"Hiss—"
Dark clenched his teeth hard, a stabbing pain from inside his ankle wringing an involuntary cry from him.
"Does it really hurt that much?"
Diana, a piece of candy in her mouth, watched Aurora apply medicine to Dark's ankle.
Aurora tilted her head back and said, "It's a bone medicine. It seeps into every inch of the bone and can heal even the finest cracks — it just stings a little."
"Ohhh." Diana nodded repeatedly.
Off to the side, Hawlucha stood with its wings folded behind it, looking thoroughly apologetic, having just lost the match.
It had taken a solid hit from Dark too, but all it could think about was its "useless master."
Nearby, Alvit and Camilla stood with their arms crossed, watching warmly.
They both seemed satisfied enough with how Dark and Hawlucha had performed.
As for who actually won, that wasn't really their concern.
After all, the gap in strength among this month's contestants was fairly large to begin with.
Under the rule restrictions, for Dark to have beaten Hawlucha at all was already impressive.
The rest of the matches could be left to the other contestants.
…
On the stage, Claire surveyed the scene and raised her voice again to announce, "Thank you to our previous two contestants for that wonderful match! Now, please welcome our next contestants to the field. This round features the mischievous and adorable Meowth, and today's special guest — Diana!"
"My turn!" Diana bounced up, eyes bright with excitement.
She hadn't known she'd be fighting when she arrived, but after watching Dark and Hawlucha's duel, she'd caught the fighting spirit too.
Dark glanced at her and asked, "Using a sword?"
Diana's eyes widened as she thought it over, then she nodded. "Sure, that works."
Dark unbuckled the longsword from his waist and tossed it to her. "Here."
Diana caught it easily, drew the practice longsword straight out of its sheath, and leaned the empty scabbard against a chair before stepping onto the field.
On the other side…
Meowth was already ready. It walked onto the stage with a serious, deliberate expression.
Among all the students this term, its grasp of basic swordsmanship was the best. But that edge in technique couldn't overcome the sheer gap in raw power against Diana.
Worse still, it didn't know Diana well — it had no idea how strong she really was.
If it wanted to win, it would have to give everything!
"Meow!"
Meowth flicked two fingers and drew its blade.
Unlike Dark and Hawlucha, they didn't walk to the center to exchange bows before separating.
The two contestants simply took their positions ten meters apart.
Claire seized the moment and called out, "Begin!"
Diana and Meowth moved almost simultaneously.
But their approaches were completely different.
Diana simply took two steps forward, unhurried, her stance rock-solid.
Meowth chose to close the distance fast, its shorter blade moving with agile, effortless control in its paws.
As the two neared each other, Meowth leaped forward, short sword stabbing straight at her face.
Diana merely raised her hand slightly and blocked it without effort.
Her eyes lit up as she looked at Meowth. With a flick and twist of her longsword, she forced it back.
But the moment Meowth's feet touched the ground, it pounced again without hesitation, its short blade flashing out like rain.
Diana, grinning with excitement, swung her longsword and defended flawlessly, without a single gap.
The clash of blades rang out rapidly, sounding nothing like the fight between Dark and Hawlucha had.
Diana wasn't relying on her innate strength to overpower Meowth at all — she was matching it blow for blow with genuine swordsmanship.
In that moment, both of their skills were on full display, and the gap between them slowly became clear.
Meowth, after all, was a beginner with less than two weeks of practice. It simply couldn't compare to Diana, who had already handled all manner of weapons before.
No matter how reluctant it was to admit it, Diana eventually found an opening and pressed her blade to its throat.
The match was decided.
…
After its loss, Meowth didn't return to Professor Camilla's side. Instead, it padded over to Dark, its small face scrunched up.
Dark quickly pulled it into a hug, murmuring, "It's okay. You did great."
"Meow—" Meowth tossed its sword aside, climbed onto Dark's lap, and curled itself into a ball.
