"U-Um! Excuse me, could I say something!?"
"Hmm...? What is it, Fee? I'm in the middle of some serious reflection right now. If you have something to say, make it brief."
"R-Right! It’s about the question Ryuga-san asked... I had a thought about it."
Marcos listened with a furrowed brow as Fee worked up the courage to speak.
Seeing that Marcos was willing to hear him out, Fee began to offer his opinion.
"I think the reason you’re so exhausted, Marcos-san, is because you did nothing but defend the whole time."
"...Heh."
"Because I did nothing but defend? What exactly do you mean by that?"
It bothered Marcos that Ryuga let out an amused chuckle, but since it grated on his nerves to hear it from him, he chose to ignore it.
When he asked Fee to explain his reasoning, the boy began to speak with a slightly nervous expression.
"My brother used to say... 'The one with the best momentum wins the fight.' I didn't quite understand what he meant at first, but watching the two of you just now, I think I finally get it."
"I see. That’s a very Yugo-like way of teaching. It sounds vague, but it's actually quite clear."
Once again, Ryuga let out a delighted smile.
Marcos still didn't quite grasp how his rival's simplistic words connected to their current situation, so Fee began to explain his new insight.
"During that last fight, it was just a constant cycle of you defending against Ryuga-san’s attacks. Ryuga-san held the initiative, and he was the one setting the pace. In other words, a situation was created where everything was in Ryuga-san's favor, right?"
"...!"
"I’m sure part of it is because you both know each other's moves so well... but because of the advantage he created, Ryuga-san could keep attacking with a good rhythm. And because he could attack so comfortably, his strikes gained even more momentum. Conversely, you had no choice but to keep defending against Ryuga-san's attacks as they gained steam in a situation that was bad for you... I think that created a much bigger gap than you might think."
"Well done, Fee. That’s a nearly perfect answer. You understand now, don't you, Marcos?"
"...To some extent."
Though he looked sullen, Marcos crossed his arms and groaned, convinced by Fee's clear explanation.
Just like in sports, there is a certain mood or flow to a battle.
Whether it was a 'bad flow' or a 'feeling of an impending comeback,' the atmosphere of the battlefield certainly had a tangible effect on people.
To make that atmosphere one's own, to create a flow that was advantageous to oneself... the ability to do that was likely the difference between himself and people like Ryuga or Yugo.
Fighting in a stifling atmosphere created mental pressure and consumed extra stamina. Movements became stiff, making it impossible to demonstrate one's full potential.
That must have been what Yugo meant when he said, 'The one with the best momentum wins the fight.'
Come to think of it, Yugo always used his outrageous tactics to drag his opponents into his own pace, while Ryuga was able to literally cut through the atmosphere—and anything else—without showing a hint of agitation.
As Marcos pondered the vast difference between himself and them, Ryuga spoke up again.
"Allow me to add a little to that. Fee said the reason you lost was because you kept defending, but that isn't quite the right way to put it. One can seize the initiative even with a playstyle focused on solid defense and counterattacking, and there are styles like iai that rely on taking the counter-initiative. So then, why did it become such a one-sided affair? You know the answer without me having to say it, right?"
"...Yeah. I didn't lose because I kept defending. I lost because I had no other choice but to defend. That’s it, isn’t it?"
Ryuga clapped his hands in a gesture of 'Correct.'
Feeling a sense of progress as his challenges became clearer, Marcos reorganized his thoughts.
"My defense using the Giga Scissors is robust. However, because I have no other options, I am always forced onto the back foot. That is why I cannot seize the initiative. Thus, an atmosphere advantageous to my opponent is created... and I am defeated just like that."
"Exactly. Your fighting style is to keep blocking attacks and aim for a single-shot reversal using the magic power stored in your shield. To put it another way, as long as the magic power for a counterattack hasn't fully accumulated, there's nothing to fear. That's why I was able to focus entirely on my offense... that's how it is."
Little by little, his own hurdles were coming into view.
However, Marcos did not feel a sense of helplessness. Rather, he felt a surge of excitement.
Seeing Marcos wearing an expression that looked almost like a smile, Ryuga gave a small snort and spoke to him.
"Do you see now, Marcos? This is the result of a proper evaluation of your abilities. If you correctly use your strength—the ability to acknowledge your own weakness—this is what you can achieve."