TRUE ABILITY Chapter 71

The Aftermath of Schemes

『No problem.』

The voice of Lloyd Mertz. It replayed in Fia's mind, resurfacing from her memory.

Her outstretched arm, her fingertips, wandered in the air. Beyond the empty palm that had lost its purpose, there was the boy.

From the moment she set foot in this room, up until now, there hadn't been a single moment when Fia let her guard down.

The new number one in the ranks. She hadn’t needed to think about what might happen; the situation was progressing within her expectations.

Yuno Astario. Lloyd Mertz's favorite and the boy she had to protect. That had been Fia's understanding and the responsibility she had imposed on herself from the start.

Or so it should have been.

“—Wait.”

The words she uttered, like her outstretched arm, had nowhere to go.

Any feelings of anxiety vanished the moment she grasped the reality before her eyes.

Arrogance or unnecessary worry?

Fia realized it was likely both.

The strike Geese unleashed against Zwei. Fia understood its destructive power perfectly.

A lethal thrust delivered with clear intent to kill. Even among the elite warriors of the “Shadow Moon”, how many could have stopped that attack head-on?

For instance, if it had been aimed at her—such thoughts filled her mind.

She just stood there jaw dropped.

 

◆

 

I would be lying if I said I didn't feel something was off.

Zwei smiled happily at me with those chilling eyes.

I was being tested... no, in this case, it would be more accurate to say I was completely lured in.

A death match that felt like it would last forever, suddenly brought to an end. It was only natural to assume there was some kind of intent behind it.

However, my focus right now shouldn't be on Zwei.

“...”

The golden eyes that remained fixed on me.

There was no killing intent. Strangely, I didn't sense any hostility either. Yet, I still found it terrifying, knowing the weight of the strike I had intercepted.

If it had hit me directly, I wouldn't have been okay.

Whether Geese knew what I was thinking or not, a faint smile appeared on his previously expressionless face.

—Interesting.

It was the kind of smile that seemed to say just that.

“...I’m done with this.”

To my surprise, Geese muttered those words, brushed off my hand, and glared at Zwei with irritation.

“You knew, didn't you?”

At that question, Zwei flashed a mischievous smile.

“I've seen Yuno-kun three times now, you know.”

With a smile, Zwei reached out both hands towards me.

“...”

I took her hands and helped her stand up. That much was fine, but then—

“...!”

Suddenly, my body was enveloped in Zwei's arms. It was a hug in every sense of the word. A sweet scent wafted over me, causing me to feel a bit, just a bit, flustered.

With our foreheads almost touching, Zwei brought her face close to my ear.

“Thank you. You really do help anyone, don't you?”

She whispered those words, then released me, clasped her hands behind her back, and smiled brightly.

While I was struggling to grasp the meaning of her words, Geese snorted in displeasure.

“...I don't like it. But I don't wanna believe I was played by you.”

Geese then looked at me again, a slight but unmistakable hint of camaraderie in his smile.

“You’ve had a rough time, huh? Both you and I were completely dancing in the palm of her hand.”

Geese said with a laugh, then turned his head to the side. Naturally, I followed his gaze to the figure sitting at the round table in the center of the room.

“...”

I was at a loss for words.

How long had he been sitting there? Only now did I fully understand the meaning of Geese's words.

“Splendid.”

A voice filled with admiration. At the same time, the sound of clapping hands echoed softly through the room. I wasn't sure whether to be surprised or to simply sigh in exasperation.

But at the very least, the atmosphere in the room had shifted with the appearance of Lloyd Mertz.

“Well, what do you think, Yuno Astario? This is the Dark Side (Shadow Moon). Did you like it?”

Lloyd-senpai spoke with a confident expression, resting his chin on his hands propped up by his elbows on the table.

Even the theatrical nature of his gesture seemed fitting, as I acknowledged once again that Lloyd-senpai was no ordinary person.

“...”

I had come to understand the Shadow Division's excellence, so I couldn't simply dismiss it as arrogance. And with this much strength, it was more than enough to tackle any eventuality.

“...Yes.”

So, I gave a wry smile as I said that.

Satisfied with my response, Lloyd-senpai let out a small chuckle and then cast his gaze over all the executives present.

“Given how capable you all are, I'm sure you've already reached a conclusion…”

With those words, Lloyd-senpai, now enveloped in a significant amount of magical power, grinned with amusement.

“The appointment of this man as an executive of the Shadow Moon and the inheritance of the number one rank. Is there anyone opposed?”

Silence ensued.

There were no objections.