Fistoa smiled as he spoke. The courteous, restrained demeanor he had shown earlier was now gone.

“You’re speaking so plainly that it feels ridiculous to try to hide anything. It’s true—our real goal is the revival of the hero. So what? Do you have any reason to stop us?”

“The hero themselves, and the one who sealed them, both think it’s too soon. Reviving them for your own selfish gains has no justification!”

“Selfish, you say… Well, we believe we have a cause just as valid.”

“Whatever the case, step away from the hero, immediately. I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

“And what if we refuse? Are you planning to force us?”

“If it comes to that, then yes, I am.”

The conversation had completely broken down. Tension hung in the air, as if a single spark would ignite it into conflict.

“Fine. We have no intention of fighting the Musou Iron Cavalry head-on. How about this? We settle this with a contest. If we win, you step down. If you win, we will.”

“A contest, you say? What kind?”

“A one-on-one duel with Magicrafts. You’ve got some powerful Riders on your side, so this shouldn’t be a bad deal for you.”

“Interesting. I’ll take you up on that.”

Jean accepted the contest far too easily, as if he thought that with me and Arleo II, we’d win no matter who we faced. Sure, I’m confident to some extent, but there’s always someone stronger out there. We can’t afford to be careless.

“So, it’s settled then. I’m counting on you, Yuta.”

“Hey, don’t make decisions on your own! What if they’re stronger than us?”

“I doubt it. But if they are, and you can’t win, there’s no way we could stop them either. It’d be better to face them in a fair duel where we can at least have a chance to stop them.”

I suppose that makes sense…

The preparations for the duel moved quickly. Fistoa would represent the Crimson Cavalry, and I would represent the Musou Iron Cavalry. Word of our battle spread throughout the Kingdom of Amuria, and Yukiha came running, her face pale.

“What’s going on? Why do the Crimson Cavalry and the Musou Iron Cavalry have to fight!? Fistoa said this was just an exchange event—is that true!?”

“Don’t worry. It’s not a lie. The duel is just a mock battle. No one’s going to fight to the death, so relax.”

“Nagisa, is that true?”

Yukiha didn’t seem to trust my words and turned to Nagisa, whom she trusted deeply, for confirmation.

“It’s really not a fight, so don’t worry.”

Nagisa knew everything about the contest, so she understood its purpose. Her reassuring explanation to Yukiha was the result of careful thought, ensuring she neither lied nor caused unnecessary worry.

Finally convinced by Nagisa’s words, Yukiha relaxed. Still, it was clear she held a deep sense of gratitude toward the Crimson Cavalry to be this concerned about our relationship with them…