The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 193

193. The Final Blow

May 11, 2024

“Stop it, Michael.”

Michael, poised for his next attack, visibly flinched at the sight of Rosette’s face.

Duke Adrian’s desperate voice echoed from behind, but Rosette remained fixed, her gaze solely on Michael.

“Let’s end this here, one way or another.”

“What do you mean…?”

Michael recoiled, sensing a shift in her demeanor. Rosette seized his hand, the one still crackling with condensed mana.

She winced as the raw mana surged into her palm, but her grip remained firm.

“I want to go back and relax with my family too.”

With those words, Rosette channeled all her remaining mana into a spell designed to mimic the effects of divine power.

It was her final gamble, fueled by the conviction that there would be no second chance.

“……!”

An attack formulated solely on Becky Lane’s speculation. Rosette held no illusions that this final strike would be decisive.

Her only hope was to buy a sliver of time, just enough for Duke Adrian to drive his sword home.

If she could just lower his guard for a moment…!

But the magic’s impact exceeded her wildest expectations.

“Aaaagh!”

[Kyak!]

Michael and Perito, bathed in the sacred, blinding light, howled in agony. Black smoke billowed from Michael’s body, as if desperately trying to shield him from the onslaught.

In moments, the opposing forces collided, unleashing a violent shockwave.

Rosette, caught in the epicenter, was hurled backward, tumbling across the ground, unable even to scream.

“Rose!”

Duke Adrian, barely managing to stay upright against the storm-like winds, scrambled to her side and cradled her in his arms.

“Wake up, Rose!”

But Rosette’s vision swam, and Duke Adrian’s voice seemed distant and muffled.

A vision, alien and unexpected, unfolded before her eyes.

-I’ll take that child. I’ll pay a fair price.

-Thank you, sir.

The vision depicted a nobleman taking a young boy with thin hair and crimson eyes from a woman.

Rosette knew instinctively: this child was Michael, and these were his memories.

-With this child’s magical power, our cause is sure to succeed!

Michael was bound to an altar, stained with the blood of animals. As a ritual dagger pierced his heart, a cataclysmic change swept through the dark, subterranean sanctuary.

A black storm erupted, threatening to consume everything, and screams echoed as people scattered in terror.

Soon, in a world awash in red, Michael, unscathed, crawled out, bearing a new heart.

-You were kicked out of the group too?

Michael, wandering aimlessly through the streets, encountered his familiar, the white snake Perito.

-Are you alone? Why don’t you come with me?

A gentleman approached Michael and Perito, who were still lost and wandering. The gentleman, unfazed even when Perito bit his hand, extended an invitation.

-My name is Frederick Lerscher. Count Lerscher. And the current Master of the Magic Tower.

Frederick tenderly comforted Michael, who was as wary as a stray kitten. Moved by his genuine warmth, Michael became his adopted son.

But happiness proved fleeting, shattering all too soon.

Four years later, Frederick succumbed to illness, leaving Michael without a foundation.

-In the end, you’re all I have, Perito. Humans are too fragile. They break and die even with the slightest touch.

Even while living among humans as Count Lerscher and the Master of the Magic Tower, Michael remained isolated. No one truly understood him.

Then, he caught wind of rumors about a girl from the distant Ernhardt Empire.

-Rosette Adrian. Eight years old, summons familiars, and already wields incredible magic.

[Ssshhh.]

-Surely, no one understands that child either. That child must be just as lonely?

Subsequently, as the Master of the Magic Tower, he accepted a request from Marquis Dallas, journeyed to the Empire, and sought out Rosette.

-Kidnap me and Rosette simultaneously. Use Rosette as a hostage to lure the Adrian family and eliminate them all. I’ll then rescue the child and take her with me.

Even then, his objective remained unchanged: to destroy the Adrian family and claim Rosette.

-Then Rosette will only have eyes for me, right? Just as my father was my everything, I’ll become everything to Rosette, Perito.

Although Marquis Dallas’s betrayal thwarted his plans, he persisted, rising from Count to Marquis and returning to the Empire as part of the Shelton Kingdom’s delegation.

From that point, the story unfolded as he had envisioned.

He arrived in the Empire, courted Rosette, and, upon her rejection, ultimately conspired with Louis Ernhardt, culminating in the present act.

