Afternoon lunch (1)

"Huu, huu."

Amy, who had been watching for a while, shouted as if she couldn't bear it any longer.

"Hey! Can't you step aside? The criminal is getting mad at the victim. Other people might think we are the harassers and they're the victims."

Turning her gaze toward Amy, Marsha pouted as if she was kindling a fire in her chest and snuggled deeper into Shirone's embrace.

Amy felt her patience running out.

"I said let go of her, this woman!"

Freeman stood in front of Marsha, pleading.

"Leave her be. She must be worn out from crying."

Amy looked at Freeman bewilderedly and pointed at him.

"Aren't you mistaken about something? Do you know how many problems we've had because of you? I'm glad we won, but Shirone's life almost ended!"

That's what really bothered Amy. Was it all fine just because things ended well? If Shirone hadn't been able to overcome the current crisis, it would have been terrible to even imagine what would happen next.

Not only Shirone, who had been deprived of his magic, but also Amy, who had to witness everything, felt like they had returned alive from hell.

"I'm sorry. The crimes committed while operating as the Parrot Thieves Band were all under my orders. Marsha simply faced the pursuers from the Magic Association. But if even that is considered a crime…"

Amy crossed her arms and inquired.

"If what?"

"I'll also take responsibility for her life."

Marsha, who was held by Shirone, suddenly stood up. Then she snorted and kicked Freeman on the rear.

"You're kidding! Is there anyone who wants to stop me from getting married? I don't need a man like you!"

It was Freeman, whose waist trembled, but still stood there like an old tree. He had grown accustomed to Marsha's tantrums from a young age.

"Marsha noona."

Marsha's shoulders trembled at Shirone's voice. She didn't have the courage to look back. The reason she vented her anger on Freeman was that she was afraid of this very situation. In the end, she couldn't turn her body and spoke.

"That… I'm sorry for this. Of course, I don't expect to be forgiven."

"That's right. I can't forgive Noona."

Marsha turned surprised. Shirone's eyes were cold. The image of the man who had been soothing her wounds moments ago had vanished without a trace.

"No matter the reason, noona kidnapped a girl and used her. This is something that noona should never do."

Marsha tilted her head, unable to refute. Throughout her life, she had never bullied the weak. She did, but she didn't want to make excuses. This was because Shirone was the one who suffered the most from Yuna's kidnapping.

"Yes, I suppose so. When I think about it, I'm a world-class villain."

"That's right. My noona is a world-class villain."

Shirone said without hesitation. If one thought about it, she had that kind of personality. The reason there was no conflict in dealing with someone sincerely was because her nature itself was good, not because she liked to distort or falsify the truth.

"I'm leaving. I hope noona copes well. And… I hope we never meet again."

Shirone turned around and walked away without hesitation. Understanding and empathizing with Marsha was all he could do.

"I was wrong!"

At that moment, Marsha shouted and gathered her courage. Shirone didn't pass any judgment on this matter.

It was the same as when she stole ceramics from the market. Therefore, she had no choice but to approach him first.

"How can you just leave like this? I'm starting to change. At least promise me that we'll meet again!"

Shirone, who had been silent for a while, turned around. His gaze remained severe, making Marsha feel like a prisoner awaiting her sentence.

"If you really think you've made a mistake, apologize to Yuna. You should also apologize to her older brother, Jiss. You must also make up for all the damage suffered by the siblings."

"Of course! Actually, I hate this kind of thing, you know? I won't make excuses, but I'll personally seek forgiveness from both."

"Even so, that doesn't mean the mistakes made will disappear. I can never forgive Noona for what you've done until now."

Marsha's shoulders slumped. Tears were about to fall from her eyes at any moment.

"But if you've truly decided to start a new life, I can forget the past."

Marsha quickly raised her head and, like a child, hugged Shirone, sobbing.

"Uwaaaah! It was all my fault!"

Shirone couldn't console Marsha, who cried in his arms. Indeed, this was the first time he had made that decision.

Some people live a much harder life than others. Not everyone can fight for their beliefs.

That's why Shirone decided to forgive her.

If the starting point of her change was him, he felt it was his responsibility to observe her transformation.

'Claire Marsha…'

Perhaps that's why?" Shirone suddenly realized.

Marsha, who had always seemed so strong and fearsome, was actually a petite woman he could easily hold in his arms.

***

Marsha led Shirone and his friends into the building. As it was the place where the two mages had fought, not a single object remained intact.

His friends could guess how much Shirone had struggled.

"Let's go to the second floor. I'm hungry after the fight. I'll prepare some food. My skills aren't that great, but still."

Fortunately, the second floor was in suitable condition to stay. Only a few broken pots littered the ground.

Shirone and the others waited for the meal.

Yuna was also sitting there. Her complexion seemed to have improved, unlike before, as if her tension had eased.

They had been out since dawn and couldn't eat a single meal until sunset. They were so hungry that they couldn't wait to eat, so Marsha treated them to soup and bread that they could eat right away.

As soon as the food was served, they devoured it eagerly. Although Rian's injuries were severe and he wasn't in a condition to eat, he seemed to have eaten the most in the group.

