Vol-06 Ch 5 – A Match In A Present Of A King

Part 1

"This is the Regal Kingdom!"

"Oh!"

"It's lively."

"Woof!"

"Fugo~."

"Hmm, it's noisy."

A week later, I met up with Lexia-san and the others who had come to pick me up again at the entrance of the Great Devil's Nest, and we now arrived at the Regal Kingdom, which was in a festive mood for its 100th anniversary.

In this trip, the distance was not as short as the one to the royal capital of the Alceria Kingdom, which could be reached in a day. We had to camp and pass through several villages along the way… That alone was a rare experience and was very refreshing.

Of course, I could get home with teleport magic instead of camping out, but it's very dangerous for anyone aside from Lexia-san and Luna to find out about my teleportation magic, so I camped out like everyone else and made it safely into the Regal Kingdom.

The city was still as lively as the Alceria Kingdom, but the atmosphere was very different. The biggest difference would be the large number of people in robes – there was a large number of people doing business using magic.

For example, there were people who used magic for street performances… such as manipulating many fireballs at once, or people who were shopping and their purchases were floating in the air carried by some kind of membrane of wind. I got the impression that magic was used a lot in daily life.

When I asked Lexia-san, she explained to me that magic research was overwhelmingly active in the Regal Kingdom compared to other countries, which was apparent from the city. That makes sense.

By the way, when I toured the Alceria Kingdom with Lexia-san and the others before, she was dressed inconspicuously to hide from the public, but now she was properly dressed in luxurious clothes fitting of a princess. The people in town looked at her from a distance, but they didn't call out to her, nor did they give her an unnecessarily welcoming mood. Perhaps, they don't realize that she was the princess of the Alceria Kingdom.

I don't know for sure, but unless you go out officially, is this how people in town react? I'm grateful for that now.

"So many people."

"Woof."

"Fugo."

"Hmm… noisy."

As I looked around unconsciously at my surroundings, Lexia-san asked me in wonder.

"Speaking of which, where is your master, Yuuya-sama?"

"Eh? Oh, that reminds me…"

"He said he was going to see the Sword Saint."

Ouma-san said this while staring depressingly at the crowd. Then, seeing the situation, Lexia-san and Luna twitched their cheeks.

"T-thinking about it again, it's hard to believe that… this little dragon is the legendary dragon…"

"Items that allow you to change the size of your body are extremely rare on their own, but using it on a legendary dragon is even more so…"

When they came to tell me about today's match in the Regal Kingdom, Lexia-san and the others did not meet Ouma-san, so just before we headed for this country, they met him for the first time. When they looked at the small Ouma-san, it seemed that they couldn't believe that he was the legendary dragon, so there was a bit of an argument right before we left, which ended with Ouma-san getting annoyed and tried to enlarge himself.

Anyway, according to Ouma-san's story, Master Usagi seems to have left to meet the Sword Saint first… but is it possible to meet the Sword Saint without being guided by anyone? Or perhaps, since they are both Holy, they can recognize each other when they are nearby?

As I was thinking about that, Lexia-san suddenly held me by the arm.

"Le-Lexia-san!?"

"More importantly, since we've come all this way, let's take a look around the royal capital!"

"I-it's okay, but your… chest is…"

"I hit it!"

"You hit it!?"

I didn't think it would be said so openly by such a dignified person, so I just retort on it.

Then, Luna rebuked Lexia-san for that.

"Hey, Lexia. You're a princess, aren't you? Don't be so loose──."

"Ara, I'm a woman before I'm a princess, you know? Or maybe, Luna, are you jealous of me?"

"Ugh!"

Luna groaned, her face reddening at Lexia-san's words.

"T-there's no way that could be!"

"Then you should just be quiet. I'm going to have a great time touring the festival with Yuuya-sama! You should just escort us from behind."

"Gugugugu…!"

"Uhm, Lexia-san? And Luna too…"

"Yuuya!"

"Y-yes?"

When Luna suddenly called out, I straightened my back and replied, and Luna quickly took my arm on the opposite side of Lexia-san's!

"Lu-Luna-san?"

"I-I'll go around the festival with Yuuya too!"

"What? What about the escort?"

"Lexia. I'm a woman too before I'm a guard, you know?"

"Ugh…!"

For some reason, Luna had a triumphant expression on her face. In contrast, Lexia-san showed a frustrated expression.

Um… my thoughts were completely stopped by the unbelievable situation of having both of my arms grabbed by the girls.

Lexia-san was the one who asked me to marry her, and Luna was the one who gave me… um… a kiss. It would be impossible not to be concerned about it.

"First of all, there are not only Yuuya here, but also the legendary dragon, Yuti, Night and Akatsuki. What safer place could there be?"

"T-that's…"

It was true that there's no safer place than here with Ouma-san and the others present. I don't know if Ouma-san would be willing to protect us though. This is probably why Owen-san and the other soldiers were escorting from a little distance away.

"Now, Yuuya. Let's take a look around here."

"Ah, wait! Yuuya-sama, let's go over here!"

"Whoaa!"

I was pulled by both arms and led around by Lexia-san and Luna.

Looking at me like that, Ouma-san muttered in a dumbfounded manner.

"…Unexpectedly, his greatest enemy may not be the Evil, but women."

"? Question. Then how could he beat me?"

"Hmm. It's not about biological things like that… Even the sage was not good with this kind of situation. He also had a hard time with women. When I think about it, he and Yuuya are looking more and more alike…"

I had no way of knowing that such a conversation was taking place behind me.

＊＊＊

"A match in front of a king, huh…"

In a distinguished guest room in the Regal Kingdom, the Sword Saint Iris was resting with a sigh. The work of thinning out the monsters in the Orz Forest was over, and now the king, Orghis, had requested for her to take a rest in preparation for the match.

"Why should I participate in the match… But maybe I can meet a man who is stronger than me?"

As a condition of her marriage, Iris was looking for a man who was stronger than her. Her eyes lit up but soon a gloomy expression returned.