[Beep! Beeeep!]

Suddenly, Bbibbi, who had been tugging at Rosette’s hair, emitted a warning cry.

Rosette snapped back to reality, but she was a fraction too late.

Michael, having restrained Duke Adrian with mana, separating him from Rosette, swiftly descended upon her.

“……!”

Caught off guard, Rosette fell to the ground as Michael pinned her beneath him. He straddled her, his hands clamping around her neck.

“I’ve been holding back until now, and you pull a stunt like this?”

Half of his face, previously concealed by his hand, was shattered like a broken porcelain doll.

It wasn’t a metaphor; it was literal. Cracks webbed across his face, and fragments had broken away, revealing emptiness where bone should have been. Smoke continued to seep from the void.

“You think I can’t kill you? Don’t be absurd. I can find countless replacements for you. I don’t care how long it takes. I have all the time in the world.”

It wasn’t mere intimidation; he was deadly serious. His pupils, fixed on Rosette, were narrowed with a primal intensity, gleaming like those of a predator.

“Or perhaps it would be better to kill you here and wait for your rebirth. Do you believe in reincarnation, Rose?”

The hands constricting her neck were merciless. She gasped, her throat burning.

Rosette struggled to break free, but she was no match for Michael’s unnatural strength.

“Yes, it’ll be faster than trying to persuade you. Let’s just start over from the beginning. I’ll find you a little faster next time. No matter where or how you’re born, I’ll find you immediately.”

“You’re insane…”

“Yes, you finally realize I’m insane?”

His grip tightened further.

Duke Adrian desperately fought against Michael’s magic, but the more he struggled, the tighter the mana constricted him. His limbs were scraped raw and bleeding.

[Beep!]

Bbibbi frantically pecked at Michael’s hair, but the tiny bird’s efforts were futile.

[Beep! Beeep!]

Her vision began to blur. Rosette desperately probed her empty mana core.

She knew precisely where and how to strike to instantly kill an opponent. Not just in theory, but from past experience.

If she aimed that sharp weapon at the neck directly in front of her….

Rosette fumbled for the dagger at her waist. Sensing her intent, Bbibbi helped her grasp the hilt.

There’s no second chance. She had to end it with a single blow.

But her body refused to obey. While her physical strength was diminished, the psychological weight was immense.

Even if the opponent was a villain trying to steal everything she held dear, was she justified in taking his life? The moment she wielded this dagger, she might never be able to return to who she once was.

She would be closer to Rosette Dallas, a tool of the Marquis, a killer, rather than Rosette Adrian, cherished and loved.

But if I don’t act, Michael will kill everyone. First me, then Dad, then my sisters and brothers, and finally Joshua.

Rosette steeled her resolve and attempted to raise her arm. But her body remained unresponsive. Michael’s weight pressed down on her, his veins bulging with exertion.

After a long pause, Rosette forced her lips to move.

“…I’m not.”

“…What?”

She squeezed the words out with all her might.

“I’m different from you. Ugh, I’m not lonely.”

The light in Michael’s eyes, previously consumed by madness, flickered with a hint of lucidity. The pressure on her neck eased slightly.

Taking advantage of the reprieve, Rosette continued.

“Dad, my family, they love me so much. There was a time when I didn’t know love or affection, but in the arms of my current family, I learned what love is, and I also learned how to love the world.”

“…….”

“Do you really think you can possess me? Never. No matter how many times I’m reborn, I’ll live a life different from yours. Even if I don’t remember, I’ll always carry the feeling of being loved in my heart.”

“What do you know about such nonsense!”

Michael roared, but his grip on Rosette was weaker than before. Rosette managed a faint smile.

“I feel sorry for the late Count Lerscher. That man cherished and loved you like his own son, just like Dad loves me.”

“…….”

“He must have wanted you, who was born with a destiny of loneliness, to experience love, to love the world, and to connect with people. Just like my dad did for me. If he could see you now, he would be heartbroken. But you….”

Rosette raised her arm as high as she could.

“You’ve become a monster who doesn’t know how to love or be loved, Michael. You didn’t even recognize the love you received.”

“Shut up about that man! That person abandoned me in this world…!”

“Then let’s end this.”

Rosette swung the dagger with every ounce of strength she possessed.