Bell's POV
I fixed my gaze on the young man ahead of me, Hyacinthus. He hadn't noticed me yet, holding his wavy sword, the Flamberge, as he surveyed his surroundings cautiously.
The throne tower he'd been in earlier had its upper half blown away by the Firebolt, powered by my Argonaut: Heroic Desire skill. Despite this, he remained unscathed. I had no idea how he survived. Bodies of his presumed guards were scattered around us, lying motionless. I doubt any of them were fatally struck, but I couldn't be certain.
I hadn't expected to defeat him with that single strike. But to see him without a scratch, honestly, it stung a little.
Shaking off my disappointment, I pulled out and downed the dual-attribute recovery potion Dual Potion that Naaza had given me. Even so, the backlash from Argonaut left my body feeling heavy. I didn't have the stamina for a prolonged fight.
Under normal circumstances, retreating now would be the smart move. He hadn't noticed me yet, so I could escape unnoticed, regroup with Welf and Mikoto, and face him together.
But that wouldn't mean anything. Everyone who supported me, the people watching this battle unfold in Orario, and even myself, none of us would be satisfied unless I settled this fight with him on my own.
Above all, I had made a promise.
"I'll take care of everyone else in the group except Hyacinthus."
"That's why I'll fight him, for Toki as well."
Drawing two crimson daggers, Ushiwakamaru and Ushiwakamaru II, a blade crafted by Welf after he became a high-class blacksmith, I steadied my breathing and sprinted toward Hyacinthus.
He noticed me as I charged, whirling around and swinging his Flamberge. My dagger collided with his sword, sending sparks flying.
That strike, Toki would've nailed it.
I didn't stop moving. Circling around him, I delivered quick, slashing attacks with my two blades. Hit-and-run tactics, leveraging my agility. His strength outclassed mine, but I was faster.
"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded.
I didn't have the energy to answer his questions. Exhaustion from my earlier efforts left no room for banter.
"I'm Level 3, damn it!" he shouted, following up with a forceful slash. I parried it with Ushiwakamaru II, cutting through his Flamberge.
As he reached for a backup dagger, I seized the opening, bombarding him with a relentless series of attacks. On my ninth strike, he finally managed to draw his weapon and block.
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Too slow.
I kicked things up a notch, increasing my speed. Just that slight adjustment overwhelmed him.
He's terrible, I realized. Worse than Toki. Worse than Ais.
Training with Ais and Tiona had taught me the gap between me and my rival. Toki was already better than those two top-tier adventurers. If Toki and Ais were on equal footing in terms of stats, Toki would win. He was just that skilled.
Even so, I wouldn't give up.
Toki may still be stronger now, I'll admit that. But I'll grow, become even stronger, until one day I can proudly stand as his equal and call myself his friend.
"Which is why I can't stop here!"
I pushed myself further, ignoring the screams of my body in protest.
"UOOOOOOHHH!" Hyacinthus roared, slamming his dagger into the ground.
A shockwave erupted from the impact, accompanied by a burst of wind and a cloud of debris. I dashed into the swirling dust, ignoring the fragments pelting my body, charging toward Hyacinthus as he retreated. His face, once twisted with desperation, now reflected shock.
He likely intended to use the shockwave to buy time for a magic spell. I couldn't afford to let him create that distance.
Thankfully, I was faster. For some reason, he holstered his dagger. Victory was within my grasp.
Just as I lunged, a sudden impact from the side threw me off balance. It was Cassandra, one of the women who had delivered me the invitation to the Divine Banquet.
I stumbled but saw a small figure knock her away, Lili.
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Hyacinthus tried to draw his dagger, but his interrupted chant caused a magical backlash, Ignis Fatuus, halting his movements.
Seizing the moment, I clenched my fist, sheathing my daggers.
It was another promise to Toki:
"If you can, land a full-force punch on Hyacinthus for me."
Planting my foot firmly, I lunged forward.
"Firebolt!"
Magic and momentum collided with his face in a devastating blow, flames roaring as my punch landed. Hyacinthus was flung backward, crashing and tumbling across the ground for nearly 50 meters before coming to a stop.
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The gong echoed through the ruins of the castle.
"Did I… win?"
I stared at his unmoving form, struggling to comprehend my victory. Just days ago, I couldn't have even dreamed of defeating him.
"Bell-sama!" Lili's voice snapped me out of my daze.
"Lili, I won?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion.
Finally, the realization hit me. A smile spread across my face.
"Lili!"
"Yes? Wha—Ah!"
Overcome with emotion, I crouched and hugged her tightly.
"We won! We actually won!"
"Bell-sama, I… can't breathe!"
"Thank you, Lili! It's all thanks to you!"
I poured out my gratitude, laughing as relief and joy flooded my heart.
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