"…No, it's a vain hope. I've been looking all over for a man, and I've never met one, it's not going to be this easy to find one. Sigh…"

(──Hmm. It's rare to see the Sword Saint sighing.)

"! Usagi?"

When Iris was suddenly called to, she turned her gaze in that direction and saw a rabbit standing quietly on the balcony of the guest room.

(It's been a while, Iris.)

"Yes, it's been a while. It's unusual for you to come to a place where there are so many people. Is there something wrong?"

(Well, yes. I had some business to attend to in this country. First of all, I came to your place to exchange information as well as to give you a brief update.)

"I see… Okay, come on in. I will prepare a cup of tea for you now."

The rabbit was invited in and looked around the guest room curiously.

(Is there no servant for such a luxurious room?)

"I turned that down. I can take care of myself, and more than anything, they distract me."

(I see. More importantly, was it okay to invite me in without permission?)

"Just come in now… It's okay. Above all, you are also an existence that bears the name Holy, so I think you are rather welcomed, don't you?"

(Hmm. Human nature is really simple to understand.)

"Oh, if you put it that way, I'm also human."

(An existence that bears the name Holy is no longer an ordinary human being.)

"That's terrible; it sounds like I'm a monster…"

After preparing tea for the two of them, Iris sat down in front of the rabbit and asked again.

"So? You came all the way to see me, and I wonder if something happened?"

(──The Fist Saint has fallen to the Evil.)

"! …I see."

Iris quietly opened her mouth and took a sip of tea.

"…I was able to predict it because of the information I received to some extent."

(Yeah. Everyone knew that he was the most uncontrollable of all the Holy. That's why it wasn't too surprising that he fell into Evil. But he used his power to start hunting other Holy ones.)

"…I see. So that's why we lost contact with many of them."

For a moment, a sad expression appeared on her face, but she soon said this in a calm tone.

"But even if the Fist Saint has fallen into the Evil, there are still some Holy who could stop the Fist Saint from going out of control, right? For example, the Bow Saint is…"

(…She was killed by humans.)

"What?"

Iris was taken aback by the rabbit's words.

Holy is an existence that protects human beings from Evil. Yet, she was killed by humans, the object of her protection. It was difficult not to be surprised.

"W-what do you mean? That girl who loved humans the most was killed by humans…"

(…Yeah. But it was the Evil who made it work that way. The humans instigated by the Evil killed the Bow Saint.)

"Is that so? …That's why I thought I'd seen a lot of Evil Beasts lately…"

(Are there a lot of them?)

"Yes. I had a vague idea about the Evil Beasts from the information of the Fist Saint and the situation of the other Holy, but the fact that the Evil Beasts have sprung up means that they are starting to move in full scale."

(…I guess. The fact that Evil Beasts are popping up everywhere is proof of how much negative power is pouring out. It's only a matter of time before we have to move.)

"So, do you know how many Holy are left?"

When Iris asked him that, Usagi made a pained expression.

(I'm not sure. It seems that Magic Saint is still alive… but the others were either hunted by the Fist Saint or fell into the Evil as well.)

"As I thought, there are other Holy who have fallen to the Evil…"　

Iris, who knew the information but did not want to believe it, let out a sigh of regret. After talking that much, Iris realized something.

"Come to think of it… you said you had business in this country, but were you also invited by the King of Regal? I thought you were a Holy who was not good at interacting with humans…"

(Oh, is that what you think?)

The rabbits smiled at Iris's words.

(You're going to have a match today, aren't you?)

"Eh? But how do you know that? What? No way, that opponent is you?"

(No. Unfortunately not.)

"So… if it's not you, then who's it going to be? I haven't heard any details about the opponent yet… but if I may say so, I don't think there is anyone who can compete with me properly."

(Don't worry. You're dealing with an extraordinary talent.)

"Wait a minute. Why are you talking like you know about my opponent?"

(That's because your opponent is my disciple.)

"!"

The rabbit's words caused Iris to widen her eyes.

"Your disciple, you say…? Did you take a disciple? It seems to me that you're the most unlikely person to take a disciple, along with the Fist Saint."

With Iris's honest impression, the rabbit averts its gaze grimly.

(Hmm. You thought of me as the same as the Fist Saint, huh? But… Well, I can understand how you feel about that. I'm training him because I think he'd be an excellent disciple for me.)

"You praise him so much… This disciple of yours seems to be quite strong, doesn't he?"

(Hmm… Well, you can look forward to it. If you're not careful, you could be tripped up.)

"…I see. I'll keep that in mind."

After exchanging information that way, Iris, curious about the rabbit's disciple, moved to the arena to watch the fighting competition before her match.

Part 2

"What an amazing crowd…"

After Lexia-san and Luna took us around the city and enjoyed various things, we came to the arena where the match would be held. It seemed that a fighting tournament was being held before the main event, the grand match, and we decided to watch it.

However, as soon as the tournament was over, we entered the arena through the back entrance instead of the regular entrance to immediately prepare for the main event.

When the arena attendant saw Lexia-san, he led us to a room. It was a room with a massive wooden door, and the decorations were quite luxurious, but I wondered who was inside.

"His Majesty is waiting for you here."

"Eh?"

"Very well."

To my surprise, it seemed that the king of Regal was in the room, and I panicked at the sudden meeting with the king.

"W-wait a minute! I'm not wearing any formal attire…!"

"Don't worry! Yuuya-sama is already a noble even if he's not wearing anything!"

"That doesn't sound like a reason, does it?"

What does it mean to be noble even if I'm not wearing anything? It's not just me, but there's also Yuti, Night, and the others along with me.

Luna opened her mouth in a dumbfounded manner, perhaps sensing my concern.

"Well, I guess everything will be fine. If I may say so, Yuuya was caught up in their convenience. I don't think he's going to get upset over something like this."

"I-is that so?"

"Suggestion. If he gets mad at you, just leave."

"That would be even worse!"

What should I do? I'm so nervous…!

As I panicked, the attendant who had shown us in knocked on the door, and I heard a voice from inside saying that we were allowed to enter. The attendant opened the door, and Lexia-san walked proudly inside.

