Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 68: Virtue Against Vengeance.

-----Myria's POV-----

Ever since I gained the ability to remember, I had a lot of trouble connecting with other people.

Whether they were related to me or they were just strangers, I wasn't able to form meaningful connections with anyone. The few connections I did manage to make can be counted on one hand.

Those connections I made were with my mother, my younger brother, the girl that went on to become my best friend, a boy I met while helping at an orphanage, and the Goddess of Virtue.

"..." My heart was beating wildly. Nothing I tried to do could help me to ease my nerves and the overwhelming happiness I felt.

Out of those connections, only three remain intact today… My best friend, my brother, and the Goddess.

The connections I lost were with my mother, one of the people I loved the most, who died of an incurable disease while I was little, way before I became an apostle and I could save her, and the other was the boy from the orphanage, who deeply despises me even to this day…

I always blamed myself for the loss of these connections. After all, who else is there to blame other than me and my lack of power? The power to save the lives of those who needed… The power to save those I loved… The power to protect the few connections I made.

The loss of those connections only made me develop a complete lack of confidence in my abilities, no matter what I did. Even now after enduring harsh training regimes and countless hours of prayers to become a model priestess, and an Apostle, I still suffer severely from not being able to put faith in my own power.

(Myria, he genuinely meant everything he said to you, you know?) Lady Yraura spoke in my mind. Her gentle and merciful voice was like a relaxing tune for my mind.

(I know...) I replied while I was deep into thought. (That's why I feel so happy that I feel like my heart is about to burst out of my chest… But that is also why I feel more nervous than before… I'm afraid of messing this up and Julius and the others hate me for it…) I couldn't help but tell the Goddess about my real feelings on the matter.

It was completely unexpected for me… I didn't want to participate in the tournament to begin with and had little to no friends in the academy, yet all of a sudden I got a group of people cheering me on to win… A ground of people that could potentially become my friends.

Before this day, I thought that something like that was impossible for me, yet here we are… With my heart beating wildly and the words of that caring eccentric boy and the others stuck in my mind, repeating endlessly.

My heart wishes for them to remain with me… I want them to become my friends, but I'm terrified that they will hate me if I lose… I'm scared that they will despise me if I make a single mistake here…

(They won't hate you. Myria, you cannot allow a mistake of the past to define your present.) The Goddess gave me her advice.

(I know that… I really do… But it is difficult to forget about that unforgivable mistake…) Despite how happy I felt, I couldn't help but remain afraid of what my potential failure would lead to.

(You are much more than that, and you have grown to become a splendid person. You were only a child back then, Myria. You have to stop focusing on something that can no longer be changed and focus on this moment. Those who are stubbornly attached to the past will remain unable to advance.) The Goddess said with a serious tone. She was reprimanding me.

(But…) My insecurities were still too much to manage.

(Myria. It is healthy to look back at the past and learn from your mistakes. But do not let those mistakes define you. Yes, the past is what made you the person that you are today, but it is choices you make in the present that will turn you into the person you are destined to be in the future.) The Goddess spoke to me with compassion. (Like I've told you again and again, I choose you over everyone else for a reason, Myria. I didn't choose you because you were the most pious or because you prayed to me the most. I chose you because you understand my teachings and because of how strong you truly can be.) The Goddess spoke in an encouraging manner.

(Lady Yraura…) I couldn't deny that her faith in me almost brought me to tears.

(Myria. Focus on the present. Do not fight because you were told to do so by others, you have to fight for yourself. You want those people to be your friends? Then you have to do your absolute best in this match. Give everything you have here and I assure you that whether you win or lose will be irrelevant. They will remain by your side no matter what.) The Goddess continued with her motivational speech.

(I… Thank you, Lady Yraura.) I held back my tears as I thanked the Goddess.

