Sylphy stepped forward, mana flickering around her as she did. Magic barriers covered her body, mimicking the way that Roxy did for Rudy when he fought against that scary man.

It wasn't enough to fight alongside Rudy. Sylphy was sure of it. She didn't have anywhere near as much mana as even Roxy, let alone Rudy.

But against someone like the girl running with that sword in hand, it was enough.

"You're too arrogant!" The girl... No. Her name was Eris.

Eris, the one who Rudy was supposed to marry.

Eris, the one who was supposed to become Rudy's wife.

Eris, the one who was supposed to take Sylphy's place to make sure that Rudy was happy... Was like this?

Calling him stupid. Attacking Mister Paul without hesitation. Brutishly swinging a sword around as if it meant anything.

Facing Eris's charge and her yell, Sylphy charged back and shouted too. "You're the arrogant one!"

Eris swung her wooden sword at Sylphy's face.

Behind Eris, Sylphy could see a tall woman with silver hair, wolf ears, and a trained body. The woman who Paul had called 'Ghyslaine.'

Ghyslaine's eyes widened and she dashed forward. "Ojou-sama! Don't-"

Sylphy flicked her wrist, sealing that end of the hallway with walls of ice. And for good measure, she sealed the hallway behind her with ice too so that Mister Paul wouldn't interrupt her.

All the while, the wooden sword continued moving towards Sylphy's face.

Eris smirked, looking smug.

And then Sylphy swung her hand out to intercept it.

A clear chime echoed. Nothing like the sound that would have come from the wooden sword striking flesh.

Eris's eyes widened. "That's..." She blinked and then leaped back, glaring at Sylphy. "Where did you get that sword?! That's cheating!"

Sylphy glared right back and raised the ice sword she formed from mana. "Cheating? You're the one who attacked me with a weapon! I didn't even have anything!"

"Then you shouldn't have talked to me like that!"

An immediate and unyielding response, not acknowledging that it was her fault to begin with in the slightest.

That made Sylphy mad.

...She still didn't completely understand it. Mister Paul said that Eris was going to be Rudy's wife. And he also said that it meant Sylphy couldn't anymore because it would make the nobles look down on both Rudy and that girl.

Sylphy didn't care what happened to Eris or whoever. But she cared a lot about Rudy. And she didn't want to trouble him, so she was fine with it.

Besides, if that girl was going to make Rudy happy, then that was all Sylphy wanted. And from what she knew from the books she read, a wife would make her husband really happy.

...It made Sylphy a bit sad to think that one day Rudy might not spend as much time with her. But she was fine. Just like how the elven maiden in the Old Dragon's Tale waited for her Master, as long as she could help Rudy and make him happy, she would stay by his side.

At least, that was what Sylphy was thinking. And that was what she had quietly resolved to herself. As long as Rudy could be as happy as he had been since they left Buina village... As long as he wasn't as scared or stressed out like he had been when he was blinded, Sylphy was willing to give him up.

It was why she hadn't said much since they arrived. Why she agreed with Rudy and teased him only a little bit. Because she wanted to enjoy what they had while there was still time.

But now that she met the girl who Rudy was supposed to marry- No, who was supposed to marry Rudy, she couldn't accept it.

Eris. That was the girl's name.

She was a bit taller than Sylphy. And she looked a bit older too.

But she was mean.

Sylphy could see it. Eris was just like the other village children. Bullies who liked picking on weaker people.

Especially in the way that Eris smiled when she was about to hit Sylphy.

Sylphy narrowed her eyes and pointed her ice sword at Eris. "I'm not letting you have Rudy! I'd rather Miss Roxy take him than you!"

"Who the hell is Miss Roxy?! Argh, whatever!" Eris swung her sword up in a ready stance and said, "If you want a fight, then shut up and fight!"

"I will!"

Eris narrowed her eyes and then kicked off the ground, flying towards Sylphy.

It was fast. Much faster than when Rudy played sword fighting with Sylphy.

