Their intense match had become a martial arts demonstration that moved the spectators. Once they noticed the match, the audience was riveted, unable to look away even for a moment. Amidst this, Farah spoke in a small voice.
“Ah, please do your best… Both of you, please do your best!!”
The nobles around her who noticed her voice began to think back on how they had initially viewed the scene unfolding before them, and they felt ashamed. The two were sword fighters, battling with pure hearts.
Sometimes, matches fought with determination and bearing the thoughts of others shake the heart and move people. That was what was happening in this royal match. A nobleman who heard the princess’s voice shouted, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Wi… Win for us!! Lady Asna, show the pride of Renalute to Magnolia!!”
Those words may not have been appropriate for a noble in this situation, but no one paid any mind. Instead, those words and emotions spread, becoming a great cheer that reached the two combatants.
“Lady Asna, show the swordsmanship of Renalute to the empire!!”
“Both of you, keep up the good work!!”
“Wonderful swordsmanship!! Lady Asna, you are the greatest sword fighter!!”
Before they knew it, the royal match was enveloped in an incredible atmosphere. The nobles who had spread malicious rumors earlier were no longer present.
Reiner’s strict expression softened a little at the change in the mood of the royal match. Then, Reubens timidly spoke up.
“Lord Reiner, may I also cheer for Lord Reed?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Yes. However, Lord Reiner, won’t you also cheer?”
“……I have a position to maintain.”
Hearing his words, Diana and Reubens smiled wryly and sent words of encouragement to Reed.
“Lord Reed, now is the time to show the results of your daily training! Please remember your training with me and Lord Reiner!!”
“Lord Reed, show the full might of House Baldia!!”
As the two cheered loudly, Reiner muttered something in a voice so small that no one else could hear.
“……Win, my son can’t lose.”
Raycis watched the two matches, realizing how pitiful and shameful his own initial match had been. He regretted not being the one to stand in that place. Seeing his state, Lizel spoke kindly to him.
“I understand how you feel. But, express your feelings in words and cheer for Asna. She will surely respond to your feelings.”
“Mother…”
Raycis wiped his tears with his sleeve and began to cheer for Asna with a loud voice.
“Lady Asna, win for us!! Win for all of us!!”
Magnolia and Renalute are allied but not to the extent of being a united nation. However, there were those who did not know of the alliance and felt somewhat depressed about Renalute’s relationship with the empire. This sentiment was one of the reasons why the Norris faction was able to gain a foothold. Now, that feeling was causing the nobles to empathize with Asna even more.
Asna herself probably didn’t even notice.
Elias sensed that the atmosphere of the match had changed, but he kept silent and watched the two fighters with intense focus.
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The nobles watching the match cheered us on. Asna smirked and muttered softly.
“Heh, it’s getting noisy.”
“Ugh!”
In the midst of our exchange of blows, Asna seemed calm and composed, while I was struggling.
Her dual-wielding style was ferocious. Each strike from her wooden swords, empowered by her body and sword techniques, was fluid yet powerful, sharp yet heavy, attacking with relentless ferocity.
It wasn’t just her dual swords I had to watch out for. She mixed in martial arts and kicks, moving with incredible versatility. I was stuck on the defensive, barely keeping up. Even as I focused solely on keeping up with her, she maintained a serene concentration.
How can I keep up with her? Think and move.
The only way to match Asna’s movements was to eliminate any unnecessary motions. I dodged her strikes by the slimmest margins, constantly searching for an opening to counterattack. This continued until Asna, with a surprised expression, took a step back and then grinned challengingly.
“Heh, quite impressive. To face my dual-wielding without fear and dodge by a hair’s breadth, showing remarkable combat skill. Forgive me, but Prince Raycis is no match for you, Lord Reed.”
“Asna, your skills as the princess’s personal guard are impressive. I’m honored by your praise. But I know people stronger than you. They’ve taught me well, so I can’t afford to lose!”
She was strong, but the gap wasn’t as vast as it was with Father or Rubens. I glanced at the spectators, then took a breath and assumed a stance. Asna, noticing my glance, seemed to understand and laughed.
“Heh, I see. So that’s it. But to be taught by someone stronger than me, that’s surprising. Very well, I’ll get a bit more serious.”
Asna’s demeanor changed, and she exuded an even greater aura of intimidation, still smiling confidently. While I was giving my all, she had been holding back. I glared at her, shouting to rally my spirits.
“If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you!”
“Haha, not flinching at this pressure. As expected of the son of the Empire’s Sword, Lord Reed. Come at me.”
I charged into the storm of her slashes,
determined to find my own strength. Despite my efforts, I knew that with Asna fully engaged, I couldn’t win. The difference in our swordsmanship was evident.
In general, dual swords are said to have an advantage over a single sword because one hand can’t match the strength of two.
Asna’s single-handed strikes, however, matched my two-handed swings due to her body reinforcement. She also had martial arts and kicks, making her attacks overwhelming.
When I attacked once, she countered twice, sometimes three times, reminding me of the final boss in a famous dragon-themed game.
Additionally, my fear was confirmed when our wooden swords clashed violently, creating a resounding echo. We stepped back and took our stances.
“Huff… damn…”
“What’s wrong, Lord Reed? Are you done?”
My concern was the magic power used for body reinforcement.
(Magic Power Measurement)
Reed: 1640
Asna: 1900
At first, I had more magic power, but she had overtaken me. The amount of magic consumed for body reinforcement varies depending on the user’s state and skill level. Despite training with Father and others,
Even if we are talking about the same physical enhancement, she and I have been using it for a different number of years. And Asna had the advantage of experience. On the other hand, I had only just learned the physical enhancement. In addition, today was the first time for me to fight against others outside of training. As a result, I consumed more magic power than I expected.
A prolonged fight was not in my favor. My next move was clear. Taking a deep breath, I positioned my sword overhead.
“I’m putting everything into this next strike… Will you accept it, Asna?”
“Very well. Show me your best strike, Lord Reed!”
The spectators who had been watching the preliminaries also noticed a change in the atmosphere between the two of us. The audience sensed the shift and fell silent, knowing the next strike would decide everything.
“…Here I come!”
I lunged forward, sword overhead, aiming for a decisive strike. Straight ahead, I swung the wooden sword down sharply at her. The moment my wooden sword and Asuna’s wooden sword collided, a heavy, dull sound echoed around the area. Asna crossed her wooden swords to block, and the impact echoed loudly. My sword broke from the force. Asna smiled victoriously.
“It’s over, Lord Reed…”
“Not yet!”
I had been waiting for this moment. As she let her guard down, I discarded my broken sword and dove in for a throw.
“Lord Reed, you truly are remarkable…”
I heard her words as my vision spun, and I found myself gently thrown to the ground.
“Ugh!”
“This time, it’s truly over, Lord Reed.”
“…It seems so.”
My desperate throw had been easily countered. As I looked around, I saw her wooden swords on the ground. She must have discarded them the moment I closed in.
“Asna, you’re too strong!” I muttered as Elias’s voice rang out.
“The winner of the match: Asna Lanmark!”
The nobles of Renalute erupted in cheers at his announcement.
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