Right at the start of the match, Chairman Koudelka was surprised by Cecily's attack speed.
　The sharpness of her attack was far more than he had expected.
　Therefore, Chairman Koudelka had been maintaining his "Polar Void" state to assess the attack, and had taken a full defense stance.
　He was prepared to wear out due to the continuous use of his unique techniques.

　Chairman Koudelka launched a counterattack.
　The crowd groaned.

''Hey!　Suddenly Koudelka has the upper hand!
'You've been waiting to see what happens!

　The momentum.
　I'm going to try to decide on this one.
　However, Cecily-san is avoiding a direct hit at the stroke of a piece of paper to avoid getting the next effective strike.

''Oh dear.......that's great, Cecily Arkwright!

　President Dristos spills his admiration.
　His voice is laced with praise.

'Although barely, she's preventing Koudelka's attack in that state... And right after the first effective strike is taken, it's usually easy for her defense to collapse due to the upset. But she's been able to defend against it with very little disruption to the flow.

　The Polar Sky is at its best when it's in an intercepting position.
　It is more suitable for defense than offense.
　When going into an offensive stance like that, slightly Chairman Koudelka's attack will lose its sharpness.
　So, if Cecily-san, who has a grasp of the sword's personality, continues to defend herself like this, she might manage to avoid getting an effective strike.

　However, this is where the issue of match time comes into play.
　If Mr. Koudelka continued to maintain his advantage in terms of the number of significant hits he had just scored, Cecily would lose the game as time expired.
　In other words, Cecily would have to go on the offensive at some point - and

　More than that, there was something that didn't add up.

　As I've said many times, the 《Polar Sky》 is a unique technique that only shows its true value in an interception position.
　And right now, Chairman Koudelka has taken one effective strike.
　If that was the case, then Chairman Koudelka should have been able to intercept and wait for time to run out.
　But now she is on the offensive, which is not supposed to be able to make the most of the Polar Sky.
　Instead of waiting, she is on the offensive.

　Why is that?



　As if sensing my doubts, Chairman Dristos said this.

''It's not that we are out of time, it's that we take five effective hits to win.......maybe that's the "senior's will" in Koudelka's way right now.

　Chairman Dristos looks complicated.
　It seemed to be a word of concern directed at his nemesis, who is too foolish to be honest.
　It was not hard to understand that concern.
　He was so concerned about the form of victory that he might lose the victory he could have picked up.

　The opponent, after all, was Cecily Arkwright.

　Then.

Effective strike!

　Mr. Cecily got the second effective hit...?
　No, no.
　Lili's hand--

　Cecily Arkwright, she's coming up.

Yes!

　Mr. Currier clenches his fist.

'Oh!'　Cecily Arkwright got one back!
'Great!　How dare you take an effective hit from that "Extreme Sky" user, Koudelka!

　Did Chairman Dristos' fears come true?
　Mr. Koudelka's "willpower", which dared to go on the offensive, was now undermined.

What the hell?

　The crowd began to buzz.


'You don't have to think, in your head.......the future, your senses will tell you.......'


　That feeling of Chairman Koudelka....
　

When you are using the Polaris, there is no sound around you. I love the silence of the early morning, just before the sky turns white.

　I remember being told that story before.

　President Koudelka runs out of the room.
　And while jumping into Cecily's bosom--

　She bit the hilt of her long sword with her mouth.

　Chairman Dristos stood up.

'Koudelka?　What the hell are you...?

　Okay.
　Thanks to the cloth wrapped around the handle, it's easier to chew on and hold in place........
　I thought that cloth was just a stopper for slipping.......or something to adjust the thickness of the hilt so that it would fit more comfortably in my hand.......
　With his empty-handed right hand, Chairman Koudelka grasps the 《Long Sword Scabbard》 that is held at his waist.

　And while pulling out the scabbard, he shook his head and struck a blow with the long sword attached to his mouth.

　Cecily-san easily prevents it with the sword in her right hand.

　At the same time, a small tachi sword approaches from the left.
　Cecily catches it with her left hand sword.


　From the right, the third strike.


　There's nothing more to protect that long scabbard that's closing in on you through the wind--

Effective strike!

　A valid hit is determined by


　Koudelka Ferraris.


　The sounds in the hall faded temporarily.

''Trifecta, you mean...?''

　Currier-san's fist, which was clenched earlier, loosens.

　In this Holy Martial Arts Festival, the scabbard is also recognized as a weapon.
　A match in the Holy Martial Arts Festival is not a killing match.
　If an attack that is recognized as a strong strike by a weapon is entered, it is all an effective strike.

　A wave of thunderous noise surged into the hall again, increasing in volume.

''What the hell.......that fighting style.......''
It's just different, man.
'Oh, that's President Koudelka...?　He's always been a beautiful, dignified man who never breaks up a battle...

　Even the members of the windbreakers who come to watch the game are surprised.
　I was surprised too.
　From my experience of fighting before, I thought Chairman Koudelka was the type of man who cared a lot about the form.
　I thought he was the type to keep the form intact and refine it.

