Regina Rena – To the Unforgiven

A sharp slash divided the dark red earth and sky.

Ping! Ping! Ping! The sound of the whip rang in seconds, breaking everything in the area.

However, Rena Ruber, the target Rubid wanted to punish, was fine among them.

Rena narrowed the distance by avoiding the brutal attack, and Rubid constantly attacked Rena, who was avoiding it, with slashes.

“Die, you rat!”

“How rude.”

Rena clicked her tongue and leapt.

Rubid did not miss the gap and fired a swift slash.

But Rena turned around and avoided it as if it were not funny. Then he got off on Rubid’s side and scratched his rapier with a dagger.

There was a sound of metal and the attack was blocked.

Then, the two began to compete, and their faces inevitably got closer.

As their bodies got closer, they remembered dancing together on the eve. Recalling the humiliation of that day, Rubid growled.

“You were annoying from the beginning…”

“That’s what I want to say.”

At Rena’s rebuttal, Rubid was nervous and hit the dagger. Then, he fiercely entered the gap with his rapier, but Rena avoided it again this time as if she had been waiting for it,

Rena pressed down on Rubid’s rapier again and said.

“Speaking of which, do you know how much that dress costs?”

“It must have been too much for you.”

“… You really  need to change your way of talking.”

“Nonsense…!”

Rubid kicked Rena’s side with a barrage of anger. However, instead of a light hitting sound, there was a dull sound. It was because Rena blocked it with her arm.

When the surprise was blocked, Rubid’s face became distorted, and Rena looked at it as if it were ridiculous.

“Will that work?”

Rena, who muttered like that, suddenly turned around. Then, as if following him, she kicked Rubid’s side with her knee.

“Kuh!”

As Rubid gasped, Rena turned around again and kicked him in the back of his foot.

Rubid’s stance fell apart, and Rena stepped on Rubid’s, who was lying on his back, with her foot.

“Cough!”

Rubid, who was being stepped on his chest, gave Rena a dry cough while his head was tingling.

Rena looked down at him and said.

“Do it now.”

“Do what?”

“Big sister. Try it.”

[T/N: Rubid is 19 years old, while Rena is… statistically, 18 years old, but she did live in the Tomb for some years, so…]

At Rena’s overbearing command, Rubid lost his words for a moment.

It was ridiculous. In front of people, she pretended to be cultured and with common sense, but suddenly her face changed and she acted violently.

Rubid blinked in surprise and belatedly contorted his face.

“You crazy…!”

Rubid swung his arm while still laying down. The attack at the end of his rapier cut a few strands of Rena’s hair and they soon flew away. It wasn’t a miss, but Rena avoided it again this time.

Rena turned her head and kicked Rubid’s wrist. The rapier bounced out of his hand and stuck into the ground.

Rena, who had even removed her weapon, asked with a stern gaze.

“You have a bad brain.”

Rubid struggled to shake Rena away instead of answering.

Rena could’ve crushed and suppressed him more strongly, but she just stepped off without regret. Then she turned around and muttered to Rubid, who was getting up.

“This should be enough to make you understand.”

“Don’t get carried away. You run away like a rat…”

“As expected, you’re stupid.”

Rubid’s eyes widened at the successive insults. But that childish threat only made Rena laugh.

Perhaps usually when the prince was annoyed, he’d just act a bit more serious and the people around him would be scared and noticed.

Considering his noble lineage, great background, and inherited power, that’s a natural story. Even his cheeky behavior would’ve been a right for the little prince.

Rena muttered as she kicked her tongue.

“Honestly, I’m curious. Where did that bad temper come from?”

“What can someone like you do even if you know?”

“I’ll scold you until you come to your senses.”

Rubid clenched his teeth and picked up the rapier, then he rushed at her again.

‘Is he really crazy?’

Rena looked at the rushing Rubid and thought seriously.

Since he was a beautifully grown young man, she thought he would surrender quickly if she hit him a few times. However, Rubid seemed quite tenacious, as if he had been triggered.

Rena turned and kicked Rubid’s chin, avoiding his rapier that flew over her shoulder. His lips burst and his beautiful face got a wound, but he only swept it with the back of his hand and never backed down.

‘You’re unreasonably persistent.’

Rena pondered how to subdue this guy.

Will he be a little humble if I beat him until he faints? No, I don’t think it’s going to work that way.

So I have to press more fundamentally. Otherwise, he may hold a grudge and disturb me in every case.

While Rena was contemplating, Rubid’s slash flew in.