(No need to thank me. You can count on me any time, Myria. I am your Goddess after all.) Lady Yraura said happily. (Now go out there and make me proud! Crush the competition!) Her personality became a little extreme at the end…

(I'll try my best.) I nodded in agreement.

Just as my conversation with the Goddess was coming to an end, everything around me suddenly started to vibrate uncontrollably as if the whole world was being shaken…

As soon as I opened my eyes, the environment had changed completely. Instead of the coliseum I was in before, my eyes were welcomed by the sight of endless plains. The warm breeze of Spring caressed my cheeks as I looked around the place.

This was without a doubt the place my opponent had chosen for our battle. A place with virtually no place to take cover beside a few trees scattered around the area and far away from each other.

On the contrary, I had tried to choose a place with mountainous terrain with plenty of places to get cover, but unfortunately, as we know, luck was not on my side with the coin toss before.

"You can do it, Myria. You just need to be mindful of your surroundings and be on the watch for any potential surprise attacks on your back. You can cast a barrier quickly enough, so it will be a piece of cake…" I tried to motivate myself even more while taking deep breaths.

Fortunately, thanks to the place my opponent had chosen, it would be too difficult for each of us to manage to sneak behind the other, so that's kind of the silver lining here. Still, it never hurts to remain vigilant just in case.

It didn't take long before I managed to spot my opponent. A person I, unfortunately, knew all too well…

Emma Sagreus… A human girl with very short dark brown hair and gray eyes. A girl who pretty much towered over me, easily being at least 1,75 meters tall. Just like me, she was wearing an altered uniform because of her job as a priestess, wearing a black robe on top of the academy's uniform. She was holding a metal wand in her right hand and a small dagger in her left.

She was a priestess of the God of Vengeance, Ragnel. On top of that, she was also the heir of Baroness Sagreus, the ruling lady of the territory that neighbors my family's.

Emma stood several meters away from me while she had an ominous smile on her face…

(I have a bad feeling about this…) I thought as I watched the twisted smirk that appeared on Emma's face.

That bad feeling then became worse as Emma started walking toward me without a single care in the world. I could only grasp my staff while I looked at the human girl with caution…

"Oh my, it truly has been a while since we last talked, isn't that right, Myria?" Emma asked as soon as she reached me. She was now standing just a few paces away from me.

"Yes, it has…" I spoke awkwardly.

"What's the matter, Myria? Why do you look so uncomfortable even when we are such good friends… That breaks my heart a little, you know?" Emma said sarcastically. "But well, what can you expect of someone who comes from a family of former peasants? I know manners are not your particular specialty, but I suppose I can let it slip this time since you can't really help it." She then spoke in a very condescending tone.

Sigh… She has not changed in the slightest since the last time we spoke…

Emma's family has held a grudge against my family for as long as I can remember. Ever since we became part of the nobility, House Sagreus has treated my family with hostility as if we were outsiders even though both families originate from the same region… It is not like we have done anything in particular to offend them that I know of, but they still seem to hate us with a burning passion for some reason.

This hatred toward my family was clearly passed onto Emma as she has tried to torment me again and again ever since I met her when I first came to the Blaise Academy.

"It is nothing like that, really… I was just getting ready for our battle." I was miffed but I tried to hide that from Emma.

I couldn't help but remember why I pretty much avoided this girl like the plague. Each interaction with her was more tiring than the last, and this one was not an exception to that, unfortunately.

"I see, I see. I didn't know that you needed to get mentally prepared to lose, but I suppose that since it comes from someone from your family, I should have expected it." Emma still took my words as a sign of weakness. "But worry not, I very much dislike abusing the weak, thus I will be finishing this match in just an instant." Emma spoke with a cocky smile on her while brandishing her wand and filling it with her magical power.

Soon a gigantic wave of flames shot from her wand in my direction.

She really intends to take me out now… Wonderful. 

It didn't take long for the powerful wave of flames to reach me after turning to dust everything in its path…

However, right before the flames could engulf me and turn me to ash, I…

"Goddess, grant me your protection." I prayed and raised my staff after filling it with my mana.

