"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 28

《Third-Person Perspective》

“Teleportation Pathway: Telepath—Activate.”

Ria invoked her unique magic and instantly moved behind her opponent.

“…Tch!”

“Hehe. You’re quick to react. Impressive.”

Noir managed to block Ria’s kick just in time and retreated backward.

“Heh… not bad. Come on, I’ll take everything you throw at me.”

Despite Ria’s composed and confident demeanor, a flicker of frustration sparked within Noir as the two engaged in combat. Ria, however, had already fully analyzed her opponent’s abilities.

(he’s a close-combat type… focuses on skills rather than magic. The knife is poisoned—one touch and it’s over. As expected of an assassin, his movements are sharp… but—)

On the other hand, Noir was growing increasingly desperate.

(Why aren’t my attacks landing!? I’m sure I sliced her neck multiple times… but she dodges them by a hair’s breadth—what the hell is going on!?)

“Why!?”

“Who knows?”

“You little brrrattttttttttttttttttt!”

At that moment, Ria knew she had already won. The instant Noir lost her temper, the outcome was sealed. Ria dodged the now-wide and predictable strike and delivered a crushing kick to Noir’s abdomen.

“—Gah!”

With the impact so severe, Noir coughed up bl00d and was sent flying. But before she could hit the ground, Ria had already teleported behind her.

“Your downfall was letting your emotions take control. You need to stay calm in a fight.”

With that, Ria slammed her fist into Noir’s back. Noir lost consciousness immediately, collapsing in a heap.

“Phew… guess that’s that.”

This entire battle had been a calculated experiment for Ria. Her unique magic—Teleportation Pathway: Telepath—was a large-scale interference type that allowed her to teleport freely within a ten-meter radius.

During the fight, she made micro-adjustments through teleportation, ensuring that Noir’s attacks barely missed, all without revealing she was even using teleportation magic.

“Ahh, Yuri. Thanks to you, I’ve grown even stronger. I love you… Yuri. I love you with all my heart…”

But Ria knew she still had things to do. Without wasting time, she moved on.

“I need to hurry. I’m sure Eve is fighting too… hehe.”

Ria had no doubt. If it were Eve, she’d surely walk the same path as her.

†

“Eve—are you alright?”

Yuri had arrived at the critical moment. How did he find Eve’s exact location? Because he and Ria had planned ahead—they each carried a magical device that let them track one another. Ria had made sure one was placed on Eve beforehand. After wiping out a horde of monsters in an instant, Yuri rushed to her side.

“…Brother?”

“Eve. Leave the rest to me.”

As Yuri appeared gallantly, Echo twisted his lips into a sneer.

“Well, well… who the hell are you? Ahh… right, the F-rank loser hanging around. I sent monsters after you in the labyrinth, didn’t I? So, you were hiding your strength, huh?”

“Who knows?”

“Kuhaha… I see. The weak girls weren’t enough for me anyway.”

Yuri, however, was already aware that someone else was pulling the strings from behind.

(He’s not the leader. There’s someone else in the shadows… meaning it’ll be two against one. I’ll have to fight this guy while keeping tabs on the other one too. Looks like this’ll be a real mess.)

“Brother.”

He turned to hear Eve’s voice from behind.

“I’ll handle him. You take care of the one lurking in the shadows.”

“You sensed them too?”

“Yes. Though they clearly wanted to be noticed.”

“Yeah… looks like a trap.”

They both understood. The hidden presence began moving, as if beckoning Yuri to follow.

“Brother… I won’t lose anymore. You gave me something precious.”

“…Got it. I believe in you, Eve.”

“Yes. Then, may fortune smile upon you.”

Yuri took off after the shadowy figure. Left behind were Eve and Echo.

“Tch… whatever. Guess I’ll just torture you for fun.”

As soon as Yuri disappeared, a twisted smile curled across Eve’s lips. The calm, collected girl from before was gone. What stood there now was a devout apostle, overflowing with love for Yuri.

