Chapter 51: Sibling Showdown

After a short break, the third round begins. Winning this means reaching the Top 8. Since there are eight matches in the third round, it seems they will be conducted twice across the four arenas. Looking at the tournament bracket, Jean, Bianca, and Gloria‘s matches overlap. Of course I want to cheer for Bianca, but I also kind of want to see the condition of the enemy, Gloria. I don’t really care about Jean. All three are in the first set, so they are stepping up to their respective arenas. Bianca‘s opponent was an older boy again. No, well, if you have ability as a squire, usually you’re older. He holds a two-handed sword and no shield. A tall, well-built boy, but from his unkempt hair and equipment, I guess he’s a commoner child. Among the Knight Order squires, third sons and daughters and below of nobles are numerous, but commoners are also reasonably represented. Just between us, I hear the commoners are often more capable. Since commoners don’t have connections, they became squires through ability, and they possess a hungry spirit and guts. In other words, we can’t let our guard down… The match began. The boy with the two-handed sword slams it down with brute force. Bianca dodges it and tries to strike him, but the boy spins his body around, and the swung-down two-handed sword attacks Bianca from the side this time.

“Hoh, to swing a heavy two-handed sword around like that. He has strength for his age.”

Balay-san next to me murmured in admiration and tilted his glass of whiskey. Bianca’s opponent is a power type, huh. Yet he also has the dexterity to skillfully manipulate a two-handed sword. As expected of an opponent who survived this far. His ability must be solid. Bianca continues to dodge the continuous attacks of the two-handed sword. If she takes even one of those directly with her sword, she’d be blown away. As expected, swinging it around too much took its toll, and the two-handed sword boy’s speed gradually dropped. On the other hand, Bianca‘s speed only increased. What’s going on?

“The young lady Bianca is drawing out the power of ‘Ensemble’. She’s using that power to accelerate slightly. Others who don’t know the characteristics of Magic Swords wouldn’t notice, though.”

Balay-san declared such a thing. He said Bianca‘s Magic Sword ‘Ensemble’ is a space-time attribute Magic Sword. Does that mean she is speeding up her own movements? Against Bianca, who keeps dodging, the boy’s movements finally stopped. He was breathing heavily enough to see from here.

“That guy is bad at pacing his stamina. I always tell him that going full throttle from start to finish isn’t the way, but…”

The Grand Master evaluates the two-handed sword boy like that. I see, a ‘Full Power Boy’, huh. Noticing an opening in the boy whose movements had become dull, Bianca kicks the ground. While slipping under the two-handed sword swung horizontally, the Magic Sword ‘Ensemble’ in Bianca‘s hand slashed across his torso. In actual combat, his stomach would be ripped open… no, possibly sliced in two, leading to instant death. Protected by the skin barrier, the boy has no injury, but he fell to his knees as if collapsing, and flopped face down on the spot.

“Winner, Bianca Latia Serenade!”

The referee knight announced Bianca‘s victory. Immediately, a stretcher was brought in, and the two-handed sword boy was carried to the infirmary. Since there are healing ‘Gift’ holders in the infirmary, he’ll probably recover quickly.

“She did it! With this, she’s through the third round!”

Estelle beside me frolicked happily. With this, Top 8. Ah, what happened to Jean? Looking towards the other arena, the match was already over, and Jean was returning to the waiting room. It seems he won. Conversely, Gloria, as before, carried out the match as if to show off the difference in ability while tormenting the opponent. As a result, out of the four matches, hers dragged on until the very end. Thinking ‘How is this for chivalry?’, the referee knight warned her, and Gloria finally defeated the opponent. All matches ended, and the Top 8 were decided. Four of them were Cecil, Jean, Bianca, and Gloria, and the rest were all older boys. Now, for the fourth round, from here on, there will be only one arena. The dragon statues creating the barriers in the four arenas were moved, and earth magic users created a new, slightly larger arena. Stone floor panels were laid one after another on the raised earth arena, completing it in the blink of an eye. Not flashy, but convenient, earth magic. And the fourth round, the first match was Cecil‘s. Defeating her opponent with overwhelming ability, she easily passed the fourth round. Shall we call it the dignity of the previous champion? Following that was Cecil‘s younger brother, Jean. Using the Magic Sword ‘Fortissimo’, he is clashing with an opponent boy who looks like a typical noble child holding a sword. Apparently, the sword he holds is also a Magic Sword, and moreover, it seems to be a water attribute Magic Sword with the worst compatibility. Jean‘s flame-clad sword and the opponent’s water-clad sword clash, filling the arena with intense steam. Eventually, absorbing the power of flame, Jean swung ‘Fortissimo’ glowing red, and the blow blew the opponent’s water Magic Sword out of the arena.

“Winner, Jean Ludra Staccato!”

At the referee’s voice, Jean raises his sword high. As expected, among those with ability to reach Top 8, some possess Magic Swords. I can’t help but wonder ‘What are you letting children hold’, but is this parental love wanting their child to win? This can’t be helped, but many Magic Sword holders are children of wealthy nobles. Magic Swords themselves are expensive, after all… Isn’t it unfair to make Magic Sword holders fight participants who aren’t in matches like this?

