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The final match of the tournament was fast approaching, with only a little time left until Anne’s final battle. Unfortunately, I was separated from my sisters… no, from my friends and headed to the designated seating prepared for me.

“You’re here early, Saint.”

It would be unfair to say I was late since there was still quite a bit of time left before the tournament started, so it must be that Mariel had arrived early.

Looking around, there were only Mariel and me already seated in the VIP area.

“Ah, hey! You also came early, Hero.”

Mariel responded to my greeting, a bit nervously, as if she still remembered the earlier incident.

“So, did you rest well?”

“Ah, yes. Sorry for causing you worry. I’m all fired up now.”

Of course, whenever I tried to recall the memories of ‘Zeno Frentz’ before I became an assassin, my head would continue to throb painfully, but as long as I intentionally didn’t think about it, the headache kept to itself.

“Good. I’m glad to hear that….”

I felt embarrassed about having my goodwill turned down, but I was moved to see her worrying about me first. Indeed, even if she often seemed money-obsessed, a Saint is still a Saint.

Fortunately, as we returned to our usual conversation, we looked around the audience, waiting for Anne to enter the arena as the finals were about to start.

Perhaps because it was one of the biggest events of the Celestial Festival, even though it was still some time before the finals began, there were hardly any empty seats visible.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong, Hero?”

“I just spotted my friends.”

It wasn’t among the general audience area, but I saw Selian, Yuli, and Linne settling down in the friends’ section reserved for acquaintances. Unlike me, who had entered without waiting in line or confirming my identity, they had probably waited their turn before getting seated.

Just yesterday, I had watched the match from those seats, and now seeing myself in the VIP section as a Hero made me acutely aware of my status.

Naturally, the seats for the Hero and Saint were the most prominent, so as soon as Selian and Yuli sat down, they turned to look in my direction.

As I waved lightly at them, I felt the familiar gaze meet mine as they waved back. In the meantime, Linne had already pulled out some popcorn from who knows where and was munching away.

“Whoa!!!”

A sudden loud cheer filled the stadium. The sound was so intense it felt like the atmosphere was vibrating.

Curious, I peered down at the stage, only to find the referee checking things over once more to ensure everything was in order. This was surely the signal that the match would begin soon.

– The match will begin shortly, so we ask the audience to take their seats. Once again, we kindly remind you….

As the announcement echoed through the arena via amplification magic, the once-bustling crowd began to settle in their seats, though a few still struggled to find theirs, randomly plopping down on the steps.

“Speaking of which, I told you my friend participated in the tournament, right?”

“Hmm… I believe so?”

“Actually, that friend is about to enter the finals.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. If that friend is a Hero’s companion, then they must be a first-year student! With this Celestial Festival being so grand, there must be another reason why everyone is so excited.”

Mariel praised Anne, shedding light on her despite not receiving the compliments myself, which inexplicably made me feel proud.

“I haven’t been able to watch many matches aside from the first day, so I didn’t really know how the tournament was unfolding. But I’m glad I got to see today’s match.”

“Ah, it seems like it’s starting.”

It appeared the grad student magician had been busy, as the stadium was already dimmed to the point where I could barely make out the shapes of things despite the sun still being up.

Suddenly, a spotlight shone down at center stage, illuminating the presenter who stood there looking sharp.

“Good day!” he began with the all-too-typical introduction, explaining various details about the finals. Given that there wasn’t much to pay attention to, I barely listened until it was finally time to announce the contestants.

“Now, let’s welcome the two contenders challenging for the title of the Academy’s strongest!”

As the announcer pointed dramatically towards a certain direction, the spotlight followed his gesture, revealing the end of the path leading onto the stage.

Standing in the pillar of light was a towering woman, about 2 meters tall. It was hard to call her a girl; she appeared too mature-looking, with a great sword strapped to her back, firmly standing her ground.

“This participant is well-known to many! She has been famous since the day she first entered the Academy as the only daughter of the Mercenary King! Yet, no one sees her just as the Mercenary King’s daughter anymore! The champion of last year’s Celestial Martial Arts Festival! When asked who the strongest in the Academy is, her name is always mentioned! From the Swordsmanship Department, Year 4, Class 1, Lunessa!”

“Whoa!!!”

I had heard her name long before entering the Academy; she was a prominent figure. Not merely a student, but also listed as a noteworthy figure during my time in the Assassin Guild. Back then, she was recognized more for being the Mercenary King’s daughter than for Luna herself, though.

The cheers for her name filled the arena, yet she stood there silently, arms crossed, looking forward without even responding.

“The next contestant may be a bit unfamiliar to everyone. And for good reason! This player, who has made it to the finals, is just a first-year student! A true newcomer rebellion! With tremendous strength from her petite frame, her monstrous great sword is an unbelievable sight to behold! From the Swordsmanship Department, Year 1, Class 1, Anne Klain!”

“Whoa!!!”

Given the difference in recognition, I thought the applause for Anne might be smaller compared to Lunessa, but unexpectedly, it seemed just as large, maybe even bigger, echoing within the stadium.

As all eyes turned towards her, Anne slammed her great sword down onto the ground with a loud thud! She crossed her arms while flashing a challenging smirk towards Lunessa.

“She’s my friend. She’s always so cute in what she does.”

“If she’s your friend… she’s the one you share a room and bed with, right…?”

“Yep. It’s fine with other friends, but whenever Anne jumps into my bed, I rarely get a good sleep.”

