The Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup) has entered the third day.
　On the first day, there were 32 contestants, but the number of contestants was reduced to eight.

　The Fuyo Cup is an honor to participate in the competition itself, and if you win the cup, you can be proud of yourself as a warrior and a martial artist.
　Nevertheless, when Moore appeared in front of Aldis that morning, he had a very unhappy aura about him.

''Hey Aldis.

What?

　Aldis responds briefly to Moore's call for help, who is about to let out a sigh.

'People in power are so selfish and arrogant ......, they really can't get rid of you, can they?

I generally agree with you, but what's going on?　Well, I can kind of guess.

　It's probably because of the Marquis of Olguin's involvement in the race, judging by Moore's appearance.
　The schedule of the Fuyo Cup has reached the halfway point, and it is about time for the Marquis to make a move from behind the scenes.

''My opponent has been switched.

Okay.

　I'm not sure if it's someone else's problem, but Ardis' tone is curt.

You're a very taciturn reply. Don't you care who you're dealing with?

It's not like I'm going to fight you.

Not so much.

What do you mean?

　Aldis asks the true meaning of Moore's words.

'My opponent in the change is you, of all people, Aldis.

Me?

　Aldis rolled her eyes at the unexpected answer.

'That would be odd. 'What the hell happened to the combination we had yesterday?'

　In the second round of eight games played yesterday, Moore won the first game and Aldis won the sixth game.
　If they continue to win, they'll meet in the final, and there's no way they'll be in the quarterfinals.
　There's no way they're going to fight in the quarterfinals," he said.

Is there any precedent for mid-tournament matchups?

No, it's the first case I've ever heard of.

　A pained expression came over Aldis' face.

''I'm sure Marquis Olguin sent you, right?

'Ninety-nine out of ten. To the Marquis, you and I are nothing but a hindrance to him. The two of us are winning together, so they're probably feeling smoky for good. He's probably thinking of dropping just one of us while he can.

　The Marquis must have had a desire to get rid of the obtrusive Aldis and the others, even to the extent of forcing a mid-tournament rearrangement, which was unprecedented in the Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup).
　It was clear that they wanted Aldis and Moore to fight each other.

''It's easy to understand.

Well, it's a stage for you to show your authority. You don't want me or you to win, if you're wrong.

　It's a winner-take-all race, and if you keep winning, eventually you'll run into Moore.
　That can't be helped.

　However, the combination was a good match for Ardis and the others.
　If anything, Aldis and Moore wanted to fight in the finals together and thoroughly destroy the face of the Marquis Faction, but being meddled with in this way is not a good feeling.

It's a good thing that the Marquis of Olguin has done so little. I was on the lookout for a dark vendetta by now," he said.

　Moore's eyes were serious, even as he mouthed his mockery.

''Small things do the same thing everywhere you go. At first, they use the most despicable means possible to keep themselves out of harm's way. It's only after they've failed that they'll take direct action.

I wouldn't have wanted to fight my way to the final if I could have: ......

　Moore utters the same idea as Aldis.

　However, in his case, the words would have come from another reason.
　Because he had seen with his own eyes Aldis' abilities in that world where he was sent with Minerva.

　Sighing, Moore looked down in depression and shook his head from side to side, convincing himself that he was right.

''Well, I guess there's no point in complaining about it now.

There you go. A hard worker I once knew said that giving up is the key to life.

"Ho. I know you think you're going to win this thing, but isn't that a tricky thing to say?

　Moore shot a snarling glance at Aldis, who was saying words that didn't seem to be directed at his opponent.

'Didn't you know, I'm a swordsman?

　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're talking about.

"It's hard to believe it, but it seems so.

Either way, you'll know it when you fight. All the bullshit in here won't change the fact that we're fighting.

Yeah, of course.

　Moore must have known that.
　I'm sure he knows that.

I'm sure you're not going to be able to find a way to make it work. I'm going to go for real.

Of course.

　Aldis grinned with a short answer.





　When it was time to start the match, Aldis and Moore walked out to the center of the arena, side by side.

''Hey, Marquis Olguin's got a nice smile on his face.

　In response to Moore's annoying voice, Aldis also turned his attention to the guest's seat.

　You will find a man who looks like a petty bureaucrat, a man that you saw during the first round of the battle that Moore won, was there.
　It was the Marquis of Olguin himself, the mastermind behind the attack on Minerva.

　He must be looking forward to the eyesore Aldis and the others who participated in the match with the Duke of Nilesteria's glibness, looking forward to crushing each other.
　Aldis and Moore understood that the big smile was not from the anticipation of this match, but from the satisfaction of knowing that their little trickery had paid off.

'I don't like the idea of that bastard getting his way, but ....... This is what it means to make enemies of those in power. And His Excellency the Duke couldn't possibly deal with such a surprise rule revision, either.

