Side: Yuki

『And now, the second match is finally about to begin. We ask all spectators to return to their seats as soon as possible.』

The announcement could be heard all the way inside the waiting room.

Apparently, the loudspeakers were pretty decent.

"So, Taiki-kun, are you ready?"

I asked, calling out to Taiki-kun who was sitting relaxed in front of me.

"Yeah. I'm good. I've warmed up plenty."

"...Meanwhile, Eoid looks like he's about to die, though."

Taiki-kun rolled his shoulders around, showing that his body was sufficiently loosened up. Meanwhile, Eoid didn't even seem to have the energy to answer. All he could do was breathe heavily, his shoulders rising and falling.

"Well, after all that, there's hardly any time left to be nervous, right? Yuki-san, are you going to put Eoid through even more training after this?"

At Taiki's words, Eoid flinched. Apparently, he could still hear us.

"...Let's not. If we push him any further, he may not be able to move."

"Then I guess you two will watch my match together?"

"That's best. If you're not training, you should observe the stage where you'll be fighting. Watching Taiki-kun fight will probably be a good experience for you too. Can you move, Eoid?"

"...Yes."

Eoid finally managed to answer.

Man, what an utterly exhausted voice.

Well, if he can answer, he can fight well enough. Someone who's truly exhausted would fall asleep before they could even reply.

"So, Taiki-kun, what method are you planning to use?"

"Naturally, I'll be going with the sword."

"Physical attacks aren't allowed, you know?"

"I know that. This is the type of weapon that turns a staff into a sword."

"Ah, so you're not using your personal sword?"

"Of course not. If I used that, I'd end up joining the ranks of the Holy Sword wielders."

"If you're willing to handle it yourself, you're free to join the Holy Sword wielders, you know?"

"Please give me a break. Who would take on that kind of trouble? I'm already busy enough with regular duties."

Yeah, right.

I don't want any part of that either.

In particular, Taiki-kun's Hero's Sword is a specially enchanted sword infused with three attributes, breaking the common sense of this New Continent where it's usually one attribute per weapon.

Just possessing it is a huge issue, but if it became known that he could wield it freely, he'd instantly become the absolute center of attention across the entire New Continent.

Normally, people would take such a story with a grain of salt, but with it currently being broadcast live, it will remain on record, making excuses impossible.

"Speaking of which—who's my opponent?"

"No idea. Ardes seemed to be scrambling to put the participants together. I wasn't particularly interested, either. Did you want some information beforehand? Kirika probably knows. Want me to call her?"

"Ah, no. You don't need to go that far. I was just asking out of curiosity. In this world, situations where you can fight while knowing every card in your opponent's hand are rare anyway. It's good practice for me."

"I see. Well, just make sure you don't get caught off guard."

"Still, I never thought I'd stand on a stage like this. How should I put it... isn't this like the World Martial Arts Tournament?"

"Ah, I thought the same thing."

Right, right. There's no tournament champion title or anything, but visually, it feels just like the World Martial Arts Tournament.

And the fact that it was a stage rather than a wrestling ring made the association even stronger.

"Ora, I'm getting hyped!"

"Nice. I forgot to say that line myself."

"What? What a waste!"

Though I ended up doing gag techniques during my match anyway.

While we were chatting like that, Vice Headmaster Lara entered the waiting room.

"Um, it's time, so Taiki-dono, please head outside."

"Alright, understood."

Taiki-kun stood up and headed outside.

"Hey, Eoid, say something to him."

"Ah, yes. Do your best."

"Thanks. I'll show you a good performance as your master."

Following him, we also left the waiting room and moved to a position where we could watch.

『Now, before the second match begins, I would like to introduce both contestants! First, ranking at an incredible 8th place in the Academy!! One of the 'Single Digits', the Academy's absolute top fighting force!! Soel Warber!!』

'''WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!'''

With Ratz's introduction, someone stepped onto the stage...

