I Favor The Villainess Chapter 109

The former parliament building of the House of Lords - that's where Claire-sama is being held.
It's an old historic building, it's designated as the kingdom's national treasure.
The large front gate is decorated in a gothic style, four guards stood in front of it.

"…! You there, stop"

As I casually approached the gate, one of the guards noticed and called out to me.
I headed for the gate ignoring the call to stop.

"You are Rei Taylor? You aren't allowed to approach this building. Go home"

The guards a.s.sumed a formation in front of the gate to intimidate me.
I guess the armor they're wearing aren't relics of old times but magical tools.
The swords they're carrying are for sure magical tools too.
Guards armed to the teeth with magical tools… That's a little troubling, I thought.

"I only want to meet Claire-sama. Couldn't you let me through?"
"You can't. We've been told not to let you alone pa.s.s"
"… Is that so"

Then it can't be helped.

"Well then, I'm forcing my way through"

With earth attribute magic I created a pit under the four of them.
The figures of heavily armored guards disappeared into the ground.

"It won't be so easy!"

But, the guards crawled out of the whole immediately.
Not only that, they began floating in the air just after.
Wind attribute magic users, huh.
The weight of full plate magical tools is substantial.
I've heard that in order to retain mobility, armed guards are often chosen from wind attribute magic users.
Among my acquaintances, Sein-sama's combat style is the closest.

"Stop your useless resistance!"
"… Useless resistance? No, this is one-sided stomping"

I pointed my magical wand and fired a water attribute magic.

"Judecca"

The four guards instantly froze.

"Earth Spike"

Earth spears rose from the ground.
It's the serial magic Cocytus I used when fighting Manarisama before.
It was easy to deal with for Manarisama with how extraordinary she is, but there's no one here who can deal with it when seeing it for the first time.
With the attack that used the game heroine's strong point to the maximum, the four guards fell down.
Without defensive magical tools it's a magic that reigns over life and death.
Of course, I'm holding back to not kill, but even so, they shouldn't be able to move for a while.

"What!? What's going on!?"
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Perhaps suspecting the trouble outside, guards came out of the building one after another.
Everybody is clad in full plate armor that appear to be magical tools.
Troublesome.

"Earth Fang"

Plenty objects like enormous bear traps sprang from the ground and held the guards in their jaws.
The guards were stuck to their positions.

"Gununu…!"
"Now please be quiet"

I pa.s.sed by the guards and tried to enter the government building.
However――.

"Oioi, pull yourselves together"

Along with the familiar cheerful voice, Earth Fang returned to its origin, lumps of earth.

"I thought you'd come"
"Lily-sama…"

Lily-sama, so carefree as if going on a stroll, appeared from the inside of the building.

"We captured Claire, there's no way you wouldn't come. That's why I was stationed here"
"Please return Claire-sama"
"Don't say strange things? Claire-sama came here on her own, you see? She promised to not interfere. Wouldn't it be different if she returned?"

Lily-sama cackled.
Unlike the original charming Lily-sama, her face was only revolting.

"Spare me the tedious talk. If you won't step aside, I'll force my way through"
"Do it, everyone. Now, guards, time to earn your pay"

Simultaneously with Lily-sama's words guards rushed at me.
They number twelve.

"Judecca!"

The guards froze and stopped moving.
I tried immediately following with Earth Spike, but――.

"Naïve"

Before Cocytus was completed, in an instant they were released from the frozen state by Lily-sama.
The guards who regained movements nimbly avoided Earth Spike.
The guards are by no means unskilled.
Even though they aren't as good as the Royal Guard, they have the skills to overwhelm most opponents with these numbers.
Moreover, they have Lily-sama's support now.
Although Lily-sama doesn't use attack magic, she instantly dispels mine.
It's just like fighting Manarisama.

"There!"
"… Kh…!"

I stopped a sword that was swung down with my magical wand.
As I said before, my hand-to-hand combat ability is by no means high.
If I am to win, I can only use magic.

"Judecca!"

The freezing magic once again stopped the guards' movements.
Taking the opportunity I took distance, but Lily-sama immediately dispelled their frozen state.
Like this the situation will only get worse.

"Relaire!"

I took Relaire from a pouch and cast magic at its body.

"Judecca!"

Receiving my magic, Relaire froze - not.
Instead Relaire grew fivefold.
Water slimes have the special characteristic of absorbing water magic.

"Wha, what is it!?"
"Demon!"
"Water slime, huh!"

The guards were agitated for a moment.
Then――.

"Guoooo!"

Relaire's Hate Cry burst out.
The guards who witnessed it couldn't move.

"Relaire, swallow Lily-sama!"

At my instruction Relaire rushed Lily-sama.
However――.

"That's why, naïve"

Lily-sama calmly evaded Relaire.
By nature water slimes' movements aren't quick.
There's no way it'd be able to keep up with the movements of Lily-sama, who's Salas's magnum opus.

But, this is the only chance.
Once the guard recover from Relaire's Hate Cry, I'll have no chance of winning anymore.
I have to somehow defeat Lily-sama.

"Absolute Zero!"

When I fought Manarisama I couldn't use it yet, it's the greatest attack magic of super water apt.i.tude.
It's a brutal magic that instantly freezes and then immediately cracks the target to pieces.
I fired it at Lily-sama's magical wand.
Without a magical wand, even Lily-sama shouldn't be able to use magic.

However――.

"That's why, naïve"

My Absolute Zero hurtled through the air.
Lily-sama closed the distance between us with tremendous speed, and pinned my arm holding the magical wand to the ground.

"Just how many times can you use magic if you're like this"

Lily-sama, who was on top of me stopping me from moving, mocked me.
Relaire tried to lean on Lily-sama who's stopped moving, but,

"Be obedient"

still pinning me down, Lily-sama skillfully operated her wand and Relaire's body returned to its original size.

"Now, I could kill you like this, but"
"Kh…!"

I was cornered.
I have no techniques to shake free from Lily-sama.
Such a thing is probably impossible even for Claire-sama.
Is it… Is it over with this…?
Tormented by the sense of helplessness I bit my lip.

"Kh… You…!"

Suddenly Lily-sama's grip came loose.
Lily-sama was holding her head, seemingly in anguish.
I didn't know the reason, but I quickly picked up my magical wand and drove Lily-sama off with ice bullets.
After collecting Relaire, I immediately tried rus.h.i.+ng into the building.

There――.

A beam of light flashed.
As if to block my way, the ground between me and the building was burned in a straight line.
This is――.

"Claire… sama…?"

Looking up, in the cracked window on the second floor of the building, stood Claire-sama with a firm expression on her face.
Her face was impregnable, it looked like it was reproaching me.
It was Claire-sama's Magical Ray that gouged the ground.
This is… This is――.

(Rejection)

No matter how much I want to save her, Claire-sama herself doesn't wish for it.
My struggling was all an unnecessary nuisance.

While I was shocked, a second shot was fired.
As if trying to keep me away.

"Claire-sama… Am I… Am I that much…?"

Without answering my question, Claire-sama disappeared from the window.

My knees lost power at Claire-sama's clear rejection.
I have no memories of what happened for a while since then.