Quilts are okay, right?

　Solstice muttered uneasily as she looked away from Mr. Kilt's back.

　I can't answer.

　Instead, the dragon knight Raydor-san said.

''I don't know. Kilt is strong, but the 'Hero of Toluga' over there is also quite strong. Honestly, I've never felt this much pressure just standing there.

　There was no room in his expression.

　Arse-san, the head of the Temple Knights, also nodded with a grave atmosphere.

　It's probably the strength of the 'Hero of Toluga' that I feel because we are the same strong people.

(Kirt-san........)

　For me, Kirt is the person I admire.

　She's stronger than anyone else, and she's used her strength to stand up to a lot of demons and protect a lot of people over the years.

　She's a much more amazing person than me, the 'divine dog'.

　I think so.

　........But that's why I understand.

　I can feel it.

(That "Hero of Toluga" is the same.)

　He has protected a lot of people in Toluga with his strength, and I feel that he has accumulated something.

　He's just like Kirt.

　He's a "hero" who risked his own life to protect people.

　Geez.

　I clenched my fists.

　I was scared to death that Mr. Kilt and that 'Hero of Toluga' would be fighting,

　Illtimina says.

'Let's trust our Kirto Amandes.
..........

　I nodded.

　Solstice, Poe, and everyone else nodded as well.

　We continued to stare at the 'arena' to watch the two of them begin their battle.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


The hero Pardooine, standing in the 'arena', looked at General Roberto, who was still sitting in his seat, with a look of dismay and contempt on his face.

　His nomination had been ignored.

To him, who wanted to fight against the 'strongest', the non-participation of the man who seemed to be the strongest in Shumuria was probably an unthinkable cowardice.

　Doon.

　A gong sounded and the bars of the entrance opened.

　The one who entered through it was a silver-haired woman, petite as a child.

''..........''

　Besides, Pardwan's dismay grew.

　The 100,000 Toluga warriors who had gathered as spectators also voiced their great discontent, as their 'heroes' had just been insulted.

　Curses.

　Anger.

　A simmering negative will directed at the 400 Shumurians and the silver-haired woman at a loud volume.

　But the silver-haired woman was unperturbed.

''...?''

　Pardewan looked uncomfortable for the first time there.

　In the woman's hand was a large black sword.

　Blue lightning scattered inside the sword's blade, which looked like it had been carved out of rock. It was larger than the woman's height and seemed to weigh quite a bit.

　The silver-haired woman held it at the top level.

''-----''

　A casual movement.

　However, it caught the hero Pardooine's eye.

　His movements were nowhere near lean, and his stance was nowhere near as seamless as it was beautiful.

　It was just a stance.

　Yet, that single movement sucked everyone's attention away.

　The same was true for the 100,000 Toluga warriors.

　Only if you know the sword, you can understand how extreme her stance is.

　Before I knew it, the 'arena' was filled with silence.

　And even Toluga's hero, Pardooine, understood that this silver-haired woman was more worthy of his opponent than anyone else.

''Haha.''

　Unbeknownst to him, he was smiling.

　Then he lifted the long battle axe in his hand and held it firmly at the ready.

　The air froze.

　Pardooine's stance was also beautiful, and everyone gasped.

　The two of them facing each other were like a single painting, and the landscape around them seemed to distort with the growing 'pressure' that was spreading serenely.

　I noticed that the silver-haired woman - Kilt-san - was also laughing.

''..........''
..........

　Like two lovers, the Hero of Toluga and the Golden Mark Demon Hunter laughed at each other, and in the next moment, the two stepped forward at the same time.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　A thunderous collision sound rang out.

　The blades of the great sword and the battle axe clashed with each other, sending violent sparks flying, and Kirt-san and the hero Pardewan were in a battle for bragging rights in the center of the 'arena'.

(Lies!)

　Kirt-san's all-out upper swinging sword.

　That strongest sword technique that I was taught for the first time, the "Hero of Toluga" is easily accepted by the "Hero of Toluga".

　I didn't think it was possible.

　But it seemed that the audience, the 100,000 Toluga warriors, were the same way.

''Oh!''　　

　He was surprised that Mr. Kilt had received the battle axe of the hero Pardewan.

　His Majesty the Empress Ameldas, too.

What a....

　His eyes were wide open.

　The two looked into each other's eyes as they compared strength.

　Giggling, giggling.

　The scraping blade sparks.

　The soil underfoot gouges and cracks under the pressure.

　Still, neither side will give in.

(Evenly matched...!)

　Undeterred by the difference in size, Mr. Kirto was a force to be reckoned with, even with his hero, Pardooine.

　The crowd of 100,000 gasps.

　The two men's power is balanced.