Huh?

A beautiful girl with long, straight, light-blue hair flowing behind her.

...A beautiful girl? A woman!?

"Whah!?"

It was completely unexpected for Taiki-kun too, as he let out a weird voice next to me.

『As you can see, she is a beautiful female student. Wow, this Academy really can't be underestimated. Who would have thought that such a lovely young lady would be one of the Single Numbers, one of the Academy's strongest fighters?』

『Incidentally, although she has a family name, she isn't a noble. The Warber family may be familiar to some of you. They are fairly famous merchants who supply goods to the royal families of various countries.』

'''OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'''

Surprised voices echoed through the crowd.

Well, having connections with royalty and nobility is quite rare, after all.

『This is exactly the sort of thing that makes the Academy unique. She is in a position where she wouldn't have to fight in dangerous places. However, she wanted to make use of her talents, so she enrolled in the Academy. She steadily developed those talents and eventually became one of the Academy's strongest fighters, entering the Single Numbers. She is truly a genius born from a meritocratic system!』

Hooh, a wealthy merchant's daughter, huh?

She could probably live more luxuriously than most nobles, or even royalty.

I wonder what drove her this far?

"...Could she be a battle maniac?"

"...Please don't say things like that. I'm desperately trying to figure out what to do here."

For Taiki-kun, this was way more unexpected than he'd imagined.

Having a female as an opponent comes with far too many disadvantages in terms of holding back.

If they met as outright enemies, he wouldn't hesitate—after all, he did drive away the princess of his own country back then.

If she were an enemy, he wouldn't hesitate, but this was a duel.

Calling her an enemy would be wrong, but she isn't exactly an ally either.

"Cleana, Samantha. Do you two know that Soel girl?"

"Oh, right. Do you two know anything about her?"

While the lengthy introduction was going on, I tried to extract some info from my wives.

"...Nn. I know her."

"It would be strange not to. Cleana-san, Soel-san, myself, and the people ranked first and second are all women."

"Huh? The top three are all women?"

"...? Ah. Yuki, you're mistaken. On this New Continent, for some reason, women are much more capable of using magic."

"Yes. In Yuki-sama's continent, both genders seem equal in that regard, but here, whether as Magic Sword or Holy Sword wielders, there are far more women capable of using magic. If anything, it's surprising that there are only five women in the top ten."

...The men of this continent must have it pretty rough.

"I see. So, what magic is that Soel girl good at...?"

『Now, regarding her specialty in magic... This is astonishing! She is a triple-element user! Fire, earth, and wind!』

"...Just as Ratz said, she uses multiple attributes. I have four. After Yuki taught me wind the other day, I have five: fire, water, earth, ice, and wind."

"I, on the other hand, am far inferior with only two attributes. Of those, I can mainly use ice for offensive purposes. Water isn't particularly suited to attacking... I apologize for being so untalented..."

Cleana aside, Samantha started feeling down while talking about herself.

She didn't need to push herself to say that, though.

It would be a bit embarrassing to hug her in public here, so I patted her on the head instead.

"Ah..."

"Talent doesn't matter. Look, it's just like with your father and mother, Samantha. As long as there's love, right? Let's all do our best together."

"...Yes!! Thank you very much!!"

"...Nn. Samantha, let's all do our best together."

"That's right. If we're talking about a lack of talent, I was merely a village girl."

"...What is this Hero saying?"

While my wives were strengthening their bonds with one another, Taiki-kun had a rather pleased expression on his face.

"Did you come up with a good strategy?"

"Yeah, this works out great. I'll try testing that out."

"Huh? T-Taiki-san. Your opponent is ranked eighth, you know!? No matter how strong you are..."

Ah, Eoid doesn't know Taiki-kun's true capabilities, so naturally he's worried.

"Don't worry about it. Just watch. Taiki-kun is amazing, you know?"

"Watch closely, Eoid. This is what I'm capable of."

