Eris and Nina. The two of them stood facing each other.
"..."
The two of them were both holding wooden swords. However, with both of them using Sword Saint techniques, it would be easy for them to lose their lives.
"This brings to mind the time when I first came, huh?"
"Yeah, it does, huh."
What floated through their minds was something that happened a few years ago; the time when Ghyslaine had brought Eris here. Because of that beast-like girl, humiliation had been planted inside Nina. In front of the other Sword Saints, as well as Jino, she was shamefully made to wet herself. When she remembered this, it made her want to cover up her face and roll about on the ground in embarrassment.
However, she didn't bear any hatred towards Eris. Because of Eris, she had become stronger. Her conceit was gone, and she whole-heartedly applied herself to her training. Thinking about it that way, she could say with confidence that the humiliation had fueled her growth.
"I'll definitely win today."
The moment Nina said this, bloodlust welled up from Eris. However, Nina didn't falter. With a clear expression like that of a monk who had reached enlightenment, she beheld Eris.
"...Hmph."
The next moment, Eris's bloodlust quickly disappeared. Then, an expression in contrast to Nina's, appeared on Eris's face. She was smiling. It was an unpleasant smile, but Eris was smiling. It was the smile of a wild beast.
Nina instinctively felt fear at that smile. During their training with Water King Isolte, she had fought Eris countless times. And she had lost. Of course, there were also times when she won. However, only the the memories of her failures remained burned in her mind.
"..."
Eris didn't move. With that beastly smile still plastered to her face, she stood still. It was something rare for Eris who always took the initiative.
The word 'counter' floated in Nina's mind. The counter that she had faced countless times in battle with Isolte. Eris couldn't use the techniques of the Water God Style. However, there were also counters in the North God Style. That was probably Eris's aim.
A silence flowed through the place.
There stood Eris in a middle-guard, and Nina in a high-guard.[4]
The two stood still at a range[5] of a single step and swing away from each other.
Nina was expressionless, and Eris was smiling.
Like a strange artwork, the two of them merely stood there, glaring at each other.
For those of the Sword God Style whose motto was [Victory goes to he who moves first], it was a rare stillness.
The two of them stood close together, stock still.
Frankly speaking, the Sword God sighed at them.
"How long is your marriage interview going to go on for?"
Those words became a trigger.
The one who moved was Nina.
She took a sharp step forward.
It was a movement of the Sword God Style that she had practiced tens of thousands of times.
Taking a step into the absolutely most optimal and logical place, she sent explosive energy into her upper body.
That energy combined with the touki emitted from Nina's body.
It was transmitted through her arms, and then into her blade.
『The Longsword of Light』.
The sword which boasted an overwhelming velocity swung downwards from her upper-guard.
Her execution was perfect.
It was so perfect a 『Longsword of Light』 that anyone watching might have been mesmerised by it.
However.
"GAAH-!"
Nina suffered a terrifying blow to her abdomen and was sent flying backwards.
She smacked into the wall of the dojo, and then collapsed onto the ground.
Her dougi was ripped, and her well trained abdomen was visible.
On that abdomen of hers, a swell like a long red earthworm was beginning to form.
While she felt a burning pain, the Sword God made a declaration.
"That's enough!"
Nina looked at Eris with a dumbfounded expression. Eris whose brow was wet with lots of sweat. Though her dougi was a little torn at the shoulder, that was it. Her face was no longer smiling. However, her figure was that of a victor.
"...Kuh."
Nina comprehended what had happened.
Eris had stepped in at roughly the same time that Nina had. Then, in the face of Nina who was using an upper-guard, Eris dropped low to the ground and simultaneously let loose in a horizontal slash her own 『Longsword of Light』.
However, she couldn't understand. In that case, it should have been her attack that connected first. Nina was the one who moved first and her sword swings were just a little faster than Eris. Furthermore, an attack from an upper-guard should have been even faster. Since that was the case, even if Eris lowered her head a little, it wouldn't have been strange for Nina's own sword to reach first. Even though that was the case, the result was that it wasn't even a simultaneous attack. For some reason she collapsed, whilst Eris was standing.
"You don't need more power than what's necessary to knock someone down."
Eris had spoken quietly. Nina didn't understand the meaning of those words.
What Eris had used was a technique of the North God Style. Normally, the 『Longsword of Light』 was something whose power was overkill for use on every opponent. Eris traded that power for speed. She limited the amount of power in her swing to what was necessary to knock Nina down, and moved quickly with just that much. The ability to distribute touki was something that she had learned through training the North God Style.
However, the speed that she gained from such a thing was just a slight amount. Compared to the amount of deadly might the swing had, the speed gain was disproportionate. However, because of that slight speed gain, she was able to turn the tables by just a hair's breadth, and it was enough to decide victory or defeat.
"Well done, Eris. I'll grant you the title Sword King."
Nina slowly got up. She felt a dull pain at her abdomen, and grimaced.
(I was completely done in.)