Dark gently stroked its back and turned his attention back to the match.
…
With Diana and Meowth's duel finished, the third match began soon after.
Gatomon versus Leomon — a contest between two spirits of the same attribute and roughly the same level.
The two Magic Guide Spirits stepped onto the field, exchanged a long, solemn look, then abruptly drew their swords and charged.
The same basic swordsmanship, yet in different hands it took on entirely different flavors.
If Meowth's swordplay was all technique, then Gatomon and Leomon were both power-type fighters.
As a result, their clash was especially fierce.
Anyone unfamiliar with them would have struggled to believe that the small, four-star Gatomon actually had slightly greater base strength than Leomon.
Both fought with the same power-based style, but Gatomon's had a touch more finesse, while Leomon's carried a touch more steadiness.
Under the rapt attention of everyone outside the field, the two Magic Guide Spirits traded blows for a full fifteen minutes before any clear advantage emerged.
Gatomon, who had been secretly practicing every night, finally gained the upper hand through sheer effort.
It didn't let that hard-won edge slip away. Instead, it steadily widened the gap, finally striking Leomon's sword wrist, then closing in quickly while Leomon's right hand hadn't yet regained its grip, knocking the sword clean out of its hand.
The match was decided once again!
Gatomon, victorious after a hard-fought battle, raised its head proudly.
Leomon stared at its empty hand, thoroughly dejected.
But matches always have winners and losers, and it couldn't very well run to Dark for comfort the way Meowth had.
As much as it wanted to, it silently picked up its longsword, sheathed it, and left the field.
Naturally, without quite meaning to, it still drifted back to Dark's side.
"Good job," Dark said, giving it a thumbs up.
Leomon blinked in surprise, feeling a bit better.
Then a sharp pain hit its heel, and it spun around sharply to find Gatomon had kicked it.
Just as a wronged look crept into its eyes, Gatomon's eyes narrowed and it shot Leomon a fierce glare.
Leomon flinched and slunk away into the crowd of Magic Guide Spirits, head down, like a scolded kitten.
Gatomon simply stood off to the side.
…
Next came the fourth match: Aurora against Honedge.
Honedge was a four-star Magic Guide Spirit with an attack power of 2200, capable of floating in midair and moving with blinding speed, unconstrained by any wielder's body.
Facing an opponent unlike anything she'd seen before, Aurora — who had likewise only practiced swordsmanship for two weeks — couldn't help feeling nervous.
But once the fight began, Aurora showed remarkable talent, her reflexes and swordsmanship both impressively sharp.
Early in the fight, she struggled repeatedly to adapt to Honedge's "360-degree seamless swordplay."
But she gritted her way through on sheer physical toughness, and after a hard-fought battle, she managed to turn the tide and defeat Honedge!
"A Magic Guide Spirit without an Ultimate Move really does feel like it's missing something," Dark murmured, shaking his head slightly as he watched.
Honedge's base form, while top-tier among four-star Magic Guide Spirits, ultimately drew its core value from its Ultimate Move and its nature as a Holy Sword.
It was better suited to being a strong warrior's blade than being the strong warrior itself.
…
After the fourth match was decided, Aurora returned to her seat.
She closed her eyes and took slow breaths, calming herself down.
This fight meant more to her than it might seem.
Winning her first match gave her a clearer sense of her own talent and ability.
So she quietly raised her goal for this month's evaluation, just a little.
One more win!
…
Claire scanned the crowd from the stage and, confirming both Dark and Diana were ready, announced, "As you've all seen, the first round has finally concluded! Our winners are Dark, Diana, Gatomon, and Aurora!"
"It's no surprise the most popular Magic Guide Spirit put on such a spectacular showing. And of course, our Diana and Aurora also performed superbly."
"I know you're all eager for the final result — who will make it all the way to claim the Duke's carefully prepared mystery gift? Stay tuned! Now, let's begin the second round. Please welcome the first round's winners, Dark and Diana!"
