Chapter 21: Unrivaled
“Don’t come! Don’t come, don’t come, don’t come aaahhhhhhh!!”
Grey fled backward, but I pursued him relentlessly. I surrounded my body with heat, and his debuffs had already been completely nullified.
I also applied the acceleration inherent to the fire attribute, further increasing my speed. Grey was running with everything he had, but the distance between us was gradually closing.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it! There’s no way I can lose! I’m the eldest son of the Grace familyyyyyy!”
His cries were nothing more than an attempt to encourage himself. There was no longer any basis for believing he could defeat me.
I simply remained calm and continued cornering Grey.
More powerful magic than before came flying at me. Ice spears, avalanches, cages of ice, and all sorts of other spells. He was going all out, trying to kill me, but I effortlessly cut them apart with Amajiki.
Since my blade was enveloped in flames, ice-attribute magic was easy to cut through. On top of that, by devouring those spells with Amajiki, I converted them back into fuel for my Flaming Blade.
“──Grey. Prepare yourself.”
“Shut up, aaaaaaaah! Just die, die, die alreadyyyyyy!”
Even as he continued to disgrace himself, he kept firing magic at me.
However, he suddenly came to a complete stop.
“You fool. You fell for my act! Hahaha!”
A huge pattern appeared directly beneath me. I had seen this in Luna’s spellbook before. It was called a magic circle, something that had been used in the past when casting magic.
Then countless spikes of ice emerged from beneath me and came rushing toward me. At the same time, a thick pillar of ice descended from above. He intended to crush me between them from above and below.
“Hahaha! How pathetic! There’s no way a mere swordsman could ever defeat me!”
Ice scattered everywhere.
So much ice filled the area that neither of us could be seen clearly.
“──Is that all?”
I casually swung Amajiki, absorbing the fragments of ice. My vision cleared, and I was completely unharmed.
“W-What…!? How did you defend against that!?”
“──I cut it. I am a samurai. Any obstacle before me is meant to be cut down.”
“You monster aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
Grey continued unleashing huge amounts of magic at me, but I simply cut through it all. Cut, cut, and cut it down.
There was no longer any need for tactics or maneuvering. I simply instilled fear in Grey.
No matter how much magic he threw at me, it was meaningless before me. Of course, Amajiki was not completely omnipotent, but attacks of this level posed no problem.
“Is that all?”
“……Hic.”
He attempted to cast another spell, but enough was enough.
In an instant, I closed the distance between us and drove my foot into Grey’s solar plexus.
“Guh…!”
He vomited stomach acid as he was sent rolling across the ground.
Snow began falling heavily.
My opponent had made full use of the terrain, the weather, and the environment, throwing everything he had at me.
Being fully prepared was important, but someone of this caliber could never defeat me. I had crossed blades with opponents far more formidable than him.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
Grey’s breathing was ragged.
No matter how much magical power he possessed, he had been using spells on such a massive scale that it was hardly surprising his reserves were running dry.
I simply walked toward him calmly and slowly.
“Hic.”
“Do you admit defeat?”
“I-I’m the eldest son of the Grace family! Do you understand that!?”
“Why is it that nobles always seem to say the same things?”
It was exactly the same situation as with Eric, and he was uttering the exact same words.
Honestly, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief.
I changed Amajiki’s ability to another one and raised the sword above my head.
“Y-You… don’t tell me…”
Grey seemed to immediately realize what I intended to do.
“All right! I admit defeat! I lost! I’ll set Riana free! So please, just spare my life…!”
“Sorcerer. You would do well to regret the atrocities you have committed until now.”
“N-No, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
I brought Amajiki down, cutting Grey’s body cleanly in two──yet no wound remained on his body.
“Soul Blade. Its ability fixes the target of the slash to the soul itself. I cut him just enough to keep him from dying, but he probably won’t be able to stand properly for quite some time.”
By the time I explained the ability, Grey had already lost consciousness.
I sheathed my sword and walked over to Riana, who had been watching the battle in stunned silence.
