"My... aunt?"
A flicker of surprise crossed her bright face, frad by flowing golden hair.
She had just finished dealing with Lutheran and was returning to report to Mahiro, even making a point to bring the "Eyes of Avarice" with her.
But the mont she entered (through the window), she happened to hear this news.
"She actually ca to the royal capital?"
"Lord Mahiro, have you t Lady Beatrix?!"
Not just Alpha, but Beta who had co along too showed a mix of shock and delight.
The War Goddess Beatrix was renowned not just in the human world, but also in the elven realms.
She was synonymous with strength, and the pride of Alpha's family.
"Ah, I t her and we talked. But Alpha, you don't seem surprised."
Mahiro looked over and teased lightly.
Alpha imdiately dropped to one knee and bowed her head, speaking softly, "I apologize for keeping this from you, but I considered it unimportant and didn't report it."
Alpha truly did consider it unimportant.
She had known for a long ti that Beatrix was searching the world for her.
But she didn't want to respond, nor did she want to acknowledge their relationship.
Because the person she used to be had already died with the Demon Possession, killed by those bandits.
The one living now was simply Alpha of Shadow Garden, one who follows in Mahiro's footsteps.
That was all.
"Well, stand up first."
Mahiro released magical power with one hand, gently lifting Alpha to her feet.
"I'm not blaming you. If anything, I should apologize for using you as a wager without your permission."
"Eh?!!"
The exclamation didn't co from Alpha, who remained calm, but from Beta who looked shocked.
"L-Lord Mahiro, what kind of wager did you make with Lady Alpha?"
"Nothing much, just a simple bet."
"I told Beatrix to participate in this year's Bushin Festival. If she can defeat at the Festival, I'll tell her about Alpha.
How about it? Interesting, right?"
"Hah... you scared ." Beta patted her impressive chest, relieved.
If that was the case, then she could rest easy.
After all, fighting Lord Mahiro and winning was practically impossible.
Moreover, even if he lost, it would just be so unimportant information...
No, Lord Mahiro would never lose!
"So, you'll win, right?"
Alpha asked, her expression calm and serious.
"Of course, how could I possibly lose you?"
Mahiro didn't say anything cheesy, just calmly stated a fact.
"But really, how much do you not want to see your aunt?"
"Extrely. I have no connection with her anymore."
"Alright, alright. But you'll co watch the match, right?"
"I will."
"Then bring everyone along when the ti cos. It seems like you all haven't had a break in a while. Rest and relax occasionally."
"I understand."
And so, Alpha had decided on her next schedule, planning to have the Seven Shadows pause their work and co to the Bushin Festival to watch Mahiro's match.
And true to their agreent, Beatrix registered for the Bushin Festival, advancing triumphantly through the brackets amid expectations and surprises.
However, the day before Mahiro and Beatrix were scheduled to fight, Rose suddenly ca to visit.
"You seem quite busy lately. What brings you here suddenly?"
Mahiro poured a cup of hot tea and placed it before Rose. The rising steam blurred her features.
He had indeed been busy recently, neither registering for the Bushin Festival nor going to watch the matches.
But that was mainly because...
"It's because..."
Rose opened her mouth, then swallowed the words that had reached her lips.
"Can't you say? Or don't you want to?"
Mahiro sat opposite Rose, picking up his teacup for a sip.
It felt like the students had an awful lot of worries lately. Was it because of their age?
While thinking this, he comforted her:
"If you can't say, then forget it. I won't pry and put you in a difficult position."
"No, Yotsuba-sensei, I..."
"It's fine, take your ti."
Mahiro interrupted:
"If you want to speak but don't know how to start, then just say it. You can say anything here, and I'll keep it confidential."
Rose's lowered head nodded slightly.
After a long while, she uttered sothing shocking.
"Sensei, I'm getting married."
Oh my...
"Sensei, aren't you surprised?"
Under Rose's gaze, he simply smiled and shook his head.
"I'm guessing it's Duke Doem, right?"
"How did you..."
Rose suddenly stopped speaking.
She rembered everything that happened at the Sanctuary and suddenly understood.
So sensei was far more capable than she had imagined...
She lowered her head slightly and nodded.
"Yes."
Not long ago, on a rainy day.
The sound of pattering rain outside reached her ears.
As usual, she was practicing swordsmanship in the academy's dojo, listening to the beautiful sound of the rain, letting the moist air fill her lungs.
But on that day, she received a letter.
A letter from the Oriana royal family.
