Chapter 100
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Azure Dragon Festival (5)
The arena hosting the Azure Dragon Festival was packed with countless spectators.
I sat quietly in the participants' waiting area, biding my time until my turn to compete.
Masato Hiiragi was probably in the waiting area on the opposite side.
I wondered how he was handling the wait for the duel.
Was he nervous? Or excited?
'Who knows.'
The boy I'd met, Hiiragi Masato, wasn't exactly the cheerful, flexible type.
He struck me as more rigid, with a fragile sense of self-esteem.
He was likely mulling over all sorts of thoughts about this final match.
Was it really okay to go through with the duel like this? Was it truly fair?
Well... honestly, it didn't matter what he was thinking. That wasn't my concern.
I had my own condition to check first.
'My mana isn't recovering properly.'
The injuries I'd sustained fighting Greiver last time.
I'd rested up at the Ikimizu Sanatorium, and it had helped some, but I still wasn't at full strength.
The flow of mana circulation wasn't back to normal.
I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to wield my magic sword properly—or even aura—during the duel with Masato.
Even so, I had to win. No question about it.
'I need that Azure Dragon Water.'
It was the only way to cure my mother.
That's why I'd deliberately held back from exposing the Hiiragi family's dirty secrets.
If I had, the Azure Dragon Festival committee might have disqualified Masato outright.
But I was more worried they'd use it as an excuse to scrap the whole tournament and not crown a winner at all.
The Hiiragi family would absolutely pull something like that. If they couldn't have their own winner, they'd make sure no one did.
Anyway, the moment had arrived.
Whether I was in top shape or not didn't matter.
I was going to win.
"Participant, it's time to head out."
"Got it."
I steeled my resolve as I pushed open the waiting room door.
**
As I stepped onto the duel arena stage, I scanned the surroundings.
A few people had said they'd come cheer me on.
Ah, there they were.
-Hmph.
-M-Master Kline! W-We made it...!
Adel and Ellie, bickering as usual but sitting right next to each other.
They'd snagged seats close to the arena.
On my side, no less.
No idea how they'd scored such prime spots.
Probably Adel pulling some strings with the imperial family.
-Kline! You've got this!
A bit further off from them sat a black-haired girl by herself.
Yoru was waving enthusiastically, cheering me on.
'She seems a lot more at ease now.'
She wasn't wearing her eyepatch anymore.
The patch that had hidden her face her whole life was gone.
Those sparkling blue eyes of hers gleamed brightly underneath.
Looking back, it made sense why I'd mistaken her for someone who could see.
Well, she actually could see. That girl.
And yet she'd pretended to be blind.
Step by step...
I ascended the duel stage in silence.
Finally, I searched for the two women I wanted to see last.
Farther away than Adel, Ellie, or even Yoru.
A seat buried among the crowd, but oddly enough, no one sat around it.
The Sword Empress.
She gave me a gentle smile of encouragement.
And...
'Ariel.'
My little sister.
The girl in pure white sat right beside the Sword Empress, watching me.
"......"
"......"
Our eyes met, brimming with all sorts of emotions.
It felt unfamiliar.
Ariel had never shown me such a mix of feelings before.
Her pure white eyes seemed calm on the surface, but a storm raged beneath.
Regret, gratitude, affection, admiration, guilt, embarrassment, anticipation.
Ariel's eyes sparkled just like any girl her age.
Seeing that, a weight lifted from my heart.
'She's changed.'
My sister, once called inhuman.
Now just an ordinary girl, here to watch my duel.
-See you after.
I mouthed the words without sound.
Ariel simply nodded in silence.
Such a simple gesture.
Yet it brimmed with vitality.
That was enough.
Far off, the announcer signaled the start of the duel.
I gripped my sword and stared straight ahead.
Hiiragi Masato stood there, sword in hand, staring right back at me.
"......"
"......"
We faced off in silence.
I looked relaxed, unhurried, but my condition was actually poor.
Masato was in peak physical shape, but his expression was grim.
His eyes darted around evasively.