　Then what is the next step?

　At the moment I thought, Kilt's great sword was drawn and changed its angle.

''!''

　The balance of power is lost, and the Pardo One's battle axe slides down along the blade of the great sword at an angle.　

　D'ohn.

　The battle-axe struck the ground in the arena.

　Instantly, Kirt-san's great sword aimed at the hero Pardooine's battle-axe holding arm with tremendous speed.　　

　Pah!

　With a quick decision, Pardooine removed his hand from the battle axe and evaded it.

　At the same time, he lifted the battle-axe with one hand and aimed at Kirt-san in a side-pipe.

''Mmm.''

　I can't bring back the great sword that was swung out in time.

　Gatchin'

　The moment he thought that, Kirt-san had smashed the battle axe off, hitting the hilt instead of the blade of the great sword.

　The distance between the two men separated.

　Then, they each re-holstered their weapons again.

''Ooh-oh!''

　A crowd of 100,000 people sprang up.

　My hands were shaking, too.

(WOW!)

　It was only a momentary attack and defense, but I could feel the tremendous skill of the two of them.

　Iltimina-san and everyone else in Shumuria couldn't take their eyes off the fight.

''.........''
..........

The two in the 'arena' looked at each other.

　And then they stepped forward as if they were attracted to each other with magnets.

　Huh, huboosh, kak, gakin.

　Now it's a speed comparison.

　A two-med long battle-axe, a super-heavy great sword, is swung out as fast as if it were wielding a dagger.

(I can't see the sword clearly!)

　Sometimes I can only grasp it as just an afterimage.

　That's how fast it was.

　And Mr. Kilt and his hero, Pardooine, were dodging or receiving it at godspeed, and horribly attacking on it.

　Gatchin'

　The two great swords and the battle axe collided, and at the same time, the two of them also took their distance.

''..........''
..........

　The hero Pardewan laughed.

　In response, Kilt-san laughed back.

　...........Enjoying it.

The 'Hero of Toluga' and the 'Golden Seal Demon Hunter' understood each other's skills and found that they were enjoying this battle from the bottom of their hearts.

　Then the two of them moved forward again.

　The skills and experiences that they had accumulated in their lives so far, they were able to smash each other to their heart's content.

　Huubok, gah, Sharin, Cuong.

　Just when it seemed like Mr. Kilt was pushing, a counter-war technique allowed Hero Pardewan to push back and take advantage in an instant.

　It's like a sword dance.

　It's as if both sides know what the other is going to do and dance on top of it.

(............)

　I'm excited to see a fierce battle, but strangely, my mind is calm.

　What is this feeling?

　It's like witnessing a sacred ceremony.

　The greatest battle of mankind.

　We are witnessing one of the greatest battles in history.　

　The brilliance of this beautiful sword is burned into our memories and hearts.

　None of us speak.

　Even 100,000 Tolga warriors are silent.

　The sound of their battle was the only thing that echoed in the arena.

　-- The endgame was abrupt.

　There probably wasn't much difference in the 'strength' of the two of them, Kirt-san and Hero Pardooine.

　Their spirit, skill, and experience.

　In all, they were similar in every way, and no superiority or inferiority was born.

　Just one point.

　In contrast to the long battleaxe used by the hero Pardewan, what Kirt-san was holding in his hand was the 'Great Sword of Thunder' - a Thanatos magic armament.

　The heyday of the ancient Thanatos magic dynasty.

　The highest level of armor born in that peak era of human history.

　...............

　While fighting, the two of them may have felt the difference between them.

''..........''
..........

　Mr. Kilt looked a little sad.

　Hero Pardewan, on the other hand, was laughing with a face that said, 'Never mind.

　The two of them looked at each other as they crossed blades.

　It's only polite to give each other's all - that's why Kilt-san said those words.

　I'll settle it, those words.

''--Demon Sword, Thunderbolt Slash.''

　Bazzy, bazzy-in.

　With that statement, the Great Sword of Thunder unleashed the magical blue lightning lightning that was hidden inside.

　It then destroyed the clashing battle axes in an instant.

　The discharge dyed the world blue.

　After a few seconds, the glow disappeared.

　In the 'arena' that everyone could see, at the end of the 'Great Sword of Thunder' that Kirt-san held up, the hero Pardooine threw away the broken weapon and held out his hands.

　A pose of surrender.

　The hero Pardewan was smiling proudly even though he had lost.

　Seeing this, Kirt-san smiled, his golden eyes quietly lowered, and let out a long breath.

　...........

　We witnessed the whole thing.

　-- This is how we, 'The Fifth Pioneer Group', broke through the 'Third Trial' with the victory of the Golden Mark demon hunter, Kirto Amandes.