I also hurriedly entered the room while bowing to the attendant who was opening the door for me. Inside the room, there were two cool middle-aged men who looked like foreign actors and a woman in a dress about our age waiting for us.

All of us entered the room, but Owen-san and the other soldiers seemed to be waiting outside the room and didn't come in. Well, I suppose since we're going to meet the king of another country, they must look intimidating or have some other reason I don't understand. Still, Luna was there, so Lexia-san's escort was in place.

Then, a man in exceptionally luxurious clothes welcomes us with open arms.

"Oh, Lexia-dono! Nice to see you again."

"Yes, it seems that Orghis-sama has not changed at all…"

While I was completely deflated by the room's atmosphere, Lexia-san and a person who looked like the King of Regal (?) started the conversation with a smile. However, although the conversation seemed to be friendly, I felt a sense of dread.

Luna, as Lexia-san's bodyguard, was standing in the rear, and Night was quiet as usual. Akatsuki and Ouma-san were the only ones who looked bored and were sighing.

Yuti looked around curiously as if this room was something unusual, and I was the only one who seemed to be nervous about the situation. Oh, that's strange. Is it weird that I'm this nervous?

I was frozen in place, but I suddenly felt a gaze on me, and when I turned my head in that direction, I saw the woman in a dress staring blankly at me.

"U-um… is there something wrong?"

"Huh? N-no, it's nothing!"

"I-I see…"

My mind almost went blank thinking I had done something wrong, but apparently I had not. If so, why was she watching me? …Ah, it's probably because she doesn't know who I am, it seems that might be the reason.

When I was convinced that way, the man who was conversing with Lexia-san turned his attention to me.

"Speaking of which… is that gentleman? It seems he has a lot of companions with him…"

"Yes, that's right. This is my fiancée, Yuuya-sama!"

"Eh? Fiancée?"

It was true that she had asked me to marry her, but I refused before. Luna then opened her mouth with a dumbfounded look.

"…Lexia. Don't annoy Yuuya too much."

"That's fine! You win when you say it!"

"That's just a pity."

I'm sorry, Lexia-san. I think Luna is right, too…

I bowed my head and introduced myself to the man who was stunned by Lexia-san's words.

"I'm Yuuya Tenjou."

"Introduction. I'm Yuti."

After me, Yuti said briefly. I went on to introduce Night and the others as well.

"These are my family members, Night, Akatsuki, and Ouma-san."

"Woof!"

"Fugo!"

"Hmph…"

Night barked interestingly, but Akatsuki waved one of his paws indifferently. Ouma-san didn't even move from his prone position. Before I could rush to warn Ouma-san and Akatsuki, the man opened his mouth in surprise.

"T-this is… the first time I've seen a dragon that speaks human language… I've heard the rumors, but I never thought you really tamed the Ancient Dragon."

"Eh?"

When the man said the word "Ancient Dragon," I couldn't help but tilt my head───.

"──What are you saying?"

"───."

The next moment, a tremendous amount of intimidation took over the room. It was pressure that came from Ouma-san and was directed at the man in front of me.

Nevertheless, all the glass in the room was broken, and the walls even cracked. T-the pressure alone can affect the surroundings to this extent…

However, for the man who seemed to be the king, the other man, and the woman in the dress who were directly being subjected to the pressure, their faces were white beyond blue, and they were shaking.

"I will ask you again. What do you call me just now?"

"Ah, that's…"

I froze in surprise, not expecting such a sudden release of pressure, but I hurriedly called out to Ouma-san.

"O-Ouma-san, stop! You can't do that!"

"Yuuya, why are you stopping me? They've lumped me in with the likes of those Ancient Dragon. How can I allow them to insult me like that?"

"No, I don't know what this Ancient Dragon is anyway…"

"No way! You have to know at least that!"

Ouma-san opened his eyes and stared at me as if he couldn't believe what I was saying. At that point, the pressure that had dominated the room earlier disappeared, and the people who had been liberated by the pressure fell to their knees on the ground, panting desperately for breath.

"Oh, sorry, I am so sorry!"

I hurriedly approached them, lending them my shoulder and asking them to sit on the chairs in the room. Then, apparently dissatisfied with my words, Ouma-san started to complain.

"Hey, Yuya. Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know what was so unpleasant for you, Ouma-san, but if you felt insulted, then it must be the truth that it was so unpleasant for you. But the pressure Ouma-san applied was too much for a normal person to endure, you know? Besides, everyone is meeting Ouma-san for the first time today, so it's natural that they don't know about you. That's why I'm apologizing to everyone for not being able to stop Ouma-san."

"Ugugu…"

Ouma groaned at my words and lay down again, looking dejected.

However…

"…I'm sorry then."

Yes, he uttered a single word of apology. The man, who seemed to have finally caught his breath, opened his mouth with a tense look on his face.

"M-me too… I am very sorry… it seems that the story about the Genesis Dragon is true…"

"Yes. I'm not the same as those small fries. You should be aware of that."

"Eh, an Ancient Dragon is considered a small fry…"

The other man muttered in a shaky voice.

I'm not sure, but it seems that for Ouma-san, the Ancient Dragon is weak, but for humans, it's a tremendous existence. Well, dragons can't be considered weak; on the contrary, Ouma-san is too strong.

As I was thinking about this, a woman in a dress opened her mouth with her eyes wide open.

"B-but the legendary dragon was supposed to have been defeated by the Sage in the legend…"

"Layla!"

The man hurriedly chastised her for her stupefied speech.

Did she say Sage just now?

When I was surprised by the woman's words, Ouma-san averted his gaze awkwardly.

"…I was just in the middle of a youthful rage when he beat me up and stopped me. From that point on, I stayed quiet, and that's probably why everyone is talking about me being defeated."

It is true that when I met Ouma-san, he said something like that. The other men were stunned by Ouma-san's explanation, but then a man in gorgeous clothes laughed out loud.

"Hahahahahaha! I didn't know that! I see. It seems that the Sage in the legend was an extraordinary person, wasn't he?"

"Hmph… that's right. I don't think there will be a better person than him. Or maybe───."

"Hmm?"

