Clash! The Order Appears! (5K) (Continued)

But Yotsuba Mahiro is even more terrifying, as he actually defeated the legendary "God of War," the sword saint of the elves!

So, which of these two dark horses will ultimately emerge victorious?

They were very much looking forward to it.

"Final match: John Smith versus Yotsuba Mahiro! The match begins!"

The host's voice echoed throughout the arena.

Strangely, neither John Smith nor Yotsuba Mahiro moved an inch.

But a hurricane suddenly erupted in the center of the field, scattering countless sparks.

The sound of metal clashing could be heard continuously.

Even the ground was torn open, leaving jagged and terrifying scars.

"... What's going on?"

Everyone stared in disbelief at what was happening on the field.

But no one could answer this question, even though they were all analyzing the situation intently.

I can't see anything.

The two seemed to be engaged in some kind of covert confrontation, which was affecting reality!

Eventually, someone noticed something amiss.

"Look, what's that?!"

As they shouted, they saw faint flashes of silver light dancing in the air.

That's... silk thread?

That's right, it's silk thread.

Countless silver threads, beneath the dark clouds overhead, filled the area around the arena, constantly surging and dancing.

And Yotsuba Mahiro, the corresponding weapon she acquired was also --

Silk.

Unlike steel wire, his threads are constructed from pure magic, yet their hardness and toughness are in no way inferior to steel wire wrapped in magic.

The two then engaged in a game remotely.

However, it was John Smith who couldn't contain himself the first.

Or rather, the stalemate was broken by Yotsuba Mahiro.

Swish--

The magically constructed threads suddenly changed shape, transforming into an inverted cage around Smith, which then instantly closed in.

Sizzle!

Thousands of threads tore through Smith's body, but he felt nothing.

--It's an afterimage.

John Smith, completely unharmed, suddenly appeared behind Mahiro and also swung his thread.

When--

Mahiro merely flicked his finger slightly, and the sound of metal clashing rang out once more.

The silk threads collided with each other, silently taut together, intertwining like a fishing net.

If a feather were to fall at this moment, it would probably be shredded into pieces by these intertwined silk threads.

However, in their exchange, looking at the half-hidden face behind the mask, Mahiro was the first to speak:

"What, not going to keep playing with your slime? Switching to using thread?"

"Ha, so you've recognized me after all. No wonder you're my nemesis."

There seemed to be no surprise at all, or rather, John Smith had anticipated it before he went on stage.

After all, in the earliest days, they couldn't even hide their Slime Suit, let alone such a simple and crude disguise.

"Oh..."

However, Mahiro's sneer remained unchanged, and she asked calmly:

"I only have one question for you."

"What?"

"Did you injure Claire?"

"That's right."

"Looks like I'll give you a reason not to kill me, for Claire's sake, Cid."

"How should I put it... I'm the kind of person who's used to clearly distinguishing between things that are important to me and things that aren't."

John Smith spoke quietly.

Even through the mask, you could still see his eyes slightly lowered.

"To keep myself focused... I have a goal I desperately want to achieve, but that goal is far away, so I constantly let go of things in my life."

"Continue."

"As we get older, we tend to cherish more and more things."

Making friends, finding lovers, finding jobs... the people and things you value just keep increasing like this.

But I'm actually constantly practicing decluttering.

I don't want that, I don't want this—I've given up so many things.

In the end, the things you simply can't bear to part with will be left behind.

I will only live for that tiny, irreplaceable thing; everything else is actually irrelevant to me.

Although both of them were using deadly moves, it looked like they were chatting casually during practice, as if they were testing each other.

Your nonsense means nothing to me.

Mahiro deflected the incoming threads and coldly asked, "I just want to ask you, which category do you categorize your sister Claire into?"

Even though he already knew the answer, he still wanted to hear it from Cid.

"Naturally, it's the kind that can be discarded."

"Very well, you have found your way to death, Cid Kagano."

Having received a definitive answer, Mahiro no longer intended to hold back, and immediately, endless darkness spread out from beneath his feet.

It was daytime just a second ago.

The next second, night had already quietly fallen.

The sky was now shrouded in endless darkness and countless stars!

"... What the hell is this?!"

Duke Doem, sitting in the VIP section, was utterly astonished.

Is this a method that humans are capable of?!

After joining the cult, Duke Doem thought he had seen the pinnacle of the world, but now he was slapped hard in the face by what was before him!

Even as an elf, a long-lived race, Beatrice was deeply shocked by what she saw outside the window.

A complete transformation.

A divine intervention.

The stars in the night sky are clearly visible!

Standing beneath this night sky, controlling the flickering stars, he is like an emperor in the darkness, his scarlet pupils overlooking all living beings!

While all the nobles in the VIP seats were still in shock because of the darkness that had enveloped the arena.

The door to the private room was quietly opened.

A figure silently crept in.

Tap, tap--

In the completely silent meeting room, only this sound echoed.

The footsteps quietly approached the VIP seats above, to the seat of King Oriana, who sat next to King Midgar and was like a puppet!

"Die, Duke Doem!!!"

Swish--

The sharp longsword flashed past in a flash of white light.

Without the slightest hesitation, Rose drew her rapier and stabbed at Duke Doem!

But the next second, a tremendous force came from the blade in her hand, immediately knocking it away.

"What?!"

Rose was somewhat incredulous, but then she suddenly felt a chill on her neck, and abruptly leaped backward, leaving the top VIP seat and landing below.

A strand of golden hair drifted silently down from mid-air.

That was her hair, cut off silently!

If we had stayed where we were, her head would probably have been severed!

"Rose?!"

Alice was the first to gasp, jumping up from her seat and staring incredulously at the girl crouching on the ground before her.

The gazes of the other nobles also fell upon Rose.

He showed a slight expression of surprise.

That disdainful daughter who plotted to assassinate King Oriana has brazenly appeared in the venue!

What is she going to do?

You can tell just by looking at the way she holds the sharp blade.

This is an assassination attempt!

As for Duke Doem, he was now drenched in a cold sweat. He instinctively touched his neck and found that his head was still intact.

But he was so frightened that he couldn't speak for a moment, and his legs were trembling slightly.

Madman!

Absolutely insane!

How dare they carry out an assassination here!

Feeling slighted, Duke Doem was blinded by rage and even abandoned any intention of capturing Rose alive.

However, just as he opened his mouth to give the order, the faint footsteps behind him made him stop talking.

It was as if some far more terrifying being was standing behind him.

"Who goes there? Show yourself!"

Rose ignored the nobles' astonishment, and even Princess Alice, and directly pointed her rapier at the platform.

Those honey-gold eyes were filled with a solemn expression.

Tap, tap, tap--

Such footsteps broke the deathly silence that had gripped the VIP seats.

A man exuding an unusual aura slowly emerged from behind Duke Doem.

He had a head of bright red hair that looked like blazing flames. He slowly stepped down the stairs and stopped at the second step from the top.

"You did well, Rose Oriana."

"Who are you?! Why are you protecting that bastard Duke Doem? Are you in cahoots with him?!"

This is obvious.