“In the first place, there is no fairness in battle. Fighting a large army with a small force is common. If you say ‘It’s unfair!’ because the enemy has a Magic Sword, will the opponent withdraw?”

The Grand Master replied to my question like that. No, well, in a real battle I suppose you can’t say such naive things, but…

“In this match, we are judging not just simple wins and losses, but fighting techniques, tactics, how they construct strategies to win—all actions. Mastering a Magic Sword is one of them, and conversely, dealing with an opponent who has a Magic Sword is too. If we start saying that, we would have to ban ‘Gifts’ too.”

Muu. So that’s how it is. With memories of my previous life, I feel strange about it, but ‘Gifts’ are considered that person’s power. Does fighting with ‘Gifts’ banned mean fighting with a handicap in itself? Indeed, a Magic Sword is useless if you can’t master it, and there have been participants with Magic Swords who lost up to this point. While thinking about that, Bianca‘s match had ended. Since the opponent was a heavy knight-like boy holding a large axe, the compatibility was bad against Bianca who attacks with quick moves, and the match was decided easily. Following that, Gloria‘s fight was also decided relatively quickly, perhaps because she was warned in the previous match. The opponent boy with a Magic Sword wasn’t allowed to do anything, and was slashed from behind by Gloria, who disappeared for an instant with her ‘Gift’ [Transparency Camouflage], and fainted. With this, the fourth round ended, and the Top 4 were decided. Bianca, Gloria, Jean, and Jean‘s sister, Cecil. The expected members remained. It seems rare for Jean to be the only boy left. Well, that probably depends on the match-ups. In the next semi-finals, Bianca vs Gloria, and Jean vs Cecil will take place.

“Finally…”

Estelle sitting next to me clasped her hands in front of her chest and stared at Bianca as if praying. No, there’s Jean vs Cecil before Bianca vs Gloria, you know? If you put that much spirit into it now, you won’t last until the end, okay?

“Then, Semi-Final Match 1! Cecil Ludra Staccato, Jean Ludra Staccato, come forward!”

The siblings Cecil and Jean step up to the arena. A sibling showdown. Last time Cecil won, but this time Jean has obtained a Magic Sword. How will that influence things…

“Here I go, Sis! Raa!” “Good grief… can you still only charge in?”

Simultaneously with the start of the match, Jean charges at Cecil, swinging his sword burning with the [Flame Sword] ‘Gift’. Without panicking, Cecil parries the sword, skillfully handling it while dodging Jean‘s attacks with quick steps. It looks like she’s reading ahead and avoiding.

“Since Cecil and Jean have fought many times. Cecil likely understands Jean‘s movements like the back of her hand.” “But then, wouldn’t Jean understand Cecil‘s movements too?” “That guy moves only on intuition and reflexes. He isn’t reading ahead. I always tell him he must learn to think a little…”

The Grand Master answered Elliott‘s retort with a deep sigh. Moving on intuition and reflexes alone this far is amazing in a sense, though… If he learns to fight while thinking more, Jean could probably go one level higher. As the Grand Master said, Jean seems to be toyed with by Cecil. Signs of fatigue are gradually becoming visible on Jean.

“You… stop scurrying around, shitty sister!”

I saw Cecil‘s eyebrow twitch at Jean‘s words. Eh? Isn’t she angry?

“Oh my, oh my. Does the foolish little brother who got carried away after getting a Magic Sword need punishment?”

Cecil, dodging Jean‘s sword, stepped forward. Her right knee was driven straight into Jean‘s stomach.

“Guh!”

Throwing away the sword she held, Cecil grabbed Jean‘s right hand fluidly, twisted his wrist, and pinned him to the ground. ‘Fortissimo’ clattered from Jean‘s hand. Was that a wakigatame (armpit lock)?

“So? Who did you say is a shitty sister?” “Ouchouchouchouch!”

A scream rose from the pinned Jean. Skin barriers don’t seem to work against joint locks. Cecil creaking Jean‘s arm with a smile. I wonder why, it’s very scary.

“Who did you say is a shitty sister?” “Ouchouchouch! S-Sister! Any more! It really hurts! I said it hurts-urts-urts!”

Jean‘s screams echoed in the arena.

“Are joint locks allowed?” “…They do not violate the match regulations.”

The Grand Master informed me again with a big sigh. If I recall correctly, the victory conditions are: incapacitating the opponent, making them surrender, ring out, or referee’s decision when the match cannot continue… right? Ah, there was also winning by opponent’s foul. What happens in this case? While I was wondering, it seems Jean surrendered. Since he couldn’t escape no matter how he struggled, he gave up.

“Winner, Cecil Ludra Staccato!”

Cecil picked up the fallen sword and waved to the cheering crowd with a smile. At her feet lay her brother Jean, exhausted and limp. It makes me feel somewhat sad… Can only say he had a bad opponent. For Jean, she must have been a natural enemy. I put my hands together in prayer—Namu Namu—for Jean being carried away on a stretcher.

“Next, Semi-Final Match 2! Bianca Latia Serenade, Gloria Grimm Barcarolle, come forward!”

Bianca and Gloria step up to the arena. Finally, the showdown. Can Bianca win… no, she will definitely win. If we don’t believe, who will. Don’t lose, Bianca.