The title fight is held twice a year, in summer and winter, in the arena near the King's Castle.
　How many tens of thousands of spectators can be accommodated in the arena? A large number of spectators were crowded in the huge circular arena like the Colosseum.

　Mine was in the special seat directly in front of the arena. A title fight is a Go-mae match, so to speak. In other words, it was a tournament held to show off the ultimate in martial arts to Mine, the new king of the Castal Kingdom.

''--Now, the 466th Winter Title Match will begin!

　Mine spoke at length about something or other, and then declared loudly. Then the audience gave him a huge round of applause.

　A sight I had seen over and over again in my previous life. But no matter how many times I see it, I never get tired of the spectacular view. This uplifting feeling, I feel like I'm back. Finally, I'm back. To this glorious stage....


"Second Lord. "Second Lord, the battle for Il Senza will be starting any minute now. Shouldn't you be prepared for it?

　As for what we'll be participating in, the first day will be the Ikusenza match, then the Kisenshou, Eishou, Kongou, and Reiou matches, in that order. One title fight is held per day. Since the number of participants is small, the tournament starts in the morning and the tournament winner and the current title holder face off on the same day. In other words, the new titleholder is decided each day.

'I'm not prepared or anything, but ...... oh well. I'm off.
Mm. Good luck.
You can do it.

　Sylvia and Eco gave me a few words of encouragement and walked to the contestants' only bleachers.

　Suddenly, I see a familiar face in the bleachers. It's Yukari. That means that the group around there must be our servants, and there must be close to a hundred of them here.　That's awesome.

　Hmm?　Oh, there's also Cheri and the members of the First Court Wizardry Division over there. There are also a few uniforms from the Royal School of Magic here and there. There's even Countess Cherie in the front row. Are they all cheering for someone else?　Maybe it's for my support. No. No way.


"In the first match of the Ikusenza tournament, we have a second first test versus Kasakari Kerala!

　I can hear my name being called from the radio room. It's awfully brief. Apparently he was the moderator, not the play-by-play commentator. During Mevion, the play-by-play and commentator had been able to get the audience up to speed and even read out the comments on the webcast, but well, I guess that wouldn't be necessary in this world.

　I pulled my usual mithril sword on my hip and walked out to the center of the arena. In contrast, it was an all-back man wearing long, slender glasses and a kimono that looked like some kind of folk costume. His name seems to be Kasakari Kerala.

　Well. The number of contestants for the Ichibenzza match was four, including me, which meant that it was the semi-finals of the tournament. If I win this tournament and defeat the current Issenza, I'll win the title of Issenza. Three wins in total. Hmmm, this could be easy.


"Nice to meet you, new face.
Yeah, sure. My pleasure.

　A quick bow. You're a polite man.

　We will equip the dueling crown and go over the rule settings. The damage display function is on, and a fatal injury that maintains 1 HP is a forced stun ...... Okay, okay, okay, okay.
　Since both sides seem to be OK, the duel is accepted.

Then .......

　Kasakari shakily pulled the gain from his waist and stood on one leg and held it ready. Heh, a rapier. It is unusual. And it is a unique stance. Is it something like one-legged hitting?

　I didn't have to pull out or hold it, so I just stood there and waited for the signal to start.


Start!

　The call of the judges comes in.

　Moment. Kasakari took three quick steps to close the gap between us.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it.

　...... The one-sentence zap battle, that is, a match between two "swordsmen," can be summed up in one word: "fighting for time.

　This is a reasonable device. It's true that it's hard to grasp the timing. It is true that it is hard to grasp the pause. After all, I'm a new face, so I don't have any prior information.


"I don't like to give out anything.

　I'll declare it beforehand according to the courtesy of the other side.

　It doesn't matter if it's the first fight or not. I was determined to go for the Ichibenzazaza battle this time, and I was serious from the very beginning.


　The world's number one fixed point, the "Seven System"--see Atsushi.



!

　The first move, I released a combination of Infantry Kenjutsu and Guillermo Kenjutsu, stabbing into the front of Kasakari's right foot.

