--5 years ago. 　


　I was walking in the hot sand.

　Fortunately, there was no need to worry about food.
　She had a solid education and a sense of battle acquired through life-threatening battles.

　She could handle any request and gradually came to carry a good amount of money.

　I bought clothes, coiffed my hair, and put up an umbrella.

　No one would ever accuse her of being shabby, her long hair would never be a source of unhygiene, and she would never get soaked in the rain.

　Her appearance made it impossible to imagine her origins.
　You can't save money by being vain.
　It is natural to say, but she basically worked all day every day.

　On that day, and for the next few days, she was working as a city to city escort.

　Hot sand.
　It was hard to walk, it clung to her body, and the heat was intense.

　I knew about it, but I had no idea it was this bad.
　My breathing was shallow and ragged.

　In a daze, I gritted my teeth and looked forward.

　I have to be strong.
　I can't die here.

　At the end of my strength of mind, I finally arrived at the city.

　"Cheers" echoed through the air.

　I looked up to see what was going on.

　My employer said. "The Colosseum."
　I've heard of it. I'd looked into it before I came to town.

　A place where fierce warriors with great skill cross swords and compete for the top.

　When she heard that, she felt a sense of contempt.

　"Sword fighting." What would she think of that word?
　The pastime of the nobility. Slave-like children desperately trying to kill each other.
　And beyond that, the feeling of killing her friend was still in her hands.

　You think it's a game.

　"A fun fight."

　Well, I suppose there is such a culture.
　In fact, I thought, maybe that's what those nobles used as a basis for putting the blade in my hand.

　I thought it was wrong to hold a grudge.

　But there were certain emotions that I couldn't separate from.

　The cheers from the Colosseum at the end of the main street reached us as we stood at the entrance to the city.

　Would you like to go and see it?
　I wasn't positively interested. But I wanted to see what kind of "fierce" people there were, and most of all.

　I wanted to see how the real swordfighting was different from what we had been forced to do.

　I felt that seeing it would have a great meaning in my life.

　So, she visited the Colosseum.

　What she saw was "heat". The gladiators fighting with gusto amidst the cheers.

　But with the light gone from her eyes, not one of the battles struck a chord. Rather, what was there was disappointment.

　This is what a sword fighter is.
　These are the fierce ones.

　I could kill them all with my own hands. Nonsense.

　But... I was lucky that day, of a sort.
　Just as I turned my back on the venue, the [Heavenly Eight Flash] match began.
　And there they were, performing spectacular battles for Arawn.

　"Strong".

　That conviction was correct.
　There was a reason why she needed to beat these guys to prove her strength.
　For a change, she looked at the Colosseum with interest.

　She tilted her head.
　The crowd was trickling out before the main event.

　As a standing-room-only ticket holder, she couldn't understand why anyone would want to give up their seats, but she took advantage of the situation and grabbed a ticket from a passerby.

　She sat down in the front row.

　The person next to me said. This game is boring.
　I asked him what he meant. He said that this was the main event, that it was a higher level fight than the earlier fight, Tenka Hassen.

　He nodded, but denied it.
　I'm just stronger," he said.

　For a moment, I didn't understand what he meant.

　But then... The boy who appeared caught my eye.
　Eyes that seemed to resent everything in this world, but with a resignation that was tinged with disappointment.
　The weapon in his hand was the same as his opponent's.

　According to the customer next to him, he is a man who wins by using the same weapon as the opponent in front of him.
　He said it was boring and insulting to the sword.

　Arawn didn't care about the sword.

　The boy in front of him was strong. Overwhelmingly strong.


　He easily defeated a man with eight flashes of lightning, who was quite skilled even in her eyes.

　He left the arena without looking at the spectators, who gave up and left.

　What can I say about the feelings she had at that moment?


　The overwhelming affirmation of herself was probably due to his lack of interest in sword fighting.
　That's okay. All you have to do is crush your opponent and that's it.

　Before he knew it, he was running.

　In the shadows of the spectators waiting for him, I stopped him as he was walking away and asked him why he was fighting.
　I asked him why he was fighting.

　He replied with one word.

　To prove that even I, an unemployed man, can do it.

　It was a shock to Arawn.
　That's all she said and she walked away. Enough. More than enough.

　He too is a man who crawled out of the mire on his own.
　And the one who reached the top of this place.

　I have to reach him. I have to surpass him.

　I have a promise.

　I have a promise that I must reach the strongest.

　I'm sure of it.

　If I defeat him. Then I can reach the strongest.

　Entry is instantaneous.
　To the world of sword fighting, she would... "She tried a second time.


"Aylan B. Smiles!　No winner by foul play!


　Hmm. It's going to be a long road to the top.

　Let's think of it as a sparring session at best, and live positively.

　Aylin nodded in front of the corpse he had killed out of habit.











　--Arena Spectacula.

　It's almost time for the finals.

