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First of all, sorry for the delay. My Computer was broken last month. I could only play and read with my smartphone. It’s all thanks to the Ads payment (your help) that I could pay for a new Chip, mainboard, card for this new computer. It has been a long time but I’m back.

Note: Princess and the spirit are all talking in a broken form.

Just remember they don’t talk like a normal person

Cathia Chapter 6-4: Trial of fire

「… Then, this time … I’ll call out …」(Lili)

Princess Lili raises her hand and the fire dances in the air.
Eventually, it focused on a humanoid shape, and the air in the room trembled.
A lump of fire, that has no face, just forms a human shape.

Is this the Great Spirit of Fire …?
But I don’t feel the heat.

「Did you call us? Princess (old tone)」(Great Spirit of Fire)

A cracked voice mixed with noise.
It has a mysterious sound that is neither male nor female.

I don’t feel the sacredness associated with the word Great Spirit.
Rather, my impression is that it’s a lump of uncontrollable power.

I don’t know if this is because it’s the Great Spirit of Fire or if it’s different from other Great Spirits.

However, as Rumia-san said, I would know when I met.
“Something” that I feel whenever I use magic has formed and is now standing in front of you.

It definitely appeals to the senses that it is the same.

「… I didn’t call you … White-elder…
Geez, have you noticed…?」(Lili)

The princess was expressionless but it was rather harsh words to the spirit.

「That person… 2 souls… doesn’t work, no longer a person, right?」(Great Spirit of Fire)

Doesn’t work…
No longer a person …?

But I still have to say.
I need to say.

「…Please!
That girl, please help her!
Keeping her ego, Spiritualization …!」(Cathia)

Desperately begging the Great Spirit.
Please, that girl…

The Great Spirit stops for a few seconds.
And…

「Then, compensation, for that difference」(Great Spirit of Fire)

「Compensation?」(Cathia)

He demanded compensation, not consent or refusal.
Is it the price?
What in the world does he need?

「…why?
…I always… activate magic …
You never ask for compensation …」(Lili)

「No, princess.
If you think about it, you have always been paying for it, right?」(Rumia)

It seems like Spike-san has already expected what Rumia said.

「Oh, I see.
It’s Magical Power.
But why do spirits seek magical power?
Is it necessary to maintain its existence?」(Cathia?)

「Magical power… is mental power.
Even after becoming… a spirit, this one is still… attracted to… and want something… close to myself.
For magical power… it’s paid… by converting it to magic.」(Great Spirit of Fire)

「Is it the residue when you were a person?
It’s sad to hear that …」(Cathia?)

Is it the nature of the spirit?
However, the Great Spirit doesn’t seem to ask for magical power.

That means…

「This time I didn’t activate magic.
Does that mean that I have to pay another price for you to divide the power that the spirits exist in?」(Cathia)

「That’s right.
Are you prepared… to pay… no matter the price?」(Great Spirit of Fire)

The Great Spirit asked me so and…

「Yes」(Cathia)

I answered immediately.

「Please wait… Cathia!
You still aren’t asking what the price is–」(Rumia)

Before Rumia finished her words, I was enveloped in the flames of the Great Spirit.

I saw the astonishing expressions of Spike and Princess Lili, but I couldn’t do anything about it anymore.

So, even a princess makes such a face …

The consciousness is fading…

I found myself in a dark space.

…Don’t tell me, I just die again?

…No, that’s wrong.

I can still feel the sensation of my limps and body that I didn’t feel back then.

It feels like the ground.

Where is this place?

「This is… this one realm」(Great Spirit of Fire)

The rough and mysterious voice echoes in my head.
I don’t know how it is but is this the Great Spirit?

「This one… belongs to the flame… my demands are vitality, passion, anger, affection… and struggle」(Great Spirit of Fire)

Struggle …?
Does he mean like fighting?

「If you want our power, satisfy our hearts! 」(Great Spirit of Fire)

I have no intention of pulling back now.
No matter what.

「What should i do?」(Cathia)

「Choose from the remnants of our memory, fight the strongest, and win.
By the way, we don’t give half-hearted body」(Great Spirit of Fire)

「The strongest …?」(Cathia)

Suddenly, the darkness overflows with light.
A figure appeared midst of it.

It approached me with steadily sounding hard footsteps.

「Oh, nomination?
No… to think that I still have a turn even after I die.
King among kings!」(???)

He is about 180 cm tall, has a strong body, white light armor, a long cloak, and a familiar black sword…
A brown-haired man with the same Orichalcum sword as mine.

He gave a glaring, hot look at me.

「You, who are you?」(Cathia)

「Such a rude person.
Shouldn’t you announce your name first before asking other people’s name?」(???)

He seems to be a person with a strong self-consciousness that I can’t think of him as a being created by the great spirit.

For a moment, I was taken aback by his appearance and conversion just like any human being.

But unless we introduce ourselves, the story won’t process.

「――My apologies, my name is Cathia Myer」(Cathia)

「I see. Cathia, right? It’s a good name.」(???)

「…Thank you very much.
So you are?」(Cathia)

He has a flashy red cloak.
I’m also worried about his black sword …
And the unicorn’s coat of arms is on the chest of the light armor …?

「(Ore-sama) I’m Sieg Garcia Styx. The first King of Garcia」(Sieg)

The first king?

「Oh, isn’t that my partner (sword)?
So, you are his partner now?
How do you think about the best sword?」(Sieg)

I haven’t pulled it out yet, but it seems that he can see it through the sheath.
He found out that it was the same as his sword.

