'Very well. The first one to win ten games is the winner. The rules are.
Anything goes. Everything else is title fight compliance.
I don't object.

　Nato Shaman is on board.

　He must be very confident. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called for a duel.

　In the earlier exercise, he was the first to take the lead but couldn't show his abilities. On one hand, I was standing at the back of the line with my arms crossed.

　He can't stand the fact that the winner of this one team battle is decided by this single team battle, and the hierarchy between the top and bottom of the hierarchy is recognized by many.

　There's no excuse for ten wins first (・・・・・・・) - it's common sense.

　After one or two wins, the excuse of "it was just a fluke" or "it was bad luck" might be accepted. But in a ten-win race, no one would listen to such excuses.

　Nato Shaman knew that, and he challenged me to a duel. It could be for one of two reasons.

　Either he's good at what he does or he's underestimating me.

　Well, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

　If he was a real tough guy, a great blow would unravel my transformation. But that's okay. The fact that I was able to meet such a strong man convinces me that my visit to the Marvel Empire was very meaningful.

　The problem is if they weren't strong.

　I'm not a fan of "wrong handedness" in general. If the gap between players' abilities is too wide, I believe that the original enjoyment of PvP will be lost.

　It's not just a matter of time before you're able to get your hands on it.

　I'm not going to be able to get my hands on any of them. It's not too late to solve the problem with an ultimate blow, but I don't want to solve it with a single heya punch.

　However, it's also awkward to respond with "hot and spicy" like Vogue's Summer Spiritual Battle. I don't have that deep of an affection for him when we first met.

　I'm not sure what to do about it.

　...... Oh, no, but the first round is a given. To find out if he's strong or not, one way or another - full throttle.



　　* * * *.

side Nato



　From an early age, I was not special.

　Dark elves are a race that is discriminated against just for being so. Even without direct words, the attitudes of the people, the way they looked at me, spoke volumes. It's a pressure that I can't help myself and can never resist.

　Hence, I continued to live that day, engaging in evil as a matter of course. I took from others, sometimes deprived, sometimes bled in their blood. If I hadn't done so, I wouldn't have been able to protect myself from being weak.

　But in the midst of these hard and painful days, there was a ray of light.

　Her Royal Highness Melson Marvel - this man is my light.

　She is like a benevolent goddess who was deceived by the same profession in which I trusted, and who picked me up as a scrap who had no choice but to wait for death in a cesspool.

　His Highness was ten years old at the time. I was nineteen. But in terms of spiritual age, we were the complete opposite. Or maybe even older. His Highness had an uncanny ability to see beyond a ten-year-old girl.

　Even now, I can vividly remember it. His Highness had that gentle voice, that angelic godliness, that charisma that made the royal family the royal family, that dazzling aura.

　As I crawled to my feet, His Highness smiled at me and said, "I don't remember a word of it. I remember every word of it.


I remember every word," he said. You are not a piece of rubbish, but a raw stone. I polish you, you shine.


............!

　There was a halo of light. It was as beautiful as a spirit.

　Somewhere in my heart, I was relieved to be saved, oh, I could change now.

　And I swear to myself that I will do whatever it takes for His Royal Highness Prince Melson Marvel, even if it means burning myself in the flames. ......




"--hah ！！！！


Morning. How does it feel to have lost four in a row?


　............ sunset sky and the face of a beautiful man with silvery white hair. I came to myself, and then I suddenly despaired.

　Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm in the middle of a ten-win game now. I was lying on my back, seemingly unconscious. Dimly, I was dreaming, as if the running lights were passing.


...... Not a bad awakening.

　I stood up with a false sense of urgency and returned to my position.

　His Highness Melson, His Highness Wright, His Highness the Prime Minister Cigarone, and the knights of the Kingsguard were watching me and his match.

　We cannot be defeated. I must win against this man Seven, who is seeking the position of general. A knight of the Princess's Highness cannot be defeated by a knight of the Prince's Highness. I, this me, who was picked up by His Highness Melson, cannot be allowed to drag him down.

　I don't care how much I'm insulted, but I can't afford to let His Highness Melson be insulted by it either.