The letter ntioned not only that her father and mother—who had never approved of her learning swordsmanship and looked down on blades—were coming to watch the Bushin Festival, but also a major event concerning her life.
Her fiancé had been decided.
Just as sensei had said, it was Duke Doem Ketsuhat, the adopted son of the Ketsuhat ducal family, a thirty-year-old man who still had a handso face.
But she already had soone in her heart, soone whose footsteps she had been striving to follow, waiting for the day she could catch up to spend her life with him.
So Rose imdiately wrote ho to question this, but never received a reply.
She even went to see her father and mother in person.
But unfortunately, she couldn't et her father. Her mother and Doem received her, rcilessly telling her the facts.
Naturally, her heart ached terribly, but she also noticed so clues and doubts.
She noticed—was her mother getting a bit too close to Duke Ketsuhat?
And so of their behavior didn't conform to Oriana Kingdom's royal etiquette at all!
Countless conjectures arose in her heart, but she didn't dare to dwell on them, so before she knew it, she had co to her teacher.
"So, what do you think yourself?"
"...?"
"I an, what do you think? Do you want to marry that man?"
"..."
Rose gently bit her cherry lips, thought for a mont, then slightly shook her head.
Marry Doem?
Although the man had a good reputation, he was absolutely not the right partner for her. After eting him once, Rose beca even more certain of this.
"In that case, follow your heart."
Mahiro's answer surprised Rose sowhat.
"Follow your heart, do what you feel. Rember, I will always support you, and I will always be your strongest backer."
"Even if my selfishness betrays many expectations?"
"Even then."
"Even if I betray even more people's expectations from now on?"
"So what? Expectations are just others' wishful thinking. Are you, Rose Oriana, living for other people?"
These words seed to pry open sothing in Rose's heart, making her delicate body tremble slightly.
Pressing her lips tightly together, she looked at him with determined eyes and nodded:
"Thank you, Yotsuba-sensei. I understand what I need to do now!"
"Good, go ahead and do it. If you need anything, co to anyti. I'll help you."
"Understood, thank you..."
After saying this, Rose stood up and left.
She gripped the sword at her waist tightly, her steps firm as if embarking on so great undertaking.
But speaking of which, these cult mbers' thods are really crude.
Trying to secretly control countries, finding so-called magic-compatible individuals to replicate Diablos research, yet always relying on marriage alliances, deceiving young girls' feelings.
Alexia was like this, and Rose Oriana is too.
It's truly nauseating.
Thinking this, Mahiro picked up his cup and took a sip of tea, trying to wash away this disgusting feeling.
...
However, the next day, news spread throughout the Midgar royal capital.
[Rose Oriana, Student Council President of Midgar Academy for Dark Knights, stabs Duke Doem Ketsuhat of Oriana Kingdom and flees.]
"What is that woman doing..."
Alexia's voice echoed in the room. She sat by the table, threw the newspaper in her hand onto the bed, then bit her nails.
Lately, she had been diligently training in swordsmanship under Rose-senpai, also hoping to recruit Rose-senpai into her faction.
Yes, although that day's alliance didn't co to fruition, she never gave up.
But today's news completely shattered her illusions.
She lost most of her desire to go watch the Bushin Festival matches.
For so reason, Rose-senpai was now a fugitive, and what could she herself do?
Nothing at all.
Early in the morning, her elder sister Princess Iris specifically ca to warn her not to get involved.
The Oriana Kingdom also prohibited the Midgar Kingdom from intervening, demanding they handle this "family matter" themselves.
Now Alexia was completely helpless.
If she intervened with her status, it would definitely cause friction between the two nations, damaging their alliance.
"What should I do..."
anwhile.
Mahiro also learned about this incident.
Looking at the newspaper content, he sighed with a voice devoid of emotion:
"What a foolish woman..."
He had clearly told her before to co to him if she needed help, and yet?
This silly girl went and did it herself.
"My Lord, what shall we do next?"
The one asking was the golden beastkin Zeta (Lilim), curled up on him like a cat.
"Investigate first. Find out where she fled to. After I settle things with Beatrix, I'll handle it personally."
"Understood, my Lord."
Zeta nodded and instantly vanished from his embrace.
Compared to enjoying her master's affection, her master's commands and will were more important to her.
Just then, the announcent for competitors to enter the arena sounded outside.
"Well, now it's ti for our battle, the legendary Elven Sword Saint..."
"...Beatrix."
Mahiro stood up and walked out of the competitor waiting room.
The weather today was quite good, clear skies without a cloud.
The spectator stands were packed, the atmosphere extrely lively.
