[Start the match-!!]
Within an instant of the announcement, the pig of the Order's body moved with a blur.
That indomitable body of his rushed forth, with force equalling a train, his speed further amplified by the Supernatural Ability 'Acceleration Enhancement'.
Unsheathing his daggers, he arrived at his target faster than an eye could blink.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Clang-!
Sparks flew with every clash of the blades.
His opponent, Avon Laura, reacted in the nick of time to stop every one of Vahara's strikes that came upon her faster than lightning.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Clang-!
Not even five seconds have passed since the beginning of the match, but the number of times the two fighters' weapons have collided were innumerable.
The audience was rendered speechless by the incredible display of skill, the likes of which had never been seen in the tournament's recent history.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Clang-!
Ordinarily, one would think Vahara held the advantage.
Not only was there an overwhelming physical disparity, but he utilised two weapons in comparison to Avon Laura's one, and even possessed a Supernatural Ability on top of all of that.
And yet―
Clang-!
Clang-!
―Avon Laura was somehow not falling.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Her stance was always perfect. Even I was surprised that she could hold on for this long.
Every time she swings her arm, she blocks an incoming attack.
Clang-!
Every time she twists or adjusts her body, she dodges an incoming attack.
Clang-!
Each and every movement wasted no time, energy, nor space.
Clang-!
Not only was she keeping up with her opponent's abnormal speed, but she seemed to even predict where his next attack would land.
Clang-!
But this could not last forever.
Clang-!
Eventually, the stalemate has to come to an end.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Splatter-!
For the first time in this intense, light-speed battle that had not even reached the ten second mark, blood had been shed.
Following this, the constant collision of blades ceased.
"Gah, you bitch...!"
Making quick distance between themselves, Vahara shouted, a red liquid oozing from behind his leather vambraces.
Behind it, I could imagine the thin red line that decorated his rough skin.
"..."
With no reply, Avon Laura only whipped the blood off of her sword and watched his movements with ice-cold vigilance.
"Tsk! I'll show you..."
After that, it seemed like the short break-time was over, as...
Clang-!
Clang-!
Before I could even register that someone had moved, the two of them had resumed clashing.
Seriously, these guys are something else.
This time didn't last for nearly as long, though.
Clang-!
Splatter-!
Not even three seconds passed before Vahara's body was sliced yet again.
Clang-!
―But, he didn't stop.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Splatter-!
Again, he was cut.
Clang-!
Splatter-!
And again.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Clang-!
Splatter-!
And again, the blood he spilt all over the place began to dye the floor.
Clang-!
Despite this, he didn't halt his assault.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Splatter-!
As his body accumulated wound after wound, no matter the severity of the injury, Vahara continued the constant flow of attacks.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Splatter-!
It must be tiring.
The copious amounts of blood he is losing is more critical than he probably realises.
Over time, his stamina and vitality will decrease, and this loss is exponential.
Clang-!
Clang-!
Splatter-!
I had an image in front of me.
It was an image of one extreme versus another extreme.
The clash of mutt and boar, Dog v Pig.
Clang-!
Splatter-!
An unstoppable force, The Berserker.
An immovable object, The Glacier.
Clang-!
Clang-!
As one continuously approached the other, intending to destroy it.
But it only ended in the aggressor failing in vain and accruing one additional wound.
Splatter-!
Before long, the outcome of the match was set in stone.
"Hahh... Hahh... You... Haaah... Bitch..."
The heavy breathing of the one in the red, bathed in the appropriate colour of his own blood, signified the impending conclusion.
"...I think you should surrender already. We both know how this is going to end, and I'd prefer to not waste any further time."
A suggestion was given by Avon Laura, who had yet to sustain an injury in this duel.
Of course, she was red-faced and sweating all over from the high intensity of the battle, her forehead glistening as she roughly wiped it with the back of her arm, but it didn't mean she was in trouble just yet.
"Surrender...? Hah! Haha! Girlie, yer outta yer damn mind if ya think I'm givin' up."
Vahara replied to the proposal as so, then angrily pointed his bloody finger at me. "'Specially not when I've yet to teach that fucker a lesson for thinkin' he can mess with us!"
In response, Avon Laura's expression seemed to darken.
"...It is you who is unaware of what you're messing with. Not you, nor your gang of ruffians have any right to interfere in this matter. Enlighten yourselves."
