(A POV change occurs in the latter half of this chapter.)
"...Hey, what’s with that pathetic sword?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Is that your excuse for when you lose? How pathetic."
"Stop barking. Just get into your stance. No matter how much time you try to buy, the result won't change. You’re going to lose."
"—!! I’ll kill you!"
Derrick released a palpable surge of bloodlust as he readied his shield and sword.
『Now, it seems both participants are ready! Well then, let the Second Round, Fourth Match, begin!』
The moment the signal was given, Derrick closed the distance.
If I provoked him that much, of course he was going to charge in. Honestly, he was so easy to manipulate it was a genuine help.
Derrick swung his sword down.
When I’d converted to an Enchanter back when I was in the Hero Party, Derrick was already a member. I had spent years watching his movements. I had synchronized my Impact with his attacks countless times.
I had already seen through his every move.
I pulled my body back half a step as he swung, watching the tip of his blade flash past right in front of my eyes. Once I confirmed his attack had whiffed, I stepped to his right and aimed my dagger at his neck.
"—!?"
Derrick reacted and tried to dodge. I knew for a fact that whenever he took evasive action immediately after an attack, he always started with his left foot.
The moment he shifted his weight, I kicked his right leg as if to sweep it.
"What!?"
Immediately after, using the sensation from when I’d punched him yesterday as a reference, I slammed a left backfist into his face—intending to break the bridge of his nose this time. He could get medical treatment once the match was over anyway, so a broken nose was no big deal.
"Ugh!"
I tossed aside the dagger in my right hand, drew the longsword from my waist, and followed up by thrusting it toward his chest.
"Agh!"
Derrick fell flat on his back, and I pressed the tip of my blade against his throat.
"...That's the match."
"Not... yet...!"
Derrick’s eyes hadn't lost their fire; he glared up at me with pure spite.
"The possibility of you turning this around is zero. Know when to quit."
"Shut... up...! —Gaaaah!"
Derrick released his shield and tried to punch me in the shin. His aim was blindingly obvious, so I simply struck his reaching hand with the flat of my blade.
"...Referee, your judgment."
"............Winner, Orun Doura."
The referee made the call, securing my victory. Though it went exactly as planned, it felt like a bit of an anticlimax.
Well, next up is the real obstacle: the match against Fuuka.
◇
"Orun, you did it."
When I returned to the waiting room, I heard Wil's voice.
"Wil? Are you already okay to be up?"
Fuuka and Haruto were nowhere to be seen, but Wil and Lucre were there.
"Thanks to Lucre's recovery magic," Wil said.
"Heh-heh! You should be deeply grateful!"
The serious concern Lucre had shown earlier had vanished, replaced by her usual boisterous self.
"Yes, yes. I’m very grateful. —And congratulations again, Orun. From here on, do your best for my sake too."
"............Yeah. I’ll work hard for both of us, Wil."
And so, the second day of the martial arts tournament came to a close.
◇ ◇ ◇
The third day of the martial arts tournament.
Fuuka and I left the Copper Afterglow clan home and headed toward the arena. Only four participants remained. Considering two of them were from Copper Afterglow, I figured the clan had already done more than enough.
The tournament was turning out to be more of a hassle than I’d expected, and my motivation was at an all-time low.
"Ahhh, what a drag..."
"Weren't you going to take this seriously?"
Fuuka asked from beside me.
"Well, I was planning to. But I’ve already worked hard enough, haven't I? Besides, you’re in surprisingly high spirits."
It was hard to tell what she was thinking from her expression, as usual, but she radiated the aura of an excited child who couldn't wait any longer.
"Because I get to fight you today, Orun. Maybe I’ll finally get to see the real you."
Fuuka’s eyes were sparkling.
"Come to think of it, you mentioned I was holding back before. I’m pretty sure I fought with a very serious expression in both the first and second rounds."
"I think you were trying your best on both days. But that’s not Orun’s true level, is it?"
I didn't really have an answer for that.
