The Fourth Match - 5

In the middle of the garden theater, Elea kept her arms wrapped tight around Kia. Almost like a mother bird embracing her egg. As if to protect the girl from the noise and gazes of the audience.

"That's enough."

She wanted to cry more than anyone, and even now, Elea was truly the most unhappy of all, yet for some reason, before Kia, she spoke words of encouragement.

"All the scary stuff is gone now, okay?" "…Elea. Elea."

Kia was crying. Never in her wildest dreams thinking that everything had all been staged by Elea.

"It's okay. I…," Elea said, stroking the child's golden hair. "I will always be right here with you, okay?"

She should have forced Kia to kill Jivlart.

If, back then, Kia had removed the shackles on her mind preventing her from murder, Elea surely would have won here.

More than anything, she should have understood that…and that was supposed to be her entire reason for summoning Jivlart to her house—why then, did she end him by her own hands instead? Why, in that one moment, had she made one mistake?

In any case, Elea had done it.

Before she could think things through, Elea had killed Jivlart with her own hands.

Why?

There had to be some reason. As she held Kia's tiny body and felt her quivering against her chest, Elea replayed the same regret over and over in her head.

Why? Why? Why?

"We've confirmed Kia's foul play!"

At the same time, the match adjudicator Meeka made an announcement.

"I will inform you all of the report I just received from our soldiers! We have several testimonies from our citizens! The Seventeenth Minister, Elea the Red Tag, made Kia stand on this dangerous battlefield…and provided her with Word Arts support from outside the arena! Therefore, for this fourth match! Kia is disqualified, and Rosclay the Absolute is declared the winner!"

There wasn't anyone in the audience who doubted these words.

The ear-rending cheers rained down on Rosclay as he remained collapsed on the ground and unable to stand.

The champion didn't get up, as if he was a godly idol with no mind of his own.

Supporting Kia in her severely exhausted state, Elea returned to the passageway.

Despite agreeing to make Jivlart fight against Rosclay, she had altered the agreement at the very last moment. To Aureatia, right now she was essentially a traitor.

"…Elea."

"It's okay. Breathe in, breathe out… Calm down, nice and slow, and it'll all be okay."

She rubbed Kia's back for her. A small back that made the World Word's power seem like a lie.

We'll get out of Aureatia…and flee somewhere.

A future of darkness. It seemed like there wasn't anywhere across the horizon for her to belong.

We'll conceal ourselves, get outside the city on the steam train… then, in a carriage together…

If she was with Kia, she just might be able to pull off such an escape.

A young girl with almighty power. Elea could control her. She knew she could make her fight against their pursuers from Aureatia and even make her kill their enemies. If they kept that up long enough, then escape was really in their grasp.

…I know. I'll be a teacher in Eta.

It seemed like a wonderful idea to her. In that tiny village, completely indifferent to combat or glory.

Playing together with the children, covered in flowers and mud.

Then, once more. She could look at the brilliant morning sun from the children's secret spot.

Just like that day…

Soldiers blocked her path.

"Seventeenth Minister. You must be tired. Allow me to accompany you." "We'll guide you from here. Come. We shall bring Miss Kia along with us." They were soldiers with Rosclay's faction.

Given that her almighty Word Arts had come to light, Aureatia would secure Kia for themselves. As for who was needed to control the World Word, Rosclay's camp now knew the answer.

The fight that Elea had gambled her life on had been a failure from the start, and the fourth match, not only before it even started…at the earliest possible point, had that outcome fixed.

Even then.

"I understand. Let us go together." Elea smiled slightly.

She showered the soldiers' faces with the contents of the thin vial she kept hidden on her.

"Guagh?!"

"Bwahk?!"

"Huh, what's going on?!" "Time to run, Kia!"

Even then, Kia must not degenerate into a weapon for the sake of Aureatia.

That was how she felt.

Elea the Red Tag had been unable to obtain anything she had sought after. She had blown it all herself.

In which case, if she could just get one thing right.

She pulled Kia's hand and fled. The Aureatia soldiers were trying to capture her.

The marketplace encircling the garden theater. Elea dashed across the midday market. The odd looks from the citizens pierced through her. Elea was a frantic mess, her clothes in disarray, covered in blood and tears.

Ah—Elea was supposed to always keep up appearances, to make sure no one scorned her, that no one looked down on her.

"Elea… Elea, listen to me! What're you doing?! Tell me what's going on!"

