A high, hard echo of sound was born and then melted into the hot air.

　There was even an illusion of hot air blowing in from the battle table where the two girls were clashing swords.

''Haa--haa--,.........!

　Nearly perfect, the trajectory of the blade.
　The blade is impeccable, and Cecily catches it with two blades.

　Just before her throat, the blade stops.
　Ira-san pulls that blade back in an instant.

　From there, she cuts back with a sharp, extended flash.

　Only a slight upper body falls backwards, and Cecily-san avoids it.
　The blade passes a few millimeters beyond her thin jaw.

　Using the spring in her body to bring her upper body back, Cecily, as it is, swings her twin swords and vigorously throws herself into the flesh toward Isla-san.

　Fast.

　Cecily-san's movements become more refined here.
　............
　Don't tell me that the sensation of the "Pseudo-Polar Sky" state remains.......?
　Would you say that the feeling is becoming more familiar with each time it is activated?

　The thought of that question is interrupted by Ira's--

'Ooh, ahhhhhhhhhhh--!

　With the roar of spiritedness, it is flung back.
　That, sword sound.
　The sweat that splattered with the spirit of the cleaver, shines back the light of the sun and glistens.

　Cecily-san, whose attack was played back - to the next attack, does not move on.
　She leaps back a foot, retreats, and breathes.

''Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!

　Finally, we got it, oxygen as fuel.

　There was no chase for Cecily, who chose to retreat.

　Dazedly.

　Ira-san's footing wobbled.
　But

　A solid sound, a foot stomp.

　Somehow, he managed to stay on his feet.
　Ira moved his own feet to see if his own feet were stepping on the ground with certainty.
　The immediate movement of her lips showed that she murmured, "Good.

　Both of them were close to their limits.

　Their athletic clothes were sopping wet with sweat.
　The sweat trickling down their chins to the ground was incessant.
　I'm worried about dehydration.

　Cecily wipes the sweat from my chin.
　I can see the fatigue in her eyes.

'We're almost there, Cecily!　Go for it!

　Currier cheers.
　He puts his hands on the railing and gives a shout-out.
　That's right.
　You know, I'm in the audience.

Mr. Ira!　This is the place to hold on!　I'll see it through to the end--I'll see it through to the end!

　Yes, support.

　That's all we can do at this stage of the game.
　It's safe to say that it's almost a battle of energy and strength now.
　No, that's why.


　Everything is decided by a single moment of attack or defense.


　The difference between the two of you is just a tiny bit of difference that decides the outcome of the battle.

　Ira-san flung her sword backwards.

　Cecily-san sits down and spreads her twin swords like a bird.

　The color of fatigue temporarily recedes from their eyes.
　Their eyes were now filled with the will to win.

　''Where.

''This match, where is the 'difference'...?

　The smell of knowing the real thing?

　Well if that's the case.

'Isla-san, who only witnessed the battle against the Four Deadly Plagues, and Cecily-san, who actually fought.................after all, is there a difference between them here?
I don't think it makes that much difference.

　I mumbled, and Ray-senpai reacted like that to me.
　Ah, I thought.
　Apparently, the thought had come out of my mouth again before I knew it.

　Ray-senpai said.

Right?

　That's right.
　We've been working on this for a while now.

　Yes, together.

"Oh--

　So far, the highest cheers roared.

　Cecily-san won the initiative.

　She had timed it perfectly, aiming for the moment when Ira-san was about to move.
　He had done that in this phase.
　He didn't miss his chance.

　In that moment, Ira felt a chill run down his spine.
　The look of regret on his face said, "That's a shame.

　A perfect opportunity.

　A simultaneous attack by the left and right swords - a simultaneous attack.
　The effect of having won the initiative, he finally succeeded in pouring all of his twin swords into the attack.

　Cecily's grandfather Gaiden, Cecily's grandfather, raised his voice.

''--It's decided!

　Even from the point of view of Gaiden-san, the Holy King's swordsmanship instructor, this is an unqualified offensive move.


　Almost at the same time - the high-pitched sound of the sword's bouncing off the ground jumped into our ears, in our ears.


"Huh, blocked?
What the hell was that?
Ira Horn's sword is doing something weird right now!

　I swallowed my spit.