For some reason, Ouma-san turned his gaze to me when he was about to say that much. What is it? Then he just laughed at me and said nothing. What is it, really?

Then the man in the gorgeous clothes cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Now, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I am Orghis, the King of Regal. The man over here is the Prime Minister, Royle. And this is my daughter, Layla."

"Ah, hello…"

I involuntarily gave the two of them an elegant bow and bailed them out. It's not good. I'm not sure I have enough manners or class!

"No, however… Yuuya-dono does not seem to be from around here from the sound of his name, but… Yuuya-dono is quite a man, isn't he?"

"I-is that so?"

"No, no, you have a legendary dragon with you. If this isn't outstanding, who would you call it?"

"Haha…"

Is that really the case? It's not that Ouma-san wanted to be tamed by me; it's just that I happened to tame him…

Thinking about that, the King of the Regal Kingdom… Orghis-sama, gave me a sharp look.

"If this is the case, there is no need to worry when the Evil attacks, right?"

"Eh? No, um… I don't think that Ouma-san is going to help us fight the Evil…"

"Huh?

Hearing my words, not only Orghis-sama but also Royle-san and Layla-sama froze. On the other hand, Lexia-san and the others are also surprised.

"W-what does that mean? In other words, the legendary dragon… Ouma-sama, is not going to lend us a hand?"

"Um…"

While Orghis-sama flinched with a menacing look from Ouma-san, Ouma-san then snickered and opened his mouth.

"Hmph. Humans are so daring. I'm not interested in the Holy or the Evil. You can deal with it on your own."

"That's what he said…"

"No way…"

Orghis-sama muttered regretfully from the bottom of his heart and sat down helplessly.

Although I understand how he feels, it is also true that it has nothing to do with Ouma-san. Although it seems that if he wanted to, he could destroy both the Holy and the Evil, but it's not that he himself is being attacked. And from his point of view, he's probably not interested in the existence of humans themselves.

If that's the case, the concern about the conflict between the Holy and the Evil is completely for the humans' convenience, and it would be strange to involve Ouma-san in it. Well, to be honest, I'd be happy if he could help us, but if he doesn't want to, I can't force him.

When Orghis-sama and the others were in a darker mood than expected, Lexia-san finally couldn't hold back and spoke up.

"You've been talking like this is a fairy tale for a while now, but what do you mean when you say the Evil is going to attack?"

"…I see. We have heard about it from the Sword Saint, so we know about it to some extent, but… Lexia-dono and the others still don't know about it."

Orghis-sama said so quietly.

"The world is in a crisis right now. I also thought it was only in fairy tales, but the existence of Evil is threatening the world now…"

"Evil?"

"Yes. Have you ever heard of the Holy and the Evil?"

"Yes, well…"

"I've heard it in legends, too. I have heard that the Evil, which is a collection of the negative aspects of humanity, and the Holy, which protects humanity from the Evil, have been fighting for a long time…"

"You're right. And they are not just fairy tales; they are actual stories."

"No way…"

"And from what I've heard from the Sword Saint, it seems that the Evil is on the move again and is trying to attack us, humans."

"Affirmative. It's true."

"Yes, it is. I woke up because I was hungry and also because the smell of the Holy and Evil was too intense."

Not only did Yuti say that, but Ouma-san also confirmed that and Lexia-san and the others had no choice but to believe it.

Then, while Yuti said with great confidence, Orghis-sama tilted his head in wonder.

"Um… Yuti, was it? You said it quite confidently; what is your basis?"

"Foolish question. I'm a disciple of the Bow Saint. So I know."

"What?"

"Ah, I'm also a disciple of the Kicking Saint."

"""Eeeeeehhhh!?"""

When I told them that, Orghis-sama and Royle-san, and Layla-sama raised their voices in surprise.

"N-not only you have a legendary dragon with you, but you're also a disciple of the Holy…?"

"W-what an extraordinary person…"

"….."

While everyone was staring at me, Lexia-san, for some reason, was the only one who seemed to be proud.

"That's right! Yuuya-sama is amazing!"

"No, why are you so proud?"

"Because I'm his wife!"

"No, you're not!"

She's been promoted herself from my fiancée to my wife! I could only be amazed at how flexible Lexia-san was.

"I see… If he's this good, it's no wonder that Yuuya-dono is as powerful as Sword Saint-dono."

"Right?"

"But, the Sword Saint is also a monster, you know? …Well, Yuuya-dono is a disciple of the Kicking Saint, and I think I don't need to tell you how powerful the Holy is…"

"Hahaha…"

Master Usagi is powerful! That's because I can't fight properly without using the power of Evil, which I've recently been able to handle a bit.

Well, if I use the power of Evil, Master Usagi's status as a Holy will be forced to be released and doubled. But the fact that Evil's power can be used to fight even such a Holy means that Evil's power is that powerful as well.

Recalling Kuro, who has been sleeping more often since the Fist Saint's attack, I once again recognized the danger of Evil.

"Well, okay. I would have liked to talk about such difficult topics, but today is our country's national festival. Let's forget about that and just enjoy today."

"Y-yes."

"Oh, yes. We have a good view of the upcoming tournament. Would you like to watch it from here?"

"Yes, let's do that."

Lexia-san nodded to Orghis-sama's suggestion, and we decided to watch from this special seat. This room is located high up in the arena and overlooks the entire arena, so you can clearly see the battle.

Then, Lexia-san pulled my arm.

"Yuuya-sama, let's watch together!"

"Eh? Ah, yes."

I sat down next to Lexia-san while she pulled my arm, and on the opposite side of Lexia-san, Layla-sama, the princess of the Regal Kingdom, sat down.

"Yuuya-sama. May I sit next to you as well?"

"Eh? Yes, it's fine…"

I looked around, but the seat in this special room was still empty. On the contrary, there is a seat available next to the king of this country, Orghis-sama, but is it okay for Layla-sama to watch with us?

Ah, rather, because her country is hosting this kind of event that it is necessary to entertain the princess of other countries such as Lexia-san?