　Seven spared no expense in using a high-grade potion and poured it over my face to unstun me. My HP has been fully restored.


　...... This is the fourth time. Fourth time?　How many more times do we have to go?　...... Six times?


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

　Dizziness and nausea come over me.

　My body is feeling perfectly fine. But my spirit seems to have already been overwhelmed.


　Seven is a freak (...). The quietness of this training ground speaks for itself.

　There are many who do not think well of me. The members of the Knights of the Kingsguard with His Royal Highness must be supporting Seven. Therefore, this situation where I am losing, they should be a little excited.

　But they were watching in silence. I could understand why. It's not that they didn't speak, they couldn't speak.

　Either he was speechless after a shudder, or he was so blinded by his godlike skills that he didn't even have time to speak.

　How much of a difference is there between me and Seven?　A slime and a dragon?　It's a clichéd metaphor indeed, but at least it's definitely more than that.

　No one would get excited about a dragon trampling a slime. Obviously a mistake. That's what my match with him was about.


'--Position!　Game five, begin!

　Oh, shoot.

　I haven't felt this way in a very long time.

　At the age of nineteen, I was in the service of His Highness Melson, training day and night until I was beyond my limits, risking everything for His Highness, risking everything, falling again and again, but persevering, rising up, leading an army of ten thousand against an army of ten thousand, until at last I was able to cross the line with His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Prime Minister. ...... That's how I've fought selflessly and selfishly.

　But.




　I'm afraid.

　I'm afraid to fight this man.


　It's as if everything I've ever known, everything in my life, is being denied, one by one, in front of so many people.

　This is what, six more times?　There's no way I can stand it.

　It's crazy. This man is crazy. It's before he persists. I can't even touch this guy. I don't see how you can win with that. It's unbelievable. How could this person even exist?


　...... Your Highness Melson. Oh, Your Highness Melson. I am sorry.

　Please, please, please don't leave me to suffer this appalling defeat: ......!



Don't give up. If you realize that there is a difference, don't waste the remaining six rounds. Find out what you need to do.

-Oh!


　I guess he could tell that my heart was broken. Suddenly, during the game, Seven stopped attacking and said something like that.

　His tone and words were filled with enthusiasm, far from the image I had of him.

　When I think about it, he has been serious since the game started. There was no longer any trace of that mockingly aloof attitude, and I guess his pre-match provocation was just an act.

　In other words, his words now are his true intentions.


'Assignment: ......'

　Strangely, I was able to calm down and look at myself.

　Challenges. If I had to impose on myself, what would it be?

　Do I duck a blow?　It's impossible. Are you going to strike a blow?　That's even more impossible. Overcoming this fear?　Absolutely not.


　...... Oh, what the hell, there was just one thing.


"Proudly, in the name of the Knight Commander of the Kingsguard with His Royal Highness Princess Melson Marvel, I swear to fight to the end.

That's good.


　Now.

　His mouth continued to move that way, though it wasn't in his voice.

　Then he distanced himself again and composed himself.

　He takes away my bitterness and gives me ease. His words and actions were truly mercy.

　He must be plotting to take the general's position away from me, and even more so, to swap the position of the next emperor from His Highness Melson to His Highness Wright.

　To be honest, I hate him with all my heart.

　But ...... your skills, your technique, it's real. It's heavenly. As far as I'm concerned, he's the best in the world.

　I hate him with all my heart, but I respect him with all my heart.

　I don't think I'll ever be able to fight the best in the world again.

　I'll treasure my last six fights.

　It's just like my life. I've hit rock bottom, I've become a useless piece of trash, I've been cheated, I'm desperate, my heart is broken. But I rose up. I am the man I am today because you gave me your hand that day and that time, His Highness Melson. I am who I am, General.

　I can only stand up. But that's the only thing I'm proud of. His Highness has given me the only thing I am proud of--!


That's it!　Winner, Seven!



　　* * *



　The first round was terrible.

　As soon as the curtain went up, Seven activated the Infantry Archery with almost no motion and shot Nato between the eyes without missing a beat, and approached him with the Flying Wheel Shielding Technique, and when Nato was blinded and slow to respond, he collided with it, and then followed it up with the Dash Punch of the Dragon Horse Body Technique, followed by the Sumaso of the Angular Body Technique for a high He floats up, restrains him with the Golden General Thread Manipulation, and thrusts it into his heart with a combination of the Silver General Swordsmanship and Gui Ma Swordsmanship.

