episode_0032

I never expected to be assigned the first match.

It’s like they’re treating me as an extra…

With no notable achievements and average grades, that’s probably why they arranged it this way.

“Wow! He’s handsome!”

“Please win! Please, please win!”

A cacophony of voices mixed together in cheers could be heard.

I’m not sure what they’re saying, but it seems like they want us to fight roughly and win.

“I have no intention of winning….”

If I stand out in front of the entire school like this, the chances of my identity being revealed will increase significantly.

So, I thought I should spar with my opponent reasonably and then concede before facing them.

At least until I see who my opponent is.

“…Why are you here?”

“……?”

As I walked up onto the raised stone floor in the center of the colosseum, I saw a familiar figure.

Purple hair with purple eyes.

A small and pretty face paired with a plump lower body.

“Did you also have your eyes on the first place prize?”

The person in front of me said with widened eyes.

…It was Hedy Marigold.

And unlike usual, she had put on a lot of makeup and neatly tied up her usually unkempt hair.

*

‘Why are unexpected things happening today…?’

It was the moment right before the battle began.

Hedy stood at the opposite end, holding a practice sword, poised for the match.

Why did she bother with makeup when she usually doesn’t care about her appearance?

Is it because she’s in front of the public and prominent families, so she’s being respectful?

Seeing her here made her look remarkably impressive.

I never dreamed I would end up fighting her like this.

“Now, let’s begin the first match of the round of 16 tournament!”

Before I could even think, the announcer signaled the start of the battle with amplification magic.

As soon as the battle commenced, Hedy swiftly moved forward.

-Clang!

“Ick!”

I reflexively blocked the sword coming towards me.

The dull sound of the swords clashing echoed throughout the arena.

“Do you have eyes only for me?!”

She closed the distance again, launching a fierce attack.

Judging by her footwork, the next move seemed to be the Thunderous Sword Technique.

Probably the first form, Piercing Thrust, utilizing stabbing.

She rotated to her left.

-Swish! Whoosh!

I narrowly dodged her swift thrust.

“Why do you keep dodging?!”

After backing off, she shouted in frustration.

…I had planned to exchange a few blows with whoever my opponent was, but things took a turn.

Now, I can’t just forfeit.

In the worst-case scenario, it might make her think I’m underestimating her.

That could hurt her pride.

“If you continue to ignore me…!”

In a moment of frustration, she charged at me again.

“If you won’t pay attention, I’ll make you regret it!”

Her words were harsh.

Jumping into the air, she seemed intent on smashing my skull.

And the subsequent move, lowering the trajectory of her sword all the way to the ground, appeared to be the Water Sword Technique, Torrential Strike.

Seeing her draw the sword’s trajectory all the way down from mid-air, I realized that each strike would be powerful, making it even more dangerous.

Getting hit by that would be fatal.

Even if I block, my hand would be torn apart.

I exerted all my strength, leaping sideways and rolling to evade her attack.

-Thud!

Her strike hit the stone floor.

“What! You could have countered just now! Why are you doing this?!”

She scolded me.

Her voice was filled with anger, loud enough to pierce through the cheers.

I was truly in a difficult situation.

If I were to fall here, it seemed like I would really incur her wrath.

Whether it was during lunch or any other time, if I make another mistake with her, it might be irreversible.

…I have no choice but to take this seriously.

I tried to fall during the first match, but I’ll have to fall during the second match.

Maybe I can play it off as luck in the first match.

In the second match, I’ll cast ‘Ta-da! The first match was a fluke!’

“……”

I gathered my thoughts and steadied my mind.

“Finally decided to get serious? Your gaze seems different.”

She chuckled and adjusted her stance.

Then she ran towards me.

As she approached, I closed my eyes and opened my senses.

Magic flowed through my bloodstream.

I pushed my physical abilities to the limit. No need to drag out the fight.

Continuing the battle unnecessarily would only attract unwanted attention.

People shouldn’t harbor expectations about me.

…Yet the cheers grew louder.

I could hear insults like being called a fool for not fighting back.

“Fine. I’ll grant your wishes…”

Hedi wanted me to go all out.

Finally, as she closed in on me, I sensed her sword swinging down.

I lifted my foot.

By the time people realized I had lifted my foot, the match would be over.

Those who know how to use magic and those who don’t have different levels of perception.

Just as she was about to strike with her sword, I swiftly moved behind her with a gust of wind.

-Clang!

“Huh…?”

Her neatly tied hair fluttered in the wind.

And she missed swinging her sword.

Naturally, before she could swing her sword, I forcefully struck her sword handle.

No harm was done.

I didn’t want to hurt her.

-Thud, thwack.

As her sword fell to the ground with a thud, I aimed my sword at her bewildered neck.

Including Hedi, many spectators seemed unable to follow the current situation.

However, the announcer seemed sharp-eyed.

“The match is over…! The winner of the round of 16 is… Student Sian!”

