[Valeria PoV]
After we assisted Geralt's group, we brought them back to our camp. Before me, members of my group were supporting Geralt, who looked pale and frail after being thrashed by that pervert.
"Oh, Valeria, you're back? Wait... why does Geralt look like he's been through a meat grinder!?"
The speaker was Brian; we had finally reached my group's resting area.
"Ughhh... it's a long story," Geralt replied, clearly reluctant to recount his defeat at the hands of that pervert.
"You have to tell us exactly what happened if we want to defeat him here," I said, trying to coax Geralt into speaking.
"Ughh... fine, fine, fine! I'll talk, okay," Geralt snapped, looking annoyed.
Geralt then recounted everything from the moment he entered the tunnel, his rest nearby, until the following morning when they moved to cross the bridge where we found them. He also noted that the pervert's fighting style was a bit strange—during the entire fight, Geralt never saw him use his left hand once.
"It seems my suspicion was correct."
"What do you mean, Valeria?" Geralt asked, looking confused.
"The man's left arm is paralyzed because he used Reject Impact on Elena," I replied, before explaining Elena's condition to them.
"But why did he only use that spell now and not when we first fought at the beach on the second day?" Elena asked, rubbing her chin in thought. Elena's condition seemed to have improved slightly, though she likely wouldn't be able to fight until the exam concluded.
"Perhaps he thought it would be too difficult to get through the remaining four days with only one hand," I theorized. "I think he was wary of your signature magic, Elena. That's why he used it the moment he saw an opening against you yesterday."
"Is that so...? To think he had a way to defeat me all along..." Elena murmured, looking down.
I didn't know what was going through her mind. However, at a glance, the man's current condition—missing an arm—put him at a disadvantage. But I knew him; he must have accounted for this and was prepared to fight even with one hand. We couldn't afford to be provoked or let our guard down; instead, we had to be more vigilant than ever.
I made a mistake by splitting the groups to enter the mine, but I did so thinking he had set traps in the other tunnels as well. In reality, there wasn't a single trap when we entered. By splitting us up, that pervert was able to dismantle Brian's group and nearly wipe out Geralt's.
I... was outplayed again. Even though I'm called the smartest in the academy regarding magic... I am still naive when it comes to psychological warfare. It's clear he destroyed the tunnel Elena entered just to make us think he'd rigged the others, allowing him to easily pick us off one by one.
I... still have much to learn beyond magic.
"So, what's the plan now?" Brian asked, having been uncharacteristically quiet.
I don't know. I wanted to say that, but showing indecision now would only crush the others' morale. Yet, I couldn't think of a single way to defeat that man. Who knows what other foul schemes he has prepared this time? All our efforts to hunt him down have been in vain.
"We must keep moving forward."
Suddenly, Elena stood up and spoke.
"We have to remember why we are doing all of this," Elena said, clenching her fists. "To avenge what Raul has done to us and to ensure our comrades didn't fall for nothing!"
Hearing her words, the eyes of the other members flickered back to life with spirit. But how were we to face him? He was always one step ahead. Every attempt to hunt him ended in failure. It seemed the others shared my apprehension.
"I know we have failed many times. I know Raul always deceives us with his cunning tactics. However, even though we fall and fail, we are learning his strategy patterns and fighting style. All our failures thus far have not been in vain," Elena said, as if sensing the turmoil in our minds.
What Elena said was true. I now understood how the man operated against us. He lures, separates, and dismantles us one by one. This indicates he doesn't dare face us all at once.
"This is our challenge as academy students—to overcome an obstacle by any means necessary," Elena continued, her voice rising. "In the future, we will face difficulties just like this. For that, we must not give up or lose heart. We must keep rising, no matter how many times we fall!"
"Ouuuhhh!"
"That's right, we won't lose to just one person!"
"I won't stop until that rotten noble receives the punishment he deserves!"
Morale was back at its peak. Elena's inspiring words made them look confident again. Was this the difference between her and me? The quality of leadership that makes others want to follow you?
"Even though I can no longer fight, I—Elena de Aragon—will lead you in this final battle against Raul de Garcia!"
Yes... we haven't lost yet, Raul de Garcia... we will eliminate you on this final day.
"Report!"
Suddenly, the three scouts assigned to follow the pervert returned.
"We followed him; he's heading toward the upper section of the mine."
Elena nodded. "Alright. We're going there to defeat him once and for all!"
***
[Ariel PoV]
It's so boring being alone in a dark place like this...
