The match started, and the Beast-King came in instantly. I caught it from the front, twisted, and shed it. Skipped back, then came at him myself.
“Light, pierce — radiant holy spear — Shining…”
“Slow.”
The Beast-King flew in like a bullet; the shield bowled me over, my balance broke. Tch — chant interrupted. I swept the sword across to check him and pulled back again.
But, as if reading me, he came in with a follow-up thrust. Aimed at the chest — I dodged — and a thrust came after for the throat.
Two-stage thrust!? I jerked my head sideways; the tip shot past right beside my ear. Close.
Can’t stay reactive — got to attack!
“Multiple!”
Small magic circles unfurled in succession on the ground around my feet.
“Mu!?”
The Beast-King froze his pursuit at the sudden circles. Of course. But this is a bluff to stop him.
“Boost!”
Body-strengthening — I closed in on explosive leg-power! Got him! I’d convinced myself of victory.
“Accel.”
The Beast-King murmured — and the next instant, the figure I’d thought I had vanished, and my wooden sword cut empty air.
“Wha…!?”
I felt presence behind me, dropped reflexively into a crouch — and the Beast-King’s wooden sword swept horizontally over my head. I rolled out of position and reset. What was that!?
“You dodged that! Not bad, Touya.”
“That just now… a Null spell?”
“That’s right. My Null spell — Accel.”
Figured. Acceleration spell, maybe. His movement just vanished. Not sure if it’s an instant burst or sustained.
“What kind of spell is it?”
“Just raises body speed — that’s all. While moving, a magical barrier wraps the body — eats absurd mana, so I can’t keep it up. At that speed normal humans can’t react. Dodging it — impressive.”
Pure acceleration spell. The barrier protects the body from the super-speed, probably.
“I see — got it. You have a fine spell.”
“Right?”
“So — gratefully, I’ll borrow it. ──Accel.”
I triggered the acceleration spell. In an instant I passed by the Beast-King’s side, and my drawn-cut wooden sword swung through nothing.
Hm? Timing was off. I’d meant to strike the body, but I drew after passing past him. Unfamiliar — hard to use. I felt I was moving normally, but my sense of motion is off.
“Wha…! You — that just now —!”
“Trickier than expected. But I’ll land the next one.”
I closed on the Beast-King at hyper-speed. He triggered [Accel] too; same accelerated state, we struck and parried, peeled away, struck again. Like lightning, blow after blow — I matched them, batted them down. Getting used to the speed. Thinking-speed scales up too, maybe.
To us in the same accelerated world it was a normal fight, but to the surrounding humans it must have been hard to follow.
And I had a way to double that speed further. From [Accel],
“Boost!!”
Bam! — one more gear of acceleration. Magic-acceleration, plus leg-power-acceleration. Speed beyond visual tracking — burst-only, but vastly past [Accel].
“Wha!?”
In an instant I was behind the Beast-King, wooden sword pressed firm to his neck.
“Checkmate.”
”…Don’t know what that word means, but I take the loss.”
His Majesty raised both hands, conceding. The referee swung his right arm high.
“Victor — Lord Mochizuki Touya!”
At the call, applause burst from the seats. Honestly, I’d thought beating their king would draw boos — overthinking, apparently.
“To think you, too, are an [Accel] user. I was overly confident in my own spell — became conceited. I must caution myself.”
“Ah, well, hahaha.”
I deflected with a laugh. Null spells are personal magic. Same-spell users are rare. Similar-system spells exist, but. His Majesty’s overconfidence is fair. Mine was, frankly, cheating.
But I wasn’t allowed to use the six-element magic. Chants interrupted that hard, can’t fire. Mages are normally backline — no need to swing swords. No-chant Null spells, though…
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
That evening, a light party was held at the palace. Mismid’s senior officials, leading nobles, major merchants — invited as a celebration of Origa-san’s return and a welcome for Yumina, the Belfast princess.
Not a full banquet, so formal dress wasn’t required, but they made me change anyway.
White bottoms and top, voluminous, with a black vest. A wide navy sash, white cloth wound around several times. With a turban added I’d be Sinbad or Aladdin from somewhere.
At the standing-buffet venue, people enjoyed conversation as they pleased and savored the food.
Yumina, the guest of honor — plus Elze, Linze, Yae — weren’t in the room yet. Made to dress formally, perhaps. I’d left Kōhaku as their guard, so probably nothing weird is happening.
“Oh, Lord Touya. That outfit suits you.”
Lyon-san — armor off, in tails, champagne in hand — came over. House Blitz is a baronial line, supposedly — used to events like this.
“Why didn’t I get an outfit like Lyon-san’s, even…”
Whether it’d suit me is another question. Standing next to Lyon-san in matching wear would shrink me — this is fine. Comparison to a handsome man scratches the glass heart.
“By the way — where is, ahem, Lady Origa?”
“Haven’t seen her…”
He asked, casual. Right — she’s also a guest of honor and not here yet. I scanned the venue with a wry smile at the restless knight.
“Touya-san!”
A voice — and someone tackled me from behind around the waist. I turned: small fox ears twitching below.
“Hey, Arma.”
I patted the head of the fox-girl in a cute dress. Behind Arma stood a stout, white-bearded, smiling gentleman. From his white-mixed hair sprouted ears, with a thick long tail. Ah — could it be.
“Pleased to meet you. Olba — Arma’s father.”
Figured. I shook the proffered hand and looked over the fox father and daughter. Age makes the ears and tail go gray too, I see.
“Mochizuki Touya. Touya is the given name; Mochizuki the family name.”
“Oh — born in Eashen?”
That phrase again.
“B-Belfast First Knight Order, Lyon Blitsh!”
Tongue-tripping, tongue-tripping. All wound up, Lyon-san followed me in shaking Olba-san’s hand. Arma’s father means Origa-san’s father — fair enough.
“Truly — thank you for protecting my daughters.”
“N-not at all, that’s our duty — sho!”
Tongue-tripping again. Even given the circumstance, that’s too tense. Not exactly throwing him a lifeline, I just naturally talked to Olba-san.
“Olba-san, what is your work?”
“I’m a trade merchant. From Belfast as well, I source many fine things.”
Trade merchant. Looks like he handles a wide variety.
“Recently I’m trying to obtain something called shogi — to sell here. Apparently His Majesty of Belfast plays it as a hobby?”
“Eh? Shogi?”
When did that become a thing. Apparently it was in the letter Origa-san sent home, which sparked his interest.
“I have a set — would you like one?”
“Oh, truly!? Most appreciated. I’ve wanted to see the real article.”
The shogi set I made on the journey is in the carriage.
“Then I’ll deliver it tomorrow. I have errands, so, Lyon-san — could you take it to Olba-san? Origa-san knows the rules; she can teach.”
“Eh!? Me!?”
Suddenly handed off to him, Lyon-san fluttered.
“Lyon-san’s father is General Leon, on whom His Majesty places deep trust. He often plays shogi with him too, I hear.”
“Oh — that General Leon! Then by all means, please come to our home — I’d love to hear stories.”
Olba-san addressed Lyon-san with a gentle smile. As a marriage prospect for his daughter, no issues with pedigree. I hope Olba-san likes him. Marriage depends on the two of them, though — maybe I’m meddling.
“Sir! I’ll call on you another day!”
Lyon-san stood ramrod straight. Stiff as ever, this guy.
Worried for the over-serious knight beside me, the venue suddenly buzzed.
Hm? Something happen?