"So, you can't use Rule Eater anymore?"

The part that impressed Shirone the most in this battle was, of course, the Rule Eater. It might not be as impressive as Unlocker, but it's clearly a rare trait in the mage society.

"No, it's not like that. Of course, deprivation may be impossible, but the truth is that the wounds engraved in the heart don't heal so easily. They'll probably transform somehow."

"I see. Hmm."

While Shirone remained silent, Marsha, being witty, smiled cheerfully and said.

"Don't worry. I won't create such malicious magic anymore. Rules can be changed to some extent."

Shirone nodded with a surprised expression. This was also practical information that he couldn't learn at the academy.

"Do you have any rules in mind already?"

"Not yet. Let's see… Should I go to the magic academy and develop magic that can enchant handsome men with blonde hair?"

Shirone smiled uneasily. He had experienced the eccentricity of Rule Eater, so he couldn't simply dismiss it as a joke.

Marsha, who received Amy's sharp look, waved her hand to reassure her.

"Haha, don't worry. It's not about Shirone."

"Oh? Is that so? Then, who is it about?"

"There's one. A man who goes to a magic academy, with blonde hair and handsome."

Amy abruptly stopped talking. Arguing with the Rule Eater mage, who saw the world in his own way, was futile.

Freeman set down the spoon and spoke seriously.

"How about magic that enchants eyebrow-less men?"

"No!"

Marsha spat out the soup she had just sipped from her plate. She didn't expect him to say something so audacious in a place like this.

"How absurd! What's gotten into you?"

"What's the problem? I didn't say a word about myself."

"Is there anyone else besides you and a monkey who's eyebrow-less?"

"Monkeys aren't humans."

"No! I meant you're the monkey! Now that I think about it, you lost, right? What a pathetic coward. How many times did I tell you not to opt for the reverse technique tree? Huh? Huh?"

Marsha poked Freeman's temple with a fork.

As Amy watched this, something struck her. Indeed, it was strange that Freeman remained unharmed even after being directly hit by her Flame Strike.

'Reverse technique tree?'

Those who train in Schema build by overlaying various Schemas. The basic structure is placed at the bottom, and the optional one at the top.

Reverse Build tries to change this arrangement in an instant.

Users of Schema call this an "inversion," which is a defensive setup chosen only when life is in danger.

Artillery types, whose mobility and precision are vital, usually base their constitution on sensory or neural enhancements.

Therefore, regenerative or cell activation builds related to defensive skills are inevitably relegated to options.

Freeman, being an artilleryman, wouldn't be much different.

However, if Marsha's words are to be believed, he fought from the start with a defensive structure, a reverse structure.

In that case, it made sense for him to be alright even though Flame Strike burned his face.

'But… the speed with which he saved Marsha in the end was incredible.'

That must have been his unreversed artillery move. Thinking this, Amy's irritation grew.

Freeman said, perhaps aware of Amy's feelings, "If it weren't for the reversal, the opponent would have devised a different strategy. There's no strong or weak. It's just about adapting to the situation, and courage is also part of one's ability. Amy was stronger than me. That's all there is to it."

Marsha rested her chin on her hand and chuckled. The cowardly and eyebrow-less Freeman had finally learned to speak like a man.

Receiving praise from an enemy made Amy uncomfortable.

"No, well… you were amazing too, man."

"Thank you. But I'm not a 'man.' I'm the same age as Marsha."

"So what? Even if you're the same age, you're still a 'man' to me, right?"

Freeman, feeling a bit disheartened, bowed his head and focused on breaking the bread. The words "Why does Shirone call Marsha 'sister'?" almost escaped his lips, but his shy nature prevented him from expressing them.

As the conversation atmosphere faded, Marsha adjusted her expression and spoke seriously again.

"Anyway, Shirone, if you also aspire to become a mage, you better watch out for Rule Eater like me. Though it's a bit funny for me to say this."

"No, I want to know. Please tell me more."

"Hmm, actually, my Deprivation Magic isn't very efficient. Although taking away the opponent's magic is overwhelming in itself, it's just a challenge to possibility and can't be said to be an effective combat method."

Shirone also thought that if risking life was the price for obtaining a certain ability, deprivation wouldn't be his choice.

The very act of plundering someone else's abilities carried too many constraints.

"I'm a bit of a unique case. Of course, most Rule Eaters are unique, but it wasn't magic created with combat in mind from the start. Other Rule Eaters will use much more effective and applicable magic than I do."

"I see. To be honest, fighting against you was truly terrifying. I had no idea there was a way to block the Immortal Function in the world of magic."

"Haha, sorry about that. But you're right. There's nothing impossible in the world of magic, no absolutes. You could defeat me because you discovered my weakness, right?"

"Yes. If the triggering of Rule Eater's magic itself is caused by trauma, I thought that if we persistently focused on that trauma, variables could emerge."

"That's exactly it. In other words, it's a battle of logic between limitations and consequences. When it comes to Rule Eater, it's more important to quickly understand the mechanism of their magic than their combat skills. Though I believe you'll do well."

"No, I learned a lot from this experience."

Shirone responded sincerely. It was a battle that made him realize how vast the world is and how many talented people exist.