"Mumu…"

As Layla-sama's actions convinced me, I suddenly heard such a groan from Lexia-san next to me.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Lexia-san?"

"…No, nothing."

"Huh…?"

It doesn't feel any different, but I think it's better not to touch…

In contrast to Lexia-san, Layla-sama smiled and put her hand on my hand.

"La-Layla-sama!?"

"Ara, you don't have to call me with an honorific. Please feel free just to call me Layla."

"N-no, that's just…"

"T-that's right! Why on earth did you hold his hand in the middle of all this? Yuuya-sama is my fiancée!"

"Um, that's a bit of a misstatement…"

Lexia-san said that in panic at Layla-sama's behavior, but Layla-sama only smiled leisurely.

"But Yuuya-sama said it's not like that. Isn't it just a misunderstanding on Lexia-sama's part?"

"N-no, I'm not mistaken! It's true! It's true! In my mind!"

"I'm not saying it's true, but…"

"A-anyway! Please don't interfere with Yuuya-sama and me!"

In response to Lexia-san's words, Layla-sama's smile turned bitter.

"Since I'm the royal family of the Regal Kingdom, where magic research is very active, I think I can give Yuuya-sama a more detailed explanation of the magic that will be used in the upcoming tournament than anyone else, isn't it?"

"Umm, that's…"

Lexia-san closed her mouth involuntarily at Layla-sama's words.

Certainly, I've heard that the Regal Kingdom is a magic powerhouse, and as a royal family member of the Regal Kingdom, Layla-sama would be able to explain to me what magic I don't know.

I don't have any problem using magic thanks to Sage-san's magic circuits and magic theory, but I don't know anything about other commonly known magic. I'd appreciate it if she would explain it to me.

"So, may I take your word for it?"

"Yes, of course."

"Mugugu…!"

When I asked Layla-sama again, she smiled, and Lexia-san had a regretful expression on her face. Um… I'm sorry about that. I was just curious about the magic…

As I inwardly apologized for Lexia-san's situation, I remembered something.

"That reminds me, where is the Sword Saint?"

I heard that the match is going to be held after this tournament, and I asked about the Sword Saint, who will be my opponent. Orghis-sama, who was sitting some distance away, smiled.

"Oh, Sword Saint-dono is waiting in the guest room until the match. Before the match begins, Yuuya-dono and Sword Saint-dono will be summoned by the officials, so please follow them."

"Understood."

"Umu. ──let's start now."

Orghis-sama said, slowly stood up and stood in a position where all the audience could see him. Then, something that looked like a microphone was placed in front of Orghis-sama. Then he opened his mouth to the microphone.

At that moment, Orghis-sama's voice echoed throughout the arena, and all the excited spectators fell silent to listen to his words. I don't know what the principle is, but it must be a magic tool with the same purpose as a microphone.

As I wondered what kind of magic was being used, I couldn't help but notice that Orghis-sama's opening speech was over, and the crowd was getting excited. I'm sorry… I didn't listen to you properly…

When I moved my gaze to the arena while feeling sorry for myself, I saw that the first match was about to take place, and a strong man and a slender man in robes appeared in the arena.

Did they look like two opposites, a magician and a warrior perhaps?

When the battle began, the strong man charged the robed man with his huge sword, swinging it as he looked. However, the man in robes kept his distance from the attack, chanted something, and pointed his palm at the strong man.

Then, a fireball shot out from his palm, aiming at the strong man.

I hadn't had many opportunities to see other people use magic, so it was refreshing to see someone else shoot magic.

"That's a fireball, a fire attribute magic. If you're a regular magician, you'll need two more chants to cast a spell of that power, but that magician seems to be skilled enough to shorten it."

"H-hou…"

Layla-sama explained it to me, but I couldn't really understand how amazing it was.

Of course, the monsters in the Great Devil's Nest use magic, but they don't chant like that. And, as it was written in Sage-san's book, people generally shoot magic while chanting.

If I'm following Layla-sama's explanation, it seems like it takes a bit longer chanting to release the magic of that power, but with the knowledge of Sage-san, I couldn't say for sure.

Moreover, when I looked closely, I saw that the man in the robe was only using fire, so there seemed to be a binding attribute as well. According to Sage-san's book, chanting was unnecessary, and attributes were irrelevant, but what's essential was imagination, so I guess this Sage-san's way of thinking differed from other people's.

As I watched the fight with a fresh mind, the warrior man eventually won by cornering the magician man and pushing him away. I've been training with Yuti a lot lately, so I'm slowly gaining experience fighting against others. However, it's still not enough, so watching others fight like this is a great learning experience.

It's not something that can be applied to all battles in the arena's limited space, but it's still a valuable experience. As the matches progressed, the level of the competition increased as the winners fought each other.

The final match was swordsman against swordsman, and it was a fierce sword fight. I watched the fight closely and concentrated on trying to make the moves as my own. In the past, it was not easy to watch and learn the moves of those who were stronger than a certain level or to steal their techniques.

But now, for some reason, I was confident that I could perfectly master the moves of the swordsmen and magicians who were engaged in fierce battles in the tournament in front of me. What is it? This feeling…

As I was puzzled by the sensation that I had never felt before, the match finally came to an end. Then there was a knock on the door of the room, and an official walked in.

"Excuse me. I'm here to invite the opponent of Sword Saint-sama…"

Part 3

"Excuse me. I'm here to invite the opponent of Sword Saint-sama…"

"….."

"Hmm? Yuuya?"

"Eh? Y-yeah, what?"

"Invitation. Yuuya, you have been called."

"Oh, is it my turn already…?

"…Are you okay?"

Because of my lack of response, Yuti looked into my face with concern.

"No, I'm fine. It's just that I was watching the fight earlier and was surprised that I seemed to be able to handle myself better than I expected…"

"…I understand. Is it the harmful effects of that time? Or a benefit?"

"That time?"

I'm not sure what Yuti was referring to, but I don't have time to ask. As soon as I tried to follow the attendant, Lexia-san and the others gave me words of support.

"If it's you, Yuuya-sama, you can definitely win! Please do your best!"

"Go show them what you're capable of!"

