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I hadn’t moved a single step since the fight began, yet I could feel the fatigue mounting within me.
(This is bad... No matter how I plan to strike, I can only envision my own defeat.)
A good deal of time had passed since the start of the match, but I was still struggling to find an opening.
Fuuka watched me with a cool, composed expression. She shifted her stance with effortless grace, seemingly nonchalant as she adjusted to counter every move I even considered making.
At this rate, I’d be the one to collapse from exhaustion first.
However, it wasn't as if I had gained nothing. Through our dozens of exchanges thus far, I had managed to grasp the nature of Fuuka’s Future Sight to some extent.
First, regarding how far ahead she could see: it was likely only a few seconds. Even at its peak, she probably couldn't see more than ten seconds into the future.
Second, the future Fuuka saw was not predetermined.
If she were seeing an unchangeable, absolute future, she wouldn't need to go out of her way to react to my movements. Yet, every time I shifted my intent, Fuuka adjusted her countermeasure in kind.
If this was all a bluff, then I was truly at a loss; for now, I had to operate on this assumption. Besides, if my theory was wrong, I didn't stand a chance of winning anyway.
It had taken a considerable amount of time, but I finally had the information I needed.
(I guess this is the only way...)
My greatest strengths were my adaptability and my responsiveness. I prided myself on the fact that I didn't lose to anyone in those two areas—not even to Fuuka, the strongest swordsman I knew.
I couldn't use magic here. Therefore, I would take every bit of the mental capacity I usually devoted to spellcasting and pour it all into this single attack.
No matter how much of the future she could see, Fuuka was still human. There had to be a limit to what she could process.
Steeling my resolve, I lunged toward her.
Naturally, seeing the future, Fuuka moved to take the optimal response to my approach.
—The moment I saw the first sign of her reaction, I changed my action.
(Feints are meaningless. Every single movement has to be made with the full, genuine intent to follow through!)
I shifted my actions dozens, hundreds of times before I had even closed the ten-meter gap. I was moving with the speed of a spinal reflex, my body outpacing my own conscious thoughts.
I entered her sword range, my blade swinging even as I continued to pivot my intent with every micro-second—
"Huff... huff... huff..."
My sword stopped just a hair’s breadth from Fuuka's neck.
If I hadn't halted the blade, the steel would have certainly bitten into her skin.
Fuuka stood frozen, her eyes wide. Just as I had planned, by forcing her to glimpse countless shifting futures in a single instant, her information processing had ground to a halt. She was in a state of total mental shutdown.
"......I didn't know there was a method like that. I couldn't move."
Fuuka muttered the words in her usual detached voice. However, her expression betrayed a sense of utter disbelief.
"Huff... huff... I'm glad I managed to catch you off guard. Can we... call this my win?"
Because I had pushed my brain to its absolute limit, a heavy sensation throbbed in my skull, much like the feeling of overusing magic. If I forced myself to think any harder, a migraine would definitely follow.
"Yes. If this were a fight to the death, I would be dead. —I lose."
『Eh... Is it over...?! Th-The winner is Orun Doura!』
Following Fuuka's declaration of surrender, the announcer informed the audience that the match had concluded.
Naturally, many of the spectators were dissatisfied with both the process and the abrupt result. A storm of heckling broke out, even more intense than before. I could understand their frustration, but we were fighting for our lives down here while they just shouted whatever they liked...
It couldn't be helped. I had no chance of winning against her in a straight, honest duel.
The only reason I had managed to pull off a victory today was because this was a match with established rules. This style of fighting would be impossible outside the Martial Arts Tournament. Devoting my entire processing capacity—the mental space I normally reserved for magic—solely to the goal of reaching Fuuka with a sword was something I’d be too terrified to do in a real dungeon.
If I ever had to fight Fuuka anywhere else, I would focus entirely on how quickly I could escape. Depending on the situation, of course.
Besides, this tactic was a one-time surprise. She would undoubtedly have a countermeasure ready the next time we crossed blades.
"...Why didn't you get serious?"
As I withdrew my sword, Fuuka posed the question.
"...What do you mean?" I replied, not understanding her intent.
"The other day, you were slightly serious."
"When was 'the other day'? During the Joint Subjugation?"
She shook her head slowly. Then when?
"When we fought at the Flockhart Trading Company. Your movements had more edge than usual."
Ah, that time. So by "serious," she meant when I used Stacking?
"That was a buff from my Original Magic. I can't use magic in this tournament."
"...? Magic? But what's needed for the release is Kotodama using Ki, right?"
Fuuka tilted her head in confusion.
There it was again. "Ki." And "release"? What was she talking about? It seemed Fuuka and I were speaking entirely different languages when it came to our abilities.
"...I see. I didn't understand why you were able to defeat the Black Dragon, but now it makes sense."
While a question mark practically floated over my head, she seemed to have reached her own private conclusion.
"It's no use telling the current Orun, but remember this. I am your sword. Even if the world becomes your enemy, I will fight by your side."
...The world becomes my enemy? What was she suddenly talking about?
Between the mental fatigue and her cryptic words, I couldn't even begin to grasp her meaning. Without another word, Fuuka turned and walked toward the waiting room.
『It was a somewhat abrupt conclusion, but with this, our two finalists have been decided! First, the "Hero," Oliver Cardiff! And his opponent, the "Dragon Slayer," Orun Doura! The match will begin tomorrow at 10:00 AM! Tomorrow, the strongest Explorer in Tsutrail will finally be crowned! Everyone, don't miss it!』
The audience erupted again at the announcer's hype. Listening to the roar of the crowd, I made my way back to the waiting room.
And so, I had advanced to the finals.
Next was the fight with Oliver.
I knew his movements as well as Derrick’s—no, even better—but he now possessed techniques I didn't fully understand, like his new application of Mana Convergence.
Just like Fuuka, he wasn't an opponent I could expect to defeat easily.