As the announcer declared the end of the match with magical amplification, the audience finally erupted into cheers.

Even though nothing was visible, it seemed like they were taken aback by the sudden end of the match.

It went according to my plan.

The audience wanted an exhilarating and fiery match.

Ending the match this way and then losing miserably in the next one would quickly fade from people’s memories.

Lost in these thoughts as I scanned the audience…

“Hmm?”

I felt a piercing gaze directed towards me.

It was a gaze coming from the nearby seats.

Our gazes naturally met.

“……”

“……”

As soon as our gazes locked, I froze.

I recognized the face.

After experiencing so much, I momentarily forgot that this person also attended the academy.

With crimson hair and blue eyes, she looked older than me, exuding a mature aura.

Her slender limbs and curvaceous figure naturally drew my gaze.

…Rozaria Di Violet.

The Fourth Princess was looking down at me with her escort knights.

“As expected… you’re no match for her,” Hedi remarked as we returned to the waiting room after the match.

Her words didn’t register with me.

Why had I forgotten this fact?

Given the high interest in the grade-level tournament, there was a good chance she would be watching too…

Having become accustomed to this world and encountering Hedi, I had momentarily forgotten many things.

“…Sian?”

At that moment, I snapped back to reality upon hearing Hedi’s voice.

Should I bury this matter for now… there are unresolved issues between us.

“Oh… no. You’ll easily reach this level soon; I just got lucky.”

“Unlucky me. Why is the winner being so humble?”

“……”

But it’s true.

Even during the Twilight Queen incident, I must have ignited a desire to become a Sword Master without participating.

She would have awakened her longing to become a Sword Master and learned to wield magic.

—

It was a clear event in the story, and it would have definitely happened if I hadn’t discovered the Magic Stone first and met her.

Later, even if I had to take responsibility, I would help her gain enlightenment.

Well, she would eventually achieve 3-star enlightenment even without me.

“Since you’ve beaten me, you must definitely come in first. Got it?”

She smiled mischievously and put her hand on my shoulder.

For some reason, her reaction felt warm.

“Oh, sure….”

“What’s wrong? Why are you reacting like such a fool?”

“….”

What’s going on?

Wasn’t she as cold as ice until yesterday?

I thought she was angry because of some mistake I made.

“Is… everything okay now?”

“…? What?”

“I wasn’t mad at you for making a mistake, right?”

“…Mistake? Haha!”

She burst into laughter, holding her stomach and throwing her head back.

“Mistake! Yeah, I made a mistake! Hahaha!”

“….”

She laughed while looking at me for a while.

As I stared at her in confusion, she continued.

“But it’s fine now. The original plan got messed up anyway.”

“The plan…?”

“Yeah. But more importantly, how do I look?”

“….?”

She leaned in close to me.

My heart skipped a beat as her face suddenly drew near.

There was a faint scent, perhaps her natural fragrance, emanating from her.

What is this feeling?

Beautiful.

Unlike her usual carefree hairstyle, her neatly tied hair looked good.

Whether it was due to makeup or not, her naturally milky skin seemed even more radiant, highlighting her sharply defined cat-like features.

Who is she trying to impress with this look?

Maybe Cain…? Perhaps they’ve already met while I was absent.

Or was it an investigation directed towards me?

I honestly expressed my impression.

“You’re pretty.”

“Really?”

She blushed shyly.

Then she said, “I’ll make up for the mistake I made with my previous statement.”

“What mistake did you make?”

“It’s a secret. Fool. Are you trying to hear that from a girl’s mouth?”

“….?”

At that moment, my curiosity grew.

“Next, we will start the next round of 16!”

The announcer’s voice boomed through the magic amplification.

Hedy and I both turned our heads towards the arena.

A participant was seen stepping onto the stone floor in the arena.

He was an ordinary-looking muscular student.

As he ascended the arena amidst the audience’s cheers, raising a fist high and showing off a decent performance.

“Round of 16, Match 2! The participant is none other than~ one of the strongest swordsmen in the 1st-year swordsmanship department~ He’s also known as the famous Deus!”

Deus.

I’ve heard that name before.

It was often mentioned in student rumors.

Despite his rock-like muscles, he was known for his agile swordsmanship skills.

Even though I didn’t know who his opponent was, I felt sorry that he had to face him in the first match.

Meanwhile, the announcer introduced the next participant.

“The student who will fight against him is~ the hidden ace of the swordsmanship department! Recently gaining recognition in the swordsmanship department for his good performances and riding the wave of success…”

As the announcer progressed, the next student participant was seen ascending the stone floor of the arena.

A student with lean muscles for a swordsman.

His eyes were sharp, neither dull nor soft, but clear.

With white tousled hair and bright golden eyes like mine.

“But where have I seen him before…?”

Just as a sense of familiarity crept in, the announcer finished the introduction and revealed the name of the next participant.

“…The dark horse of the swordsmanship department! His name is Cain!”