Kia was looking at her, too. The World Word Elea had discovered at the end of so much bloodshed was exactly as the preposterous legends spoke of…an invincible Word Arts user possessing absolute power.

However, they were a totally normal and innocent young girl who had never even experienced the death of someone close to them before.

I…

She had been jealous of Kia for being this way. She ran.

Standing out in front of Kia.

To make sure she didn't see her face.

I'm so…so hideous…!

Outside the world that endlessly tormented Elea, there was a world like the Eta Sylvan Province, one of tranquility.

And living there had been a young girl who innocently believed in her. A genuinely beautiful young girl, smeared by neither spite nor malice.

"Kia. I have something very important to tell you right now."

Elea stopped after they had reached the base of a long stone staircase. There, she crouched down to Kia's eye level. Elea gave her a smile.

"Do me this favor, okay? Listen well to what your teacher's going to say, okay?"

"…Elea?" Now.

Now was the time she needed to tell Kia the truth.

…The truth is: I've been fooling you.

Her turquoise eyes, like lakes filled with tears, reflected the world in its vivid, bright daylight.

The obvious and plain realization came to her, that the world reflected in a person's eyes was the one they saw.

I… In truth, I was just using you to gain power. All the suffering you experienced was all according to my designs. In truth… I'm a terribly vulgar woman who betrayed you through all of it. Even everything involving your homeland was entirely because of me.

Elea the Red Tag continuously used everything she could in order to survive. She hadn't only deceived other people, but her own words and heart, as well. Which was why this sort of deception was all-too-easy work for her.

…So. Everything here is my fault, so you alone need to escape.

With this, Elea gripped both of Kia's hands.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. Kia… You showed your unbelievable strong power out there, didn't you? That's why Aureatia's military is chasing after you. We needed to escape them."

"O-okay…right. You're right… I really did something terrible. Everyone's probably scared of me…and hates me…"

At this, Elea stroked her golden hair.

"Not at all. Ever since coming to Aureatia… You did a great job obeying my rule about your Word Arts."

"So um… Listen, Elea…! I—I…!" Tears flowed from Kia's eyes.

"I just have to run away by myself! Th-that way, they'll just come chasing after me, right? I'm invincible, so I'll be toootally fine, okay…?"

Indeed. When it came to Kia, Elea knew everything about her.

Elea could even tell the lies that would lead Kia to this exact answer.

The Aureatia soldiers were after Elea. As long as Kia's weak point, Elea

herself, wasn't there with her, Kia would be able to cleanly escape no matter how far it may take her.

"So um, Elea! No talk about any goodbyes or anything, right?!"

"Of course. Make sure you escape. I'll be here waiting for you the whole time. So please… Kia, be sure to use your Word Arts correctly."

It was a lie.

She had tried, more than anyone else, to make her use that power incorrectly. "Because that…that power…is a gift, for bringing happiness to others."

A lie.

The World Word was a gift for bringing happiness to Elea. Lies. Nothing but lies.

"Yeah… Okay…!"

"So for the time being…you've completed my lessons for you. I'll give you your second name now, Kia."

Elea brought her forehead to Kia's and announced the name.

It was a name that Kia herself had been completely oblivious to, yet it was more appropriate than any other.

"…World Word. Kia the World Word." "My name…"

Elea acted as though she truly was a teacher.

Even as she resolved to tell her the truth, even if it was her final opportunity to do so.

Even if her ugliness ended up being exposed to everyone in the world, she wanted to remain this way in front of Kia alone.

Since Elea had always been the perfect teacher, beautiful and kind. "…Thank you. Thank you, Elea."

Kia nestled in close and pressed her cheek up to Elea's own.

She took off the bandage over the eye Jivlart had injured and spoke.

"Heal."

Then she smiled as she cried.

"I really do like those eyes. They're so pretty." "Kia…"

"You know, Elea. The truth is, um, getting to spend all this time together with you…made me really happy."

"I was happy, too."

A lie. Not only these words, but everything else.

She had always been spouting nothing but lies in order to manipulate Kia. "I love you, Kia… I do… I love you so much…"

Lies.

Another lie.

Elea the Red Tag was always telling lies. Elea cried.

"I-it really is the truth…"

"…Elea. Miss Elea…was kind and pretty. Someone who everyone…was proud to call their teacher."

The young girl with the almighty Word Arts made one final wish to Elea. "Find happiness!"

They were not Word Arts.

