--A few days back from the fighting tournament.

　A swamp lotus blooms in an abandoned church in an abandoned section of King's Landing.
　A young man was standing in front of the rusty, crumbling gate.

I'm not sure if this is the castle of the demon king or what.

　It was a nightmare.
　The reason why the well-dressed man came to this place alone was to meet an acquaintance.

　The children who probably live in this abandoned church are peering anxiously at him from the edge of the wall.
　He was accustomed to being stared at, but when it came to young children, he was a bit unsteady.

　He sighs in resignation and places the bag in his hand at his feet.

　The softly spreading scent was cupcakes from some noodle store that was being heavily promoted.
　The fact that the face that came to my mind when I thought of a light snack as a souvenir was that of a man is quite an absurd story.

　Even so, he shook his head, thinking that they had become quite easy friends.

　--After all, it's that man's fault, isn't it?

　The frozen city of King's Landing. Even the Ice Empress who reigned in the center of the city has been melted. Should we think that it was a little too much for us to continue our chilly relationship as we were throwing ourselves into the freezing wind around it?

　I don't pander. But there was no need to be hostile anymore.
　Now that the Orba Chamber of Commerce has become a moderate taxpayer and the economy has improved, there is no reason for the country to quarrel with the Chamber.

　Then, there was no need for the top leaders to quarrel with each other.

　To be precise, it wasn't that man who was involved in the downfall of the Orba Chamber of Commerce, but the maids around him, or even that princess whose name I must not mention--the reason why they moved like that was because of that man's "selfishness. The reason why they moved like that was because of that man's "selfishness", don't you think?

　If that's the case, it won't change.
　After nearly dying in the wild, they arrived at the royal capital.
　What awaited him there would certainly be his salvation, but I now think that perhaps it was King's Landing that was being saved in a way.

Here, take it.
"Yes, sir. Thank you, my lord.
"......

　The way they walked back to the church with the bags, they looked like dwarfs or something.
　If the monster had not taken root in this abandoned church, what would have become of those children? It would have been better if they had been captured and sold. At worst, they might have died of starvation between the cherry blossom season and the red season.

But starvation...

　But starvation?
　He felt something stuck in his mind.

　That's right, the boy who started calling him senior and pining for him.
　I don't understand the habit of dressing up in women's clothes just because it looks good, but if it's a way of life, then so be it.
　Everyone has their own way of life, and everyone has their own means to live.
　No, let's leave her and his situation aside.

　There must have been something in what he said that bothered her.
　It was-- well.

"He said he withdrew money from the bank, right?

　That's right. There are banks in King's Landing, so I did. So he said he could buy clothes. There's an indescribable feeling when you choose a dress, but that's part of it.
　I can't complain because it looks good on me, and the tailor was very enthusiastic about it. As long as the material is good, the gender doesn't matter. By the way, Pasta-chan said that her clothes would sell well to boys.

　It's good that the economy of King's Landing has improved, but I wonder where they are going.

　I'll leave you to it.

　But that's not the point.

"Well, the thing that's been bugging me...
Go and listen to the incomprehensible report of a prowler troubling you at the gate and sending you cupcakes.
".......

　When you look up, there is a girl in a dress with her arms crossed.
　This is a great way to get the most out of your business.
　You can find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing.

I'll kill you.
That's a hell of a greeting.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

The situation is different from last time. If you kill me here, you'll never leave King's Landing and you'll end up on the execution block. I hate to bring this up, but that woman whose name must not be mentioned would rather have me than you.
"That woman: ........................

　In fact, his words were very convincing.
　The man who had been in charge of the nation's fundamental politics and was now one of its few collaborators, and the "contract" partner who had been given one of the plots to clean. It's obvious which one to cut down.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

And?　What do you want?
It's not too rude to just take the cupcakes away and talk at the gate, is it?
You can't call a man a guest if he comes to you without an appointment and with a gift.
"I see. I'll write a letter to him next time. Engrave the family crest in wax and send an envoy. If you like, I can make it an invitation.
"An invitation to a house with a dog and a cat...... is interesting. I'm going to bring my whole family to your party.
What if you have a home party and your house burns down again, it's brand new.
It's just a home party. You didn't pay for this, did you?