She then straightened her arm, thrusting her daunting blade in his direction.
"―As it stands, there is no reason for you to be harmed any further. However, if you continue to resist and pursue, I will have no choice but to put an end to you here and now."
Ptui-!
To her warning, Vahara merely spat a mouthful of bloody saliva.
"Shut up, bitch. Who do ya think ya are, huh? Tellin' me what to do. That fucker is gonna die here, today! An' I'm gonna make it as slow and painful as possible."
He turned to me.
"Hear that?! Ya bastard! Just wait for me to deal with this girl; I'll be there to mess ya up real good in a second...!"
When I just fiddled around with the thing in my coat pocket and ignored him, he clicked his tongue and got ready to conclude the fight with Avon Laura.
"...You had a choice. I told you the correct answer, and you still failed to comprehend it. I didn't know people like you truly existed in the world until today... Since there are bound to be people from your organisation here, let me caution you all one last time. Before you make an irreversible mistake."
Seemingly curious about the last thing she wanted to say in a different tone than usual, Vahara raised an eyebrow, "Eh?"
I, too, was interested in what she had to say about me.
There was no chance she would reveal any meaningful information, but still.
"――You had better give up on targeting this individual, lest you wish for the irreparable eradication of your entire group. This is not a selfish remark in hopes of scaring you away, but a message that desires to maintain the safety of the world."
Oh... That was all, huh.
That's a bit of an exaggeration, though, isn't it?
It's not like I have the power to end the world or something, after all.
"Hahahaha! Pft, ya really think I'm gonna believe that, ya idiot? Ya losers're the ones who lost him in the first place! Ya screwed up an' yer all still fine, ain'tcha!? What horseshit!"
"..."
Avon Laura responded with nought but silence.
I mean, he has a point, you know?
The Wardens are the ones who I escaped from initially, but they're not destroyed.
Because I didn't have the power to do that at the time, and in reality, I still don't.
Suddenly, Vahara brandished his daggers and screamed a battlecry that resounded throughout the entire colosseum, "Now, stop wastin' my damn time n' fight already...!"
Leaping in Avon Laura's direction, his feet left a small crater in the ground as the blood that veiled his body flew off with the wind.
This time, however, there was no clashing of blades.
All that could be heard was an incredibly faint slicing sound, and immediately following it, the crashing of Vahara's ogre-like body onto the ground as he fell to his knees.
"Agh, fuck! You bitch...!"
He hadn't died, though.
Looking at it from the right angle, one may be able to see the cuts on the back of his knees and elbows.
As a result, he couldn't move his arms nor his legs―all four limbs were disabled.
Incapacitated, but not killed.
Had Avon Laura been in a position to do this from the very beginning? If so, she was immensely skilled; more than I had ever imagined.
"―Now you see, the disparity in our ability is not able to be bridged by brute force."
She began her lecture on the vexed brute, slowly making her way to his behind, and proceeding to line the edge of the sword with his thick neck.
"Therefore, I advise you to surrender. It is unnecessary for a life to be taken."
Even I thought that the boar-man's violent thoughts might be swayed by getting completely clowned on here, but alas, we all knew that unfortunately wouldn't be the case.
"Hah! Go right ahead, girlie. I'll admit, I've never imagined there'd be someone as strong as you. But, so long as ya kill that fucker over there real nice an' painful like, then it ain't gonna matter if I'm dead."
She only sighed.
"...Killing that man is not what I've been sent here for, I'm afraid. If that's how it's going to be, then I'll put an end to it now."
Seeing her begin to move the blade at his neck, I knew it was finally my time.
"Ah, ah! Wait a moment! Don't kill that guy!"
""...?""
The two of them, who stopped in silence to look at me, were most confused.
It was no wonder, as I, who had stayed quiet the entire match until now, was making a move.
"Yes, withdraw that blade! Naughty!"
Cautiously, Avon Laura looked at me for a moment before gradually taking her sword away and sheathing it.
Was she scared for some reason?
"That's right! Good. I can't have my beloved fans fighting over me, now, can I? You know, equality and all that."
Puzzled, the two must be. So, I thought I might as well get on with it.
"Ahem!" Clearing my throat, I winked towards the camera held by the twins in the crowd and declared.
"――To start things off, I have this entire colosseum rigged with explosives, so you'd better not make any reckless moves!"