Chapter 5 – A Fun, Fun Match

Once again, a slender sword flew through the air, drawing a sharp arc with a kiin sound.

Everyone was stunned, watching it.

Among the Omegas, Baron Neiny Rizen’s son was by far the best candidate. That’s why he was the top contender for the crown prince’s first fiancée.

But he lost easily, and everyone was genuinely shocked.

Until now, Oryuga’s opponents had mostly been weak Omegas, and everyone believed no one could match Neiny’s skill. Many thought he fought well. Some even arrogantly thought they’d comfort Neiny if he lost…

“Huh? When did you use magic?”

Oryuga tilted their head in confusion.

There was no time to use it. At the start, Neiny did try to cast magic—he was going to wrap the sword in wind to increase speed and boost his leg strength for a quick strike.

But before he could, Oryuga’s sword knocked Neiny’s away.

“Ha, hahaha.”

Laughter rang out. Neiny was stunned because the one laughing was the king’s younger brother.

He was a handsome man with platinum blond hair and deep blue eyes, very much like Crown Prince Narish. His name was Norgi Cafinolua, half-brother to King Aninagarte and uncle to Narish.

Norgi was also an Alpha and a target for political alliances. At twenty-seven, he was the head of the Magic Corps.

Neiny was internally panicking. There was no way the king’s younger brother would appear unless the main character had mastered magic to some degree.

Norgi shows up only if Neiny wins the tournament by skillfully using magic and increasing his magical ability.

But Neiny didn’t win. He couldn’t even use magic in the last match.

Why!? How!?

And why was Norgi walking over to Oryuga!?

While Neiny stood dumbfounded, the two began to talk.

“You’re strong.”

Norgi smiled as he spoke to Oryuga.

Oryuga looked up at the suddenly appearing prince in surprise. Alphas tended to be tall, and while Oryuga’s height was average for an Omega, they still looked small compared to most Alphas.

“Thank you?”

Oryuga thought it was a compliment and replied politely.

“Have you ever fought against an Alpha before?”

Norgi asked casually, and Oryuga answered straightforwardly:

“No.”

Norgi touched his chin thoughtfully.

“Want to spar with me a bit?”

Oryuga’s eyes widened. They had been disappointed by the boring fight against Neiny.

With sparkling eyes, Oryuga nodded eagerly. Norgi smiled, his eyes shining.

Oryuga wore protective gear—chest, elbow, and knee guards—but asked if they could take them off.

“You might get hurt.”

“It’s hard to move with them on.”

Norgi was the head of the Magic Corps. Skilled in magic, he didn’t need armor because he could cast protective barriers on himself. So, it was a bit strange for an Omega like Oryuga to fight without armor.

“Narish, put a barrier on them for me.”

Crown Prince Narish quietly watched the scene but nodded when Norgi asked and cast a protective barrier on Oryuga.

“Wow, thank you.”

Oryuga smiled brightly, and Narish returned the smile with a slight nod.

“Alright, let’s start.”

At Norgi’s signal, Oryuga bowed politely.

“Nice to meet you.”

Then they lunged forward.

Oryuga silently closed the distance, but Norgi easily blocked with his sword. Though Norgi was a magic corps commander, he also fought with a sword. He had just taken the seat of the corps commander.

“You’re fast.”

If it were a normal magic user, they wouldn’t be able to react in time. On a real battlefield, Oryuga would be cut down instantly.

The clashing swords echoed quietly in the arena. The other matches paused, and everyone gathered to watch Oryuga versus Norgi.

No cheers or jeers disturbed the silence as everyone held their breath.

Norgi’s sword was strong and heavy. Oryuga’s was light and fast. Everyone thought Oryuga didn’t stand a chance because of the power difference and slender build—Oryuga looked only half the size of Norgi.

“So this is an Alpha? Pretty strong.”

Oryuga grunted but looked lively and happy.

