Love Letter From The Future

“Del, Fin Yuridina……….”

However, my small muttering did not reach Senior Delphine. As always, she walked leisurely towards Ceria.

Ceria flinched and lowered her head. It was an instinctive reaction. She averted her gaze, and her body trembled slightly.

“Don’t worry, you have proven your worth. At least while I am the head, you will not be stripped of your Yuridina title.”

It was as if Ceria had caught prey for her. That couldn’t be the case.

Ceria wanted to escape the memories of that day more than anyone. Her sword existed for her. The monsters she had slain with that sword were no different.

Nonetheless, Delphine simply smiled lazily, as if Ceria’s feelings didn’t matter.

To achieve victory, one does not discriminate means and methods. As long as one does not stray from the rules, anything goes. Is that why they are called the Yuridina Clan?

Senior Delphine asked softly.

“Are you going to fight?”

Her attitude suggested that the outcome wouldn’t change regardless of what Ceria decided. Ceria’s eyes trembled with fear. Before long, Celin also let out a scream and dropped her sword.

A handaxe was embedded in her shoulder.

“……Celin!”

The moment I saw that sight, I thrashed about madly, but Senior Permian’s slender yet solid body did not let me go. Instead, he struck the back of my neck sharply, making my consciousness hazy.

I didn’t faint. Senior Permian looked rather surprised.

“You have remarkable mental strength, junior. I’m impressed. The amount of blood loss must be significant.”

Huff, huff, I gasped as my eyes looked towards Senior Permian. He gazed at my blood-soaked left arm with a look of pity.

“We must at least provide first aid, or it will be serious. Normally, I would have to break it entirely, but…”

His hand shimmered with a white glow. And then, it glided along my left arm, and the flesh began to regenerate where it was once bloodied.

It was, of course, nothing more than basic first aid. A simple treatment to stop the bleeding. Nevertheless, the power to perform such miracles came from only one source.

“……A monk?”

With a strained breath, I uttered that word, and Senior Permian nodded without saying a word.

I had wondered about the prowess of martial arts, but he was a monk from the Holy Kingdom. Those who strengthened their bodies with divine power and fought, their skin as tough as steel, were proficient in martial arts as well.

Had I known in advance, I would have been wary of martial arts, but I was deceived by his carrying a sword. His swordsmanship was even at a high level.

It was a frustrating matter for me, but the reality that my companions were overpowered only served to enrage Ceria further. Especially, the moment I collapsed, a cold killing intent glimmered in her eyes.

She chewed her lips, steeling her resolve, and forced her trembling arm to point her sword.

Senior Delphine chuckled softly, as if finding it amusing. Then, she spoke with a benevolent gaze.

“Come.”

In the next moment, a blue aura blazed like a flame. The essence of magical power rose like a mirage, drawing three straight lines.

It was the Yuridina Clan’s secret, the Golden Lionsword. And it was the ultimate weapon that Ceria could wield. The fact that she used it from the start meant she desperately wanted to defeat Senior Delphine.

However, just one thing.

All those lines were shattered and broken by the horizontally slashing path of golden light.

There wasn’t even a sign to appear. No, perhaps there was, but it was at a speed one could not follow with their eyes. Senior Delphine showed the difference in skill brutally and straightforwardly, without swinging her sword more than twice.

With a thud, Senior Delphine’s foot landed squarely near Ceria’s solar plexus. Ceria flew away, tearing through the air.

She was already accumulating injuries from facing monsters. Perhaps the force of the kick that struck her vital point was terrifying, as she writhed on the ground without even letting out a groan.

It was overwhelming. She couldn’t even put up a fight. Ceria, who was so strong.

Senior Delphine let out a sigh and sheathed her sword. Her demeanor held not a trace of disarray, as if she merely went for a stroll.

Unhesitatingly, she walked up to the dying monster. She marveled once more.

“Impressive, impressive. A monster of this level is something I wouldn’t want to face alone; how did you take it down? I’m impressed, Lord Handaxe… as the old saying goes, ‘shocking heaven and moving earth’?”

Coughing, a mouthful of blood spilled from my lips again. Senior Permian advised me.

“Stay still. Your injury is severe; as for Delphine’s provocation, just brush it aside. Tranquility comes from a calm heart.”

What on earth was he talking about? I shot a worried glance at Senior Permian, who was genuinely concerned, and forced myself to speak.

“Cowardly, ugh… cowardly, right….”

That was the maximum criticism I could muster. Hearing that, Senior Delphine looked at me with a smile, as if she had been waiting.

“I told you, Lord Handaxe. You must not be choosy about means and methods to win. I didn’t want to do this either, but what can I do? It’s clear who the best prey will be.”

“Wh-what… w-we will…”

“Dagger.”

I blankly shifted my gaze into my robe.

There lay the dagger that Senior Delphine had left for me as a prize. That meant she had intended to keep us in check all along.

