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The silver arrow that could shatter Midgard approached the ground. As she watched it, Benetnash was already preparing for her next move.

I couldn’t care less what Midgard ends up becoming as a result of this skill.

It was not a lie when she said she felt this way. But at the same time, she had the conviction that this would not happen. It was because Ruphas had Lifthrasir, which could cut through magic. If it was a normal person wielding it, it would be impossible to cut such a huge silver arrow, but the current wielder was not normal. It was Ruphas. Therefore, she will definitely cut it down.

Benetnash was convinced of this. But even if it was her, there was bound to be some kind of opening the moment she cut through the magic. Even if Ruphas understood this, she had no choice but to stop the attack. If she dodged it instead, Midgard would really be blown away.

That very moment would be a good opportunity for Benetnash. The time it would take her to cut the arrow would probably only be a moment, but this would absolutely be a good opportunity for Benetnash. After breaking through her limits, this moment would be like several minutes to her.

She could win—by aiming for that moment when Ruphas was defenseless and launching an all-out attack!

But Benetnash’s expectations were overturned in the next moment. Unbelievably, her sure-kill attack, which used all her magic power, stopped just before the ground. Ruphas stopped it with one hand, completely killing off the momentum.

“What? With just one hand…!?”

“I’m giving it back.”

Ruphas threw the arrow, while Benetnash evaded it. After missing its target, the arrow pierced through the stratosphere into space and struck a distant planet which was even larger than Midgard. It penetrated the planetary core, utterly destroying it.

The attack was meant so that Benetnash could create an opportunity to catch Ruphas off-guard, but instead, it was Benetnash who was caught off-guard. A momentary stiffness. This was an opening created unconsciously. She was defenseless. It was less than one-tenth of a second in real time, but it would be enough for Ruphas to defeat her opponent. However, Ruphas did not pursue Benetnash, letting the opening slip by.

Was she holding back? Was she leaving some leeway? Or perhaps she was just being complacent? …None of them were right.

Ruphas wanted to show her respect to Benetnash and decided to give her a complete defeat. A complete victory required her to not make any surprise attacks on her opponent. She needed to face her opponent’s full power upfront. Thus, Ruphas allowed Benetnash’s opening to slip by. She did not want a pointless victory by making surprise attacks on an opponent who was off-guard.

Ruphas’ face was turned violently ferocious. Her crimson eyes shone like a flame.

“Benet. I will show you what ‘Mana Transmutation’ is. Rejoice…This is still an experimental skill. I haven’t shown it to anyone yet.”

Alchemy worked on physical materials, but it was considered impossible to transmute using magic as a base material. To be precise, it was possible to transmute mana into materials, but it was pointless to do so since magic would eventually revert back into mana. This was common sense in alchemy. Anyone who dabbled in alchemy would know it.

But Ruphas now knew that this information was not right. Transmutation using mana as the base material was possible. And proof of this could be found everywhere in the world.

“Transmute—Winter of Wolves !”

At Ruphas’ declaration, the surrounding mana coalesced and stabilized. It then took the forms of wolves and a pack of several hundred wolves charged at Benetnash.

Wolf-shaped magic? It was certainly so. Since magic turned mana into phenomena, it had to be magic. There was nothing surprising about it having the shapes of wolves. After all, there were magic in the forms of birds, beasts, and even humanoids. The Water magic Apsaras was one such example.

What is this? Why does an existence created by mana have its own ego and attack according to its own judgment? This is critically different from my own magic. In fact, these seem more like demons than magic.

Benetnash thought so, but this did not change what she needed to do. It didn’t matter whether it was a demon or magic. She just had to kick all of them into smithereens!

“Do you intend to beat me with just this level of attack!?”

A flash of silver dashed forth and the wolves were defeated one after another. The wolves were slashed apart, losing their forms and reverting to mana. The mana then accumulated behind Ruphas. When all the wolves were defeated, the mana fully accumulated and formed a giant wolf. With a body no less than two hundred meters long, this giant wolf king was even bigger than Aries. It stared at Benetnash and bared its fangs.

“Transmute—The Thing That Shakes The Earth!”

Ruphas laughed eerily as the god-eating wolf opened its maw.

And roared.

The unspeakable wolf’s roar became a wave of destructive energy that swallowed Benetnash. Her entire body was torn in an instant and an enormous amount of blood flowed. Only Benetnash could have endured it without losing any of her body parts. If it had been anyone else, there would not even be any bones left.

“Gah…ha, ah…”

However, she finally reached her limit and fell to her knees on the ground. Her heartbeats were annoying, her fingers were shaking, and her vision was becoming blurred. She understood what this meant.

Ah, I have reached my limit. If possible, I want to make one final blow. But it seems I only have enough power left to make a full-power attack.

As she thought this…Benetnash laughed involuntarily.

Oh, it’s the same. It’s the same situation as the last time.

It was like this two hundred years ago. She was cornered to the point where she had to gamble it all with one final attack in an attempt to reverse the situation. At that time, some boring people got in the way, but it was different this time. Benetnash put all her remaining power into her right arm and looked straight at her nemesis.