"Woof!"

"Buhi~."

"Hmm. Holy, huh? At best, they can only scratch my foot."

I don't know if Ouma-san was cheering me on, but I'm going to do my best so I don't end up showing disgraceful behavior. I made up my mind and followed the attendant.

"Please wait in this waiting room."

When I entered the waiting room, I found Master Usagi inside.

"Ah, Master Usagi!"

(It's finally coming, huh?)

When Master Usagi saw me, he smiled.

"Yes, well… or rather, I heard you were headed to the Sword Saint, but what were you doing there?"

(We just exchanged some information and talked about how good you are. That's good. The Sword Saint will fight you seriously, you know?)

"Why did you do that?"

I'm not confident I can last five seconds if the Sword Saint really comes at me, you know?

Master Usagi gave a stern look at the dumbfounded me.

(What are you talking about? If the opponent isn't serious, it wouldn't be a training exercise.)

"Uh, that may be true, but…"

(And also, when you fight, don't show a poor appearance, okay? If you lose, the quality of me as your master will be questioned.)

"You being unreasonable here!"

Isn't it impossible for me to win if the Sword Saint is serious? What should I do?

N-no, this is Master Usagi's way of encouraging me! Yes, that must be it! Let's just believe that…!

I don't know how serious the opponent would be, but if I were to ask Master Usagi that, he'd probably tell me to really try and win, so I kept my mouth shut.

I was sweating uncontrollably, and I suddenly realized something.

"C-come to think of it, Master Usagi was here from the beginning, but… did anyone guide you here…?"

(No? I entered on my own.)

"You just do whatever you please, don't you?"

I had a feeling it was that, but…

I was stunned by Master Usagi's sense of freedom, but I suddenly decided to ask him about the strange feeling I was experiencing with my eyes.

"Um, Master. Since defeating the Fist Saint, my eyesight has become strangely better. Perhaps I can see faster movement, or perhaps I can absorb the techniques I see…"

(…What?)

Master Usagi made a dubious expression at my words and pondered on his own.

(…Could it be that… Indeed, at that time too…?)

"Um, Master Usagi?"

When I tried to call out to Master Usagi, who had started pondering by himself, the attendant came back to call me again.

"Excuse me. Now… Eh, a rabbit?"

The attendant who came in tilted his head when he saw Master Usagi in the room, and I hurriedly opened my mouth.

"Oh, don't worry about it! Anyway, can I go now?"

"Eh? Ah, yes. I'll show you the way."

"Well then, Master Usagi. I'll go now."

(Yeah, go ahead.)

After being sent off by Master Usagi, I moved to the entrance of the arena.

At that time, I have changed my clothes to the [Bloody War Demon Series] so that I can be ready to fight at any time and have everything prepared. However, I took off my helmet so that my face could be seen, as I was about to meet the Sword Saint for the first time.

After waiting for a while, I heard the voice of Orghis-sama.

It seems that he is giving an explanation about the match… I-it's not good. I'm getting nervous…!

But unfortunately, time does not wait for me, and before long, Orghis-sama's speech seemed to be over, and I went through the entrance.

Then, I flinched in the face of the cheers that went up all at once. I-I can't believe the crowd is this huge…!

When I was in the audience, I didn't particularly care about the number of people watching, probably because I had a strong sense that I was part of the audience, but when I stood in front of them all, the cheers were so overwhelming that I almost backed away.

But there was no way I would run away, so I put a lot of pressure on my stomach and managed to hold my ground.

"───So you are the Usagi's apprentice, huh?"

"Eh?"

A woman's voice reached my ears as the crowd cheered loudly. As I turned my gaze towards the voice, a woman came through the entrance on the opposite side of the arena from me, her eyes still closed.

The woman had an elegant presence that seemed out of place with the arena, and I could have been convinced that she was a noblewoman. However, the sword on her hip and the woman's overwhelming presence made me understand that the woman in front of me was my opponent, the Sword Saint.

"Ah, you are the Sword Saint…?"

Eeeeehh? N-no way! I've heard that she is the strongest of the Holy, so I thought she would be more stern and scary, but she's not at all what I imagined!

"Yes, that's right. I'm Iris, the Sword Saint. And you──!"

The woman in front of me─Iris-san slowly opened her eyes and then froze in surprise when she saw my face.

"Eh…wha… eh?"

"U-um… what is it?"

When I asked her about her unexpected reaction, she suddenly put her hands on her cheeks and suddenly crouched down.

"W-what's this feeling in my chest…? C-could it be that… this is love?"

"U-um…?"

"Ah? It's nothing. I'm only interested in men who are stronger than me."

"H-huh…? I-is that so?"

What the heck is she talking about…?

Iris-san then cleared her throat as I was trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hmm! And you are?"

"Ah, I'm the disciple of the Kicking Saint, Yuuya Tenjou."

"H-hmm… Yuuya-kun, right? …B-by the way, how old are you?"

"Huh? Well, I'm 16…"

"Kuh! There's about a ten-year age difference… N-no! It's not uncommon for people to have an age difference these days! I mean, it's something to be envied!"

I don't know what she's been talking about since a while ago. I don't know, but I've been getting chills since a while back…

As I shivered involuntarily, Iris-san, who had been strangely excited a moment ago, suddenly gave me a sharp look.

"Well, but… if you don't have the ability, we can't talk about it."

"…Of course, I'll give it my all."

I took out my [Omni-Sword] and held it up quietly.

"All right, bring it on."

At the end of Iris-san's words, the signal to start the fight was finally given, and I stepped in with all my might and slashed at Iris-san.

But…

"You will never reach me with that."

"!?"

My attack was deflected with a clear metallic sound before it could reach Iris-san! However, as I did so, I noticed that Iris-san's arm had momentarily blurred.

"Don't tell me… you swung your sword in that instant?"

"Huh? You can see it clearly, huh. It usually ends up that no one can recognize it…"

Seeing Iris-san smiling amusingly, I can not stop my cold sweat.

