Case 52: As the duel concludes.

Broadly speaking, the fight between Rachael and Penelope was bound to happen regardless of my intervention.

It wasn't always absolute in all routes of the game, but most of the time, this match was a common event. To understand the reasoning behind it, we need to reach back to the two's nominal teachers—Jeanne and Mia.

In many senses, Jeanne and Mia, who made up half of the former hero party, were a godsent duo. They were good friends growing up, and they both possessed immense talents, allowing a near-perfect companionship against all adversities.

The two didn't have a rivalry or anything of the sort. Jeanne was quite soft, and Mia was a big nerd whose laziness of anything un-magically became well-known as she gained popularity. That sentiment held true... until Rachael and Penelope appeared.

Like Jeanne, Rachael proved herself to be a prodigy of both the sword and the fire element, while Penelope's might of frost was widely speculated to have a boundless potential. Naturally, the two gems were both 'adopted' by the two former heroines.

In short, they both became too proud of their disciples and heirs at some point, and from then on, a rivalry was born. Every master wants their pupils to succeed, and in this case, it wasn't an exception.

Such was the in-game reason for the match's existence—that the two teachers wanted it to happen.

As for my thoughts... well, it was probably the game's developers who really wanted to sell the players on the power of the two love interests. 'Look! They're really as strong as we described them!' or something similar.

The proof of this was, of course, the sheer spectacle of the current scene.

At first glance, the academy's arena seemed excessively vast—so vast that the common audience needed several jumbotron screens to see the duelers' faces properly. One live commentary away, and it would become a sport.

Oh, wait. They already did that. It was called the 'Tournament section' of the academy's cultural festival.

Nonetheless, they only built it this grand because of the existence of Soul Guardians. Some of the combat-type ones could get really big, that was all.

Although Jin—Rachael's Soul Guardian—and Obsidian—Penelope's—were all-rounded, meaning they could help amplify their owners' powers and enter combat directly, too.

And they could fight really, really well.

Considering just how much of a chaos factor two giant beasts of mana clashing could produce, it was a miracle that the fight hadn't ended yet. When the scales of destruction get too big, so many things could end abruptly. One mistake, and it would be all it took.

However, despite all of it, the two still went at it so confidently that one would think nothing could go wrong. Amidst the audience's constant gasps and screams, my two... partners willingly swung magic at one another, aided by their Soul Guardians—the manifestation of their power, a symbol of their very essence, and the guards to their souls.

'When two skilled warriors fight each other, they become artists.'

That was a quote from none other than Jeanne, the strongest person in the world at the moment. I thought it was a mere nothing-burger when I played the game, but... this was genuinely beautiful.

At some point, the flows of fire and ice in the arena seemed as though they were dancing with one another. This kind of harmony-inharmony was occasionally broken by Jin spewing metric tons of plasma or by Obsidian clasping a wave of cold wave onto the other side.

Sometimes, a burn would lightly appear on Penelope's immaculate cheeks.

Sometimes, one of Rachael's elegant fingers would be frozen solid.

And perhaps, it added to their charms as beautiful yet fearsome warriors.

''...''

...Still, the sight gave me anxiety. I didn't want them to get hurt, and if they truly did suffer, it would be because of me. Perhaps my presence had fueled their will to fight even further than usual. I... I would feel terrible if they ended up with something irreversible.

Was it the right choice to let this happen?

Was it the right choice to let my egotistical self act up? Should I not have tried to get closer to both of them in the first place?

Did I... even have the right to do that?

Maybe, just maybe... I wanted them to fight over me like I was someone that mattered—like I wasn't just a boring, dying chick that appeared out of nowhere. I knew it wouldn't be right to rope such proper people into this mess that I had created. I knew it wouldn't be right to omit details of my constitution.

Yet, here I was.

It was wrong. Yes, I knew it was all wrong from the start, but what else could I have done? I was scared—so scared that I would lose everything before death could even catch up to me. I was scared of being lonely in my last moments.

So, I decided to lie. Lie and deceive.

I had long accepted that I was a selfish person. That was fine, as long as I could stay beside them. So, until the end, I would remain...

''Big sis?''

''Cecilia, are you alright?''

Ah... but you guys... you guys were so cruel. How could I keep doing it if you show me such worried faces? If you kept showing me such underserved affection, I... what would that make me?

...

Fine. I got it.

''I'm fine. Thanks.''

I'd just stop being so selfish. In time, I'd tell you guys everything. Just... not now.

Sorry.

Even as I somberly watched the match go on for a long while, a conclusion wouldn't appear, no matter what.

All that happened was both Rachael and Penelope stacking more and more wounds on their bodies, which greatly worried me. By now, neither of them could maintain their impassive expression and relaxed stance anymore. Instead, slow, sluggish moves could be spotted more often on both sides, and a good portion of the attacks had become more perfunctory than anything.

Still, the sheer will of battle they showed was enough to captivate the audience. However...

''It's a stalemate,'' Jeanne muttered. ''What an impressive match.''

Both Lyra and Kiara seemed to agree with this sentiment, nodding their head at the same time. And eventually, just as they had predicted—

''Time's up. The result is a tie!''

—archmage Mia announced the end of the duel.

In honor of the two warriors who had valiantly fought until the end and still showed immense eagerness, a thunderous round of applause was given instead of cheers and screams.

Even though the two's irked attitude toward one another remained perfectly spotless, they still shook hands and stepped off of the arena without further quarrel.

''Phew...''

This outcome honestly filled me with relief. Although no winner was chosen, at least one of them wouldn't feel defeated after the match. Well, then, there was only one thing left to do.

''Big sis. Where are you going?''

''Shh. I need to talk to the two for a moment. Your Highness, can you take her on a walk within the academy?''

''Mhm.''

Great. Now, only I could talk to them.