But most people ca to witness the legendary "War Goddess" Beatrix in person, while only a minority were here for him, the dark horse participating in his first Bushin Festival.
The disguised Seven Shadows of Shadow Garden, Blood Queen Elisabeth, Yuki, and others were also among them.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mahiro and Beatrix slowly entered the arena.
Mahiro still had empty hands, while Beatrix still wore that tattered gray robe.
"Aren't you using a weapon?"
Beatrix blinked, curious about his empty waist and hands.
"Well, due to certain reasons, I can't use my weapon."
Mahiro shrugged.
He truly couldn't.
Bushin Festival rules prohibited competitors from using ancient relics, and Est wouldn't allow him to use other weapons.
So helplessly, he could only enter empty-handed.
"I see."
Beatrix seed to accept his explanation.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she tore off her robe, letting it fly away in the wind.
Her slightly faded golden hair fluttered in the wind, her elven pointed ears fully exposed.
Her attire was even simpler—just a plain tank top covering her chest and shorts around her waist, nothing else. Her fair skin glistened translucent under the sunlight.
Anyone who saw that beauty would be captivated.
"That's her..."
"The one called 'War Goddess'..."
"The legendary Elven Sword Saint..."
The spectators were stunned by Beatrix's appearance, and Delta, seeing Beatrix for the first ti, looked back and forth between the two.
She sniffed the air again.
"Lady Alpha, she looks a lot like you, and even slls similar."
Alpha ignored the dog girl, watching Beatrix in the arena with calm eyes.
Her emotionless gaze made it hard to guess what she was thinking.
"Now, begin the match!"
The announcer's voice echoed across the coliseum.
But even though the match had started, Mahiro and Beatrix remained completely still.
They gazed at each other, as if searching for the best opening to attack.
"Is... is this how strong fighters battle?"
Spectators swallowed nervously, seemingly affected by the tense atmosphere perating the arena.
Yet as ti passed bit by bit, when the sunlight reached its peak and montarily dazzled everyone's vision—
Beatrix suddenly moved.
Clang—
She appeared before Mahiro instantly, her drawn longsword becoming a white streak as it ca.
!!!
A startling explosive sound erupted.
Beatrix's sword slash was actually deflected by Mahiro's bare fist!
[Hardening] magic.
If he couldn't use a weapon, he could just harden his fists and use them as weapons.
But this surprised Beatrix even more.
"..."
"Heh, there's harder stuff coming. Don't say you can't take it."
Without pause, his fist beca an afterimage sweeping horizontally before him.
Whoosh—
The fist wind roared, dispersing the dust floating in the air.
"Ho, quite agile."
Indeed, his punch had missed.
Beatrix had instantly retreated half a step, evading his sweeping fist.
Simultaneously, she seized this opportunity to counterattack.
A thrust as sharp as a spear shot toward Mahiro.
But the result.
Clink—
?!!!
Beatrix froze.
Her opponent's movents completely defied common sense—no stiffness at all, as if suddenly accelerated—he had actually grabbed her longsword directly.
"Got you."
Mahiro yanked the sword hard, pulling the Elven Sword Saint off-balance, then imdiately threw a straight punch toward her exposed back.
Inch force!
Thud!
Gah—
The fist force penetrated her body.
The powerful fist wind pierced straight through Beatrix's body, erupting from her chest and striking the ground!
From that one punch, Beatrix felt as if her chest cavity had been forcibly compressed, instantly expelling all air, nearly causing her to lose consciousness.
Fortunately, she regained her senses at the last mont before hitting the ground, pushing off with both hands and leaping backward.
Still...
"Not to be underestimated..."
Beatrix clutched her chest, a bright red fist mark visible on her back as she gasped heavily, her eyes showing the gravity of facing a formidable enemy.
She thought she had prepared herself enough ntally to deal with this man, but she had still underestimated him...
"But I can't lose!"
For her niece's whereabouts, she absolutely had to defeat this man!
Before the dust could settle, Beatrix directly cleaved through the floating dust with her sword and charged forward.
Engaging him in close combat once more.
In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged dozens of blows.
Mahiro's fists and the War Goddess's longsword continuously collided.
Everyone watched their battle with bated breath.
It looked like an exquisitely beautiful dance performance.
Their swift offense and defense moved too fast for ordinary eyes to follow. Even as the heat waves made them sweat profusely, no one dared to wipe away their sweat.
Afraid that any movent might cause them to miss so detail.
Their battle directly elevated the Bushin Festival matches to their peak!
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