[The whole chapter’s is in Amelia’s PoV]
I just wanted someone to recognize me.
That was all I wanted.
But I couldn’t do it until now.
Because I was afraid. I was helplessly afraid of exposing my true self to others. So I ran away, pretended, mended, and played the role of Amelia Rose.
That is the self I have been seeking in such a situation.
But the real me was…. never there.
I was fine just as I was, but I couldn’t admit it until now.
So I just defined my current self as a fake and assumed …… that I was a tragic heroine.
I despaired …… that there was no meaning to life, that there was no place for me to get to,…… and that my life was just to live mechanically,…… and so on.
But they …… Ray acknowledges me.
He said it’s okay to be me, just as I am now.
And Ray said he would find it with me.
That’s right. Ray is not perfect. He suffered and struggled just as I did, and that’s why he is the person he is today. That’s why I can stand by Ray.
With him, with everyone, I am sure that there is a place where I can reach ………
“……”
I walked slowly.
The venue was buzzing with excitement. The crowd’s voices, the sound of the commentary, and the supporters. And the voices of the Amelia Cheering Squad. I could hear everything clearly.
I looked up at the sky and saw that it was a clear day.
No, the sky had been clear for a long time. But I had been fighting so painfully until now that I could not afford to look up at such a beautiful sky. I thought I could find something in this fight.
But I have ……. found already.
My answer was not in the fight. The answer was right there …… inside of me. I found it thanks to Ray.
I am who I am. And I will continue to live with everyone and with him.
That path to finding the answer is the reason for my life.
“Amelia, you’re here.”
“Ariane, ……”
“It looks like your possession has been lifted.”
“Because Ray helped me.”
“I see,…… it couldn’t have been me, after all. …… No, it would not have worked because it was me.”
“Arianne …….”
She adverted her gaze as she said so,
I am sure that Ariane had her own conflicts as well. Ariane was also wondering what she should do for me, who kept worrying.
Why was that? I could understand it well now.
I feel like I can see better today. And I feel like I can sense it.
It was as if I was living in a different world, even though I was supposed to be living in the same world as before.
“Now, Amelia. It’s finals, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“The winner will be me.”
“No. It’ll be me.”
“Okay. Then let’s settle this. Which one of us is worthy of being the champion of the Magic Chevalier Tournament?”
“Yes.”
We face each other.
And then we take our positions, looking at each other.
Yeah. It’s almost here. It will start soon.
Looking closely, I see that Ariane already doesn’t have her sword in her hand. She will probably use her ability as soon as the match starts. Because she showed it in the semifinals, she will not be sparing with it.
It was her typical way of fighting.
Speaking of me on the other hand, I had no plan. I just came here with no plan.
I am sure that in the past I would have shivered here …… and accepted being overwhelmed.
But I wonder why.
Why is my heart so excited?
I am so excited inside.
It must be thanks to Ray. Thanks to him, I am able to face the world like this. I am able to face Arianne and myself.
At that moment, his face comes to mind. With that burned into my mind, I smile.
–Hey, Ray. I will win.
Just for today, just for this day, just for this battle, I will dedicate this victory to you alone.
I believe it’s the best I can do to repay you.
“–Let the Match Begin!!”
As soon as both parties perceive that voice, Ariane’s limbs blazed and burned. Reddish-black cords were produced all at once, and at that moment her figure disappeared with an explosion.
The ground she was on is gouged out, and then the figure appears before my eyes.
It was not an instantaneous movement. It was just an extreme physical speed that exceeded my perception by far.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ！！！！”
A Roar.
Arianne shouted and swung her fist at once. Her aim was my dovetail. It was too much. That spectacular end I saw in the semifinals replayed in my brain.
But when I intuitively read its trajectory, I quickly adjusted my sword vertically to that line.
“Guuuuuuuhhh ……!!!!”
I managed to hold on with all my might, but I was blown backward.
Of course, the sword was shattered just by the current blow.
A simple sword would not work on Ariane now. I knew that.
But as I wondered how she could so easily break through my defense, I managed to stay on the defensive and did not avert my gaze.
My guard was up in time.
I was of course injured, but I could still fight. I get a few scrapes from rolling, but these are trivial.
Now I just can’t take my eyes off of Ariane, who keeps moving at this high speed.
But Arianne, who should have been caught in my field of vision, suddenly disappears.
───Where did she go……! ?
And almost as soon as I think about it, I hear a faint exhale from behind me.
“───Su!”
“…… behind me!?”
And the moment I raised my voice, Ariane’s fist was released with its overwhelming pressure.
My sword was already gone.
So I had no choice but to counter her with sorcery.
And by combining high-speed sorcery and chain sorcery, I created numerous ice walls that layered on top of each other on the spot.
