[What happened?]
Irma was in an enviable position where only she could see the fight directly, and yet was puzzled at Tomoe’s odd behavior. The priestess was rigid as if she had been pierced by a sharp blow from behind, yet Elina’s weapon remained stationary at her hands.
[Is this the Master Swordswoman’s secret technique?]
Irma kept closely watching the fight.
***
“I’ll allow no more of your mockery!”
In order to turn the situation around with a blow and shake off the blonde, who kept whispering by her ear, Tomoe unleashed a kick.
Her crimson hakama fluttered, her pure white thighs drew a beautiful arc. It was the Warrior Kick, which has damaged its share of powerful enemies and signaled the beginning of her counterattack.
“I told you, I can see through it all.”
Tomoe’s foot only caught empty air.
“Wha!?”
A wire extended from Elina’s spear, its owner preferring to err on the side of caution.
[A hidden weapon!?]
By the time she noticed, it was already too late: with no time to avoid it, the wire wound around Tomoe’s body as if it was alive.
“Kuh.”
Now immobilized, she nearly fell down. She was still on top of the pier, but if she fell, she wouldn’t even get one chance to counterattack.
“Ahah! It went better than I thought.”
Smiling like a child who had pulled a successful prank, Elina pulled in the wire that extended from the spear.
[She’s strong. This girl is really strong.]
Tomoe kept a posture to try and prevent the wire from entangling her any further, and scowled at the Vance daughter as she was pulled towards her.
“Not giving up yet. I love that.”
Elina pulled the wire further.
“Mm!”
Looking at Tomoe’s breasts, bound up tightly by the wire, as she approached, only served to put a wrinkle in the middle of Elina’s forehead.
“Well, don’t you have something wonderful here for a little mouse!”
Tomoe was slightly shorter than Elina. However, her bust size usually appeared bigger even while concealed by the priestess attire. It was no wonder that it looked abundantly bigger now that the wire was emphasizing it.
“I don’t think breast size matters here!”
“Y-Yeah. It’s not like breast size determines victory or defeat.”
Elina laughed scornfully, looking down on Tomoe. She was of the opinion that if strength was decided on breast size, *that woman* would become the strongest in the Continent.
“I’ll get to the main topic. There’s something I want to ask you.”
The air about Elina changed, as she moved her iron nails –*click clack*– and looked straight at Tomoe’s face.
“Recently, you should have fought a very lovely, gentle, strong, beautiful, sublime woman warrior. Where is she now?”
“Eh? H-Huuuh?”
The priestess unintentionally let out a weird voice.
“Answer me!”
She didn’t appreciate that reply, so she pulled her in closer. With a grinding sound, the wire tightened the priestess’s limbs.
“Augh… a name… at least tell me a name, please.”
[If there’s something she wants to know, she won’t deal the decisive blow right away.]
Tomoe judged so with a calm mind, and waited for the right timing to break free from the binding, as she charged her talismans with spiritual power.
“Sigh~, you savages from the east have a poor memory, I see.”
Elina gave a deep sigh at Tomoe.
“ “Savages”? Would that be your favorite expression? You have very poor vocabulary.”
“Shut up, you redneck.”
The blonde’s eyes were shining like a tiger that had caught its prey.
“My sister is the beautiful woman warrior who will become the Continent’s ruler in the future. Where is the Exiled Warrior Leina? Where did she go? Tell me every single little thing that you know!”
Elina approached Tomoe, shoving her iron nails close.
“It’s unfortunate, but I don’t know where she is.”
“If you don’t answer honestly, you might end up with wire bruises on your beautiful skin.”
“I’m glad to hear you say it’s beautiful, but I can’t answer what I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
She answered the question in a placid tone.
“It’s been too long since I fought Miss Leina. I wouldn’t know where she is now.”
It was a sound argument.
“Kuh~! I’ll mess up your face! See if I don’t!”
Elina cried out, extending her iron nails. Tomoe didn’t miss the fact that the calmness had disappeared from her voice.
[Now’s my chance to counterattack.]
“Feel free to try.”
At the same time Tomoe muttered so, a force field created by the spiritual power stored in the amulets forcefully pushed both her priestess attire and the wire away.
“Wha!”
The Vance girl hurried to tighten the wire. However, it was too late; taking advantage of the moment when the wire became loose, Tomoe had broken free from her bindings, exposing the nice shape of her breasts under the sunlight. Nothing was restricting her anymore.
“You can’t very well get engrossed in a conversation and forget about the fight, Milady Elina.”
Fixing her clothes, in disarray after the force field, she stared at the blonde.
“Let’s go one more time.”
Once again, Tomoe took up a stance aiming at the eyes.
“Keep feigning ignorance, and I’ll beat the hell out of you until you spit it out.”
Elina set up the spear with the wire behind her, and put the iron nails in front.
“I never thought Miss Leina’s little sister would use such foul language.”
With a calm tone, she stepped forward.
[Elina is no longer an enemy I can’t read.]
Tomoe raised her sword overhead at Elina, and the latter prepared her spear in response. The expected motion brought a faint smile to the priestess' lips.
She returned her blade to the sheath, and got closer to Elina. If she was attacked then, she’d have no means to evade it. But, just as she expected, Elina regarded her as a “daredevil” and didn’t move her spear. She was probably aiming at a counter; that was the best tactic to show off one’s ability at the opponent.
However, there wasn’t that much of a difference between them now; or rather, if she was looking down on her, it might be the Vance sister who was at a disadvantage there.
“It’s too late now.”
Victory was in Tomoe’s grasp.
