Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 44
The next day finally arrived—the day of the finals.
As a prelude to the main event, the Knights Order showcased their skills, and the matches were set to begin at noon, precisely one hour later.
We entered the arena half an hour before the start of the matches, but the atmosphere was suffocating with an overwhelming crowd. It felt as if every person in the Imperial Capital had gathered here, and if the Candlestick of the Netherworld had any tricks up its sleeve, it could lead to quite a troublesome situation.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed a significant number of guards, and many armed adventurer parties were mobilized for security. I could also see priests of the Arshuram Religion, suggesting that they were lending their support as well.
Regardless, I headed to the waiting room as usual, while the other members made their way to the VIP seats. Naturally, they showered me with words of encouragement. This was my first time participating in a tournament final, and I truly felt grateful for the support of my comrades.
In the waiting room, I warmed up while waiting for the staff to arrive. By the way, I had taken most of the items out of my Item Box and placed them in my yard. “Wait, you’ve been fighting with those in there all this time?” Laani and the others expressed their disbelief.
The cheers from outside indicated that the previous performance had concluded. About five minutes later, a staff member arrived. I took my mace, That Which Equalizes All Things, and my shield, the Immovable Fortress Wall, and made my way to the stage. My armor, damaged from yesterday’s battle, had been restored to a practical level by a skilled armorer in the Imperial Capital.
As I stepped onto the stage, I was enveloped by an incredible roar of applause. It felt as if the sound waves were crashing over me like a physical force.
Yet, that pressure felt distant, almost comforting.
Looking towards the VIP seats, I could see the faces of all my teammates. Freinir was praying with her hands clasped together, as usual. Laani, Karma, and Shizuna waved at me, while Sfenia, Mariane, and Sakurahime simply stared in my direction, and Geshura amusingly twitched her tail.
“The direction of the Rainbow Dragon is led by Soushi of ‘Soul’s Guidance’! First appearance in the finals!”
As I raised my mace, the excitement in the crowd surged to new heights.
From the opposite side, Princess Marishielle, wielding a longsword, stepped onto the stage. Her silver hair, tinged with a hint of purple, and her silver armor, combined with her striking beauty, gave her an almost divine presence.
“The direction of the Dawn Tiger is led by Marishielle of ‘Water Lily Lion’! Three appearances in the finals, three victories!”
As the announcement echoed, a sound akin to an explosion surged onto the stage.
The princess raised her longsword, Fate Whisperer, to the heavens in response to the cheers. It was a scene that could easily be captured in a painting.
We moved to the center, crossing the tips of our weapons—her intricately decorated Fate Whisperer and my rugged mace, That Which Equalizes All Things, formed a stark contrast.
“Your Highness, I will fight with all my strength.”
“I truly look forward to this battle. Perhaps I have continued my journey as an adventurer for this very moment.”
Princess Marishielle replied, her usual shyness completely absent. The figure before me, with her amethyst eyes shining with the light of a warrior, was undoubtedly the strongest swordsman in the Empire.
“May fortune be with you!” “May fortune be with you!”
As we retreated to our starting positions, I lightly swung my mace and shield. It felt lighter than usual, which was to be expected. Now, would this strength be enough to match the princess’s skills? That was where I had to start.
“Begin!”
Thirty meters away stood the silver-haired swordsman. My heartbeat and breathing were steady. Time for a little test of skill.
I slowly walked forward, my shield raised, with my mace positioned diagonally behind me.
The princess remained still, her longsword poised with its tip touching the ground.
As the distance closed, I was within my effective range—twenty meters.
“…Hah!”
I swung my mace horizontally. Of course, it was a Shockwave.
An invisible wave of force surged forth, fanning out toward the princess.
Would she retreat, defend, or—
The princess smoothly lifted her longsword. With that single motion, my Shockwave veered upwards.
No, the Shockwave itself was invisible; it was unclear if it truly deviated, but that was how it felt to me.
Undeterred, I unleashed a series of Shockwaves. Each time, the princess deftly maneuvered her longsword, ensuring that the invisible force could not reach her. However, her silver hair was swept by a strong wind, suggesting she wasn’t completely immune to the onslaught.
I continued to advance, releasing Shockwaves with each step. Though I wasn’t using my full power, the force was enough to crack the stone stage.
Yet, the princess didn’t budge an inch, skillfully deflecting every attack.
Now, the silver swordsman stood right before me. With a step forward, I swung my mace, bringing it within striking distance of her noble form.
“I must admit, it was quite the challenge to defend against your attacks.”
With a smile, Princess Marishielle swiftly circled to my left.
Her Swift Run skill matched Mariane’s speed. It was almost akin to teleportation, but my Dynamic Vision and Reflexes barely kept pace.
I blocked her horizontally swung Fate Whisperer with my Immovable Fortress Wall. The sound was thunderous, and the impact was staggering. The force behind her strike was unimaginable for someone of her slender build. She likely possessed a high-level physical enhancement skill, and perhaps even the Super Impact skill.
My body was pushed back, and strangely, I felt my upper body flowing uncontrollably. My shield slightly opened outward, creating a gap.
In that moment, the princess forcefully slid her blade into the opening. I twisted my body to narrowly evade the strike and countered with a swing of my mace.
In an instant, she retracted her sword, performing a parry that seemed to embody destruction itself. The moment my mace touched her sword, it was deflected upward. No, as Laani had said, it felt as if I had been swinging my mace in that direction from the very beginning.
“Fufu, as expected of Count Okuno…!”
But at that moment, Princess Marishielle’s stance wavered slightly. It seemed my mace could disrupt her skills, even if only a little.
For a few seconds, or perhaps dozens of seconds, a close-quarters exchange of longsword and mace began.
I absorbed her sword strikes with my shield, while she deflected my mace with her longsword. I pushed with strength, and she overwhelmed me with speed.
Each time I blocked her slashes, my shield was slightly pushed aside. Each time my mace was deflected, I felt my body’s movements forcibly altered.
Neither of us was forcing the other; it was as if we were being guided into this state from the very beginning.