　But this is when he broke that preconception.
　I look at Chairman Dristos from the side.
　She too is surprised.
　It's the first time they've all seen it.

　Koudelka Ferraris fights in such a rough style.

　From there, it was a one-sided affair.
　If the type had changed to that extent, it would no longer make sense, even if they understood the personality of the sword.

　Cecily-san is clearly not able to handle her opponent's attacks.
　Curie-san is watching the match as if devouring it while biting her teeth.

''Kukou........I didn't expect the chairman of the wind service to be like that.......!　Wasn't the only thing to be countered by the Polar Sky.......!

　Even if I were to replicate the personality of the sword, my opponent's sword habits have changed to a level that I can't track.
　Besides, I thought to myself.
　A conversation that took place when me and Chairman Koudelka had a mock match before.

''I'm sorry to be so abstract, but if I had to use a metaphor, I'd say.......smell.
The smell of...
'They have a very distinctive smell. It's a currier - and so is Currier Versteen.

　Nioi.
　Perhaps he touched it to the fullest extent.
　An opponent with the smell of a strong man - Currier Versteen.
　Was it that odor that awakened Chairman Koudelka?
　Maybe she has finally opened that door at the end of the accumulation.
　She fought with full awareness of the smell that she wasn't aware of when she did it with me, but she fought with full awareness in the match with Currier-san.

　Chairman Koudelka says that he easily accepted the request for a meeting.
　Mr. Kurier told me about the conversation that took place at that time.

'However, President Kazuki was aware of our intentions,' she said. But he said there was more to gain than that.

　What you get more than that.

　What I wanted was an opponent with the smell of a strong man.

　The current Chairman Koudelka had a roughness to him that gave off a beastly smell.
　There was an instinctive wildness inherent in it.
　A beast with intelligence.
　Different.
　A wise man who has gained a beastly nature, I should say.

''Not good!''

　Miss Currier leaned forward.

'Effective strike!'

　We got a third effective strike - by President Koudelka.

　Spit on it.

　Two more to go.

　The flow of the game was already clear.
　Such an air was enveloping the venue.

"This is a done deal.
The final is between Ira Horn and Koudelka Ferraris.
That's President Koudelka for you.
I'm looking forward to the finals.

　Chairman Dristos is silent.
　I could tell from the air behind her.
　She's quite a talented person.
　She is silent.........
　That implies that there is nothing more to say in the game.

　It's already decided.

　Chairman Dristos feels the same way.

　Just before receiving an effective strike, Cecily-san received her opponent's blade.
　It was right after that.
　She tried to draw a jutsu formula, as if she was trying to change the course of events.
　However, she was no longer given the time to even draw the jutsu.

''--!

　Cecily's neat face twisted.
　Did the person who was fighting understand that more than anyone else?
　Did he understand and put away?
　It could be said to be hopeless, the difference between the two.

　But - I haven't given up yet.

　I can see it in her eyes.
　She still wants to win, she strongly wishes to win.
　But there's no atmosphere in which there are any more hands.

　I clench my hands tightly.

"Cecily, Ms.........

　The crowd erupts.

'Oh!　The next available hit will be the one that makes it happen!　

　On the battle platform, the scene from earlier was replayed.
　Chairman Koudelka's scabbard caught Cecily-san's arm, which was completely ripped open.


''---------''


　Kink.


　The return blade, which was returned at an unstoppable speed, flicked Chairman Koudelka's scabbard.

''Huh?　What... what is it?　Now, the return blade...

　Chairman Dristos let out a voice that said he had seen something unbelievable.

'Ceci, Lee...?'

　Following that, Currier-san's voice was uncomfortable.


　Immediately after, Cecily-san went out to fight back.


　Her movements are different from the previous ones...?
　No, her kata has not changed significantly.
　Her unique flowing sword dance is still the same.
　However, you can definitely see that it's different.
　Should I call that........refinement?

Cecily is pushing...?　What happened?　I don't even know Cecily like that....

　Currier-san, who seemed to be unable to understand.

　Sword speed and reflex ability that have improved significantly since a certain point.

　It wouldn't be like she was putting out her strength.
　It didn't look like that.
　Then, if so, what is it?
　What the hell happened?
　Besides.
　The feeling of those eyes, which reminded me of that pure concentration, as if I could not hear the sounds around me at all--

Oh.

　One possibility comes to mind.

But I didn't think it was possible...
Blackie, what do you have in mind?

　Cecily Arkwright's specialty is the remote technique of tracing a wound once traced and then tracing it again.
　And one of the major elements required to do this would be the "concentration" that is close to an extraordinary extreme point.

　It's similar.
　It's similar to that unique technique.
　This is a unique technique that increases concentration to the extreme and enables you to anticipate the future.

　「Polar Sky」.

Maybe.........that was a pseudo--

　When that extraordinary concentration is at its peak, will it really reach the realm of the void?


The Extreme Emptiness.