Seconds felt like minutes.
The countdown for the barrier's removal was only 35 seconds away.
The letter I left on Kayden's desk should've incited him to move by now.
Whether he'd arrive with a teacher or come alone, that I didn't know.
But we had to stall him here.
I wasn't going to let Lysander lay a hand on Aurelia nor let him kill August. This loop needed to stay as the last.
However, my mana had hit its limit. I could barely move, let alone breathe.
Fainting now was the least of my concerns, yet it constantly loomed over me. With my weakened body and mind, it made it difficult to withstand losing consciousness.
*TING*
Dragging me out of my groggy state, the sounds of battle continued.
The rapier in Aurelia's hand deflected against the oncoming daggers.
Although her mind was slowly deteriorating, her instincts were not. In fact, they only sharped as she stayed in this state.
Years of swordsmanship training were ingrained into her subconscious. Combine that with her ever-increasing strength, and she becomes an absolute monster.
This was what it takes to be ranked second amongst the first years at Sylvanvale.
August's tense expression stared at the back of Aurelia. His eye conveyed a tinge of inferiority.
I can't read hearts and I can't sense feelings. However, his mind conveyed words of dejection.
'Am I... useless...?'
This was something I'd listened to multiple times before. It was a question that signaled the end of each loop.
To hear it before his death was new.
But he quickly disregarded it. As the situation before him was much more important than thoughts of self-doubt.
Lysander's wit was being met with Aurelia's instinct. His sly approach confronted by force.
This continued for several seconds. My heart beat faster and faster as the countdown approached.
'…it's up…'
The internal timer Dusk sent me was up. It meant Glide's duration was over.
20 seconds left.
For five of those twenty seconds, Lysander knew all but nothing. However, once his foot properly received the ground, his mind found its answer.
"Umbral Viel!"
The desperation in his voice permeated into his spell. Spreading from the rune embroidered onto his cloak, a wall of shadows rose.
'Just as we planned.'
We stalled long enough for Lysander to pull out his trump card.
Now it was all up to our certified self-loather.
Aurelia's strength and instincts could only take her so far. It was time for August to take a stand.
With umbral viel active, our senses were diminished. It was less effective on me for some reason, however, my ability to fight Lysander head-on was diminished by my lack of strength.
August may be a weakling and a poor swordsman, but he possesses a relic. The Vambraces of Self Torture.
With that relic, his senses were well beyond a human.
So, I bet on three things.
Lysander's judgment with umbral viel.
August's ability to fend off Lysander.
And finally...
Lysander's choice to desperately pursue Aurelia in the end.
The man's pace was unmatched. Almost as if strengthened by aura, his feet launched him.
A viel encompassed the room, followed subsequently by an unsheathing of Lysander's dagger.
"Jump!"
My voice cried out.
Knowing who it was directed to, they leaped into the air.
It was Aurelia. Unsure of her fate once she would reach the ground, Aurelia put her faith in my command.
Lysander's eyes traced her figure flying into the air. Preparing his legs to leap, he locked onto her neck.
However, what he failed to notice was right before his very eyes.
A shimmer of steel in this veil of shadow. It neared him much faster than he could've anticipated.
As if waiting for the chance to do something, August sprung forth.
His eyes faced Lysander yet again with the intent to kill. It sent the chills of death for a second time down his spine.
The internal wound in his liver was already restricting any major movements. So, facing the oncoming slash would prove troublesome, even for him.
Deciding to trust his judgment, Lysander still lept from the floor.
The blade of August could only be dodged so well in his current state. It slashed his torso, but with its minuscule strength, the blade ran shallow.
Lysander's body leaped towards the blinded Aurelia with only a single thought in mind. The orders of his mistress.
The veil on the room lifted.
"Aurelia!"
A cry from the bastard rang throughout the room. However, his words meant nothing in the face of Lysander's blade.
There was only one outcome here.
And so, he struck. Swiftly and silently, Lysander brought his blade upon her throat.
The finishing blow was made, her blood would soon flush with poison.
But yet.
The blade was stuck. Slicing just as August's blade did, it only scratched the surface of her skin.
Aurelia's eyes stared towards him without any fear.
She held his wrist, the very same that gripped his dagger.
"Hydro Cannon."
Water. It blasted him in the side and into the wall. At the same moment, Aurelia released him, dropping to the ground.
Lysander wasn't sure what had just happened. His thoughts scrambled to understand what had hit him.
The cold voice and realization followed only a second after.
"What do you think you're doing?"
When Lysander looked up, his heart dropped.
The man who stood in the doorway was a figure not to be reckoned with, however, the cold voice came from the young man beside him.
His blue eyes reflected an endless abyss of mana.
Their appearance meant the barrier had gone down.
However, the men coming towards him meant nothing. In his mind, he knew, this job was already done the moment his blade met Aurelia's neck.
The poison would do its work.
Aurelia fell, weakened by the poison. Her body would soon fall victim to an unavoidable death.
"Ugh!"
But his eyes drew towards a groan. Not from the woman, but the man who leaned up against the wall.
It was me.
Dragging myself to my feet, I ran to Aurelia. August was already ahead of me, catching her as she fell.
This was all a heap of work.
Befriending Kayden, confronting Aurelia, earning spirit magic, obtaining the relic, and preparing the plan. All of it was so much work.
To repeat it all over again. It wasn't suitable for me.
In a desperate attempt to save her, I grasped at the wound.
However, no matter how much effort I wanted to put into saving her now, it didn't matter.
It would all restart the moment those words rang in my ear.
"I see... so she was poisoned."
The deep voice behind me caused me to shiver. It wasn't Kayden who spoke. He was approaching Lysander to most likely kill him.
But then...who?
When I turned my head, a tall man stood over me. His long silver hair and overgrown stubble made him appear unkempt.
But his appearance was one that I knew. One that every student at Sylvanvale Academy knew.
Vardis Muller.
The headmaster of Sylvanvale Academy.
What was he doing here?
How did Kayden get him to arrive here?
Questions appeared in my head, but they didn't matter now.
"P-please save her!"
It was August's desperate plea that caused the headmaster to kneel.
Sitting beside us, the headmaster removed my hand. His molten amber eyes stared deeply at Aurelia's wound.
The headmaster with a small smile on his lips, whispered to us, "Can you both keep a secret?"
I had no idea what he was saying. Nevertheless, I nodded along to his words, same did August.
The headmaster placed his hand against her wound.
"Reversal."
A second later, he removed his hand. Revealing Aurelia's uninjured neck.
"There, she should be okay now."
I wasn't sure what had happened, how he had done it, or even if it worked.
But August formed a smile. His teary eyes met my gaze.
I knew the words he thought without a need for him to say it.
'We did it.'