"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 14

Third-Person Perspective

Ria stood face-to-face with Cedwyn.

“Haaa…”

She had no real combat experience. Yuri had only taught her the basics. In contrast, Cedwyn was a seasoned fighter.

“Hah!”

It was Ria who struck first. Cedwyn, wearing a faint smile, was already thinking about how best to toy with her.

(Hmph. She’s just a woman. Even if she can use magic and skills, she can’t possibly defeat me.)

Cedwyn considered countering with a punch to her solar plexus, but—just in that instant—Ria vanished from his view.

“…Huh?”

The moment the word left his mouth, she was already behind him. Her magically enhanced fist slammed into his back with full force.

“Gah…!!”

Cedwyn tumbled forward, crashing into the wall. Bl00d trickled from his forehead.

“Phew…”

Yuri, watching the scene unfold, could only stare in stunned silence.

(What…? No way. That was definitely teleportation—fast, too. But Ria’s supposed to be a support-type character, not a front-line fighter. Ria… just how much of a genius are you?)

In the original story, Saint Ria was a magic-specialized support type. But now, she was evolving into something entirely new.

Ria swayed slightly as she stared down at the collapsed Cedwyn with a sharp glint in her eyes.

(Yuri… it’s like I can see the world so clearly now, thanks to you. Is this what courage feels like? But I can’t let my guard down. This was just the opening act. He wasn’t being serious. The real fight starts now—)
Cedwyn wiped the bl00d from his brow and slowly stood up.

“Ke… Hehehe… Hahaha! Impressive. I didn’t expect you to be this strong. I take back what I said. Now, I’ll crush you for real.”

Raising his right hand, a multitude of magic circles appeared in the air. When he swung his arm down, a barrage of fireballs shot forth.

“—Ice Wall!”

A towering wall of ice rose up in front of him. Ria had teleported behind him again, launching into close-quarters combat.

“Hah!!”

“Haha! Splendid! A saint candidate fighting in melee? This is getting fun!”

Cedwyn activated his skills: [Iron Fist] and [High-Speed Movement]. He blocked Ria’s strike and retaliated with his blade. She barely managed to dodge, but Cedwyn grinned wickedly.

A lock of her silver hair drifted through the air— Cedwyn had grabbed it violently.

“Haha! In the end, you’re just a woman! Someone like you, who doesn’t even understand the essence of battle, could never defeat me!”

Confident in his victory, he raised his blade toward her—but his vision was suddenly filled with strands of silver, like falling snow.

“—Idiot. I let you grab me.”

Incredibly, Ria had used a mana-enhanced hand strike to sever her own hair, freeing herself in an instant. With Cedwyn wide open, she drove her fist into his solar plexus.

“Gah…!!”

The blow was far more powerful than before. Cedwyn slammed into the wall, groaning in agony.

“Phew. Much better without all that hair.”

Ria’s expression was clear and radiant, as if a great weight had lifted from her shoulders.

(Yuri… because of you, I found the strength to fight. I’m going to carve out my own future with these hands. This… this feeling must be courage. I can’t imagine a world without you anymore. Yuri, Yuri, Yuri…

watch me! I’ll fight—for you, and no one else!)

“Fufu… Ahahaha!!”

She was reaching a new height. Her potential continued to evolve. Fueled by her feelings for Yuri, Ria was transcending her original fate.

“You think I’d lose to a little girl like youuuu!?”

Cedwyn launched another massive volley of fireballs, using every ounce of his magical power.

“Let’s see you block this barrage!”

He had shifted to long-range magic combat, but Ria was prepared.

(Yuri… everything is happening just as you said. With you, I can become stronger—infinitely stronger—!)

The area filled with dust and debris. Cedwyn could no longer see Ria.

“Tch…!”

Still, he readied himself for the next strike.

(Fine. I’ll push my physical enhancements to the max and counter. Come on… Come at me!)

With every nerve on edge, he focused completely on delivering the perfect counterattack.

“—Above you.”
Ria’s voice came from overhead. Cedwyn swung his knife upward instinctively—but hit nothing.

Ria was already in front of him.

“You’re such a fool. I only teleported my voice.”

“Wai—!”

Before he could finish, Ria’s full-powered punch smashed into him. He flew back at blinding speed, crashing into the wall. This time, it was truly over.

“Phew… I guess that’s that. Your mistake was not knowing Yuri’s teachings. That’s all there is to it.”

“….”

The phrase “speechless” didn’t begin to describe Yuri. He stood there, mouth agape, completely unable to process what had just happened.

“Ah…”

With the tension finally broken, Ria collapsed to her knees. Yuri immediately ran to her side.

“Ria! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah… just a little tired. Hey, Yuri.”

“What is it?”

“I fought just like you said, didn’t I?”

“Y-Yeah…”

He wanted to say it wasn’t just “like he said”—it was far beyond that. But he couldn’t even get the words out.

“It’s all thanks to you. Every step I took was because you were there. Thank you, Yuri… really.”

“Ria…”

He was still confused, but above all else, he was just relieved she was safe. She had embodied the courage he’d tried to teach her.

Then—rumble. The underground chamber began to quake. Yuri looked up. The ceiling was starting to collapse.

“A cave-in?! Ria, sorry, but I’m carrying you!”

“Eh—O-Okay!”

Scooping her into his arms, Yuri bolted from the crumbling ruins.

“I won’t forgive this… never… NEVER. I’ll kill her. No matter what—I’ll kill her.”

Trapped beneath the rubble, Cedwyn was swallowed by the collapse. But his glare burned with hatred as he stared at Ria’s retreating form. Yuri noticed the look—but didn’t stop.

(So that’s how it is. Fine. I’ll finish this.)

†
Yuri had returned to the mansion after escaping the ruins. Ria had already fallen fast asleep in his arms.

Gently, he brushed her chopped silver hair. It had been crudely cut—but to him, it was a badge of honor.

“…You did great, Ria.”

But he still had unfinished business.

When he stepped outside the mansion—there stood Cedwyn, barely recognizable. His face was swollen, his clothes in tatters, yet his eyes still radiated pure, murderous rage.

“What do you want?”

“I’ll kill her… that woman must die…!”

“Wasn’t your goal to exploit her skills? Killing her makes no sense.”

“That doesn’t matter anymore!! She humiliated me. She’ll pay for that—with her life! Hahaha… I know she’s used up all her power. She’s helpless now!”

“You said ‘this me’, huh.”

“Out of my way. Move, and I’ll spare you.”

“I’m not going anywhere. This ends here.”

“Kuh… Hahaha. You think a wounded me could lose to an F-rank adventurer like you?”

…Maybe. But if Ria could fight with such courage, then I can’t sit back and do nothing. Cleaning up the mess—that’s my job.

I began constructing magic formulas in my mind. Naturally, my innate attribute was darkness—so all my spells output dark magic. But I was now running two formulas at once.

This was the power Yuri awakened to in the original story’s climax. But I already knew about it—and had taken it for myself.

At last, I released that power.

“Pseudo-Light Attribute — Lucifer: Activation.”