I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 49

In the midst of the chaos, it was sheer luck that Liu and Rain managed to survive.

Being outside the Romance Academy spared them from being swept up in the turmoil inside, and they did their best to stay hidden until the veil narrowed further.

With most students rushing into the academy, they actually found themselves with a bit of breathing room.

Thanks to that, they could rest their exhausted bodies for a few hours.

“…Six survivors? What in the world happened inside?”

“It’s definitely abnormal.”

Only six remained, and if you excluded them, there were only four.

In that vast academy, just four people remained.

‘What on earth happened?’

It had been roughly five hours since the announcement that there were 300 survivors.

The Romance Academy is anything but small. No matter how much the veil has shrunk and the area has decreased, encountering someone in that large space shouldn’t have been easy.

And yet, there were only four?

No matter how you looked at it, something must have happened.

“Tch, it’s said that even bullshit can be medicine, but here we are.”

“…Are you referring to older brother?”

“Who else could it be? Of all times, he had to fall victim to a surprise attack…”

Sixteen hours into the event, the veil began to close slowly rather than stopping as before.

Because of that, Lucas, Rain, and Liu had also tried to enter the academy.

Little did they know they would be ambushed immediately upon entering.

‘What terrible luck…’

Unlike those on defense, who could hide the ball inside the academy, Liu and the others had kept their ball tucked away or hidden nearby while trying to enter.

Once the veil started moving again, they had no choice but to hide outside the academy.

Despite being vigilant of their surroundings, Lucas was eliminated in a sudden ambush.

“Damn it, what are the odds that they were lying in wait in the very entrance we walked into?”

“…Could it be a coincidence?”

“Do you know the positions of the other survivors? We just happened to run into them with the worst of luck.”

“Fair point…”

Without knowing the positions of the other survivors, it could only be deemed terrible luck to be ambushed.

At least it was fortunate that only Lucas was eliminated, right?

Grinding her teeth at the thought of the ambushers, Liu peered out from the bushes.

‘Damn Crown Princess!’

Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha, the ambusher who had eliminated Lucas in an instant.

With a single strike, she had sent him crashing to the ground, destroying the ball he held as she bolted toward the center of the academy immediately after.

Fainted Lucas was dragged away by the instructors, leaving just six remaining, moving cautiously.

“Liu and I, and the Crown Princess… who are the other three?”

“Hey, you scoundrel. Remember our promise? Until only two are left, we cooperate.”

“Hah, Liu, now’s not the time to be suspicious.”

Now that they had confirmed that the Crown Princess was alive, there was no way for them to backstab each other; winning was impossible. They’d end up as easily crushed as Lucas under the violent Crown Princess.

Instead, it was more strategic to team up and kick her out, then fight it out when only two remained; that was their best chance to win.

Knowing this kept their fragile alliance intact.

“First, we need to hide the ball.”

“How? That damn veil is still closing in. The entrance we came through is already beyond it.”

“…We have no choice but to move toward the center as best we can.”

The biggest variable in this survival test was the ‘ball.’

Since they didn’t always need to physically carry it, battles could occur at the academy entrance.

Students could fall, get knocked out, yet as long as the ball was hidden away, they could jump back in, leading to even fiercer fighting.

However, in a situation where the veil continuously shrank, hiding the ball became challenging.

If possible, they’d have to hide it at the very center, essentially the heart of the academy.

“Others would likely think similarly.”

“Anyone who’s survived this far would understand that much.”

“Then conversely… waiting it out wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Should they simply hunker down until the last moment, or move to the center to secure the high ground?

Now it was a battle of wits.

“…Exactly, we should aim for when the other students and the Crown Princess clash.”

“In that case, let’s hunker down. Is there a tall building nearby?”

“Not sure.”

If they were going to hide, being in a tall building would naturally give them an advantage in assessing the situation and visibility.

As Liu scanned the surroundings, she pointed toward the clock tower.

“Then over there—”

<Eliminated: Kim Eun-ha (17 hours 19 minutes survived)>

“—Huh?”

In an instant, Liu’s eyes widened.

A single eliminated name appeared floating in the air.

The name of the Crown Princess carried weight.

“…!”

“Oh no…!”

Thud!

Before Liu could think, Rain dashed toward the center of the academy.

Was this their last chance because she didn’t strike during their ambush? Probably not.

They had to be cautious of the unidentified student strong enough to eliminate a Crown Princess, so their alliance remained intact.

‘Which student could possibly defeat the Crown Princess…!?’

The only ones she thought of were Sasaki Ito and Crown Prince Kim Sung-il.

There was even a chance Abel Legion, who had been skillfully slashing, was capable.

Among them, Crown Prince Kim Sung-il’s elimination was confirmed, and the survival status of the others remained unknown.

While considering various possibilities and chasing after Rain—

“…What’s that?”

“Ah, an eliminated person approaches.”

“………Everyone.”

She spotted the Crown Princess walking with the academy staff.

With a hint of remaining vigilance, Rain met Kim Eun-ha’s eyes, and the Crown Princess smiled wearily.

“Watch your backs, both of you.”

“…What?”

“Crown Princess, we shouldn’t discuss eliminated players.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t help but let my lips slip.”

As she made an ambiguous remark, the Crown Princess moved past Liu and Rain, strolling with a resigned smile and a silent fury without even looking back.

‘Something’s off.’

Liu didn’t know much about Crown Princess Kim Eun-ha, but from what she had observed, she was someone adept at controlling her emotions.

Yet now, it felt as if she were a volcano that had erupted only once, leaving behind a subtle heat.

But there was no time to worry about the Crown Princess now.

‘Watch my back? Of course.’

