Chapter 32: Damage

Chae-in.

The stage was the center of attention for the audience.

The sharp clash of swords imbued with aura erupted.

The boy from the stars effortlessly deflected the lightning-fast sword strikes, his movements as graceful as a painting, drawing gasps from the crowd.

On the other side.

The knight facing the boy from the stars relentlessly poured out sword strikes, leaving no room for respite.

Clang! Clash! Clang!

The two swordsmen fiercely exchanged attacks and defenses.

The boy from the stars flawlessly defended against every attack, and the crowd couldn’t contain their excitement, buzzing with chatter.

-Oh! That boy, he perfectly blocked that attack again!

-Incredible. Is this what a duel between Sword Graduates looks like?

-To think he’s only a first-year at the academy with that kind of skill. It’s hard to believe!

Admiration erupted from all corners of the arena.

Some time had passed since the Tower Lord’s departure.

I sat in the stands, watching Luke’s match with my arms crossed, muttering softly.

“He’s improved since the first round.”

“Right? It’s amazing how quickly he’s growing… It’s fascinating every time I see him.”

“His opponent seems skilled, but he’s slowly being drawn into Luke Starlight’s pace.”

“That knight… Conrad, was it? He must be going crazy. He can probably feel Luke getting stronger with every exchange.”

Elda, sitting next to me and fiddling with the hilt of her sword, chimed in.

Watching the duel between two skilled swordsmen seemed to make her restless.

Her reaction, typical of someone who thrived on duels with strong opponents, made me nod slightly before I turned my attention back to Luke’s match.

‘…Impressive.’

As expected of the original protagonist.

Though I didn’t show it to Elda, I was also quite surprised by Luke’s growth.

Luke’s current opponent was the captain of a viscount’s knight order, with skill just slightly below Elda’s.

Well, to put it bluntly, he wasn’t among the top ten in the empire.

Maybe within the top twenty.

Still, as a knight captain with considerable experience, I expected Luke to struggle at the start of the match.

But to my surprise.

Luke was dominating the match from the beginning.

Crash!

“Oh, his balance is off. The match will be over soon.”

At that moment, Elda, as if she were a sports commentator, narrated the situation.

Judging by the flow, it seemed the match would end soon, just as she said.

I clicked my tongue as I watched Conrad, who had tried to exploit Luke’s openings, only to be counterattacked.

‘Ah, that’s not how you do it.’

That knight, Conrad, must have been hoping for Luke to make a mistake.

But that was wishful thinking.

Despite his young age, Luke was a prodigy.

He maintained an almost terrifying composure, relentlessly pressuring his opponent, leaving no room for luck.

Finally, a moment later.

Luke’s aura struck Conrad, whose movements had slowed due to accumulated damage, and the protective artifact signaled the end of the match.

Beep-

-Wow, that was an incredible match!

-Indeed. The back-and-forth was so fast, it was hard to keep up with my eyes.

-That boy, Luke, is definitely a contender for the championship. Who do you think will win the knights’ division this year?

-Well, Sir Gawain seems like the favorite. But that swordsman, Licht, is also someone to watch.

-I agree. I’m really looking forward to seeing who will take the crown.

As the match ended, the audience buzzed with chatter.

I perked up my ears as I caught my name being mentioned in passing, but Elda, sitting next to me, spoke up with a serious expression.

“Even Conrad couldn’t stand up to Luke. This is… Even if I go all out, it won’t be easy to beat him now, will it?”

“Even you, last year’s champion, would struggle?”

“Probably. His growth is truly terrifying.”

“That’s a good thing. After all, he’ll be joining my faction soon.”

“Ah, right. But you haven’t made the offer yet, have you?”

“No.”

I nodded in response to Elda’s question.

Unlike in the original story, Luke hadn’t yet joined under Justia.

Since the kidnapping incident that served as the story’s introduction hadn’t happened, there was almost no connection between the two.

Still, since he and I had grown quite close, I planned to bring him under my wing soon.

What if he refused?

I didn’t know. I’d cross that bridge when I got to it.