　Second move, Kasakari takes a step back. A natural response. Immediately afterwards, he slashes up and aims at Kasakari's left hand, which was thrown defenselessly into the air for balance, with the Infantry Swordsmanship. Third move.

''Nah!

　It looks like he just barely missed. Kasakari hurriedly moves out of range. This fourth move is too big an opening. The fifth move, I prepared my flying car sword technique while closing the gap between us and rushed into his pocket.

"I won't let you!

　Kasakari begins to prepare the Golden General Swordsmanship to prevent it with a rapier. It's the sixth move of the worst.

　Oh shame. In that case, this would be the end of the matter.


''That's ridiculous--?

　Skill cancelled, immediately afterwards, I prepared the Angular Row Sword Technique, and I threw the Mithril Sword (...).

''Guh!''

　It's impossible to evade in time, the gold general. A mithril sword penetrates Kasakari's unprotected neck with a thud.

　Seven moves. This was almost a "close" move.

　Kasakari collapses while spraying fresh blood. Apparently, the blow to the kryptonite had blown out all of his HP. As the duel was set up, Kasakari was stunned with only 1 HP left.



'............ and winner, second first test!

　After a brief silence, the referee declares in a loud voice.


　Immediately afterwards, the arena was filled with earth-shattering cheers and applause.


　It's a tremendous heat. It could be even more than Mevion.

　Especially the corner where the servants are is in trouble. I felt good and waved my hand in that direction. They get more excited. I'm happy to see them.

What the hell is that? You can't finish that Kasakari! It's a landslide! It was a moment! That was awesome!

　If I listened closely, I could hear a lot of feedback from the audience. Mostly they were complimenting me.

　But "that kasakari," ...... the way he said it, was a bit tricky. It's as if the old man from earlier was a strong man.

　It's not a good idea to be stupid. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to see the difference. This is a picture of a junior high school student in the second year of Mevion's existence who got carried away trying to be original to stand out.

　It was certainly a good reaction, but it was still a lack of basic skills. I don't know if he was one of the regulars or what, but he's a pretentious bastard who thinks he knows what he's doing. I'm a little pissed off. I don't want people to think he's a tough guy. I don't want people to think this is what it's like to fight for the title. Not yet, not yet.


"Ah, well, that was impressive. Nice fencing skills.

　On the way to the contestants' bleachers, I was suddenly talked to by an unknown man. He looked like a normal guy who could be anywhere, but his eyes were unusually glazed over. I thought he might be a Karachuana addict, but I ignored him completely because he gave me the creeps.






　The other semi-final match was between a big guy named Garam and a beautiful blond young man named Jerez Lumberjack.

　Garam looked familiar to me. He was the big sworded old man who had been taken hostage by the Prime Minister and was doing something about it. But from the looks of it, he's no longer a big sword. He must have taken my advice as a guide. In my experience, the guy who can honestly listen to the advice of a defeated opponent seems to be a strong guy. He's the kind of guy who will crawl through the mud to get a win.

　On the other hand, there is a man named Jerez Lumberjack. I think I've seen or heard of him before. ......Hey, who was that guy?


　...... Hmm!　No, wait. That's right!　You know, I'm sure you know that. Lumberjack is the name of your family, isn't it, Sherri?

That's his brother!
'You've just found out. So, Second Lord, and besides, see, can't you remember?
Hmm?　What?

　Sylvia, sitting next to me, asks me. I didn't have a flash of inspiration, so I looked at Eco to ask her.

'You were there at Doragong?'

　Eco seemed to remember it well. You can't even remember that, can you? It's not as if he is talking about it. It's harsh. I can't help it, because I can't remember what I can't remember.

'Sorry, what was it? The time of the dragon?
'When the three of us went to the Metio dungeon to learn the Dragon Horse and Dragon King. Didn't you see a pair of swordsmen and a maid on the way back?
'Oh?　Aah!　Yes, I saw that. Holy shit, you guys, you don't remember that well.
'Well, it's as if I just remembered that one battle of Lord Second's that I saw that day and that beauty I saw that day, and it was a chain reaction from there.
"Beauty?
Oh, ...... no. Uh, no, no!　Don't ask any more questions because it's embarrassing.