I chose to defend against a physical attack with a physical defense, but at that…… moment, the ice wall in front of me shattered all at once. And out from within it came Ariane’s right arm.
But this is a decoy.
I already knew. With what I knew then, and what my ability …… means now, I can handle it.
And I run a new code.
<<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material code》
<<Material Code = Decoding>>
<<Material Code = Processing = Acceleration>>
<<Embodiment = Phenomena>>
A crimson butterfly emerged. Dyeing bright red, it overflowed into my surroundings in large quantities and at once covered Ariane’s arms and exploded …….
“Haa…… haa…… haa…… haa…… haa…… haa…… haa…… haa…….”
While holding my violently aching head with my right hand, I stare at Ariane as she rolls all the way backward.
I didn’t advert my gaze. And did not let my guard down.
The current distance is irrelevant to Ariane.
With just one step, she can close the distance between us.
And as I brush away the shards of ice that have shattered, I become aware once again of the butterflies that appear in the world around me.
This ability I gained in my battle with Ray.
I can manipulate the exploding butterflies at will.
This is my unique sorcery.
If I hadn’t met Ray, if I hadn’t exchanged words with him at that time, I’m sure I wouldn’t have …… been able to activate this power.
But …… my body is still hot inside.
Thump, thump, thump, my heart is racing. My body seemed to indicate. It was as if my …… body was telling me that I still had a ways to go and that I could reach …… beyond this point.
“Fu Fufufu,…… it was so,…… Amelia was also hiding her,…… unique sorcery…. …”
Emerging from that black smoke was Ariane, who had burns all over her body.
While she was activating that ability, her defense in other parts of her body was thin. Her limbs were still stained reddish black, but it was clear that different parts of her body were definitely damaged.
“Amelia,……, I’m going to go even more seriously,……, and I’m going to do it with all my might,…….”
It must have been some sort of soliloquy.
I could barely hear them, but those eyes were staring at …… me as if they were staring into the void.
“─ ─ Ogre (Demonification): Shintira (Raiden)”
Taking advantage of this opportunity, I further manipulated those butterflies and closed in at once. At the same time, I invoked the intermediate sorcery ice needle with a large amount of high-speed sorcery and shot it all at the rose on her chest,……, but it was all drowned out by a single ray of light.
“…… Electricity?”
I mutter in a whisper.
That’s right. Her limbs were electrified as they twirled around, making a crackling, buzzing sound.
That figure standing there with ease. I genuinely thought that was beautiful.
Ariane was completely in control of its electricity. Charged and luminous, it seemed to indicate her noble will.
I see …… that ability, I understand that it can give attributes to the limbs.
“Come on, Amelia. What you’re up against is the strongest of all. Come at me with all your heart.”
“I, I …… will never, ever lose!”
And so, both ran across the ground once again.
{Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!}
Our voices overlap. Both of us have already taken a lot of damage. I was not able to cope with the overwhelming power of her arms, and Ariane was not able to cope with the butterflies that I was creating.
The endless number of butterflies generated covered her with their overwhelming numbers.
But Ariane destroys all of them and comes at me again and again. Each time, I manipulate those butterflies with my palms and make them explode one after another.
Explode. Explode. Explode.
But Ariane certainly emerges from the black smoke.
Neither of us is broken. When will this battle end? When will the opponent fall? Without time to think about that, we just kept fighting.
In the midst of the battle, I once again ran the code.
<<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code>>
<<Material Code = Decoding >>
<<Material Code = Processing = { }>>
<<Embodiment = { }>>
I felt strange.
My sorcery, my unique sorcery, the exploding butterfly, is still active. But I feel something strange. It was as if there was a blank space, as if this ability still had a future.
And then the moment comes when the seemingly endless time is about to come to an end.
“Ah…… hah…… ah…… ah…… gaaah…. …”
“U…… ah…… hah…… hah…… hah……”
We were already wounded all over each other.
Ariane’s whole body was blackened and I, on the other hand, was completely exhausted from the overuse of sorcery. It hurts as if my brain is burning out. But …… Ariane was still standing up.
The final offense and defense.
She discarded everything and approached at once, and then she came charging straight at me. Did Ariane also think that I would not blow up that butterfly in the range of damage, that is, at very close range?
But I had no hesitation.
Covering my body with a minimum of Prima Materia, I …… blasted myself …… while protecting the rose on my chest.
And so we were blown backward and rolled along.
However, the roses on each other’s chests haven’t scattered, and …………. we still have the will to fight.
We are crawling on the ground, but this heart still refuses to accept defeat.
“Ugh……oh……oh……oh……oh……oh……oh……”
My voice, my voice became hoarse.
Move, move, move.
I wish I could, but my body is not strong enough.
