Misunderstandings in the Finals
“…Hmm…”
“Ah… well, you see… Since Shamyuel, who was originally supposed to participate in this match, ultimately had to withdraw due to the aftermath of the terrorist incident, the winner of this bout will be Elisa.”
Elisa had somehow claimed victory without lifting a finger. Yet instead of joy, her heart churned with irritation and confusion.
‘What on earth is going on here? I’m already a mess because of the hero, and now Shamyuel just forfeits…’
This was no ordinary tournament—it was the Narsil selection, where the title of the Demon Realm’s strongest warrior was at stake. Declaring surrender in a match tied to such glory was no easy thing, and Elisa couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
‘Come to think of it, that guy went off with the hero to catch the terrorists earlier. Could this be connected somehow…?’
Elisa was still reeling from the massive misunderstanding she had made regarding her mother. Even after the terrorist attack, she had been too stunned to act, though she had at least noticed that the hero and Shamyuel had moved together.
Of course, she knew better than to jump to conclusions. Having already made a grave mistake by assuming the worst about her mother, she resolved to stay cautious until clear evidence appeared.
‘Still… something about this feels off. I’ll keep it in mind for now.’
Labeling Shamyuel as a potential threat, Elisa felt a pang of disappointment that their anticipated match had fallen through. But then she belatedly noticed the name written for the final match.
‘! The… hero? The hero is my next opponent in the finals…?’
She had been looking forward to this, yet the moment the reality sank in, tension gripped her.
‘W-what do I do…? It’s what I wanted, but… my heart is pounding way too hard…’
A rare chance to cross blades with the one she secretly loved. Elisa felt so stiff that she almost wished she were still lost in confusion as she stepped onto the stage where the hero waited.
Honestly, she knew full well she stood no chance against him. Having watched his exploits up close, that much was obvious. But even if defeat awaited her, she was ready to accept it—especially if it came from the hero, the one she acknowledged.
‘To be honest, between Mother’s situation and Shamyuel’s, all the matches so far have been too one-sided to even call real fights… But if it’s the hero, I don’t have to worry about that.’
With that thought, Elisa advanced, her face hidden behind her helmet. She drew her dagger, determined to pour everything she had into the fight against the hero before her.
Watching her, the hero also drew his greatsword and prepared to meet her.
“Here I come, hero!”
With those words, Elisa melded into the shadows and charged at blinding speed. Unlike her fight against Ilios, where mental hesitation had unconsciously held her back, she now faced a clearly superior opponent and attacked without restraint.
Yet—
Thud!
The hero effortlessly blocked her all-out strike. Seeing the exact outcome she had expected unfold, a faint smile formed on Elisa’s lips.
‘As expected of the hero… I knew an attack like that wouldn’t work!’
With that thought, she pulled back and immediately launched another strike at an opening. But the hero simply deflected her meteor-like assault as if it were nothing, letting it flow past him like water.
At a glance, it looked as though Elisa was overwhelming him, but in truth, every one of her attacks was being stopped cold. It felt like trying to topple an immovable fortress.
Yet Elisa felt no frustration or disappointment. Instead, her heart swelled with pure exhilaration.
‘The hero is taking my attacks… This must mean he wants me to show him everything I’ve got!’
Despite being fully capable of sending her flying with a single swing, the hero remained on the defensive like an unyielding giant, offering no counterattacks. Then, meeting her gaze, he declared boldly:
“Come at me. I’ll take whatever you throw at me!”
“Ah!”
His words carried the pride and confidence of a true warrior. The moment she heard them, Elisa’s heart began to race uncontrollably.
‘He’ll accept everything from me…’
Objectively, it was little more than a simple provocation—essentially “bring it on if you dare.” But to Elisa, who harbored feelings for the hero, it sounded entirely different.
‘What… it’s almost like he’s confessing to the woman he loves…’
When the man she adored told her to pour out everything she had, it was only natural she would interpret it that way. Unconsciously, she felt herself growing weak and flustered, and the effect showed in her attacks.
Thud!
“…!”
Elisa’s strikes rained down with terrifying force, like a downpour. As an assassin whose stats were almost entirely focused on speed, her velocity was truly remarkable. Even so, blocking her attacks posed no real difficulty for me, and I had more than enough leeway to counter.
Still, I had chosen to focus solely on defense for a while. After all, this was the finals—I didn’t want to end it too abruptly and ruin the fun.
‘I’m not interested in fan service, but I should at least do this much… If I were in the finals and got knocked out in three seconds, I’d feel pretty annoyed too.’
I had already made my overwhelming strength clear. But the main goal of entering this tournament was to leave the people of the Demon Kingdom with a positive impression of the hero. Ending the finals in one blow out of sheer annoyance would only backfire. So I figured the best approach was to diligently block Elisa’s attacks before finishing things at the right moment.
Then—
“Come at me. I’ll take whatever you throw at me!”
I had said it half on impulse, caught up in the atmosphere of the finals. But the very next moment…
“…”
‘Huh?’
Elisa’s attacks suddenly slowed down dramatically. I couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
‘W-why? She was attacking so fiercely just a second ago. Why is she suddenly this sluggish?’
Her once-relentless strikes had lost their edge, as if the bowstring had gone slack. And then a thought struck me.
‘Don’t tell me… she’s mentally cracked because she realized defeat was certain no matter how hard she attacked? She always did seem a bit fragile in that regard…’
From experience, I knew Elisa wasn’t particularly strong-willed. She often showed how easily she could become discouraged or shaken, which I usually found rather endearing—like a cute little sister. But in this situation, it wasn’t a welcome sight.
‘I only meant it as a bit of fan service by sticking to defense, but to Elisa, it must have felt like an insult. A severe slight against her pride as a warrior…’
When someone pours everything they have into a goal only to see it have no effect whatsoever—especially when they already knew their opponent was far stronger and had prepared with everything they had—the despair would be crushing. And for me to then provoke her so confidently on top of that… it must have been the final blow to her already wavering resolve.
‘I can’t see her face because of the helmet, but she’s probably crying in there right now.’
Knowing how hard she had trained for this Narsil tournament, the thought hit me harder than expected. With that in mind, I made a decision—feeling as though I were comforting a tearful little sister who was pounding on her big brother’s chest.