　Sylvia self-destructed on her own and was selfishly embarrassed. I dared to flush it out with a disinterested "hmmm". It's an amateur to pursue it right here. When Sylvia had forgotten about it, I would steamroll her as if it were this or that, and then hunt her down thoroughly that night. This is the latest in Sylvia's tinkering.

'Look, it's about to move!

　Sylvia pointed to the center of the arena, trying to divert the conversation somehow.

　Garam and Jerez had been staring at each other for the last twenty minutes and hadn't moved. This is a common state of affairs in a match of merit. In an evenly matched match, the first to move is always at a disadvantage.

　In a tournament to determine the challenger, the time limit is one hour. Certainly, Sylvia was right, it's time for one of them to start moving in a hurry.


''Ooooooooooooooooooooh!''

　Eco, who was screaming in the heat of the moment, stood up from my lap and leaned forward gingerly. I supported Eco's slim waist from behind to keep her from falling off. I can't see the match because of Eco standing up, and Eco's tail is huffing and puffing and tickling my face, but as a teacher, I'm very happy that she's so enthusiastic about the title fight. Yes, the title fight is fun. It's fun to watch, and it's fun to play.

'Oh!　Pushing!　That's awesome, brother Sherry!
Cancer!　Bam!　Go!

　It's something to get excited about. What's a Gun Gun Burn?

'Kyahaha!'
We've pushed it through!　Did you see that?　Did you see that?　Lord Second!

　I can't see.

I mean, you guys are so excited.
No, not at all, not at the Second Lord.
Why?
I didn't have time to do that.
Just when I thought it started, it starts.

　Oh, that kind of .......

It looks like Sherry's brother is next in line for a match.
It seems.
From the looks of it, it's a pretty forward style.
Yeah, that's great.
'Err ......, what's that, it's like something else, isn't it?　Are you okay?
If you get into it now, it's too late for anything. The game is almost always decided before it starts.
'Haha, not a guy worth rooting for. But ...... ummm, cool.
'Sylvia should practice dressing up while you're at it, too. Winning the title means you'll have a bunch of younger siblings chasing your back. You have an obligation to dress up, brother and sister. And the bigger your back is, the better.
...... "I used to admire watching title fights when I was a little girl. I used to dream of being such a strong knight. So now I'm going to be the one to show you that dream.
In the meantime, it's our servants. It's a nice way to show off. They love to show off.
Hmm, well, let's give him some bigger dreams. Come on, we're about to make our entrance.






　Ippenza match, final of the tournament to determine the challenger.
　My opponent was Chery's brother, Jerez Lumberjack.

　As I'm quietly checking my dueling crown, he speaks to me.

"Mr. Second, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jerez. I'm a wandering fencer.
''Yeah, I saw you once. You were hunting a green dragon in the Metio dungeon.
'Right!　Then you know how good I am.
Yeah. Sort of.
I hear my sister is in your care. I saw the fight with Kasakari-dono earlier. I also know about the incident with General Oniroku.
...... What's your point?
I am so happy, I am so happy, I can't help it. By all means, let me enjoy it.

　Hales drew his sword from his waist with a big smile. Like me, it was a mithril sword.


''Second!　You're not gonna let your brother beat you at your own game!

　A moment later, there was a wildfire from the audience that seemed to belong to a certain lady.
　Jerez shuffled off with a gulp.

'What's that you say?'
'Ha, ha, ha, you've gotten cocky after not seeing him for a while.
Brothers and sisters get along great, don't they?
At least that's what I think.

　Apparently my sister hates me one way or the other.

'Both of you, into position!

　After the chit-chat, the referee directed him to take his position.
　Jerez's expression had changed to one that was icy and sharp, with not the slightest hint of the boyish smile he had had just before.


''--Begin!

　A command is given.