「Oh yes.
It doesn’t break, it doesn’t bend, it doesn’t melt, and it cuts well.
…Was it your sword?
I was surprised」(Cathia)

「Isn’t that right…?
Wait, what’s about “melt” part?」(Sieg)

「No, that was another story」(Cathia)

「?
Oh well.
By the way, there’s a nomination (invitation), do you want to do it immediately?」(Sieg)

「Is he really the real king?」(Cathia)

Strange.
This is just too much.

First, the image of the first king from the hero tale book “The Story of the Founding of the country”

That book was published after the death of the king…
If he was the real one, it wouldn’t be strange if there were some differences.

Why does he look exactly like the illustration?

「What are you suspicious of?
…Fu~u, but that’s correct, your intuition.
I am the crystal of the image of the first king that many people had.
Their wishes make me like this
I’m an imaginary product of a hero drawn by the people」(Sieg)

「In other words, you aren’t real?」(Cathia)

「I can’t say I’m not real.
For example, weren’t you surprised by this sword?」(Sieg)

「Yes」(Cathia)

「In other words, it’s unknown if I had this sword in posterity.
I may contain the memory of the person who knows the real thing or the memory of the person himself.」(Sieg)

「I’m getting more confused」(Cathia)

「Fu~u, don’t think too hard.
Simply put, you――」(Sieg)

He pulled out his sword.
The talking time seems to be over.
The surrounding fire is lit, and sufficient visibility is secured for battle.

「You can fight the strongest hero!」(Sieg)

My black sword and his black sword collided.
Due to the weight of the sword attack and the difference in body size, I was pushed back a few steps.

「What’s wrong?
If you are only this level, I can’t leave my partner to you!」(Sieg)

The first king, Sieg Garcia Styx.

Helping his father, an independent Garcia lord of the empire,
A hero who played an active part in many battlefields.

After the death of his father, he inherited his will and founded the Kingdom of Garcia.

He traveled around the countries to form the Quadruple Alliance, and after the situation became stable, he headed east.

He doesn’t back down even against the hordes of monsters.
He continued to fight until he died, greatly expanding his land.

Is the man before me really such a person?

I can’t let my guard down.

I pull out the main gauche and close the gap at once!

「Oh, dual wield?
However, you are still naive!」(Sieg)

He didn’t even try, he just lightly shifted his upper body while countering with a thrust.

How dexterous …!

Even I guard with my Main Gauche but it’s heavy enough to numb my hand.

「What’s wrong, do you plan to lose?!
If you die in this space, your soul will disappear!」(Sieg)

… Is that so?
Well, there is no reason for the spirits of fire to ask for a struggle that doesn’t cost my life.

Light the black sword with fire.

「――I see, that’s why you said it didn’t melt?
Interesting!」(Sieg)

Even after looking at my magic sword, Sieg isn’t losing his compose.
It’s tremendous courage.

「Here I go…！」(Cathia)

I attack Sieg quickly in succession with both my swords.
Metallic sounds echo in the dark without interruption.

Sieg continues to defend both my swords with his black sword.

「Haha, you’re amazing.
In my time, there was no other sword user like you!」(Sieg)

「Then… just hurry up and fall down… please (kudasai)!」(Cathia)

Contrary to Sieg’s words, my sword has never reached his body.

「The true hero is in production after being driven to the corner.
Wouldn’t it be so?」(Sieg)

With that said, Sieg took the plunge.

Exquisite timing that I can’t continue the chase.

…Skillful.

「Bet everything on this blow!」(Sieg)

Sieg released his entire aura.
An abandoned posture like there’s no tomorrow.

「… Are you an idiot?」(Cathia)

「Right, a big Idiot, right?」(Sieg)

The power of such a blow is overkill but if it can be avoided, it will be over.
Just by avoiding it, he would exhaust his aura and fall down without fail.

「A king always has friends by his side.
Therefore, I can do such an unreasonable thing.
Allies will definitely help …
Then I can just look ahead and proceed!！」(Sieg)

After saying that Sieg dashed…
I have to accept it and stand.
The great spirit is watching.

But that’s not all.

「I don’t hate such a pleasant idiot!」(Cathia)

It’s probably a human desire.
If it’s a friend, he just wants to help.
If it’s an enemy, he will want to compete openly.
That is the essence of this man as a hero.

I also raise the aura to the limit.
The sound of the swords colliding with each other echoed high.

「DORUAAAAAAAAAAAAA」(Sieg)

「GUUUUUUUUUUU」(Cathia)

I used two swords to catch Sieg’s black sword up and down.
A heavy, unspeakable blow…!

I almost bend my knees.

「UAAAAAAAAA」(Cathia)

However, I cannot afford to lose.
I have to… I’ll definitely pick her up!

Receive Sieg’s black sword with all my might and keep my aura.

Was I pushed back about two meters?
The sword finally stopped …!

「WHAT!? (Nandato)」(Sieg)

Sieg is upset for the first time.
I swipe Sieg’s black sword to the left side with my weak-armed swords.

And I put all the magical power and aura that I had on my right foot.

The sensation of my arm has been lost by accepting his sword at full power.

So…

「Uu!」(Cathia)

I throw away my swords and jump.
I twist my body and kick my burning feet against his face!

「(You are going) DOWNNNNN!」(Cathia)

The feeling of crushing cheekbones was transmitted, and Sieg was thrown down on the ground while rotating.

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