　Nato was stunned (stunned) with only 1 HP left. He couldn't do anything to resist, let alone attack.

　All the spectators gasped and felt this way. In the current sequence of events, Nato had died six times. Each one was a condensed attack of skill that was potentially lethal, excruciatingly seamless and extremely difficult to turn around.


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

　Princess Melson Marvel, who had come to watch the game, quietly holds her head in her hands. The horrible situation in front of her.

　She had given permission for the duel because Nato had told her that she could win.

　There was no way she was expecting to lose.

　In fact, Nato was undefeated since he became a knight. He may struggle, but he perseveres, he persists, he stands up again and again, and finally he is the man who stands alone. That was Nato. That's how he has survived all the fierce battles, whether it was the Konoe examination, the battle for the Knight Captain, or the battle for the General, he has survived all the fierce battles.

　However, this time, as always, it was hard to believe that they would catch up in the second half of the game, as well as the usual.

　It's a good thing that you're not a fan of the game.

It's the same as the phrase "twisting a baby's hand" itself, and Melson can't help but shudder at the sight.

　She, too, is stronger than those knights. As a member of the royal family, she has also inherited numerous skills. Hence, it is understandable. I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of how far away Seven is.

　That's why Melson is in a hurry. If Nato is defeated, and if it is defeated miserably, then "the knights of the prince are overwhelmingly stronger than the knights of the princess" will be known to the knights, to the soldiers, throughout the imperial capital, the empire and even to the emperor.

　That said, it was no longer a situation that could be stopped. If Melson interfered at this point, he would have "run away" from the game. I didn't want to do that.

No, it's okay ...... I'm not going to fall apart over this.

　Melson mutters to himself to calm himself down.

　...... There is still a lot of activity left to be done. If they were only inferior in terms of armed force, then we could greatly tout Nato's superiority over Seven in non-armed areas.

　However, it was very difficult to lay the groundwork for this. Seven is always wary. There is nothing more difficult than to lure a wary opponent.

　This time Seven was very cunning. This time, Seven was very cunning. He had managed to get Nato, who had let his guard down, into his own arena. It was such a clever move that it made me feel that Seven is superior to Nato in other ways than his military prowess.

　A single incident like this would not shake his next emperor. Even with that kind of certainty, the thought of ...... if he could continue to do this kind of thing two or three times, Melson couldn't help but feel uneasy.

　If he does not become emperor, there is no future for the Marvel Empire. Melson does not doubt that he believes that.

　Besides, it was simple, but ...... Seven was very scary.

　Light has such a non-standard, strong knight against people. That alone makes him a tremendous threat to Melson.



''~~~~''

　When Nato was at the mercy of Nato's four losses in a row, Prince Light Marvel, who was watching the game, covered his face with his hands and looked up.

　A muffled, unvoiced voice leaked out from between his hands.

　He was so awesome, so happy, so excited, he didn't know what was going on anymore.

　I can honestly say that I didn't expect Seven to be so strong.

　He had finished off that General Nato Shaman - Seven was the only one who didn't realize how great that was.

　And that man is his own Knight Commander of the Kingsguard. The more he thought about it, the more Light's possessiveness was satisfied and the more proud he became. At the same time, in a sense, he had achieved his goal of 'surpassing his sister', and the trust of Seven, who was working to fulfill her promise, had increased dramatically.

　Light's mother's beautiful face can't help but slacken up.



...... hoho.

　Meanwhile, a little apart from the Princess and the Prince, Vizier Sigalone Erebuni, who was watching the game alone, sighed with a sigh of admiration.

'Can I say Miss Gloria, the quintessential Miss Gloria?　That's why the Empire is in turmoil. They have sent a truly horrible man.

　Seven was introduced by Gloria and became a Knight of Light, or so it was supposed to be. When Cigarone heard that, it would be natural for him to doubt the line Gloria had sent him to.