Drawing and attacking at extreme speed: Sword Flash.
The silver blade whipped out of the sheath caught Elina’s head.
***
[As expected from someone who Big Sis could only get a draw against. So fast.]
Maybe Tomoe’s hesitation had disappeared during the fight, but compared with the beginning, her movements had no wasted actions anymore.
[Even so, I can’t lose that easily. When it comes to physical movement, I’m still faster. It’s a pity I’ll have to cut up her beauty with these iron nails.]
She estimated the timing Tomoe would unleash her quick sword-drawing technique with, and Elina boldly aimed at her forehead, hammering it with her left arm covered in the steel gauntlet.
***
The fist of steel and the sword intertwined. Without striking each other, their powerful attacks exploded right where they were aiming.
The result was…
In front of Irma’s eyes, attentively watching the fight, both fell slowly like in slow motion and collapsed on top of the pier at the same time.
“Milady!”
Elina didn’t even try to answer Irma’s voice. Just like Tomoe, she was just lying down, motionless.
“A double knock-down?”
Leaving aside the small damage Tomoe had received, Elina was mostly unhurt. Irma couldn’t help but be amazed at Tomoe’s excellent skills, able to make her faint with one blow. Hinomoto’s Warrior Priestesses weren’t to be made light of.
“Skirmish ended. Due to both being unable to fight, the verdict is a draw.”
Irma silently stood by as the umpire image communicated the decision.
She had been able to see from up close Elina’s fighting style, based on martial arts which made full use of the athletic ability she had been gifted from birth. It could be said that it had turned out as according to the plans.
However, had there been any part during her fight where she used the so-called secret technique inherited from the Master Swordswoman?
Irma hadn’t been able to find out.
***
The blue sky appeared when she opened her eyes. Her ears heard the roar of waves, cries of seagulls, and a voice calling her.
“Milady!”
Laying as she was on top of the pier, Elina raised her right hand, gesturing that she was safe.
On her hand was a crystal ball, sparkling under the sunlight.
[If this has come back, it means the preliminary has ended.]
“Did I lose?”
“No, it’s a draw.”
She heard the voice of her opponent, Tomoe, extremely close. When her eyes followed it, she found her lying on the pier, the same way as she was.
“I see… so we tied?”
She felt no regrets. Thanks to Tomoe, she had understood just how strong she was herself.
[The Exiled Warrior Leina tied against the Bandit of Wilderness. The Warrior Priestess Tomoe beat the latter. If we’ve tied now, it could be said that there’s no better proof that right now I’m stronger than Big Sis back then.]
“Hm. That was a good warm up. You have my thanks, Tomoe.”
Sitting up energetically, she smiled brightly towards the still lying priestess.
***
A few days later, with the bruises of battle healed, Elina was leaving Sheldan behind, riding on the carriage driven by Irma.
After the preliminary ended, Tomoe had told her of the place Leina was heading towards the last time she met her.
“I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s still better than watching more boring matches at Sheldan, isn’t it?”
Irma nodded silently at her words, and kept driving.
***
Around the time Elina left Sheldan, Tomoe was in the waiting room located in the arena’s basement, waiting for the preliminary to begin.
She closed her eyes, and recalled her past fights.
In her fight with Echidna, she had faced an overwhelming ability, which she was no match against. A defeat smeared with humiliation.
And, in her fight with Elina, she had struggled against someone who could see through her. It was nothing short of good luck that it had ended in a draw.
Reading each other’s thoughts, the moment she had switched to using the back of her sword, Elina had retracted her iron claws. When one thought about how the match had played out, it was safe to say it had been Elina’s complete victory.
[There still are powerful enemies in this Continent. Sure enough, what kind of foe will I face today?
I’m not supposed to be fighting while thinking I’ve already won. Self-conceit is the first step to defeat.]
Still with her eyes closed, Tomoe put on her bandanna around her head, and fired herself up.
Irma’s Diary, Part 2
The plan went well. The match between the Warrior Priestess Tomoe and the Captain of the Royal Guard did take place, so one would agree so far.
It’s not often that you get the chance to see actual fighting from up close.
[The Warrior Priestess Tomoe is a fencer of Hinomoto with skills unmatched throughout most of the Continent. Elina will be using the Master Swordwoman’s secret technique by all means.]
That’s what I thought at first, but upon giving it some more thought, I noticed this plan has a fatal flaw: I myself know next to nothing about the Master Swordswoman’s technique. Even if Elina did use it, I wouldn’t be able to tell whether that was the one or not. What a blunder.
However, the main mission I was assigned was the “Assassination of the Earl”, with “Investigation of the Master Swordswoman’s Secret Technique” being a distant second. Seeing as there’s the possibility that the requester doesn’t know the technique itself, the only option I have is using my own criteria to figure out if it’s such a technique.
Still, I have no doubt Elina has mastered that technique. In the fight against the Warrior Priestess Tomoe, she sealed her movements with just a whisper. What was that technique I only saw for an instant? I’ll need to keep an eye on her in the future.
Incidentally, our actions at Sheldan are over, and based on the information gained from Tomoe, Elina decided to head for the Great Wall. On the other side, there’s Vance territory. On this side, there’s a garrison of the Queen’s Army.
I doubt how displaying magnificently the coat of arms of the Vance house can be considered a “pleasure trip,” but since Elina herself has no intention of hiding it, I can only obey.
It’s likely that we’ll run into trouble, but if Elina fights, I’ll have more opportunities to figure out the secret technique; I don’t think I’ll have any time to look away.
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