In the blink of an eye, a small dome of light was formed all around me to protect me from the hellish flames and the heat, this barrier was a lesser version of [Sacred Shield] that I could use without chanting. Emma's spell swallowed the barrier and everything nearby, leaving only a blazing path of destruction in its path.

"How do you like that Estner scum! Your family should have stayed with the commoners where you belong instead of tarnishing this sacred tournament!" Emma shouted, almost as if she was also making me pay for her frustrations too.

However, Emma's expression quickly changed as soon as the flames of her spell ceased to exist. She was not pleased in the slightest to see me unscathed beneath my barrier.

"I really do not know why you or your family resents mine that much, and frankly, I do not care at this point, but don't you think it is a bit much to call me scum? That seems a little classless in my opinion." I said to Emma before letting out a sigh and dismissing my spell.

Unbeknownst to me, that small sigh would be enough to trigger Emma and anger her even more…

"Now, now… You should know that there's a limit to both impudence and my patience, Estner." Emma definitely looked at me with disdain. "I haven't said anything that wasn't true about you or your family. That being said, I'm surprised that someone like you could survive one of my spells, especially considering that you didn't do anything during the preliminaries." A spiteful smirk suddenly appeared on her face.

Well, I can't deny that she has a point there… I only limited myself to watching Julius and Felicia do all the work after I helped them with that barrier and knocked out that guy that tried to attack me.

(Alberis Nebandia did the same thing and no one is holding that against him. In fact, everyone is even more afraid of him because of that. Do not let her words get to you, Myria.) Lady Yraura spoke in my mind.

(Lady Yraura… I couldn't possibly compare myself to that Midnight Starlight… You know, the strongest in the academy…) I said awkwardly to the goddess.

(Myria. Stop that. You don't need to compare yourself. You just need to be you and focus on doing your best just like told you.) She once again tried to encourage me.

(Thank you, Lady Yraura.) I couldn't help but smile. I was relieved to have someone like Lady Yraura by my side.

"You could say that I was just saving my strength for this moment." After being encouraged by the Goddess, I couldn't help but speak to her in an overconfident manner.

“Oh my… Is that so?” The smirk Emma had on her face was quickly erased and it was replaced by a look of disdain. “Then I suppose that I have no other choice but to use everything I have to get rid of you. You were lucky to block my spell once, but it will not happen twice.” She immediately filled her wand to the brim with her mana and overloaded it with spells.

You can do this Myria… Just focus and everything will be alright…

“Perhaps I should warn you, Estner… Since you so foolishly believe that you even have the tiniest of hopes of winning this match, you should know that I was recently acknowledged as a master of three of the Six Primordial Elements.” The moment she finished her contemptuous monologue, a torrent of water was suddenly shot from the tip of her wand, quickly turning into a whip. “Prepare yourself. It appears that you are in need of someone to show you where you belong in the pecking order of our society.” Emma’s animosity towards me had reached new heights. Her already hateful glances were becoming a little unbearable.

Without even giving me a chance to say anything back, Emma swung her whip at me…

I barely had the time to raise my staff and form another barrier of light to protect myself. However, since I couldn't pray to Lady Yraura my barrier was not as powerful as I had intended it to be…

Just like a mirror after falling to the ground, my barrier was shattered into thousands of pieces after just one strike of her whip. But not only that, but she had also managed to hurt me…

"T-This might be more problematic than I thought…" I mumbled after feeling a bit of pain in my left cheek. She had managed to graze me after easily breaking through my barrier.

My bracelet also cracked a little, but not only that, the ground in front of me had been left with a deep mark after the attack, which only served as further proof that Emma couldn't be trifled with. 

For a moment, I couldn't help but be scared of her and her power. If I hadn't reacted quickly enough, I would have already been out of the tournament.

