Chapter 11: The Silver Reaper

May 29th, Holy Calendar Year 1016.

After arriving at Redrick, I needed to create a situation where Eliza and I could be alone, so I called out to Nia.

"Call Eliza up to the roof after school," I commanded.

"Huh? What are you talking about...? What are you planning...?" Nia asked.

Her eyes wavered with unease. For some reason, she seemed to be on high alert.

"I have something important I want to discuss with her alone," I replied.

"A-Alone... You want to discuss something important...!?" Nia stammered.

"Indeed. I thought it was about time we deepened our relationship," I said.

"No way... deepened your relationship...?" she whispered.

As Nia's face twisted into utter despair—she suddenly snapped back to a deadpan expression.

"Hey, is this just... another one of your usual evil schemes?" she asked.

"What else would it be?" I replied.

"Haa... I knew it was weird. I mean, there's no way Hollow would just confess his love on the rooftop. Phew, thank goodness..." Nia mumbled to herself.

"I don't know what you're panicking about, but hurry up and call her," I demanded.

"Yes, yes, whatever Lord Hollow commands," Nia sighed.

And so, having tasked Nia with the chore, I had her summon Eliza.

After school.

"...What business do you have with me? Hollow von Heisenberg," Eliza demanded.

Appearing on the rooftop, her silver eyes glared at me with sharp hostility.

"Now, now, don't be so cold," I sneered. "I merely thought I would deepen my friendship with a classmate, nothing more."

I offered her a gentle smile, but her guard didn't drop in the slightest. If anything, she seemed even more wary of me.

"Why were you absent?" Eliza asked.

"Hm?"

"From the Magic Banquet Festival," she clarified. "Normally, you and I would have faced off in the quarterfinals. I had anticipated our battle and prepared accordingly... yet I was handed a hollow victory by default."

Ah, that.

"There is no grand reason," I replied smoothly. "I simply saw no value in partaking in such an event. That is all."

When I answered honestly, Eliza's expression turned even sterner.

"I absolutely despise that condescending attitude of yours," she spat.

"And I happen to be quite fond of that bluntness of yours," I retorted.

Perhaps thinking I was making a fool of her, Eliza shot me a fierce glare.

No, I was actually being completely genuine...

Unfortunately, it seemed she took it as a provocation.

Her affection meter was practically in the negatives, so it couldn't be helped.

"So, what is your business with me?" she pressed.

"I already told you. I merely wished to deepen my friendship with a classmate," I repeated.

"I have no time to entertain your games. If you have no business with me, then I am leaving. I have a semifinal match against the 4th Rank coming up soon," she declared.

The 4th Rank... So she was fighting Nia, huh.

I had been completely hands-off regarding the Magic Banquet Festival, so I hadn't known at all.

It seemed the academy-side events were progressing exactly as I had predicted.

As Eliza spun on her heel and walked toward the exit, I casually tossed a "bomb" her way.

"Even when I go out of my way to invite you... You truly are a cold woman, 'Silver Reaper.'"

"—!?" Eliza gasped.

In an instant, she whipped around violently, her right hand flying to the tachi at her waist.

"You bastard... where did you hear that name...?" she snarled.

"Who do you think I am? A trivial detail like that is easily uncovered with a little digging," I boasted.

"...Who else knows my identity?" Eliza asked.

"Rest assured, only me," I replied.

"I see. Then as long as I silence you, there won't be a problem, will there?" she threatened.

"Indeed," I mocked. "If we conveniently ignore the fact that it is completely impossible, then yes, you are absolutely right."

Eliza's and my gazes clashed.

"I am a Holy Knight known as the Mage Killer. You are standing there completely defenseless, while I am already in my stance. Even if you are the 1st Rank, do you really think you can win in this situation...?" Eliza warned.

"Hah, it won't even be a contest," I scoffed.

"...I gave you fair warning," she muttered.

In a flash, Eliza's body sprung forward like a coiled spring.

Closing the distance in a single step, she brought down a sharp, devastating slash from high above.

"—Prepare yourself!" she roared.

With the silver tachi bearing down on me, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.