...Though I suspect he's planning to show off his abilities in the same playful way I did.

『And now, the opponent who will face the eighth-ranked Soel Warber! This man! An exchange student from Jilva and Enaria, with an unknown ranking! However, he has a relationship with the contestant Yuki that is practically like that of brothers, so I personally hold his abilities in very high regard! His name is... Taiki!』

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

"Ehh—what is with that ridiculously high praise?"

"Go on, get out there."

"Wait a sec!?"

Ratz's over-the-top introduction got the crowd fired up, while Taiki's enthusiasm plummeted.

In a way, that's terrifying.

Taiki-kun nervously advanced toward the center of the stage where Soel-san was waiting.

『Now, as for contestant Taiki's abilities, they are almost entirely unknown! As you can see, since he uses a sword as a medium to fight with magic, we should view him as a speed-based combatant!』

Wait, Eris, you know, right?

You know Taiki-kun's fighting style, right?

Because when we first met, all of my wives launched a coordinated attack on him!

You guys almost killed him!

『In that case, given that contestant Soel's style is listed as relentless long-range attacks to keep the opponent from striking, this match will likely come down to one single question: Can contestant Soel defeat contestant Taiki before he closes the distance?』

No, magic from this New Continent is completely ineffective against someone of Taiki-kun's level.

Naturally, it doesn't work on my wives either.

『You're a member of the mercenary corps that Eris-san, who defeated the Headmaster, belongs to, correct?』

『Um, yes.』

Hmm?

Their conversation is being broadcast across the entire arena via the microphone Vice Headmaster Lara is holding.

『No, I fall quite short compared to Eris-san.』

Yeah.

In a lot of ways, that wasn't wrong.

In a serious, direct clash, Taiki-kun would have the advantage, but as the person holding financial authority over almost all of Weed, even various foreign nations fear her.

Naturally, Taiki-kun's own country, which has diplomatic ties with us, can't raise its head against Eris either.

She's the one providing their financial aid, after all.

『Quite short, you say...? I will not be careless like Ardes-san. I will come at you with full power from the very beginning.』

『Sure. Let's have a good match.』

Saying that, the two opened up some distance between them.

It was the same during my match; they stood quite far apart, seemingly keeping enough distance to cast magic spells.

From here, it would come down to whether each fighter chose to overwhelm the opponent with a barrage of attacks or go for one powerful strike.

Then Vice Headmaster Lara raised one hand...

"Give it your all until the very end, and use your magic! That is the path toward becoming the strongest and gaining the power to protect as many people as possible!"

Her clear voice echoed throughout the arena without the use of a microphone.

"With this, the duel between Soel Warber and Taiki begins... Start!!"

Her hand swung down.

'''WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!'''

As cheers erupted, Soel immediately created a boulder larger than a human being.

『Oooh! Unlike the first match, contestant Soel intends to attack right away!』

『Indeed. Since contestant Taiki uses a sword as his medium, we can assume he specializes in high-powered close-range attacks. It is a sound judgment to crush him before he can get close. And there she goes! That's earth magic—a Stone Shooter!』

Ooh, that's faster than I expected.

If that hit a normal person directly, wouldn't they be flattened?

It would instantly be classified as explicit gore.

Given its high speed, it should hit Taiki-kun head-on, but...

『Hold on?! The massive boulder stopped in mid-air! It hasn't reached contestant Taiki... did contestant Soel stop it to block his field of vision...? Wait, OOOOOOH!!』

"What!?"

'''OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!'''

Along with shouts of amazement, the massive boulder was sliced clean in two and fell to the ground.

And beyond it stood Taiki-kun, dangling his sword loosely as he muttered:

"Earth Slash."

Ohhhh, he actually went for the classic move!?

That technique—the ultimate Earth technique that slices through hard objects and enemies.

Is he planning to complete that ultimate sword technique on this stage!? It really was the perfect sword technique for a fantasy world like this.