But compared to that scary Orsted, it was slow. And while Sylphy didn't know how to really fight with a sword, she knew how to move with the wind.

A slight breeze brushing across Sylphy's face. Another on her collarbone. And then a slight tap over Sylphy's chest.

Sylphy swung her ice sword to intercept the wind.

Two chimes and then a crack.

Sylphy blocked the two slashes, but the stab sent cracks all over her sword.

Eris stepped back and then grit her teeth. Afterwards, she nodded and said, "Fine. You're pretty good for someone smaller than me. But I'm not losing!"

Sylphy glared at Eris. "You're so full of yourself! Someone that selfish doesn't deserve someone as selfless as Rudy!"

Eris paused. But then she grinned and said, "Oooh. I get it." She pointed her sword at Sylphy and said, "You're jealous! That's why you're mad!"

Sylphy felt her face heat up. "I-I am not jealous!"

"No, you're definitely jealous! What, are you mad that I'm taking this Rudy guy from you? Well, too bad." Eris crossed her arms and looked smug. "I'm so great that his dad signed a contract. So he's *mine*, not yours."

"RUDY IS NOT YOURS!"

Sylphy screamed and then ran forward, blindly swinging her sword.

Eris laughed and easily blocked Sylphy's attacks. "Jealous! You're jea~lous."

"Shut up! I'm not jeal-"

A brown blur aimed at Sylphy's head.

A loud *crack* followed by a sudden impact.

There wasn't pain, but Sylphy reeled from the sudden blow.

And then she felt something brush her legs.

The next thing Sylphy knew, she was lying on the ground and that Eris girl was standing over her, pressing the wooden sword against Sylphy's neck.

"Hmph." Eris grumbled and said, "It's definitely cheating. But I guess I see why Paul keeps talking when we fight. It's so easy when the other person gets annoyed."

Sylphy glared at Eris and tried to get up.

Eris pressed the sword down harder and said, "Give up. I'm better than you."

"You're *not.*"

An arrogant older girl who had a temper and acted like that...

She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve to be with Rudy. And she *definitely* wasn't better than Sylphy.

Eris tilted her head and said, "I don't know. It looks like I won our fight. And it looks like I'm going to keep this Rudy guy... And away from you."

Sylphy froze.

Rudy would be with this girl? And... Sylphy wouldn't be able to see him again?

Eris laughed and said, "Who's the arrogant one now?"

-LIV-

Eris stared down at the elf girl and grinned.

Hmph. That would show her. Acting so haughty and arrogant in front of Eris when she couldn't even fight... And when she got riled up so easily too.

Eris didn't even care about that Rudy guy, but it looked like the elf girl did. And it looked like the elf girl cared a lot, considering how easily Eris got under her skin with just a few words.

Really, Ghyslaine had a good point in telling Eris to fight with Paul.

That man was the most annoying, disgusting, and irritating person that Eris ever met. But it turned out that it was for a reason.

After all, if the other person was annoyed, they got sloppy. And when they got sloppy, you could take advantage of it.

Like Eris just did with the elf girl.

Eris still didn't know who the elf girl was. And she didn't know how the elf girl pulled that beautiful crystal sword out of thin air... Or how she dodged Eris's first attacks so easily.

But Eris did know that the elf girl seemed to be jealous of Eris. And Eris used that to win.

The elf girl's emerald eyes turned icy. As they did, she muttered, "I won't forgive you."

Was she still annoyed by that?

Eris snorted and said, "What are you gonna do about it, huh?" She lifted her sword up a bit and tapped the elf girl's cheek. "If this was a real sword, you'd be dead."

"...So you want to see the real thing?"

A strange sentence.

Eris blinked, confused at the elf girl's words.

And then a giant blast of wind sent Eris away from the elf girl and rolling on the floor.

It disoriented Eris, but she quickly scrambled to her feet. "That's a dirty-"

A glimmer of lights. Faint bursts like shooting stars in front of Eris.

It was short. Eris could barely make out what they were.

