Reinhardt had grown stronger in his own way.
He had become stronger by confronting challenges and taking risks.
That was Reinhardt's way.
But this approach might not work for Cliffman.
However, Ellen wondered if it really wouldn't work.
She thought about Cliffman's talent in 'battle.'
It was a very broad talent, encompassing everything related to battle.
A talent for achieving victory in combat.
It included proficiency with any weapon.
However, Cliffman continued to crumble before Reinhardt.
What was Cliffman's true talent?
Swish!
Reinhardt's practice sword shattered when it clashed with Cliffman's.
Yet, it was Reinhardt, whose sword had broken, who evaded Cliffman's sword while pulling his body back, and then grabbed Cliffman by the collar and threw him down.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Even with his sword broken, Reinhardt's reaction speed was faster.
As Cliffman staggered to his feet, Ellen addressed the pair.
"Stop."
"Alright, take a break now. Today isn't the day…"
"No, I can do more…"
At Cliffman's insistence, Ellen glared at him.
"You won't improve this way."
Ellen swept up the shattered pieces of the practice sword with a broom and put them away. Then, she snatched the practice sword from Cliffman's hand and hung it on the rack.
"You have to try a different approach."
"A different approach…?"
Ellen looked at Reinhardt.
"Reinhardt."
"…Huh?"
Reinhardt didn't know what Ellen was thinking.
"Can you bring that older girl here?"
"What? Olivia, the senior?"
"Yes."
"Why her all of a sudden?"
"I think she could help."
Olivia's assistance.
Reinhardt hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, I'll ask her."
Cliffman's eyes widened in surprise, while Ellen leaned against the window of the training hall, arms crossed, waiting for Olivia to arrive.
How long did they wait?
Creak
"…Why did you call me?"
Olivia Lanze had reluctantly come at Reinhardt's request, but her demeanor expressed clear displeasure. However, Ellen didn't seem hostile.
Ellen knew.
Ever since they shared that secret, Olivia's hostility felt like a mask.
It wasn't as strong as it seemed.
Knowing that neither could pose a significant threat or harbor ill will, they had no choice but to grudgingly acknowledge each other.
"We need your help."
"What? My help?"
Olivia's brows furrowed, clearly annoyed by the request.
"Why should I help you?"
"I'm not the one who needs help; it's him."
Ellen pointed at Cliffman.
Cliffman's expression changed when Olivia Lanze, a fifth-year student with a notorious reputation but no real familiarity, stared at him.
Although he had developed a certain level of immunity in various aspects, it was still difficult for Cliffman to deal with people he was not familiar with.
Ellen went to the center of the training hall and looked at Cliffman without her practice sword.
Grumble!
Ellen, who had Magic Body Strengthening, stared at Cliffman with eyes full of mysterious energy.
"If you think I'll kill him with my skills, you'll be able to stop me before that, right?"
"Uh... What?"
Since her words were honestly acknowledging that her skills were far superior to her, Olivia was taken aback.
"Can you do it or not?"
"I guess I can... but why do I have to do that all of a sudden? Why me?"
"Ah."
Then, Reinhardt exclaimed as if he had realized something.
Cliffman, not understanding the situation, still looked dumbfounded.
Ellen Artorius stared at Cliffman from within the blue flames of Magic Body Strengthening.
"You could really die from now on."
"Uh... What?"
"I'm not kidding."
Battle.
It's not just a duel.
It's a real fight.
Ellen had discovered that Cliffman's talent would manifest itself in actual combat.
"Do you still want to do it?"
Only then did Cliffman realize what Ellen was sensing.
It's not about overpowering and finishing off the opponent. Only when his life is truly at stake and he feels that desperation will his talent shine brightly.
In a life-or-death fight, his talent truly shows its power.
That's why Olivia was brought here.
In a crisis, she can intervene and restrain Ellen, and she's a powerful possessor of divine power that can heal Cliffman if he's injured.
Cliffman stared into Ellen's calm eyes.
Olivia sighed and nodded, whispering something to Reinhardt.
Cliffman swallowed his saliva and looked at Ellen.
She's not kidding.
She said she would really fight to kill, and there was a safety measure, so she would actually fight to kill him.