As I imagined a future with the boy from the stars by my side, my eyes met his as he descended from the stage.

‘Good job.’

‘!?’

When I sent him a telepathic message, Luke’s eyes widened in surprise.

This guy, it’s fun to startle him.

Just like when I first showed him my powers.

His reactions are always amusing.

I chuckled under my mask and raised my hand, prompting Luke to bow his head.

But was it just my imagination?

When he raised his head and looked at me, his gaze felt intense.

‘This kid. He really wants to fight me, huh?’

Tomorrow, we’ll cross swords again in the semifinals. He must be getting fired up.

After Luke disappeared into the passageway, still giving me that heated look, I waited for the next match in the mage division.

“It’s almost time for Her Highness to take the stage. Her opponent is the 9th Seat of the Magic Tower. She should win without much trouble, right?”

“Long or short, you never know until you see it. Don’t get complacent.”

“Hmm. You’re so cold.”

Elda, leaning against the railing of the stands, spoke.

Cold, huh… I guess.

Since it wasn’t entirely wrong, I simply looked down at her quietly.

“Eek…!”

But when Elda met my gaze, she shivered.

What kind of reaction is that?

I was puzzled for a moment.

-Woah!

-Her Highness, the Princess!

-Good luck! We’re rooting for you!

The atmosphere in the stands grew increasingly lively.

I turned my gaze to the stage, where Justia had appeared.

Her impressive performance in the first round had earned her enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.

When she waved, the audience erupted even louder.

‘She really is the empire’s treasure.’

Though the title wasn’t one she had sought.

Justia was undoubtedly loved by many citizens of the empire.

‘Well, when it comes to fan loyalty for Justia, I’m number one.’

After all, I was the one who protested her death with comment spam and ended up possessing this body.

In any case, to cheer her on, I sent a telepathic message to Justia as she prepared for her match on stage.

‘I’m looking forward to seeing your amazing performance.’

?

Justia heard my message and smiled brightly in my direction.

Amid the roaring cheers filling the arena.

Shortly after, both participants donned their protective artifacts, and the match began.

Beep-

-Woah!

Not long after, Justia’s attack spell triggered her opponent’s protective artifact, signaling the end of the match.

“Hmph. See? I was right.”

“Indeed.”

“Her Highness is really fired up. She might even win the championship this year.”

Elda, watching Justia standing on the ice-covered stage, spoke.

Well, last year’s champion, Raphaela, isn’t competing this year, so it’s not impossible.

But thinking about her chances of winning seems pointless.

Because if things go according to plan, the mage division won’t even have a final match.

I turned my gaze to a knight in blue armor sitting in one section of the stands.

Gawain Calinant, captain of the Imperial Second Knight Order, Albiero’s dog.

He had already advanced to the semifinals. He would likely make it to the finals without much trouble.

In the original story, Albiero had two plans for the Sword Demon Festival.

One was to sabotage the protective artifact and kill Justia.

The other was to have Gawain win and face Friedrich to steal the title of Sword Saint.

It was an ambitious plan to solidify his position in the imperial succession while eliminating those who stood in his way.

But unlike his plans, Justia would survive.

And Gawain would die by my hand in tomorrow’s final.

‘Karma. Accept your fate, Gawain.’

He, like Alviero, wasn’t worth keeping alive.

Moreover, they had already ignored my warning, so there was no need for mercy.

After escorting Justia and Elda back to their quarters following the match.

I returned to the mansion and headed to the training grounds.

As the sun set, painting the mansion grounds in a red hue, I admired the magical colors of the sunset alone.

For some reason.

Despite how strong I had become, a sense of unease lingered in my heart.

The cause was my encounter with the Tower Lord, Bahamut.

If things went as planned tomorrow, I wondered what that crazy old man might do.

“Sigh.”

I exhaled my worries in a sigh.

No matter what kind of nonsense he pulled, I would protect everything.

With that resolve, I continued to train, mastering new techniques until Lilliana came to fetch me as the moon rose overhead.

And as time passed.

The final day of the Sword Demon Festival arrived.