"I told you, the first time you blocked my spell was mere luck. I really intend to show you where you and your family truly belong, Myria." Emma said with a sneer. "Let us see how you handle this… Witness the righteous fury of the God of Vengeance!"  Emma shouted as she raised her wand, clearly preparing herself to attack me with her magical whip once again.

However, as soon as she prepared to attack me again, I no longer felt afraid or nervous. I was calm. Calmer than I ever had been actually.

"Goddess, grant me your protection! [Sacred Shield]!" As soon as I noticed Emma moving her arm to attack, I prayed to Goddess and was able to shorten the chant of my main defensive spell.

As soon as I uttered the shortened chant, a wall of light appeared in front of me just in time to completely block Emma's whip. A loud crashing sound echoed through the plains the moment her whip made contact with my [Sacred Shield].

"Tsk… I didn't expect someone like you would be able to use Chant Shortening…" Emma said as soon as she retrieved her whip.

Chant Shortening is a technique that only a select few can use. As its name implies, this technique allows the user to use a spell without completing the full chant or to use a completely different and much shorter chant instead of the original as long as the user has a proper mental image.

This technique is also known as the "Halfway" between the Voiceless and the Incantation methods of casting.

I only became able to use this technique once I received the [Staff of Humilitas] from Lady Yraura. I was never able to properly learn how to use the Voiceless Method as it is the most difficult of them all, but with this staff I can, at the very least, use something close to it.

"Still, that was just a fluke. You truly are a lucky one, aren't you, Myria?" Emma sounded completely pissed off.

"I don't really know about that… I don't really consider myself lucky, I just used what I've learned in school so far." I replied without giving much thought to how Emma would react. After all, she would only get more and more pissed off.

“Very well. Let us see how long will those teachings last against the might of one of the hands of the God of Vengeance!” Emma shouted at me yet again. In her anger, she decided to launch a barrage of attacks at my barrier.

Within moments, my [Sacred Shield] had to withstand a storm of strikes from her water whip. Even with all the power of my prayers to the Goddess and my mana fueling it, my protective shield wouldn’t last forever against such a violent onslaught. That much was clear, as soon as I noticed that several cracks had appeared on my barrier and that they were gradually becoming larger and larger while Emma’s attacks continued to rain upon it.

“What’s the matter, Estner!? What happened with all that talk of yours!? Are you just going to state hidden behind that barrier like the coward you are!? If you are, then that works perfectly for me!” Even while attacking, Emma didn’t stop her insufferable provocations.

She’s right… I have managed to defend myself until now, but what can I do in this situation… You have to think quickly, Myria. I cannot act rashly in this situation… Remember Lady Yraura’s teachings, “Prudence will always triumph over reckless pride.”

So I just need to do just that… I need to keep my cool and wait for the right time to strike back. It doesn’t matter if I win or lose, so I just have to do my best… So, first things first…

(You remembered my teachings well. I’ll be cheering you on no matter the outcome, Myria. But personally, I cannot envision anything other than success for you, my child.) Lady Yraura seemed pleased after reading my thoughts. Her words only served to fuel my convictions.

“Goddess, grant me your protection once more! [Sacred Barrier], [Holy Light], [Blessing of the Thread]!” After getting lost in thought for a moment, I decided on my next course of action. Thus, I prayed to the Goddess as I had done countless times in my life already.

I had invoked the power of the Goddess of Virtue to use three spells. The first was another barrier. This one, however, was smaller and thinner than the one that was currently preventing Emma’s wild and unpredictable attacks from reaching me. I placed the new barrier directly behind the other. This new barrier’s purpose was that of a safety measure in case things went awry. It was also an essential part of my plan.

“Just as I thought! Hiding behind another barrier! You’re really giving it a new meaning to cowardice, Estner! You’re only stalling the inevitable!” Emma shouted with a vicious smile on her face as she raised her wand to strike with her whip once more.

