The Strongest Eriri in History

"Shizuku Yaegashi, why don't you just agree? I don't want to die!"

A frail and disheveled boy, his expression laced with fear, shouted in a trembling voice.

As soon as his words fell, Suzu Taniguchi, standing nearby, glared at him in anger.

"Shimizu! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Though Suzu was terrified herself, she could never accept sacrificing Shizuku for a chance to survive.

Her sentiment was echoed by Aiko Hatayama, who sternly reprimanded the boy:

"Shimizu, Suzu is right! Sacrificing Shizuku is something I absolutely cannot allow as a teacher!"

Yet, the boy—Yukitoshi Shimizu—persisted, his tone defiant.

"Teacher, aren't you being selfish? Sacrificing us all for just one person—is that fair to everyone else?"

"You…! That's nonsense!"

"Teacher, I think Shimizu has a point." Another student spoke up hesitantly, emboldened by Shimizu's argument. "It's clear the target is Shizuku. I don't want to die because of her."

"Exactly! And it's not like Shizuku is going to die. She just has to become his woman. He's powerful and part of the royal family. Honestly, it doesn't seem that bad for her!"

Perhaps it was Shimizu's words or their own desperation, but several students began voicing similar thoughts, their gazes flickering with unease.

Shizuku bit her lip, overwhelmed by the betrayal. A chill ran through her as she stared at her classmates, her heart sinking deeper into despair. She couldn't help but think of Eriri.

If only Eriri were here, she could resolve this with ease.

But Shizuku knew that was impossible. Eriri had already left this world.

The golden-haired boy's threats were a calculated move, perfectly exploiting Shizuku's weakness. She couldn't stand by and watch her childhood friends, classmates, and teacher be killed.

He had her cornered.

Just as she was about to feign agreement to buy time and ensure her classmates' safety—planning to end her own life afterward—Liliana suddenly stepped forward.

"Shizuku, don't agree to this! That madman killed his own family without hesitation. Do you think he'll spare Kouki and the others?"

"That's right! Shizuku, don't give in! We'll fight him together if we have to!" Suzu shouted, echoing Liliana's words with fierce determination.

Several other girls close to Shizuku also voiced their support, their faces filled with resolve.

Their courage reignited Shizuku's spirit. Memories of the boy's cruelty—killing Liliana's family without a second thought—solidified her decision.

"You can forget it! Even if it means my death, I'll never agree to become your woman!"

The golden-haired boy sighed theatrically, shaking his head.

"How troublesome. I was hoping you'd come around willingly, but oh well. There are plenty of ways to make you mine."

With a lazy wave of his hand, he addressed the knights, soldiers, and court magicians surrounding the group.

"Kill them all."

Turning back to the throne, the boy lounged on the ornate seat, one leg crossed over the other. Leaning on an armrest, he watched the unfolding chaos with a smirk, a palpable aura of disdain radiating from him.

Aside from Kouki Amanogawa and Ryutaro Sakagami—who remained unconscious on the floor—only 16 or 17 members of the hero party were still standing.

Among them were non-combatants like Aiko Hatayama and the four students who had earlier urged Shizuku to comply.

These four now broke away from the group, desperately dodging attacks from the knights. Falling to their knees, they grovelled before the golden-haired boy.

"Your Majesty, please spare us! Didn't we try to convince Shizuku to agree to your terms? We can help you capture her, and even Kaori Shirasaki!"

Their voices oozed with servility, their desperate flattery resounding in the hall.

The boy raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Oh? That sounds interesting. I'll give you a chance. Kill one of your classmates, and I'll let you live—as my loyal dogs."

"Of course! Leave it to us!"

Their faces lit up with twisted glee. Fueled by the promise of survival, they charged at their former comrades with a zeal they had never shown even in battles against monsters.

Inside the golden barrier shielding the group, the remaining students clutched their weapons tightly. The barrier held firm against external attacks, but suddenly, a shocking betrayal erupted from within.

Eri Nakamura, who had been standing protectively near Suzu Taniguchi, drew a concealed dagger and stabbed Suzu in the abdomen.

Suzu gasped, clutching her stomach as blood poured from the wound.

Eri didn't hesitate, pulling her dagger free and lunging toward Shizuku. But Shizuku narrowly evaded the strike, her reflexes saving her just in time.

"Why… Eri… why…" Suzu choked out, collapsing to the ground. Her eyes brimmed with disbelief as she looked at her best friend.

The two months spent together had made her forget Eri's previous betrayal.

The sudden attack left everyone in the barrier reeling.

"Suzu!" Liliana cried out in horror. Turning to Eri, her voice trembled with shock and anger. "Eri, you're Suzu's best friend! Why would you hurt her?!"

Aiko Hatayama rushed to Suzu's side, tears welling up as she knelt beside her.

"Suzu… why did this happen? Why would she do this?"

Amidst the chaos, Eri's voice rang out, cold and detached.

"Ah, so close. You're as slippery as ever, Shizuku."

She removed her glasses, her demeanor undergoing a chilling transformation.

"Suzu!" Shizuku roared, her eyes blazing with fury. Glaring at Eri, she gripped her katana tightly.

"You bastard, Eri! Why would you do this to Suzu?!"

Without waiting for a response, Shizuku swung her blade at Eri in a fit of rage. But Eri, already anticipating the attack, dodged with ease.

