“T-this can’t be. Our lord was defeated by such a young girl?”

“Hmm, the Lion Duke’s bloodline tends to look younger than their actual age, so she might be older than she seems…”

“That’s not what’s important right now! Hey, what happened to that great plan you talked about? She’s completely fine without any problems!!”

“T-this shouldn’t be possible.”

While some youths were emitting a gloomy atmosphere, fallen into shock and fear, this was only a part of it.

The overall atmosphere in the audience seats was closer to cheers and joy.

The reason was simple.

“That brat, acting all arrogant on his way up. Serves him right!”

“Hey, hey, be quiet. Someone might hear you.”

“Did I say anything wrong? And with so many people talking like this, what are you worried about? Everyone’s excited.”

People naturally liked stories of the weak overthrowing the strong.

Especially when the strong was an unpleasant and arrogant noble youth, and the weak was a cute-looking girl, there was no need to say more.

Originally, outstanding looks were a status in themselves.

“So that makes it two losses in a row?”

“Huh? When else did they fight besides this time?”

“You know, that incident where that guy barged into the Halder Company and ran away with his tail between his legs?”

“Ah, was that this? That, um, what was it? Some kind of mask?”

“The Lennart Mask, I believe.”

“…Hmm, somehow it’s a naming sense that makes me cringe, but you’re saying that young lady is that?”

“Isn’t that just how kids her age are? Let’s watch over her with warm eyes.”

People gloated over Maximilian’s defeat, finding it satisfying, and rejoiced in Adelaide’s victory.

In the process, the rumor of the “Lennart Mask who protected the wronged company from unjust oppression” spreading was a bonus.

It was fortunate that Adelaide still had yet to fully realize the problem with the Lennart Mask naming.

***

People didn’t leave their seats even after the match between Adelaide and Maximilian ended.

After all, there was still one more match.

The next matchup especially was one that enthusiasts couldn’t help but focus on with gleaming eyes.

“Surely Kalidahs will win. The title of champion isn’t just for show.”

“But the opponent is also a legendary adventurer, isn’t he?”

“Weren’t adventurers a bit behind in one-on-one combat?”

“Looking at team Kumara in the group matches, that doesn’t seem to always be the case. Didn’t you see how Peter fights?”

“Tsk tsk, you guys don’t know anything. Even so, he’s no match for Kalidahs.”

The invincible champion and the legendary adventurer.

A user of a large greatsword and a user of a nimble dagger.

A heavy and destructive fighting style and a fast and irregular fighting style.

Opinions were divided on who would win, but no one doubted that this match would be a great one.

Some even claimed that this match was the true final.

And finally, they faced each other on the stage.

“…”

“…”

Although they had conversed quite amicably when they met in the audience seats, when they actually met on stage, not a single word left their mouths.

Both understood that even such a small gap could lead to defeat at their level.

Even the noisy audience swallowed their saliva in silence in the face of the pressure emanating from the two.

“…Then, let the match begin.”

As the referee, with the most tense expression so far, retreated from his position, the two took their stances.

Peter took an ambiguous stance that seemed neither offensive nor defensive, lightly holding the dagger in his right hand.

Kalidahs took a stance that looked ready to charge at any moment, with the left foot forward and both hands holding the greatsword’s handle raised above the head.

And, with the start signal ringing out, the two acted.

Thud!

With a thunderous impact, a dark red arc rushed towards Peter.

The moment the ridiculously large greatsword was swung down, tearing through the air, the ground literally exploded.

KWANG!

The initial sound of Kalidahs’ booming steps paled in comparison to the deafening roar that followed—a sound befitting the brutality of the force behind it.

A portion of the stone arena was pulverized by Kalidahs’ single strike.

An attack so overwhelming, it denied the very concept of defense itself.

However, even that was meaningless if it didn’t hit.

Whoosh!

The sword energy spewing from Peter’s dagger slashed Kalidahs’ nape three times in succession.

It was a mysterious sword play that ordinary people couldn’t even understand how it was swung.

But despite the sword energy that could even cut steel, Kalidahs wasn’t injured.

Kalidahs’ armor, a strange mix of metal and leather, perfectly nullified Peter’s attack.

Peter frowned, but refrained from further pursuit.

After all, why would he need to be in pursuit if Kalidahs’ greatsword had already closed the distance?

Peter avoided Kalidahs’ strike by floating his body in the air, but immediately after, the greatsword halted with a screech.

It wasn’t any special swordsmanship or technique.

Kalidahs, who had stopped the attack with pure strength alone, twisted the greatsword’s trajectory and swung it towards Peter.

For Peter, floating in the air, there was no way to avoid the attack… For an ordinary warrior at least.

In the small storm caused by Kalidahs’ greatsword, a fresh breeze made its presence known.

The wind, gently and freely embroidering the air, gathered at Peter’s two feet, becoming his foothold.

It was no mere metaphor, Peter literally stepped on the air and once again avoided Kalidahs’ attack.

Whoosh!

For Peter, who could freely create footholds anywhere in the air, spatial constraints were meaningless.

He bounced around here and there like a pinball, aiming for Kalidahs’ vital points.

In response to this three-dimensional movement, Kalidahs fought by swinging the huge greatsword as if it were a reed.

The scene resembled the fierce dance between a gale and leaves.

“Wow.”

While treating her wounds with the medicine received from Dorothea in advance, Adelaide watched this scene.

She thought Maximilian’s skills were excellent, but these two were literally in a different league.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ advises Adel to closely observe both fighters since she doesn’t know which one she’ll end up fighting!]

“Huh.”

Adelaide made a slightly perplexed expression.

