Right after the start, Ira and Cecily moved at the same time.

　Neither of them waited long enough.

　However, against Cecily, who was closing in on them at breakneck speed while holding her sword at the ready, Ira drew an abbreviated formula and released a technical formula.

　A scattered attack jutsu.

　That had the intention of limiting Cecily's trajectory.
　But the real purpose was to break Cecily's rhythm.

　One of the strengths of Cecily's sword lies in her flowing, artful movements.
　With those fluid attacks, there was a danger of being swallowed up by Cecily's flow, just like her opponent in the first round, for example.
　It's extremely difficult to deal with her attacks when she's in rhythm with you.
　But that's why if you can break her rhythm, you can have the advantage in the game.

　But it's not easy.

　Cecily Arkwright's "Butoh" is not only an offensive technique, but also a defensive one.
　If you attack forward to stop the dance, you will find yourself swept up in the torrent of the Butoh dance.
　It may be like jumping into a river to stop its flow, only to be swallowed by its current.
　Such a thing could easily happen.

　It's difficult to stop that flow of water with a half-hearted attack in response to an attack or defense.

　Slipping through the attack technique with ease, Cecily-san approached Ira-san.

''Wow!　You're avoiding all of Ira Horn's offensive techniques!
'It looks like Cecily's got the better speed game, including evasion!
And it's so gorgeous, I can't believe I'm watching it!

　Although it has nothing to do with the content of the fight, he has a fighting style that captivates the eyes of the audience as well.
　Since that beauty is combined with it, it can be said that this is not a choice to be fascinated.

　Stopping her attack technique, Ira-san held her sword in both hands.

　Cecily-san did not stop.

　She lowered her posture even lower and ran as if she were gliding over the battle table.

　The sound of swords and swords, striking each other.

　Their blades engage with each other's blades with a gritty snap.

　A cheer goes up.

''Whoa!　It's almost an even match?
Ira Horn, I ain't losing a single sword!
'But hey, shouldn't Cecily have just taken it off with one sword or something and used the other sword for an effective strike?
Well, come to think of it...

　I was watching him.

Didn't you see that, Blackie?

　Without taking his gaze off the battle platform, senior Lei asked.
　I nodded silently.

　Cecily-san once tried to catch Aila-san's sword with one.

　Then she instantly decided that it was impossible and quickly blocked it with two swords.

　He must have decided that if he didn't block it with two swords, he would be pushed in as it was and an effective strike would be taken.

''So you're saying that Ira took a sword strike that was too much for one to take away?
Yes,
Even that dexterous Cecily can't escape the power of the attack........you do it, Ira.
It was worth the practice we had together to find an attack that was hard to pass up.

　I knew that Cecily was good at passing off the power of her opponent.

　It is the angle that is important in passing the power off.

　During practice, I picked up my twin swords and studied the postures and angles that were difficult to pass off while I was fighting with Ira.

　When I explained, Rei said with admiration, "I see.

'I see.
It's an attack that wouldn't have been possible without Ira-san's quick perception and judgment, though, which allows him to spot the perfect angle in an instant.

　And the accuracy with which you can hit the right point.

And by the way, that attack has a powerful by-product.
By-products?
I'm going to put my mind to it.

　If you don't have concerns about being passed over, you can hit the ground running as hard as you can.
　If you are worried about being passed over, you have to take into account the amount of money you would have to recover if you were to be passed over.
　That's where the "luxury" in warfare is born.

''Come to think of it, Ira's blow, the power was also amazing. Cecily instantly decided that 《I can't protect against it with a single strike》, right?　Moo?　Was Isla a girl who could hit an attack that powerful?
''But........you really watch Ira-san a lot, don't you, Ray-senpai.......''
That's right!　That's me!

　Ahem," said a proud senior Ray.

That was the result of the gravity shift.
'Center of gravity shift?　I'm sure most swordsmen there are trying to do that... but I think even Ira has been aware of that for a while, right?
What Ira is doing right now is a bit of a special way of shifting the center of gravity.

　A special center-of-gravity shifted 《Vicious Strike》 used by the Four Deadly Disasters Beschgam Angren.
　He had also taught Ira-san an improved version of that one to make it as easy to understand as possible.
　However, it was difficult to do without simplifying it considerably.
　So compared to the original, it would probably only raise the bottom line by 20%..............................at best, 40%.
　So it might only be slightly more powerful than a normal center of gravity movement attack.
　But even if it was just a little, the power was definitely increased.

　To the extent that it would allow Cecily-san to use both swords in defense.

　Against the twin swords, there is a way to use a return blade like the Chairman and the others, but just by showing that center of gravity movement attack, it should be possible to make her be alerted to the fact that 《Anti-souled sword attack is not only a return blade》.
　More than anything, it seems that the attack by center of gravity movement is more suitable for Ira-san than the return blade.

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

　But still, though.
　
　I guess he was trying not to show his hand.
　He tried to hide it as much as possible until the final match.
　That was proof that Ira-san had her eyes on the final from the beginning, not just with her words.
　The all-out effort she was talking about probably meant, "I'm going to dedicate my all-out effort to winning this Holy Martial Arts Festival.

　Ira's words on the day before the third round.

''If you're thinking about the final, you shouldn't be too reckless in the semi-finals - right?''

　Earlier, she declared that she was going to win the championship.
　In her mind, it's been in her mind from the beginning, the final.

　Just.

''Cecily-san, I didn't get pushed in like that with that center of gravity attack I used my two swords to block it well.

　This match, at this point in time, both sides can be said to be competitive.

I see........it's not like Ira has the upper hand by any means. Yeah, that's Cecily. But, Kurohiko?　If that's the case--

　With just a glance, senior Ray looked at me.
　I know what she wants to say.

''Yes........Cecily-san hasn't produced 《Pseudo-Polar Sky》 yet.

　That's right.
　Cecily-san still has the "Up".
　The feeling from the semi-finals is that the Pseudo-Polar Sky is not something you can consciously produce like a unique technique.

"But if the Pseudo Polar Sky is activated in this final match...

　If I could, I would have decided the match before the thing came out.




　And with neither side conceding an inch, the match went on in an even state.