Survival 22

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“Excellent.”

Luciana nodded in satisfaction at the faint sound of the referee’s decision coming from the other side.

After all, they had promised to meet in the finals.

She would have been the first to be outraged if he had shown a disappointing performance by getting eliminated in the preliminaries.

“You seem to be enjoying this, Lucy.”

“Sorry, Liza.”

“Well, it’s fine. It’s not the first or second time you’ve been distracted during a conversation.”

‘Oh dear’

She inadvertently committed a faux pas.

Only when her opponent called her did she meet their eyes. The lady of the Frontal earldom and her unrivaled childhood friend.

Elizabeth Frontal was also one of the most notable competitors in this martial arts tournament.

Her slender hair and the light color of her eyes, like dew on new leaves, sparkled in the sunlight.

At first glance, she might appear to be a fragile lady. However, she was also a noble from the north.

She had achieved remarkable results by burning monsters with her specialty, fire magic, at her coming-of-age ceremony, reaching a high level of mastery for her age as a wizard.

“Ah, how harsh. To think you are my first opponent.”

“I agree.”

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to meet a childhood friend from the preliminaries.

One of them would have to taste defeat here.

“I have no intention of going easy.”

Determination was etched on Luciana’s face.

Even if Liza was her opponent, she would not hesitate.

She had a promise to keep, after all.

“Who’s going easy on whom? That’s my line!”

As soon as she saw that she was ready, she also grumbled but raised her staff and murmured a spell.

-Whoosh!

The manifestation of magic caused Elizabeta’s pink hair to flutter.

Red flames.

Her magic was so vivid that it almost seemed like her hair darkened in color.

“Fire magic, huh.”

Thinking about it, that demon also wrapped its fists in fire.

In an instant.

A forgotten memory sharpened Luciana’s eyes.

-Crack.

The bitter feeling of defeat soon transformed into power infused in her sword.

“The match begins!”

With the referee’s start signal, Luciana struck down the incoming fireball with her aura-filled sword.

“Wait for me. I’ll be there soon.”

Whether those words were meant for her childhood friend, who was casting spells from afar,

Or for the vampire who had vanished from sight, she herself did not know.

Perhaps it could have been meant for a servant she would face in the finals.

But the current Luciana had no way of knowing.

***

“Ugh!”

“Then, I’ll gladly take the victory.”

Starting with the anticlimactically ended preliminary, I continued on a victorious rampage.

Apart from Dmitry, my first opponent from the so-called loser’s bracket, there wasn’t a single dark horse worthy of note.

Those I met, constantly mentioning outsiders or baronial families, were all but novices relying on their family’s prestige.

“I cannot accept this! Referee, a rematch! Are you going to stand by even after seeing that sorcery piercing through armor!”

To add to it, shameful excuses.

Don’t they know gear also counts as a spec?

“If you’re so envious, why didn’t you bring out a relic from your vault?”

“Judging by the color of your skin, you seem to be from another region as well. Is it right for the referee to be so biased?”

“Enough. There’s no problem. Continue as planned.”

Thanks to that, only the referee, caught between nobles, suffered, but of course, the outcome didn’t change, and the loser’s vile protests were soon blocked by the organizers.

‘As expected of Duke Speda! I knew I could count on you!’

The opponent, daunted by the duke’s cold reception, soon beat a hasty retreat.

With his support, I smoothly secured victory after victory until I finally faced the ultimate challenge.

“Then, let’s begin the final match. Both contestants, please enter.”

The opponent emerging from the opposite side of the Colosseum was as expected.

“…As expected. You didn’t disappoint me.”

She usually wore full plate mail, but there was a slight difference today.

“You didn’t wear your helmet today.”

“I judged it meaningless in a duel with you, as it would only obstruct my vision.”

Thanks to that, her beautiful silver hair and sapphire-like eyes were clearly visible.

“As promised, we meet in the finals.”

“I am always the servant who perfectly carries out the commands of the lady.”

At my jest, Luciana chuckled and replied.

“Talking about being the best servant when you can’t even brew a proper cup of tea seems a bit premature, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll show you my growth soon.”

Apart from our serene conversation, the arena was bustling.