I suppressed a bemused laugh in disbelief.

It was my fault. I had been lacking in vigilance. It was a potential competitor’s gift. I should have suspected and doubted it.

Self-loathing tightened my chest.

What about Ceria who was biting down hard on her last chance? What about Celin, who had followed along without complaint during the hellish training of the past week, or Senior Elsi with whom I had shared promises of victory?

“Hey, you despicable woman! There’s no need to beat the kids to death! They’re already injured!”

Senior Elsi shouted like that. By now, the azure-haired Aisia was standing in front of her. I didn’t know what had happened, but Senior Elsi couldn’t move an inch.

When Aisia met my gaze, she winked and offered me the lollipop she had been chewing.

It seemed to be a kind of greeting. Senior Delphine didn’t even glance at Senior Elsi.

“Elsi, it’s quite impressive for you to say that. Were you not the troublemaker who caused all sorts of problems through excessive violence?”

“Is that the same as this?!”

Senior Elsi yelled back fiercely. She seemed to want to protect us as much as she could. A thin dew glistened in her blue-sapphire eyes.

Celin had an axe embedded in her shoulder.

My vision was starting to blur. My breathing grew shallower.

Huff, huff, huff. The frequency of my breaths quickened. My vision blurred and gradually narrowed.

The world faded to black. I could hear Senior Permian’s worried voice in my ears.

“Are you okay, junior? Junior?!”

But soon even that faded away. My world was enveloped in darkness. And at that moment when all sensation was cut off.

The world turned upside down.

Memories flowed in. A woman lay on the ground. I couldn’t even see her face. Only her delicate hand, soaked in blood, left a handprint on my chest.

My arms trembled. Tears welled up. I didn’t know why, but it felt profoundly sad. I wanted to scream and roll on the ground.

The woman in my arms smiled weakly.

“……Don’t forget.”

Forget what? I wanted to ask that. But in this inverted world, my body had no freedom.

Only when that white hand slid down my chest, leaving streaks of blood.

I won’t regret it.

The muttering of a man choked with rage echoed only in the silence.

I will never, regret it again.

As I faced the burning golden eyes, the world shattered once more.

And I regained my breath.

Delphine looked down at the dying monster with emotionless eyes. Her labored breaths were heavy. It was about to die, but still, it would be courteous to end its life personally.

With such a simple thought, Delphine drew her sword. The prey she had been aiming for was already caught. Her poor half-brother and the Lord Handaxe who had first brought her shame.

It was an overwhelmingly easy conclusion. She couldn’t have imagined that she would be injured while fighting a monster; for her, it was good news but also a bit regretful.

It had been a long time since she had faced someone who made her heart race, but now that the victory and defeat were decided, she had no interest in them.

Of course, a little part of her pride was wounded. No matter what, the fact that her actions were akin to stealing the efforts of others remained unchanged.

Yet, that was the law of the world she lived in. The strong possess everything, and the weak are deprived of it.

For now, she was merely strong. Just like how the corn cultivated by the villagers would all be taken away if the army invaded.

She could hear Elsi’s shouting and Permian fussing as usual, but none of it mattered. There was no longer any chance for a turnaround.

Her sword was raised high into the sky. A brilliant golden glow enveloped her blade. With her aura, she could grant peace to that pitiful life.

But at that moment.

“Graaak!”

A scream pierced the air. The voice felt far too familiar, and Delphine paused, turning around.

And at that moment, thud, the handaxe struck.

It narrowly missed her face and embedded itself into the monster’s nape with a ghostly trajectory.

With a squelch, blood erupted. Only then did the monster finally stop its struggled breaths. Yet Delphine couldn’t even acknowledge that fact.

Had she not realized?

Her blood-colored eyes glazed over in shock. That couldn’t be. Up until the moment she turned, she had not sensed the incoming axe.

This meant that if that axe had been thrown targeting her.

It was clear she would face death without any means of escape.

A chill ran down Delphine’s spine. It was an emotion she had not felt in a long time, one that was always so arrogant.

Her crimson gaze was fixed on only one direction.

The man standing there, panting and holding his thighs. His left arm was already a mess, and exhaustion was clearly evident in his ragged breaths.

From the very beginning, he lacked the skill to match Delphine. And now to be injured, it was clear he was no match for her.

Yet why, could she not take her eyes off those burning golden eyes?

Delphine had no idea. Her gaze blankly swept around him.

By now, Permian, who had been suppressing him, had turned to roll on the ground, his hands clutching his face. He couldn’t even tell what had hit him. All the man did was spit something out.

Flesh. It was all too clear whose flesh it was.

When Delphine’s eyes turned back to the man’s, he smiled.

“……Let’s have a showdown, your pink ladyship.”

A lunatic, Delphine muttered inwardly without realizing.

With an unmistakable gaze filled with fear.

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