CH 100

A collision between black and white.

Despite the tense atmosphere, our weapons were swords and shields that were no different than children’s toys.

Even so, both of us knew that this fight wasn’t just a game.

In response to me who rushed forward as soon as the match started, Ain remained calm.

Before the distance between us closed though, he made his move.

[————-<Air Slash>!!!]

At the same time as he shouted, Ain’s right hand was raised wide.

(……As I thought! He’s fully accustomed to fighting!)

The <Air Slash> technique that Ain just unleashed is an unusually long-ranged attack for one-handed sword wielders.

It’s a simple technique of swinging down from a greatly raised sword, and a blade of wind flies out from the brandished sword.

This blade of wind has very low power, and even if it hits, it doesn’t stiffen the opponent at all, so it’s not used very often in normal combat.

However, it can be effective in this situation where a hit gains you a win regardless of the power of the technique.

The greatest advantage of this technique is that using it doesn’t hold any risk.

In this match, if the attacker launches a half-hearted attack and is parried, that settles the match in an instant.

However, if you attack from a safe distance, you don’t have to worry about receiving a counterattack, and above all, even if that blade of wind got blocked or parried, there wouldn’t be an opening in your defense.

If it works, it would be to his advantage, and if it fails, there’s no risk to him.

(———-However!)

That is, if you don’t take <Manual Arts> into consideration.

[———–<Gale Sword>.]

Shouting out the name of my technique, I leaped forward, dodging the blade of wind.

[Wha!?]

[He can evade while unleashing his Art!?]

Leaving aside the surprised exclamation of the gallery, I ran to Ain in one go.

This is the true value of Manual Arts.

If the ability to move freely as long as the trajectory of the sword is secured is added to the movement speed correction of the Art itself, even the distance provided to you by the <Air Slash> is no longer a safe zone.

[Kuh! I’m not done yet!]

However, Ain isn’t an opponent who can simply be beaten by that.

[————<Parry>!]

Ain, who had just barely released himself from the stiffness brought by the automatic use of an Art, read the trajectory of my Art and seemingly as if my attack fell into it, he parried my attack.

It’s a perfect hundred-point move that you can’t accomplish unless you have the trajectory of all the Arts in mind in advance.

—————However, <Manual Arts> overturned that.

Pulling back my sword just before it collided with his shield, Ain’s parry mercilessly strikes empty air.

This is another advantage of <Manual Arts>.

Unlike conventional Arts, which moves automatically, <Manual Arts> merely moves your sword manually, so you can interrupt your Art at any time.

[Kuh!]

As the swipe of his shield simply slices through midair, Ain’s face contorts as he realizes his blunder.

If I took the advantage of this opportunity and attacked at once, this would settle the match already.

However, this is a stage where I show the usefulness of <Manual Arts> and <Rex>’s strengths.

Daring to pull my weapon to the side, I unleashed another Art!

[—————–<Shield Break>!!!]

Shield Break is a technique that draws the sword wide to the right and swings it out to the left in a powerful strike that, just as its name suggests, is especially effective against shields.

This Art couldn’t be parried and guarded against, and if it catches a shield, it flicks away the opponent’s shield.

In this rule where parrying is strong, it’s a useful card.

[Dealing with something like this is——-!]

In a duel with these rules, this technique is something that can’t be avoided or defended against without prior knowledge, but of course, Ain would naturally know of this technique.

As if to evade my Art, Ain raised his shield up, and seeing through my sword’s trajectory, he moved his body back……

[……Eh?]

And as his body was struck by a “blade of wind” extending from my sword, he disappeared from the <Duel Room>.

Then, after a moment of silence……

[————Match over! Winner, Rex Toren!]

As all of the knights gawked in surprise, my victory was loudly announced.

※　※　※

Even after the results of the first battle were reported by General Sergen, the knights’ murmurs didn’t subside for a while.

I suppose that’s understandable.

Even though I may have been an A-Rank, Ain, the knights’ idol and the perfectly flawless genius, had been defeated by a mere adventurer.

(Suck it up! We did it, Rex!)

Most of the knights here probably didn’t doubt Ain’s victory.

However, I won.

I also did it in such a way that everyone could clearly see the intricacies of that bout.

I found it troublesome to have too much fame, but still, it somehow annoys me that Rex was seen as lower than Ain.

At least, with this, there would be no one among them that would dare underestimate “Rex”.

[————You got me. I never thought that the last <Shield Break> was a bluff.]

As I smiled with satisfaction, Ain approached.

It seems that Ain is the only one who understands the cause of his defeat.

[Should’ve expected this. You’ve already realized it huh.]

[Of course, I’m the one who received that last blow after all. The last attack was actually an <Air Slash>, wasn’t it?]