With Rain Arthur dashing ahead of Liu, she grinned at the back of her head.

‘But it’s definitely not me who needs to watch out.’

Surely Rain thought similarly. But in a survival scenario, that was to be expected.

What mattered were impeccable timing and intuition.

Moreover, she still had one last stack of ‘Protection in Darkness’ to shield her from ambushes, so if Rain did strike, she could counter.

Adding to that, she had prepared her final insurance, so there wasn’t a thing to worry about.

“We’re almost there…!”

After passing various buildings and roads, Liu and Rain finally caught sight of the center of the Romance Academy.

Like an auditorium, there were no buildings nearby; it was a massive fountain plaza.

In the decorated plaza filled with various ornaments, greenery, and sculptures.

“……….”

“Hero…!”

“Just as I thought.”

A blank-faced blonde male student awaited them, wielding a greatsword.

<Hero>, Abel Legion regarded them with emotionless eyes.

‘Surely, his slashing isn’t typical.’

Although Abel Legion’s depths and abilities had never been apparent, one thing was now confirmed.

<Hero>‘s combat ability rivaled that of the Crown Princess, at the very least.

Yet, only Liu could grasp that realization.

“How…?”

Rain struggled with the fact that Abel Legion had defeated the Crown Princess.

He had never showcased any combat abilities, and Rain had also witnessed the Crown Princess’s strength.

While Liu could vaguely estimate his strength from their brief hostility at the fortuneteller’s stronghold, Rain was in the dark.

She had known nothing but his title of <Hero> since she was a child; was he truly stronger than the Crown Princess?

If so, Abel was undeniably a ‘strong one’—

“Hey! You idiot! Dodge!”

“Uh, what?”

Whack.

In that moment of realization, Abel’s blade was aimed directly at Rain.

The instinct to go weaker where he could, dulled her reflexes for just that instance.

Abel didn’t miss it and swung his greatsword.

“Legion! You’re not really aiming to hit her…!”

One of the rules of the test: attacks that threaten life result in elimination.

Yet, as his sharp blade swung without concern, Liu shouted out in urgency.

Job Skill <Holy Sword>.

“…Huh?”

Whoooosh——

Abel’s greatsword shone for an instant before being enveloped in a blinding light.

The sheer brightness forced Rain, who was hastily trying to activate her superpower, to shut her eyes.

Fwooosh!!

The shining blade passed through Rain’s body.

It was a spectacle akin to magic, leaving Liu and the very Rain herself momentarily dazed.

Yet, something tumbled from Rain’s grasp.

“…The ball?”

<Eliminated: Rain Arthur (17 hours 25 minutes survived)>

“What the hell….”

The greatsword that had passed through Rain cleanly severed only the ball nestled in her embrace.

What could that mean?

‘Skills!’

Not the ones that had been previously revealed or acknowledged about <Hero>.

No skills had been demonstrated until now; why reveal them here?

‘Is it okay to show that now!?’

After nearly 20 years of secrecy, why now?

But Liu didn’t have the time to ponder such questions.

Clang!

“Damn it!”

Having quickly backed away, she lost the last stack of ‘Protection in Darkness’ that had been blocking her ambush.

Before Liu could bring out her artifact dagger, Abel’s greatsword glowed once more—

“…What’s going on? You not gonna strike?”

—just before striking her, he halted.

His expression remained unaltered, but for Liu, it was an opportunity.

Grasping the ceremonial dagger <Crowd Parting>, she swung carelessly at the air.

“…!”

No matter how much of a hero he was, he had to get knocked back.

In the blink of an eye, she sent Abel soaring into the air, as he maintained his unchanged expression while landing on the ground.

Taking back her composure, Liu aimed her dagger at him.

“Was that pity at the end? A foolish choice.”

“……No ball left.”

“Ah, quick-witted, aren’t you?”

Just as Abel pointed out.

Unlike Rain, Liu didn’t possess the ball in her grasp.

That had been the ‘insurance’ she saved for a rainy day.

‘Honestly, this is a gamble.’

Liu had hidden her ball elsewhere.

She hadn’t been eliminated yet, so it seemed the veil hadn’t reached that far, but who knew when she’d be out?

‘If I finish this before that happens, it’s all good.’

What was needed was a decisive victory.

Originally, the plan had been to join forces with Rain to swiftly eliminate the other students and backstab her when only Rain remained, but the current scenario didn’t look so bad.

‘Kicking Legion out here.’

She had noticed when Abel approached and drew his sword that his ball boldly hung from his waist.

Whether it was stupidity or audacity did not matter; she couldn’t pass up the chance to exploit what was visible.

If she continuously threw away <Crowd Parting>, she’d eventually break that hanging ball at his waist.

After that, she could retrieve her own ball and put it somewhere safe, leaving only the remaining survivors to deal with.

For now, she thrust the dagger into the air—

“Liu!”

“………Huh?”

The very familiar voice that suddenly rang out caused Liu to freeze momentarily.

“Hero, over here!”

“……….”

Rustle.

The owner of the voice slashed at the ‘ball’ thrown into the air by Liu, and Abel cleaved it in two.

The helplessly shattered ball bore the name.

<Eliminated: Liu Yan (17 hours 27 minutes survived)>

“…Ha, haha.”

At that moment, Liu finally understood.

How the hero who had ambushed them suddenly vanished into thin air.

Why only four survived in this vast academy.

And why the Crown Princess warned them to watch their backs.

“Liu Yan, you’ve been eliminated.”

“………Namgoong Min.”

“Uh, um. Liu…?”

“You’re dead, you bastard.”

That was all she had to say.

You bastard.