[Side Twilight Moonbow] Labyrinth Strategy 2: Sister Showdown
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When Caroline was thrown out by Luelia, she found herself on an open hill, identical to the entrance of the labyrinth.
This labyrinth does not have levels beyond the second, ending at the first level. Instead, the surface area of the labyrinth is unparalleled, and the heart of the labyrinth, the innermost part, is hidden so seamlessly into the background that it is nearly impossible to find.
Because of this, from the outside, the hole that Luelia opened appeared as if there were a mere gap in the space.
"…Luelia-onee-chan."
Caroline, having quickly recovered from the impact, stood up.
Her voice was tinged with hesitation as she spoke to her older sister, Luelia, who had also exited from the innermost part of the labyrinth.
"Because it’s an order from the ‘Doctor,’ I must kill you. But killing you will take time. I’ll tell the ‘Doctor’ that you’re dead. So, just disappear somewhere. If you live quietly, without being found by the ‘Doctor,’ that will be enough."
Luelia’s eyes, devoid of emotion, locked onto Caroline as she spoke in a tone that was almost mechanical, offering a suggestion that was more like an order.
For Caroline in the past, the words of Oswell and her siblings had been absolute. She never defied them, always responding with a smile and going along with whatever they asked.
"…I won’t."
However, for Caroline now, those words no longer held the same power.
Luelia widened her eyes slightly in surprise at Caroline’s rejection.
"I came here to settle things with the ‘Doctor’! And I know you’re planning something with Sophie, so I can’t just run away alone! Onee-chan, I’m serious. If you get in my way, even if it’s you, I’ll fight!"
The strong determination in Caroline’s eyes matched the resolve in her voice.
Luelia squinted slightly at her, then quickly returned to her usual uninterested expression, drawing her sword.
"…I see. Then come at me. I’ll slice you up until you die."
"That’s not going to happen. I’m not the weak person who used to tremble in front of you anymore! I’ll show you how much I’ve grown!"
The two of them shouted as they closed the distance between each other.
Caroline’s weapons were two short daggers, each with a blade length of about thirty centimeters. On the other hand, Luelia wielded a longsword nearly as tall as her own height.
The difference in reach directly translated into an advantage in combat.
Luelia launched attacks from outside Caroline’s range, forcing Caroline onto the defensive, unable to counterattack.
Caroline couldn’t completely avoid Luelia’s heavy slashes, and finally, the point of Luelia’s sword reached her shoulder.
"Ugh!"
Caroline quickly distanced herself from Luelia, retreating outside of her reach.
She touched her shoulder, confirming that the wound had healed, and then began to think about how to approach Luelia.
"You must have realized by now. My weapon gives me the advantage, and I’m the only one benefiting from a buff. You have no chance of winning," Luelia said coldly.
Unless there is an overwhelming difference in skill, the one who benefits from a buff generally has the upper hand. On top of that, Luelia’s longsword was clearly superior to Caroline’s daggers, making her statement true—Caroline was in a severely disadvantageous position.
"That’s something you won’t know until you try!!"
Shouting, Caroline lowered her posture and charged at Luelia.
Luelia remained unfazed, luring Caroline in before stepping into range and sweeping her longsword in a wide arc.
Caroline matched the oncoming blade with her daggers and, using the momentum of her charge, allowed the force of Luelia’s attack to carry her, slipping around to Luelia’s side in a smooth arc.
"—!?"
Luelia’s face showed surprise as Caroline pressed her attack, closing the distance and stepping into Luelia’s range.
As Caroline swung her dagger, Luelia released her grip on her longsword. She stepped forward, driving her elbow toward Caroline.
Before Caroline’s daggers could reach their target, Luelia’s elbow struck her in the chest.
"Ugh!"
Caroline’s movement froze, and Luelia immediately took advantage, swinging her longsword down toward Caroline.
Caroline barely managed to react in time, using both daggers to block the blow, but without the energy to deflect or turn it aside as she had before, she was once again sent flying.
Caroline repeatedly attempted to close the distance with Luelia.
However, each time, her attempts were effortlessly blocked, and her attacks had yet to land even once.
To an onlooker, it seemed as though Luelia was overwhelming Caroline.
Yet, it was Luelia who was mentally being cornered.
After another failed attempt to close the gap, the distance between the two widened again.
"Caroline... Could it be...?"
"...No. This isn’t it... The feeling of the buff I always receive from the log... it’s supposed to be more..."
Caroline mumbled to herself, her focus sharpening, her presence becoming so intense that it felt almost dangerous to approach her.
"........"
Luelia, still looking at Caroline with her usual emotionless gaze, noticed a slight tremor in her eyes.
Caroline once again pushed off the ground, closing in on Luelia.
Her speed now was incomparable to when the battle first began.
Thanks to her buffs and her high reflexes, Luelia managed to keep up, but it was a close call.
This proved that Caroline was on the verge of turning the tide despite being at a disadvantage without the buff.
Luelia’s sword was dodged by Caroline, but she quickly followed up with two or three more strikes to halt Caroline’s momentum.
Feeling Caroline’s rapid growth firsthand, Luelia steeled herself.
"—! Caroline! Focus more!"
"—!?"
While launching another attack, Luelia raised her voice.
"What you're about to grasp... is the essence of the six basic buffs! If you're going to stand against the ‘Doctor’ and the cult, you need to learn them here, now! ...If you can’t, you’ll just die."
With those final words, Luelia’s attacks became even more ferocious.
Caroline, confused as to why her sister would say such a thing, continued to defend against the incoming attacks, while concentrating on the new sensation she was beginning to grasp.