“…Let’s go, Mafahl. Let’s end it with this attack.”

“…Oh, yes. Come on then, Benet.”

She spoke the same line as before. Ruphas understood and replied in the same manner. That beckoning gesture was also the same as last time, making it both hateful and endearing.

Now then, the stage that I longed for is right before me. The continuation of that day is finally here.

Benetnash’s expression distorted in delight as her eyes burned with a deep red color.

“—Oh!”

Regardless of victory or defeat, this would be the end!

By burning even her life-force, Benetnash’s attack was like a meteor. She charged straight at Ruphas at her maximum velocity, faster than anything she had ever been able to reach even in her several hundred years of existence.

On the other hand, Ruphas also went straight ahead. She decided against using feints and raised her right arm to receive the attack upfront.

Their arms crossed and fresh blood danced between them.

The one bleeding was…Ruphas. Benetnash’s all-out attack tore into her shoulder, leaving behind a wound that was not shallow. But unfortunately, even though it was not shallow, the wound was not deep enough either. Although she was bleeding profusely, the wound did not reach her bone. Ruphas could easily recover from a wound of this extent.

On the other hand, Ruphas’ sword had pierced Benetnash’s heart. The sword served as a plug, preventing excessive bleeding. However, anyone could see that it was a fatal wound.

In other words…the victor had been determined. Benetnash could not defeat Ruphas. She was relieved. After realizing this fact, Benetnash smiled with a sense of self-ridicule.

“—Still couldn’t reach you, huh?”

In her heart, she felt that it was frustrating and mortifying. After all, it was the first time ever in her life that she had a goal and the first time she ever had a rival. Yet in the end, she still could not surpass her even once. Until her final moments, she was only ever chasing after Ruphas’ back. With a plop, her arms dropped down as her body lost its strength.

“…Are you satisfied? Benet.”

“Don’t be a fool. Losing is the worst. All that remains is a lingering attachment.”

Her eyes could not see anymore, yet strangely, she could hear Ruphas’ hateful voice clearly.

Are you satisfied with this?

As always, it showed how much leeway she always had. But that was the kind of person Ruphas was. If Benetnash got angry over it every time, there would be no end to it.

“…Ah, but…I feel like my heart has gained closure. It’s not bad.”

“You just said that it was the worst.”

“Shut up.”

She collapsed as her legs lost their strength. However, her body was embraced by Ruphas. Benetnash no longer had the strength to push her away, so she simply entrusted herself to Ruphas.

It seems my vitality is ending here.

She had a lingering attachment, but there was no regret. This was a battle in which all possible outcomes were accepted, a fight that she yearned for. And it had finally been realized. The result was disappointing, but she certainly felt that she was alive right at that moment.

So…yeah, it wasn’t bad.

Although it was only for a short while, the time that had stopped for her finally began to flow again. Even if it was just for a few moments…it was still more fulfilling than the two hundred years that she spent in stagnation.

“Mafahl…Did you know that this would happen?”

“Yeah, didn’t I say it before? That I will definitely return.”

“Hmph…Stupid…You made me wait too long!”

Despite the hateful words spewing from her mouth, Benetnash could not stop smiling. In her mind, she recalled the old days spent with the people whom she acknowledged—Alioth, Dubhe, Phecda, and Mizar.

Now that I think about it, those days weren’t so bad.

Even while vowing to have a rematch with Ruphas, she stood by her as they fought for world domination.

They were considered to be companions as well as rivals to her, the fearsome Vampire Princess. That was why she could not forgive any form of betrayal. That was why she was angry at them. She did not regret not helping them. They simply reaped what they sowed. She did not intend to apologize or repent.

But…yeah. I’ll forgive them somewhat. Now that I think about it, I don’t really hate them.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“…Hold me a little tighter. My body feels like it’s fading away.”

“…Oh, I understand.”

Alioth and the others have already passed on. This time, it’s my turn. That is all there is to it. There’s some kind of fluid in my mouth. It’s probably blood, but I can no longer taste it.

Benetnash forcefully swallowed it. Her consciousness felt distant and she realized her end was near.

“Mafahl. Do you really think you can change the world? This is the playground of the Goddess…We’re no different from the magical beasts in the arena. The Goddess looks down from the distant heavens to see us struggling. How are you going to fight someone like that?”

“I’m collecting various hands to play. Everything is going well now. The Goddess may also be preparing various things…Well, there’s no problem. After all, I have some talented subordinates.”

Ruphas said as she thought of her subordinates. They would surely do well. Since she had such confidence and trust, she could allow herself to play the role of the Goddess’ toy and clown, continuing to dance to her tune. Although she was awake now due to a little shock, she would soon return to slumber again. And then, she would wander about like a sleepwalking patient with sleepy eyes, baiting the Goddess to let down her guard.

“In particular, ‘she’ is talented…If it is Ophiuchus, she would certainly do well.”

“…I haven’t heard of her. Aren’t there thirteen people in the Twelve Stars if you include the Twins?”