"I'll do it."
Cliffman took his stance.
There was no need for further conversation.
Ellen stepped forward.
Thump!
Cliffman didn't even see Ellen approaching.
Whack!
"Gu...ugh!"
Bang!
Cliffman, who had been struck with a heavy blow to the abdomen, rolled several times across the training hall floor in an instant, groaning in pain.
"Gr...ugh... Cough! Gasp!"
Blood flowed from Cliffman's mouth even as he struggled to get up.
"Damn... That crazy woman!"
Olivia, with her face turning pale, quickly approached Cliffman and cast a healing spell on him.
"He... He. Gasp... Gasp..."
It was a blow that could have killed Cliffman from internal organ rupture if Olivia had not been there at the right time. Though the pain had subsided, Cliffman still trembled, his face pale.
Cliffman was speechless, and it was Olivia who seemed rather angry.
"Hey! Are you crazy? What will you do if you really die?"
But Ellen's expression remained calm.
"If you can't do it, let's stop. I have no intention of forcing you."
With a cold expression, Ellen said that to Cliffman.
"But if you do continue, I won't be playing around."
If a talent could only be brought out by risking one's life, then wouldn't it be halfway invoked if one's life was halfway at risk?
Cliffman was determined to become stronger.
In the end, it was the same approach as Reinhardt's.
Fight by risking your life. Reinhardt had grown stronger in the end.
If Cliffman wanted to follow that path, he too would have to engage in a fight where he might die.
Not a duel, but a fight.
Ellen had already made it clear that she had no intention of going easy on him.
That made even the slightest lingering hope in Cliffman's heart vanish.
Slowly, Cliffman stood up.
"Th-thank you… Senior. I-I will do it, regardless."
"Hey... What's wrong with you guys? Why are you going this far?"
Regardless of Olivia's shock, Cliffman was desperate in his own way.
He had decided to confront the Demon King and help avenge Liana.
He couldn't back down when he was offered to awaken an unknown talent within him.
"Let's do it, Ellen."
"Alright."
"No... Reinhardt, why are they like this?"
Olivia rushed up to Reinhardt, who seemed to reassure her by murmuring something about watching the situation first.
If it had been a practice sword, Cliffman would have been fatally pierced in the abdomen.
Ellen using her fists was the least restrictive measure.
Cliffman's talent transcended the choice of weapons used in combat.
Objectively, Ellen was stronger than Reinhardt.
Cliffman had lost to Reinhardt in just a few bouts, and he hadn't even seen Ellen's charge just now.
Olivia could heal him, but if she failed to react in time or missed a vital point, he could die.
The tension that Ellen wanted to instill was just that.
Make a mistake, and you might really die.
So, if you have some unknown strength within you, draw it out.
Cliffman himself had clung to Reinhardt all day, wanting to become stronger.
He couldn't tell Ellen he wanted to quit because the fight was too intense and frightening.
With gritted teeth, Cliffman stared at Ellen.
"Here I come."
Ellen warned once more and stepped forward.
-Thud!
He still couldn't keep up with her movements.
It was impossible to dodge what couldn't be seen.
Unless she deliberately missed, it was unachievable.
-Whoosh!
Ellen's fist was stopped by a white barrier that formed around Cliffman's chest.
Again, Cliffman couldn't react. The barrier that blocked Ellen's fist was a desperate divine magic cast by Olivia.
"...Do you really intend to kill him?"
Olivia's voice trembled as she barely blocked the attack.
"...Wasn't this the flow he was supposed to avoid?"
Cliffman hadn't been able to dodge.
"No."
But just before the protective barrier was formed, Ellen saw that Clifman had moved slightly.
If there had been no barrier, he would have allowed the attack anyway.
"I tried to dodge something I couldn't even see."
Nevertheless, Clifman had definitely tried to avoid something he couldn't sense.
Whether it was instinct or something else, it was uncertain.
Clifman's talent couldn't lead to victory, but he did show movement toward it.
Olivia looked at Ellen and Clifman and sighed, seemingly helpless.
"You two aren't a good match. Come with me."
"..."
Olivia didn't know the specifics, but she knew the first-year students were up to something.