It's been quite a while since Raul left me here by myself. Not only is it silent and lonely, but there are many creepy bugs crawling on the ground and rocks that are quite distracting. I don't want to kill them; all living creatures have the right to live their lives in peace, as the Goddess Diana teaches.
— Tap... tap... tap...
I heard footsteps, and then the figure of the black-haired man appeared in my sight.
"You're back?"
Raul's black eyes met mine. "Yes... I'm back, Ariel."
He sat down, leaning against the rock wall. He seemed to want to rest for a bit. Raul looked at me again; I didn't know what he was thinking this time. Suddenly, I felt a tickle on my hand. A spider was crawling there. I picked it up carefully with my left hand and gently placed it on a rock.
"You never change, do you, Ariel?" Raul said, looking at me strangely.
"What do you mean, Raul?" I tilted my head, confused.
"If you kill that bug, it won't come back to bother you," he explained, pointing at the spider on the rock.
"Why should I? I can always move it if it's actually bothering me." Why hurt another creature if we have the ability to solve the problem without violence?
"Then, what if that bug was much larger, refused to be moved, and tried to attack your best friend? What would you do then?"
Raul's question reminded me of my fight—alongside Brian and Roland—against the Bear Monster that killed Sephira.
"Not all bugs are as kind as you think or as easy to brush away, Ariel," Raul said, standing up again. "One of those bugs is standing right in front of you. You'll have to remove me with force if you don't want your friends to be crushed today."
Raul's words frustrated me. I knew that; eventually, I would have to choose the method I hated most to solve a problem. But I didn't want to use that magic...
"Stand up. Follow me now," Raul said, starting to walk.
"Where are we going?" I followed behind him.
"The first stage of the exam is about to end, Ariel."
I didn't know what he was planning. However, it seemed Brian and the others were close to arriving to save me. Was that why Raul wanted to move me from this spot?
We arrived at a cliff. I estimated the distance to the other side was about 5–6 meters.
"Ahhhh!"
I gasped as Raul suddenly swept me up in his arms. I reflexively gripped his arm to keep from falling. He ran and leaped across the chasm. Once on the other side, Raul let me go and allowed my feet to touch the ground. He kept walking, and I followed.
Soon, a hole about 7 meters high appeared before me. Its diameter was quite large, and there were smaller holes scattered around the area.
"Look at this pit more closely," Raul said.
I walked forward to get a better look. However, I didn't find anything interesting besides the small holes around the large one. I turned to ask what he meant. "Raul, what is the meaning of—"
I didn't get to finish my sentence.
Without warning, Raul pushed me into the large pit. My body plummeted from the height. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Raul's cold face looking down at me from above.
[Raul PoV]
After taking Ariel to where she needed to be, I immediately moved to the location I had prepared to face them. I hurried to Level Two of the mine. I assumed Brian's group and the others were still there and hadn't chased me up here yet.
Before long, I found several of their scouting teams as well as Brian.
"Raul, I found you!" Brian shouted, his expression twisted with rage. "I faintly heard Ariel scream just a moment ago! What did you do to her!"
Brian's face was flushed red from the sheer emotion bubbling in his head.
"Quick, report this to the others!" one of the scouts urged.
I hurried away, heading toward the spot I'd chosen for our final confrontation.
"Don't you run, you bastard!" Brian yelled, giving chase.
However, since I knew this place far better than he did, I was able to easily vanish from his sight. But it wouldn't be long before they found me.
Soon, I reached my destination. It was an area with several ravines and rock formations—perfect for me to take them all on. With Valeria's group joined with Geralt's, I estimated I'd be facing about 20 people in this final battle.
I heard footsteps not far away. Shortly after, Valeria, Brian, Geralt, and Elena appeared, followed by several students behind them.
"You finally made it," I said to them. "Do you wish to be humiliated by me again, just like before?"
Hearing my words, Brian stepped forward, several paces ahead of his companions. "Raul! This time I will defeat you and save Ariel!"
Not to be outdone, Geralt stepped forward as well. "I'm going to pay you back for everything you've done to me, you rotten Noble!"
Somehow, seeing this sight made me feel like a Demon King, as Brian the Hero and his companions finally arrived in the throne room of the Demon King's castle. Yes... this scene was identical to when Brian confronted the Demon King to save the previously kidnapped Ariel in the Last Chapter of the game Path of Destiny.
Is this what it feels like to be a Final Boss? It doesn't feel half bad.
In that case, I should deliver a line befitting a Final Villain at a moment like this to make things more interesting.
"By all means... try and take her from me, you low-born human."