　Immediately after, Jerez closed the gap between the two at once. It seems like he's the type that comes with a gun, just like Sylvia said.

　Well. The first move is the same, a blow with a combination of 《Infantry Sword Art》 and 《Katsuma Sword Art》 stabbing into the front of Heres' right foot. "This is the first move of the Seven System.

''That technique, I've already seen it!

　It was probably a cry of dominance, a cry of dominance. The second move, Jerez, unlike Kasakari, doesn't dare to avoid my attack in a big way, and counter-attempted to swing down the Silver General Swordsmanship from the upper left while pulling his right leg slightly.


　............ Ahhh.

　If you can understand it, you can understand it. It's an "aha", this. It's the "ah-ha", that's what everyone will say. "Aaaaah.


"Aha.

　The third move, I didn't cancel the skill and cut back, I just fell to the left and slid the hilt of the mithril sword to shift it sideways while plucking the tip of the hilt with my fingertips.


　--Jerez's 《Silver General Sword Art》 to the ground. My "Infantry Swordsmanship" went to Herres' left ankle.


　There was a definite response. I crouched down and spun around in a circle, preparing my "flying car swordsmanship" and standing up.

　The fourth move, Jerez was a "pass. His left leg was gone, and he may have lost his balance.

　On the fifth move, my "Cartwheel Kenjutsu" hit him in the brain. It was completely decided.

　Helles' head, which should have been mangled, was unharmed because of the effect of the dueling crowns. However, its HP was neatly reduced to 1 and it was stunned with its eyes white.


There is a winner!　Winner, second first test!

　What a tasteless victory it was.

　The auditorium was abuzz with excitement. But Sherry was the only one who was frozen in place with her mouth hanging open. My brother's ankle came off in front of me, that's a shocking image. It's no use.


　I waved to Yukari, just as I had done in the first round, and then headed to the contestants' bleachers with a huge cheer at my back.

　Along the way, a familiar bespectacled man was waiting for me.


'Kasakari-san, right?'
'How. I am Kasakari Kerala.

　From the looks of it, HP and stun have already been restored. I'm pinching myself.

''Second-dono. I would like to ask you one question about your swordsmanship for the sake of later study.
Come in.

　I nodded a quick word as he came at me with a serious face of something serious. Then Kasakari rolled her eyes and was surprised.

'I didn't expect you to answer me.
So don't ask.
'Oops, I hope you won't be offended. I am talking about something universal. Normally, when you hear a swordsman being asked about swordsmanship, you would nod your head straightforwardly, but the answer is no. The answer is no. You are very different. I am very happy to hear that. This exuberance makes me want to dance at any moment.

　I think you're different enough to say that you're different too, but I'm afraid I'm going to derail the conversation further if I say that, so I keep quiet.

Excuse me. Where I come from, we express our emotions of the moment through dance. I invite you, Second-dono, to join me in my hometown.
Get to the point.
Oh no, I'm very sorry about that. It's a bad habit of mine. Bye.

　Kasakari huffed and paused, then slowly opened her mouth, looking very serious.


I'm sure you'll find it best to duck that first shot of yours. But that's the point. There is no way to see. There is something wrong with your swordsmanship. It's the kind of swordsmanship that forces you to reconsider the common sense that the receiving side has the advantage. Please teach me the art of it.


　He was pretty straightforward with me.

　This guy is a title contender, but he shamelessly asks me for tips and tricks.

　...... disgusting. Disgusting, but okay, I'll teach you the basics. I can teach you the basics.

　So, I want you to be a title contender by the end of the summer. Just do me a favor. And so is Jerez. Don't let me down.


Best to avoid them at all costs. If you try to counter, you'll end up like Jerez before. The next slash up, you can hit the infantry and break them up, or avoid them. Both are a battle. In your case, the Golden General was the big bad guy. You can still have one more fight if you use the flying car to engage in a clash of forces or if you use a combination of kakugyo and katsura-ma to aim for the vital point and cut back.
Hmm, that's right.
I mean, there's no end to this kind of training. You guys don't know the basics.
What do you mean by ......?
Always have more than one aim. Don't skimp on the details, meticulously and meticulously. Cover all the responses of your opponent and create a response that goes beyond that. Try to do these three things without thinking about every single thing.
Please hold. Oh, no, I understand, but ...... coverage?　How many ways would that be?
I don't know, but it's growing arboreally.
How is that possible?



　is ......?