Ellen was too fast and strong. If she went all out, Olivia might not be able to react in time, and Clifman could actually be killed.
"Reinhardt, you do it."
"Being treated as a suitable opponent... feels somewhat like being a dog."
Reinhardt scratched the back of his head and grabbed Ellen's shoulder, pulling her back.
Olivia could handle emergencies and would pose a significant threat to Clifman if he went all out.
Ellen was not a suitable match.
"Well, it's not wrong."
So, in the end, there was no one but Reinhardt.
Clifman kept asking him to give it his all.
But that didn't mean to go for the kill.
Now, Reinhardt would go for the kill. He would put even more effort than Ellen, believing that Olivia would somehow handle it.
However, Clifman shouldn't trust that.
He had to believe that one wrong move could kill him in order to awaken his true talent.
Vroom!
Blue magical power wrapped around Reinhardt's body once more.
He strengthened his physical body through self-suggestion.
Fighting with the intent to kill, not just giving it all.
Clifman didn't know, but Reinhardt had quite a bit of experience with that. There was something only those who had gone through such battles possessed.
"Come on, let's do this."
Killing intent.
Clifman could feel the killing intent from Reinhardt.
The vague belief that Olivia would protect him disappeared with that single killing intent.
As if someone was strangling him.
Reinhardt charged at Clifman.
He wasn't as fast as Ellen.
But his speed was still difficult to perceive.
The movement of his shoulders.
Only his stride was visible.
Instinctively, Clifman calculated where Reinhardt was aiming through those movements.
Left foot planted.
Right shoulder retreating.
He realized that the right arm would soon move.
His body, not his mind, recognized that the trajectory was aimed at his face.
If the magically enhanced fist connected with his face and Olivia couldn't react...
He would really die.
She doesn't react.
He gets hit.
Shiiik!
But.
"..."
In that moment, Clifman dodged the fist with a slight tilt of his head and slipped into Reinhardt's embrace.
In the bizarre sensation where not the head, but the body itself reacted:
-Whoosh!
"..."
Ducking a hook, Cliffman's signature uppercut struck Reinhardt's jaw precisely.
Cliffman's strength and stature were far from ordinary.
And the jaw is a vital point.
Under normal circumstances, the fight should have ended here.
"Ah."
However, Reinhardt, who took the blow to the jaw, was grinning.
As if he didn't feel any impact at all.
"Certainly, it's a bit different?"
The difference in output and intensity.
-Whoosh!
"Ugh!"
As if to say he couldn't overcome it, Reinhardt delivered a knee strike to Cliffman's abdomen.
Cliffman reacted and even countered, but he couldn't penetrate the Magic Body Strengthening defense.
Watching Cliffman bounce away and roll on the ground, Reinhardt casually rubbed his jaw.
"Huff… Hah…"
"Give it another try."
Reinhardt grinned, watching Cliffman gasping for breath.
"You might get somewhere with practice."
It was genuinely meant as encouragement for Cliffman.
However, due to his expression, actions, and tone, he seemed like a third-rate villain.
Olivia's thought that it would be better for Reinhardt, rather than Ellen, to face Cliffman was correct.
Ellen was too fast and strong, creating an insurmountable barrier even for Cliffman's talents.
Of course, it's true that Reinhardt was weaker than Ellen, but he was able to draw out Cliffman's skills more technically.
-Boom! Bam! Thud!
He couldn't withstand Reinhardt's punches with all his strength, and there was a significant difference in their overall size.
However, Cliffman dodged and deflected Reinhardt's attacks, exploiting any openings.
Although he couldn't completely block the attacks, sometimes even getting pushed back and eventually taking a fatal blow, Olivia would then heal him. Clearly, Cliffman had changed.
Both Olivia and Ellen watched their fight.
"…I'm not sure, but his movements seem better than when he fought you?"
"I think so too."
Both somewhat felt that Cliffman's movements were better against Reinhardt than when he fought Ellen.
The talent for combat.
It's a talent that truly shines in dangerous situations and real-life combat.
Cliffman's talent was undoubtedly being exercised in the face of danger.
Ellen seemed to understand why Cliffman's talent was more strongly exhibited in the fight against Reinhardt.
