Chapter 50 

Thanks to Kokuri-san’s scheming, by the time we arrived, the arena had already been perfectly prepared.

There wasn’t a single person in the audience seating, the waiting rooms, or even the surrounding area of the arena. Yet, the arena itself was in perfect condition—no training tools left lying around or anything of the sort.

Despite that, Her Majesty the Queen was present, observing from the royal box—the best seat in the house.

…Even though it was Kokuri-san who had been ordered to prepare the arena, all she did was leisurely show me around the castle while we chatted.

Now, standing in the center of the arena, I faced off with the one who had done all the actual preparation—Cres-san.

“You’ve given me the chance to restore my honor. I apologize for my earlier rudeness, but I won’t hold back, Same.”

“I also apologize for my rudeness. Honestly, I wasn’t really angry back then. But my opponent was Her Majesty the Queen—trying to negotiate with words alone would’ve been a fool’s errand. I had to use every move I could. I’m sorry I said some pretty awful things just to use you.”

“Mmm… I see… So you weren’t angry…”

…Is it just me, or did she visibly relax just now?

Wait a second, is she actually kind of adorable?

“Well, this is just a mock battle. There’s no official signal to begin… but prepare yourself, Same.”

With that, Cres-san readied a massive, conical lance, like one used in jousting.

The sword she had at her waist earlier was gone—probably a ceremonial weapon of some kind.

A heavy weapon… sacrificing mobility and handling for raw power?

I readied my sword, which I had left with the gatekeeper before entering the castle.

No openings. If I shouted to activate a skill, she might exploit the gap immediately.

“Not making a move, Same-san? My attacks… are a bit heavy, you know.”

In that instant, my consciousness blanked.

Before I knew it, I was flying through the air, a sharp pain exploding in my gut.

Tch—No way! I couldn’t even react!?

I twisted my body midair and barely managed to land against the wall before crashing into it.

That wasn’t a thrust—it was a sweep? If it had been a thrust, there’d be a gaping hole in my stomach right now…

“Damn, you’re seriously strong.”

I’d made some distance. That meant I still had time, even if I showed an opening.

“Alriiiiight, woman!!! You’re tough as hell, huh!? Fine then—I’ll slam one right into that big ol’ gut of yours!!!”

I only activated a skill!!!!!!
I just activated a skill!!!!
Why the hell do I end up shouting this kind of crap every time!?

Thanks to Crimson Howl, my next attack would be randomly multiplied in power. I had to make sure it hit.

I didn’t even see her last strike… does that mean she’s fast too?

I activated Rapid Step to boost both my mobility and the number of attacks in my next strike. Now it was my turn to go on the offensive.

“! You’re fast!”

I darted around the battlefield with breakneck agility, even using the walls as footholds to shift my trajectory.

But I still couldn’t find an opening. Her lance was always pointed at me, ready.

That meant she was tracking my every movement perfectly.

“If this drags on, I’ll win just from my accessory’s effects. But still…”

I doubted she’d let the fight go on that long.

…No, even if she blocked my strike, that would be fine.

If I landed even a single blow, my accessory’s effect should activate…

This isn’t a game, but if the debuff kicks in—

“Take this!!!!!!!”

“Hmph!!!!”

I dashed in with my fastest lunge, but Cres was already prepared to counter with her lance.

A solid defense. But I’d braced for a clash—I swung my sword regardless.

A heavy shock reverberated through the air, echoing through the arena.

My hands went numb, but I pulled back to regain distance.

“…What a blow. If I didn’t have this lance…”

“…That’s one sturdy spear you’ve got. I figured it was hollow, since you swung it so quickly.”

Apparently, she felt the impact just as much as I did.

Cres was testing her grip, slowly rotating her shoulder to check her condition.

…So that attack wasn’t a critical hit? If it had been the maximum x9 multiplier, would I have finished it?

Or maybe… it was x9, and she still endured it.

A “Thirteen Knight”… I guess the title isn’t just for show.

But it ends here.

It seems she was—

『Support Effect [Knight of the Queen] acquired』

Looks like she had some kind of special buff.

I just stole it.

And since she took my last attack, her stats should be down by 20%.

“…My body feels… heavy. What did you do?”

“I’m not just a swordsman, you know. I can embed a kind of curse into my blade.”

Half-bluff, just to keep her on edge.

Now she’ll hesitate to block again.

But I won’t ease up.

“Too late to start being careful now!!!!!! Just go down alreadyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!”

Crimson Howl, reactivated.

Seriously, this skill—why does it make me yell such embarrassing stuff!?

I charged again. This time, Cres tried to move to dodge rather than block.

But her movement wasn’t fast—at least not compared to her attacks.

It seemed her agility only kicked in when swinging her weapon.

Now she was just a big target.

I moved at high speed behind her and slammed my blade flat-side against her.

She couldn’t dodge in time. She had to take the hit.

But she didn’t want to.

That split-second hesitation let my strike land.

“Guh!”

Her right arm—mid-turn.

The arm holding the lance took the hit, and her body bent like a sideways “く” before being hurled toward the wall.

Her weapon slammed into the wall with a crash.

But it looked like she used her lance as a brace to stop herself from crashing directly into the wall.

…Seriously? I thought that would finish it.

“Kh… You’re strong…!”

“You too. I really thought I had you.”

“And you’re scary sometimes!”

“I’m really sorry about that.”

You still have the energy to make a comeback!?

No, you’re way too tough… and your arm doesn’t even look broken.

Maybe it’s the effect of the armor she’s wearing.

“…You still want to continue?”

“I can’t end it like this.”

At this point, I could see the victory.

She’s gradually wearing down, while I’m not running out of stamina.

At this pace, I should be able to incapacitate her within thirty minutes.