''His footwork is unique, he doesn't belong to any school. The use of skills is also unique. The use of skills is also unique, but the movement without hesitation is something that seems to have a 'pattern' to it. No, he has several, and he picks them out on a whim. Oh, I see, he managed to avoid detection of the kata until the very end, taking into account that this is the longest 19 rounds. I'm afraid.

　However, more than those conspiracies, Cigarone was more interested in Seven's skills (...) than in those conspiracies.

　Cigarone Erebuni is stronger than Nato Shaman - this is an undeniable fact that he admits to himself and others. In other words, he is the closest thing to Seven in this place.

　That's why he understood Seven's fearfulness better than anyone else, and at the same time was strongly attracted to him.

　And then the part of him that he had kept under wraps for so long, the 'general' part, came out.

Do you want to use it in the front line? No, it's interesting to make full use of the bow's firepower in the rearguard. But I'd also like to see it split in half on the front lines. It's also fun to drive on the front lines with me, isn't it? Ah, the luxury of long-forgotten worries.

　Unlike his words as Prime Minister, they were honest, dreamy and passionate, completely free of rhetoric and sarcasm.

　These were the words of the original Cigarone.


"This is the man for the Empire--

　Murmuring from the heart. In fact, it's true.

　The empire of meritocracy and the man-seven who was a bundle of competence. It could be said that these two were an excellent match.

　If it was the Empire of the past.


''...... But, nah, .......''

　But such is the meritocracy in which the Marvel Empire is rooted, and Emperor Gordo Marvel, who promotes meritocracy, has changed. Two years ago, out of the blue.

　Cigarone is not planning to go back to being a vizier to a general.

　He was working in the dark to find out the reason for the emperor's change, the truth behind it.


''If this is three days since I became the Knight Commander of the Kingsguard, it's rather the speed of it that makes it a weapon. But when it comes to approaching His Majesty with the appointment of Seven's deputy general, it's still a bit weak.''

　Seven would be a good pawn in the search for the truth. Cigarone was convinced of that. That's why he wanted him to rise to the occasion.

　And surely, he would bring a dramatic change to the Marvel Empire. Not the boring changes of two years ago, but a more fun, interesting and exciting change.


'Let's ask him to leave the Imperial City or ...... Cizon Minor and the Orangi Kingdom, let's let Seven put out that tailor-made fire.

　Good work, good reward.

　Cigarone gave a graceful round of applause to Seven for his magnificent tenth consecutive victory, and then hobbled out of his seat, flipping the hem of his cloak to prepare his next move.



　　* * * *



　Strong.

　No, strong, strong. Really. I'm not kidding.

　Nato's skill level seems to be about the same as Gloria's.

　I've raised my proximity skills to the full extent of Vogue, and I can use 【Swordsmanship】, 【Lancemanship】, and 【Bodywork】 to a level where I can use each of them in the title fight of this world.

　If I had met him in the title fight, he's so good that he might have given me a blow. But sadly, this time around, the "World War" rule ...... is "anything goes". It's a good thing that I didn't even have time to duck, let alone deal a blow.


Thank you.

　After the ten rounds were over, I poured a potion on Nato and then said.

　Nato stood up and smiled weakly.

'It's my pleasure,'

　Then he held out his hand to me and spoke slowly and slowly.


'I can't sort out what I'm trying to say ...... no, but this is what I mean. Lord Seven...... if and when you get another chance, I would like you to instruct me. No matter what our positions are with each other, no matter what ...... one person, as a warrior.

Sure.


　I shook his hand without hesitation.

　There was no need to worry about being squeezed hard. I knew through the ten battles that he was not the kind of man to do something so rude.

　Nato must be the same way. Even though he knew I was the enemy because of my position, he looked deep into my heart in the ten battles. So those words came out. So I smiled and held out my hand.

　In a fight, you can have a conversation deeper than a conversation. That's what I think.

　I've done that ten times, and I don't feel like I've met Nato today, not very well. And you don't feel the same way, do you?　For some reason, you must feel comfortable, like me and my old friends, laughing at each other over trivial stories. As a matter of fact, I do, too.

　It was such an intense game.

　You stood up and stood up to the end, and you were as strong as Sylvia.

　--It was a good match.