“Lady Speda!”

“The hope of the North! Smash that foreigner to pieces!”

From the competitors who had lost to me and the spectators who had jeered.

“The warriors from the West are better fighters than I thought. It’s been quite some time since I fought demons. It might be necessary to adjust my swordsmanship, which is specialized only for monsters.”

Knights gauging the situation with sharp eyes.

“Come on, the odds are 7 to 3! Anyone thinking of betting on Hans Byron making an unexpected stand?”

And the gamblers that always accompany such places.

The Colosseum was ablaze with a mix of cheers and jeers like never before.

“It seems they wish for me to beat you.”

“I’m not exactly a popular figure here. It’s not without reason that we’re delayed.”

Their reactions didn’t really matter to us.

I had heard it all since the preliminaries, and it was all within expectations. However, Luciana frowned slightly, as if she didn’t like their attitude.

The furrow between her brows.

Something I would never have known through games alone.

A sign of irritation I learned over long acquaintance with her.

“What does region have to do with fighting? They don’t even think about bringing in warriors from other regions. Such narrow vision. They are all foolish.”

Wow. Is she really the same person who insisted that key positions in the North should go to Northerners when we first met?

“Forget the past.”

When I silently stared at her, she averted her eyes as if embarrassed.

As the referee raised the flag, Luciana’s words followed.

“Just to let you know, don’t even think about going easy on me. It’s a disgrace to nobility.”

“Of course.”

The very idea of going easy was nonsensical.

Especially since, based on recent records alone, I was at a disadvantage.

“How can I afford to be complacent against an opponent I might barely be able to defeat if I give it my all?”

“The match, begin!”

With the referee’s announcement, Luciana drew her sword with lightning speed.

“For the first time, she has drawn a rapier.”

“Indeed, it would be hard to catch his movements with heavy swordsmanship. A wise choice.”

The knights who had viewed me favorably earlier offered their appraisal.

“Ugh!”

True to their words, Luciana’s swift and fierce sword strikes were a torment to evade.

My eyes struggled to follow the tip of her sword aiming to pierce my leather armor, and my legs had to work just as hard.

Luciana, catching my eye, let out a small laugh.

“Your movements are slower than during our spars. Is it a stamina issue?”

Clang!

“It seems to me, my lady, that your aura lacks the sharpness it had before.”

Talking while launching an attack. Some can barely manage to speak while dodging.

Pushing back with equal force allowed me to retreat and finally catch my breath, but.

During our exchange, I noticed something.

While I had been fortunate in my bracket assignments after Dmitry, facing relatively equal opponents,

Luciana’s path was different.

She had rightfully defeated notable candidates like Elizabeth Frontal and Wolfman, who were considered strong contenders for the championship.

Aura, like mana, is a consumable resource. The fact that she had already expended some of her aura against formidable opponents was good news for me.

“I’ve saved more than enough aura to suppress you, despite your pointless chatter.”

“……!”

As soon as Luciana finished speaking, the aura emanating from her rapier began to tremble with an ominous intensity.

“Let’s see if you can dodge this too!”

Luciana attempted a thrust just like before.

Perhaps due to becoming somewhat accustomed to it, the semi-transparent trajectory was clearly visible, making it seem like dodging wouldn’t be a problem.

-Boom!

Until the constantly trembling aura exploded, scattering sparks in all directions.

“Ugh?! What’s this…!”

It was nearly impossible to deal with the sudden area-of-effect attack that burst in front of me.

Thanks to my skills, I barely avoided a direct hit, but just like when I dodged Bathory’s attack, my head suddenly felt dizzy.

Only after slightly biting the inside of my cheek and tasting the bitter blood did I manage to regain my wits.

A fiery pain then ignited my right cheek.

From the inside, where I had bitten myself, and from the outside, where I hadn’t fully dodged a shard.

A warm liquid flowed inside and out of my cheek.

“That technique…?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t prepare a countermeasure for you during our spars?”

“Ha ha….”

This is crazy.

A wave of bewilderment swept through me.

‘Did you get complacent because you won nine out of ten spars? And during that, you developed a sniping technique against me?’