'What? That face is going to be red with resentment when the Fuyo Cup is over. It's good to make him happy for now.

　That's why Aldis had decided to enter the Fuyo Cup (Lotus Cup).

　For a moment, Moore locked eyes with Aldis and then returned his gaze to the front.
　When you take two steps forward, he seems to have figured out something, and when he turns his head to Ardis again, he looks at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"I knew that's why you're going to the Fuyo Cup...

Look, this is the last time we're going to waste a word. It's the next best thing to being an enemy of mine.

　When Moore's words were interrupted midway through, Aldis chose the same weapon as he had in the second round and followed the judge's instructions to take his starting position.

'What a geeky thing to do ......'

　The remaining Moore shrugged his shoulders and had no choice but to take his sword and shield and walk to his starting position.





　The rules are explained and warned verbally by the judges as before, and then the signal to start the match is heard in the arena.

'Let's go!'

　As soon as it started, Moore came flying straight out.
　Aldis didn't wait for him this time either, but instead stepped forward on his own to meet it.

　A high-pitched sound rang out around them as the bladed test swords were swung down from the upper level on one side and swung sideways on the other.
　It reminded me of a formal ceremony to start a match.

　The two men, after firing their initial blows, took their distance, and at the agreed-upon timing, shifted their standing positions three steps counterclockwise around each other's midpoint.
　The two swords change angles and meet again.

Can you pull it off?

　Moore now takes a half step back and thrusts back.
　Aldis deflected it with a striking blow down and tried to fight back.

'This time it's this one--'

　However, the counterattack was thwarted at the outset.

　Anticipating Aldis's counterattack, Moore brought the shield fixed to his left arm to the front.
　Rather than pushing out, the shield with the momentum of slamming down attacked Ardis.

''Tch!

　In the nick of time, Aldis stopped it with the hilt head of his sword, and in return, he kicked at Moore's left side.

''You read that right!''

　In response, Moore neither dodged nor avoided, but dared to step forward.

　The power of a kick is created by centrifugal force based on the trunk of the body.
　Therefore, the distance to produce the optimal power is actually not very wide.
　It is natural that the closer you are to the axial foot, the less centrifugal force is generated and the slower the speed at which it is swung.

If so, go to ......!

　Having been killed by the power of the kick, Aldis quickly bent his knees and tried to change the target of his attack, but at the same time gave up instantly when he saw Moore's shield was about to move on defense.

　At that moment, the offense and defense changed.
　Moore let go of his left hand, which was holding the shield handle, and at some point he flicked a small stone crush from his palm that he had been hiding and flicked it at Aldis' eyes.

''There!''

　Caught by surprise, Aldis turned his head away to avoid a direct hit to the eye.
　Moore, not missing the opportunity, pointed his sword point at me.

　Aldis acknowledges the disadvantage and immediately moves into a breakaway action.
　He used the momentum of his sword pommel to push the shield in with his sword pommel head and used that momentum to send his entire body flying backwards to gain distance.

　The audience was heated up by the breathtaking battle that unfolded in a short period of time.

　While the contestants were said to be talented, Ardis and Moore's swordplay was not spectacular.
　The swords wielded by the military's elite have refined gestures, each one of which seems to transport the viewer to a scene in a story.
　On the other hand, Ardis's swords are muddy and stubborn, revealing the stubbornness of human nature.
　Both sides have honed their swordsmanship in a battle of blood, sweat and mud.

　There were leg kicks, eye-slashes, and deceptions; the swords were the fangs of the beast called a human being.
　There is no beauty in it like a work of art.
　But many people must have sensed its vitality, its dynamism and its wild beauty.

　There is a momentary tension lurking in the flowing movements.
　The two men's bravery was accentuated by the wildness of their struggle to take advantage of their opponents' gaps.

It's just like being a mercenary.

　Aldis is impressed with Moore's handling of the situation.

'That's because before I joined the army, I was fighting with some very peculiar people.

Yeah. That's what being a mercenary is all about.

　He is not like the children of the nobility, who are taught from an early age to follow a pattern, or the soldiers, who are trained as a disciplined group.
　It is Aldis who has lived in a world where he has stood on the battlefield alone, and where an opponent who was his employer yesterday is his enemy today.

　I don't know if Moore has the same experience in this world where war is rare, but I can at least imagine that being a mercenary, used like a handyman, is not a privileged position.
　You are not fighting for pride, honor, or your lord.
　It can be said that the earning power of a mercenary is a bit inconvenient to keep up a clean fighting style.

I don't know how to fight elegantly either. I'll tell you beforehand that's the way it is for both of us.

　Moore responds lightly to Aldiss's declaration.

'I'm not going to complain about that,'

I know.

　They looked at each other and smiled, and then Aldis kicked the ground and resumed the fight.