“Albert. I acknowledge your skill with the blade. I never imagined a mage would possess such mastery—however, I am a scion of House Winterfeld, son of the Knight Commander. As one who walks the path of the sword, there are things I cannot yield!”
Klaus thrust forward his shield, the surface emblazoned with five petals.
“Headmaster! I wish to invoke the power of Tria Petal. Is this a violation of the rules?”
“Hmm, things are certainly getting interesting. That is for Albert to decide. Tria Petal is the heirloom of House Winterfeld, and it—”
“Skip the explanation. Use it,” I said, cutting the Headmaster off.
I already knew the lore from the original game.
Tria Petal was the name of the shield Klaus held. In the game, activating its power caused three of the five petals to glow, granting Klaus a massive stat boost.
The curious thing was that the game provided no way to make the remaining two petals shine. Many players online had tried to solve the mystery, eventually concluding it was impossible. People claimed it was an implementation error or cut content, but the developers never made an official announcement.
“Are you going to make the fourth and fifth petals shine for me?” I asked.
“...How do you know about that?” Klaus’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning harsh. “Silence! As if I would ever do such a thing!”
Was he angry? Had I touched a nerve?
“Tria Petal! Grant me your strength!”
A radiant glow lit up three of the petals on the shield. Simultaneously, Klaus was enveloped in a faint, shimmering light.
“Here I come, Albert!”
Clad in the power of Tria Petal, Klaus lunged at me with feral intensity. His offensive was noticeably faster and more powerful than before.
Ah, the nostalgia.
Because he was an easy-to-use vanguard with high base stats, Klaus had been an invaluable ally in the game. His reliability once Tria Petal was active was legendary; he had served as the party’s ultimate shield many times.
Thank you, Klaus. Your strength will be the proof of my own.
His current power was perhaps a notch above mine, even after my training with Verdict. At a glance, we were locked in a balanced exchange of slashes, but if this continued, the tide would eventually turn against me. I would need some kind of trick to win with the sword alone.
That is, assuming I didn’t have a trump card.
“Spell: Body Enhancement.”
Of course, this was merely a Camouflage Spell for my Ancient Magic. Hidden beneath it was Frenzy—Verdict’s power.
Since Verdict hadn’t officially acknowledged me yet, the power was still limited, but it still produced results that put standard enhancement magic to shame. Since I had framed it as a "body enhancement spell," I wasn't breaking our prior agreement.
Power flooded my shoulders, arms, and legs.
It felt as though every part of my body had transformed into a starving beast. A violent impulse surged through me, an unbearable urge to go on a rampage.
“—!?”
Klaus halted his assault and leapt back. His instincts as a front-line combatant must have warned him of the danger.
Wonderful! A magnificent intuition, Knight Klaus!
“If your spirit is breaking, you should surrender now. It’s the only way to preserve your pride.”
I lunged forward as I spoke, my blade whistling through the air.
Klaus reacted just in time, catching the blow with his shield. However, he couldn't fully absorb the impact and staggered back several paces. The students in the stands began to stir. Klaus, the paragon of defense with his iron-wall reputation, had been knocked off balance.
Surprise etched itself across Klaus’s face.
“Nuooooooaaaaah!”
But he roared to blow that shock away and swung his sword again. It was a precise, powerful strike that showed no lingering hesitation. What incredible mental fortitude!
Once again, our blades clashed in a frantic exchange.
“Whoa, this is incredible!”
“This isn't student-level combat anymore!”
The students cheered with excitement. A clash between Klaus, blessed by Tria Petal, and me, fueled by Frenzy, was a spectacle they wouldn't often see. It was only natural they’d get worked up.
Honestly, I was impressed by Klaus’s tenacity.
To be blunt, the gap in our power was obvious. My Frenzy clearly outclassed his current strength. Klaus had to know that. Yet, he refused to break, using every ounce of experience and technique he had honed since childhood to weather my onslaught.
He truly was the man meant to stand on the front lines of the Hero Party. When he focused entirely on defense, he was a hard nut to crack.
“Go, Klaus! Give it your all!”
“Don't lose! Show him a knight’s pride!”
It’s human nature to root for the underdog when they’re fighting an uphill battle. The cheers were now entirely for Klaus.
...Fine, I’ll admit it. It’s not just human nature; it’s because I have a terrible reputation!
Was I frustrated because I was the villain? No, I didn't care. Cheers were meaningless; they didn't influence the outcome of a battle or grant actual power. Only a cold, hard difference in strength decided the victor.
I cornered him with a composed smirk, while Klaus continued to endure my attacks with a look of desperate determination. The result was already decided. Only Klaus’s pride and skill were prolonging the inevitable.
I’m grateful, Klaus. This fight has given me the confidence I need to face Assassin Milia.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through my mind.
—Hmph. How truly revolting. To put on such an unsightly display after attempting to mimic a King.
Verdict!? He was making contact with me, just like Shiunin did?
—To struggle against a mere piece of trash is an insult beyond measure. Very well, I shall teach you the basics of how to use my power.
Before I could process his words, my heart gave a violent, heavy thrum.
This... this was...
—Guhahahaha! This is the True Frenzy of a King! Rest easy, lowlife! Thanks to the numerous experiments I performed on your body, I have moderated the output so your heart won't burst!
My thoughts were suddenly stained a visceral crimson by aggressive excitement. My mind felt like it was being put through a blender; I couldn't think, couldn't reason. My heart was consumed by pure, unadulterated passion.
—Now, go. Destroy. Demonstrate the glory of Verdict’s power!
In the void of my mind, only combat instinct remained. I tried to regain control of my body, but my boiling emotions drowned out my will. My eyes, now filled with a murderous light, locked onto Klaus.
Sensing the sudden shift, Klaus instinctively recoiled.
“—Wha!?”
“Hyaha!”
Like a fired bullet, my body launched itself at Klaus.