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From that point on, arrangements progressed with surprising speed. Before I knew it, I was standing face-to-face with Warren-san in the arena.
Normally, this place served as a training ground for the Territorial Army—Marquis Forgas's private soldiers. However, Warren-san had apparently pulled some strings with the Marquis, securing the space for our mock battle.
Aside from Warren-san and myself, Selma-san, Lucre, and several other healers were present in the arena. The spectator seats were filled with members of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. Since no word of the match had been released to the public, the crowd consisted entirely of clan personnel, yet the turnout was still impressive.
An unscheduled event, and yet so many people showed up...
"Well, well. This is certainly a spirited clan," Warren-san murmured, narrowing his eyes as he took in the rowdy enthusiasm of the crowd. "I wonder how many years it’s been since I’ve fought in an atmosphere like this."
"Everyone is supposed to be busy, yet here they are..."
"Heh, don't be like that," Selma-san cut in. "This might be an uncomfortable situation for you, Orun, but you have to understand our perspective. A match between our clan’s ace and Warren-sama—the leader of the former Hero Party and the King’s current personal guard—is bound to pique anyone’s interest."
I could certainly see why it would be fascinating to a third party. I suppose I should just be grateful that the news hadn't reached the public, especially the newspapers.
"Alright, then. It'd be a shame to keep the gallery waiting. Let's get this show on the road," Warren-san said as he summoned his sword from a storage magic tool.
The weapon was an awkward size—too large to be called a longsword, yet too small to be considered a greatsword.
"Indeed, let’s begin. But before that, do you remember our promise?"
"If you win, I tell you exactly why I asked for this mock battle, right?"
"Yes."
"Of course I remember. Just don't you go forgetting your end of the deal—answering my questions if you lose."
"I understand."
With the stakes reconfirmed, I summoned Schwarzhase and gripped it firmly in my right hand.
"Then, I will now review the rules before we begin," Selma-san announced, stepping forward once we were both ready.
"In this bout, any attack intended to kill or likely to cause permanent disability is strictly prohibited. I will maintain [Sharpness Zero] on both weapons for the duration of the fight, but I will not intervene with any other magic. Victory will be determined by surrender or if I judge that a participant is unable to continue. Warren-sama, do you have any objections?"
"None. And for the record, I don't mind if you use magic or special abilities within those rules. A contest of swords alone wouldn't be much of a fight against you."
Warren-san gave his consent, adding his own caveat. To be honest, having fewer restrictions on my magic and abilities was a relief.
"...Understood. Then, I look forward to your guidance, Warren-sama."
"Yeah! Come at me, Orun Doura—no, Hero!"
As we both took our stances, Selma-san gave the signal: "Begin!"
During his days as an Explorer, Warren-san had been known as the "Hero," but today he carried the moniker "The Guardian." While the name partially referred to his role as the King’s bodyguard, I’d heard the primary reason was his specialty as a defensive swordsman during his active years.
In modern terms, his style was likely closest to a Defender. If that was the case...
(I’ll break through his guard and seize the initiative!)
Just as I activated my Ki to rush him, I suddenly felt as if he had physically grown larger.
"—?!"
The sensation was a trick of perspective; he had closed the distance and reached me far faster than I had expected. Warren-san swung his blade with a speed that defied the eye. I barely managed to catch the strike with the flat of Schwarzhase.
Even though I’d braced myself, the blow was staggeringly heavy. I was sent flying backward. To avoid crashing into the arena wall, I used [Gravity Manipulation] to kill my momentum, sliding to a halt across the stone floor.
I hadn't felt the specific flow of mana associated with support magic buffs. That meant his movements had exceeded the limits of a human without magical enhancement.
Which left only one possibility.
(Does Warren-san know how to manipulate Ki...?)
While I was still reeling from the realization, he closed the distance again in an instant. I considered blocking and using the momentum to put distance between us once more, but this time his strike lacked the same power, subverting my expectations.
I was forced onto the defensive as he unleashed a flurry of sword strikes mixed with feints. While dodging and parrying the relentless assault, I funneled mana into a pre-constructed spell formula.
A magic circle manifested between us, releasing a shockwave of pressurized air. The moment his combo was interrupted by my [Aero Shock], I immediately leapt back to create space. Simultaneously, I poured mana into several other formulas I had been building in parallel.
First, I triggered [Rock Needle]. A magic circle appeared beneath Warren-san’s feet, and the ground erupted into countless jagged thorns. He avoided the trap effortlessly with a backward leap.
