There wasn't really anything that signaled the start of the battle, but it was Lilia and Neun who made the first move.
High Magic Power Density Constitution... Lilia's magic power, which was tens of times denser than that of a normal person, allows her to make use of far more powerful magic than normal, even with the same amount of magic power.
With physical strength that transcends human knowledge due to her all-out Body Strengthening Magic, Lilia-san approaches Neun at top speed right from her first step.
As her magic power gushed out like lightning bolts, she swung down her great sword from above, making full use of her momentum. Neun quickly reacts and evades it though.
When the greatsword that cut through the air hit the ground, there was a roaring sound as loud as an artillery shell striking the ground, even making the ground cracked.
However, Neun was still a warrior with lots of combat experience. Not only did she evade, but she instantly created multiple swords and spears around Lilia with her magic power and sent them all towards her at once.
[...…..]
However, they were repelled by a swing of Lilia's greatsword, and some of the swords were broken into pieces before her power.
Lilia is undeniably a genius... And it isn't just because of her unique constitution.
Her High Magic Power Density Constitution was just one part of Lilia's strength... As Lilia was born with all kinds of talents regarding combat.
An amount of magic power that far surpassed that of ordinary people, dynamic eyesight that can see through a rain of 28 swords, reflexes that have almost no time lag between her eye-body coordination, and the ability to instantly make a decision depending on the situation... Her talents are unfathomable.
The current King Hydra, Laguna, who is called the strongest in the Human Realm, had described Lilia as such back when she was a teenager:
"If she had lived in a different era, she might have been the one who ruled the Human Realm"
Just as Sechs told Neun, it would be foolish to think of Lilia as a mere human.
She's a perfect mutation born from the human race... the species inferior to the Demons and Gods, the species that was supposedly weaker than the elves and mermaids. That was what the monster named Lilia Albert is.
Despite her great strength, she grew up with a gentle and kind heart, thanks to the generous love of her family and supportive friends.
And now, the genius that could have ruled the Human Realm with her sword was attacking Neun without mercy.
Maintaining her momentum as she shot down the swords and spears, Lilia rapidly approached Neun and swung her greatsword.
Lilia's strength is really quite simple if you put it into words... Yes, her movements are fast and her strikes are heavy.
[Guuhhh, uuuuuu...]
Neun tried to catch the blow with her katana, but the weight of Lilia's sword pushed back her katana, so she decided that she couldn't receive it and immediately parried Lilia's strike to the side.
Lilia wields greatsword, whereas she wields a katana, so Neun can handle tight turns better than Lilia can. After she judged that that was the case, Neun took advantage of the movement of her opponent's greatsword and slid her katana to strike towards Lilia.
However...
[Gaahhh!? Aaahhhh!]
The armor near her chest area was shattered and Neun was blown away.
Yes, Lilia's reflexes are also abnormal. The moment Neun started her counterattack, Lilia had already taken one hand off her greatsword and struck Neun with her fist.
After being struck by her overwhelming power, Neun bounced against the ground twice before landing and regaining her stance
Her shattered armor was immediately repaired by magic, and if one were just to glance at her, she looked relatively unharmed as she prepared her sword again.
[...You're far stronger than I imagined.]
[.....]
Lilia isn't a knight. No, due to her experience as a member of the Knight Order, she did have that so-called spirit of chivalry.
However, she herself said that "she's stronger if she casted it aside"... She isn't a knight, but a warrior, and if necessary, she will cast aside her sword and swing her fist to hit her opponent. It is only in this way of fighting that her talent is fully demonstrated.
This time, her opponent wasn't someone to be trifled with. Lilia was aware of this, and from the start, she attacked Neun with all she had.
She wouldn't even allow Neun the time to catch her breath as she immediately followed up her attack with another.
However, Neun was well aware of Lilia's strength from her previous attack, and wasn't about to let Lilia get close.
