The midsummer heat had already broken, and the season was turning toward autumn.
Early mornings were cooler than the midday swelter, yet the underlying humidity of the season remained. In this transitional period, it was a time of day when those sensitive to the cold might feel a slight chill.
"Haaaaaaaaah!"
Under a cloudless blue sky, a roar echoed through the courtyard of the Eternal Sky Inn as the morning sun began to pour down.
Rei evaded the tip of the longsword—a weapon blunted for mock battles—by a hair’s breadth, his margin of error measured in mere millimeters.
However, the attacker did not expect his lunge to land so easily. In fact, Rhodos had likely structured his entire offense on the assumption that his first strike would be dodged. He immediately snapped the longsword back and unleashed a relentless flurry of continuous thrusts.
Even with its edges blunted, the tip of the sword remained tapered. It possessed enough sharpness that an average person lunging with full strength could easily sink it into a tree trunk. Furthermore, given that the one wielding it was Rhodos—a C-rank adventurer with significant combat prowess—a single blow from that steel could easily claim a life regardless of its dull edge.
That was, of course, assuming the opponent was an ordinary person.
For Rhodos, who found every single one of his high-speed thrusts read and evaded, there was no room for restraint. In truth, Rei was dodging as if he had perfectly anticipated all ten-plus strikes unleashed within the span of a few seconds.
Refusing to yield, Rhodos pressed the attack, but Rei continued to flow around the steel with supernatural precision. The scene looked almost like a choreographed dance, embodying the notion that the highest level of martial arts was indistinguishable from performance.
"You’ve got to be kidding... What kind of monster is he? The guy unleashing those high-speed thrusts without a break is impressive enough, but to dodge every single one like that..."
"Yeah. And look at that kid’s feet. He isn't even breaking a sweat."
"Wait... ugh. He’s not dodging by reading the flow of the attacks; he’s dodging everything after seeing it."
"Exactly. Normally, you'd read the precursors to an opponent's move and dodge based on prediction, but he..."
"Oh, I know who he is. Apparently, that boy is a bodyguard for a noble from the Kingdom of Mireana. I heard the inn staff talking about him."
"A bodyguard? Right, that makes sense. If he's just a guard, he probably won't be entering the Fighting Tournament, right?"
"If you're going to put it that way, aren't we all here as guards too? We wouldn't be staying at a five-star place like this otherwise."
"Guh, true... but watching them fight makes me lose all my confidence."
"I agree. In fact, that man being toyed with by the kid has a hell of a lot of skill himself. It's just that the boy is simply too overwhelming. I never really expected to win the whole thing, but seeing kids like that makes me think even making it to the finals will be a nightmare."
"No, look at it this way—unlike the finals, which are individual matches, the qualifying rounds are a chaotic battle royal. You have to assume there's a chance to win even against someone stronger than you if you play it right."
"I see what you're saying, but even if you use numbers to make it to the final tournament, you'll probably just lose instantly in the first round."
"The moment you set foot in the final tournament, your reputation is made. If you're looking for a noble to enter service with, that's more than enough."
"But if you've gone to the trouble of reaching the final tournament, wouldn't you want to place high and get the prizes?"
"It’s fine to dream, but you’d better take a good look at reality."
While watching the mock battle between Rei and Rhodos, the observers voiced their various thoughts.
This was the courtyard of the Eternal Sky Inn. As the most prestigious lodging in the Bestia Empire, its grounds were exceptionally spacious. Currently, the courtyard was filled with guards for the various guests, as well as individuals staying there on their own merit or with patrons, all gathered to sharpen their skills.
Since they were the protectors of the elite, everyone present naturally possessed enough strength to be called veterans or experts. There were also those with enough skill to afford the inn personally, but even they were forced to acknowledge the display before them.
Almost to a man, they were staring blankly at the clash. No, it was more accurate to say they could do nothing but stare.
Of course, those who had initially gathered here to exercise had likely intended to gauge Rei and Rhodos’s abilities. However, watching the way they fought forced everyone to realize the massive gulf in their respective levels of strength.
Perhaps it was a misfortune for those present that they possessed enough skill to realize the truth. They were being forced to participate in the Fighting Tournament knowing full well that there were heights they could never hope to reach. For those who were confident in their own abilities, the shock hit them like a physical blow.
There were two paths for those who received such a shock to take.
"Tch, this is ridiculous. Come on, let's head back. If we train in the same place as freaks like that, it'll just mess with our own rhythm."
Muttering in annoyance, one group glared irritably at the pair before walking away.
"...Alright, let's do this. Those guys might be strong, but there’s still time before the Fighting Tournament begins. We can still get better. Even if we can't reach them now, we just have to keep training to close the gap, even if only by an inch."
Another group put even more passion into their training, determined to eventually catch up. In terms of numbers, the former group was larger, but it was obvious which one possessed more potential.
As for Rei and Rhodos, they were simply focused on their sparring and remained completely unaware of the effect they were having on their surroundings. As a direct result of witnessing this mock battle, several people would eventually withdraw from the tournament entirely, feeling that if they ran into Rei, they would have zero chance of survival.
"Uooooooooh!"
Rhodos, having had every single one of his rapid-fire lunges evaded, put all his spirit into what he intended to be his final blow. He unleashed a thrust with his full strength.