Yet more than any kind of Word Arts, such parting words were…

Kia. Elea's light, dearer to her than anything else, dashed off. Her long golden hair fluttered, shining in the sunbeams and wind.

Elea turned her back and advanced toward the shade, diametrically opposite the young elf girl.

She wished happiness for Kia, more than anyone else. She wanted her to believe in the good.

Because Elea would carry all the darkness herself.

Kia, I—

One more time.

She found herself wanting to call out to the girl.

At that moment a soldier jumping out from the alleyway ran his sword through Elea's waist.

She collapsed. Her vision dyed dark crimson. "…Ah!"

The Aureatia soldier who slashed her seemed more unsettled than Elea. "…My apologies, Lord Jel!"

He reported to the man standing behind him.

"I only wanted to cut her legs to immobilize her, but because she suddenly turned around, my aim was thrown off…!"

"No matter."

A cold and levelheaded voice. She could hear the familiar tone of contempt. Third Minister Jel was looking down over Elea.

"This latest incident has made it quite clear. Even if we spare this woman's life…she will persistently use others for her own self-interest. A she-devil who putrefies Aureatia from within. We shouldn't have ever given her a chance… I'll take responsibility for the decision."

…Ah.

There was something dirty right in front of Elea's eyes.

The viscera spilling out from her stomach was soiling the ground.

She always strove to be beautiful. She wanted everyone to view both her birth and her appearance as pristine and fair.

Aaah, my…my insides… Not this…

All of Elea the Red Tag was present in its hideous form and color. Vulgar. Base. Vile. Crude.

"…I take responsibility for all of it. I was a fool, a fool for expecting anything of her."

…Stop. Don't…don't look at me… Brother…

As long as Kia could live on in happiness, that was enough. Yet. In truth, she…

She didn't want to die all alone.

She didn't want to die scorned by everyone. "Die!" Jel shouted.

The levelheaded Third Minister made sure never to let his emotions show.

However, there was a distinct disappointment and rage contained in his shout.

"Cursed daughter of base blood! You betray your compatriots, manipulate a young girl, and kill…and even kill your own father! Don't you dare think someone like you will be given a chance to atone for this! Elea the Red Tag! A pitiful death is exactly what a wretch like you deserves!"

Amid the pool of blood, there was a golden glint.

The hair ornament. The one that really suited Elea, that made her look like a princess.

...

She desperately stretched her fingers out toward it. There was sure to be light, at the end of the darkness.

But by that point, there was nothing. Her light had departed.

Before her fingers could reach the hair ornament, Elea's life came to an end.

His optic nerves hurt. Even the glare from the lights was too bright.

Pain. Throughout Rosclay's entire body was nothing but intense pain. The pain that came from being remade with healing Life Arts.

Lying down on an infirmary bed, he spoke in delirium. "…I lost."

Sitting at his side, Yaniegiz shook his head. "That…is not so, Rosclay."

How many of Rosclay's wounds would recover? At the very least, he may have had more hope than Soujirou, who had completely severed his leg.

He was a champion who absolutely couldn't die. There were a total of four Life Arts specialists in charge of Rosclay's treatment. At least, they'd get him ready in time for the second round. Regardless of everything it would cost.

"…It was definitely your victory. If you hadn't been so well trained yourself, you wouldn't have been able to stay conscious in the face of those Word Arts. The Word Arts that demolished the mound of dirt and the Word Arts that healed your legs were all part of your preparations. Getting the Twenty-Sixth Minister

to cooperate with us was also in thanks to your honest abilities."

Ninth General Yaniegiz concealed his personal history publicly, but Rosclay knew.

Yaniegiz was also born poor. An individual Rosclay had once saved in the past.

One of those who felt genuine pride at being saved by the champion. "…That's just how many allies you've created for yourself. Far beyond what

we imagined… Rosclay the Absolute has become a true champion…"

There was no room for any doubt. If it had been anyone else, they couldn't have brought down the almighty Kia.

"To all the people of Aureatia, you are a magnificent champion. Rosclay." "…Still."

Rosclay mumbled as he stared at the ceiling. "Elea the Red Tag had worked alone." "..."

He had many more allies on his side than anyone else. The artificially constructed champion had won over the entire citizenry of Aureatia to his cause.

Nevertheless. If even a single element had gone awry, then there was no doubt…

"All by herself, she drove us all into a corner." Match Four. Winner, Rosclay the Absolute.