◇
"Hello, Haruto-san."
As I was waiting in the room, Orun walked in. I was sharing a space with him today too, apparently.
"Yo, Orun. How are you feeling?"
"I’m in top form. My opponent today is Fuuka, after all."
So he was conscious of her too. After hearing Fuuka’s evaluation of him the other day, I’d been paying close attention to his fights. However, my impression remained that his ability was merely average.
His fighting style was skillful, I’d admit that. But I couldn't help but feel that his fundamental potential didn't reach mine, let alone Fuuka’s.
"...Hey, Orun. Are you going to fight for real today?"
"I’m not sure I follow. I haven't been holding back, you know? I’m not so conceited as to think I can win while taking it easy."
As I thought, he didn't seem like he was lying. In this wide world, there were only five people I knew who even stood a chance against Fuuka. Orun wasn't one of them. Honestly, even with those five, it was just a possibility—I didn't actually think she would lose.
Fuuka was special. Though, to be fair, those other five were special too.
『Hello, everyone! The semi-finals of the martial arts tournament are about to begin! All remaining participants are S-Rank Explorers. As expected, the gap between A-Rank and S-Rank is vast! Now, let’s look at today’s match-ups. First, in the first match: Oliver Cardiff of the Hero Party versus Haruto Tendou of Copper Afterglow! A showdown between S-Rank party leaders! Next, the second match: Fuuka Shinonome of Copper Afterglow versus Orun Doura of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky! A clash between S-Rank aces! Neither match can be missed! —』
I tuned out the announcer's loud voice. As I headed toward the arena, the announcer called my name, and I walked out into the center of the ring.
Once we were in position, I checked Oliver’s expression. He was glaring at me, his face a total blank. Even though he was technically the superior fighter, there wasn't a single sign of him being careless.
(To think I’d end up fighting Oliver like this... Well, let’s see what the Hero is made of.)
Without exchanging a word, we both entered our combat stances.
『Begin!』
With the ring of a gong, we both closed the distance. Naturally, a sword had more reach than bare hands. That meant the first move would belong to him. Just like in my previous matches, I planned to parry the attack and aim for a counter.
However, contrary to my expectations, Oliver didn't swing his sword even after entering range.
(What is he up to?)
While I was struggling to read his intent, something golden manifested in the air before me. Before I could process it, it burst.
"—!?"
I reflexively leapt backward.
(That was close! What the hell was that!?)
As the shock settled, I realized what had happened. By jumping back, I had placed myself at the perfect distance for a sword strike.
"Damn it!"
Naturally, he swung. I parried the blade with my gauntlet and put even more distance between us to escape his reach. That had been a close call... the match could have ended in an instant.
(So that’s Mana Convergence. To think he can use something with enough power to level a city for such delicate tricks... I suppose I shouldn't expect any less from a Hero. But now isn't the time to be impressed. I need to destroy his sword like I did the others and pull him into my world!)
I concentrated my Ki into my fist and lunged at him.
Ki is the energy that flows within the body. Everyone possesses it, but controlling it is no simple feat. My ancestors reached the pinnacle of Ki mastery and passed their secrets down to their descendants. Because I’ve been trained in its use since I was a child, I can manipulate it as easily as breathing.
By circulating Ki internally, physical abilities are vastly improved—much like a Support Magic buff.
Furthermore, by releasing this Ki externally, one can perform various feats. For example, by injecting Ki into a target during a strike and making it explode, the object can be destroyed from the inside out. That was the secret behind my weapon destruction.
Oliver moved to counter me. Too bad for you! My target is your sword!
I matched my fist to his descending blade. At the moment of impact, I flooded the sword with Ki and triggered an explosion.
—However, the sword didn't break. Caught off-guard by the failure, I took a hit.
"Guh!"
My body moved before I could think, and I managed to retreat before he could follow up.
(What happened? I definitely touched the blade. I definitely injected the Ki.)
"You look like you've seen the impossible. Is it really that strange that my sword didn't break?" Oliver asked, his voice cold.