I try to stand up, but it is difficult to even stand up …… because I can not stand on my own feet.
On the other hand, Ariane stood up unsteadily.
What is it about each other that drives me to such an extent?
This is surely a testament to ourselves.
Through this fight, I will prove that we are who we are.
So there is no stopping.
Until this body stops listening to me until our hearts admit defeat,…… we will continue to fight,…… but at last my body I think I’ve reached my limit.
“Hah…… hah…… hah…… hah…… hah…… hah…… hah…….”
Ariane is completely breathing through her shoulders, but her body is moving and her mind still has the will to confront it.
Ah…… I see.
I’ve lost it, haven’t I? ……
I realized.
Here I stand defeated.
But I did my best, didn’t I? I worked hard and made it this far, didn’t I?
If it had been me until now, I would have just praised myself for my struggle and that would have been the end of it. I would have praised myself for struggling and that would have been the end of it.
But now I …… don’t want to lose.
I never, never want to lose.
That thought is leading me.
My body is not moving. I just crawled on the ground and stared at Ariane, who was slowly approaching me.
Even though it was such a shameful situation, and even though I was sure of losing now,……, I still wanted to win.
I, I don’t want to lose!
I want to win, I definitely want to win!
I wish so, but …… reality is ruthless. There is nothing left for me. No matter how strongly my heart wishes, if this body does not move,…… there is nothing I can do.
And the moment I am about to admit defeat, a …… vivid presence enters this silent, static, intangible world where color and sound have been lost,…….
“Ameliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Get uppppppppppppp!”
In a world completely lost to color and sound,…… his voice,…… Ray’s voice enters my world.
Instantly, this world regains its vivid colors and beautiful tones.
─ ─ Ahh, I wonder why.
At times like this, what comes to mind are the faces of everyone.
Elisa’s gentle smile. She may be a little shy, but she is a very hardworking, smart, and kind girl.
Clarice’s pouty face. But sometimes she has a kind expression on her face while turning bright red. She can be harsh at times, but she is really a very kind girl.
Evi’s smiling face. It is a bright smile for everyone. He cares about his muscles as much as or more than Ray. And although Evi is big, he is a wonderful person who is very attentive to the people around him.
And then there are Ray’s clear, beautiful eyes.
What do I see in his eyes?
A life that is too harsh. It is probably not something I can imagine.
Through it all, he was in the same place I was, and he was there for me.
And Ray was just as scared as I was.
The idea of touching others’ hearts.
But we communicated heart-to-heart.
We vowed that we would live together, that we would find the meaning of life together.
And so we did.
I will ……. live. With him, with all of us, I will search for a reason to live …… on this path.
Life has no meaning. So we have to find it ourselves.
{Together, we will search for the meaning of life. Let’s live while supporting each other in our weaknesses. I want to move forward with you.}
Ray’s words played in my mind.
And as soon as I see his gentle smile, my …… heartbeat. It is surely the loudest beat I’ve ever heard.
My heart beats faster and faster.
And suddenly an image comes to my mind.
The bird in the cage stands up, the lock on the closed door clicks, and the door is opened. In front of its eyes, there was a vast, clear sky. Then the bird began to walk slowly and looked up at the bright blue sky at its exit.
Instantly, I understood.
Ahh……, so that’s what he meant.
This is what Ray meant.
It became clear to me. Accepted. I understood.
My ability was essentially here at ……, in this place.
And so I fill in the blanks and run a completely new code all at once.
<<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code>>
<<Material Code = Decoding>>
<<Material Code = Processing = Aitia(Four Cause Theory) = Hyle(Material Cause) = Eidos(Form Cause) = Efficient(Efficient Cause) = Telos(Final Cause)>>
<<Embodiment = Causality(Law of Cause and Effect)>>
[TN: The ones written inside the () are the meanings of the Kanji while Aitia, Hyle… are the hiraganas, which meaning comes from greek words]
A moment later, more ……, no, countless bright red crimson butterflies soar to the sky, manifesting from my back.
It ascends to the sky, to the sky, spiraling.
While scattering the Prima Materia, which is so bright red that it can be visualized, those crimson lotus butterflies rush up into the sky.
I stand up slowly.
With a snap of my right hand, I bring the rows of butterflies together horizontally, rather than vertically, and with a snap of my fingers, I release them all at once.
The fluttering butterflies continue to appear, spiraling in a circle around me.
I stand serenely amidst these endlessly increasing crimson butterflies.
And when I stop one of them at my fingertip, I calmly announce the name of my true ability.
“─ ─ Law of Cause and Effect Butterflies.”
The bird in the cage was released into the sky──.
The caged bird was released into the sky.
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Our girl is growing stronger and stronger by the chapter. I hope the other 3 get this same kind of development