　No one bothered to complain about the no longer meaningful cards dancing on the battlefield.
　The finals. The end of this tournament is now down to two men.

　The names on the wall are a testament to the pride and honor of these two men.

　Even if it was not meant to be an announcement to the audience, the name had value.

　As a result, the crowd continued to heat up around the names on the battlefield. While the audience waited for the finals to start, the music in the hall was always up-tempo.

　As the atmosphere of the venue continues to stimulate people's minds, the audience themselves become the source of information and debate about who will win.

　It would be tactless to say, "You can't tell until the fight.
　Predictions can only be made before the battle.
　Whether it comes true or not is a matter of discussion. That's why it's fun for people to talk about common things that can only be talked about now.

　And.
　That's not the only reason for today's excitement.
　It's not enough to bring back the same fervor as right after the semifinals.

　The most significant factor is the lovely tone of voice that now echoes.

"Hey!　That's why you used that method to beat your brother!
Yes, that's right. You can't do the same thing with a broken sword, even if you could imitate me, because I haven't done much training with a broken sword.
But big brother, you can do the same thing as the princess, right?
"No matter how well you can mimic my physical abilities now, what I can do with a broken sword is the same now as it was then. Because I haven't grown. Therefore, even if my physical abilities are mimicked, the one who will win is me, who has the perfect Konzesh and has been training in the perfect state. That's what I thought.
The princess was right... my brother who pretended to be a princess won!

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.
　The princess, who has a full-blown healing atmosphere, looks back on yesterday's events as if gently admonishing her.

　A man in the waiting room, waiting for his turn to play, couldn't help but ask who the commentator was for today's game.

To be honest, it was a mistake to take the fight head-on. You should have taken your time, but your first priority should have been to avoid being broken.
"I see!
Hmm. Then you and your siblings would have been able to commentate together again in today's final, wouldn't you, Pasta?
"Mmm. My brother would have won no matter what!

　It could be seen as disrespectful to the princess depending on how you look at it, but it was only allowed because she was a nine-year-old who had gained popularity so far.
　In addition, the princess's smiling, adoring tone of voice towards the younger girl did not seem to be uncomfortable at all.

　The two beautiful girls are talking about their favorite "fighting sword".

　The visual and auditory effects are tremendous.
　Sharing a favorite thing creates a strong sense of camaraderie, and the arena has become a "home" for sword fighters.

　That's why you can get along with the spectators next to you, even if you don't know them, and even fight with them.
　This is because we have something in common.

　There are several reasons why these sisters chose yesterday's game as a common topic.

　First, as mentioned above, they share a common topic. If the two sisters just talk to each other in a friendly manner, of course, they can only catch customers who are interested in them. Their main purpose is "sword fighting". If you do something that is not in line with their purpose, you will lose the audience.


　Don't let anyone think, "What the hell are you doing here?

　On the contrary, as long as they are in line with the sword, their good looks can be a great weapon. The title of princess and idol of the arena is also a powerful advantage.
　The fact that these girls, who are normally out of reach, are enjoying the same things we are, makes us feel as if we are friends watching the game next to them.

　The reason why I call her "Pasta-chan" is to show that the audience and the princess are looking at the same thing.

　This was one way of shaping their popularity.
　Of course, they're trying to do that.

"Heh. Princess, I'm really enjoying your story, I'm really listening to it!
'That's because you're listening. I can't say anything bad.
You're nervous?　I'm still getting used to ...... too. ......
"Hmm. So, the two of us who are still nervous will have to work hard today.


　The second is the small amount of information. As a rule, people have an intense intellectual curiosity and desire for things they like. That's why we want even the smallest bit of first-hand information. What was going on behind the scenes. The story of how the arena was built. The past of the sword fighters. If it's a topic of your favorite "fighting swords", you want to know everything you can about it, and by knowing it, you can create a new "love" for it.

　In this case, the psychological battle in the semifinals. Even though there was a commentator, the situation would be different if it were told from the mouth of the player himself.
　Knowing the inner workings of her battle, including the fact that Izuna's reputation was raised by the fact that she was almost right, will also lead to knowing Futa's ability today.
　On top of that, she is a warrior renowned as the strongest in the kingdom.
　Her words are words of gold to the spectators who enjoy sword fighting, and they are nourishment for the warriors to encourage their own growth.

　While raising Izuna's reputation, she would also give the audience new information about the princess and her psychology at the time, so that they would get to know her and like the members of the arena anyway by creating a cute little sister who stands up for her big brother. This was one way of doing it.


I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
I'm not sure what to say. But if he can read all of your thoughts, you can look forward to a match with him.
What? Are you going to do it?
I don't know when, but... I don't know when, but I thought his fight with Futa was great. There are many opponents I would like to fight. For example, Aylan today.
"I'm surprised Aylorne even made it this far from the preliminaries!
I was surprised too! Pasta!
I'm glad I'm not the only one.