But 'barely' meant that she could. And what she saw...

A dozen icicles, sharps and pointed directly at her. Staggered so as to prevent Eris from dodging.

Eris's eyes widened.

That...

Oh.

The elf girl was a magician.

And a magician who could use magic without chanting.

Eris's heart raced.

Dodge. She had to dodge.

But it was too fast.

The elf girl was seriously trying to kill Eris.

Eris realized it. A bit too late, but she realized a very important lesson.

If you wanted to talk like Paul did, you had to be strong enough to deal with how angry the person was going to become.

Like how he easily avoided all her attacks and even ambushes.

Eris wasn't to that level yet. And she had also never fought against a person who could use magic.

And like that, it was going to be over.

All because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Eris's eyes started to tear up and her vision blurred. But she grit her teeth and stomped on the ground.

She had to try. Even... E-Even if she was going to get hurt and die, at the least...!

Thunder roared as the icy wall behind Eris shattered and then silver lightning raced out to intercept the icicles.

A crimson line swept through the air and then glistening powder filled the hallway.

Ghyslaine stood in front of Eris, her sword drawn. Her eyepatch was raised, and her eyes were narrowed in focus, carefully staring at the elf girl.

"Ghys-"

"Shut up, Eris."

Eris flinched and then nodded, turning her attention to the elf girl as well.

The elf girl was smiling. But it wasn't a happy smile. Her head was tilted slightly to the side and her eyes were vacant. No, they still flickered with an eerie green light. But they were blank. As if she wasn't looking at them, but something else.

The ice wall behind the elf girl shattered and then Paul ran forward. "Sylphy! Calm down-"

"I am perfectly calm, Mister Paul." A quiet but clear voice that carried through the hall. Shortly after that, the elf girl... No, 'Sylphy' giggled. A pure and childish sound.

Except, paired with her expression, all it did was send shivers down Eris's spine.

Ghyslaine looked at Eris and said, "Apologize."

Eris blinked. "What?"

"You were wrong. Apologize."

Eris huffed and said, "I didn't do anything wrong! I'm not apolog-"

A brief flash.

Ghyslaine swung her sword.

A loud *clang* echoed, and then a giant icicle pierced the wall next to Eris.

Eris's eyes widened.

Paul ran up to Sylphy and said, "H-Hold on, Sylphy. Eris isn't that bad, promise. You just got off on the wrong foot, so how about we-"

"Go away, Mister Paul." Sylphy flicked her hand.

Wind kicked up, surging towards Paul.

Paul swung his sword.

Eris wanted to call out and call him stupid for trying that. You could swing your sword all you want at the wind, but even someone like Ghyslaine couldn't stop it.

But then she had to swallow the words she wanted to call out.

An explosion shook the hallway as Paul's sword violently dissipated the wind. But then it instantly became quiet, as if all of that was a lie.

Paul sheathed his sword and then covered his face. "Dammit. Laws is *definitely* going to murder me when he finds out how his cute and sweet Luffy changed... Is this my fault? ...It's probably my fault. If Rudy was never knocked out, maybe-"

A flicker of light. Another icicle aimed at Eris.

Ghyslaine moved again, swinging her sword to intercept it. This time though, the icicle shattered.

...And then promptly reformed into a dozen smaller ones, all aiming at Eris.

Eris panicked and quickly brought up her sword to try and block them.

Ghyslaine spun around to try and help. But she was half a second too slow.

Time seemed to slow down in front of Eris's eyes. She saw the icicles flying towards her. And she saw how they would rip her apart, just like before.

But this time, Ghyslaine couldn't help.

Eris grit her teeth and then closed her eyes, ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Stupid! She was stupid!

Why did she try to annoy that girl?! Eris didn't have any reason to!

Sure, Eris thought it was annoying having someone talk back at her, but she knew how it felt being on the other side from Paul. So she should have known better!

And now...!

A sudden explosion, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

Eris flinched and instinctively opened her eyes.

And when she did-