It was a tricky attack aimed at the gap, but Rena let even this go lightly. To Rena, who could see time as if it had stopped in the first place, this level of attack was all in vain.

But Rubid, who did not know this, burst into anger.

“Damn it, you dodge it like a rat…!”

“Then, should I not avoid it?”

“What?”

In response to Rena’s light reply, Rubid looked bewildered. Rena replied back leisurely.

“You’ve been calling me a rat since earlier. If you’re unhappy with me avoiding it, I’ll give you a chance.”

Rena spread her arms to Rubid. It meant to let a deep slash fly in.

She was told that ‘the slash’ was the pride of the North. In fact, Rubid showed off his strength by slashing whenever he was at a disadvantage. The reason he had been crying about rats since earlier was because of the belief that as long as she got hit by a slash, it would be over.

So Rena decided to break his faith.

“You’re going to give me a chance?”

Rubid muttered in bewilderment.

If one gets hit by a slash from a distance like this, they will surely die. Rubid was really annoyed by Rena Ruber, but he didn’t mean to kill her.

So while he hesitated, Rena smiled and asked back.

“Why? Are you afraid that I will block it?”

“Block it?”

Rubid asked back as if he heard something ridiculous. Then, he made a strong gesture after hesitating.

“Okay, that’s good. Then die.”

I don’t care anymore whether you live or die.

Rubid, who fell for the provocation, raised his rapier without thinking more.

Then, he shot at Rena Ruber, the uninvited guest who penetrated his world, with more strength than ever.

She’s really like a thorn in my eye.

At first he was curious.

A woman claimed to be Ruber’s daughter, so he thought he was going to see Angie’s face. He then invited her to the prom, and showed off his prestige to gain momentum. That was the beginning of the problem.

Rena Ruber did not behave obediently, swung around recklessly, and even took the lead in the end.

That couldn’t happen.

It was more than enough to have Lignan Aetherner as a cheeky stranger. There was no room for Rena Ruber and others to step into this cramped space, the pinnacle of the empire.

I’m the only one who should take that place.

He is the most advanced and the greatest prince who deserves to rise the highest.

Otherwise, there will only be Rubid Plenus Gracia left, whose existence doesn’t mean anything.

Rubid launched a fierce attack as he felt he was being driven to the edge of a cliff.

Slashes poured in, but Rena did not avoid it as promised. She only had the dagger she was holding, a meager blade spanning a span of length.

Seeing this, Rubid’s face contorted. He seemed to think Rena was going to die or be seriously injured.

‘He’s more timid than I thought.’

I can’t believe you committed it without any determination to kill me.

‘No, is it because it’s irresponsible?’

He’s like a little kid holding a knife by chance. In a sense, he doesn’t know if he’s the most dangerous person.

Rena smiled bitterly at Rubid’s face, which gradually revealed its outline. She then looked straight at the slashes as they flew at her.

As soon as the slashes arrived, Rena’s time slowed down infinitely.

In the sensation of the world stopping, Rena awakened her consciousness.

‘This is Rubid’s slash.’

The slash, which was usually too fast to be seen, stopped and revealed itself.

In the shape of a crescent moon, it was transparent as crystal and thin as paper. Even so, it was so hard that she thought she’d cut herself if she touched it.

It was a pretty cool form, but Rena laughed without admiration.

‘It’s not bad, but it’s nothing compared to the original.’

The real slash that Rena experienced was much harder and sharper than this.

Rena got stronger by receiving those slashes with her whole body in the past. This much is more like a fake slash, imitated by a kid who doesn’t know anything.

After observing it, Rena carefully moved her arm.

Rena’s dagger touched the cross section of the slash, the apex of that gentle curve.

And time moved again.

Rena’s dagger was ordinary. Normally, it was a soft piece of metal that would be cut off the moment it came in contact with a slash.

However, the dagger that was properly engaged in the center of the slash caused a crack in the slash that was coming in as it slid.

At that moment, time stopped again, and the already cracked slash shattered like glass as time passed.

Paang! The slash was scattered with a light pounding sound. Then, an indescribable shock appeared in Rubid’s blue eyes.

“You look surprised.”

Rena said with a smile in the shattering pieces.

“But it’s not that difficult.”

Rena said so and looked at Rubid. She thought he would have figured out the topic by now.

But for some reason, Rubis did not show any reaction. He just stood in the same posture as he slashed and looked at Rena.

For a while, what slowly appeared on his dazed face was neither anger nor frustration, but a deep embarrassment.

