At this moment, Tsubaki's face was streaked with dust, and her lips were cracked. Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed. She had followed Sebastian into the village, and her Snake was too exhausted to continue, so it stopped halfway and refused to go on. Afterwards, Tsubaki had sprinted alone, without food or water, and her stamina finally betrayed her as she collapsed right at the village gate.
"Go get some water!" Someone shouted.
Kikyo and Kaede rushed into the kitchen, brimming with urgency. They returned with fresh water and gently poured it into Tsubaki's mouth. Although she and Tsubaki weren't especially close, Kikyo didn't hesitate to help.
Several minutes later, Tsubaki's eyelids fluttered open.
"Ugh… where am I?" She murmured, voice weak and still disoriented.
"You're in my house," Kikyo replied, her concern evident.
"Your… house?" Tsubaki blinked at her, then her gaze sharpened.
"It's you!" She said. She suddenly sat bolt upright. "Where's Sebastian?"
Panic made her cough violently, saliva choking, while Kikyo quickly patted his back.
"He's right behind you," She soothed gently.
Tsubaki turned, saw Sebastian, and her face softened into a satisfied smile. "I caught up to you."
"How did you manage this?" Sebastian asked with a faint grin.
"Ran here," Tsubaki replied simply.
"Well done." Sebastian shook his head, amused. "You came for something?"
"For a competition, beat you," Tsubaki declared, excitement shining in her eyes. "I'm going to win!"
Kikyo and Kaede exchanged surprised glances.
Sebastian shrugged. "You've earned it, sort of. But there's a condition. First, you must defeat my maid."
"Your maid?" Tsubaki narrowed her eyes.
"Yes. Time and place are your choice." Sebastian looked at Ram, who stood calmly by his side.
Tsubaki's eyes glittered; she wanted to prove her strength to Sebastian, to earn his recognition. She bristled at being underestimated, especially at his maid's presence on the battlefield.
"Then let's do it now!" She said, a confident smile curving her lips. "As soon as I beat Ram, I get to challenge you."
"Alright," Sebastian said, still relaxed. "Here, in this room. It's almost dinner, don't stall."
Tsubaki hesitated. "Here? In such a tiny space? Do you know what spells can do in close quarters?"
"One moment," Sebastian said calmly. He clapped once, and suddenly, the walls peeled back, retreating into the distance. The room expanded tenfold, morphing into his Battle Lab.
Tsubaki, recovering from her collapse, blinked at the transformation. Her heart raced at the sight.
"I know how good you are, Sebastian," She said, voice steady, turning toward Ram. "You'll let your maid recuperate, right? Whoever hits the floor first loses. Ready?"
Sebastian nodded at Ram. "Focus on balance."
"Understood," Ram replied, with a flicker of pity in her eyes.
Tsubaki placed her feet firmly, her plan boiling in her mind. Ram raised a hand, and a frigid gust of bitter wind slashed toward Tsubaki. The air buffeted her, rippling her skin like waves, and she stumbled, knees buckling. She collapsed to her knees.
Ram stood unmoved. "I win."
Tsubaki stared up, stunned and speechless. Tremors ran through her body, every cell screaming a warning. Something was deeply wrong.
"What… what was that?" she whispered, studying her shaking hands. "That wasn't..."
Her voice cracked. "You cheated! That was a sneak attack!"
Ram shook her head lightly. "I waited until your guard dropped, until you finished speaking. Then I struck."