4.27.

"What is it that you want to talk about?" Shiro asked.

"The demons are going to make their move," Reese said.

"The demons?"

Reese nodded sternly.

"How do you know?" Risa asked.

"Let's just say I was tasked to inform you about the matter," Reese spun her fingers nonchalantly.

Shiro narrowed his eyes.

Reese Rine.

Stats averaging at B, A- for mana and dexterity, with three peculiar gifts that could be said as dangerous.

"It's unknown when the demons would make their move through the week-long competition. Though, if things go according to plan there would not be any need to intervene. I'm only telling you this in case something does go wrong."

"How many people know about this?" Aaron questioned.

"Not many."

"This should be relayed to the security team, or are there reasons why it should be kept under the dark?" Aaron asked.

"It's not that I'm purposely keeping the information under the dark. I just thought it's important I relay it to the correct people."

"Either they would tighten security or cancel the tournament? I think the latter is unlikely," Risa muttered.

"Who told you about this?" Aaron asked.

"Can't say," Reese made a cross with her fingers and placed it on her lips.

"How large is the group, what are their intentions, when they will likely strike, how would they enter.. how much do you know?"

"I'll explain exactly as I was told," Reese cleared her throat. "I don't know."

"""..."""

"Maybe I do know a little. The group shouldn't be small, and their aim is likely to cause chaos to the tournament. To spread fear, things of that nature. The informant merely told me this in hopes that I pass the message onto the heroes and– that I would also act should something occur."

Aaron stood up.

"Sir? Are you going anywhere?"

"I'll inform the security team to stay on guard. Reese Rine. You a participant for the tournament, correct?"

"Yes."

"I wish you the best."

Aaron walked out of the drawing room. Reese blinked.

"Okay, he's gone."

"It's Iona, isn't it?" Risa said.

"Hm? Iona?"

"Dark red hair, gray eyes."

"You knew?" Reese tilted her head.

"She's my favorite chef, of course I would know," Risa said proudly.

"Risa.. anyways. Thanks for sharing this information with us. Is there anything else you wish to tell us?" Shiro turned to Reese.

Reese's lips curled upwards.

"Wait for me dear. I'll be sure to win your heart in this competition."

Risa's expression went blank, Shiro's jaw dropped.

===

["Apologies. I'm not in a situation where I can mobilize arbitrarily."]

"It's alright then. Really, sorry for bothering."

["No. I'm ashamed that I am unable to commit to your request. Please pardon me."]

"It's fine. Take care and be careful."

["Yes."]

Sequencee released the grip on the pendant. He then pushed off the wall he was leaning against and sat down on the low couch.

He looked towards the opening to the arena. The bright light of the morning outside, simply blinding when contrasted with the dim waiting room he was in.

'Breaking a contract requires more than just removing the paper.'

Sequencee thought back to Evelyn's words. He questioned why he made such an irrational decision. Sure it was for Leticia but..

'As in kill, there would be no emergency teleport protocol in effect.'

A duel to the death. Would something like this rouse the spectators? Or would it only cause panic?

Trhumen sat beside him.

"How are you faring?"

"I'm fine. Just, thinking of how I should attack him."

"I didn't expect that you'd be acquainted with Her Highness."

"I didn't think she'd interfere either."

"The contract should be with Sir Cabural, otherwise, Her Highness Titania."

"Sir, what if there are clauses in the contract that remain unclear?"

"Such as?"

"The contract only takes effect when either one party dies. If the person was spared? What would happen then?"

"Know that if he dies, I'll be putting my own life in jeopardy. Do you really think you would be able to spare him?"

'He doesn't know I'm an A-rank mercenary huh?'

"Then were you expecting me to die?"

"..."

"What if I did spare him?"

"As long as neither dies during the duel, the contract will not take effect."

"And then it would be annulled? Or will it continue to stay in effect?"

"It will be annulled."

"So ultimately, you were expecting that I would die. Alright."

"I never said such a thing."

"I know."

'If that's his plan, then simple. I'll just win.'

["We shall proceed with the appetizer events forthcoming the main event! First on schedule is.. oh? An unexpected battle between two students. It seems there had been some conflict between them that needs to be settled via a duel."]

"Good luck," Thrumen said.

"Thanks."

["We shall welcome the two challengers onto the field!"]

Sequencee pushed himself up from the couch and stepped out into the light.

