Blades rang out as the Catgirl chanted her Magic.
Compared to Ryuu, Anakitty's Concurrent Chanting was far from polished. Bell had every chance to seize an opening and interrupt her, but he chose not to.
A Magic chant could reveal a person's inner thoughts. Since this was a simulated battle, learning a little more about this adorable Catgirl was only natural.
"Spill it."
Anakitty swung her one-handed sword as she sang her Magic.
"Set aside the pride of the shield, and wield the grace of the sword."
"Split open the walls of the heart, and seize the truth within!"
"Pow Bash!!"
The moment the Magic's name was born, both the longsword and shield in Anakitty's hands were wrapped in light.
One was a high-speed slash enhanced by [Agility]. The other was a fierce blow amplified by [Strength].
Blue and red light intertwined, transforming into a ferocious beast that bared its fangs right in front of the boy.
Yet in the face of that violent onslaught, Bell's thoughts wandered somewhere completely unexpected.
"Anakitty-san, that Magic chant just now... could it be that you're a tsundere?"
"Nya nya nya?! What are you talking about, nya?!!!!"
Amid the Catgirl's near-shrieking protest, shield and longsword fell upon Bell at the same time.
Both the [Agility] and the [Strength] behind them gave the illusion that they could neither be dodged nor blocked.
The lights converged, and with a tremendous roar, dust burst from the center of the arena.
The women watching all frowned.
"...Is it over?"
Alicia stared blankly ahead.
"Should I still chant my Magic as planned?"
Elfy asked softly.
Unlike the other girls, Riveria's lips curved slightly as she fixed her gaze on the center of the dust cloud.
A moment later, the sound of clashing blades rang out once more.
"Bell Cranel... How did he block that?"
Alicia's eyes widened in surprise.
"..."
Riveria suppressed the stir in her heart and silently watched the boy.
Blades flashed. Bell swung his pale blue dagger, deflecting the swift slashes, while his other hand gripped a pitch-black short blade.
Against the thunderous blows of the shield, that short blade caught the openings again and again, forcing Anakitty to shift from offense to defense.
[Goddess's Blade]. Unlike the daggers he had used before, its length had roughly doubled. The blade was pitch-black and translucent, and in Bell's hand, the sacred script engraved along it seemed like bone and sinew filled with crimson blood. What it left behind in the air was no longer a blue-violet arc of light, but a fiery crimson trail.
"I see..."
Riveria murmured softly.
Alicia and the others would never understand what kind of change had taken place in the boy. No, even Anakitty, who was crossing blades with him, probably had no idea why.
Only Riveria, among everyone present, understood the boy's secret.
The weapon in Bell's hand had changed from a dagger to a short blade. At a glance, others might only think his attack range had increased, nothing more.
But Riveria could clearly see it. The boy's technique had improved.
The reasoning was simple. If the same person switched from a dagger to a greatsword, their fighting style would change as well. From a rational perspective, those were completely different weapons, and the techniques required for them varied greatly.
For the boy to use a short blade so skillfully after only a few days, he must have polished techniques for other weapons through harsh training in the past.
Adventurers were supposed to focus on mastering a single weapon. It was the most efficient and safest path. Yet Bell Cranel had brought the techniques of various weapons together, overturning common sense with ease.
The reason the boy had not switched to something like a greatsword was not hard to guess.
Riveria had once seen the God of War, Takemikazuchi. He had relied on the fact that adventurers did not dare harm gods, allowing him to defeat many opponents with martial skill, but Bell had no such protection.
The boy's combat techniques needed support from [Strength], [Agility], and the like. That was why, after growing stronger, he had changed the length of his weapon.
Most likely, as his level rose, the weapon in Bell Cranel's hand would continue to change.
Would that divine weapon that stayed by the boy's side change as well?
Curiosity toward the unknown welled up in Riveria's heart, followed by a faint, bitter twinge of jealousy.
Hiss...
Was she actually jealous of a weapon?
How utterly unreasonable.
"..."
Riveria set aside those complicated thoughts and focused on the battle again.
Steel rang sharply.
Bell could clearly feel that the Goddess's Blade in his hand was in tune with his will.
Perhaps that was why, when the weapon was reforged, it had taken the form he idealized.
For the current Bell, a short blade of moderate length was the best weapon. It made up for the dagger's lack of reach while allowing him to fully make use of the Status he had built up so far.
When he needed a longsword, this weapon would surely change along with his level up.
Bell could faintly sense that every time the [Goddess's Blade] cut through the air, it hummed a beautiful song, as if a dignified, strong young girl were fighting at his side.
The blade danced, leaving crimson arcs across the air.
The instant the Magic's effect faded, Anakitty immediately fell into a disadvantage.
"I underestimated you..."
The Catgirl tightened her grip on her one-handed sword, her arm tingling slightly.
If it were Ais or the others, at her level, they might be able to suppress the current boy without using Magic or Skills.
But Anakitty could not.
She understood all too clearly that he was holding back against her.
"But the battle isn't over yet."
Anakitty gave a faint smile and quickly retreated.
"Have a taste of the cute genius's flame Magic!"
Elfy had already finished her chant.
From her laughter-filled green eyes, several fireballs shot forth like a carefully woven spiderweb, rushing straight toward the boy.
"Firebolt!"
Bell immediately fired his Quick-Cast Magic, canceling out the impact of the fireballs.
Flames erupted, and a tremendous roar sent up an even thicker cloud of smoke.
"That settles it."
Anakitty looked into the depths of the smoke, as if a chessboard were reflected in her black pupils.
She had drawn the boy's attention, letting Elfy chant her Magic in the meantime. Faced with several fireballs that were nearly impossible to dodge, the boy would surely use Quick-Cast Magic to neutralize the attack.
The instant the smoke rose, Alicia's arrow would become the true key to victory.
"Checkmate."
In Anakitty's eyes, the match had reached its end.
Her words sank into the black smoke.
The arrow had been fired from a blind spot. Hidden by the smoke, there was absolutely no way the boy could react in time.
However, the Catgirl never could have imagined it.
The instant the arrow pierced through the smoke, the Goddess's Blade in the boy's hand trembled ever so slightly.