Thanks to that, Rena was also embarrassed.

She thought he would make a mess as usual, but Rubid froze as his face turned white.

As his face turned waxy pale, Rena, who was watching, quietly called his name.

“… Mr. Rubid?”

But Rubid did not respond. He just looked at Rena with a face as if the sky had collapsed.

Because of this, Rena was a little more embarrassed. She felt like she had done something terrible for no reason when the guy who had been fluttering for a while suddenly had a wounded expression on his face.

Why are you not answering? Are you acting because you don’t want to call me big sister?

Rena thought for a while about provoking like this.

It was then. The dead, who had been pushed back by Rubid’s attack, flocked again.

Those Who Carried the Ashes soon filled the sky, and they collided with each other as before, pouring rain of fire.

Rena came to her senses and avoided them. Then she reflexively turned to Rubid and panicked again.

“Mr. Rubid…!”

Whether he was really shocked, Rubid was still losing his mind as the surrounding area was becoming a sea of fire.

Rubid, who missed a chance to react, was quickly engulfed in flames, and Rena took out her whip with a screeching sound.

Although they were not on the same side, Rena swung her whip reflexively towards the flames.

But for some reason, the whip bounced out loudly. Rena was bewildered as she felt like she was hitting an iron plate.

‘What is this?’

She couldn’t believe the fire bounced off the whip. Rena swung the whip again half-confidently, but the results were the same.

Moreover, looking back, it was not just a fire surrounding Rubid. It was more of a curtain than a fire.

The fireball that fell from the sky changed its shape smoothly like glass, and soon became a complete sphere and locked up Rubid.

After seeing that, Rena clicked her tongue.

‘I knew it was suspicious from before.’

She wondered what their intentions were as the dead kept pouring fire, but it seems that Hiems Gracia prepared a bizarre trap.

‘Did he create another space?’

The other day, even The King with Many Hearts created a different space and locked up Rena and Lynn. Maybe he wanted to do something like that.

As Rena watched, the reddish sphere’s surface was filled with a human shadow. TIt began to move strangely, and Rubid’s scream resounded from within.

“Uwaaah!”

It was a cry closer to fear than pain.

Rena swung her whip again, striking the opaque sphere. However, the iron shards of the whip bounced loudly again.

‘Too hard.’

It takes more strength to break this. Like that snake, Naja Aetherner.

Rena’s strength lies in speed and sophistication, and she had no talent in terms of strength, unlike Naja Aetherner when she became the dead.

Rena’s wrist was already throbbing after hitting the curtain a couple of times.

‘Isn’t there anything I can do?’

As Rena was about to resign, Rubid shouted again.

“Uwaaa! Akh!”

Eventually, Rena endured her pain and raised her whip. Then she sighed to herself.

‘If you have shame, you should pay me back later.’

No, that guy doesn’t have any shame.

Rena was reluctant, but she swung her whip again with all her might. Quang! Bang! Bang! The sound of hitting an iron plate resounded over and over again.

Dozens of times, the solid sphere began to crack gradually.

As it was struck once more, the solid wall finally split and shattered.

Rena caught her breath and looked for Rubid in the shimmering and disappearing fragments.

A little far away, she saw Rubid falling down.

‘Are you alive?’

At that moment, Rubid staggered and got up.

“Uh…”

Rubid, who raised only his upper body, put his hand on his forehead as if dizzy.

Seeing this, Rena muttered with a perplexed tone.

“… Now you really have to call me big sister.”

“What kind of bullshit…”

Rubid thought it was a provocation and stopped talking when he felt something strange.

The voice was strange.

It wasn’t a very thick voice originally, but it was thinner than usual. No, it was more like a kid’s voice.

Rubid, who hesitated in surprise, realized a few more surprises.

The uniform coat that fit snugly turned around in a cumbersome way. The eye level was strangely low, and it was difficult to breathe.

In addition, he casually raised his arms, and the sleeves of the clothes were flowing down enough to cover his hands.

“What is this…”

“You became a child.”

“What?”

“I think you’re about 10 years old.”

Rena calmly explained. But Rubid couldn’t believe it, and hastily rolled up his sleeves.

His two hands, which were soon revealed, were very small. Not only were they small, but they were also soft and supple.

“W-What’s going on…?!”

Rubid groped his face and body with a shocked expression. It was small and soft to the touch. There was not a single part that was elongated, hard, or slender.

Rubid trembled at the vivid feeling and looked at Rena.

Rena smiled beautifully as if she was sorry.

It was then that the cry of a child echoed.