Mizuki raised his hand and gently patted her head.
“It is okay, Haruhime.”
“Just come with me, you will get to see a good show.”
Haruhime stared blankly, unable to detect even a trace of tension in Mizuki’s eyes.
Could it be that Lord Mizuki actually had a chance of winning?
For some reason, her anxious heart truly settled down, and she quietly followed Mizuki down the stairs.
When they arrived in the yard, they found it was far more lively than before.
Dozens of people stood around, most of whom had not been present the previous night.
Even having watched the anime, Mizuki could not place every single face.
Whispers broke out among the crowd the moment they saw Mizuki, especially from the rougher-looking members.
Although he could not make out their exact words, judging from Kaguya’s sullen expression, they were definitely discussing the duel.
“Mizuki, I am the referee today.”
Lyra walked up to Mizuki, spreading her arms wide.
“Since I am the referee, it is my duty to introduce you to Kaguya’s family, the elite members of the Astraea Familia.”
Mizuki had to admit that from his perspective, Lyra created quite a striking silhouette.
The elite adventurers of the Astraea Familia stood behind Lyra’s outstretched arms, their gazes fixed entirely on Mizuki.
It was quite an imposing sight.
However, Kaguya’s sharp rebuke broke the tension.
“Lyra, stop spouting nonsense, and quit playing the referee.”
Lyra did not bother arguing.
Resting her hands on her hips, she stepped in front of the line and began introducing them one by one.
“Captain Alise and Ryu, you already know them, so I will skip those two.”
She first pointed to a tall werewolf girl who radiated a wild aura.
“This is Neze Rankett, our most reliable level 3 warrior. By the way, she is not glaring at you out of hostility, she is just trying to think of an alias for you.”
Next, her finger moved toward an elven girl with green hair, spectacles, and a grimoire held close to her chest.
“Celty Srowa, an elf like Ryu, a level 3 mage and our mobile library. Even though she is only a teenager, she is as knowledgeable as an antique.”
Following the line, a petite dwarf girl waved at Mizuki.
“This is Asta Knox. Even though this girl is shorter than me, she is a level 3 heavy vanguard and our strongest shield.”
“Just a tip, never share a meal with her, or you will end up starving.”
Then, Lyra’s eyes fell on a woman with a gentle demeanor and a figure that could rival a goddess.
“Maryuu Speer, a level 3 healer. She is our gentle, understanding big sister. Whenever you feel down, chatting with her always helps.”
An Amazon warrior with defined muscle tone and ornate makeup stood with her arms crossed, eyeing Mizuki.
“Iska Bra, level 3. Her fists hit like sledgehammers, but she has a soft heart and the best cosmetic skills in the familia. You will never need that, Mizuki, but Haruhime certainly can make use of it.”
Lyra pointed to two more human girls.
“Ryana Reed, our familia’s most powerful level 3 mage. She comes from a prestigious magical lineage, possessing slender limbs and a bountiful figure.”
“And Noin Uniec, a level 3 vanguard.”
Hearing Lyra’s rundown, Mizuki felt an inward sense of awe.
It was only natural.
Half of the adventurers in Orario never even reached level 2.
Yet the Astraea Familia boasted over ten level 3 members.
While their peak strength could not match the Loki Familia or Freya Familia, they definitely stood at the top of the second tier, rivaling even the Ganesha Familia.
Standing before so many seasoned adventurers, Mizuki and Haruhime felt the weight of their combined presence.
Haruhime turned pale, instinctively stepping behind Mizuki.
A wave of distress and quiet frustration rose within her chest.
Why was this happening?
Even knowing this duel was heavily skewed, they still gathered such a large crowd to watch.
Were they treating them like a sideshow?
Mizuki, however, remained unfazed.
Winning meant securing a future, but what if he lost?
Well, as long as Kaguya fought by the rules, he would not lose.
“Come on now, do not be intimidated just because there are many of us,” Captain Alise chimed in, dispelling Mizuki’s worries.
“Do not worry, we are the Astraea Familia, defenders of justice. We are just here for the fun, and no one will play favorites.”
“That is right, go for it, Mizuki, I love a good underdog story.”
“If you win, I will cook for you for a whole month.”
“See, that is our Astraea Familia, always standing on the side of justice.”
“Let us get to it, beat Kaguya this morning, and head to the wedding chamber by nightfall.”
Laughter spread through the courtyard.