I’m not letting my guard down. But at the very least, if we keep fighting hand-to-hand, she’s going to lose.

I admit that her attacks are heavier than mine, but unless she has something to overturn this situation, it’s over.

“Then… time to end it.”

It’s not like I’ve been limiting myself. I just didn’t know what would happen if I used my actual attack techniques, so I’ve been sticking to basic sword skills until now.

Even if a single strike lands with 9x power 9 times, it’s not that big a deal.

But what if that multiplier applied to a move that already has a high power and multiple hits?

Then… it might not stay “just” a mock battle anymore.

“Blame your queen for not calling off this fight!!! I’m gonna make sure you NEVER fight again!!!!!!”

Aaaahhhh!!! I just shouted the most villainous line ever!!!

There are sword techniques exclusive to a Swordsman × Thief combo.

In the game I played, different combinations of main and sub-classes unlocked unique skills.

And the true value of the Swordsman × Thief combo lies in “overwhelming speed and number of attacks, fueled by a swordsman’s power.”

Both Rapid Step and Crimson Howl are exclusive skills for that combo.

And now, the special move I’m about to use — [Dimension Slay] — is a staggering 16-hit attack.

Each hit has lower base power, but with Crimson Howl’s random multiplier…

And with Rapid Step, the attack count could go as high as 16 × 9.

If I hit max multipliers on both, it ranks among the top three strongest attacks of any class.

“Here I come!”

“…!”

Maybe she realized dodging was impossible, because Cres raised her spear like a shield.

Then — like an alarm ringing — the metallic clashing sounds exploded around us, countless in number…

There were only two people watching the fight in the arena.

Kokuri Maya and the Queen witnessed the battle’s conclusion — and were filled with fear.

One of the “Thirteen Knights,” Cres Veil is a top-level force in this country, a key defender of the Queen, and the pinnacle of the nation’s knights.

But the even battle lasted only in the beginning.

By the middle, the gap became obvious, and in the final exchange—

The nation’s protector was rendered helpless. Her armor crumpled like paper, she slammed into the wall with massive force, and collapsed to the ground, defeated.

Originally, the Queen should’ve stopped the fight before it reached that point.

But—

“…Was it really necessary to push the battle this far, Kokuri?”

“I never expected it to end like this either. But we had to test the full extent of a Dungeon Conqueror’s power — for the future of this country. Even if… it meant sacrificing one of the Thirteen Knights.”

“For the good of the people, huh… Yeah, I suppose we do need to understand the strength of someone who might become a threat.”

“Yes. I’ll have Cres sent to the research institute. If we send her to the medical team, word might leak out about this fight.”

“Wait…! Same is walking over to her! Don’t tell me he’s going to finish her off!?”

“W-What!? I noticed a shift in his behavior… some violent tendencies, but is it that bad!?”

Kokuri jumped out of the viewing area, vaulted the fence, and ran into the arena.

They weren’t exactly friends, but they were good colleagues, and she liked Cres.

And now, seeing her in danger, she rushed to her aid.

What she saw then—

Crap crap crap!! Something’s off — that last hit was WAY stronger than before! I must’ve rolled a really high multiplier!

And the number of attacks… definitely pulled a 5x or more.

The sound of it was so constant, it’s like my ears were going numb.

I rushed over to the clearly near-death Cres, pulled a bottle from my pouch, and pretended to casually administer it — the same potion I used on Letty before.

…Her external injuries are severe, but not as bad as Letty’s were. Her armor’s smashed, but… maybe she really does have insane base stats.

In this world, people who get strong seem to defy my understanding of toughness and strength.

They’re like characters straight out of the game I played…

“Cres, can you hear me? Are you okay?”

“…U…ugh…”

A faint groan.

Thanks to the potion, her bruises and complexion were already starting to improve.

Even the arm that took the blow… looks okay.

“You used a potion, huh? Either you came well-prepared… or you expected things to turn out this way.”

Suddenly, a voice called out from right behind me.

I turned to see Kokuri frozen in a bottle-throwing pose, clearly cautious of me.

“When did you get here…? It turned into this kind of mock battle, so of course I’d use a rare potion or two.”

“…Looks like it really was a potion. Cres, can you get up?”

“…Ugh… yeah… but… honestly, I don’t want to show my face.”

“…You seem well enough. Quite the extravagant gesture from you, Same-san.”

Did she think I was actually going to finish Cres off…?

I mean, I get it… Same’s fighting style just looks way too bad. Maybe I should stop using Same altogether…

“…Same-san, you should go back. The Queen wants to speak with you, right? I’ll go with Kokuri to get treated.”

“Are you sure? I can lend you a shoulder.”

“It’s fine. Just go.”

She probably hadn’t fully cooled down from the adrenaline of the fight.

Having been gently but firmly pushed away, I obediently left the arena—

At the same time Same was getting dressed and heading back to the audience chamber, the two who remained in the arena were—

“I lost… ugh… ugh… the Queen gave me a chance… and I lost… I lost!”

“Mmm… no crying now. You still haven’t gotten rid of that habit, huh? Isn’t Shuris-san here too right now? Are you really gonna let her see you like this?”

“But! But! I was going to win! I wanted to show the Queen something good, to make up for my earlier failure! I hate him! He kept saying creepy stuff during the fight! That’s not fair and square at all!”

“Ahh… you’re regressing into a toddler again…”

There was Cres, sitting on the ground in the arena and throwing a tantrum like a spoiled child.

She’d apparently managed to keep her dignity intact in front of Same — but that self-control had finally run out.

“Sigh… come on, Cress. Let’s go. You can rest in my lab.”

“Okay…”

And so, the secret duel held in the arena finally, truly came to an end—

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