As soon as Ain revealed the answer, the surrounding knights became noisy again.

……This is the third advantage of the <Manual Arts>.

The <Air Slash> Art unleashes a blade of wind and <Shield Break> Art flicks away the opponent’s defenses.

These two techniques are completely different in nature, but the trajectory of the Arts themselves are very similar.

The difference is the direction in which the sword is drawn.

In other words, with <Manual Arts>, which allows you to freely adjust its angle, it’s easy to both release an <Air Slash> like a <Shield Break> and a <Shield Break> like an <Air Slash>.

[D- Deceiving others by calling out a different technique! How cowardly!!!]

At that moment, one of the knights who had been watching the battle shouted.

Starting with those words, words criticizing me sprung up one by one.

[You know, I’ll say this just in case————-]

I open my mouth to rebut them, but at that moment……

[————–Silence.]

His voice wasn’t particularly loud or intimidating.

However, the moment that Ain’s chilling voice rang out, the noisy knights instantly quieted down.

[Did you seriously not understand what happened? Rex went out of his way to teach us a valuable tactic. We should be grateful that we learned of this trick before it was used against us in an actual battle.]

[M- My apologies.]

The first knight who had spoken out hung his head down, at a loss for what to do under Ain’s sharp gaze.

(S- Scary……!)

At the intensity of his voice, I was trembling without showing it on my face, but seemingly having lost interest in him, Ain immediately looked away from the knight and turned around to face me.

[Fufu. This is fun. So this is <Manual Arts>. <Manual Arts> allows such ways of battle huh.]

His face had the same joyful smile as before.

Even after showing so much technique and its usefulness, Ain’s heart hasn’t broken in the slightest.

Understanding this, I readied my sword with a fearless smile.

[That isn’t all there is to it. There are many more possibilities with <Manual Arts>.]

Even after I boasted as such, there’s no one here anymore who disregarded it.

Ain showed a heartfelt, happy smile at those words……

[That’s great! Show me more! Your power, and <Manual Arts>’s power!]

And thus, the second match began.

※　※　※

(He began hesitating to attack huh?)

Although the match had begun, Ain’s movements were stiffer than in the first match.

While we have a distance between us, he didn’t shoot an <Air Slash> as he had done earlier, and he seemed to be somewhat at a loss for an offensive move.

(Well, you could say that that was the right choice.)

It’s just, for me, the best chance would be when the opponent uses an Art.

The automatic Arts can’t be canceled, and if you read their trajectory, they’re easy to parry or guard.

There isn’t much merit in initiating an attack from my side.

(Of course, Ain himself knows that.)

Now then, I wonder what kind of action he will make now?

I feel like it would be the trickiest if he just sealed using Arts altogether, but I wonder if he had the resolve to do that?

The time when our patience slowly runs out, but at that moment, the light of determination lights up in Ain’s eyes.

[……Hmph!]

A step that seems to pierce through the opening in my consciousness.

It was all just half a moment, but Ain swerved through that opening when my reaction was delayed.

To my astonishment, Ain suddenly unleashed an all-or-nothing attack!

Pulling his right hand holding the sword to the side with all his might, that movement……

[————-<Shield Break>!]

I used this technique as a bluff.

(Using this technique in this situation, as to be expected of him! However!)

I also know the trajectory of major Arts by heart.

While trying to move my shield away from his Art’s trajectory, I backstep with plenty of space away……

—————-but that’s when I noticed the smile on Ain’s lips.

A shiver ran down my spine.

The moment I realized that the trajectory of the sword aiming at me was too similar to the trajectory of my own sword earlier, I activated my Art with all my might.

(———–<Gale Sword>!!!)

It was an instant thought.

It’s too late to pull the shield back to the front now.

Just before the “blade of wind” that flew out from Ain’s sword hit my body, I somehow managed to move my sword in front———-

[…………………….Huh?]

Next thing I knew, I found myself lying on the ground.

(What just……)

The wooden sword I should have been holding is gone, only the shield remaining in my left-hand tells me that what has happened so far isn’t just a dream.

Raising my body, I ignored the numbness in my right arm and the dull ache in my back.

In my blurred consciousness, I can see in the distance the figure of the prince, raising his sword majestically in the center of the stage.

The cheers of the onlooking knights shake my eardrums.

And then……

[————Match over! Winner, Ain Brightis!]

Hearing the loud announcement, I finally knew that I got defeated.

※　※　※

As time passes and my thoughts become clearer, I now realize the abnormality of the situation.

(If I remember correctly, I should have interrupted Ain’s <Air Slash> with my <Gale Sword> at the moment it was about to hit me. And yet……)

Normally thinking about it, this situation happening wouldn’t have been possible.