"I'm not going to drive my new house crazy just yet. ...... Also, why don't you stop with the b*tc* cat, if not your dog?　They'll think we're in a relationship.
Oh, no, it's not.
I'm still single and looking for someone to marry.
That second part is unnecessary.

　That's not very nice.

　The way you talk as if you're keeping him around because he's a woman will only bring you misfortune. It's just that when you put a competent person in charge, it happens to be a woman.
　The man hasn't given up on life or taken drugs to have them as his wives.

　He gave a small sigh to the uninterested Aylin.

"...... Anyway. I just came to check on you.
"Well, ...... look. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that about five people died today.
You're so far gone you can't even laugh at ...... it.
It's not funny. Some fools got drunk, wielded knives, stabbed people, ...... stole for lack of food and beat them up, ...... and one of them tried to get his hands on my personal belongings.
"Personal effects?
Didn't he just take a cupcake?
Yeah, personal stuff. ......

　I remember I was a little girl, not much older than you.
　I thought he was treating her like a slave, but he was surprisingly expressive. The fact that she calls it her "personal belongings" suggests that she is taking good care of it.

　It is apparent that this woman has a lot of clothes and ribbons. She may have a tendency to take good care of her things.

　Killing her because she touched you is a bit excessive. However, it is hard to say that the law is functioning properly in this place. Her way of doing things is a kind of justice.

It's ...... frustrating.
So, are we done here?
She's trying to get me to leave.
I don't think you and I are on the best of terms, sir.
You're enjoying your tea party with that woman, aren't you?
............ It's like a disaster.
You can't be serious.

　There was never any female friendship.

Well, that's good. I'm not here to check up on you, I'm here to check up on yourself.
How am I?　As you can see, I'm doing well.
I see. I was afraid you'd fallen behind, but I guess my fears were unfounded.
Would you mind not lumping me in with your dog?
...... I just thought that defeat would be hard for you warriors to bear.
No, sir.

　I'm not going to be able to do that," she said, shaking her head loosely.
　She narrowed her eyes and continued.

The only reason it was broken was because it broke what you believed in.

　I thought the man in front of me knew what he was talking about.
　It was with such doubts and small disappointment that she told him, to which he replied with a puzzled expression.

Oh.

　He looked straight at Arawn.

"So, I guess you do too, right?

　A moment of silence enveloped the front of the abandoned church.

　A moment of silence fell in front of the abandoned church.

"I am?
"At least. You were defeated by the sword. Isn't that right?
......
If that's not what you think, fine. If you don't think so, that's fine, but that's what it looks like to me.

　Aylin is right.
　I brought a gift, but we're not the kind of people who sit around and have tea parties.

　He turned his back on Aylin with a few words.
　As he turned to leave, a voice called out to him.

"...... Wait.

　He pauses.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but I have.

I'm not a fan of this kind of thing. In the end, all I get are curious and amused glances. It's a way of life.
Well, you'll find out.
"......

　Aylin choked for a moment when he interrupted her.
　He - Richter L. Klingbloom tells him.

He - Richter L. Klingbloom - tells him, "Their eyes are really curious and . Then I wonder if they are eyes that wish, enjoy, and look down on you as you kill each other.

　And.

"The eyes of those who look you squarely in the face and hold their weapons. "Are they the eyes of a cornered beast that struggles to survive without killing you?


"......
"You can take another look for yourself.

　And with that, Richter walked away, this time.

　Arawn cast his eyes down.
　She exhaled lightly and stared up at the azure sky.





　





　The cheers were loud with anticipation, contempt, and...

　And...



　That's all it was.

　









　--The arena spectacle.

　With the power in her fist, Arawn B. Smiles challenged Prim Lancaster's Everlasting Mountain Cross: Guide Star.

Aaaaaaahhhh!