"Clap clap clap!"
The maids applauded enthusiastically.
Down below, Diana winked at Dark and whispered, "It's our turn!"
"Yeah, our turn." Dark took a deep breath, picked up Leomon's longsword, and stood.
Even though he'd braced himself for this moment, now that it had actually arrived, he couldn't help feeling a pang of sorrow.
Perhaps this was what they meant by walking into the tiger's den knowing full well there was a tiger inside.
"Pat pat pat—"
Right behind him, Diana rose too, holding his sword.
Unlike Dark, who looked composed on the outside but was quietly resigned within, Diana was thoroughly delighted, through and through.
As the two walked onto the field, a few maids couldn't help but giggle.
Alvit and Camilla sat on the bench, smiling as well.
As mothers of the two combatants, neither felt any competitive urge, but Camilla still said with a teasing smile, "So, Alvit, who do you think will win this time?"
Alvit blinked. "Do you even need to ask? Your Diana, obviously."
Camilla's lips curved. "That's not so certain."
Alvit chuckled. "You said the same thing last time."
"That was last time," Camilla said. "I know my own daughter quite well."
"And I know my own son quite well too," Alvit said with a smile.
"So, shall we wait and see?" Camilla said.
"Wait and see," Alvit agreed with a smile.
…
The two mothers' conversation had no bearing on what was happening in the arena.
Once Dark and Diana had both entered the field, they stood ten meters apart.
"Here we go!" Diana said, psyching herself up.
Dark gave a distant nod.
On the stage, Claire smiled slightly, swept her raised right hand downward, and called out, "Begin!"
Before the words had even faded, every eye in the arena was already locked onto the field.
For their young master's duel, the maids naturally intended to watch every second closely.
Dark's Magic Guide Spirits, too, were fully focused.
Even though they all figured Dark's odds weren't great, deep down they still hoped he'd win.
"Win or lose, give it everything!"
In an instant, Dark made up his mind. He stepped forward, and qi surged out from three of his chakras, flooding his whole body — as if he'd cast a body-enhancement spell, his physical condition rising across the board.
Then he swung his sword hard and took the initiative to attack first.
As he watched, Diana, though she hadn't gone into a Qi Surge, still radiated a rising intensity, closing in like an arrow.
This was a completely different approach from how she'd fought Meowth.
Dark held his breath, focused his mind, and shifted his footing, planning to use his footwork to circle around her side and avoid a head-on clash, seeking his chance for victory that way.
But halfway through the maneuver, his expression suddenly froze and he stopped dead in his tracks.
He saw Diana's left foot land on her right, her balance vanishing the instant her right foot lifted, and with a loud smack, she went sprawling face-first onto the ground.
_(:з"∠)_;
Dark: "..."
Face down, having genuinely and thoroughly fallen, Diana slowly pushed herself up and gave Dark an innocent little look. "Oopsie!"
In that instant, all of Dark's fighting spirit evaporated.
He rolled his eyes, sheathed his sword, and raised a hand. "I concede."
Diana blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
On the stage, Claire shook her head slightly and simply announced, "The match is decided."
Dark walked over to Diana, bent down, and offered her his hand.
Diana placed her hand in his and obediently pulled herself up.
"All right, don't do that again next time," Dark said, brushing the dust off her clothes bit by bit.
"Okay," Diana murmured, looking a little at a loss.
Dark took her hand and led her back to their seats.
It wasn't until they'd sat down that Diana finally looked up and started to say, "I…"
"You're fine," Dark sighed. "It's my problem."
…
Nearby, Aurora watched their exchange with wide eyes and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of distance.
It was as if some invisible membrane surrounded Diana and Dark, something other people couldn't quite penetrate.
They clearly seemed to have had some kind of falling-out, yet somehow it felt like their bond had grown even closer.
It was just — very, very hard to put into words.