But the older you get, the harder it becomes to say the name of that technique without feeling embarrassed. Because it was a dream we had as children.

...And Taiki-kun actually intends to go through with it!?

『W-What an incredible display!! He sliced through the flying boulder!!』

『It is likely wind magic. There is no way a boulder moving at that speed would simply drop straight down after being cut. However, at a glance, that was a remarkably clean cut. A truly formidable close-range spell, I must say.』

No, that's not it.

When a human is completely exhausted, they tend to use the absolute minimum necessary movement—unwasted action. An unwasted attack becomes maximum firepower, creating a state where weapon and physical capability are in perfect harmony, resulting in a clean cut.

Though that's literally just quoting a certain master's explanation word-for-word!!

In reality, he's probably using magic control to mimic Eoid's reinforcement, boosting the strength of his sword.

『However, contestant Taiki isn't moving for some reason! Taking advantage of that opening, contestant Soel has decreased the size of her projectiles to increase her rate of fire!』

『Even so, they're still almost as large as a person. If fired at the speed of her previous attack, they would cause fatal injuries.』

Soel seemed to have switched to a barrage of attacks against the stationary Taiki.

But...

Taiki had been waiting for this.

After all, this was his chance to put on a show.

THUD THUD THUD THUD—

Heavy sounds echoed through the arena as the rocks crashed onto the stage.

"N-No way..."

Soel-san had a look of disbelief on her face.

And understandably so...

『Incredible! Contestant Taiki sliced through every single one of those countless rocks!! That is amazing!!』

『I see, the reason he stayed still was because this level of attack is meaningless against him. It doesn't even constitute a proper challenge.』

Just as Eris said, attacks of this level weren't enough to make Taiki-kun move.

Because when he finally moves, it will be after demonstrating all three sword techniques!

"...Why aren't you moving?"

Finally realizing that he was holding back, Soel spoke to Taiki-kun in a chillingly cold voice.

The man himself, still holding his sword dangling loosely, answered nonchalantly.

"Well, because you haven't gone all out yet either, right, Soel-san? You've only shown me one attribute so far. And you're the challenger in this fight. There's no reason for me to make the first move. You want to make this a good match, don't you? First, you need to make me move from this spot. Or was that your full power?"

Whoa, provoking a beautiful girl like that is pretty uncharacteristic of Taiki-kun.

Well, if he went all out, the match really would be over in an instant.

And if he wanted to show off those sword techniques, Soel's choice of magic attributes was almost too convenient.

They were basically joke techniques, so even though they had an unexpected factor, they weren't techniques he could use constantly. If I trained with him and we compared their firepower, we'd prove that they had almost no practical application.

In that sense, Soel was the perfect opponent.

"Very well. I did say I would go all out, but I was also testing you—to see if you were a worthy opponent for me. So, how about this?! Fire Wall!!"

Ah, she's mad now.

She must have had a decent amount of confidence in her previous attack.

Next, she switched to fire magic, huh? With a wall of fire, normally there's no way to avoid it other than dodging. In other words, she can achieve her goal of making Taiki-kun move.

...Normally, that is.

"Fire cannot be cut like rock!! It has no physical form to begin with!! If you don't move, you'll be burned to a crisp!! With only close-range attacks, it's impossible for you to counter!!"

However, Taiki-kun didn't move.

Soel-san, just like Ardes did during my fight, was preparing to follow up once Taiki-kun dodged.

But why did you assume fire couldn't be cut?

—And then, Taiki-kun swung his sword.

No one except the members of Weed would probably be able to perceive his movement.

WHOOOOOOOOSH!!

"E-Eh...?"

Soel-san could only stand there with her mouth agape at the sight before her.

Right in front of her, the wall of fire was clean cut, splitting in two to bypass Taiki-kun entirely.

With his stance ending in a follow-through swing, anyone watching would naturally think...

『Incredible! He cut the fire!! He actually sliced it!! Clean in two!! Split right down the middle!!"

