When I Finished Playing the Terminally-Ill Villainous Omega C35

Chapter 35

A heavy metallic clang rang out as the swords collided.

The impact shot through my hands and spread throughout my entire body.

I thought my bones were going to break.

Are swords always this heavy?

It felt completely different from cutting down monsters.

Unable to withstand my opponent’s strength, I was gradually pushed back until—

Clunk.

My sword slipped from my hand.

Damn.

I shook my still-numb hand.

Laughter erupted around the room.

“Hahaha!”

“Did he just drop his sword during a duel?”

Of course, they laughed.

But I wasn’t a swordsman.

I was just a well-meaning villain.

I didn’t care what people thought of me…

The problem was that I was about to lose.

Picking up my sword again, I quickly surveyed my surroundings.

Maybe I can use something nearby to stop his movement.

As though reading my thoughts, the man attacked again.

Clang!

This time the force behind his strike was even heavier than before.

Closing the distance, he gritted his teeth and threw his entire weight behind the blow, as though he intended to crush my arms.

Little by little…

The space between us disappeared.

When our faces were barely a foot apart—

A damp, musky smell, like wet animal fur, drifted into my lungs.

I instinctively flinched.

“Ghk—!”

My balance collapsed instantly.

The sword slipped from my hand again.

I fell onto the floor.

“Hahaha!”

The entire inn burst into laughter.

“He dropped it again!”

“At this rate, he probably doesn’t even have the strength to hold a knife!”

“You should hurry home and get some rest, sickly Young Master!”

Their mocking voices barely reached my ears.

The unfamiliar pheromones had momentarily clouded my senses.

He’s an Alpha.

If I’d started reacting to another person’s pheromones…

Then my second manifestation pain must be approaching.

Not missing the opening, the man slammed his heavy scabbard against my throat.

“Ghk!”

Unable to withstand his brute strength, I was thrown completely onto my back.

Immediately, I clutched my family brooch.

The man swiftly climbed on top of me and pressed the scabbard down even harder.

Thank goodness the blade was still sheathed.

Had it been drawn…

My head might already have been rolling across the floor.

My throat was crushed so tightly I couldn’t make a sound.

“So…”

He grinned.

“Will you hand it over yourself…”

“Or…”

Just then, Locke’s voice reached my ears.

“What are you doing?”

“Throw the handkerchief already!”

If I surrender… we’ll lose the rooms.

I desperately reached one hand toward the sword lying on the floor.

The man noticed immediately.

With a casual flick of his foot, he kicked the sword farther away.

“Well, well.”

He whistled before shaking his head.

At this rate…

Forget stopping his movement.

I was going to die a dog’s death on the floor of this inn.

No matter how far I stretched…

I couldn’t reach my sword while lying down.

I struggled for air.

A distinct click of someone’s tongue sounded beside my ear.

Tsk.

For a brief instant…

I saw annoyance flash across Locke’s face.

He looked around before quietly resting a hand on a nearby table.

A thick book sat precariously on top of it.

Every time the crowd shoved the table while cheering, the book slid a little closer to the edge.

At that moment…

An idea struck me.

You shamelessly used your pheromones.

Then I’ll play dirty too.

Without hesitation—

I kicked the table leg.

Bang!

The thick book toppled from the edge.

It struck the man choking me squarely on the back of the neck.

He flinched.

The instant his grip loosened—

I smiled.

“Your movement…”

“Stopped.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, the man let out a hollow laugh.

I was drenched in sweat and tears beneath him.

Yet strangely…

I couldn’t have felt better.

“I won.”

“Didn’t I?”

Oddly enough…

Even after the match should have been over, he didn’t climb off me.

“Did anyone here actually see me stop moving?”

His movement had stopped for only the briefest instant.

The spectators merely looked at one another in confusion.

Did he stop…?

Maybe…?

The one person who knew the answer better than anyone…

Was the man himself.

What a shameless bastard.

Then—

“Ghk!”

The man suddenly choked and toppled backward.

Apparently, he’d lost his balance because I’d struggled beneath him.

I would’ve happily let him fall.

Unfortunately…

There happened to be a glass bottle exactly where his head was about to land.

If he hit it…

He’d be seriously injured.