Next, I unleashed four spells almost simultaneously. I fired [Thunder Shock] from directly above his new position. Predicting his dodge, I fired two [Fire Arrows] to his left and right to cut off his escape, followed by a [Fire Bullet] aimed straight at his chest.
I didn't expect this to end the match, but I hoped that forcing him to make split-second decisions would let me seize control of the rhythm.
However, Warren-san’s judgment was far faster than I had anticipated. He pulled a small iron cube embedded with a magic stone from his storage magic tool and tossed it into the air.
The [Thunder Shock] that should have struck him from above was suddenly diverted, sucked into the iron cube as if drawn by a lightning rod.
Magic like [Thunder Shock] is fundamentally different from natural lightning. Normally, it should have ignored the iron and followed the trajectory I had set. The fact that its path had been forcibly altered meant that the iron cube was almost certainly a specialized magic tool.
At the same moment he neutralized the aerial threat, Warren-san swung his sword downward. The resulting slash cleaved my [Fire Bullet] in two and continued toward me. I was forced to abandon my follow-up and dive out of the way.
"Haha! Not bad, 'Hero.' This might be more fun than I thought," Warren-san said, a fearless smirk playing on his lips.
It made sense. A man who had spent twenty years in the military specialized in interpersonal combat, eventually becoming the King’s personal guard, would naturally be a master at handling human techniques and magic.
But that was exactly why this mock battle was so valuable.
Aside from conquering the Great Labyrinth, I had another goal: crushing the Cyclamen Cult. While some of them utilized magic beasts, the majority of the enemies I would face within the organization would be human. As it stood, I was severely lacking in experience when it came to fighting people.
This was a rare opportunity to test myself against a specialist without risking my life.
"I’m glad I could live up to the hype. In that case, I’m going on the offensive—"
Responding to his taunt, I interfered with the formulas engraved upon my own body.
"—[Restoration: Quintuple]."
To put it simply, [Restoration] was an evolved version of [Stacking]. While [Stacking] modified the formulas that acted as a limiter on my body, it was inefficient compared to [Culmination], which removed them entirely via Ki control.
Now that I could use Ki in live combat, there was no longer a need to cast the six basic support magics on myself. Instead, I left the physical enhancement to my Ki and optimized [Restoration] to focus solely on modifying the binding formulas with maximum efficiency.
This granted me physical capabilities on par with [Stacking] while extending my combat duration to a degree that was incomparable to my old methods. Of course, my ultimate goal was to maintain [Culmination] at all times, but while I had achieved that state during my fight with Felix, it had required a level of focus I couldn't yet replicate at will. I still had much to learn.
"...Oh?"
Sensing the shift in my presence, Warren-san’s expression turned wary.
(If you’re going to be cautious, I’ll hit you with everything I’ve got!)
I kicked off the ground, closing the gap in a heartbeat. At the same time, I triggered a spell. A [Thunder Bullet] lunged at Warren-san from behind. Naturally, a simple surprise attack like that didn't catch him off guard; he dodged the bolt instantly.
I didn't miss the split second he spent tracking the lightning. Using a [Reflective Wall] I had placed on the floor, I launched myself high into the air.
Warren-san lost sight of me for a fraction of a second before spotting me above. That fraction was all I needed. I used another [Reflective Wall] in mid-air to accelerate my descent.
Even Warren-san broke into a cold sweat as he prepared to intercept me. My attack, bolstered by [Gravity Manipulation], was not something that could be handled with half-hearted measures.
—Which was exactly why it made for the perfect bluff.
Just before entering his reach, I activated [Space Leap], teleporting directly behind him. I swung Schwarzhase toward his unprotected back.
—Only for Warren-san to react with preternatural speed, blocking Schwarzhase with his blade.
"—Wh-?!"
Even with [Sharpness Zero] active, I had held back slightly since I was aiming for an opening. But the fact that he could react to and stop a complete surprise attack from a blind spot was entirely beyond my expectations.
As I stood there stunned, Warren-san’s foot came flying toward me. I reflexively braced with my left arm, but the force of the kick sent me tumbling backward.
"Close one, close one. You actually surprised me there," Warren-san said, his voice casual.
I could feel myself wavering. I had been so sure that I would seize the lead, but having my best opening neutralized so easily had shaken me.
"Come on, keep it coming. I know you've got more than that!" Warren-san goaded, clearly having seen right through my agitation.