There were indeed signs. Even in the game, Luciana had shown patterns of unleashing fatal explosion attacks within a narrow range like that.

But I hadn’t anticipated this, implicitly assuming it was a technique Luciana would acquire after growing further.

“When did you learn such a technique? You never showed it during our spars.”

“Everyone has a hidden ace up their sleeve.”

Her blue eyes were filled with the determination to win this martial arts tournament at all costs.

Her pupils, illuminated by the sunlight, shone brilliantly.

“This is the end.”

“We’ll see about that. The outcome of the match is still unknown.”

-Clank.

Suddenly, the sound of the full plate mail’s clasps coming undone echoed throughout the Colosseum.

“…What?!”

The blue eyes facing me were filled with shock.

Luciana knew from our spars that I had a secret to breaking armor.

That’s why she had been launching relentless attacks without letting me get close enough to touch her armor. But now, from a distance, I had undone her armor, which was certainly surprising.

“You should have checked your back too. Always being aware of your surroundings is a fundamental skill for anyone with a weapon.”

I smiled and gestured with my chin.

Floating behind Luciana was a golden rod that had successfully rendered her defenseless, gently bobbing in the air.

“Magic?”

“As you said, my lady, one cannot carelessly show all their moves in a spar.”

She wouldn’t have expected me, with my limited mana, to use magic. A hidden ace, indeed.

It seems there’s something that truly connects a master and their servant.

[You have used Blood Magic.]

[A penalty is applied. A certain amount of blood is consumed.]

The dizziness intensified as a consequence, but it was a worthy trade-off for its effectiveness.

“…Truly, one cannot afford to be careless for even a moment.”

In an instant.

I found myself admiring the situation inappropriately.

With her full plate mail now pooled around her feet, the contrast between Luciana’s refined features, now in light armor, and the wildness that settled on her face showed how much she relished in this battle.

“It’s a contest. Whether your stamina runs out first, or my blade reaches your unprotected body first!”

“I have no intention of yielding!”

Besides, wouldn’t it be proper for me to win, if only to avoid the criticism that the Speda Ducal Family’s own knight won?

“I know that much! Just by looking into your eyes, I can see your greed!”

Oh dear.

Misinterpreting my noble intention to risk my own life. I’ve really gotten on her bad side.

-Clang!

Luciana’s rapier, unnecessarily sharp-witted, clashed against my dagger, ringing out a clear metallic sound.

Luciana, with her eyes narrowed, engaged in a test of strength.

As I parried the rapier with my dagger, I reached out towards her with my other hand.

A fair swordfight was never my intention against her, who excels in such combat.

“Planning to use magic again?”

Perhaps wary from before, she did not let her guard down and kept an eye on my left hand.

“Flash!”

That was exactly what I was aiming for.

The magic taught to me by Bathory transformed in my hand into a bioluminescent grenade.

“Argh! It’s blinding!”

“What magic did that westerner just use?!”

It seemed to affect even the spectators watching from a distance, as the intense light made everyone squint and turn their heads away from the arena, naturally, Luciana, who took the brunt of it, was affected more severely.

“Ugh… Resorting to tricks!”

Yet, even then, her monstrous instinct to thrust her sword towards where I was stood as a testament to her remarkable ability.

Still, the effect was evident, as the sharpness imbued in her sword noticeably diminished.

“It’s my victory.”

And,

Aiming my dagger obliquely between the neck and shoulder of her, who had closed her eyes, was not a difficult task.

“…I lost again. I really thought I’d win this time.”

“Ha-ha. That’s too bad. Now, the artifact is mi, ne…….”

Just as I was about to respond to Luciana’s bitter murmur, having just recovered from the blinding effect.

Suddenly, my vision flipped.

“Hans, are you okay?”

“Ha-ha. I don’t have the strength to stand on two legs.”

Ah, did I use too much blood? Or maybe my stamina was completely drained from consecutive battles.

The situation, where the loser stood on two legs and the winner collapsed to the ground, was so absurd it made me chuckle.

“The winner! Hans Byron!”

Well, whatever the result, what does it matter?

As I wished, both the victory and the artifact from the Ducal Family’s vault were mine.

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