No matter how unpleasant he was…

If a noble heir suffered a serious accident during a duel with me, it wouldn’t benefit me either.

I quickly sat up and grabbed his shoulder.

The momentum carried him toward me instead.

Thud!

Rather than crashing into the bottle…

He collapsed right into my arms.

“Ugh!”

His large frame nearly flattened me.

The man immediately pushed himself upright.

Then his eyes fell upon my sheathed sword resting against the back of his neck.

“…Ha.”

A helpless laugh escaped him.

During that brief moment when I’d leaned forward to catch him…

I’d snatched up my magic sword.

Then, as he fell toward me, I’d aimed the sheathed blade directly at his throat.

According to the original rules of the duel…

Victory belonged to whoever placed their opponent in a position where they could no longer attack.

And just now…

I’d targeted his vital point.

Out of long-ingrained habit from countless sparring matches, he’d instinctively stopped moving.

This time…

Everyone had seen it clearly.

I won.

There was no overturning it.

No hiding it.

This was unquestionably my victory.

I stood and extended my hand toward him.

Instead of taking it…

His face turned bright red.

Then he suddenly shouted at everyone in the room.

“Magic!”

“Using magic during an honorable sword duel!”

“Magic?”

I blinked.

The crowd looked at one another.

“Magic?”

“Did someone really use magic?”

The man slapped away my offered hand and stood.

“Tell me.”

“Didn’t you just use magic on me?”

“…What?”

I stared at him blankly.

“You used magic to choke me!”

“Using magic during a sword duel!”

“Have you no shame?!”

Magic?

I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

My magic artifact was still safely sheathed.

There was no way it had activated.

Thinking it over…

I arrived at one conclusion.

He’s embarrassed because he lost after falling over.

Still…

That didn’t justify falsely accusing someone.

Besides…

Three people were waiting for me to win those rooms.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“How could someone without magic use magic?”

“Then who was it?”

“Who interfered in our duel and decided the outcome?”

“You’ve already lost to me twice.”

“If the duel is over, then accept the result.”

“Throwing a tantrum like this is what’s truly shameful.”

“Who says I lost twice?!”

At that moment…

An elderly man watching from the second-floor balcony raised his hand.

“I sensed no magic whatsoever during that duel.”

“If anyone here can use magic…”

“Speak now.”

Silence.

Everyone simply looked at one another.

Then…

The group that had arrived last quietly split apart.

From between them emerged a handsome man with crimson hair.

Leaning casually against his chair with folded arms, he’d apparently been watching the entire duel.

I didn’t know who he was.

But judging by his clothing…

He clearly belonged to an influential family.

More importantly…

The man I’d just dueled had gone deathly pale.

He was trembling.

At the very least…

The red-haired man’s rank had to be that of a Count or higher.

The handsome noble looked between the two of us before speaking calmly.

“I sensed nothing.”

Just four words.

That was all.

Yet the man who’d been shouting accusations at me immediately lowered his head.

“I accept your judgment.”

Apparently…

The red-haired noble possessed not only authority…

But genuine power.

I gave him a respectful bow to thank him for his fair judgment.

He casually raised one hand in acknowledgment before taking another sip of his drink.

“Damn it…”

The man I’d dueled cursed under his breath before taking two keys from his pocket and tossing them at me.

If you’re giving them to me, couldn’t you hand them over properly?

I reached out quickly.

I barely caught one.

The other was just out of reach and about to hit the floor.

I lunged after it.

The sudden movement threw me off balance.

Just as I started falling—

A firm hand caught the back of my neck.

Locke steadied me effortlessly.

With his other hand, he snatched the falling key from the air and handed it to me.

Smiling, I accepted it.

“Thanks.”

“You should’ve just let it fall.”

His voice was as flat as ever.

I assumed he meant there’d been no need to dive for it.

I could’ve simply picked it up afterward.

“I just wanted to catch it.”

I answered lightly.

A short while later, the knight returned.

He’d searched the entire village.

There wasn’t another vacant inn anywhere.

Good thing I accepted that duel.

Unable to hide my satisfaction, I puffed out my chest and proudly dangled the two keys from one finger.

From beside me…

Locke quietly watched the whole scene.