Bell's eyes snapped open and he shot up.
"Wha-"
He immediately regretted his decision. He coughed, his throat dry like sand, as everything in his body flared up with pain as his vision became blurry. Almost falling down backwards, he felt two pairs of arms catching his back before gently putting him back down.
"Whoa there, chill down." Solaris leaned over him, frowning deeply just like Haruhime. "You won, remember?"
Wearily, Bell blinked as he tried to recall the events. He dual charged Argonaut on both of his offensive spells, something he barely managed to pull off in training. After that things got... vague. He somewhat recalled closing the distance fast enough somehow and used both spells to hit.
"B-Barely... " He hissed as he rubbed his right temple. "Ah, my head... "
"By the way, your opponent lived. Dunno how you feel about that," Solaris commented. Bell couldn't help but sigh in relief. Whether or not the man deserved it, which was an entirely different question, Bell wasn't exactly looking forward to his death. And perhaps there was more to this entire debacle than he first thought. At least that was the impression he had from their battle. Perhaps he was just imagining things, but there could have been some good in Diego. Of course it was overshadowed by his actions, which were entirely unforgivable but... Bell figured it wasn't as black and white as he thought it would be. Anyway, he noticed something was off, as he compared his current state with his state just before the end of the battle. Noticing his frown, Haruhime cleared her throat and played with her hair nervously with her non broken hand.
"W-We wanted to give you some potions, but Kojiro said... "
They all turned to the swordsman, kneeling on the ground with closed eyes. Taking a deep breath, he broke out of his meditative state and smiled politely at his student with a nod.
"I didn't want to take the choice from you." At Bell's confused expression he twirled his hand at him as he rose to his feet. "Do you want healing, or do you think you can pick up the slack in case I lose?"
His eyes widened. His first instinct was asking why Kojiro was joking like that, since there was no way he'd lose. But then he paused, looking down as he contemplated on his words. He couldn't just act on his emotions. Arrogance was the death of heroes after all. There was always the off chance for Kojiro to lose, against an opponent that was just a bad match up. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. If the swordsman worried like that, who was he to deny him? He didn't think he'd put up much of a fight even with a bit of rest, but if it put Kojiro's worries to rest...
"...Just in case. It's just a headache... " Bell forced a smile, trying to ignore the exhaustion and twitches his body and mind suffered. Naturally the girls were not impressed by his words, both giving him flat looks as they crossed their arms, hissing themselves due to their own injuries.
"And broken ribs."
"And cuts."
Kojiro chuckled as Bell winced at the blunt words. He patted the young man's back, looking more relaxed than before.
"If young master says he can take it, he can take it."
"I can heal with Kojiro when he wins," Bell added with a determined nod. Kojiro paused for a moment before his features softened up as he shook his head.
"Hahaha, what a heavy command." His smile disappeared and all that was left was determination as he bowed at them. "Leave it to me."
/
Emotions in the Twilight Mansion were mixed to say the least. While most were in the middle of their own high of celebrations for Bell having won, worried about the fact he didn't take any potions at all, the most prevalent emotion against all odds was...
"What's with that Radiance hussie?!" Hestia shouted as she leaned forward, her hands on the table, growling at the screen as she watched that knight lady innocently take her seat once more. Everyone asw how she carried Bell and seemed rather intimate with him, which was a hell of a surprise for everyone. Ryuu put her hand on the deity's shoulder and pushed her back down with a crown.
"Have some more respect for her." She took a deep breath before narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. "Still, she was acting a bit shameless."
"Jealous Bell got the attention of another beautiful woman?"
"Not at all!"
Kaguya and the other girls gave her a flat look at her outburst, one shared by some of the other Loki members as well. She shrunk down, face blushing before she pulled her mask up.
"...Is he a gigolo... ?"
The room turned into dead silence as they all snapped their heads at Aiz. She hugged her legs, frowning at the screen as well. Riveria cleared her throat before politely smiling into the room while the temperature dropped immensely.
"Whoever taught her that word, meet me in my office after this is over."
No room for objections. By the end of the day, the culprit would meet their doom. Finn laughed awkwardly before coughing into his fist. Crossing his arm, he hummed thoughtfully as he stared at Kojiro.
"So the next will be the illustrious record holder. If he's anything like his companions, this should be good."
"Companions?" Raul asked, causing Gareth to raise an eyebrow at that before gesturing at the screens.
"The seventh throne, the skull mark. Kinda obvious, don't you think, lad?"
Some others slowly tilted their heads with crossed arms, making surprised noises as they saw it too. Ignoring all that, Alise shrugged at Finn.
"Oh, he's definitely strong." She pressed her lips together with a small frown."Still worried though."
Eris Familia didn't seem to be scared of him at all. Was it just ignorance or something else? Not to mention how only Danos and Lulope were tending to their unconscious captain. The rest were utterly apathetic. She shared a look with her Familia before they all nodded. They must have been recent additions at best. Maybe they overestimated Eris' autonomy in her actions one way or the other. Not wanting to look to suspect, Kaguya crossed her legs as she joined in the conversation.
"I cannot say we ever saw him fight seriously. Sparring only shows that much."
"I hear a but, hag," Bete said. Kaguya glanced at him with a scoff before crossing her arms.
"But... I can say for sure that my wins against him are only because of a gap in stats, not skill."