Looking at it again though, there’s only one answer that comes to mind.

[Blown away huh? The sword I used to block and my whole body out of the stage……]

As I staggered up to the ground, I saw the wooden sword lying a few meters away.

(This is…… the 3 times difference between our STR.)

The Art Ain used was <Air Slash>.

Moreover, what had hit me wasn’t the tangible part of his sword with relatively high power, but the “blade of wind”, whose power could only be considered as some bonus.

In response to this, I used <Gale Sword>, which should have been reasonably powerful, but I was pushed back and was even sent flying out off the stage.

[H- Hahaha……]

A dry laugh leaked out from my mouth.

The difference in our fighting power is just too unreasonable.

However, there’s just that one thing that I still can’t agree with.

—————At that time, Ain definitely manually executed <Air Slash>.

I wonder if Ain had been practicing <Manual Arts> even before meeting me.

As far as I know, Ain isn’t the type of person who would tell such a lie.

But if that’s not the case, what in the world……

Having such thoughts in mind, I returned my gaze to Ain, and saw a scene that filled me with more despair.

At the end of my gaze, Ain’s sword shines……

[————–<Gale Sword>.]

Ain’s sword slices through the air.

[You’ve gotta…… be kidding me.]

He definitely just manually executed <Gale Sword>.

It’s also a perfect one, just like the trajectory I used in our first bout.

[Hmmm. As I thought, trying to reproduce it after just seeing it once is difficult.]

With those words, I finally knew the truth.

————–And for the first time, I understood the meaning of the word “Genius” that has been attached to his being.

It isn’t that Ain learned how to use <Manual Arts> before.

He just learned how to use it by watching me use it during the match.

[……H- Haha. That’s just cheating, isn’t it?]

I no longer knew what kind of expression I had on my face.

Seeing me like that, Ain, who was on the stage, tilted his head in wonder.

[Rex? The match isn’t over yet. Let’s start the final bout.]

And then, he smiled.

Innocently…… Cruelly……

Such a perfect, flawless smile, without any other intentions or malice behind it……

[—————I’m looking forward to it. I wonder what techniques you’ll show me next?]

At that moment, I knew that my heart was about to break.

With a clang, my shield drops from my left arm.

—————I couldn’t win.

If even an <Air Slash> is that powerful, the moment our Arts will collide, my weapon will just be knocked away and just like before, I will be sent flying out of the stage.

The only way for me to win was to avoid having my attacks collide with each other, directly attacking Ain’s body.

However, I no longer had the only advantage I had, <Manual Arts>.

On the contrary, every time I show him a technique, he gets stronger!

[……Rex?]

Silently picking up my unequipped shield and the sword that had fallen on the ground, I headed over to the equipment compartment.

(……Come to think of it, there’s no need to force myself to fight.)

This fight doesn’t really have any special prizes like that time with Nirva.

In the first bout, the Knight Order should have been able to tell how amazing <Manual Arts> is and how useful it is.

So, my objective has already been achieved.

In fact, if I had won that second bout, considering how these guys adore the prince, it might just bite my ass later.

[There we go.]

As I threw my shield into the row of training equipment, I inwardly nodded to myself.

Even Ain wasn’t a completely insensible guy.

If I told him that we shouldn’t play out the third bout and end this with a draw, he would back down.

Yeah, that would definitely be the best!

Concluding that in my mind, I roughly showed my left hand into the wooden sword case.

Then, with light steps, I returned to the front of the stage……

[Sorry.]

———and apologized to Ain.

[……Heh? What’s that supposed to mean?]

Ain asked curiously.

Well, looking at how I’m equipped, it’s only natural for him to act like that.

That’s why, I answered proudly.

[————I mean, we can use any weapon we want, right? If that’s the case, then using two swords should be no problem.]

As I said this, I held in my hands not the sword and shield I had been using earlier, but two swords instead.

In other words, I’m Dual-wielding.

The reason I went to the equipment closet earlier was to put back the shield I didn’t need and pick up another sword.

Naturally, there was no way I’d just give up on this fight.

Certainly, there was no merit in fighting here, and there would be something to be gained by settling this with a draw.

Even still, I will fight, and I will beat Ain.

Why fight for no gain?

Of course, that goes without saying.

————–Losing is frustrating after all!!!

The consequences of my actions here, showing the possibilities of <Manual Arts>, to heck with that now.

I’ll just go fight in this d*mned match and beat this guy!

[……Hehe.]

Even though I’m holding my swords for the most ridiculous reason ever, for some reason, I’m filled with the greatest desire to fight I’ve ever felt.

With that single thought of beating the composure out of this guy’s face, I strongly gripped my swords.

And thus……

[————-Round three…… Start!!!]

The fateful final match has begun.