As Caroline’s focus deepened, her movements became sharper with each passing moment.
Then, for the first time, Caroline managed to block one of Luelia’s sword strikes with just one of her daggers, a feat she had not been able to accomplish with both daggers until now.
This was proof that she had, though not perfectly, begun to master the technique of controlling ki—a method of enhancing her physical abilities without relying on the six basic support buffs.
Caroline swung the free dagger toward Luelia.
In response, Luelia conjured something resembling a red gem between them from her magic storage device. The gem then exploded.
Luelia protected herself with a magical barrier in advance, and Caroline, boosted by her enhanced reflexes from the ki activation, narrowly avoided the full impact. The slight burn she sustained was quickly healed by her [Self-Healing].
"To think you’d actually master it... Perhaps everything we’ve done wasn’t completely meaningless after all," Luelia said, her expression a mix of sadness and happiness—emotions too complex to put into words.
"I won’t hold back. If you wish to settle things with the ‘Doctor’ and desire a future with your comrades, then surpass me, Caroline!"
Her words were no longer cold or detached; this time, they were filled with genuine emotion, a clear expression of a sister’s love for her sibling.
"…Yeah, I’ll surpass you."
Caroline’s concentration remained as intense as ever, her presence so overwhelming that it felt as though the very air around her was charged with energy.
Luelia sharpened her focus, directing all her attention to Caroline’s every movement.
Even so, Caroline’s actions were far beyond what Luelia had anticipated, and for a brief moment, she lost sight of Caroline, who had closed in on her.
But her instincts as a swordswoman alerted her the moment Caroline entered her range.
Trusting that feeling, Luelia swung her longsword, only to find that Caroline had vanished again.
Just as Luelia thought she had caught her, Caroline’s form disappeared once more.
Moments later, Luelia felt a shadow fall over her and looked up, only to see Caroline high above her in the sky.
"...[Reflective Wall]."
The magic Caroline had activated was an original spell gifted to her by her mentor, Orn, as a part of her coming-of-age ceremony.
A semi-transparent, emerald-colored wall appeared behind Caroline. She kicked off from it, redirecting her trajectory straight toward Luelia.
Bound by the preconceived notion that movement in the air was impossible, Luelia could not react quickly enough to Caroline's sudden maneuver. Though she managed to swing her sword, it lacked the force necessary for a strong attack.
With her enhanced physical abilities from ki manipulation, Caroline easily deflected Luelia’s sword strike with her dagger and knocked her onto her back.
Caroline then mounted Luelia and restrained her movements, holding her dagger at the ready, pointing its blade at Luelia.
"I win, Luelia."
"I never thought I’d really lose..." Luelia murmured as she gazed up at Caroline, her eyes distant. Her expression held a strong sense of resignation, yet there was also a trace of relief.
"You’ve gotten stronger, Caroline. Now, kill me."
Luelia spoke in a calm voice, as though accepting her death.
Caroline’s eyes widened, and her tears welled up as they finally fell. The tip of her trembling dagger steadied as she gathered her strength and thrust it down.
—Into the ground next to Luelia’s face.
"Don’t accept death so easily!" Caroline shouted through her tears, her voice almost a sob.
"...Caroline...?" Luelia whispered.
"You’ve always acted on your own! You never considered how I felt and made all the decisions for me. After fighting you properly for the first time, I think I understand what you’ve been feeling. I was always protected by you and Fred... wasn’t I?"
There is a saying among swordsmen that one can understand their opponent’s thoughts simply through their swordplay. In the course of their fight, Caroline had touched Luelia’s heart.
"...That’s overthinking. Fred and I hated you. That’s why we suggested your disposal to the ‘Doctor,’ and that’s exactly what happened to you," Luelia weakly denied Caroline’s words.
"That’s a lie! From the very beginning, your sword was warm! Your eyes, your expression, and your voice were all cold, but the sword you wielded always showed concern for me!"
"I was cutting you normally, wasn’t I? You even had cuts on you... though they’ve healed now."
Luelia weakly denied Caroline’s words, though there was an undeniable softness in her tone.
"Then what about the advice you gave me earlier!? Wasn’t it because you were thinking of my future!? If you hated me, you wouldn’t have given me advice like that!"
However, Caroline dismissed it as a lie.
"I remembered, after fighting you... that I love you and Fred."
"—!"
"Even though we were born on the same day, both of you loved me as 'the older sister' and 'the older brother.' I remember that now. After being taken by the Church, everyone was busy with their own problems, right? That’s why we started to misunderstand each other. It’s just that, isn’t it?"
"…Even so, the fact remains that I hated you for manifesting Self-Healing and being favored, and I proposed your disposal. The fact that we were mentally unstable at the time is nothing more than an excuse. You’re lucky to be here now, but the truth is, Fred and I are as responsible for your death as if we had killed you ourselves."
At Caroline’s words, Luelia began to speak through tears, as though confessing her sins.
"But I regretted it immediately. I was in despair in a world without you. But you were alive. And you had comrades who truly cared about you. Seeing that, I made my decision. I would dedicate this life to you! And you became strong. Strong enough to defeat me. So it’s alright now."
"If you’re going to use your life for me, then live! Fight with me against the ‘Doctor!’ What I want is for us to be siblings again, with you and Fred! I can’t stand the thought of losing the people I love anymore...!"
After pouring out her feelings, Caroline rested her head on her sister’s chest, tears flowing as she tightly grasped Luelia's clothes.
"Luelia..."
As she gently touched Caroline’s head, Luelia slowly stroked her hair, a tenderness in her movements.
She continued to do so until Caroline's sobbing subsided.