The atmosphere turned welcoming as the girls cheered Mizuki on.
“You guys, seriously…”
Kaguya glared back at her companions, irritated.
Ever since they learned about the marriage proposal yesterday, they had not stopped teasing her, and now they were not even bothering to hide it.
At that moment, Astraea stepped forward gracefully in her pure white dress.
“Mizuki, since you have chosen to stay, you must accept this trial.”
“Therefore, I shall stand as witness in the name of justice.”
“I have fully sealed Kaguya’s falna this morning. She now stands with only the physical limits of an ordinary human, backed by her years of combat experience. While absolute equality is impossible, you have already accepted these terms, Mizuki.”
“With that, I declare this match officially open.”
“I specialize in the long katana. As for you, use a weapon or go barehanded, it makes no difference to me,” Kaguya said, holding a wooden blade with a stoic look.
“I will use a sword.”
For this impromptu match, Lyra had already laid out various training weapons.
All of them were wooden practice tools.
Mizuki selected a simple straight sword.
Though Sasaki Kojiro used an oversized nodachi to execute the Tsubame Gaeshi, Mizuki’s rewarded mastery allowed him to wield both katanas and straight swords interchangeably.
He simply preferred the feel of a sword.
“A standard sword?”
“I have no idea what you are planning, but you do not look like someone trained in the blade.”
Seeing Mizuki take his stance, Kaguya shifted her weight.
“In that case, this will end in a single strike.”
She wanted to wrap up this whole ordeal as quickly as possible.
Before the sound of her voice faded, her body blurred into a swift dash, closing the gap between them.
Without any flashy theatrics, she drove forward with a clean, linear thrust.
Her target was the wrist holding his wooden weapon.
A strike like that would instantly disarm him, bringing an immediate conclusion to the match.
Mizuki appeared unmoving, seemingly unable to process Kaguya’s rapid attack.
“It is over, Kaguya really did not hold back,” Alise muttered under her breath.
Ryu watched with steady eyes.
The outcome felt entirely predictable.
Even stripped of her status, Kaguya’s refined swordsmanship was far beyond the reach of an ordinary civilian.
So it truly was impossible, was this the limit of his resolve, Ryu thought.
Asta stuffed a bite of snack into her cheek, mumbling, “Even at the same physical strength, I would barely be able to brace against that thrust with a heavy shield.”
“Oh, poor thing, his wrist is going to hurt,” Maryuu murmured with sympathy.
“What a letdown, I was hoping for some kind of miracle,” Isika sighed, crossing her arms in disappointment over the one-sided finish.
Celty adjusted the frame of her glasses without a word, her expression confirming what she had expected all along.
Neze tilted her head, calling out, “Aww, down already, let us alias him One-Hit Wonder.”
“Lord Mizuki,” Haruhime cried out, shielding her eyes with both hands.
Closing in on her mark, Kaguya showed no hesitation.
“It seems your sprint last night was driven purely by panic.”
“Give up your stubborn hopes, I will make this swift so you do not suffer.”
Mizuki did not hear a single word she said.
In fact, he was entirely caught off guard.
Kaguya was fast.
She moved so quickly that his vision struggled to track her, making it impossible to read the trajectory of her wooden blade, let alone formulate a conscious parry.
Mastering a martial art was far different from running, and executing it for the very first time felt jarring.
Yet, his body reacted before his mind could.
It was pure, subconscious muscle memory.
The technique granted by the system had already been engraved into the very fiber of his being.
The muscles in Mizuki’s forearm tightened, his wrist twisting at a sharp, unnatural angle as he drew his wooden sword upward from below, meeting her thrust with pinpoint precision.
A sharp crack echoed through the courtyard.
The clean impact rang out with startling clarity.
What had just happened?
Kaguya’s decisive strike had been intercepted effortlessly by Mizuki.
All the playful jeers, side chatter, and cheers ground to a sudden halt at the sound of the wooden collision.
Alise blurted out in utter disbelief, “He parried it? Kaguya’s focused thrust was deflected by an ordinary civilian?”
Ryu stood frozen.
Just a second ago, Mizuki looked like a complete novice, yet in the face of Kaguya’s blinding strike, he had executed a breathlessly precise counter.
The angle, the timing, everything about that parry had been flawless.
Had he been concealing his real strength all along?
No, Mizuki was definitely not an adventurer, that fact could not be faked.