“Kuhi… ahaha, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

(Ahh… Brother entrusted me with this. I’m so happy, so happy! I would’ve lost, but he believed in me. That look in his eyes—that cold, ruthless gaze—I love it. I could melt… Brother, Brother, Brother…! I’ll fulfill our promise. I swear I’ll offer you victory…!)

Until now, Eve had restrained everything—her emotions, her feelings, even her powers. Ever since falling in love with Yuri as a child, she’d unconsciously suppressed her own potential.

But now—it was all unleashed. She stood, swaying gently, and stared at Echo with eyes darker than the abyss.

“…”

(What the…? She completely changed. She wasn’t even serious before? And now I’m… intimidated?)

“Hahaha! I like it! Show me it’s not just for show!”

Echo activated his unique skill: Flexiform. It allowed him to control his body like liquid, bypassing the rigid structure of flesh and bone. With it, he could strike in unpredictable ways.

His right arm bent unnaturally, lashing out like a whip. This time, he attacked with full force—no more games. Dodging it without prior knowledge was impossible—or so he thought.

A sharp metallic clink echoed.

“—Heh. That’s all you’ve got?”

A chill ran down Echo’s spine. He backed off and glared at Eve.

“Who… are you?”

“Who? Just an adventurer.”

“Lies! There’s no way a first-time target could block my attacks!”

“True. But if I had to say—”

Eve narrowed her eyes, the corners of her lips curling slightly.

“I’m Yuri-oniisama’s most beloved little sister. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Don’t screw with meeeeee!!!”

Echo launched a full-bodied assault—but Eve countered every move.

(Ahh! Brother, Brother, Brother! Because I love you, I can see everything! The once-clouded world is clear! Being true to myself is so freeing… Brother, you’ve shown me a new world. My entire life existed for you…!)

“Ufufu… Ahahahahahaha!!”

But Eve slowly shifted to defense, taking a single step back. Echo didn’t miss the opening.

“—Got you!”

He was sure of the kill—but Eve’s outstretched hand closed in on his face.

“Heh. The rapier was too slow, so I’ve decided to fight like this.”

“Gah—!?”

Eve grabbed Echo’s face with her full strength and slammed him into the ground with all her weight. She had abandoned her rapier, opting to fight barehanded. The step back had been a deliberate bluff.

“From up here… you look so small.”

“N-no—!”

Eve straddled him, completely dominating the situation, and gazed down with cold, merciless eyes. She drove her fist into his face—BOOM!—a shockwave rang out, and Echo fell unconscious from the pain and terror.

“Ahh… my beloved oniisama…”

As if praying to a god, Eve clasped her hands and offered a prayer to Yuri.

“Eve-chan. It’s over, huh?”

“Ah! Ria-san!”

Upon seeing Ria, Eve’s face lit up. She ran to her joyfully.

“Hehe. You’ve got a good expression now, Eve-chan.”

“Yes. It’s all thanks to you, and… my brother.”

They exchanged smiles—but their eyes held no light. Ria gently reached for Eve’s hand, and Eve accepted it with equal tenderness.

“Shall we go? I’m sure our dear Yuri is still fighting.”

“Yes. We must witness our husband-brother’s brave figure.”

Like close sisters, the two walked shoulder to shoulder, steps in sync.

†

I arrived at what looked like a narrow cavern. The rocky walls were damp, and the air was thick with moisture.

A figure emerged from the shadows.

“So, you’re Yuri. It seems you’ve been hiding your true power—but I expected as much.”

“Is that so…”

Just as I’d predicted their movements, they’d also accounted for multiple contingencies. That’s why the leader, Cinder, never showed himself until now.

“To be honest—I acknowledge your skills.”

…Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?

“What do you mean?”

“That girl. You’ve trained her well.”

“Trained?”

“Don’t play dumb. She’s gone beyond loyalty—it’s worship. Brainwashing to that level is hard to achieve, even in the Empire.”

Sure, I taught Ria and Eve how to fight—but brainwashing? That’s not what I—