Corelia let out a hollow laugh. Erin should have been at Duke Asili’s mansion or the marquis estate—how could she possibly be here?

Atenz Academy was located in the heart of the empire. Nobody would think that fugitives would infiltrate such a place to kidnap students. Yet somehow Erin had found her way here.

‘I’ve heard that Sword Masters have exceptional mana detection abilities, but to sense this far… I never thought Erin would come to the academy.’

Erin was approaching very quickly. She would likely appear before her at any moment. Corelia abandoned any thoughts of escape and looked down at the mana stone in her hand—given to her by the Emperor to use in case she encountered a Sword Master.

‘I always thought the day would come when I’d need to use this…’

She smiled distortedly. Since first seeing Erin’s sword at the Liserth estate, Corelia had sensed it instinctively: if she couldn’t kill Erin, she would meet her death at Erin’s hands.

Erin made no attempt to hide her k*lling intent. The fierce aura of her anger as she rushed toward Corelia was palpable, seemingly warning her—I’m coming for you, so wait in terror.

Corelia stared toward the forest where Erin was coming from, her eyes bloodshot.

“Lady Corelia, you must flee!”

“What… what an impossible aura…”

“We cannot face a Sword Master with just our forces!”

The knights shouted with pale faces. One knight was so startled he dropped his sword. Knights knew better than anyone how powerful Sword Masters were, so their fear was only natural.

Corelia nodded. “Yes. She would certainly be difficult to face.”

Her voice carried a subtle anger. She couldn’t bear the fact that Erin had directed k*lling intent toward her.

‘How dare someone like Erin show k*lling intent toward me?’

Erin should never defy her. For over a decade, this had been an absolute truth. Hot rage boiled up from deep within Corelia’s chest as she tightly gripped the mana stone in her hand.

“Flee! You must flee! Without His Majesty present, we cannot face her!”

At the knight’s words, Corelia shook her head. Suddenly, she realized the Emperor must have known what choice she would make. He would have anticipated that, sooner or later, Erin would hear the news and come running if they headed to the academy.

‘He wants me to consume the mana stone and eliminate Erin.’

The Emperor never acted without reason.

“I will not run.”

Corelia decided to confront Erin. She waited, clutching the mana stone. Soon, Erin could be seen approaching. Corelia put the mana stone in her mouth.

Her mind grew hazy as an unpleasant energy enveloped her body. She watched her own body transform grotesquely—the monsterfication process after consuming a mana stone. Powerful energy radiated from her entire body.

The knights beside her hesitated and stepped back, seeing her bizarre appearance.

“You’re in my way. Go down to the basement of the mansion. Keep watch over those knight trainees.”

At her command, the knights nodded with pale faces and began to move. Soon after, Erin appeared before her.

Despite having run a long distance, she showed no signs of being out of breath. The characteristic heavy presence of a Sword Master emanated from her.

Their eyes met. Though Corelia had prepared herself, an overwhelming pressure enveloped her. Erin asked Corelia directly:

“Was it you who took Amon?”

Corelia didn’t deny it. “Yes, I took him.”

She smiled beautifully, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t just take him. I wounded him because he seemed likely to resist strongly. I didn’t provide any treatment either, so he might be dead by now.”

“…”

“It’s all because of you.”

“…”

“Erin, Amon met such an end because he befriended someone like you.”

Erin maintained eye contact with Corelia, considering the meaning behind her words. Corelia was trying to provoke her guilt and intimidate her, but Erin could sense Amon’s mana from beneath the ground.

‘It’s unstable, but he’s still okay. I’m not too late.’

Corelia’s empty words meant nothing to Erin. Ferdin and his knight trainees had helped her realize that all the negative things Corelia had said to her were wrong.

No matter what Corelia said now, Erin wouldn’t be hurt. She only felt sorry for her younger self.

“Once, I longed for your love. I was hurt by even your smallest words.”

Corelia glared at Erin with a vile smile. But she froze at Erin’s next calm words.

“But not anymore. You can’t hurt me at all now.”

Looking into Erin’s contemptuous eyes, Corelia felt like her entire existence had been denied.

‘Erin despises me? How dare she?’

She lashed out, screaming, “What’s with that look? How dare you look at me that way!”

Corelia realized she no longer posed any threat to Erin. The girl wasn’t afraid of her anymore, and Corelia couldn’t stand that fact.

“Erin, everything is your fault!”

“I’m tired of listening to your nonsense.”

“What?”

“I did nothing wrong. You’re the one who committed wrongdoings, consumed by your inferiority complex.”

“It was all for your own good. You were a child who got everything wrong—your behavior, your speech, everything.”

Erin had noticed something was seriously wrong with Corelia’s condition. The reason she was engaging with Corelia’s word games now was to figure out exactly what she had done.

‘I can’t go to Amon right away.’

She could sense Corelia’s mana rapidly increasing. It was the same condition the maid Charlotte had been in when they met in the west, but the power emanating from Corelia felt even stronger.

Corelia taunted Erin. “You know I’m stronger than you now, don’t you? Beg for your life, and I might spare you.”

“Should I believe your words again?”

Corelia laughed with amusement. “That’s right. Everything I just said was a lie. Even if you had begged me, my plans wouldn’t have changed. I’m determined to kill you here and now.”

She didn’t bother making excuses. Corelia had no intention of letting Erin live, just as Erin had said. She needed to kill Erin before she grew any stronger.

“If I regret anything, it’s letting you live until now. I never thought you’d actually become a Sword Master… you disgusting thing!”

At that moment, Erin sensed an unusually strong energy from Corelia. Corelia swung her sword at Erin with incredible speed.

Erin ducked to the right, avoiding her attack. But it didn’t end there.

Corelia’s arm bent at an impossible angle, slashing Erin’s shoulder.

“Sword Master? Not so impressive after all!”

Next, Corelia’s sword aimed for Erin’s thigh, but Erin had already retreated and avoided the blade.

BOOM!

A tremendous sound echoed as the ground shook. The remaining knights beside Corelia flinched and stepped back. Such powerful force had been imbued in the sword. The power of the mana stone was more astonishing than she had imagined.

She could feel the suddenly enhanced mana and the vitality overflowing in her body.

Corelia swung her sword with exhilaration. She saw Erin retreating without launching any counterattacks.

‘This power is truly incredible.’

The Emperor’s black magic had clearly reached a level that could match a Sword Master. She was intoxicated by this hair-raising power.

At the same time, she felt a strange certainty that she could defeat Erin who stood before her.

‘Dreams are just dreams after all.’

Corelia recalled the nightmare that had tormented her for so long. Clearly, prophetic dreams didn’t exist. That dream was nothing but nonsense, and she would ultimately kill Erin.

She narrowed her eyes, staring at Erin.

“You’re pathetically weak compared to me now! Your physical abilities, your mana—all utterly worthless.”

Erin silently readjusted her sword, pointing its tip toward Corelia. Corelia felt something unsettling.

When Erin held her sword, the surrounding air seemed to change.

“That’s why you never became a Sword Master.”

“What?”

Corelia couldn’t believe her ears. Erin had touched on her most sensitive point—the words she least wanted to hear from Erin.

“Physical ability and mana aren’t what matter.”

If those things had been crucial to becoming a Sword Master, Erin wouldn’t be standing here now. She would have died at the hands of the Werewolf Chieftain in their territory, or she couldn’t have survived when she met Charlotte in the west.

“Shut up!”

Corelia shouted, rushing toward Erin. Her sword, filled with powerful mana, flew toward Erin’s heart. It was a decisive strike, squeezing every drop of mana from her body to end this once and for all.