“A-and it’s decided——!! The one who triumphed in this fierce sword clash is the ! Weiss Brightness!!”

“Uoooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!!”

A thunderous cheer erupted through the Arena. From the very first match, the battle had been intense—truly befitting a swordsmanship tournament. The excitement of both the audience and the announcers soared to the heavens. To be honest, I was also surprised by the fight just now.

“What an insanely high-level melee battle…”

Unlike the preliminaries, Weiss and Flail fought at a level several stages above. There were no flashy, destructive magic attacks—it was pure swordsmanship combat, and watching it was exhilarating. But more than anything—

“His growth is beyond expectations.”

I already knew from the preliminaries that he had improved, but I never imagined he had honed his swordsmanship to the point of surpassing Refined Magic Sword Corps.

If he had relied heavily on his Bloodline Magic, I wouldn’t have been as surprised. But this was pure swordsmanship. That old man really went and created an absolute monster.

“Now then! After that thrilling first match, let’s keep the momentum going and move straight into the second round!”

Thanks to the smooth progression by the announcer, Spica Lauder, the introductions for the second-round fighters began immediately.

“First, stepping into the battlefield is a top-ranking finalist from the previous tournament and one of this year’s favorites to win! The Ice Demon, Freesia Greyfrost! And her opponent, a wandering swordsman from a remote island in the far east—Ibuki!!”

Two girls appeared in the battlefield, their contrasting long hair—one as white as snow, the other as dark as night—fluttering in the wind as cheers rained down upon them.

The sheer intensity of the crowd’s roars showed just how highly anticipated this match was. On one side stood a leading contender for victory; on the other, a mysterious swordswoman who had cut through the preliminaries with an unusual style. Apologies to the fighters in the first match, but the audience’s level of excitement for this fight was on a whole different scale.

“Now then, how will you go about defeating this swordswoman, Freesia?”

Maintaining a set distance between them, the two female swordsmen faced off, waiting for the signal to begin.

The moment we faced each other, I knew—this woman was different.

“Tch…!!”

From her stance, her presence, even the atmosphere around her—she was fundamentally unlike any swordsman I had fought before. Calling her exceptional didn’t quite capture the sheer strangeness of it. But what was most bizarre—

—was that I couldn’t sense even the slightest flicker of magic power from her.

—No matter how skilled a master is, it should be impossible to completely erase their magic’s presence. That is, unless their magic was sealed by a dragon’s curse…

But was the woman standing before me truly burdened by such a curse? That didn’t seem likely. So then—what in the world was this? The sensation was utterly foreign.

“Hah… My father—no, my master—always said that the city was an amazing place. But to think I’d meet such a stunning young lady… And one who’s a master swordsman to boot? Hah, indeed, the city is a terrifying place~.”

As I focused intensely, not wanting to miss the signal to begin, an utterly relaxed voice reached my ears.

“……Hah?”

Before I could stop myself, I let out a dumbfounded sound. The swordswoman before me wore a slightly embarrassed smile.

“Oh dear, you heard me, did you? My apologies. You see, this is my first time in a big city, attending a festival or tournament, and everything I see is so new and exciting…”

The way she scratched her head in embarrassment was indistinguishable from that of an ordinary girl. It was hardly the demeanor of someone about to enter battle.

—Does she not even recognize me as an enemy?

For a moment, an unpleasant suspicion flickered through my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

“Ahh, I truly apologize. My master is always scolding me, you know? ‘You lack urgency and are always slow to prepare!’”

She let out a carefree laugh as she toyed with the hilt of her sword—a weapon rarely seen in this region. Even stranger, a silver-threaded bell dangled from the pommel. With each subtle movement, the sword emitted a clear, melodic chime.

“But rest assured, I have no intention of underestimating you. I will fight with all my might to defeat you—”

Even now, she had yet to draw her sword. Instead, she simply lowered her stance deeply, as if preparing to spring. The moment she moved, the bell on her hilt rang once more—‘Rin.’

And at that very moment, the signal to begin was given.

“Tch────!!”

The instant I heard it, I instinctively kicked off the ground, closing the distance to strike.

“Always prepared for battle—one must live as though the clashing of blades never ceases…”

But then—an overwhelming surge of killing intent stopped me in my tracks.

“Mu-Sou Itto-Ryu—Here I come!”

The moment she declared it, the swordswoman drew her blade and slashed in a single horizontal stroke.

We were still beyond striking range. And yet—

—The very air right in front of me warped unnaturally.

“Wha────!?”

Reflexively, I leapt backward. And just a moment later, right where I had been about to step, an invisible slash tore through the space.

—What the hell was that just now!?

My mind couldn’t process what had happened. What had I just witnessed?

“Oh? You dodged that? Hmm, I suppose it won’t work as smoothly as before. In that case—!!”

I wanted to take a moment to assess the situation, but the battle had already begun. The swordswoman changed tactics, charging in directly, all while slicing through the air around me. With each cut, space itself distorted, and unseen slashes threatened to tear through me.

“Tch…! Ice Wall!!”

I quickly cast defensive magic. Ice walls materialized around me to intercept the invisible slashes, only to be effortlessly shattered. But it bought me enough time to understand one crucial thing.

“So that strange attack of yours—it’s magic, isn’t it!?”

“Correct! My lineage possesses a special form of sorcery quite different from the norm!”

She responded immediately to my shouted accusation. As the ice wall crumbled, revealing my vision, she was already in front of me. A sharp blade came down in an overhead strike, and I barely managed to parry it.

“Tch… So you’re a Bloodline Magic inheritor…!”

“Bloodline… inheritor? I don’t really understand all that, but if you’re referring to my clan’s secret art—the ability to cut through space itself—then yes, that’s exactly what this is!”

