NoveLight ™
The black snowflakes fluttered down gracefully.
Though their color was an odd contrast, their beauty was undeniable, making even the strangeness of their hue seem insignificant.
It was a paradoxical sight, born of contradictions.
The frost that fell carried shadows with it. Even the lively spring had vanished, as if swallowed by the depths of a winter's night.
Those who witnessed this peculiar blend of seasons found themselves captivated by the chilling beauty.
---
"Haa... haa..."
At the center of the arena stood a girl, panting heavily.
"Cough... ugh."
She coughed weakly, her body spent.
That girl was none other than Emilia.
Her steps wavered, fragile as she walked.
*Crunch.*
Her footsteps left prints in the soft snow beneath her.
With the surreal scene unfolding before her, Emilia murmured to herself, lost in a daze. Her breath came out as a misty vapor.
"...What... what happened?"
She tried to grasp what had transpired.
The last thing she remembered was her ice spears falling.
Then, in the next moment—
"Shatter."
The winter she had summoned was broken.
In an instant, the scene that had been so vivid disappeared as if it had never existed.
It shattered into countless fragments.
---
"Ah..."
It felt like she was in a dream.
If she closed her eyes and opened them again, would it all vanish, and would she wake up in her warm bed?
But that illusion didn’t last long.
A snowflake landed on her cheek.
The cold seeping into her skin was a stark reminder that this was reality.
Emilia lifted her head.
---
"...."
Through her blurred vision, she saw a figure—a golden snake.
The boy's slitted eyes curled into a sinister smile.
He looked utterly relaxed.
Unlike her, with her pathetic, worn-out state, he appeared immaculate.
It was only then that Emilia realized the truth.
She was weak.
Even after giving her all in that final spell, it wasn’t enough to touch even the tips of his feet.
The gap between them was overwhelming.
---
"Do you still wish to continue?"
His voice, soft and polite, made her breath catch in her throat.
The overwhelming sense of defeat coursed through her entire body.
Her legs trembled, on the verge of giving out.
But—
"...Yes."
She did not fall.
Her blue eyes still gleamed with a murderous glint.
It was a terrifying level of determination.
Emilia bit her lip, forcing herself to steady her breathing.
In her ears, she heard an echo of voices she’d heard before.
---
"Be strong, Emilia."
---
Her heart tightened.
---
"Otherwise, you won’t survive."
---
That lingering memory was enough to force her to stand.
She wasn’t expecting to turn the tables.
The earlier blow had made her realize the chasm between them.
It was so vast that even looking up at him felt like an insurmountable effort.
---
"But it’s not over yet."
---
Emilia had never learned how to give up.
In her life, defeat was synonymous with death. She didn’t know how to submit.
This was the path she’d learned to survive the harsh fate that awaited her.
It was no different now.
Emilia clenched her fists.
Gathering every last drop of mana she had left, she barely managed to form another ice spear.
A desperate, final attempt.
---
"I won’t lose... ever."
---
Her atmosphere turned fierce.
She aimed the sharp tip of her spear at Yuda, her voice shaking with venomous determination.
"I didn’t want to be rough, but I guess there’s no choice."
The snake hissed, as if relishing the situation.
Of course, he was enjoying himself.
He was trampling on an insect that had dared to challenge him.
---
‘It’s only fair.’
---
She didn’t feel bitter about it.
After all, wasn’t this what she’d intended to do?
If she had been willing to stab her opponent, she should have been prepared to be stabbed in return.
His slitted eyes curved into a sinister smile.
---
"I suppose I’ll have to end this... gentlemanly, if I can."
---
A sharp, eerie grin spread across Yuda’s face.
A terrifying killing intent radiated from him.
---
"This is the result of your choice, Lady Vanity."
---
The snake brought his hands together.
A black mist swirled around him.
Sensing the danger, Emilia tried to retreat, but Yuda’s actions were faster.
He clapped his hands lightly.
*Snap!*
A sharp sound echoed through the air.
---
"...What?"
---
Suddenly, gravity reversed around her.
Her body floated briefly in midair.
And then—
---
"Aaaah... kyaaah!!"
---
Her blue hair was sent flying skyward.
---
In the original game, Yuda was portrayed as the ultimate villain.
He acted as the protagonist’s ally until the most critical moment, when he revealed his true colors, delivering the shocking twist.
---
[What is this?]
[??????????]
[Is this for real? Yuda’s betraying us?]
[Goddamn, slit-eyed characters are always trouble.]
[No way, stop this nonsense.]
[But why is this guy so damn strong?]
[He must’ve been hiding his power all along.]
---
Even the strategy video I’d uploaded sparked a frenzy.
Yuda had always been depicted as a kind and often clumsy comic relief character.
Players had developed a fondness for this seemingly harmless side character, so his reveal as the mastermind behind all the tragedies was a massive shock.
Since the hints were so cleverly hidden, it was almost impossible to realize the twist on the first playthrough.
---
But that wasn’t the only thing.
His power was a complete disaster.
The protagonist’s team didn’t have time to recover from the betrayal before they had to prevent the world's destruction.
Yuda’s strength was beyond the limits of any character.
---
[Is this difficulty even real?]
[If the guide failed, then we don’t even stand a chance.]
[He wiped out the Galimar professors in 30 seconds?]