...Hey now, surely she can't be serious with this...

What was approaching my eyes was—the back of the silver tachi's blade.

Even after her deepest secret was uncovered by a guy with a negative affection rating, and despite me provoking her countless times... Not only did she refrain from using <Silver Flash>, she actually came at me with the back of her sword.

As expected, the girl known as Eliza Lawrence was simply too kind.

No, at this point, you could even call it naive.

She was far too pure, far too earnest, and far too much of a good girl to survive in the harsh world of Ronzorquia.

That was exactly why she could be taken advantage of. By absolute scum like Valan.

But still, I don't dislike that kind of softness.

I personally really liked characters who were as pure and straightforward as Eliza.

Deep down, she was probably exactly the same as Nia. Their faces, personalities, and values were completely different, but in that noble, virtuous spirit unique to heroines—in that one aspect, the two of them were cut from the same cloth.

Although, if she's coming at me, I'll still crush her without an ounce of mercy.

Shifting my left side back to dodge the blunt strike, I fluidly grabbed Eliza by her slender neck—and slammed her brutally against the penthouse wall.

"Ga, ha...!?" Eliza choked.

Having struck her back with immense force, the sheer impact caused her to drop her tachi.

"I told you, didn't I? 'It won't even be a contest'..." I trailed off. "Wait, huh?"

Eliza was foaming at the mouth, her eyes unfocused, and her pupils beginning to dilate. It was a pretty bad situation.

I hurriedly let go of her neck, and her body slid down against gravity,

"Cough! Hrk, cough, cough..."

Collapsing onto all fours, she violently coughed in agony.

...Sorry, I might have choked you a little too hard.

I didn't want her passing out, so I held back a significant amount, but... my bad.

"Haa, haa..." Eliza panted.

Wiping her mouth, Eliza somehow managed to stand on her wobbly legs—and picking up her fallen tachi, she desperately assumed a combat stance once more.

"...Hollow, what is your goal? Are you trying to blackmail me?" Eliza spat.

"To put it bluntly—become my pawn," I demanded.

"I refuse," she replied instantly.

An immediate rejection. Well, obviously.

As long as Valan had that collar around her neck, as long as her family at the orphanage was being held hostage, Eliza could never defy him. She was absolutely subservient to his every command.

Fully knowing all of that, fully understanding that she would refuse me, I deliberately reached out to her anyway.

Because my goal this time is, first and foremost, 'building a relationship' with her.

In the main route of the original game, Eliza was defeated by Allen in the finals of the Magic Banquet Festival—and through that, their relationship was established. I had just forcefully orchestrated a substitute event right here and now.

Eliza lost to me; she suffered an utter, undeniable defeat.

That fact would become extremely vital in the final stages of Chapter 2.

"I am sorry, but I have no intention of wagging my tail for a piece of scum like you," Eliza retorted.

"I would say I am vastly preferable to that sly old geezer Valan, wouldn't you?" I countered.

"Just how much do you know!?" she yelled.

Ignoring Eliza, whose eyes were trembling in sheer disbelief, I gave her a flat declaration.

"Let me make a prophecy. In the near future, you will beg me of your own free will—you will say, 'Please, save me.'"

"That will never happen, even if heaven and earth were flipped upside down. Besides... I can no longer escape. I will wear this collar for the rest of my life..." Eliza rasped.

With dark, stagnant eyes, she clenched her fists tight.

"Unfortunately for you, this is already a settled matter. Neither you nor Valan have the right to refuse," I sneered.

"...Hmph, you are even more arrogant than the rumors say. It's a wonder your ego has managed to swell to such proportions," she mocked.

"Kuku... I shall take that as a compliment," I chuckled.

I turned on my heel and left the rooftop without another word.

Our little exchange of pleasantries concluded flawlessly. With this, my existence should be deeply etched into Eliza's mind.

The flags were set. There was nothing left for me to do in this Second Chapter.

Alright then, it's about time I made my move to take down the 'Dark Noble', Valan!

Tomorrow is finally the last event—infiltrating the underground casino!

---

Toc