As Lilia's speed was slowed down by the appearance of numerous swords and spears in the air, Neun sheathed her sword once, lowered her waist, and took an iai stance.
A godspeed slash, instantly slicing through the air after a moment of pause... One would normally hesitate to step into her deadly range, but Lilia stepped in and tried to approach Neun without any hesitation.
Of course, there was no way Neun was going to let that go... With refined movements, she unleashed her iai... but her eyes widened in astonishment.
[Wha!?]
Lilia blocked the incoming katana horizontal strike by hitting the blade with the "tip of her greatsword's hilt", and without slowing down, Lilia came closer to her.
You could say that what she did was something that's definitely godlike, however you could also say that it was a risky move... but such risks don't apply to Lilia.
Although there are differences between people, this was originally supposed to be a technique that is acquired through the process of repeated practice and making her body memorize such movements... Something which you do without thinking yet still have your body move exactly as you had envisioned it...
Because of her incredible talent that led her to be dubbed a genius... This is something that Lilia Albert can do.
Even if the movement she needed to do was as precise as passing a thread through the hole of a needle, Lilia's body wouldn't deviate even slightly from how she envisioned it.
Yes, Lilia Albert is... undoubtedly a genius loved by talent itself.
[Haaaahhhh!]
[Nh...]
Neun defended against Lilia's strike again, but was knocked back by the force of her blow before she managed to regain her stance.
Not allowing her to escape, Lilia approached Neun and swung her greatsword again.
After they exchanged about 10 bouts... Lilia noticed something strange.
Lilia had more physical strength than her opponent. She has been overwhelming her and was able to hit her a few times so far. It should be safe to say that the flow of battle was fully in favour of Lilia's side but... Neun still hasn't fallen.
Even though she received Lilia's onslaught, she still "didn't even get down on one knee"...
The impact of the greatsword when she caught it with her katana should have been transmitted through her body.
It's true that Lilia was a genius. But still, she's only 23... Her combat experience was far inferior to Neun's. Lilia was well aware of this.
But still, the fact that it seemed like she had received no reaction from her earlier strikes... was just so unexpected for her.
Neun... No, Kujou Hikari is a being who was once called the Hero and the one who defeated the Demon Lord.
She was never called a "Hero" because she was stronger than anyone else. Even among those who traveled with her, Laguna was superior to her in terms of strength.
However... Not once did she ever "fall"... No matter how strong her opponent was, no matter what predicament she was in, she continued to stand with unshakeable strength, and in the end, she was able to win.
Yes, the greatest power that makes her the Hero is... "Battle Continuation ability", the ability that makes the word "indomitable" something insignificant...
How to apply force when defending against an attack, techniques to ward off transmitted impacts from strikes, and insight into how to counterattack... Her fighting skills were balanced and seamless.
At the very least, she can't be brought down by just a "slight physical advantage".
[Fuuu!]
[Kuuhhh...]
Weaving through Lilia's attack, Neun approached and initiated her counterattack. Seeing this Lilia immediately backsteps away.
But even with her reflexes, she couldn't completely avoid it and her cheek was lightly grazed. Checking the wound she received on her cheek, Lilia exclaimed in admiration.
[...As expected of the First Hero. A counterattack at the perfect moment.]
[No, Duchess Lilia is also really superb. In terms of pure combat ability, you're probably better than me... However, well... If that's all you have, there's no way you can win, you know?]
[I feel honored to hear your advice. If it's possible though, I'd like to hear those words again... "after this battle ends".]
[I guess so... Please excuse my rudeness. It certainly would have been rude to say who was better during the battle. I'll say that again after I defeated you.]
[Then, I'll make sure to express my gratitude... "Thanks to your advice, I got stronger." or something like that... after I defeated you of course.]
Not needing any more words, the two of them clashed again.
On one hand is the Hero who once defeated a High-ranking Demon with a human body. On the other hand is a human genius born with a mutated body.
With the clashing of steel, the battle continues to intensify...