Brilliant.
“Master, it’s time for you to leave.”
The voice came from beyond the door.
I was in the middle of changing clothes after finishing my morning training, preparing to head to the Demon Sword Tournament, when Lucy came to inform me that it was time.
Lately, Lilliana and Lucy had been taking turns acting as the alarm clock at the mansion, and today was Lucy’s turn.
As I finished dressing, I called out toward the door.
“I’m coming out now.”
Creak.
As soon as I answered, I opened the door, and there was Lucy, waiting for me.
She looked no different than usual, dressed in her black leather outfit with her long silver hair flowing down.
But today, there was something different about her aura.
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Yes. Time is getting tight. Let’s head out.”
“Understood. Today’s plan… I hope it succeeds without any issues.”
“Of course it will. Don’t worry.”
“Um… and when you return…”
“Hmm?”
Lucy hesitated for a long time, fidgeting awkwardly.
It was a rare sight to see her so hesitant, and I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Then, with her cheeks flushed, she spoke in a very soft voice.
“Tonight… could you hold me again?”
“….”
Her lips were slightly pursed.
Beneath her shy expression, the deep valley of her cleavage was subtly revealed.
Her wide, childbearing hips seemed to squirm in embarrassment.
‘…What’s this all of a sudden?’
I was momentarily taken aback by Lucy’s sudden request.
She was well aware of the importance of the plan we were currently executing.
So why would she bring up something like this now?
It was strange, but after thinking about it, I understood her actions.
Last night, I had told her about recruiting Elda.
It seemed that the increasing number of women around me was making her uneasy.
I had already been thinking that after the Demon Sword Tournament, I would take my relationship with Lucy to the next level to reassure her.
But it seemed that, before this crucial battle, Lucy had mustered the courage to speak up first.
‘Still, asking me to hold her tonight…’
Her request, innocent yet strangely alluring, sent a rush of blood to my lower body.
With her voluptuous chest swaying as she made such a request, what man could possibly refuse?
I wanted to take her right then and there, but unfortunately, I had other matters to attend to.
Suppressing my rising desire with great effort, I embraced her.
“Ah…”
“Of course. I promise. When I return, I’ll hold you all night.”
“Thank you…”
After enjoying the soft, full sensation of her chest, I released her, and she bowed her head, her face red as if it might burst.
There was no need for her to thank me.
If anything, I was the one who should be grateful.
‘By the way, isn’t this a death flag?’
Just listening to the dialogue, it sounded like a husband promising to return from war. Damn, this is bad.
“Master?”
Seeing my serious expression, Lucy tilted her head in curiosity, wondering what I was thinking.
Looking into her calm eyes, my unnecessary tension eased.
‘Let’s go now.’
Soon, the semifinal match would begin.
Luke was probably already at the arena.
Thinking about it, this would be a duel between the original final boss and the protagonist, following our spar in the forest.
No, wait—that’s not it.
The original final boss, Behirit Develion, no longer exists.
I am me.
So, I should enjoy this match with the protagonist as myself, as a fan of the original story.
With a playful smile, I gently stroked Lucy’s head and headed to the arena.
***
The arena where the Demon Sword Tournament was held.
Tens of thousands of spectators from across the empire were holding their breath, waiting for the semifinal match to begin.
The two swordsmen about to face off in this semifinal were both considered strong contenders for the championship.
In the midst of the silence that had fallen over the colossal coliseum, a soft voice escaped from the lips of a girl waiting in the passageway.
“Finally, the moment has come.”
The Star Maiden, Eileen Starlight, clenched her hands nervously, her shining eyes fixed on the stage at the center of the arena.
Her second-round opponent, Lord Conrad, had been a tough challenge, but by maintaining her composure and thinking of the Grand Duke, she had managed to win.
And now, it was time to prove herself—to show how much she had grown in front of him.
Whoooa!
As she stepped onto the stage, a massive cheer erupted from the crowd, shaking her entire body.
The spectators were going wild as if this were the final match. Despite being only a first-year at the academy, Eileen’s dazzling talent had earned her their support.
As Eileen stood on the stage, basking in the cheers of the crowd, a masked knight emerged from the opposite passageway.
Thud. Thud.
With each step he took, the air around him seemed to tremble.
An aura that made it hard to believe he was human.
Licht.
No, Grand Duke Beherit.
The Swordmaster, hiding his identity, had entered the Demon Sword Tournament and now stepped onto the stage.
“…?”
But when Eileen saw the eyes behind the mask, a question mark floated above her head.
The Grand Duke was smiling softly from behind his mask.
It was an unexpected sight, as the Grand Duke rarely smiled.
Though she wasn’t sure why, seeing his harmless expression eased her tension before the match began.
‘Is he smiling to help me relax?’
Eileen tilted her head as she looked at the Grand Duke.
Well, she wasn’t sure.
But one thing was clear.
The Grand Duke was enjoying this duel.
Could she enjoy it too?
‘For now, I’ll do my best.’
As she looked at the Grand Duke standing before her, Eileen steeled herself.
A short time later.
The two, wearing protective artifacts, stood facing each other at a reasonable distance.
“…..”
