Not a Fighter

Next day, in the bright afternoon sun, the village ground buzzed with excitement. A sea of villagers had gathered, filling every corner of the field, their eager eyes fixed on the ground where the much-anticipated match was about to unfold. Among the crowd, the orphans from the village's shelter stood clustered together, their faces lit with innocent enthusiasm, thrilled to witness the spectacle.
Shirou stood beside Alica, both of them at the edge of the ground, a mix of curiosity and anticipation swirling in Shirou's eyes. Alica, casual and confident, stretched her arms, preparing her body for what lay ahead.
"Why are so many people gathered here?" Shirou asked Alica, glancing around at the packed crowd.
She smiled, a hint of pride in her voice. "Well, it's your first time here, but seeing Chris and Cherry in action... They're the ones who protected the village during the war. Everyone admires them. They've come to see them back in action again." She stretched a little more, limbering up.
Shirou's eyes shone with excitement. "So, that means they're really strong, right? You've fought them before, haven't you? How strong are they compared to Sarah?"
Alica's expression softened, though a shadow of respect crept in. "I don't know exactly. I've never fought Mom. And even if I did, I don't think I could land a blow. She can defeat me in the blink of an eye."
Shirou nodded knowingly. "I've faced her. Twice. I couldn't even touch her. She didn't even take the fights seriously."
"Wait, really? You fought Mom?" Alica's voice mingled curiosity and a tinge of jealousy.
Shirou shrugged, calm but earnest. "Yeah... but I couldn't land a single hit."
Alica puffed her cheeks out, a little smug. "Well, she is the strongest in the entire world, after all. She's the one who defeated that evil Demon Queen all by herself."
Shirou's expression darkened for a moment. "No... you're wrong about my Mo..." He clenched his fists but held himself steady, 
Just then, Sarah stepped forward, her commanding presence silencing the crowd. "Today's match is between Cherry and Chris—known as the Wall of the Village—and Shirou and Alica, who should not be underestimated."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, voices thick with curiosity.
"Hey, who's that boy with the unique hair and eyes?"
"Maybe... he's the kid the hero Sarah adopted."
"But is it really okay to let him fight against our Village Wall?" someone whispered. "I get it with Alica—she's the daughter of a hero and obviously strong—but that boy? He doesn't look strong at all." The doubts floated in the air, but the challenge was real, and the match about to begin.
Cherry and Chris stood on the opposite side of the village ground, carefully checking their gear, their eyes sharp and focused. Suddenly, Cherry spotted Shirou and Alica and, with a burst of excitement, rushed forward to hug Shirou. But Shirou quickly noticed and dodged her embrace, causing Cherry to stumble and fall flat on her face.
"Why did you dodge me? I wanted to hug you, you know," Cherry pouted, her cheeks flushed with playful disappointment.
"That's exactly why I dodged you, idiot!" Shirou shouted back, raising his voice with a mix of irritation and fondness.
Chris and Alica burst out laughing at the exchange. Chris grinned as he turned to Alica and said, "So, are you ready, Alica? We haven't trained in a long time. Do you really think you can keep up with us?"
Alica caught the taunt but stood her ground confidently. "Of course. I'm going to win this."
Cherry interrupted with a teasing smirk, pulling a small diary from her pocket and flipping through the pages. 
"But you say that every time we fight. Let's see..." She glanced at the diary and then said innocently, 
"Here's the score between you and me: 25-0. And for Chris, it's 16-0."
Alica's face flushed with embarrassment and anger. 
"I hate you! I hate you! I swear this time, I'm going to defeat both of you!" Her words came out fiercely, determination burning in her eyes despite the sting of her losing record. As they returned to their positions, Sarah approached Shirou and Alica, gently patting their heads. "I know you both are strong, but don't let yourselves get hurt, okay?"
Alica beamed warmly, comforted by Sarah's words. Meanwhile, Shirou, feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly stopped her from patting his head.
Sarah stepped back to her spot, surveying the scene to ensure everyone was ready.
Shirou noticed Chris holding a large wooden shield and a spear, while Cherry was armed with a chained wooden knife. Both he and Alica wielded wooden swords.
The tension in the village grew thick as the crowd fell silent, sensing the power emanating from the fighters.
"Everyone ready? Then, start!" Sarah declared.
Alica immediately charged at Chris, who remained calm, standing firm behind his hefty shield.
"I'll handle Big Brother Chris. Just be careful with Big Sis Cherry—she's…" Alica began, but Shirou suddenly noticed Cherry was nowhere in sight. Confused, he felt a presence behind him and took a cautious step forward, but turned to find no one there.
"What…? Seems like someone was behind me, but…" Shirou mumbled to himself, a tense smile spreading across his face. "So that's why they're called stronger."
Meanwhile, Alica swung her wooden sword rapidly at Chris, but he effortlessly dodged and shielded himself without much effort.
"Ah… that stupid shield!" she exclaimed, attempting to strike his stomach. Chris parried her attack and gently struck her stomach with the handle of his spear.
"Sorry, Alica… but that didn't hurt, right? I'm trying not to hit you hard," Chris said, a touch of concern in his voice.
Alica rose and, visibly annoyed, retorted, "It's a match—you shouldn't take it lightly. If you do..." With those words, she charged again, her swings heavier and faster than before. Chris struggled to block her relentless assault. Eventually, he dropped his shield, dodged, and parried her sword with his spear, the fight intensifying.
And on the other side, Shirou was covered in bruises as he had been hit multiple times by the stealth attacks of Cherry.
Trying to struggle against her, a clean hit to his leg made him stumble and fall onto one knee, gasping for breath. As Cherry appeared and rushed to him, concern flickering in her eyes, Shirou yelled,
"Don't come here, you can't be worried about your enemy!" Grinding his teeth, he said,
"Mom always said the most difficult wars are when your close ones take up weapons against you. If you hesitate even a little, it will be the end."
"So don't come closer." Shirou ended his words and stood up again. Respecting Shirou's spirit, Sarah resumed her stealth-style fight.
Watching the matches, everyone cheered at the admirable spirit of the warriors.
"Alice is amazing! Look, she's now able to keep up with Big Brother Chris," Jack said to Dake and the others.
As he turned, they noticed Shirou still unable to make any move—he was only defending against Cherry's relentless attacks.
"But it seems like for Shirou, the match will end soon," Sofia said with worry.
"Don't worry, the real match is about to start now," Sarah said, smiling without looking at Jack and the other kids.
"Mother Sarah... really? So does that mean Shirou and Alice will fall soon?" the kids asked.
"Nah... Chris and Alice... it seems like Alice's growth has outpaced Chris's, which is why she's now able to keep up with him," Sarah explained, then continued,
"But Alice's style is still reckless—she can blunder easily if she thinks she can win. But Shirou..."
While she was talking to the kids, everyone noticed Shirou start grinning as he suddenly sprang to his feet and ran from the arena.
"What...!" Everyone in the village was confused and shocked that Shirou left the arena. But since the rules don't limit the match to the arena, he wasn't breaking them. Cherry immediately followed.
"It seems like the match is about to end soon," Sarah observed.
"What do you mean?" Sofia and the others asked simultaneously.
"Shirou isn't a good fighter or swordsman; he knows he's not strong. And in war, that knowledge is the greatest blessing that helps you survive.
"Shirou is not a fighter, but a survivor."