“Really, not able to sleep….”

When I shared a bed with Selian and Yuli, it was only a bit warm, and in the morning, I’d find my clothes slightly disheveled. But with Anne, she would frequently toss her feet onto my stomach while sleeping, causing me to wake up more than once during the night.

“Although the confrontation between first-year and fourth-year students is an important point of observation, we also expect an intense clash of strength given that both wield great swords! Now, let’s have the contestants enter the stage!”

At the announcer’s words, Anne dragged her great sword behind her, slowly making her way towards the center of the stage. During this time, she glanced around quickly and spotted my seat in the dark audience, waving at me enthusiastically.

I could feel the attention of people around me focusing in my direction as they tried to see what she was looking at.

Thank goodness the dimness concealed my expression; if the light were brighter, I’d surely be blushing with embarrassment.

Somehow, Anne managed to spot me in the darkness and waved her hand back, sending me a bright smile once again.

After some pompous strutting, the two faced each other at center stage, and the lights illuminating the stadium brightened once more.

With Anne barely surpassing 140 cm in height and Lunessa towering at 2 meters, the difference felt like that between a child and an adult.

However, the ever-confident Anne didn’t seem intimidated at all, smiling up at Lunessa with unwavering self-assurance.

Rather than feeling offended by the challenge from a first-year student, Lunessa merely smirked with one corner of her mouth and replied without a word.

The host stepped down from the stage, and the two on stage firmly gripped their great swords, maintaining their distance.

As the cheers and murmurs filled the arena, a heavy silence fell; everyone was simply waiting for the host’s announcement to start the match.

“Fight!”

And at last, it began with the announcer’s declaration.

Boom!

In less than a second, an unimaginable, thunderous clash echoed through the previously quiet arena as swords collided.

“…Whoa!!!”

The audience, initially shocked into silence, soon erupted with a cheer that was much louder than before!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even amidst the chaos, the two swung their swords ferociously. When one came down from above, the other would counter from below. If one swung from the left, the other swung back from the opposite side, and their swords clashed relentlessly.

It was as if the one to dodge first would be deemed the loser, standing resolutely still, swinging their swords without regard for anything else.

The impact of their clashes was not insignificant, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The very ground held up by them seemed to crack under the strain, as though the flow of the air from their collisions could be seen.

The stone floor of the stage was being sliced apart like soft pudding every time the two great swords whisked past one another.

Yet, on their faces shone the ecstatic joy of meeting a worthy opponent.

Typically, the announcer’s commentary would be the spice to elevate the excitement of a match, but this contest of raw power, madness, and pure unrefined strength required no such embellishments.

Even the showy displays of magic in previous matches seemed meager against this raw force.

Minutes ticked by as the two merely clashed their swords against each other, until finally—except for me and my friends—everyone expected it, and to their surprise, it was Lunessa who took a step back.

Even despite Anne demonstrating strength throughout the tournament, the audience had subtly looked down on her out of some preconceived notion regarding her being a newcomer.

The only ones who would not celebrate this turn of events were the gamblers who had heavily bet on Lunessa.

Surprised by having taken a step back, instead of getting caught up in her pride, Lunessa leapt back instead, creating distance.

While Anne composed herself instead of pursuing.

The two were standing a step apart again.

But earlier, Anne was the challenger; now it was clearly Lunessa who was challenging.

With a smirk, Anne tipped her chin at Lunessa, who instead grinned like a beast, readjusting her grip on her great sword.

The stance Lunessa took was something I had never seen before in a match of this caliber. Her previous posture had been polished and refined, whereas this one seemed wild and unfocused.

With the intent of not giving Anne a moment to think, Lunessa charged in and swung her sword dramatically.

Once again, Anne met the strike. However, unlike before, their swords did not bounce off upon impact but instead locked together, tracing circular arcs in the air.

The movements coming from such a massive great sword were impossibly swift and elegant, creating an impressive dance in the air.

At the end of that smooth trajectory, Lunessa’s sword pressed down on Anne’s, driving it deep into the stage floor with a loud thud.

While Anne could easily pull it out if a slight opening was provided due to her immense strength, Lunessa stayed locked to her, preventing her from getting a chance.

Simultaneously, Lunessa swung down hard, while Anne tilted her head up defiantly, inviting Lunessa to bring her closer.

With their great difference in height, there shouldn’t have been an angle where their heads could collide, but Lunessa’s stance had her bending down far too much.

Her back bent slightly, and arms extended while standing, she looked less like a person and more akin to a wild beast or monster.

Boom!

A distinct yet heavy impact reverberated through the arena.

“What a dense head….”

Not wanting to insult my friend, I caught myself mid-sentence, but both of them appeared unfazed even after their heads collided with incredible force.

The two great swords that had once been plunged into the ground were forgotten, and now they just threw punches at each other.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Like a déjà vu, the two continued to land punches to each other’s sides, stomachs, and faces, not budging an inch as they just swung their fists.

Given the significant difference in arm reach, I thought Anne might be struggling, but she held her ground, closing the distance enough to make it difficult for Lunessa to swing.

As this relentless exchange of blows went on for a while, the last one standing strong on stage was the little red-haired girl, Anne.

Though she couldn’t even be labeled as a clear winner—her eyes swollen and blood trickling from her lips—Lunessa sprawled out on the floor was in the same state.

Finally, as the winner was determined amidst the thundering cheers that filled the arena, Anne looked my way, waving her hand with a foolishly bright smile.

 

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