My first barrier was about to crumble due to all the violence it had withstood, so Emma’s next attack was certainly going to break it fully. That was already part of my plan however, I was just waiting patiently for the exact moment the barrier was destroyed.

And that exact moment arrived just moments after, just like I had envisioned in my head. When Emma’s whip struck true and broke the first layer of my barrier into thousands of pieces, she became vulnerable.

“Just admit your defeat already! I’m getting tired of indulging your pathetic attempts at defending yourself!” Emma said to me as if her victory was already set in stone.

That moment was when my second spell, [Blessing of the Thread], came into play. Normally, when a barrier is shattered in such a way, the pieces crumble until nothing but faint traces of mana remain behind. That is because the connection to the caster was lost after sustaining too much damage. But with my spell, everything… Every single shard of my broken barrier remained connected to me thanks to a series of invisible threads made from my mana.

When I was little, I remember that I heard our pastor recite an old saying from the times when the gods lived in the world of men… If I remember correctly, it was something like “Just as what is broken can be reforged, that which is unbroken can be held together by faith alone.”. 

As I grew, I found out that that is not always the case… Sometimes, things can be broken beyond repair, and sometimes things cannot be held together no matter how much we pray to the gods. That is just how things are.

But the more time I spent talking with the Goddess and learning the true meaning of her teachings directly from her, I came to a revelation…

Even if there are things that cannot be reforged and things that cannot be held together in spite of our efforts, both can serve a new purpose if one’s faith is strong enough.

I have doubted myself and my own abilities time and time again ever since the loss of my mother. Even when I became an apostle and even with all the encouragement of Lady Yraura, I have never been able to feel prideful of my accomplishments or feel confident about my abilities… But there’s one thing that I have never questioned nor doubted, and that is my faith.

“And this is the moment where I shalt put said faith to the test again.” I murmured as I moved the mana threads which connected my fingers to the shards of the now broken layer. I sent the shards flying toward Emma and positioned them right in front of her.

“What the…!?” Emma looked visibly surprised the moment she noticed the hundreds of shards of the broken barrier floating in front of her. As her arm was still fully extended after her attack, she was completely vulnerable to me.

And that was exactly what I was expecting in order to use my third and last spell, [Holy Light]. Just as I gazed at Emma’s shocked expression for the last time and knew that the broken shards of light were already in position, I closed my eyes before raising the [Staff of Humilitas] and then hit the earth beneath my feet with it. As soon as I did, a surge of power escaped from within me spilling onto my threads and subsequently, the fragments of my shattered protective spell.

An explosion of light soon followed after that surge of power reached the shards of my broken barrier. Of course, I could not see it directly as I had wisely closed my eyes. The only thing that could serve as an indication of my success was Emma, whose screams and shrieks of pain were enough to instantly give me a headache…

“AAAAGH! MY EYES! MY PRECIOUS EYES!” Emma let out a huge painful wail. “YOU LOWLY PEASANT! I SHALL DESECRATE YOUR CORPSE AFTER I MOUNT YOUR HEAD ON A PIKE!” Naturally, Emma was not too happy with me about what I had done. She was holding her head to relieve her pain, her water whip was long gone as what remained of it her wand, had fallen to the ground. 

Of course, as much as I wanted to laugh at her or speak in the same hateful manner she had done since our match began, I didn’t. I pushed those thoughts aside and seized my opportunity.

I quickly dismissed my barrier and made a run for it… I ran toward Emma while channeling the holy power of Lady Yraura onto the sacred staff.

“This ends now, Emma! Repent for your actions!” As much as I wanted to remain silent, a part of me couldn’t help it… I needed to at least get some satisfaction out of this after all the abuse I endured.

“You dare to talk back to me!? Who the hell do you think you are!?” Emma shrieked while flailing her arms angrily. She was yet to recover her vision.

