"Haa... haa... haa...!"
"Huff... huff... huff...!"
Sofia and Lena stood with their swords poised, glaring at each other.
Both were out of breath, their bodies covered in wounds.
They had been fighting at full strength for several minutes.
Yet, the battle was still undecided.
"Ahaha... Sorry. I might have underestimated the Sword Saint a little."
"Did you think you could defeat me easily?"
"Yeah."
"...Having you admit that so honestly is actually kind of irritating."
"Being straightforward is one of my strong points."
"You and that smart mouth of yours..."
Irritated, Sofia felt the urge to strike Lena down immediately.
But she couldn't afford to act recklessly.
Even though she still had a trump card left in reserve…
At this point, she had already used nearly all of her strength.
And yet, she still hadn’t been able to take Lena down—they were evenly matched.
What if Lena had been holding back?
What if she, too, had a hidden trump card?
With that possibility in mind, Sofia couldn’t afford to make a careless move.
"I never expected you to be this strong. Honestly, it's a little surprising. My comrades said the Sword Saint wasn’t a big deal, so I let my guard down. My bad."
"You sound like you’re enjoying yourself."
"Nah, not really. To be honest, I’ve been fighting at almost full power."
"Almost full power"—meaning she hadn't given everything she had yet.
Just like Sofia, Lena was keeping something in reserve.
Once again, charging in recklessly was not an option.
Sofia raised her level of caution against Lena even further.
"Hmm... I think I'm starting to take an interest in you."
"Huh?"
Sofia's face turned pale.
"I-I don't have that kind of preference, though...!"
"Neither do I!? That’s not what I meant!"
Lena hurriedly denied it.
"Not in a romantic way. More like... as a rival. Hardly anyone survives a full-powered fight against me."
"I see... So that's what you meant."
"I enjoy fighting, you know? That's why I’d like to settle this here and now, but..."
Lena’s killing intent sharpened, making Sofia instinctively take a defensive stance.
However, in the next moment, Lena’s bloodlust vanished.
She sheathed her sword.
"For now, my objective is complete. I’ll leave the rest for another time."
"Your objective is complete...?"
It was then that Sofia finally realized something.
The city had been thrown into chaos by the violent thugs wielding magic swords.
But something else was happening—something even more unusual.
A massive pressure emanated from the city center.
At the same time, the roar of a beast echoed through the air.
While still keeping an eye on Lena, Sofia turned her gaze in that direction—
And saw a colossal beast.
"That is...?"
"Heh, looks like everything went well."
"Did you do this!?"
"Yep. No point in hiding it, so I’ll just admit it."
Lena spoke with pride.
"Our goal was simple. Scatter the magic swords, fill the city with negative emotions, and break the seal. At the same time, force the divine beast into a frenzy... then, later, we’ll devour it. That’s pretty much it."
Sofia was overwhelmed with confusion.
Partly because she could barely comprehend what Lena was saying—
But more than that... why?
Why would she openly reveal her true objective?
If that really was her plan, why go out of her way to explain it?
Lena noticed Sofia’s doubt and smirked.
"You, Fate... and that beastkin girl—you all hold quite important positions. If you come to know the truth, you might even join us. That’s why I want you to be aware of certain things. Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to lay it all out for you—that’d be too generous. So, I’ll just leave you with some hints."
"Do you seriously believe I would ever join someone who does something this ridiculous?"
"I do. Once you learn the truth, I think your heart will waver."
"..."
What exactly did Lena know?
What was this "truth" she spoke of?
Sofia thought about it—
Then abandoned the thought.
Instead, she gripped her holy sword tightly.
"Forget hints. You’re going to tell me everything right here and now—by force if necessary!"
"Wait, that’s where your mind goes? Are you some kind of musclehead?"
"How rude. Now I want to cut you down even more."
She decided to use her trump card.
Sofia shot Lena a sharp glare—
But—
"Honestly, I’d love to fight, but sorry—I’ve got a lot to take care of now. See ya."
"Wait!"
Sofia swung her sword at near-sonic speed.
But—her blade never reached Lena.
As if she had been nothing more than an illusion, Lena’s figure vanished.
"She got away..."
Sofia bit her lip lightly.
But she couldn’t afford to stand there in a daze forever.
She quickly refocused and rushed toward the city center—where the massive beast awaited.
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