“Just so you know, not many can beat me just because they’re Alphas.”

“Oh, right, you’re the head of the Magic Corps.”

Norgi laughed easily without getting annoyed.

As Oryuga’s sword quickly struck, Norgi blocked it, and the calm conversation continued.

“When you graduate, want to join my corps?”

“What happens if I join?”

“You go to the battlefield.”

“…Oh.”

Oryuga’s delicate face twisted into a sly smile.

“Hey, can I try this?”

Oryuga used a newly learned spell.

Norgi instinctively cast multiple layers of defense magic.

Oryuga’s sword movements and trajectory didn’t change, but the sword got heavier.

“!?”

A different, heavier metallic clashing sound rang out.

“Ah, you blocked it.”

Oryuga laughed, clearly having fun. Alphas really are tough, huh?

“Ugh!!”

A harsh grinding sound rang out as the edges of both swords chipped. Everyone turned pale. No one understood how someone so thin could deliver such heavy attacks. Even Norgi, who was blocking, looked less confident.

Both swords cracked, and just as Oryuga happily moved to strike, someone stepped in between.

Holding a sword in each hand, they caught both Oryuga’s and Norgi’s swords effortlessly.

Bagiin—a shattering sound as both swords broke.

“!!”

“…Damn!”

Narish’s deep blue eyes were on Oryuga.

“That’s enough. The training swords can’t take any more.”

Oryuga landed with a spin after being knocked back by the heavy strike.

“Sorry, I got carried away.”

Norgi apologized, and Narish smiled quietly, sheathing his sword.

After a while, the students started whispering excitedly. What was that? Was it a performance, or was Oryuga really that strong?

Oryuga was looking intently at the broken sword, their red eyes blinking curiously.

“Oryuga.”

Narish called out. Oryuga tilted their head and trotted over. Their adorable face made it hard to believe they just fought like that.

“What kind of magic did you use just now?”

“Hm? Gravity.”

Gravity… Narish thought for a moment and then sheathed his sword, using magic to amplify the gravity around it.

“Like this?”

“Yeah, but if you don’t protect the sword, it’ll break quickly.”

“Right. Oryuga’s sword is delicate, made for Omegas. It lasted well.”

Oryuga’s sword was protected by magic, while Norgi’s was bare-handed. That’s why they both broke.

What Oryuga did sounded simple, but it was hard in practice. They had to protect the sword, increase gravity, and strengthen their body all at once. Narish was shielding Oryuga’s body, but the physical strengthening was Oryuga’s own doing. They had to cast multiple spells simultaneously and adjust them while fighting—without speaking a word. And Oryuga was also skilled with the sword.

“Maybe you need a stronger sword?”

Oryuga asked as if deciding between a ring or a brooch for cuteness. Their red eyes were pure and innocent, like the color of refreshing tea, but their mind was that of a battle fiend.

“I’ll give you a sword that can handle heavy magic next time.”

That was called a magic sword and was hard to get.

Oryuga’s eyes widened and sparkled.

“Really!?”

Oryuga was happier about the magic sword than a big jewel, making Narish smile warmly.

Without thinking of what that sword would mean, Oryuga cheered, then suddenly collapsed.

“Huh…?”

Narish caught Oryuga just in time.

The faint scent of tea floated, and Narish’s expression stiffened.

“…Hah. Are you serious?”

Narish wanted to ask “About what?” but felt his strength fading fast. The crown prince’s voice sounded distant.

“Ninreney!”

Narish called out in an unusual hurry. Normally calm and relaxed, his voice now carried worry.

I was being held by Crown Prince Narish. I asked what happened to Prince Norgi, who had been fighting earlier.

The voices of the two princes and their older brother were talking about heat cycles. That’s when I remembered I’d felt feverish all morning.

The excitement from fighting made me forget.

I thought the desire from heat cycles was similar to the adrenaline of fighting for life on the battlefield as I drifted off to sleep.