As if meeting my gaze directly was too much.
"You."
He finally spoke, his voice strained.
"......What did you do that day?"
"Huh?"
"The day the corpses rose. What did you do, I'm asking."
Hmm.
What was he getting at with this?
I blinked slowly before answering.
"Fought the boss."
"......What?"
"Funny coincidence. I ended up scrapping with the guy behind raising the corpses."
I skipped the part about how it left me in this mess.
No point making myself sound lame.
I shrugged it off like it was nothing, but Masato's face soured.
He slowly scanned my body before speaking.
"......So that's why you're in that state."
"Oh? You can tell? I didn't say anything."
"Don't underestimate me. I've crossed blades with countless swordsmen. I can tell if someone's off their game."
Masato looked lost in thought.
Like he had something to say.
He opened his mouth, closed it.
Repeated it a few times, then shook his head and drew his sword.
"Forget it. No need for long talks."
Vmmm—
At the same time, blue energy cloaked his blade.
Aura.
"......I'm going to win. That's all that matters."
And with that, he charged.
'Hm.'
Aura's best countered with aura.
Throw a plain blade against it, and it might snap.
Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to burn through aura freely in my state.
Guess I'd have to rely on my swordsmanship first.
Clang!
"!"
Masato's eyes widened.
His aura-clad blade slid off mine like water.
Not what he'd intended.
I'd deliberately guided his strike to glance away.
Scraaape!
Sparks flew where the aura met my blade.
Oh. Holding up nicely.
Didn't expect it to withstand aura unscathed. I really am a genius.
Whoosh!
Masato gritted his teeth and swung harder.
I deflected with minimal contact or dodged using body movement alone.
After a bit of this back-and-forth, Masato growled low.
"Why!"
I half-expected something like "Is that all you got?"
Or "Stop running away!"
Or "Fight me head-on!"
But Masato said none of that.
Instead, he bit his lip, swinging as if he were the one suffering more.
Even as my strength drained away.
Slash!
Ah. Too slow.
I hadn't fully dodged; the hem of my clothes got sliced by the aura.
I leaped back late, and a bit of skin tore, blood seeping out.
"......Why."
Masato ground his teeth.
"The boy in the oni mask. You told me the truth back then."
The memory scroll.
He was talking about showing it to him.
"I... didn't realize at the time, too caught up in everything."
Masato forced the words out.
Not from physical strain.
His heart.
His wounded pride, his battered ego.
It was shaking him.
"That truth... exposing it would've ruined this pathetic Azure Dragon Festival."
"......"
I listened quietly.
Figured I'd hear him out, see what he had to say.
"If you'd revealed it, the Hiiragi family—and me—we'd have been torn apart by the furious public. Disqualification from the festival would've been a given."
"And?"
"And yet... you knew, but you didn't."
Masato genuinely couldn't comprehend it.
How could I?
If winning was the goal, just expose it and get him disqualified. Done.
Why show it to him directly?
And then not breathe a word to the public after.
Just show up for the duel like it was nothing?
"On top of that, you're injured."
Masato pointed at my body.
No need for him to say it.
The crowd was already murmuring.
-What's up with the oni mask guy?
-Sweating like it's pouring. Is he sick or something?
-Isn't he just weak? Can't even touch Young Master Hiiragi.
-But he's blocking and dodging everything... Internal injuries maybe?
-Then why enter the finals? Should be resting.
-Must want to win bad.
Cold sweat beaded on my skin.
My breaths came out sticky and ragged.
Of course.
Fighting Greiver had taken everything out of me.
No need to explain how taxing it was to face Masato like this.
"You said you fought that day. Even battled the mastermind behind the rising corpses."
Masato looked utterly baffled.
Why?
The Hiiragi family's ugly deeds.
The disaster of corpses walking.
A body that should be recovering, not dueling.
Every unfair thing under the sun, and yet why?
Why stay silent?
"I... just don't get it."
Masato spoke haltingly.
'Hmm.'
I listened to him in silence.
And by then, I had a pretty good idea what to say.