『...I suspect it's an application of wind magic, but this is truly remarkable. Simply throwing a single strike would only poke a hole that immediately seals up. To split it in two like that, one must continuously generate a tremendous gust of wind to keep the flames parted.』

Even Eris was surprised.

Because in reality, he didn't use magic at all.

He literally sliced through it with sheer speed.

"Wave Slash."

Taiki-kun muttered.

Yes—this sword technique is the sea technique that slices through formless things like water and fire.

"Unbelievable... I never imagined you were this skilled. Fine! Then witness my wind magic!"

Soel activated another spell.

...Hmm?

That magic formula... Wait, what!?

『W-What's this?! Contestant Soel has multiplied?! There are four of her!! A-Am I seeing things I wonder!?』

Just as Ratz shouted, Soel had split into four.

It was a strange formula, but that must be it—altering the refraction of light to create illusions/clones.

That type is an absolute pain to maintain.

Wouldn't it be easier to make them with water magic? ...Ah, right, she doesn't have Water.

『I-It's likely an application of wind magic. Headmaster, are you familiar with that spell of hers?』

『Yes. It's a magic spell that could be called her trump card. Wind doesn't just create gusts; when applied like that, it can also act like a mirror. Furthermore, those illusions are composed of violent winds, so simply approaching them will inflict damage.』

『I see. Then surely, contestant Taiki won't be able to stay still now—』

"Air Slash."

POP POP POP POP!!

Eris, you're naive!!

The final technique uses the mind's eye to see through to the true nature and strike that single point.

Namely, in this case, destroying the source activating those illusions in a single instant. Well, in reality he probably just used magic perception to check where the source was, but it means the same thing, so it's fine.

This is the technique of the air—slaying an unseen enemy.

Whether fighting spirit exists in this world is unknown, so mana was likely used as a substitute.

Still, while it's partly because her magic attributes matched up so well, to think he mimicked those moves to this extent... No, this is an homage!!

I can feel that burning passion! As boys growing up in Japan, every single one of us tried to copy it!!

"I-It's impossible... In a single instant..."

As Soel-san stood there dumbfounded, Taiki-kun finally made his move.

『Oh! Contestant Taiki has moved for the very first time!! ...Wait? Something seems odd about this!!』

『He's holding his sword backward, isn't he? What's the point of that? It isn't even a knife...』

Eris!! You shouldn't nitpick that!!

It's about the cool factor!!

It's tradition!!

It's a dream!!

"Soel-san, this time, I'll be the one attacking."

"Kh!?"

At Taiki-kun's words, Soel-san realized she had missed her chance to attack and immediately took a defensive stance.

『Oohhhh! Contestant Taiki is going on the attack this time! But upon his declaration, a wall of rock erupts, wrapped in flames, with violent winds howling around it!! He can't get close!! Approaching will guarantee damage!!』

『...No, contestant Taiki intends to execute his attack anyway! Lowering his center of gravity, he leaps forward!』

Go on, Taiki-kun! Do it!!

Cut the earth.

Cut the sea.

Cut the sky.

And then unleash the technique that cuts through everything!!

『C-Contestant Taiki's sword is glowing!?』

『I-Is that lightning?』

"AVAN STRAAAAAASH!!"

Well said!!

Taiki-kun, nobody in Japan would ever call you a ripoff artist for this!!

This is an homage!!

Show her!!

Show her the power of the legendary technique that boys across Japan all tried to copy!!

And then, a flash of light completely engulfed the barrier protecting Soel-san...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

A roaring explosion echoed across the arena.

『Contestant Soel has been swallowed along with her defense barrier by the flash of light—!!』

『Judging by the sound alone, we can tell it possessed tremendous power, but this makes one worried for contestant Soel's safety...』

Ah, crap.

I accidentally got caught up in the excitement, but is she okay?

Hmm, Taiki-kun isn't flustered at all, so he must have held back properly.