It's hard to read emotions from Ellen's expression.
However, right now, Reinhardt was exuding hostility and even murderous intent.
In short, the reason was simple.
Ellen's expressions were minimal, and her demeanor was rather blunt.
Therefore, it was difficult to sense danger when facing Ellen's calm appearance. She was just a blunt person who was unpredictably lethal.
However, Reinhardt had a nasty expression.
In a fight, one might feel an overwhelming aura from an opponent, as if they could crush you at any moment.
And so, regardless of actual ability, Reinhardt exudes an 'I dare you to try' atmosphere, while Ellen does not.
In reality, when facing off against them, it's Reinhardt, not Ellen, who provokes a greater sense of tension.
Moreover, Ellen tends to finish a fight in a single move before any exchange of blows, while Reinhardt's aggressive demeanor and back-and-forth exchanges allow Cliffman time to realize he is being cornered.
-Wham!
"Urgh…!"
Therefore,
Reinhardt was, in many ways, the perfect opponent to draw out Cliffman's full potential. Reinhardt looked down at Cliffman as Olivia healed him.
"If this is the extent of your abilities, you still have a long way to go, don't you?"
Adding insult to injury.
Provoked by Reinhardt, Cliffman gritted his teeth and stood up again. Reinhardt smirked at him.
"Am I still going too easy on you?"
"…"
Ellen knew why Reinhardt acted this way.
On top of the sense of crisis, he wanted to provoke Cliffman, drawing out his desire to win.
"Even if you go easy on him, it seems like it'll still be tough."
She knew.
She knew why Reinhardt acted this way.
It wasn't for no reason.
"Try harder."
She knew, but
It was too much.
"Reinhardt... I know what you're trying to do, but that's really cruel."
Olivia also seemed to be feeling this in real-time, muttering to herself.
-Thud!
As Cliffman charged and swung his fist towards Reinhardt's vital spot, Reinhardt easily dodged and tripped him, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Reinhardt lifted his foot, aiming for Cliffman's head on the ground.
With a cold smile, he tried to stomp on Cliffman's face.
If he put all his strength into it, Cliffman's head would be crushed.
-Thud!
Reinhardt swiftly stomped down, but Cliffman barely rolled away and bounced back to his feet.
Although Reinhardt's taunts seemed petty, his attacks were ruthless.
As Cliffman got back up, Reinhardt smiled coldly.
That smile, boiling with malice and madness, was something one would want to think of as an act, but no matter how one looked at it, it wasn't.
"Why."
Reinhardt laughed as he looked at Cliffman.
"Imagine the Demon King right in front of you."
"Think of it that way."
Cliffman didn't know the true meaning behind those words, but a chill ran down his spine.
"Are you still going to fight like this?"
He didn't know what the real Demon King was like.
But would he still fight like this if the Demon King were right in front of him?
Rolling on the ground, somehow dodging, and having his own attacks be ineffective.
If the Demon King were really in front of him, he might not even be able to have this conversation. He might die without a chance to dodge the first attack.
Would he die helplessly without even squirming?
What was in front of him was not the Demon King. The Demon King would surely be a much more terrifying, evil, and powerful entity than Reinhardt.
"It's like image training, you see."
However.
Reinhardt wore a wicked smile, no matter how one looked at him.
"I am the Demon King."
He whispered to Cliffman.
I am the Demon King.
Cliffman couldn't comprehend the power imbued within those words. Yet, as soon as he heard Reinhardt's words, he felt something like an illusion.
It seemed as if what was before him wasn't Reinhardt but rather an unfathomable and powerful entity.
-Gulp-
Cold sweat drenched Cliffman's body.
As if he had fallen victim to some evil magic.
As if he had been hypnotized by Reinhardt.
Reinhardt felt like something completely different. Cliffman gave himself over to that insinuation or suggestion.
What stood before him was the Demon King.
He couldn't possibly stand a chance.
He couldn't possibly win.
But they had agreed to fight together.
Having agreed to fight together, he must be able to stand beside him. He couldn't be pushed aside in a real fight, stumbling and hindering.
He was weak.
If one is weak, they must gamble big when facing the strong.
