come in, Triasta.”
“Oh my. Isn’t this only natural for the victor? Or are you, as the loser, going to claim rights?”
“…That’s right. I lost.”
“Yes. This is Ayla Triasta’s victory.”
“So what happens to me now? Expulsion?”
“……”
“That’s what it’ll be. I was disrespectful to His Highness Prince Wolfram von Lohengrin, and then I lost to you. Politically speaking, Triasta’s value has skyrocketed, and I—Magic Power 21—have become a replaceable card. Congratulations. Black Crystal of Rebellion. This is your victory.”
“……”
Ayla nodded along, listening.
Her expression was utterly composed.
That appearance, which also looked like the composure of a victor, seemed to touch something inside Regina Sierra—Regina continued.
“You have it good, don’t you? I’ve heard about Triasta’s rapid rise—you’re consolidating the west with tremendous momentum, they say? And marriage to an imperial descendant. Now central advancement is no longer a dream. Meanwhile, me—well. Magic Power ’21’ might be useful, but I lost to your ’20.’ How you raised your magic power is a mystery too, but that’s also your card. If you assert my incompetence and speak to the President and His Highness Prince Wolfram to demand my expulsion… between disrespect to the imperial descendant and my own incompetence—expulsion is all but certain. And my faction will become yours. Fufu… Congratulations, new ruler.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
“It’s not amazing. Anyone could make that deduction. …I’m now a useless card. I want to die like this. If possible, strangled in a flower field, smiling with my eyes closed…”
“Wow. You sure talk a lot. That’s really amazing.”
“…Excuse me?”
Only then did Regina Sierra—who had been staring blankly at the ceiling with a single tear rolling down—glare at Ayla. *Talk a lot? Is that really what you need to say right now?*
But Ayla, truly as if that were the only thing surprising her, widened her eyes and tilted her head.
“Doesn’t your throat hurt?”
“You really…!”
“Ahem. Listen quietly, loser. It’s the victor’s right.”
“…Ugh, urgh. I’ll, I’ll kill you…”
“Yes. If you have the skill, try later. That is—Ah. Well. I know the Sierra family is in a politically complex position. But you know?”
“…Yes?”
“Do you really have to live like that even in the academy? You live so rigidly. You should enjoy life itself. Is that how everyone in the central region lives? I’m going to have to inspect mines while getting sandblasted after graduation, so I’m trying not to worry about family affairs as much as possible here in Zefflin.”
“……”
“No—if Wolfram hadn’t solved it for me, I’d probably be worrying a lot, so maybe that’s a bluff. Yeah, a bluff. That’s right…”
“What are you trying to say, Ayla Triasta? Are you trying to boast that you’re free?”
“Ah… Talking to you leaves me breathless. Are you using Swamp with your mouth too?… Hmm. Is that the realm of Magic Power 21?”
“Ayla Triasta!”
“Yes. Loser Regina Sierra.”
“Ugh.”
“Well, one definitive statement—you won’t be expelled.”
“…Yes?”
“Now I’m truly the grade’s top in name and reality. But my top spot shines not because it was given to me, but because I surpassed you—who has higher magic power than me. Now, if you get expelled, wouldn’t my number one spot lose its luster?”
“…For such a trivial reason, you’re not going to eliminate me—your political enemy? …Are you serious?”
“Let’s leave the tiresome political talk for after graduation. There’s no need or reason to start it so early, is there?”
Ayla’s eyes shone brightly as she said this.
“…If I were in your position, I would have eliminated you, Ayla Triasta.”
“But that **ending** never came to be. Don’t drag your fantasies into reality. There’s only one clear truth—I beat you. That’s all.”
“……”
At those words, a glimmer of sharpness returned to Regina’s eyes. A deep sigh followed.
“I lost. I truly lost.”
“Of course. You truly lost to me.”
“…No, that’s not exactly what I meant. But anyway… truly.”
“And losing once isn’t the end.”
“Yes?”
“There’s the second-semester final exams, right? Come back then to knock down the strong one with lower magic power.”
“…Ha.”
A smile unconsciously tugged at Regina’s lips.
It was foolish.
In the Sierra family, a loser must never smile.
But—without even realizing her own smile, unable to hide its amusement, Regina stared at Ayla.
Meeting that smile, Ayla placed her hands on her hips and declared confidently.
“Bring it on, second place. I’ll be waiting at the top.”
“…Fine. When I win that time, I’ll take everything you have.”
“How arrogant.”
“Instead, I’ll let you off from expulsion.”
“Oh my, how merciful.”
Ayla covered her mouth and giggled. Regina shrugged.
“Fine. I’ll rely on your mercy. I’ll take it that I’m not getting expelled.”
“Nonsense. I’m not purely merciful.”
“……?”
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll carry my bag, right? You’ll buy my lunch too, and if I look like I can’t make it to class, you’ll attend for me.”
“…Yes?”
“Looking forward to it, loser?”
“…I will strangle you to death with my own hands someday.”
Ayla beamed as she stood up and left the health room.
Just before leaving, she didn’t forget to raise her thumb at Regina and leave one last remark.
“Good luck, loser.”
“…I’m really going to kill you.”
—
The next day.
In the same training ground where Ayla and Regina had fought, Rudika and I stood.
Scattered craters could be seen here and there.
Normally, we should have fought in the auditorium, but at my strong request, I had borrowed this training ground.
“…Wolfram. Are you really going to fight?”
“Of course.”
“But with Wolfram’s stats, you can’t beat Rudika. You know that, don’t you?”
“Did Ayla think she could win yesterday when she fought Regina?”
At my words, Rudika nodded.
I glanced at the stands—in the very front, I could see Ayla, Millefeuille, Nefty, and Eve. Also Emily and… Zolf? Zolf, why are you here?
Anyway, everyone was looking at us with expectant eyes.
And not just them—the stands were packed to capacity.
“The sparring match between Rudika Hassan Shadow and Wolfram von Lohengrin will now begin!”
Now.
Ayla showed me a future beyond my expectations.
So now, it’s time for this veteran to show what he’s got.