[What kind of bullshit is this?]
---
There were many scenes that left a lasting impression.
But the one that drew the most attention was the *"continent-wide gravity reversal"* during the final battle.
---
《This is getting a bit dull.》
《Shall we make the world a little more interesting?》
---
He defied the laws of nature.
With a single clap, Yuda reversed the gravity of the entire continent.
People fell upwards into the sky.
It was as if the world was heading straight for destruction.
That moment still stuck in my mind.
---
[How can you even beat that?]
---
Of course, that level of power was something only the original Yuda could wield.
Even though I had lived in this world for three years, the *Lie* ability was still tricky to master.
With my limited strength, I couldn’t reach the same heights.
---
Flipping the gravity of an entire continent?
How is that even possible?
For me, that kind of power was beyond comprehension.
---
‘But.’
---
That didn’t mean I couldn’t do it on a smaller scale.
The ability to manipulate reality with lies remained the same.
It’s just that the output was lower.
But within a small range, I could still bend the rules of the world with ease.
---
*Snap!*
---
Just like now.
---
"Aaah... kyaaah!!"
---
Though the gravity reversal I used was a scaled-down version, it was essentially the same technique.
While the original Yuda could reverse the gravity of an entire continent, my target was just one girl.
The faint outline of Emilia soared upward at high speed.
As I watched her accelerate, I smiled in mild amusement.
---
‘I won’t lose... ever.’
---
Just as expected.
Even now, Emilia hadn’t surrendered.
Instead of yielding, she chose to keep fighting.
To break that kind of spirit, I had to use something a bit more extreme.
---
If she was still determined to stand up despite knowing the power gap, then I would just make sure she couldn’t stand up again.
---
"Haha."
---
The referee didn’t seem intent on stopping the duel.
Which meant we could continue.
As Emilia’s head reached the clouds, I clapped my hands again.
---
*Snap.*
---
At once, the gravity returned to normal.
Her blue hair, once reaching for the sky, began falling back to the earth.
I could hear her faint scream as she plummeted down.
---
"Ugh, aaah...!"
---
Emilia was rapidly descending.
Even with her sturdy body, a fall from this height would surely leave her injured.
And with her mana depleted, her exhaustion mounting, and the overwhelming sense of defeat settling in, there was no way she could prepare for the impact.
Of course—
---
"Let’s go up again."
---
*Snap!*
---
I didn’t plan to let her fall just yet.
Right before her body hit the ground, I clapped my hands again.
Emilia’s face grew distant once more.
---
"For someone who spoke so bravely, your screams are quite... adorable."
---
The small villainess sent flying by the dark mastermind.
I clapped my hands again.
---
*Snap!*
---
*Snap!*
---
*Snap!*
---
Each time she reached the ground, I sent her flying back up.
Sometimes, I changed it up by shifting the gravity sideways, making her drift horizontally across the arena.
---
"....!!"
---
For a while, only the sound of Emilia’s faint screams echoed through the arena.
Who knows how much time passed?
I stopped clapping only when a system alert popped up.
---
*Ding!*
[Your unique
ability, "Liar," has been mostly depleted.]
[Remaining power: 4.7%]
---
"Guess it’s time to wrap this up."
---
*Snap!*
---
After one last clap, I stood still, waiting.
With both arms outstretched, I saw the girl rapidly descending toward me again.
Her blue hair trailed behind her like a comet’s tail.
---
"Oh my."
---
I caught the falling girl gently.
Using my power, I erased the momentum and held her limp body softly in my arms.
---
"Now, are you ready to surrender?"
---
"...."
---
Emilia was completely out of it.
I leaned in, whispering in her ear, threatening that if she didn’t give up, things would get much worse.
Her slender shoulders trembled, shaking slightly.
---
"Hmm."
---
I set the little villainess down on the ground.
The moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave out, and she collapsed where she stood.
Her chin quivered like a leaf in the wind.
---
"Lady Vanity."
"..."
"Lady Vanity?"
"..."
---
There was no response.
Still smiling, I finally realized that something wasn’t right.
---
Did I take it too far?
I thought she was skilled enough to handle it, so I had played around a bit.
But her eerie silence was concerning.
---
‘Wait.’
---
A detail I’d almost forgotten surfaced in my mind.
---
‘Come to think of it... doesn’t Emilia have severe acrophobia?’
---
I vaguely remembered that detail from an extra booklet that had been released sometime after the game.
A cold sweat ran down my back.
---
"Oh no."
*Shit.*
---
In a panic, I checked on Emilia.
The villainess knelt there, her expression blank.
It was already too late.
---
"Lady Vanity! Are you... huh?"
---
Her pants were soaked.
Around where she sat, a small puddle had formed.
The black snowflakes on the ground around her melted quickly as the liquid spread.
White steam rose from the evaporating snow.
---
"Oh."
---
My brain froze.
The yellowish liquid...
There was no mistaking it—it was coming from her.
I tried to look away as if I hadn’t seen anything, but my eyes met Emilia’s blue ones.
---
"...."
"...."
---
Her pupils trembled as if they were about to shatter.
Tears began to well up.
Her shaking grew worse.
Finally—
---
"Hicc...! Ugh, huuuuuah...!!"
---
Emilia burst into tears.
---
Ah, crap.
I’ve really done it this time.