“There are only a few matches left here in the Seven Star Cup finals!” Luna told the crowd. “In the fifth match of Block B, we have Braver Arthur McBain versus Futsumitama Koga!”
Koga was taken back to his gladiatorial days as the commentary and cheers roared in his ears. He’d never wanted to hurt anyone, let alone fight. But as a gladiator, he didn’t have freedom to refuse. If he’d had his way, he would’ve put down his sword for good.
“Yet I dragged my sorry self out here anyway…”
He chuckled in self-derision. The path he had chosen was to be the blade for the man he cared for. He didn’t fear or regret his decision; he felt only duty and loyalty.
Behind Koga was his cornerman, Hugo. He turned to look at the resolute Puppeteer standing at the edge of the ring.
“You know what to do, Koga.”
“I know. I’ve got this.”
The Longswordsman flashed a grin before turning back to face his opponent: Arthur McBain. A calm look graced the man’s face. Both warriors were A-Rank, but Arthur was levels beyond Koga. In a straight fight, Koga wouldn’t stand a chance—this was evident in the results of Arthur’s last match.
Block B’s first match was between Arthur and Pandemonium’s Sumika Clare. Sumika’s physical prowess surpassed that of humans because of her Karura blood, and she herself was an A-Rank Seeker—a Sword Specialist. Though she lacked a storied career like Arthur’s, Koga still assumed she would put up a good fight. Instead, she fared no better than a child. The Braver dispatched of her without even using a single skill.
“Considering Arthur’s strength, it does not matter if he is fighting an A-Rank Karura,” Hugo had said during the match. “He is the embodiment of four hundred years of history, the finest product the McBain school of swordsmanship has ever known. Theirs is the strongest martial art in the empire. When I was a Seeker for hire, McBain recruited me to fight alongside him, and it was then that I saw his style up close. He is nothing short of demonic. You are strong, Koga, but you cannot hope to defeat him.”
“Still, I—”
“I know. You want to win for Noel, right? Then use this.”
Hugo’s hand glowed. In it appeared a shortsword—a wakizashi. Hugo had used his Puppeteer skill to create it.
“This may allow you to defeat Arthur,” said Hugo. “So listen carefully…”
Koga thought back to the wakizashi Hugo had entrusted him with. He looked at Arthur, with his two longswords strapped to his back. The man was an A-Rank Swordsman. He was a Braver, which was the same rank as a Paladin. Though Bravers lacked the Paladin’s defensive abilities, they made up for it with a host of support skills and were an excellent front-line class.
Meanwhile, Koga was a Futsumitama. In his hometown of Thunderhand Island, “futsu” was the sound of a sword slicing through the air. “Mitama” meant “the soul.” Compared to the Braver, which was a pure attack subclass of the same rank, the Futsumitama could cause intermittent damage with traps or skills with delayed triggers.
In a one-on-one fight, the Futsumitama had a slight advantage over the Braver. But Arthur McBain’s swordsmanship would not be surmounted so easily.
“The two swordsmen face off!” Luna shouted. “Who has the sharper blade? Let the battle commence!”
Arthur unsheathed his swords as the bell rang and instantly closed in on Koga. Responding smoothly, Koga brought his main sword—his honzashi—into play, swinging it to intercept Arthur’s onslaught. Sparks flew between them as the metal of their blades clashed. Screeches and clangs filled the air as the swords met again and again in the blink of an eye.
Surprisingly, in the battle between a dual-wielder and a two-hander, Koga came out on top. Dual-wielders sacrificed speed and weight to increase their offensive power, so Koga had the upper hand in their initial clash. However, Arthur’s movements grew quicker and heavier with each attack.
“I’m only going to get faster,” said Arthur, “so you’d better keep up.”
Until now, Arthur’s expression had been like stone, but now he let a grin slip across his face. True to his word, the speed of his attacks increased, as did their force.
Koga grunted under the pressure. Arthur had total mastery of his dual blades, and even now each swing had the equivalent of Koga’s full power behind it. Koga was seeing double, but the difference went beyond strength—Arthur was exceptional when it came to putting the weight of his weapons in each blow.
“Time for a sword that cuts through the sky!” Koga shouted. “Amenohabakiri!”
Unable to parry all of Arthur’s strikes, Koga unleashed one of his tournament skills. Futsumitama skill: Amenohabakiri was an upgraded version of Secret Swordsmanship Tsubame Gaeshi, which allowed his slashes to be fixed in space. The upgraded version was more powerful and could track his opponent. The fixed slashes morphed into actual swords, attacking Arthur from every angle.
“Hmph. This is no good,” Arthur muttered.
The Braver cut down each and every one of Koga’s skill attacks. No matter how powerful or numerous, Koga’s flying swords lacked the ability to feint, making them little more than a gentle breeze before Arthur’s swordsmanship. But Koga had known that from the start.
“I channel the spirit of the gods through my blade—Amenomurakumo!”
Futsumitama skill: Amenomurakumo was an attack proportional to the amount of magical energy the user poured into their blade. When this attack hit, the user’s magical energy flowed into the target, destroying them from the inside. It was, essentially, a one-hit kill. Koga had used his first attack, Amenohabakiri, as a smokescreen to get to Arthur’s blind spot. His blade flashed sideways.
“Now that’s more like it!”
Arthur easily leaped over the attack and launched a spinning kick of his own. Koga took the hit square in the face and went flying backward. Struggling to stay conscious, he whirled in the air and landed on his feet, ready for Arthur’s follow-up attack. But Arthur hadn’t moved; he just stood in front of Koga with a broad, confident grin.
“What’re you up to?” Koga asked warily.
“Have you heard about our regalia meeting?” Arthur replied, his expression softening. “I may stand in opposition to Noel, but I bear him no ill will. It was merely my duty on behalf of Victor. I am indebted to him.”
“Huh? What’re you talkin’ about?”
“I am drawn to the strong, especially young and raw talent. Potential in need of polish. I knew it the moment we crossed swords, Koga—you have so much room to grow. Through our battle, you will reach new heights. You have earned the right to learn from me.”
Arthur was treating this match like a private lesson for a new student. Koga had been vaguely aware of it at the start, but now it was crystal clear that Arthur wasn’t taking him seriously. No, it was more than that—he didn’t even see Koga as a threat. Based on the difference in their strength, Koga should’ve seen this coming, but it still pissed him off.
“I ’preciate the offer, but I’ve got a mentor already.”
Koga jerked a thumb behind him to where Hugo was standing—the very man responsible for Koga reaching A-Rank.