"Suzu, are you okay? Please don't scare me!"

Shizuku crouched beside Suzu Taniguchi, her expression filled with worry as she watched Suzu's face grow increasingly pale.

"Shizuku… Miss Aiko…" Suzu's voice was weak as she slowly turned her head toward Shizuku and Aiko Hatayama. Her tone was mechanical, her gaze vacant.

Her mind had fallen into a state of shock, unable to process Eri Nakamura's betrayal.

"Suzu!" Shizuku panicked, raising her head to shout at a nearby girl. "Ayako, quickly, heal her!"

"O-Okay!" Snapped out of her daze by Shizuku's voice, Ayako Tsuji hurried over to Suzu's side.

Like Kaori Shirasaki, Ayako's vocation was also that of a healer. Although her healing abilities were inferior to Kaori's, she could still alleviate Suzu's injuries.

Suzu's wound had been severe, a critical blow that left her incapacitated. The defensive barrier she had created as a barrier master soon crumbled.

Without its protection, Shizuku and the others were immediately exposed to the enemies' attacks.

Despite their precarious position, they weren't pushovers.

The labyrinth raiding party, led by Shizuku, had undergone rigorous training, their abilities growing significantly. Although their power paled compared to the golden-haired boy, their teamwork allowed them to hold off the soldiers and court magicians for a time.

Even the students who had stayed behind, those too afraid to fight monsters, managed to endure the knights' assaults and the magicians' spells without being annihilated immediately.

But soon, the golden-haired boy sitting atop the throne ordered a ceasefire, signaling the soldiers, knights, and magicians to halt their attacks.

Watching the chaos he had orchestrated, the golden-haired boy leaned lazily on the throne, his expression one of smug amusement.

The scene of betrayal and carnage unfolding before him was his handiwork, a spectacle carefully arranged for his entertainment.

"Why, Eri… Why did you do this to me?"

Suzu, her injuries beginning to stabilize under Ayako's healing magic, looked toward Eri Nakamura with grief in her eyes.

At the same time, Shizuku was struck by a memory—Eriri's words from when she left the adventurer's guild:

"Shizuku-chan, a little advice—be wary of Eri Nakamura, or you'll regret it someday."

At the time, Shizuku had brushed it off, believing Eri had turned over a new leaf after her earlier mistake. She had buried the warning deep in her heart, trusting her classmate.

Now, Eriri's words rang painfully true.

"Eri, so you really had a problem all along." Shizuku's voice was strained, regret evident in her tone. "Back then, Eriri warned me, but I chose to trust you. I thought you had changed. I… I didn't think it would come to this."

"Don't think dropping her name will scare me," Eri sneered, her expression darkening at the mention of Eriri. "She's not even in this world anymore."

Watching the unfolding drama with her usual composure, Eriri mused to herself:

"Who says I'm not in this world? I'm right here, just two meters to your left."

However, Eriri made no move to intervene. The show wasn't over yet, and she saw no need to disrupt it. For now, she was content to ensure those she deemed worthwhile were not in mortal danger.

Besides, she knew this act of the play was nearing its end.

Eri stepped forward, her gaze shifting to the unconscious Kouki Amanogawa.

"As for why I did it…" Eri's voice took on an eerie sweetness as she knelt beside Kouki. She gently turned him over, her fingers brushing over his face.

"It's all for Kouki," she cooed, her expression soft and obsessed. "I've always loved him—so deeply that I can't bear to let anyone else have him."

Looking up briefly, she continued, "To that end, I've formed an alliance with our esteemed king here."

Her words chilled everyone in the hall.

"Speaking of which," she added with a sly smile, "did you know my vocation—spirit summoner—is quite remarkable? I can revive the dead and turn them into perfectly obedient puppets."

"What?!"

Shizuku's eyes widened in realization. "The knights… the magicians… Are you saying you—"

"That's right." Eri's grin widened. "Meld-san, the knights, the soldiers, the magicians—everyone in this palace is one of my puppets."

"This… This can't be! Spirit summoning can't do that! They shouldn't even be able to talk!" Liliana protested, her voice trembling.

"Normal spirit summoning, yes," Eri conceded with a smirk. "But I've refined it into something much more powerful. I call it Soul Bind—a technique I created myself. It extracts the deceased's memories and consciousness, imprinting them onto their remains. The result? Fully autonomous puppets with independent thought that will obey my every command."

The revelation left everyone horrified.

Turning an entire palace of soldiers, magicians, and knights into such puppets wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.

It was clear that the golden-haired boy and Eri had been plotting this coup for a long time.

If the implications weren't terrifying enough, Eri's next words were even more chilling:

"Kouki will belong to me. No one else can have him. And those who stand in my way? I'll just turn them into my puppets too."

"Why, Eri?" Shizuku's voice cracked as she struggled to comprehend. "If you loved Kouki, you could've just confessed to him. Why resort to such monstrous acts? Killing innocent people, desecrating their souls—this isn't something a human being would do!"

Eri's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Confess?" she sneered. "Don't make me laugh, Shizuku. Someone as perfect as Kouki would never look at me. I had to take control—this was the only way."

Shizuku could only clench her sword tighter, glaring at Eri with fury and sorrow.

This was no longer the classmate she once knew. Eri Nakamura had become a monster—one who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

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