“A humble servant of the Goddess of Virtue and a member of House Estner. Nothing more, nothing less.” I said as I raised my staff above my head, preparing myself to land the coup de grâce on the girl who seemed to dislike me so much for no reason. The staff shone with a warm blinding light the more mana I put into it to imbue it with more power.

I’ve never been particularly good with offensive spells. Quite honestly, my specialties are healing and defensive spells. I do know some offensive spells to use in case of emergencies, but I doubt I can pack much firepower onto them as Zoe or Julius can do with their spells. That is one of the reasons why I was so adamant about not joining the tournament in the first place despite my father’s insistence.

However, despite my lack of offensive capabilities compared to the other participants and new potential friends, I have something that they do not have. The staff I currently possess in my hands, the [Staff of Humilitas], is virtually indestructible due to her blessings. Something which makes it pretty good as a club since it will never break no matter how much I charge it with my mana or how much I used to hit something.

Thus, this is the only way I think I could reliably finish off Emma. Even if I tried to eliminate her from afar with the few offensive spells I know, I don’t think I would manage to do much other than crack her bracelet.

“Then I promise you! As a servant of the God of Vengeance and a proud member of House Sagreus that my revenge shall be swift and that this pain you cause me will be returned to you tenfold! You will pay, Estner!” Emma continued to yell at me, this time, however, her words echoed ominously in my head.

And then, it happened…

Before I could process the meaning behind Emma’s spiteful words or even land the finishing blow on her, something hit my stomach… A strike so heavy that made my whole world spin before leaving me confused and unable to breathe properly.

By the time I realized what had happened, I had flown through the air and landed several meters away from Emma. I was lying on my stomach while the staff that the Goddess had granted me was laying in front of me. The mana I had gathered in the staff remained, while the intense light produced from it dwindled rapidly.

But not only that... Even while I was in a haze, I noticed the very visible cracks which had appeared all over the bracelet on my right hand... It almost appeared as if it would break just by looking at it.

"How does it feel now, you scum!? Did it hurt!?" Emma sounded pleased as she shouted while her eyes remained shut tight. She moved her head around while she waited for my answer. There were several pillars of stone surrounding her, one of which was directly in the place where I had been standing moments ago. Even in my shocked state, I was able to deduce what had happened to me with just a glance at the pillars of stone.

Emma had attacked in all directions with the hopes of hitting me despite not being able to see... And she had succeeded.

I couldn't help but hold my stomach as the pain coursed through my entire body... It was a struggle to breathe normally, so I had to take short breaths... But still, even if I was caught by surprise, I still managed to remain in the tournament. I had protected myself with an impromptu barrier at the last second... Well, it was not me exactly... It was the staff that had created the barrier and protected me. Thanks to that, despite receiving a direct hit, the damage I suffered was reduced considerably.

"But just wait, Myria! I said that I will make you pay for the pain I felt because of you and this is not nearly enough! Just wait until I get my eyesight back and then I will end you!" Emma yelled who was clearly enjoying the fact that she had managed to land a hit on me.

The staff... I need to retrieve it... I need to heal myself and then think of another plan...

Despite my best efforts to try to crawl toward the [Staff of Humilitas], I could only remain in the same place. Coughing and holding my stomach because of the pain, desperately trying to regain the ability to breathe normally.

Each moment that passes just gives Emma more and more time to recover... Am I really going to lose like this? Was my faith not strong as I thought? Am I really useless no matter what I do?

It was a desperate situation... I had victory at the palm of my hand and it was stolen from me within moments... I really had it, yet I still managed to screw everything up yet again.

Goddess... I know you said it didn't matter whether I won or lost this match, but... I don't want to fail again... I don't want to be a failure again... I don't want to fail as I did with my mother... I don't want to fail again as I did with that boy before he started hating me... I don't want to be hated... I just want to win for once... I'm tired of always being the one on the losing end who everyone hates...

