Trap

When I entered the labyrinth during the preliminaries, I had noticed that those labyrinth plants were growing in a dense cluster in one corner.

Among the things I had studied furiously in my quest to become a villainess was botanical knowledge as well.

The environment suited to their growth and the conditions under which they released pollen.

For me, someone proficient in household magic for growing crops and active even as a top-class agricultural worker, making them accelerate their growth and produce the necessary pollen was by no means difficult.

In addition, with a “spell that generates a faint breeze,” I controlled the airflow without being noticed and adjusted it so that the pollen would concentrate around the enemy teams.

The effect was immediate.

The students’ bodies went numb, and they collapsed, unable to properly activate their spell formulas.

“What a shame. It seems I was one step ahead of you.”

When I stepped forward and said that, Camila bit her lip and said,

“You coward… Are you happy winning like that?”

“I am happy. I enjoy doing things this way more. After all, it’s the allure of evil that draws me in. Not the petty sort like you, but the allure of true evil.”

I said,

“If you hurt my friends again, this will not be the end of it.”

Thus, after defeating the three teams, we prepared ourselves for the next enemy.

The one standing in our way was the prince’s team, famed as the strongest in the tournament.

(Even if people say his victories are fixed, that alone shouldn’t be enough to maintain the top rank in the year without rumors spreading this far.)

Prince Felix should possess considerable skill, and above all, the one beside him, Roy Edwilde, was the one to be especially wary of.

To use the trap we had set effectively, we wanted to avoid fighting other enemies as much as possible.

Fortunately, the other teams also seemed to know that we had taken first place in the preliminaries by using traps, and they did not appear inclined to approach us aggressively.

Amid all that, the magical presence I sensed made my heart race.

(Prince Felix’s team…!)

Without revealing our hand and with little wear on them, they had approached us themselves.

A perfect opportunity beyond anything I could have hoped for.

Kate, Claris, and I coordinated our timing and unleashed attack magic.

In that instant, the explosive roar and magical presence that blew away the wall before us made me catch my breath.

(As I thought, this team is the strongest…!)

Pretending to be losing in firepower, I retreated.

Just as we had done to Camila’s team, we lured them into the trap of the labyrinth plants.

(Just like that… a little more.)

From beside the wall, I fired off repeated casts of the “spell that creates ice to put in drinks” while guiding their movements.

(That’s it… you’d have an easier time attacking if you came just a little closer, right?)

Taking advantage of the deliberate opening I had created as bait, the first one to enter the effective range of the trap was the S-Class student ranked sixth in the class, who had been put in in place of me.

Next came Roy Edwilde. Last of all, Prince Felix entered the effective range.

(All right, now I just have to guide the pollen with the “spell that generates a faint breeze”…)

As magic and magic clashed fiercely, the paralytic toxin that numbed the body entered the three of them.

The first abnormality appeared in the S-Class student ranked sixth, the one who had entered the area of effect first.

His spell formula warped, and the effect of his attack magic weakened. Not understanding what was happening, he widened his eyes, then lost his balance and fell to one knee.

The three of them were shaken.

Distortions had appeared in Roy Edwilde’s and Prince Felix’s spell formulas as well.

“Now! Finish them all at once!”

I gave instructions to Kate and Claris.

Claris crushed their vision with light magic, and Kate’s earth magic and my household magic launched a full assault.

Though the output was lower than standard attack magic, my attack magic possessed power no different from the upper ranks of S-Class thanks to the efficiency of my spell formulas and my rapid-fire casting speed.

Moreover, though not suited for offense, Kate still possessed excellent magical technique, enough to place her in S-Class at the best school in the country.

Our magic overwhelmed the prince and his two teammates.

The S-Class boy ranked sixth was rendered unable to continue fighting.

With one of them gone, the enemy’s counterattacks visibly weakened.

(We’ve got them!)

It was just as we concentrated our attacks to finish them off all at once.

(Huh――――)

The swelling presence of magic.

The distorted spell formula, unable to activate properly because of the paralysis, shone with a dazzling light.

In the next instant, a tremendous thunderclap dyed everything white.

The pressure of the sound battered my eardrums, and the earth shook.

I smelled something burning.

Kate was collapsed beside me.

“Hah…?”

We should have been the ones cornering them.

We had the advantage in numbers, and the trap we had set had definitely worked.

Roy Edwilde’s body had been paralyzed by the labyrinth plant trap, and he should have been unable even to activate magic properly.

And yet Kate had been rendered unable to fight in a single instant.

It was such abnormal power that, if not for the defensive enchantment worked into the uniform, it almost felt like her body would have evaporated.

(This is wrong… something that should have been impossible is happening.)

I did not understand what was happening.

However, the action I needed to take was decided immediately.

“Claris, we’re running!”

“Understood!”

Claris unleashed blinding light magic.

It was a choice to block their vision, hinder their attacks, and buy time.

However, before we could flee into a safe side passage, Roy Edwilde had already unleashed his next attack.

A large spell formula activated.

(The entire area…!)

If his vision was blocked, then he had decided to slam lightning into the entire attack range.

I tried to leap into the side passage, but the single-strike lightning was faster by the slightest instant.

(I won’t make it!)

Just as I realized defeat and bit my lip, what I felt was the sensation of being shoved by something.

At the edge of my vision, I could see Claris pushing my back.

A flash of lightning dyed the side passage.

The labyrinth ground melted away.

The smell of something burning.

Claris was collapsed.

(This girl chose me over herself…)

I had thought she was the kind of girl who was like a heroine.

I had thought it would be nice if she were the kind of girl who could sacrifice herself to protect someone else.

It was exactly like a passage from a story.

The kind heroine even protected the villainess who was her rival with her own body.

(Seriously, what an idiot…)

But it could not end like this.

I could not let it end with the heroine saving me, like some common villain.

I would twist the story and stand at the top.

I would win the championship together with my two teammates.

With that resolve in my heart, I kicked off the ground and ran deeper into the side passage.