Instead of the head, which was easy to move, he aimed for the torso—the most difficult area to dodge. Rei avoided the strike by pulling half his body back.
The longsword stopped dead after that final thrust... but in the next instant, while still in his follow-through, Rhodos forcibly transitioned the move into a horizontal slash.
"Whoa."
Rei let out a small exclamation of surprise at the sudden change in momentum.
But the surprise lasted only a heartbeat. In the next instant, he casually extended both hands and caught the blade as it swung toward him, sandwiching the steel between his palms.
A perfect blade catch.
"Wha—!"
It must have been a strike Rhodos was confident in. A dumbfounded sound escaped his throat, stunned that his blade had been stopped by bare hands.
"And... you're out."
Rei forcibly pulled the blade toward him. Rhodos, paralyzed by the sight and unable to let go of his weapon, had his posture broken. His body was left completely defenseless, and in the blink of an eye, Rei’s right fist was held mere millimeters from the point of his chin.
I caught the blade, so why? Shifting only his gaze downward, Rhodos found his sword held motionless by Rei’s left hand alone.
"...I give up."
It was a total, undeniable defeat. Rei retracted the fist he had pointed at Rhodos's chin as the young man let out a long sigh.
"I think that last attack was pretty good. But you relied on the thrusts a little too much to set it up."
Rei offered the advice as he moved away, but he was met with a look of deep suspicion.
"What is it?"
"No matter how you look at it, how the hell am I supposed to deal with a ridiculous move like that?"
"Ridiculous move?"
Rei thought for a moment before realizing he was talking about the blade catch.
"Oh. It's not actually that difficult of a technique, you know? Well, I can't say it's easy, either. It’s just... not very practical in real combat."
"Why not? If you can neutralize an opponent's weapon with your bare hands, isn't it incredibly useful?"
Rhodos’s voice echoed in the courtyard, and many of the warriors training nearby secretly agreed. They had judged that watching the pair would be more beneficial than their own drills, and most had been paying close attention. Stopping a longsword with bare hands—even a blunted one—was far beyond their expectations.
They assumed that if they could master such a feat, it would be an ultimate trump card. They watched with interest as Rei explained his reluctance to use it.
"I used it this time because I knew the edges were blunted. If it were a real sword, a slight slip in timing would result in your palms or wrists being sliced off. Besides, if it’s a magic sword or some other magic item, catching the blade like that could result in taking immediate damage from fire, ice, or lightning."
"...I see."
The logic was sound. Unless there was a massive disparity in skill, it was far too risky, especially since one could never be certain if an opponent was wielding an enchanted weapon.
A good example was Arrogan, whom Rei had encountered during a rank up exam. His sword skills hadn't been exceptional, but he had possessed a magic sword. Because that specific sword hadn't produced elemental damage, the danger had been manageable—but based on that experience, Rei knew better than to rely on such a feat in a life-or-death struggle.
"Well, anyway, it’s a trick I only pulled off because this was a mock battle. But since you made me use a technique I haven't shown before, your skill is definitely improving."
At the rare compliment, a smile finally appeared on Rhodos's face. In truth, he had managed to make Rei feel rushed for a split second, which was no small achievement.
However, the fact that a massive gap in strength still remained was obvious to everyone. Rhodos was drenched in sweat, while Rei looked like he had just gone for a light stroll.
"Considering the time left before the Fighting Tournament, I’m definitely going to land a real blow on you, Rei."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
There was still a vast distance between them, but Rhodos was certainly Elk’s son; his power grew noticeably every day. Rei had no intention of being overtaken, but he found the young man's rapid growth fascinating.
At first, I thought it would be a struggle for him to even get through the qualifiers, but at this rate, reaching the final tournament might be possible, Rei thought. Though, you can't be completely at ease in the qualifying battle royals unless the difference in skill is absolute. I suppose that kind of chaos is why the spectators love it. I’ve heard the betting gets even more heated for the qualifiers than the finals.
Hearing the sounds of the inn guests beginning to wake up, Rei tossed a nearby cloth toward Rhodos.
"Alright, that's enough for the morning. Breakfast should be ready soon."
"Hm? Oh, is it that time already?"
Wiping his face, Rhodos looked up at the sky. It was a perfectly clear morning. Normally, the temperature would have climbed rapidly even this early in the autumn, but for now, the air was pleasant and cool.
Rei and Rhodos left the courtyard, leaving the other warriors to return to their training with renewed intensity—feeling a mix of disappointment and relief that the two had finally finished.
"Go on ahead to the dining hall."
"Yeah."
Rei parted ways with Rhodos. The reason Rhodos couldn't go straight to breakfast was obvious; even after wiping off the worst of the sweat, he needed to return to his room to wash up and change.
In a normal inn, it wouldn't have mattered, but this was the Eternal Sky Inn—the finest establishment in the Bestia Empire. The other guests were high-ranking nobles and great merchants. If Rhodos entered the dining hall smelling of sweat and exertion, it would reflect poorly on his employer, Margrave Daskar.
Rei, however, hadn't broken a sweat. He simply had to lightly brush the dust off his Dragon Robe before he was ready to eat.
Thus, the days leading up to the Fighting Tournament continued to pass.