"Are you saying... you want to fight me?"
"Yes!"
What twist of fate led to this encounter at the eleventh hour?
Perhaps it was intuition—the sudden shift in her demeanor, the sharpening of her gaze—that told me I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Without hesitation, I met her eyes and nodded.
"Liberta, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t hold back. That’s the result of dedicating my life to combat—facing every battle with sincerity. I’ve always fought my opponents with everything I have. Whether they were enemies, juniors seeking guidance, adults, or even children—I’ve never discriminated. To me, fighting with full strength is the greatest respect."
The woman I knew was the same. She regarded battle as something sacred.
Not because she was obsessed with fighting—
"I won’t accept any safety measures like Duel Pieces. If we’re doing this, it’s a real fight. As someone who serves the gods, I won’t even allow divine intervention in my battles."
This was a self-imposed creed, a discipline she followed to perfect the art of combat.
When she fought, she never held back.
"So let me be clear. Challenging me means risking injury—or worse, your life. Take back what you said earlier."
She knew her own strength well because she had crushed her opponents without restraint.
"W-Wait, Liberta! What are you saying all of a sudden? Challenging Lady Cudia?!"
Teresa frantically tried to stop me, likely assuming I was just seeking a commemorative duel with a legend.
An ordinary child would’ve cowered under that gaze, backing down in fear. No—even an adult would’ve sensed the weight in her words and given up.
Right now, I could still pass it off as a joke.
But instead, I bowed my head.
"I won’t take it back. Please. Fight me."
"...You seem resolved. Very well. From this moment on, I won’t see you as a child. To refuse a warrior’s challenge would go against my pride."
My determination wasn’t purely noble—part of it was calcution. To escape our current predicament, I had to challenge her now.
But more than that, I needed to test my current strength in this world.
Levels could be compared, but what about technique? Would my combat methods hold up? There were too many things I could only confirm in actual battle.
And for that, I needed to face the strongest named character—her. If I ever encountered an enemy far beyond the recommended level, this experience would become invaluable.
"One hour from now. Come to the western temple square. I’ll be waiting."
With those final words, she left without even finishing her shopping.
---
**"Western Temple."**
"H-Hey, Liberta, are you serious?! That’s Lady Cudia we’re talking about!"
"There’s a chance I can win."
"You’re pnning to WIN?!"
"If I didn’t, she wouldn’t have accepted."
My mind shifted from everyday thoughts to combat mode. This wasn’t the pce to fight.
And by giving me time, she was likely allowing me to prepare.
There was still daylight left.
"Sorry, Nel. I need to hurry back and get my gear. Can you handle unloading the cargo?"
"I’m coming with you!! Mom, take care of the unloading!"
"Eh? You’re really going through with this?"
"If I challenge her and run away, she’ll despise me."
But time was of the essence, so I reluctantly left the unloading to Nel and rushed home.
My knowledge of Cudia’s personality came only from the game. But if I challenged her and fled, my standing in her eyes would plummet beyond recovery.
And it would never recover.
"That’s how it is. I’m heading out."
"W-Wait! I’ll come collect payment ter, Mom!"
"Eh?!"
I sprinted off, with Nel chasing after me, the two of us forming a bizarre sight—a child armed with a weapon and a fox-eared girl in hot pursuit.
---
**"...You’re early."**
"I hurried as much as I could!"
At the destination, Cudia stood waiting, unchanged from before.
Wiping sweat and steadying my breath, I approached. She noticed me and slowly turned.
"As an adult, I didn’t want you to come here. But as a warrior, I welcome your challenge."
This square, managed by the temple, was where the holy knights trained. Not a pce for leisure—the ground was hard-packed from constant use.
"Nel, step back."
"Understood."
This was already a battlefield. Nel, cowed by Cudia’s aura, reluctantly retreated.
The space was decently sized but too cramped for hit-and-run tactics.
"You brought a proper weapon. Good."
She nodded approvingly at the scythe-spear on my back. Cudia, meanwhile, was bare-handed.
But this wasn’t underestimation—her skill build made unarmed combat essential.
"...I suppose no final warning is needed."
Knowing this, I gripped my weapon tightly. My stance was refusal—the st chance to back out, gone.
"I’ve arranged for healers from the temple to be on standby. Don’t hold back."
Her choice of venue was precautionary. The temple had staff ready to mend wounds.
The healers she’d prepared watched from the sidelines, shocked to see a child as her opponent.
Their stares didn’t matter.
As I raised my spear, she slowly shifted into stance.
Then, in an instant, her eyes burned with fighting spirit.
**"—?!"**
My body moved before my mind could react.
"‘Constant readiness for battle’—you understand that mindset well."
There was no signal.
No, the moment she allowed me to ready myself, the battle had already begun.
She closed the distance in a single breath.
A natural choice for a martial artist.
If she got within fist range, I’d lose outright.
So I couldn’t afford to misjudge this first exchange.
**"Hah!"**
The instant she stepped in, I thrust toward her predicted path.
Yet Cudia deflected the spearhead—with her bare hand.
But thanks to her skills—*Iron Fist*, *Adamantine Body*—her flesh might as well have been steel.
If this continued, she’d step in and deliver a single, decisive blow.
*Dragon’s Crawl*, but faster, more refined—a strike with zero wasted motion.
I knew this was coming.
Maintaining the distance between spear and fist was the absolute key to surviving this fight.
Having dodged the first strike, I was already moving—swinging the scythe-bde with *Magic Edge*, aiming to carve through Cudia’s neck in a sweeping ssh.
The battle had begun.