No, I have to do it. I don't give a shit if you can't do it or not. Do it. Do it first. Days, months, years. Do it until you can. And then you'll see. It's simple. If you can do it, you'll win. If you can't do it, you're going to lose. Well, then, you'll just have to do it until you can.

............


　Who does this guy think he is?

　You've been in this world longer than I have.
　You didn't get to waste your whole life.


OK, now get out of here. I'm sick of you.
"Thank you, ......, for that. And my heartfelt wishes for the birth of the New Flash constellation.




　　* * *



'It's amazing!　That's amazing!　It's amazing!

　Meanwhile, in the auditorium, the servants of the House of Furstest were making a fuss.

'Shut up, Panitch!'
"You're the one panting in the middle of a game!　Cosmos!
'Nice, sister Elle, nice. I was just being picky too.

　It is said that three women are fornicated, but it's no longer at that level.
　In addition to the ten maids, many of their subordinates were there, and even the Four Heavenly Kings and their men were making a lot of noise.

''Have you seen this?　Momo, that is the master. He is the master of our proud House of Furstest!　I once had a lesson from my master on how not to be nervous, and it was such a great story that I remember every word of it. Shall I tell you a story?　I'm sure you'd like to hear that.　Yes, that was when I was walking through the garden of the servants' house--
All right, all right, Marina. Shut up for a minute. You don't have to talk to me. It takes the edge off.

　Marina, the deputy captain of the Es Squad, and Momo, the deputy captain of the El Squad, are having an exquisitely unengaged conversation, in what seems to be a friendly manner.

...... Ah, brother. This, this, Second-sama, is seriously a hell of a person ......
You finally figured it out, didn't you?　d*mn it!　I can't help it!

　On the one hand, a blue-faced, gawking and trembling horse-dogged Plum, who for some reason looked extremely happy and kept getting bashed on the head by the excited horse-dogged head just.

　All the other servants were also in a berating mood, speaking out their thoughts and impressions and sharing them with each other next to each other. Some of them seemed to be recording every single move of the second, analyzing their tactics, and even predicting how the next game would unfold.


''Yukari-sama, are you sure you don't want to pay attention?''
Not today. It's your master's big day.
I suppose it's your duty as a servant to liven things up?
Well, it's exciting enough without being conscious of it.
...... yeah. As I say, I've been shivering for a while now.
''You'll be d*mned if you're going to hear this from the young master of the Great Bandit R6.
''It can't be helped. Second-sama's swordsmanship is ...... what can I say, anyway, it's extraordinary.
I agree. But you and your servants are in a position to ask your master for guidance.
I can't help but be grateful to the Second Master for being born into this world.
You will be.

　Thus, one of the reasons why Yukari brought a large number of servants to watch the game was to brainwash the servants. She dares to show them the heroic appearance of the second in order to gain their trust, which can be called faith, and respect, which can be called worship, so that they will never betray her.

　Otherwise, Yukari wouldn't have bothered to bring her "potential rival maids" to a place like this, where she might have some kind of passion for the second. It's a painful decision, so to speak. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.


''Eve. How many seconds do you think the final battle will take?　I'm betting less than 40 seconds.
Oh, .........
He says, "I'll bet you in 30 seconds, sir.
'I see. If I win, you two will be in charge of teaching the assassination course for one day and I will take my leave. If I lose, I'll give you the basket I gave you.
What?　...... oh!
Wait a minute. I can't teach. I'm afraid I can't.
That's what happens when you don't ask for the terms.

　Yukari, Eve and Luna are talking about such things without changing a single expression. Somehow, the atmosphere is more lively than usual.

　Yukari was also Yukari, and she was enjoying herself quite a bit.