"What is going on?"
Aurora racked her brain trying to figure it out.
She suddenly realized her previous understanding of feelings had perhaps been far too naive.
Fantasy without experience, in the end, remains only fantasy.
…
Meanwhile, the two mothers were exchanging knowing looks.
Alvit hadn't thought much of it at first, but once Camilla hinted that Dark might win, she'd wondered whether Diana might throw the match — though she knew her precious son would never accept a victory won that way.
So in the end, the outcome wouldn't have changed regardless.
What she hadn't expected was just how wonderfully artless Diana's way of "throwing" the match turned out to be — a genuine, honest-to-goodness faceplant.
"That's just too adorable!"
If anyone else had done that, Alvit might have found it off-putting.
But when it was Diana, she found herself liking her all the more.
Especially the way Diana obediently listened and dutifully reflected on it... squee.
…
Camilla, a little differently from Alvit, was thinking hard about something.
She'd suddenly noticed that the way Diana and Dark interacted seemed... off, somehow.
But exactly what was off about it, she couldn't quite put her finger on.
So she just grew more and more puzzled.
"What is going on with those two?"
…
As everyone's thoughts wandered in their own directions, the second match of round two began.
Aurora, her mind still elsewhere, walked onto the field without quite focusing.
Her opponent, Gatomon, clearly took the match far more seriously.
Once on the field, Gatomon pulled its wandering gaze back from wherever it had been and focused intently on its opponent.
"Begin!"
Claire's voice rang out from the stage.
But neither side moved.
After a sigh, Gatomon spoke up quietly. "Sister Aurora."
Only then did Aurora turn to look at it.
Gatomon raised its sword and said softly, "I'm coming for you."
Startled by its intensity, Aurora snapped back to attention.
Gatomon immediately surged forward, closing the distance in a flash.
Clang!
Their swords collided in an instant, then sprang apart just as fast.
What followed happened almost too fast to see.
The two exchanged over a dozen strikes in a blur, then both pulled back with equal force at the same moment.
They faced off in identical stances, blade tips level, eyes fixed and intense.
Without going into a Qi Surge, Aurora, relying only on the qi that had naturally settled into her body, was already holding her own against Gatomon, a spirit whose base stats matched a five-star.
If she unleashed a Qi Surge, she would instantly surpass Gatomon.
With their swordsmanship roughly matched, the scales were already beginning to tip in her favor.
But she chose not to do it.
Since this was a contest of what they'd learned, she wasn't going to rely on anything outside of that.
A victory won through a Qi Surge wasn't the victory she wanted.
…
The fight broke out suddenly, both sides' swordsmanship sharpening rapidly as they matched each other blow for blow.
Though it was all basic swordsmanship, it gave rise to a dazzling variety of techniques.
By now, Dark, watching from outside the field, had already recovered his composure.
Losing had been expected, and it wasn't hard to accept.
Next time, he'd make Diana go all out.
With his mind settled, he turned his attention to how his own Magic Guide Spirits were performing.
As a Magic Guide Master, it was the Magic Guide Spirits that truly showed one's real strength.
Gatomon's performance was even more impressive than he'd expected.
Was this what it meant to be a "Hero," as expected?
Both its command of the blade and its habit of improving mid-battle without pause were beautifully evident.
"Gatomon's going to win."
The instant that thought crossed his mind, Dark saw Aurora make a mistake — a genuine slip, not a trap meant to lure Gatomon in.
Seizing on that opening, Gatomon unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes, trying to shatter Aurora's defense!
Aurora's face paled slightly, a flicker of panic crossing it.
In the end, she couldn't steady herself, and the gaps in her defense kept growing.
Finally, drawing on its far richer combat experience, Gatomon defeated her!
…
The match moved into the next round.
…
____
Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 10 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on (P). with 50 advanced chapters available on (P)
👻 Join the crew by searching Leanzin on (P). You know the spot! 😉