(Myria...) The Goddess's voice echoed in my head. She seemed like she was trying to come up with something to comfort me.

It is not fair... Nothing about this is fair... I've been trying to do good to everyone my whole life just to end like this... Someone who cannot save those she cares about? Someone who can't even make friends because she's afraid she will fail them and hurt them... It is not fair...

(Myria, it is fine... Just, stay calm and listen to me. We can still...-) The Goddess spoke to me in a nervous manner.

No... It is not fine... Nothing about this is fine! I want to go home! I want my mother back! I wish I had been able to save that boy's little sister and that he didn't hate me so much! I also never wanted to be here in the capital in the first place! I want my stupid father to stop being a prick to ingratiate himself with the other nobles and listen to me for once! I want the goddamn Sagreus household and all of its members, especially Emma to fuck off and leave me the fuck alone! Dammit! I want to leave this stupid academy and never come back!

I had finally reached a breaking point... Everything I had bottled up during all these years after the death of my mother all came crashing down on me after getting into a very desperate situation.

Whatever hopes of winning I had quickly vanished from my mind as not even the Goddess I adored so much for all my life couldn't get through me... I was done with everyone and everything... Emma could get her victory for all I cared. I didn't even want to participate in the tournament, so why should I continue to put in the effort and be rewarded with more failures?

I had finally reached rock bottom... People often say that only when we reach rock bottom is the only time we can rise again, stronger than we were before. It was unbeknownst to me that I was about to experience such a thing, in the way I least expected it...

(Myria. Do you seriously plan to give up now?) A voice different from the Goddess echoed in my mind. It was a male's voice... It was the voice of a boy actually.

It was a voice I was able to quickly recognize, but I dismissed the idea from my mind as there was no way for someone like him to suddenly talk in my mind like the gods do.

(Hey! Don't ignore me! I'm talking to you!) The boy grew annoyed due to my disbelief.

(Wait... Julius?) I couldn't help but be baffled, shocked even to suddenly hear his voice in my mind of all places. (Am... Am I actually imagining this?) I really had to ask myself that question.

(No, you're not imagining things. As I said just now, I am actually talking to you. It is a long story for another time, so you better shut up and listen to me! I will emerge from your shadows again and again while you sleep if you don't) He suddenly spoke to me with a demanding tone and he even threatened me.

Even though I couldn't think of a reason for him to be able to pull off a feat like this and talk to me in the same way Lady Yraura does, I remained quiet and did what I was told. For some reason, the sound of my heart beating wildly was the only thing on my mind.

(Good. Now then...) He seemed pleased that I had listened. (Are you really going to lose like this? No, let me rephrase that for you... Are you really going to allow yourself to be defeated like this by Emma? Don't you want to prove her wrong!?) He asked.

(But I can't...-) Before I could say anything, I was interrupted.

(You can't what? Win? Defeat Emma? Make her eat her words? Win this tournament!? The apostle of the Goddess of Virtue should not lie, you know?) Julius sounded really pissed off. (You're more than capable of doing that and you know it! Stop refusing to accept it! Your plan failed, and so what? Make a better one and knock her out already! If you don't want to make a plan then make stuff up along the way!) He didn't stop questioning me.

(That is easier said than done... Even if I make up something on the fly or try a new different plan, then I...-) I was about to refuse his encouragement but he interrupted me yet again.

(Shut up, I'm not done.) Julius sounded really enraged. (Myria, just to be clear... I am so unbelievably pissed off at you right now. Not because you're losing or because you're playing the whole woe is me right now. I'm pissed off because you keep blaming yourself for things out of your control and you keep thinking that you aren't enough because you fail. Tough luck, Myria. I have failed more than a thousand times already in taking down my dad and you don't see me here crying!) He suddenly decided to mock me.

Despite the fact that his mockery really pissed me off, unbelievably so, my heart continued to beat as wildly as before, or perhaps even more intensely than that.

