Stances were taken, and the enthusiastic shouts of the participants began to ring out loudly.
The signal for the sword duel at the festival had been given.
The sound of two blades grinding and clashing against each other could be heard all the way up to the second floor.
It made Ichigo slightly startled.
Stella then grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him forward.
"Come on, let's get a closer look!" Stella urged.
In his confusion, Ichigo was pulled toward the lowest floor to watch the match up close.
The cheers of the audience rang out from every direction. The elves were packed so tightly together that it was difficult for Ichigo and Stella to reach the front seats.
Several times they stumbled, fell, and collided with people around them.
"Sorry, sorry." Said Stella, pushing against the tide of watching elves.
Until at last they could see the arena clearly.
Stella looked absolutely thrilled.
"COME ON, EVERYONE! WHOEVER WINS, I'LL TREAT YOU!" She shouted.
Both participants turned to look at Stella.
They were both female friends of Stella's, and they were now fired up after hearing what she had said.
"I'm going to win, Wanda!" Taunted the female elf with bright purple hair styled in a single braid.
"What do you mean?! That free food is mine, Sophie!" Replied the female elf with short twin-tailed green hair.
Their swords clashed with tremendous force until both of them were sent flying to opposite sides of the arena.
The audience members at the spots where they landed scattered slightly to get out of the way.
Wanda and Sophie both got back on their feet, shouting at each other, then ran forward and attacked again.
On the side, Stella showed an expression of delight that was slightly unnerving.
"Now we're talking! This is what makes it fun!"
Ichigo stood beside her, bewildered, deeply bewildered.
"Why is she happy when things are getting this chaotic?" That was what he thought.
He tried to make sense of what was happening, but because his emotions were nearly absent, it felt as though something had gone missing from him in that moment.
He felt an emptiness as he tried to understand it.
The match continued with fierce intensity between Wanda and Sophie.
The cheers of the audience grew louder and louder.
The ringing of the two blades clashing grew faster and faster, keeping pace with their movements, which were becoming harder and harder to follow.
"KEEP IT UP, BOTH OF YOU!!!!!!" Stella screamed.
Until finally Sophie stumbled and fell, and Wanda pointed her sword at Sophie's throat.
The match was won by Wanda.
The referee raised one of Wanda's hands as a sign of victory.
Wanda then walked over to Stella to claim the treat she had been promised.
"Hehe, so which stall are we going to?" Said Wanda with a wide grin that showed all her teeth.
Behind Wanda stood Sophie, puffing out her cheeks, pouting, and shooting a sharp glare at Wanda.
"Whatever you want. You're the one who won, after all." Said Stella.
"Alright! I know exactly where I want to go. Oh, by the way, is this the outsider? Alright, outsider, come with me to the best food stall I know!" Wanda invited.
She then reflexively reached out to grab Ichigo's uncovered hand to lead him along.
But Stella quickly intercepted Wanda's hand, and Wanda was immediately puzzled.
"Stella?" Wanda asked.
While firmly holding Wanda's hand, Stella redirected her attention.
"Wanda, there's no need to rush." She said.
Wanda agreed without asking any further questions.
They made their way to a food stall near the arena that served fresh tropical dishes, perfect for eating after watching strenuous physical activity. The building was made from woven wood fiber and bamboo, crafted in such a way that it had fully open windows, allowing customers to eat while watching the matches directly.
However, the food stall appeared to be extremely busy.
That meant they had to wait longer than expected, until a server came to them.
The server was a male elf with short, neat grey hair and black eyes with a faint green glow.
"Our sincerest apologies. The tables on this floor are full. Honored guests may proceed to the second floor of the establishment, which offers a better view. However, the prices there are higher." Said the server.
Wanda was surprised.
"Eh?! There's a second floor?!"
The server explained.
"We only recently finished building it, and it is intended as a premium floor."
Stella then raised one hand.
"Could I get a discount?"
The server answered firmly. "No." To Stella.
Stella stood there in thought, then handed one of her coin pouches to the server.
"Huuu, my precious money." Said Stella as she walked up to the upper floor, led by the server.
The door to the second floor opened.
They stepped inside. The flooring was made of thick woven bamboo, which gave it a slight gentle sway, yet it was still important to note that this was an extremely sturdy structure.
Even from the walls, the entire arena below could be seen with far greater clarity.
All of them, except for Ichigo, were filled with admiration at the view laid out before them.
The tables available on the upper floor were covered with silk cloth as decoration.
They sat down, and the server handed the menu to Stella.
"Ichigo, which one would you like?" Stella asked in the royal language.
Once again Wanda was puzzled by Stella, but she paid it no mind.
Ichigo pointed to one of the menu items: STRAWBERRY MINT MILK CAKE! This was one of the innate traits carried over from his reincarnation, as Yuki White had loved strawberries very much.
He didn't know why he had pointed to it so immediately. There was something ambiguous he felt about it.
"Oh, right, Sophie, I'm not paying for yours, as agreed earlier. Only the winner gets treated." Said Stella in a teasing tone.
Sophie turned her face away, her expression full of barely contained anger.
"Humph, I know that!"
After everyone had ordered, the server left.
The wind blew softly, drifting through their hair.
The cheers grew louder down below.
Stella and her friends then turned their eyes toward the arena.
"I think we're going to be witnessing something big this time." Said Sophie as she watched Astella preparing to fight.
Stella then waved her hand at Astella, calling her name as loudly as she possibly could.
"ASTELLA!! GIVE IT YOUR ALL!!"
Astella quickly turned her face away, her expression irritated.
She walked toward the arena.
Her opponent was a far more senior female elf with tanned skin, a large muscular build, yellowish-green eyes, and pale blonde hair.
She carried a greatsword over her shoulder.
"Come then, young lady. This will serve as your final training session and your graduation exam." Said the senior elf.
Astella took her stance.
"I'm ready, teacher!"
The teacher then glanced over at the referee.
"Oi, referee!"
"Y-Yes?" Said the referee, startled.
"Grant the young lady victory if she can make me move even a single inch." Said the teacher.
The match then began, marked by the referee's raised hand.
Astella struck and slashed at her teacher rapidly.
However, the teacher's hardened skin was extremely difficult to even scratch.
From the upper floor of the food stall, Stella and her friends watched in amazement at Astella's speed.
"I genuinely cannot follow her movements." Said Wanda.
Stella felt proud of her twin sibling's growth. She never imagined Astella would become this formidable.
And Sophie was left completely speechless.
The food they had ordered finally arrived, accompanied by hot, spiced steam and the cool vapor rising from the refreshing drinks.
The server began lifting the lids from the dishes.
"Please enjoy your meal."
The food was laid out neatly on the table.
Wanda dove into her dish immediately without any ceremony. Sophie picked up her spoon with movements that were still slightly stiff, still carrying the remnants of her earlier irritation, but before long she was eating heartily as well.
They all turned their attention to the food in front of them.
Until, without realizing it, they had completely missed Astella's match.
Down below, Astella had collapsed in exhaustion after attacking the senior elf again and again. She exhaled heavily, then dragged her fingers across the ground until they bled.
Without her noticing, the senior elf had in fact been pushed back exactly one inch.
The senior elf walked toward Astella and extended her hand to help her student up.
She whispered, "You won, Astella." With a smile.
Astella refused her teacher's hand.
"Forgive me, teacher. But this is not enough yet." She said, within her heart.
To Be Continued