No, no, isn't that too outrageous? What should I do against a sword that was swung at an almost unrecognizable speed? Moreover, looking at Iris-san now, her sword is properly sheathed. It's not a move that can be done in an instant.

Then, Iris-san smiled provocatively at the stunned me.

"By any chance, you're not going to say that this is the end, are you?"

Of course, I wouldn't say that this was the end, but it was definitely my best effort. But Iris-san easily blocked the attack. What's more, it's not as if it's been enhanced by any particular magic.

…I already knew that, but the difference is so great that I can only smile bitterly.

Looking at me like that, Iris-san made a suspicious expression on her face.

"Hmm? You don't seem to be in too much of a hurry, are you?"

"No, it's not… I was in such a hurry that I became calm."

"I see. So, do you want to give up?"

"No way…!"

It was obvious to me that my power would not work. Then I had to do what I could.

When I ran forward again, I put away my [Omni-Sword] and took out my [Absolute Spear] from my [Item Box].

"A spear?"

"Haaah!"

Aiming at Iris-san, who tilted her head, I threw the [Aboslute spear] in all seriousness. However, with a clear metallic sound again, the spear was easily repelled.

"What do you think you're doing… such an attack───."

"Fuh."

"Wha-?"

Immediately after I threw the [Absolute Spear], I already had a new weapon in my hand; it was the [Formless Bow ], and then I shot several invisible arrows.

"Huh?"

Iris-san didn't seem to understand what I was doing for a moment, but it seems that she sensed the invisible arrows I shot, and a metallic sound rang out again, and all of my arrows were flicked off.

"…I'm surprised. My sword can be slashed at a speed that can't be tracked by the eyes, but I didn't think it would really be an invisible arrow───."

"Haaa!"

"T-there's more?"

It seemed that Iris-san was talking about something, but in order for me to fight Iris-san properly, I could not give Iris-san the time to attack me; I had to attack her one-sidedly with a saturated attack, so I continued to attack her relentlessly.

Even so, my attacks were still handled by her sword with a speed that couldn't be followed by the eyes. Then I launched the [Absolute Spear] at Iris-san again, which had just returned to me, with a kick that was directly taught by Master Usagi.

Iris-san rolled her eyes when she saw the powerful spear that suddenly entered the uninterrupted barrage of arrows.

"Wait, no way!"

The [Absolute Spear], which was more powerful than the one I threw at her a few moments ago, couldn't be easily deflected by Iris-san. It's the first time I've seen her take it seriously with her sword since the mock battle began.

"Kuh… This is…!"

Iris-san was still able to block the [Absolute Spear]… but I was waiting for that momentary gap in her defense.

"Haaaaaaaaa!"

"Huh? Wait… That big hammer of yours, it looks like it's something dangerous."

Yes, I was preparing to attack with my [World Strike].

Unlike other weapons, this weapon has a large gap, so it is difficult to hit. However, if I could hit it, it would be powerful enough to defeat any opponent. After all, it carries mass equal to that of the world in the attack.

In addition, in order to increase the certainty, I also deploy the [Magic Attire] for the first time here. Then, a pale blue light gushed out of my body and burst like a bolt of lightning.

Iris-san's eyes widened at the sight of me.

Part 4

" …Now what…?"

That's the best I can do.

But───.

"───!"

"Uh?"

Iris-san stared at my [World Strike] with a thoughtful expression. Just before her sword collided with my [World Strike], she guided its movement with her sword, as if to catch all the impact of the collision. The impact from [World Strike] went straight into the nothingness.

However, it seemed that it was not easy to receive this attack, even for Iris-san herself, and she did not have the time to follow up on my gap after the attack.

"This kind of… attack… is just not possible…"

Iris-san's face distorted, and she stared at her hands. When I looked closely, her hand was trembling slightly; maybe she was numb. No, I don't think it's possible to take on a mass equal to the world and only get numb.

However, now that my strongest attack was blocked, I don't think this move will work again in the future. I had taken advantage of an opening since she hadn't seen it before, but I don't think I'll be able to do the same next time.

Iris-san had a serious expression on her face as I broke out in a cold sweat.

"It's not that I was careless, but… it was too unexpected. Who are you really?"

"Who am I? Even if you ask me that…"

"Okay, fine. But you do understand that your attack is no longer going to work, right? …What are you going to do about it?"

Now that the [World Strike] that has been strengthened by [Magic Attire] was prevented, there is almost nothing else I can do.

Iris-san suddenly smiled at me as I desperately thought about it.

"Fuh… Well, Yuuya-kun was the one who attacked until now, so now I will be the one to attack, okay?"

"!?"

At that moment, the dynamic eyesight and thinking speed enhanced by [Magic Attire] succeeded in barely catching the movement of Iris-san. And when I reflexively took out my [Omni-Sword] and took a defensive posture, I felt a tremendous impact on my hand.

"Ara, I didn't think you would be able to block the first attack. But if you take it directly, your hands won't be able to withstand it, you know?"

"Kuh!"

As Iris-san said, my arm was numb from the blow I just received. If I can't take the impact, as well as Iris-san did, I'll probably be killed in no time.

However…

"Well, I won't give you time to pass it off."

"Ugh!"

I was overwhelmed by the raging sword attack. I managed to hang on by strengthening my physical abilities and eyesight using the [Magic Attire]. Still, if I had been in my normal state, I would have been killed with the first blow.

"I'm surprised… you can prevent this as well. Are you really Usagi's disciple?"

"Yes, I am…!"

"…That's a formidable talent, considering you've just learned to use a sword. But unfortunately, I'm going to have to push through."

"Kuh?"

Iris-san's attack speed gradually increased, and even my enhanced dynamic eyesight could no longer track her.

But…

"?"

Iris-san noticed a strange feeling and tilted her head. I also noticed the discomfort later.

(Huh…? How come I can't follow it with my eyes, but I can react to it…?)

Yes, Iris-san was swinging her sword at a speed that I could not possibly handle, but somehow I could block her attack. Iris-san tilted her head and increased her speed to push through, but my body still reacted and stopped the attack.

In the end, Iris-san rolled her eyes at this situation.

"No way! How can you still react?"