The audience, sensing the tension between the two, held their breath, focusing entirely on the match.
For this moment, the Star Maiden and the red-eyed knight existed solely in each other’s world.
As their gazes met, the Grand Duke, who had been wearing a serious expression behind his mask, smiled again.
His red, gem-like eyes narrowed slightly, sending a shiver down her spine.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Then, the Grand Duke smoothly drew his longsword.
As the starting bell rang.
“!”
He disappeared.
‘So fast!’
Even without manifesting aura, his speed rivaled Professor Elda’s.
Where would the attack come from?
Eileen spread her mana wide, using her senses to locate the Grand Duke.
“?”
But something was strange.
She couldn’t sense his presence anywhere on the stage.
Then, her instincts screamed at her.
‘Above!’
Somehow, he had moved above her, and the red-eyed knight brought his longsword down like a bolt of lightning.
To block his strike, Eileen infused her sword with starlight aura and raised it.
Bang!
“Ugh…!”
“You noticed. Well done.”
“Thank you…!”
“Try to block the next one.”
Whoosh-
With that warning, the red-eyed knight disappeared again.
As she turned her head to sense the direction of his presence, she saw him stomping his foot toward the stage in slow motion.
‘That technique!’
Thud.
A single step that had brought her to her knees before.
But this time, she wouldn’t fall for it.
Boom!
As the Grand Duke brought his foot down, a massive shockwave reverberated through the arena.
Just as the mana wave was about to hit her, Eileen concentrated all her mana into her feet, blocking the Grand Duke’s mana from interfering with her.
Sizzle-
“Oh?”
The Grand Duke let out a sound of admiration, as if he had never seen his technique blocked before.
But it was only for a moment, as a barrage of sword strikes came crashing down like a tidal wave.
Bang! Crash!
Even without aura, each strike felt like an explosion of magic as she blocked them.
The attacks were precise, targeting her weaknesses without any room for error.
There were no feints or mind games—just a relentless, calm assault.
“Haah… Haah…”
As the Grand Duke’s attacks continued, Eileen’s breathing grew ragged.
Even as she infused her sword with starlight aura, she could only focus on defending against his overwhelming pressure.
But strangely, the more she defended, the more she began to sense something in his attacks.
It was as if…
There was no waste in his movements.
A thrust aimed at her heart was calculated to pierce it precisely, while a slash at her sword arm was delivered with the next move in mind.
Once she realized this, Eileen began to see the Grand Duke’s attacks more clearly.
As she grew accustomed to his movements, her defense became more precise.
Eileen realized something.
She was getting used to the Grand Duke’s attacks.
Once she could see his sword, her gaze shifted to his face.
Behind the mask, the Grand Duke’s red eyes were curved as if he were enjoying himself.
Unconsciously, Eileen found herself smiling softly in return.
‘Ah, I see.’
Now she understood what it meant to enjoy a duel.
Swinging a sword was such a joyful thing.
On the stage, where only the two of them existed, undisturbed by the world.
The Star Maiden and the red-eyed knight danced, conversing through their swords.
As their private time continued.
“Ah…”
Eileen’s expression faltered.
The Grand Duke’s sword grazed her chest, cutting through her clothes and bandages.
‘…No.’
If this continued, her identity would be revealed in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
This was a matter related to her family’s decisions.
She had to prevent her identity from being exposed at all costs…
But even so, she didn’t want this moment to end.
She wanted to keep dancing with him.
But time was running out.
Even the Grand Duke seemed to sense that something was wrong, as his eyes showed curiosity instead of amusement.
As the match neared its end, Eileen bit her lip in frustration.
Then, the Grand Duke’s sword cut through the other bandage holding her chest in place.
“!”
Now, it was no longer about anything else.
She had to prevent her identity from being exposed to the tens of thousands of spectators immediately.
Just as her chest, tightly bound by the compression bandages, was about to be freed.
Whoosh-
“?”
“Use this.”
The Grand Duke stopped his attack, removed his coat, and threw it to Eileen.
Had he realized she was a woman?
As Eileen covered herself with the coat, the Grand Duke spoke.
“I didn’t think you’d be so concerned, but I understand. Everyone’s different. You might not want to show a torn-up outfit to others.”
“Ah…”
His kind consideration.
He seemed to think she was shrinking back because her clothes were torn.
‘…I’m glad my secret wasn’t revealed.’
But for some reason, instead of relief, she felt a sense of regret.
‘Why am I feeling this way?’
Eileen’s eyes widened in surprise.
She was bewildered.
Her secret was something that no one outside her family should know.
So why did she want to tell the Grand Duke?
Why, after meeting him, did she feel regret about hiding her identity as a woman?
‘Ah… I see.’
Clutching the still-warm coat tightly, Eileen shook her head slightly.
She could no longer pretend not to know.
Her own feelings.
The truth she had been hiding from herself.
‘Grand Duke… if you knew the truth, how would you react?’
Fear, anticipation, and trembling overwhelmed her.
But even so, she couldn’t extinguish this feeling.
Holding onto this precious spark.
With the thought of someday revealing her secret to him.
Eileen gazed at the red-eyed knight who was looking down at her so gently.