Sure enough, as the smoke cleared, the collapsed form of Soel-san came into view, and Vice Headmaster Lara hurriedly rushed over to check her condition.

『She is fine! Her life is in no danger! She is merely unconscious! The winner of this match is contestant Taiki!!』

'''WOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!'''

Thundering cheers filled the duel arena.

『Wonderful! The audience seems utterly thrilled by this magic battle! I, too, was quite astonished!』

『Yes. There were spells I had never seen before either, so I learned a great deal. It seems the world of magic still holds immense depth.』

『...Oh! Contestant Soel seems to have woken up! Though she lost, let us give a round of applause to her for showing us a brilliant battle, and to contestant Taiki for securing the victory!!』

Clap clap clap clap!

"Taiki-sama!! You were wonderful~~!!"

Ah, Airi-san was waving her hand at Taiki-kun.

Next to her, Riel and Filia looked inexplicably drained for some reason... Why is that?

"...Haaah, I never thought there would be such a gap in strength between us. You were wonderful, Taiki-san."

"No, you were amazing too, Soel-san."

"Fufu, I'm glad to hear you say that. By the way, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"From what I've heard, the lady waving at you over there is your wife?"

"Yes, that's my wife, Airi."

"Do you have any concubines or secondary wives?"

"No, I don't..."

Hmm, things are taking an interesting turn.

Recording this was definitely the right choice. Hehehe...

"A man as accomplished as you, Taiki-san, would naturally be expected to have concubines. If you don't mind, may I put myself forward as a candidate?"

"WHAT!?"

"Of course, I have no intention of trying to oust Airi-san. I will speak with her properly to get her understanding. Ah, I need to contact my father. Well then, see you later!"

"W-Wait a minute!?"

Despite Taiki-kun trying to stop her, Soel-san ran off in a hurry.

Man, this just got real interesting.

She's the daughter of a wealthy merchant, making her far more convenient for Taiki-kun than some petty noble.

Well, I was ignoring Taiki-kun's personal opinion and considering it from the perspective of his country.

Her character seems fine, so the rest just comes down to whether she can get along with Airi-san.

『Contestant Soel has sprinted off! Losing must have been quite tough on her. Now then, the third match will begin after a 30-minute break. Audience members, please take this time to use the restrooms.』

『Yes. During this time, we will introduce the sponsors, collaborators, and contributors who helped with this Duel Festival. First, for providing the duel arena, Lancer Magic Academy; for guarding the duel arena, the Mercenary Guild; for publicizing to the city...』

While the broadcast continued, Taiki came trudging back toward us.

Despite having won, he looked like the loser.

"...What should I do?"

"...Good luck. I've been through this myself. Don't worry. I recorded that entire conversation properly. There's no escaping now."

"Gah!? Wait, delete that!"

"Can't do that. We need Soel-san's consent, and you guys need to watch it so you can get a better idea of what she's like, right?"

"Gyaaaah!! This is a public execution!!"

Just accept your fate, man.

I was exchanging those words with Taiki-kun when a strange voice came from behind.

"...U-Um..."

"Hm?"

Looking back, Eoid was standing there, his face stiff with tension.

"I-I can't fight like Taiki-san!!"

He was already on the verge of tears.

However, seeing him like that, Taiki-kun and I couldn't help but laugh.

"W-Why are you two laughing!?"

"Well, because you have your own way of fighting, Eoid."

"Yeah. There's no need for you to copy us."

Then, Taiki-kun and I lightly bumped our fists against Eoid's chest.

"Go strike with everything you've got. You already know you're weak, right?"

"Yes."

Taiki-kun simply told him to challenge it.

However, for Eoid, the duel itself was secondary.

Taiki-kun was referring to something else entirely.

"Show Amanda your true feelings through this duel."

"YES!!"

That's right—because this stage belongs to Eoid and Amanda.

Do your best, kid.

* * *