A Swordsman and a Mage, Sworn Enemies, Accidentally Crossed a Line and Discovered Their Bodies Were Perfectly Compatible. - Chapter 21

I lunged forward, aiming for his life.

“Get out of my way,”

But the man brushed me aside with effortless ease.

“Gah! It’s no use!”

“Whoa. As expected of the Reinebell Family’s heir.”

He tried to eliminate me, but I wouldn’t go down easily.
Thanks to my father’s rigorous training, I could stall him for a few minutes if I focused solely on buying time.
With Remietta’s speed, that should be enough for her to reach a crowded area.
I hope so.

“Daaaaah!”

“Hmm. I owe your father a debt. I’ll spare you—just enough to cripple you.”

“Tch—”

The moment he spoke, I immediately performed a backflip to retreat. A razor-sharp blade whizzed past where my legs had been.
A fraction of a second slower, and I would have lost both my legs.
My heart pounded wildly. Death had been right in front of me. This wasn’t training; this was real combat, where lives were at stake.
My first true battle.
How terrifying. Could anything be more terrifying than this?

“It’s impossible. The difference in skill between a child and an adult is insurmountable. If you run away right now, I’ll let you go.”

“Ugh—AAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

“How admirable. You’re quite the hero.”

I pushed the fear out of my mind and lunged at him.
But he effortlessly parried my attack, sending me sprawling to the ground.

“Damn it!”

“You’re remarkably strong. If you continue to grow, you’ll undoubtedly surpass me someday. It’s a pity I have to nip that potential in the bud.”

There was no way I could win.
My plan had been to buy a few minutes, but I’d only managed thirty seconds.
The man remained unscathed, raising his sword, preparing to strike me down.

“Goodbye, then. I’ll try not to kill you.”

The man’s sword descended.
It would tear through me.
Would it reach my heart?
Even if it didn’t, I’d likely bleed to death.
I couldn’t move. Not even a minute had passed, let alone several.
Frustration burned within me, a bitter, unbearable rage.
I hated my own weakness and closed my eyes.

“…Huh?”

The sword didn’t fall. Instead, I heard the dull sound of flesh being cut and the man’s surprised cry.
Come to think of it, I’d heard footsteps just as I closed my eyes.
A terrible premonition gripped me. The worst possible scenarios raced through my mind.
I cautiously opened my eyes—and saw Remietta’s back.

“Remi?”

“…”

Remietta didn’t reply, only letting out a strained, pain-filled groan.

“Cough—”

“Remi?!”

Remietta collapsed toward me. I frantically caught her, but I could only stare in stunned silence.

“How beautiful. Is this another form of love?”

Remietta had been slashed by a sword, bl00d gushing from the wound in her chest.
It was a wound that needed immediate treatment to stop the bleeding, but I didn’t know how.

“Remi! Remi!!”

“…………”

Remietta didn’t respond.

“She’s still breathing. I should finish her off.”

“You bastard!!”

“Whoa, don’t waste your life. Especially since that girl saved it for you.”

The moment I heard those words, my mind went blank.
I couldn’t forgive this vile enemy.
I had to defeat him. With every ounce of my being, with power beyond my limits, I would crush this man.
Otherwise, Remietta would die.

“Huh?”

I swung my sword, letting the surging power within me guide my movements.

“What the hell is that?”

Just moments ago, I couldn’t land a single blow. Now, I was not only holding my own but even gaining the upper hand.
Surrendering to this newfound strength, I swung my sword with the intent to end his life.
Again and again and again, I will never yield. I won’t stop until you’re dead.

“What the hell is that?!”

“Die.”

For the first time, the man looked panicked.
His eyes widened at my sword, his mouth muttering in disbelief as if in a daze.
But none of that mattered. All I cared about now was taking his life.

“Tch… this guy…”

Slash, slash, slash. I hacked at him relentlessly.
But of course, I was being slashed too. Bl00d streamed from my body, and the alarm bells of pain rang deafeningly. But none of that mattered.
I wouldn’t hesitate to throw my life away here.
If it meant defeating this man, if it meant protecting Remietta, I wouldn’t spare a single thought for my own life.

“Is this the bl00d of Reinbell?! Damn it! Why, why?!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!”

“Gah!”

My sword had indeed struck the man.
But I no longer understood how my body was moving.
My thoughts had vanished completely.

“Remi… I’ll protect you.”

But that alone remained within me, undeniably.

◇

Before me lay a battered, collapsed man. He didn’t twitch, and I doubted he could ever stand again.
Remietta’s life had been saved. But I couldn’t move either.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t rise. I collapsed heavily onto the ground.
My body was covered in cuts, bl00d gushing from the wounds. Even through my fading consciousness, I knew I was dying.
Well, trying to survive against a murderer like that was asking for too much. This was a fitting price for victory.
It was enough. As long as Remietta was safe, it was enough.

“E… El… El…”

Remietta’s voice reached me. She was alive.
Good. Just as I thought that, her hands began to touch me, and a warm sensation enveloped my body.

“I’m… sorry. For… getting you involved. I’m… sorry. My… magic… is weak.”

Vitality surged through my body.
I had resigned myself to death, yet my entire being surged with life, as if compelled to move.
Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Remietta’s face, her tears dried.

“I-It’s okay. I’m fine. What about you?”

“I’m… fine,”

She replied, forcing a smile to reassure me.
But the wound on her chest remained open, stained crimson.
It must hurt. It had to hurt. Agonizing pain must be tearing through her. Yet she prioritized healing me, forcing a smile.
Even if I told her not to, Remietta would still do it. That’s the kind of girl she is. If she weren’t, she wouldn’t have come back for me.

“El… don’t… die.”

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t… die.”

The warm glow of magic forcefully dragged me back from the brink of death.
But that wasn’t enough.
Remietta’s immature skills couldn’t revive me from the brink of death.
Yet, as if refusing to accept this, she intensified the magical light.
And then—

“El…”

I felt the soft touch of her lips.

“—”

Remietta’s lips met mine, and immediately afterward, she breathed something into me.
It coursed through my entire body, carrying a power that seemed to revitalize my flesh.

“…Remi?”

“A kiss… awakens you.”

It was something from a movie.
Something that shouldn’t exist in reality.
But Remietta, wielding her magic, had made this fairy tale a reality.
I felt myself pulled back from the abyss of death, returning to the world of the living.

“Remi…”

“Ehehe.”

Remietta collapsed heavily against me.
Even though Remietta was severely injured, she prioritized treating me. That must have been why she collapsed.
I needed to call for help immediately.
But I couldn’t move either.
My battered body craved rest to heal, pulling me into a rapid slumber.

“Re…mi—”

Those were the last words I heard.

“—chi!”

“—Remi…sama!”

“Immediately—”

Hearing the panicked voices of the adults, I let out a relieved breath and surrendered to unconsciousness.
When I woke up, I would talk to Remietta endlessly.
There were so many games we still wanted to play together. I couldn’t afford to waste time sleeping.
Remietta, Remietta, Remietta.
Even in my unconsciousness, I kept calling out her name.
I would never forget her. I couldn’t forget her. The feelings I held for her were supposed to be etched into my heart for eternity.
But someone had torn them away.
Who was Remietta again?