(What the hell!? Aren't you supposed to give me a motivational speech or treat me with care? Why the fuck are you being so mean!?) Even while my heart was beating like never before, I was still completely pissed off.

(Because I am your friend and you're acting like an idiot! Seriously, the fact that you would think so lowly of me and the others that we would hate you for losing the match is seriously making me so angry!) He replied in a way I really didn't expect. (I would only actually hate you if you choose to give up without trying... It doesn't matter if you fall once, a thousand times, or a million times, just get back up and try again! You only need to be successful once!) Julius's angry tone suddenly became softer and more caring.

(You... You... Really consider me your friend...? Even after this... Even after seeing me screwing everything up in such a spectacular manner?) I couldn't help but ask shyly.

(Gods, yes! Since the moment we first talk and you introduced yourself I considered you a friend. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation would we?) He asked as if it was natural. He also sounded a bit irritated.

(You really do... I see... I see... You could have been more delicate about it... And sounded less irritated as well...) I replied as my chest suddenly started to feel warmer and warmer. Also, I instead of feeling pain there was this somewhat fuzzy feeling in my stomach that I couldn't put into words...

I wonder... Have I ever felt like this before? It is certainly not unpleasant, but it is also really strange and a little unsettling... Not only that, but I suddenly felt as if I was completely filled with courage. I had never felt so brave in my life before...

(Seriously... I know that I can be super dense sometimes but you are seriously beating me at it this time, Myria!) Instead of irritated, Julius now sounded playful. (Alright, now that the tough love seemed to have worked on you, are you ready to stand up now?) He asked, almost as if sounding too happy about this...

(You know, I thought that you were a sweet kid, but now I'm starting to think that you're actually a demon in disguise.) I giggled in my mind as I teased the little boy.

(I have been called that, yeah.) He didn't deny the accusations and still sounded happy. (Now stand back up, make that girl taste the sour taste of defeat, and win this match, okay? Otherwise, I will fill all your secret candy pouches with crickets. Talk to you later, unless you need some more motivation, in which case I will be there to give you some more tough love. Yraura really needed to do that a long time ago.) He happily encouraged me once more while low-key threatening me with one of my worst fears.

(Wait, how do you know about my secret candy!? Don't you dare to put those things near my sweets! I'll hit you with my staff to make you even shorter than you are now!) I screamed as loudly as I could in my mind, but it was futile... I could no longer feel Julius's presence or hear his voice.

Obviously, I was left with no choice after being threatened in such a way...

"Jeez... You might look sweet, but aren't you actually the worst? Talking to a lady in such a manner... So young and he is already a bad boy... As a priestess, I might have to have a really stern talk with his parents." I ended up smiling from ear to ear as I reached for my staff. "Thank you, my dear friend..." I whispered before rising from the ground to face Emma once more, hopefully for the last time.

As I spotted my opponent in the distance, still blinded by my spell, I steeled my new resolve.

"Let us finish this, Emma. I had something that I want to discuss with a friend, and I need to do it soon." I said while looking at the girl who seemed to hate me so much.

It is now time to settle this stupid hatred towards me and my family.

Chapter 68: Virtue Against Vengeance.

END

GodlyKamui

Heya! Author here! This chapter was fun to write but had to do it in a rush since I have to work tomorrow morning so no witty or funny commentaries or gifs from me this time. Also, I forgot to upload some spicy generated AI images about the last smut chapter, so you can expect those to be up in the discord server anytime tomorrow.

I really wanted to build more on Myria's character or rather, her insecurities in this chapter. Now we can expect her to give her absolute best to be a badass next chapter. I also loved writing Julius giving Myria some tough love.

As usual, I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please don't forget to comment and leave some hearts since that motivates me to continue writing the story! Also, join the discord to talk about the story and see the new picrew/NovelAI character illustrations I'm working on! Here's the link: https://discord.gg/uH6APbzrFR

Buh-bye!