[Infinity Arena Final – Match 5]
[Battlefield: Bamboo Forest]
[vs AT Kelberos (Dark Knight)]

I thought that putting my sword down for a moment would help, but the uncomfortable feeling lingered.

The sensation rising from the hilt of the sword was vivid, and at the same time, I felt an unpleasantness enveloping my arm. As I walked through the tranquil bamboo forest, each exhale carried a hint of gloom.

At least, I wasn’t having as severe an episode as earlier. Maybe the gravity of this final match was helping me maintain some composure. Well, as long as it didn’t affect my fighting, I didn’t care what happened to me.

There was an inexplicable tightness in my chest. Even deep breaths did nothing to calm me down—I even considered making a small cut on my forearm. But I held back.

A commotion arose from the other side of the silent bamboo grove. The pounding hooves of a galloping horse struck the ground, faster and with more force than before.

[You are affected by ‘Burning Malevolence’.]
[Damage dealt to the caster is increased by 10%, and damage received is increased by 15%.]
[This effect does not stack.]

A knight in heavy armor on horseback charged without hesitation—Kelberos. His attack, with its combined speed and mass, was not just powerful but destructive. Even without the weapon striking me directly, the sheer force of the air around him was enough to gauge his strength.

The dark steed he used as mere transport until now was clad in barding. The amount of magic flowing from it was considerable, and it seemed he had abandoned his usual endurance-based strategy. He had switched his weapon to a halberd, better suited for mounted combat. This must have been Kelberos’s last resort.

He was in good spirits. Rage radiated from his spear, but it was so cold that it chilled the air around him, like a wounded beast snarling low.

“Good. You’ve picked a difficult weapon to face as a swordsman.”

I was glad.

At least clashing weapons improved my mood somewhat. I hoped his attack was strong enough to make my arms ache from blocking it.

But no matter how strong an attack is, if it doesn’t hit the target, it’s useless. Without precise control, his power would dissipate.

There was no need to meet it head-on. As long as his weapon didn’t reach me, that was enough. When power is behind an attack, it’s hard to change its trajectory mid-course, making it easier to deflect to the side.

Or… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if we both bled. Right now, I could handle some pain.

“Hnnngh…”

A sweet, metallic taste filled my mouth, and a warm, tingling sensation rose in my throat. My instincts kicked in, knocking his spear shaft away. I aimed to stab his horse, but killing a mounted knight barehanded isn’t easy. Before Kelberos could reengage, I tapped my ear with the hilt of my sword.

“Quiet down, Mom. Your son’s in the middle of a match. I’ll sob and grovel later, so please let me focus now. Yes, I love you too.”

As those bitter emotions gnawed at my chest, Kelberos charged in again, filled with wrath.

A clean, downward slash. I thought I had blocked it well, but the force behind his spear was far beyond what I expected. The impact pressed my sword against my shoulder, nearly causing me harm.

“Ah.”
“Focus! If I have honored you, it’s only right that you show me the same respect!”
“That’s… true.”

A command to look at him—to focus solely on the match.

No one’s words had ever penetrated my delusions before. But today, I felt as if cold water had been splashed over my entire body. The nameless discomfort clinging to my skin seemed to wash away.

Not that it was completely gone, but my mind had been distorted for so long. As soon as reason had a foothold, clear thinking became possible.

I realized I’d been disrespectful. He was fighting with all his strength, while I had been distracted. That was the thing I despised the most.

I had always spoken more roughly:
“You bastard! You got distracted just now, didn’t you? Do you think I’m that easy?”
“Well… that wasn’t my intention. Sorry.”
“Again. This time it’ll be different. Dammit.”
“Hey! Who curses during practice?”
“I’m sorry!”

Back when I was first stopped by a wall, I had stubborn pride despite being thoroughly beaten. I often got scolded by my master for the harshness of my words.

The skill gap was immense. I knew from the start that I didn’t stand a chance, but I kept training with him out of sheer stubbornness. And now, Kelberos was charging at me with that same determination.

That inferiority complex—or perhaps competitive spirit—was more than welcome. It felt as if I was transported back to those days, almost like I had returned to that time. For the first time since my legs gave out, I could focus on wielding my sword properly.

“He’s coming. Should I block and aim for his waist?”

The motion was familiar. I deflected his descending attack to the side, breaking his sword path upon impact.

Since Kelberos was on horseback, he was higher than usual. I targeted his leg resting in the stirrup. My horizontal slash left a faint afterimage in the air.

A clean hit. As the blade withdrew, blood spattered onto the dirt. I missed my follow-up strike intended for his horse’s leg, but I hadn’t counted on it to begin with.

“That’s… better than before.”
“Is that so? Glad to hear it.”

Even while being pushed back, he remained arrogant. It reminded me so much of my former self that I found it almost nostalgic.

Kelberos choosing mounted combat wasn’t a tactical mistake. It was a skill honed over a long time, likely a trump card he had kept hidden for the right moment.

But he was facing me.

The first wall I encountered in kendo wasn’t my friend—it was my master. He was a giant even when I wasn’t small. I was only in middle school then, and the sheer force he wielded left a lasting impression.

“Wait, you just overpowered me! Isn’t that cheating?”
“You should have figured out another way if you couldn’t stop it. Think of it as valuable experience fighting against overwhelming strength.”

I never imagined that experience would come full circle to be used now. My kendo journey began with learning to handle power.

I deflected his halberd, aiming to catch the moment when our blades brushed. I slipped my sword into the curved part of his spearhead, entangling our weapons and pulling his body forward.

In real life, I would have to give up, but this was a game. If I lacked strength, I could just create it.

[With strength to uproot mountains and spirit to cover the world─]
[You are affected by the ‘Strength that Uproots Mountains, Spirit that Covers the World’ effect.]
[You will take continuous fixed damage until stamina is depleted, while all stats…]

It was a common desperation skill among warrior classes. Sacrificing life force for strength—I braced by gripping the back of the blade.

If I couldn’t hold my ground, I’d just be dragged along. But Kelberos, perched on his horse, had nowhere to go when our strengths reversed, and he was pulled off his mount.

“Let’s end this here!”
“Hah…!”

He was quick to recover, as expected. But it didn’t matter. Even at full strength, I wasn’t someone he could block.

Sparks flew from our clashing weapons. I twisted his spear shaft aside, pushing in and piercing his armor. I grabbed his shield and forced it open.

Now, with an exposed defense, I put all my strength into my sword.

Even before I could process it, my body moved. Instinctively, my sword found his waist, then his head. Driven by primal instinct, I reached his neck, heart, and vital organs.

As I stepped closer, Kelberos’s spear crashed onto my shoulder.

“One day… we will meet again. It won’t be the same then.”
“Yes, let’s.”

He struck with all his remaining strength, magic draining as his spear connected. My right shoulder cracked under the impact.

But that was it. The spearhead that should have landed was off its mark, and the misplaced energy scattered like wind. The bamboo grove quivered, but my sword remained steady.

I shoved Kelberos’s body off with my left hand. His form slumped against a sturdy bamboo stalk, my sword leaving a red trail as it pierced his waist.

[Victory Achieved.]
[All matches are complete.]