“Have you forgotten what I told you before?”

A natural killing intent surged through my entire body. I almost wanted to commend myself for not acting on impulse and killing them on the spot. That’s how little hesitation I had in taking the life of the woman before me.

Faced with my question, the damn woman could only lower her gaze and tremble in fear. The man beside her stepped forward, shielding her as if to protect her.

How gallant. How kind. So much so that one might even question who the real villain is here... No, from an outsider’s perspective, there would be unanimous agreement that I am the villain in this scene. But I couldn't care less. I continued speaking.

“Didn’t I tell you never to show your face around me again? Or what, do you actually want to die?”

“...!!”

Once again, the damn woman shrank back, playing the part of an innocent, frightened girl. Knowing her past offenses, I found her act nothing but infuriating—no, it felt like she was deliberately provoking me.

“What’s with the violent tone? That’s no way to treat a lady.”

“...Hah?”

Of course, to the man standing before me, I must look like the worst kind of villain—a nobleman threatening a weak girl while he bravely stands in her defense. But that wasn’t my concern. I had already given my warning once, and it was the damn woman who broke it. I had no reason to tolerate the interference of some pompous fool.

Justice is on my side.

“Stay out of this. I’m not talking to you. And I don’t enjoy saying this kind of thing either. But she’s the one who broke our agreement.”

Perhaps... no, almost certainly, this man was making the same mistake I once did. Out of pity, I decided to overlook his careless words just this once.

—Seriously, though. I’m telling you, for your own good. Stay away from her.

Just as I was genuinely concerned for the man’s well-being, the damn woman raised her voice.

“W-What are you talking about?! You’re the one who started this! Lord Rail, it’s this man, no doubt about it!”

“So it was him after all...”

“Hah???”

—What the hell did she just say?

Enough with the nonsense. If anyone has the right to ask, “What are you talking about?” it’s me. This is ridiculous. Just because I haven’t laid a hand on her for the sake of appearances doesn’t mean I can’t. If I wanted to, I could snap her frail neck at any time. Erase all the evidence, and it would be the perfect crime.

—I could do it, you know? I really could.

And if she insists on making accusations, she should at least come up with something better—actually, scratch that. She shouldn’t be here in the first place.

As my hand reached for the sword at my waist, the man who had been shielding her tensed up, ready for battle.

“I have no personal grudge against you, but if you’ve harmed someone important to me, I can’t just stand by. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to suffer for it.”

“Even if I say I have no idea what you’re talking about... it doesn’t seem like you’ll listen.”

Something about this exchange felt oddly nostalgic. It was like watching my past self right before my eyes—no, that’s exactly what it was. This man was walking the same path I once did. It was like déjà vu.

—That damn magic really is troublesome...

She had the audacity to appear before me again after everything I warned her about. I didn’t know her true intentions, but I was already beyond angry after dealing with the worthless thugs she had sent after me. And now, showing up like this, as if to declare an open confrontation? The rage I had barely kept in check was now beyond control.

—And besides, I know this guy.

My anger had clouded my thoughts, but now I finally remembered. It wasn’t that we had ever been close; I simply knew of him through information.

A second-year student at the academy. The heir to the Marquisate of Braysicle—Rail Braysicle.

Like me, he was an Heir of Primal Magic. In my first life, he was considered the academy’s most promising candidate to become one of the Unparalleled Seven Swords.

“Even a proper warrior has fallen victim to her magic...”

It made sense that my pathetic first-life self had been powerless against her magic, reduced to a mere puppet. But for someone as strong as Rail, even as a second-year, to be so easily ensnared?

—Then why was I able to resist her magic back then?

The more I thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense. No, everything about her was a mystery. Even her origins—why was she from the Empire? And what exactly was her mysterious bloodline magic?

—Leaving her unchecked might be a mistake.

More than anything, I felt sorry for Rail Braysicle.

Just as I had once suffered, he had become her new sacrifice in this second life. Others had fallen under her spell and attacked me, but he stood out. The fact that she was always with him meant that, this time, Rail Braysicle was her most valuable pawn.

“Compared to last time, you’ve got yourself quite the powerful piece on the board, haven’t you?”

That thought filled me with anger, but at the same time, sympathy won over. I wanted to free him from that wretched woman’s grasp.

—Which means I have no choice but to fight.

Perhaps it was simplistic thinking, but a strong shock might be the best way to bring him back to his senses. Maybe this was how the Hero—Vice—had felt back then. He was the kindest, most impartial person I knew, after all.

I was curious about many things, but now wasn’t the time for idle speculation. My opponent was already prepared for battle. This was as good an opportunity as any to test my skills against the man who would eventually become the academy’s strongest.

—And while I’m at it, I’ll raise my Academy Rank too.

A duel with him would surely earn me at least a Fifth-Class ranking. In that sense, I suppose I could be slightly grateful to the damn woman for picking a fight with me.

—Not that it changes the fact that she’s going to pay for this.

“You seem prepared.”

“Well... yeah.”

“Then I won’t hold back! I’ll defeat you and make sure you apologize properly to my beloved Levia!!”

“—”

With Rail Braysicle’s final confirmation, the duel began. But honestly, his words were so grating that I couldn’t focus on anything else.

—Maybe I should just let him suffer...

From an outsider’s perspective, his behavior was downright painful to watch. If this was how I had acted in my first life, I wanted to bury my head in shame. At this point, I felt justified in cutting down the pompous fool in front of me.