The Tin Knight stared at Adelaide as if wondering why she was reacting like that.

“No, it’s just, the group match winner and individual match winner are supposed to face each other anyway, right? Since you were also invited to participate in the tournament by the champion, I thought you would naturally be the one fighting.”

[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that’s a separate matter!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that while the traditional champion match isn’t bad, a battle between teacher and pupil is also a wonderful event in its own right!]

“But…” Adelaide trailed off.

To her, the Tin Knight was the very embodiment of strength.

No matter how formidable the opponents they might face in the future, she believed the Tin Knight would surely emerge victorious.

Peter was someone who had fought evenly with such a Tin Knight, albeit temporarily, and Kalidahs was now demonstrating skills comparable to him right before her eyes.

“…Wouldn’t it be difficult for me to win against people who can match you, Sir Knight?”

To Adelaide, who expressed her honest feelings, the Tin Knight unusually didn’t show an immediate reaction and remained silent.

As the silence lengthened, Adelaide began to look around nervously, “No, I mean, I didn’t say it with a feeling of giving up or anything? It’s just an objective assessment, you could say, or something like that.”

The Tin Knight stared for a long time at Adelaide, who was rambling excuses and then—

“Huek.”

—he pinched Adelaide’s cheek.

“S-Sir Knight?”

He pulled it out long.

“Sir Knight? Sir Kniiight?!”

He pulled it out even longer.

“Ow! Ow ow! Sir Knight! Ow ow!”

After flapping around like a baby bird, Adelaide finally escaped from the Tin Knight’s hand and crouched down, holding her cheek.

It would hurt even if pinched by a hand made of ordinary flesh and blood, but being pinched by a hand made of metal, the pain was needless to say.

Even Adelaide, with her strong tendency to be a pushover, flared up this time, “Really, what is it!? It hurts! If you have something to say, say it with words!”

With her cheeks still red, Adelaide raised her voice in protest.

The fact that the handprint was disappearing at a fast rate made one think that her innate constitution was indeed special.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ says when he came to his senses, his hand had moved!]

[The ‘Tin Knight’ marvels at how soft it felt despite him having no sense of touch, truly amazing cheeks!]

Adelaide glared at the Tin Knight with cold eyes, but soon, perhaps thinking it was pointless, she sighed and lowered her head.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ says there’s no teacher who doesn’t rejoice in their pupil’s victory!]

It was a passing remark.

Adelaide raised her head with wide eyes and looked up at the Tin Knight.

But the Tin Knight didn’t meet Adelaide’s gaze or say anything more.

As if he had already said everything he needed to say, he just stared at the arena.

Adelaide opened and closed her mouth a few times, then likewise stared at the arena.

Her violet eyes had already changed from those of a simple spectator to those of a warrior filled with competitive spirit.

Whoosh!

The duel between the two masters, which seemed like it would never end, was now approaching its finale.

Due to Kalidahs’ incredibly heavy attacks, the arena was now in a state where it was difficult to recognize its original circular shape.

Peter, who avoided Kalidahs’ greatsword with fluttering movements, swung his dagger again.

With a ripping sound, the area around the neck of Kalidahs’ armor split.

Kalidahs quickly dodged and tried to counterattack, but perhaps due to the forced movement, ended up dropping the greatsword.

Peter didn’t miss this opportunity and rushed towards the weakness he had just created.

Grab.

And as if waiting for this, Kalidahs’ hand grasped Peter’s forearm.

Peter’s body was forcibly pulled by a strength that didn’t seem human, slamming into the ground.

“Kuk!”

For the first time, a sound escaped from Peter’s mouth.

As if to show that his legendary adventurer title wasn’t just for show, Peter skillfully performed a falling technique even in that situation, dissipating most of the impact.

Not only that, but he also demonstrated the skill of pulling out his trapped arm by using Kalidahs’ strength against them.

It was then, as Peter was about to attempt a counterattack.

《Indeed, worthy of your reputation. But, it’s already over.》

At Kalidahs’ words, Peter frowned.

Peter retorted, “What kinda bullshit are you talking about now?”

The answer came not from Kalidahs, but from outside.

“Peter! As your body has made contact with the ground outside the arena, it’s out of bounds!”

Only then did Peter look at his feet.

His body was indeed standing on ground that wasn’t part of the arena.

To be more precise, it was the place “where the arena had been” that Kalidahs had pulverized and eliminated.

Realizing that Kalidahs had deliberately planted him here, Peter became indignant.

“You, you bastard, so when you were going around destroying this and that, you had this in mind from the start!? Is this even allowed? Seriously?!”

《How many years do you think I’ve been playing the role of champion here? It would be shameful to fall behind a newcomer in utilizing the rules.》

Peter looked at the referee as if protesting, but the referee just shook his head with a regretful face.

Then Peter seemed to have nothing more to say and dejectedly drooped his shoulders, “Haa, alright, I guess that’s how it is.”

《You’re accepting it surprisingly cleanly?》

“Just as there are rules for adventurers in the adventurer industry, there are rules here… It’s a bit regrettable that I didn’t get to see the hidden power concealed under that armor.”

The last words were almost like a whisper, so only Kalidahs could hear them.

Kalidahs paused for a moment, but soon shrugged once and picked up the fallen greatsword, raising it high.

The referee’s victory declaration rang out, and the audience, who had been bewildered by the sudden development, soon burst into cheers.

Although the final conclusion was somewhat unexpected, the duel the two had shown until then was sufficiently spectacular and exciting.

Adelaide continued to stare at Kalidahs receiving the audience’s cheers.

Continuously, as if not to miss even the smallest scratch on the armor.

***

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