“She is the thirteenth star that even the Twelve Stars are unaware of. Two hundred years ago…No, she started taking actions on my orders even before that. I’m here in this way right now because she was able to outsmart the Goddess.”

“So everything is in the palm of your hand? I don’t like this.”

Benetnash muttered in annoyance, yet she was relieved in her heart. Truly, the person she regarded as her rival was a terrifying being. To be able to outsmart the Goddess and make her dance in the palm of her hand, she was such an abominable woman. That was why she could think: It’s fine…She won’t lose to the Goddess.

It was rather frustrating, but she could not imagine her losing.

That’s fine. Don’t lose to anyone. You should continue acting like who you are…Just be the absolute powerhouse that I admire. As long as you do that, it would all have been worth it.

“Mafahl.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t ever lose. Now that you’ve won against me, if you lose to someone else, I’ll beat you up even if I have to come back from the underworld.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t lose.”

Ruphas’ forceful response brought a sense of satisfaction to Benetnash. A few seconds of silence passed between them, then Benetnash spoke once more.

“Hey, Mafahl.”

“What?”

“Did I…manage to become your rival?”

“What a stupid question. You’re the one who has ever chased after me so far in order to defeat me. Perhaps, you are the only one who understands me the most.”

“…I see.”

Benetnash did not reveal her thoughts regarding Ruphas’ reply. However, one could somehow discern that she was happy. A few seconds later, Benetnash spoke again.

“Hey, Mafahl.”

“What?”

“Are you still there?”

“I’ll be here until the end. Don’t worry.”

Her consciousness was finally drifting away and she was losing sense of her body. It was almost time to say goodbye…Benetnash felt the truth of this strongly. But still, it wasn’t bad, if the place to die was in the arms of her rival.

“Hey, Mafahl.”

“What is it?”

“………”

“…Thank you.”

—Those were the last words she uttered.

Thereafter, Benetnash did not speak anymore nor did she move. Ruphas gently laid Benetnash down and pulled out the blade stuck in her heart. She cleaned her body using healing divine magic.

Her sleeping face was full of comfort with a gentle smile that she rarely ever showed. Gently stroking her hair, Ruphas pondered.

Just as Benetnash saw Ruphas as her goal, Benetnash was Ruphas’ goal. When she was still immature, the Vampire Princess was already known as the strongest humanoid. Along with the Dragon King, Demon King, and Lion King, she reigned as one of the four powers.

Ruphas, who was still weak at that time, wanted to be just like her. She strongly yearned to be powerful like the Vampire Princess, repelling all irrationalities and not losing to anyone. Benetnash wondered if she was considered a rival by Ruphas, but that was incorrect. It was Ruphas who thought so first. Ruphas was the first to see Benetnash as a rival, aiming to become just as strong.

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be this strong…Thank you, Benet…Rest in peace.”

She said her words of farewell and raised her head. There were ten vampires, possibly Benetnash’s subordinates, standing nearby. She could tell at a glance that none of them were ordinary people.

Their levels…Even the weakest is Level 500. They’re probably survivors of the battle from two hundred years ago.

As Ruphas recalled, Benetnash challenged her alone two hundred years ago. She also did not participate in the fight against the Demon King. In other words, the elites from that time were left behind until now. But even so, they were no match for the current Ruphas. If she wished, she could kill everyone in the blink of an eye.

“You must be Ruphas Mafahl-sama?”

“Yes. Are you Benetnash’s subordinates?”

“We are not her subordinates. We are her tools. All of us had dedicated everything to her.”

“She was rather adored, wasn’t she?”

The vampires looked upon the peaceful, sleeping face of Benetnash and gently carried her body. Then, they lowered their heads deeply to Ruphas.

“Thank you, Ruler of the Black Wings. You have fulfilled your promise to our master.”

“…You don’t hate me?”

“This is what our master wanted. Be it victory or defeat, life or death…We would always prioritize the will of our master.”

Despite saying so, they were probably feeling conflicted inside. One vampire standing in the back clenched his fist until it was dripping blood, while another vampire tapped on his shoulder.

“Our master is surely satisfied…That is…our…greatest pleasure.”

“…You don’t have to force yourselves.”

“!!”

As Ruphas said this, the vampire who was bowing previously raised his head and struck with his fist. But before it could hit Ruphas, another vampire grabbed his arm and stopped the attack. At that moment, he opened his eyes and realized that he was being rude. Perhaps, this was the result of being unconsciously driven by anger. He immediately lowered his head and held his fist tightly.

“Excuse me. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Apologies, but we will be taking our leaves now. We must conduct a state funeral for our master.”

The vampires turned their backs on Ruphas and flew away. They did not even look back once, but it was obvious that their eyes would be full of hate and grief. This was because…the eyes of the vampire who lashed out earlier were bleeding tears of blood.

“…She was very much adored…Truly.”

Ruphas muttered and picked up the twin swords on the ground. She started walking through the wasteland caused by the battle to rejoin Dina and the rest.

However, her footsteps were somewhat heavy.

Image from Light Novel Volume 5