Naturally most veterans in the room openly gaped at her. Most only knew that the top class adventurers were strong, what with superior status and what not, but only a few truly comprehend the skill that came with it. Kaguya was arguably the most skilled in swordsmanship and martial arts in her Familia. Of course there were other factors, like Alise's own instincts and talent giving her more wins, if only a few more, and Arash was a beast on his own, as well as completely different. But the Loki Familia knew that in terms of skill, Kaguya gave Aiz and Finn a hard time in that area. Tione was the one who spoke for everyone as she whistled, a small intrigued smile on her face as she leaned forward in anticipation like everyone else.
"Geez, where do those monsters keep coming from... ?"
Naturally it was at this point the commentators caught everyone's attention yet again as Hlokk jumped up, playfully as she winked at the audience.
"Match Point! To believe the weaker Familia could push back veterans like that! It only makes this fight so much more exciting! If Eris wins this match, Hestia's only card left is a very exhausted and injured Bell Cranel! If Hestia wins this, they have fulfilled their prophecy of an absolute victory!"
"From the Hestia Familia... ! Their last member!"
And just like before, the rest of the speech was left to someone else. Or rather several someones. The individuals on their thrones rose, all of them. Hans Christian Andersen adjusted his glasses before his deep voice echoed in the air as he raised a single finger up.
"I ask of you. Who is the strongest swordsman in history? Past, present and future?" He paused on purpose, letting the question sink in for everyone before continuing on with a deep breath. "Perhaps it is one of the knights of Fianna, heroes of the Pallum? Is it the Sword Champion, the one who has harmed the One Eyed Dragon, Albert Waldstein? Or would it be the King of Orario? The Sword Princess? Some might even consider the Royal Gale or the Senbonzakura. And then there's the Radiance herself."
Romulus Quirinus hit his own chest, shaking his head with a smirk. At the same time, a figure emerged from the side of Hestia, slowly moving forward.
"Wrong! Wrong and wrong again! Compared to him, they all amount to nothing when it comes to the art of the blade!"
Penthesilea Themyscira spread her arms open, smiling playfully as she roared into the heavens. The individual grabbed upon his cloak and threw it off, revealing Kojiro with a smile as the symbol that tied him with the referees fluttered through the wind.
"In isolation, he honed his craft! Alone, he fought but a single swallow! And yet! Despite all Common Sense dictating that this should have not sufficed to explain his power! He rejected reality itself!"
"His secret technique, Tsubame Gaeshi! His ability to make his style unreadable! His unique blade, the Monohoshizao! His supernatural insight of the flow of battle! All those are just mere factors to what makes his genius!"
Sakamoto Ryoma's loud words as he adjusted his head were supported by Sakamoto Oryou's own voice, with her own words as she held her baby, surprisingly quiet.
"He who is of Infinity! He who took a glimpse into the Kaleidoscope and took something from it! The only one who can rival the Void itself!"
Kojiro grabbed the handle of his massive sword before pulling it out, almost too slow, as if teasing the audience itself.
"He may be nameless! He may be nothing but a phantom in human history! But no one can doubt that he is indeed a Heroic Spirit!"
Artoria Pendragon's held her sword by its handle, its blade embedded into the ground. Yet her smile radiated warmth and approval for the next individual. Kojiro's grip tightened on the blade as he raised it to the air with his right hand, that massive hunk of steel.
"Servant Assassin! The Swallow Slayer of Hestia Familia and the record holder!"
Arash Kamangir paused. Then, all six of them at once, broke the heavens themselves with their scream while pointing at the warrior in the middle of the field.
"Sasaki Kojiro!"
It was just a simple motion. Slowly cutting through the air before holding the blade in both his hands. The blade pointed at his imaginary opponent, his stance resembling what was called "kasumi no kamae" in the Far East. But that simple motion was more than enough to show off his level to those who knew their martial arts. The body control that bordered perfection. No wasted movement, as every fiber of his flesh seemed to move in sync. Some martial aligned gods, like Hachiman, perked up in interest.
"And now! Of the Eris' side!"
"That person has no na-"
Suddenly, the usual routine was broken. Before the commentators could even remotely start their speeches, their way to hype up the audience, something shot out in a blur. Already, Kojiro moved, swinging his sword sideways. The next instance, after the dust cloud exploded on the Eris' side, the bandaged man was far behind Kojiro. The swordsman himself slightly turned his body, to reveal the wide cut across his cheek. The mysterious man flexed his shoulder, ignoring the cut inflicted on it himself with a guttural sound that resembled a beast laughing.
In an instance, the audience exploded in outrage.
"Oh my, a sudden sneak attack!"
"I could barely see it, but the Swallow Slayer's opponent was aiming for his very face with fingers that resembled claws! Only to sway back at the last second, stopping his own attack to focus on dodging!"
"What, you're telling me the very air did that cut on Kojiro's face?!"
"Perhaps, I could not see it!"
People objected. Demanded justice. Some even figured that since Kojiro seemed to be their friends, the referees would easily side with him. But instead, Penthesilea's words shocked them all as she raised her thumb with a smirk.
"I allow it!"
"On whose side is that muscle head on?!" Hestia shouted, tearing at her own hair. Yet the queen of amazons said nothing else.
After all, one did not get a warning in true battle. This? This suited her just fine. Kojiro widened his stance, exhaling as his enemy began to roll his shoulder as if starting up a machine. Leaning forward, it resembled a man turned animal, burning with bloodlust and anticipation. Kojiro chuckled, raising an eyebrow at that.
"My, is this personal?"
No words were exchanged. Instead the monster roared and closed the distance immediately. The record holder sighed before smirking himself, his blade already moving.
"I take that as a yes!"