It was the same battlefield that he previously entered upon, except that instead of the ensemble stages located high up, he was standing on flat ground which cushioned the grand spells' impact previously.

["A dramatic conflict between students of different academies. It seems that one of them was dissatisfied that their ensemble lost, hence the duel."]

'So that's the story they're going for?'

The field was humongous. Larger than Sage's hall. Sequencee felt that it could fit the entire building of the training theater and still have some room to spare.

The small figure in the distance– Lancet.

["Oh, could it be? It's the lead player of Riestallia Academy's ensemble against a student from Eluive's Academy for Heroes."]

'Actually, if they used this story, wouldn't it denounce Eluive Academy's position? I thought the point of this duel was to maintain everyone's image?'

They stood a few hundred meters apart from one another.

Sequencee extinguished the elemental beads around him and focused on setting non-lethal traps.

["Apparently, the request was not a simple duel, but a duel to the death?!"]

The announcement of the emcee roused the crowd. Tensions rose.

["The protection barrier will remain inactive throughout the fight, and the only two way out of this is either by killing the other, or being killed.. hey, is this really alright?"]

The crowd began to question the suitability of such an event so early in the tournament. This had to be an act, otherwise seeing someone die before the competition even started would definitely leave a bad taste in their mouth.

[".. I see. Then when both sides are ready, you may make your move and begin!"]

Sequencee stood his ground and waited for his opponent's first move. The crowd held their seats, the silence was deafening–

Lancet gripped his longsword in a stance. The noise around him dissipated as he entered his zone; he took in a deep breath.

[Activated Trait: Virtual Strike]

He swung down.

Despite being hundreds of meters away, a semi-corporeal projection of the attack tracing the exact same sword path appeared before Sequencee.

The attack slammed into a magic barrier.

In Lancet's eyes, Sequencee's semi-translucent figure stood before him.

'Die.'

He enchanted his sword with anti-magic and slashed it again.

Sequencee deftly dodged backwards. Lancet chased forward and repeated the process of attacking. Some of the traps were triggered during the assault, yet none did anything to hinder the ferocity of the sword's strikes.

Thanks to [Activated Trait: Virtual Strikes], Lancet was able to launch attacks from a distance without needing to worry about being attacked himself.

All Sequencee could see was the projection. Even if he hit it with magic– it wouldn't do anything to the user.

'This is problematic.'

It didn't register in spatial magic as a corporeal object despite its solid form, moreover, it was only one blade. It was hard to keep track of something that looked like glass.

'If there wasn't a projection to begin with I'd be a goner by now.'

The attacks simply chased him. Lancet didn't even need from his spot.

'How am I going to incapacitate him without killing him?'

This was the biggest disadvantage. If all Sequences needed to do was kill, then a single spell would be enough to end it.

Swing– strike.

Sequencee failed to notice the feign, a graze appeared on his shoulder–

Lancet's blade glowed in a shade of yellow.

A strong gale manifested itself around him. And the next strike that came, the earth below rose with it. Sequencee jumped away to prevent being skewered, the sword came down from above him.

He covered his arm with ice and used it as a shield.

The projection projection of the blade clashed against Sequencee's arm.

'He's strong..'

Sequencee could feel the weight behind the sword.

He attempted to restrain the blade as an experiment. Ice quickly grew to cover over the blade projection and..

Sequencee was sliced in the back.

The crowd yelped.

"Damn it."

It wasn't possible to hold the virtual blade in place. It can disappear and reappear elsewhere at the will of the user.

The sticky sensation of blood and tingling sense of pain hindered his ability to think clearly.

Again, Sequencee covered his arm with ice and parried the attack.

Using the other free arm, he contrived an ice spear and parried using the shaft. The projection tilted upwards following the sword line. Lancet, who was halfway across the field, staggered.

'So I can affect his sword stance from here.'

Sequencee still wasn't sure what the criteria was to decide whether the projection would be held in place by something, or be able to dissolve and reappear elsewhere.

He tried blocking it with physical rock– but too far out, the blade would simply phase through solid. A magic barrier was effective to some extent, but that's when there is no anti-magic enchanted.

Without Lancet's figure, it made it incredibly hard for Sequencee to predict how the sword would move to begin with.

Sequencee kept defending against the attacks while moving closer to Lancet's true position. A nick here, a gash there. Each time blood would spurt, his clothes slowly turning red, the wounds healed unnaturally.

Starfall.