What should he do if the true Demon King stood before him?
Even if it meant risking his life, he must land a blow. One arm, or perhaps one leg.
No, even if he couldn't do that, at least one finger.
If even that was impossible, then at least a scratch.
It would be an incredible feat for a weakling like him to achieve even that much against the Demon King. Since the Demon King would be powerful, even doing just that much would be considered heroic.
-Swish!
Cliffman attempted a counter, deflecting Reinhardt's incoming right fist with his left arm, but Reinhardt dodged with a slight chin movement and widened the distance again.
It was a decent defense.
His fists couldn't penetrate Reinhardt's Magic Body Strengthening, so this moment, in which he could deflect the unpredictable movements and aim for a counter, was proof of his growth.
This was enough.
This was the best the weak could do.
Simply evading Reinhardt's attacks.
If he could risk his life and land a scratch against the Demon King, that would be enough.
Though, even that seemed doubtful.
Could it really be enough?
"…"
Was that all he could do?
Cliffman clenched his teeth, watching Reinhardt with a cold smile as he sought an opening.
Was it okay to be weak?
Of course not.
His talent was in battle.
But the purpose of his talent wasn't just battle.
It was to achieve victory in battle.
To win fights.
The true name of this talent wasn't in the fighting itself.
The true name of this talent was victory.
To fight and seize.
To conquer.
He couldn't be satisfied with just a scratch.
He couldn't be satisfied with just evading.
The purpose of battle was victory.
There was no such thing as fighting to lose.
Thus, to achieve victory was to give meaning to the talent called battle.
"Here I come."
Reinhardt approached with a completely different expression than before, as if he truly intended to crush him. He charged with fierce determination, each step filled with intense resolve.
The instinctive warning of danger strikes Cliffman's mind.
Defeating the Demon King is impossible.
Even defeating Reinhardt seems out of reach.
Still, his talent must live up to its reputation.
He must make the impossible possible.
He must do what has never been done before.
There is only one thing to do.
Victory.
For the sole purpose of victory, Cliffman must fulfill various conditions.
First, he must dodge the attacks of an invisible enemy.
Whoosh!
Cliffman barely deflects Reinhardt's outstretched fist by pulling back his shoulder.
However, the attack continues. The trajectory of the low kick flying at him as Reinhardt switches his stance is unavoidable.
He has dodged what is unseen.
But an inescapable onslaught approaches.
Then, onto the next. Second.
He must withstand a blow that should normally send him flying.
Thud!
His thigh stands firm as it takes Reinhardt's low kick.
Reinhardt, not expecting Cliffman to hold his ground, leaves an opening.
An opportunity presents itself.
He has dodged what is unseen and withstood an attack he should not have been able to bear.
Then, onto the next. Third.
If the true worth of his talent is to turn an unwinnable fight into a victory,
He needs a powerful blow that can break through what has never been broken before, something that can penetrate the opponent's Magic Body Strengthening defenses.
A power similar to the psychic ability of self-suggestion.
Although the cause is different, the outcome must be the same.
A name that makes the impossible possible.
The talent to win.
Battle.
Just as self-suggestion had brought forth a miracle, he must invoke a similar miracle, albeit with a different cause.
While self-suggestion can make many things possible,
The talent of battle must make only one thing possible.
The relatively narrow condition of enabling victory.
Because it possesses a narrow condition, it must have an even more powerful output.
Rumble!
Everyone's eyes widen as they watch the explosive blue flame erupt from Cliffman's body.
“!”
Blue magic surges from Cliffman's body.
Roar!
“Ugh!”
Reinhardt is sent flying back by the punch Cliffman lands.
Thud!
“Uh… what?”
Olivia's stunned expression, as if she can't understand what she just witnessed.
“...”
Elem's calm demeanor, as if she somehow knew this would happen.
“…Dammit.”
Reinhardt, lying down and staring blankly at the training hall ceiling, mutters a single expletive with a mix of complicated emotions.
Reinhardt wore a very complex expression, knowing this would happen but still finding it difficult to accept the reality.
And then,
“Cough… gasp!”
Even Cliffman's planned fainting spell.
That day.
The on-duty priest's office took in one more patient.