　The third thing is unification of consciousness. The third is unification of consciousness. This is how we make them listen to us with our favorite and common topics, and fascinate them with our speaking skills. In this way, we unite our consciousnesses so that we can manipulate the audience's minds from the actual seats.

　Occasionally, they would intentionally leave gaps in their narratives, which would lead the audience to make comments. And I dare to pick up on that, too.
　This is how he tells everyone in this hall.
　The spectacle of the day has already begun.
　And that their talk is the opening salvo.

　They don't even have time to go buy drinks.
　The sense of unity that will be built will be created by the entire audience. The sense of involvement is easily instilled.


　And then.


"Hmm, princess?
"What's up, pasta?
I'm not sure if I should ask.

　Lilac tilted her head with a gentle smile.
　It's an advanced technique to make a pause in the sound, but to those who are looking at the two of them, it appears as if they are close.
　Pasta, who has not hesitated to take advantage of this, pauses for a beat, raises her voice a little, and says.

"Who do you think will win?

　The question caught the audience's attention even more.
　It was a strong card that took advantage of his position as the most powerful man in the kingdom.

　The last one was "heat".

　After impressing the audience with the fact that she was the princess of the semifinalists, she moved on to the topic of Aylin and Futa.
　Before you know it, you'll find yourself naturally shifting to the topic of the final.

　Before the start, Lilac told Pasta that she would leave the control of the venue to him.
　Since that's the case, I can guess everything from this pretense. The arrangements are probably already in place. All that was left was to turn their attention to the arena for the start of the match.

　Fueled by all the anticipation you've built up so far, you urge them that the final is about to begin.

"It's hard. Aylan's battling style means he'll never give up, no matter what the odds.

"Futa is Futa, and considering his match against Izuna and me, I'm sure he'll show us even more new tricks.

"If there's one thing I can say...

　"If there's one thing I can say," she said, gently brushing her lips.

"This match will definitely be interesting.

　Wow. The first cheer of the day went up.
　Not a buzz, not a whimper, not a yell, but a reaction to the heat of the arena.
　This is the heat that makes the arena, the sword, the arena. The excitement.



　It's ignited.

　Pasta sensed it immediately and shouted.

"Yes!　I'm so excited!　I don't know who's going to win, but I just want to see this game!　I want to see it!
That's right. I'm sure Pasta-chan isn't the only one. Isn't it?

　Question. It's a technique I stole from Izuna. I thought of copying it as soon as I heard what you said yesterday.
　When you're a princess, it's very effective.

　The audience's heat continues to accelerate.

　Heat is raw. If you keep it up, it will slowly lose its power.
　But they know that.

　That's why they set the fire at this moment.

"The first combat tournament to celebrate the construction of the arena Spectacula.
"The finals, the conclusion. Come and join the fun.

　It is time to begin, he shouted, lighting up the hearts of the spectators.

"And now, the last player!

　The explosion of cheers was like that of the last semifinal.

　The explosive cheers were like the last of the semifinals, and the talk alone before the start of the finals had brought the heat to this level.


　These two could have done this with zero preparation.






　With a bang, the gate on the left side of the room explodes.




　Shiro smoke billowed out, and the flames on the outer wall burst into flames as well.
　The audience's voices grew louder as they heard the new staging of the final.

"Twelve days ago. "The legend began.

　The foot that stepped out of the smoke was not that of a one-piece dress. It's a long, deadly leg wrapped in a rugged ankle strap.

It's not just the dress, but the long, brawny legs wrapped in a rugged ankle strap. That hope is now hers alone.

　In the semifinals, Aylan was already the only one who had made it to the finals.
　She was the only one to make it to the finals.

"First round. In the first round, when all the qualifiers had disappeared, Aylin won against Prim Lancaster. In the semi-finals, he fought to the death against Richter L. Klingbloom. But still, what was that expression on his face?

　She was not pressured at all, and even though it was the final, she took her first steps with the same dignity as in the preliminary round.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

It was as if she was undaunted. After all that fighting, she showed no signs of being hurt. Who said that the Siren is a mermaid of the mountains and rivers of blood? She sang and sang. Sparring, training, dueling, everything.


　She stepped onto the cobblestones and brushed her hair.


　She can no longer see anything but the gate in front of her.


She said she had built up for this day, for this challenge!


　It means bravado. It means recklessness.
　It means challenge.

　There's only one man in the world she can challenge.


She's the only one who can challenge him.　Will the mermaid princess who continues to seek battle sink with the bubbles or sink with them?　Aylan B. Smiles--!


　Arawn closed his eyes amidst the cheers of the crowd.
　I didn't need to hear any particular incitement, and if I did, I didn't think there would be anything that would stick in my mind.
　But then... A single letter. It was undoubtedly me who had sent the invitation to the Dead Mountain Blood River.

　Though it was not accepted.

　That's why I want a rematch.

　I open my eyes and white smoke explodes.

　Come on, come on. The top.






　A shura just like me.