I gave up on following it with my eyes and let my body react for some reason, but it seemed to be able to respond to the point where Iris-san was surprised. W-what is it?

I was puzzled because I myself didn't know why my body was able to react to such a degree. It was as if my body had experienced combat at this level before…

Since I could handle all of her attacks, Iris-san once again took distance.

"Hah… hah…"

"…It's weird. I'm not sure why you're reacting when you can't keep up with my movements… What on earth did you do?"

"I-I have no idea either…"

"Well, so you're not going to tell me that easily, huh? But I wonder if you can outrun this as well…!"

When Iris-san said that, she closed the distance even faster than her first attack. With that, the ground cracked and shook the entire arena.

Then───.

"[Sword Flash]!"

It was still a fast, untraceable slash, but the power put into it was different. Earlier, she had focused on speed and the ability to strike repeatedly, but the blow she had just unleashed on me was a heavy blow that emphasized power.

Even if I could react as I had earlier, it would be the end of me if I took it directly. In order to overcome this attack, I have to negate the impact, just as Iris-san taken the impact of the [World Strike] earlier, or I will be cut down like this.

However, I don't have that kind of skill… But──.

"!?"

The moment I received Iris-san's sword with my [Omni-Sword], I turned my body around and received the impact while closing in on Iris-san.

"Kuh!"

Although Iris-san swung her sword down with all her might, she did not feel it as she drew back her sword and prevented the attack of my sudden approach, and then pushed me away.

"Are you really Usagi's disciple? By all means, you are not at the level of a disciple, but a Holy class… no, you should be more than that!"

Iris-san was sweating as she said this. For some reason, when I saw Iris-san's attack, I instinctively knew that I could pass it off. So, I was able to replicate the movements of Iris-san as she dodged my attack earlier. I not only evade it but also launch a counterattack.

However…

"I thought it was perfectly decided just now…"

I thought my counterattack was surprisingly clean, but as it turned out, it was blocked.

It's still not possible to win against Master Usagi, and it's no surprise that my attack didn't work against Iris-san either, who is the Sword Saint, but I think I'm going to lose confidence if I'm blocked this easily.

In order to counter such Master Usagi, I need to release the Evil power, but… Is it really okay to release it now?

For the time being, I was able to control the Evil power for a very period, but I was more afraid that by releasing the Evil power, Iris-san would mistake me for the real Evil.

I don't know how much Master Usagi has told her about me, but I'm sure he hasn't told her about the Evil Power. Master Usagi himself said that I should be careful about showing it to the Holy.

When it comes to that, I have to beat Iris-san without the Evil power… Eh, it's impossible, isn't it?

When I was stunned by the situation that I was stuck in, Kuro, who had been asleep inside me until now, woke up with a big yawn.

"Fuwaaha… I slept well. And, oh…? Why are you fighting with the Sword Saint?"

"I'm sorry, Kuro. I don't have time to explain it in detail, so I'll make it short and simple: it just happened!"

"Whatever happens, but you're fighting the Sword Saint… Aren't you becoming more and more like the real Evil?"

"I wish you wouldn't say anything so crazy!"

I also want to live in peace if possible!

But the Evil will attack me, so I have to get power to remain safe. The current situation is also a training to gain the power to resist the Evil.

Iris-san, who didn't know about Kuro, tilted her head curiously when I complained about Kuro's appearance after a long time.

"Who in the world are you talking to?"

"Eh? Ah, no, it's just…"

"…Oh well. It seems that you've run out of cards, so let's end this now."

Iris-san said and turned a tremendous pressure on me.

Kuh… Iris-san used to move in a state where she was not strengthened by magic, but she seemed to have strengthened her body somehow. Obviously, the pressure I felt was stronger than before.

Kuro burst into laughter as I struggled to keep myself from being blown away by the pressure.

"Hahahaha! Hey, hey, you're about to get hit, you know! What happened to you when you defeated the Fist Saint?"

"A-as I said, I don't remember what happened at that time!"

"Well, I guess you're right. You weren't sane at the time, but you had completely transformed into Evil itself. Then, you have no choice but to lose now, right?"

"Ugh… Master Usagi will definitely be angry with me…"

As I was thinking about the situation, my face turned pale, and Iris-san quietly set up her sword.

"I'll finish you off with a real, honest-to-goodness blow."

"T-then, I'll be dead…"

"Well, I guess you're dead," said Kuro.

"I don't want to die!"

This is just like a mock battle, isn't it? It's not like anyone died or was seriously injured in the fighting tournament, right?

Iris-san smiled at me as if she was enjoying this battle while I was trembling even more.

"I also enjoyed fighting for the first time in a long time… Well, I wish you were stronger than me, though."

"Huh?"

"───[Sacred Heaven Slash]!"

When Iris-san stepped forward, she moved in front of me in an instant. The speed was so instantaneous that I thought it was really an instantaneous movement, and I didn't even realize that she had moved until she appeared in front of me.

And just as she was about to swing her sword down at me, my eyes, enhanced by my [Magic Attire], noticed a black something approaching from behind Iris-san at an unbelievable speed.

Then, not only me but also Kuro seemed to have noticed it and shouted in panic.

"Avoid it, Yuuya!"

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

I realized that Iris-san didn't recognize the black something, so I pulled Iris-san's arm in front of me and hugged her, and then we fell down together.

"W-w-w-wha-whaat!?"

The next moment, Iris-san's face turned red, and she panicked as she was hugged by me. The next moment, the black something pierced the position where Iris-san and I were standing in an instant.

"Huh?"

"T-that was close…"

Iris-san stared dumbly at the ground where the black something had pierced. When the audience began to rustle at the sudden attack from outside the arena, a voice came from the sky.

"───Accha, it's been avoided. Well, it wouldn't be much fun if you died now, would it!"

"Wha…! That appearance… "Shinigami"…! And why are you with them?"

Iris-san's eyes widened as she looked up into the sky. I also looked up at the sky and saw a boy, a half-naked man with a long spear on his back, and a ninja-like man with two grass-cutting scythes on his hips, standing there leisurely.