The faintest flicker of magic—something that had never been felt before—now coursed through her entire body with every swing of her blade.

A clear manifestation of magic. And not just any magic—this was the so-called bloodline magic, distinct from elemental magic. She tried to maintain her composure, but inwardly, she was shaken.

—At a glance, it looks similar to Blade Arts, but... could it be something fundamentally different?

Blade Arts was a type of magic that unleashed countless invisible slashes at will. If that were the case, then what this swordswoman had just done was—

"A spell that interferes with a designated space... is that how I should put it?"

She conjured a field of ice spikes from the ground to deter the approaching swordswoman.

"Whoa there! That’s quite the dangerous sorcery. Not something I’d expect from such a cute face... you’re rather ruthless, aren’t you?"

The swordswoman before her effortlessly leapt back, dodging the magic with ease. But that was fine. She never intended to hit her in the first place. Gaining distance was enough.

—A swing that leaps through space… how fitting.

On top of wielding this new form of bloodline magic, this swordswoman had extraordinary swordsmanship. Her blade had been her constant companion since childhood, and there wasn’t a single gap in her technique. Its refined sharpness bore an uncanny resemblance to his.

"…I don’t like this."

"Oh?"

It irritated her to no end, and the fact that she was irritated by it made her even more frustrated. She lunged at the swordswoman.

"I will absolutely win!!"

It was a childish, foolish jealousy. But for her, it was something she could never yield. The swordswoman, likely unaware of her feelings, grinned gleefully.

"A head-on clash, is it!? That’s exactly what I wanted!!"

With a look of pure delight, she raised her blade. In the span of a heartbeat, they were within striking distance of each other. She thrust forward with all her might. But instead of retreating, the swordswoman stepped in, welcoming the attack, and caught it on the flat of her blade.

"Haah! Haaa!!"

"Ha! Now that’s the spirit!"

Not resisting the force of the lunge, the swordswoman smoothly tilted her blade, slicing across her side as they passed each other.

"Tch...!"

A sharp pain, followed by the sensation of blood gushing out. The wound wasn’t deep, but it threw off her senses just enough to slow her thoughts. She swung her sword upward from below, attempting to catch her off guard.

"Hmm! That’s the way!"

But even that was effortlessly evaded with a small step back. She barely managed to graze a few strands of her opponent’s bangs.

Then, once again, she was slashed—this time on her right thigh. Ignoring it, she pressed forward. Countless clashes of steel followed.

"Come on, come on! That kind of swing wouldn’t even cut a bug!"

"Shut up!!"

No matter how many times she swung, her blade never reached the swordswoman.

—She had known from the start that she couldn’t win in pure swordsmanship alone.

She understood that well enough. Though she had charged in recklessly, her mounting injuries had begun to restore some of her clarity.

Then, how could she defeat this woman?

Impeccable swordplay, unknown bloodline magic—defending was all she could do, and even when she spotted an opening, it was effortlessly avoided.

—Was this checkmate?

The thought flashed through her mind.

"Heh... not a chance."

But she laughed at the notion. She had already found a way to win. There was no need to defeat this swordswoman in pure swordsmanship.

—I’ll use everything I have. If I can win that way, then there’s no issue at all.

"I can’t just keep getting beaten down. I won’t be able to face Clay if I do. Let’s wrap this up, shall we?"

"Oho! What will you show me next!?"

The swordswoman still wore an amused grin. She truly loved to fight.

A so-called "battle maniac." He had often called her that as well, but compared to this woman, she didn’t come close. After all, she didn’t fight for just anyone—she fought because she wanted to surpass him. She picked up the sword because she wanted to face him. Everything she did was because of Clay.

As the swordswoman casually observed her next move—

"—Turn all to the frozen ashes of Greyfrost."

She chanted the incantation, freezing the entire battlefield.

"This is—!!"

"Too late now."

The swordswoman tried to escape the spell’s range, but she was too slow. Ice crawled up from her right foot, then her left, consuming her thighs, waist, stomach, chest, and arms.

Her swordsmanship and close combat skills were exceptional—far beyond what she could match. But—

"You’ve never fought a magic battle before, have you?"

"W-what…?"

Magic changed everything.

That initial oddity—her almost nonexistent magical presence. Her curious reactions to spells. And, most telling of all—

"That leap-through-space strike of yours? You can’t use it properly unless your sword is sheathed, can you? I don’t know the mechanics, but—"

"…!!"

Her unfamiliarity with magic. During their close combat, there had been countless fatal moments where she could have finished her off with magic. But she never once tried.

Perhaps she simply wanted a pure sword fight. But ultimately, it meant one thing—her magic control wasn’t refined enough. She was, in a way, like a newborn when it came to magic.

"This tournament may be about swordsmanship, but in this country, a true knight or swordsman must also master magic. By that standard, you’re stronger than me… but you’re still incomplete."

With the magical restraint fully in place, she pressed her blade against the swordswoman’s neck.

"I concede…"

She understood better than anyone that further battle was impossible. And so, the match was decided.

"It’s overrrrrrr!! After an intense clash of swordplay, the Ice Demon clinches victory with Greyfrost’s secret technique!!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. The entire arena celebrated her triumph. But she had no time to bask in the glory.

"The tough fights keep coming…"

Next, she would face Weiss Brightness—his disciple, and someone who had begun to show signs of his potential as a Hero.

She glanced toward where he was likely seated. Far away, in the VIP section, he sat awkwardly. It was easy to spot him.

And that distance—both physical and metaphorical—was a stark reminder of the gap between them.

"Now I’m really fired up…!!"

Rather than discouraging her, it only fueled her determination. As always, he was the driving force behind her strength.