Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

"Rin! Look out!"

Freya's voice cut through the night, louder than the growl behind us.

But she didn't have to say it. I could sense it already.

I ducked, feeling a breath of wind right on my neck as the beast's large paw went right above my head. Soon after, I took a step back, shielding Freya with my right hand as I sized up the monster.

A huge figure with black fur emerged in front of me, standing on two feet, twice as tall as I was. It growled, baring teeth as sharp as daggers. Its eyes were red and fierce, and on its head was a pair of crooked horns.

"What is that?" Freya asked, her eyes widening.

"Nothing good," I muttered, "It's a Direbear."

The Direbear growled, as if acknowledging its own name. Then it bared its teeth once again, approaching me with a slow, deliberate pace.

"Stay back, Stormborn," Freya sneered, revealing her dagger. "This one's mine."

"Freya wait..."

She charged toward the beast, yelling out a spell.

"Nature Affinity: Vine Surge."

Large vines emerged from the earth, swirling all around the tall direbear, wrapping in a large green cocoon.

The beast let out a powerful roar, as it struggled to free itself from Freya's snare. Meanwhile, she closed the gap, her strides long and confident.

The monster cut through the vines, revealing its head.

Freya sprang into the air, right over the beast, and planted her knife deep in its eye.

"Got you," she whispered, landing on her feet.

The beast reached for the dagger and yanked it. The motion was quick and it let out a low, painful growl.

Without warning, the beast lunged its paws at Freya, smacking her right across the chest. The force sent her flying, until she crashed into a nearby tree trunk.

I darted over to her as the monster ripped the remaining vines on it into shreds.

"Are you alright?" I asked, reaching for her hand.

"I'm fine," she blurted out, slapping my hand away. She tried to rise to her feet, but collapsed back to the ground.

I scanned her arm over. There were no visible injuries on her person, but a streak of blood was visible, running from her lips. A broken rib, maybe.

"What were you thinking?" I asked, my tone flat. "That was reckless."

"Cough... I can handle it. If Lucy can defeat a Wyvern, I should be able to handle this beast."

I opened my mouth to reply, but I closed it soon after as the realization dawned on me.

"You came, because you wanted to prove you're as strong as Lucy?"

Freya refused to answer, but her silence gave me all the answers I needed.

Ever since Lucy defeated her at the tournament, Freya lost most of her popularity in school. Most of her old friends abandoned her, considering her weak.

Even worse, the girl who defeated her also defeated a Wyvern and became the most popular in school, dethroning her from her former position.

She lost all recognition, and her life became a shadow of what she once was.

Now here she was, asking me out on a date, coming to Blackthorn Forest with me. All in an attempt to be like Lucy, or prove to herself that she was better than Lucy.

"I admire your determination," I said, leaning her down on the ground, her head resting on a tree trunk. "But your motivations are petty. You can never find true strength by trying to be like others."

Freya turned away, a slight frown appearing on her face. She coughed again, spitting out blood.

"I can be... a hero too."

"You can be," I rose to my feet. "But not because you envy someone. Not because you want to be popular."

I turned to face the beast. It let out another powerful growl as it freed itself from Freya's hold. Then, it charged in our direction, its large feet thudding on the earth beneath us.

"Protect the people you care about," I continued, walking toward the beast, "Protect the people who have no one to protect them."

The beast moved faster, its eyes cold and determined.

"That is what makes a true hero."

With one final jump, the beast lunged at me, its sharp claws reaching for my face.

"Weather Affinity: Lightning Bolt."

A clap of thunder cut through the sky above, echoing through the forest. Then, a bright purple lightning bolt descended on the beast, bathing it in raw electricity.

The beast let out a painful roar, reverberating all around the forest. The beast retreated promptly, darting back into the trees.

"No, you don't," I said, raising another finger toward the beast. I could feel an anger rising within me, and with it, a terrible desire to kill.

Another bolt descended, slamming the beast to the ground. Followed by another, which burnt up the beast's fur, ripping through its flesh.

Its painful screams rang out all over the forest, giving me a feeling of pleasure as I summoned bolt after bolt.

"Rin..." Lucy's voice cut into my mind.

I froze, eyes scanning all around me. With my thoughts interrupted, I realized what I was doing.

The direbear lay ahead, its skin bare and burnt, its eyes a faint gleam across its hairless skull. Its growl had long reduced to low whimpers, as it clung desperately to life. In my mind, I imagined the beast to be Kyro.

Freya's breath caught my attention, and I returned my gaze to her. Somehow she made it back to her feet.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Freya kept silent, her eyes locked onto me, wide and filled with terror. It occurred to me that this was the first time she had seen my powers, and I had just cast a B-Rank spell.

I took a step toward her, but she retreated, eyeing me carefully.

"Who... are you?" she asked, her voice low and shaky.

The direbear let out another whimper, and I decided to put the beast out of its misery. I picked up Freya's dagger from the ground and headed toward the beast.

As I reached for it, a series of claps cut through the silence, followed by a low, eerie voice.

"That was quite the show, Aldrin Stormborn."