So, he had a countermeasure for weapon destruction.
"Man, I’m stumped..."
My combat style was specialized in breaking things. The rules of this tournament were a terrible match for me. Since I didn't want to show my full hand anyway, I’d been relying on weapon destruction to coast through.
Looking at Oliver’s blade, I finally understood why it hadn't shattered. It was his ability, Mana Convergence. By coating the blade in a film of mana, he prevented my Ki from ever reaching the metal itself.
Seriously, how versatile could one guy be? I was half-tempted to surrender then and there. But considering the future, I figured I should observe his fighting style a little longer.
Sigh... I’ll fight a bit more and then find a good spot to lose.
I didn't have a path to victory, and I felt bad for Alf-san, but there was no helping it. I committed to the plan, circulated Ki through my entire body, and boosted my physical specs.
"—!?"
He seemed surprised by my sudden increase in speed, but he remained calm and handled it. I repeated my attacks, trying to find an opening, but there was no way for me to win when I couldn't break his weapon and had to rely on punches. Oliver quickly grew accustomed to my movements and began landing counterattacks.
Gradually, I was forced to commit more and more resources to defense, until Oliver eventually pummeled me into defeat.
Damn, that really hurt...
◇
After the match, I received treatment for the bruises Oliver had gifted me and headed to the stands to find Huey and Kati.
"Oh, look. It's the Grandmaster who got beat to a pulp by the Hero," Kati said, greeting me with her usual sharp tongue.
"Isn't that a bit harsh for a comrade who gave his all?"
"Well, you were holding back and got trashed, so I don't know what else to call it."
"No, no, I was at full power! That was just my limit under these rules!"
"But if you were seriously trying to win, couldn't you have just attacked him from outside his sword's range?"
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about?"
"You're sounding a bit robotic there, Boss... We really wanted to see you win against the Hero," Huey muttered, looking genuinely depressed.
"............I’m sorry for that pathetic display. But look, I couldn't afford to corner him. Even for me, beating Oliver would have taken too much time. Let's just leave the victory to Fuuka."
『Now, it’s time for the semi-finals, Second Match! Will we see another fierce struggle like the first? First, we have the "Sword Princess," Fuuka Shinonome, who has won both her previous matches with a single stroke! Facing her is the "Dragon Slayer," Orun Doura, who has climbed the ranks with his brilliant tactical play!』
While we were talking, the second match was starting. Fuuka and Orun took their positions.
"Wait, Orun only has one sword today," Kati pointed out.
I noticed it too. Orun had been fighting with an irregular dual-wield style using a longsword and a dagger, but today he only had the longsword. He didn't even have a scabbard. Was he trying to shed every ounce of weight to match Fuuka's speed? I didn't think that was a gap that could be bridged by something like that.
『Begin!』
A while after the fight started, the crowd began to murmur. The reason was simple: despite the signal, neither Fuuka nor Orun had moved a single inch.
—Hey, it’s already started! —Hurry up and fight!
The crowd, losing their patience with the stationary fighters, began to heckle.
"Grandmaster, why aren't they moving?"
"Those two are in the middle of a desperate life-and-death struggle right now. They’re moving so fast they look like they’re standing still."
"What!? No way!?"
"Yeah, I’m lying. —Ow!"
I’d tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Kati wasn't having it and started hitting me.
"Don't tell stupid lies at a time like this!"
"I’m sorry! Stop hitting me! —Look, the second part was a lie, but the first part was true."
Once I was released from Kati’s violence, I began the explanation. Unless you were deeply well-versed in martial arts, you wouldn't understand what you were seeing.
"What do you mean?"
"They look like they aren't moving, but there are micro-adjustments happening—shifts in weight and center of gravity. They’re reading those tiny movements and playing out the battle inside their heads. It’s a battle of intent."
"...Is that even possible?"
"It’s said that in a clash between masters, the winner is decided before they even move. Fuuka is obviously in that realm... but I never expected Orun to be there too."