　The speed of her punching and kicking was certainly not as fast as her spear or the stabbing of Lilac's conch.
　But her true strength lies not in her individual moves, but in her flowing strikes.

"Arawn and Master Lilac are going to take Prim down with two of their own. I figured it's better to aim at Prim and have her get in the way than to aim at Mion and have her get in the way.
"Wouldn't it be better to just make two normal one-on-ones?
"Everyone would think so. But there are circumstances where this is not the case. Prim's footwork - or rather, Mion's footwork.
I don't know.　I think Prim's footwork and Mion's footwork are completely different.
No, they're the same. --Look at them.

　Fouta on the commentary table shows the two perspectives of Prim's legs and Mion's movement.
　The audience gasped at Mion's positioning, which they thought was just a fluid movement in the game before they noticed it.

"Prim must be fighting freely now. Or is it the other way around? If you can't fight completely free, you can't take on Arawn and Lilac-sama. So what Mion is doing is standing around to optimize Prim's movements. So that's it.

　That.
　The moment he said that, Mion's steps were light.
　He didn't step forward or backward.
　It was a sideways leap that never seemed to have much meaning.

　But now it was clear to the audience.

　Aylan, Lilac, and Mion were standing around Prim in a neat triangle.

This is a fight that can only be won if one of them loses the battle. In other words, the theory is that the first one to make it two against one will win. Do you understand that?
"Yes, I do.
If one of you tries to hit Mion while he's in that position...
"...... I see. And unlike Mion, I've never had a problem with that.
And unlike Mion, the Princess Garden has no way to attack from a distance. And unlike Mion, Princess Garden has no way to attack from a distance.
It's two against one!
That's what I meant.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.
　This formation was made possible by Prim's ability to "defend" against the front line to keep the opponent at bay, and it was a many-to-many battle strategy that fully utilized the cross spear.

　He is a "commander".
　He is a professional who can create an advantageous situation without speaking or thinking about it.

Aaaaahhhh!
"......

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure one of us can handle Mion's interference. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.
I'm sure you're right. In the event that you have any kind of questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.


I'm sure you'll agree.　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
This ......!
I'm sure you've been underestimating me a bit. ......

　The cross spear of Prim Lancaster, smiling fiercely, was being swung in all directions so that it looked like a spinning circle to the untrained eye, and all of it was repelling Aylin and Lilac's offensive.

　It was like a bulwark pushing back the raging tide.

　Her spear, taking the seriousness of the "strongest in the kingdom" and the "runner-up in the last round", made the audience go wild.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Prim is serious?
Are those two guys cutting corners on ......?
Are you stupid?
No, it might be that they're not doing well because they're two people.
Just say, "Wow, Prim is awesome.
Seriously, if it wasn't for Aylan's surprise attack, Prim might have been the one who made it to the finals.

　The venue was buzzing, the blades echoing.

　"Seriously, if it wasn't for Arawn's surprise, Prim would be in the finals.

"Aaah!

　The dull thud of his fist.
　Prim catches the fist with a beastly expression and strikes Arawn down with all her might.

　While dodging Lilac's contessa, she spun her spear around her waist to widen the distance between them.
　Changshan Cross: Guide Star.

　There was not a single gap in the skill of the spear.

　But then, Arawn twisted the corners of his mouth.

"Ah, ah--Tanoshii ......!


You're trying to do something.
If you can't break the guiding star, just make it impossible to break the guiding star. ......!
"...... I see.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

　The girl garden is now ready to attack Prim Lancaster.

"Prim!

　Mion's voice cried out.

　She may or may not have heard him. Mion couldn't tell.

　Lilac recognized the threat in front of her as a threat and unleashed her contessa.
　Arawn sees a way out of the never-ending battle and aims for victory with his "fighting sword.

　And Prim, who was holding back the rage of the two.

"Ah!

　Mion sends Ariadne into the air.

　But its trajectory was readable to the experienced warrior.

"Aaah!

　As soon as it was flicked off, Prim took the opportunity to fire her spear.




　There was a crack.

　There was an unpleasant sound.