"That's, uh--

　It's awkward.
　It might be something that can't be called a "technique" at all.
　It could be said that my frantic efforts were successful by accident.
　But...
　But that was, indeed.


The Double Dragon.


　The only technique that can counter Cecily-san's current two-point simultaneous attack.
　After the two of us finished practicing together, I stayed in the training ground and practiced the 《Souryu》 by myself.
　Perhaps Ira-san was hiding and watching it.

　With the return blade, I couldn't make it now.
　He didn't have the luxury of time to do so this time because he was the first to be conquered.
　It must have been one or the other.
　Or did it come out on the spur of the moment?

　Ira himself, who released the technique, also looked somewhat surprised.

　However--

Cecily Arkwright is not upset that she was prevented!

　Cecily was not confused and moved on to the next offensive without hesitation.

　The dance is still not over.

　As long as her breath and strength lasted, she would continue to drive her opponent, without pause, into a corner--


　She moved.


　Mr. Ira.


　Forward.


Ah.


　My fingers are glowing.


You can't mean--


　Outpouring of light.


　And then it exploded.


Explosive.


　Here.


　I used it here.


　It's the same tactic I showed you in the semifinals.


　The blast dissipates.
　What emerged from the wind pressure were two people who stepped forward, swinging their swords.

　I was horrified.

　I was horrified by their bravery and determination.

　They are not frightened in the slightest by that explosive technique.
　Neither of them have lost their attacking stance at all.


　The only thing they are looking at is the opponent in front of them.


"We're going to win!　Iraaaaaaah!

　Lei-senpai raised his voice, and each of his supporters followed in a chain of supporters.

''Go on, Iraaah!''

Cecily!

You can do it, Cecily!

　Curie-san and I were screaming at about the same time.

"Oh, Cecily...

Mr. Ira!


　The first shot.


　Ira-san's sword flashed back at Cecily-san's approaching right hand sword.


　Cecily-san's sword in her right hand was flung into the sky.


　On the other hand.


　Cecily's left-handed sword fixed in the palm of her hand, never to be let go.


　The sword in her left hand was closing in on Ira-san's arm.


　Ira-san held the sword somewhat short and drew a clean horizontal line and released a sharp sidenagi with a straight trajectory.


　The horizontal cleave collides with Cecily-san's left-handed sword.


　At that moment.


　The balance of Cecily-san's body was visibly disrupted.


　A look of surprise on her face, as if there was a huge discrepancy between her hand and her imagination.


　At the moment of the impact of blade to blade, to my surprise, Ira-san let go of her own sword.


　Because of that, she lost the feel that should have been there, and Cecily-san must have been confused.


　Rolling on the floor with a sound, Ira-san's long sword.


　--Passion--.


　The hilt of one of Cecily-san's swords that she had just flicked into the air - the hilt of Cecily-san's one sword - was grasped by Ira-san, with both hands, with a strong grip.


　The blade of the sword gripped instantly drew a beautiful right angle.


　In an attempt to strike the neck, the blade instantly increases its speed.


　Using my opponent's sword, a decisive move.


　From now on, Cecily-san's defense with her left-handed sword would not be enough to defend against it.


　No matter how you tried, the defense was not in time.


　What was the difference between the two of us?


　I still didn't understand what the difference was.


　The sword of Ira Horn struck Cecily Arkwright on the neck...



　When it seemed as if - Ira Horne's sword, cut the sky.


　The honey blonde, fluttering in the wind pressure of the sword's passage, flowed through the air like a swimmer.


　Instead of preventing it.


　Cecily Arkwright fell down.


　In the same direction that Ira Horn's sword was aiming, Cecily Arkwright collapsed her body as it was.


　Clutched in Cecily Arkwright's left hand, fixed in her palm - one half of the twin swords.


　As she falls down, she unleashes that limpid blow with a movement that could almost be described as reflexive.


　An arm, the sound of a strike.


　Everyone must have heard it for sure.


　The sound.


　Cecily Arkwright fell to the battlefield with a thud.


　Lili Sigismos raises her hand in a dignified, high-pitched gesture.


"Yes, strike!


　Standing is Ira Horne.


　The one who has fallen is Cecily Arkwright.


　But the order of the day is--




Cecily Arkwright, the winner!




　I went up to the girl, beloved by God.