“Riana. He is still your brother, after all. For that reason, I didn’t kill him.”
“Ayame-san… I don’t know what I could possibly say to you.”
Riana lowered her head as she spoke.
She must have spent her entire life believing that her fate was cursed. But now, that curse had finally been broken.
“I don’t think this means all of your family’s problems have been solved. But perhaps Riana can now walk her own path. Fortunately, your magical contract with Grey will still be fulfilled. From this point onward, you must choose your own path.”
“Choose… for myself?”
Her expression was one of disbelief.
Until now, Riana had been bound by her noble family and had never been given the freedom to choose. Now that those chains were gone, she no longer knew what she was supposed to do.
That was how she looked.
“No matter how tightly a person is bound, in the end, a human being can only truly obey themselves. Riana, what do you want to do?”
In my previous world, I had seen people in similar circumstances.
Yet, in the end, people can only follow themselves. You have to carve out your own path with your own hands.
“I-I…”
Trembling, Riana finally confessed what she truly felt.
“…I want to learn swordsmanship from you, Ayame-san. And I want to try using a magic sword that combines magic and swordsmanship.”
“A magic sword, huh? That’s the first time I’ve heard that name.”
“Yes… It’s my original idea.”
“I see. That’s wonderful. Riana, I gladly bless your determination to challenge something new.”
“…Yes!”
I gently patted Riana on the head.
Then, as though everything she had been holding back finally broke free, she began shedding a flood of tears.
“Riana. Can you dedicate yourself to improving your skills as my disciple?”
“Of course!”
It was the first time I had seen Riana smile from the bottom of her heart.
That’s right.
A maiden is at her most beautiful when she is smiling.
And so, Riana officially became my disciple.
Chapter 22: Thawing
Luna and I were waiting for Riana at the Adventurer’s Guild.
The situation with her family was extremely complicated. Even if she said she wanted to be free, it wasn’t as though she could simply abandon her position as a noble.
However, when she came to meet us today, one week after our battle with Grea, Riana had spoken with a firm determination in her eyes.
“Do you think it will be all right…?”
“It’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.”
“Magical contracts are absolute. But nobles really do have a lot of obligations and complications tied to them…”
Luna was worried about Riana as well. I was too, but after seeing the determined look in her eyes, I was convinced that everything would be all right.
“Ah.”
“She’s here.”
After a while, I spotted a woman walking toward us.
There was no doubt about it. It was Riana.
“I’m sorry. Did I keep you waiting?”
“No, not for very long. So, are there no more problems?”
“Hahaha. Actually, I was disowned.”
“Disowned, huh? I see. So that’s what happened.”
I had somewhat expected that she might be disowned.
The eldest son of a ducal family had lost to a swordsman and had promised to set his younger sister free. I had wondered how they would settle the matter, but apparently, they had decided to sever their relationship with Riana instead.
“My father was absolutely furious. Especially at my brother for losing to a swordsman. And I told him how I really felt, too. He looked exasperated and told me that there was no need for me to ever come back. Well, since my older brother is the eldest son, my value to the family wasn’t particularly high to begin with. I was also dismissed from the Mage Corps, so I’m completely penniless now.”
Just hearing those words made it sound as though a brutal life awaited her.
Yet Riana’s expression was surprisingly peaceful.
It was as though every chain that had bound her had finally been broken.
“But even though my family was like that… they still raised me with love. So I want to become even stronger than I am now, and someday, if possible, I’d like to return home. I want to change the way this society works, even if only a little.”
“I see.”
Riana’s aspirations were by no means easy to achieve, yet she seemed determined to pursue them.
Not just changing her family. Not just changing the nobility.
She wanted to change society itself.
The times have always changed alongside reform. Nothing can continue forever.
I hoped that such a future would eventually come.
“Oh, right. Riana, why don’t you live with us too?”
“Eh?”
Apparently, my suggestion was completely unexpected. Riana let out a faint voice.
“Um… Are you sure? Isn’t Luna-san… well… your lover?”
“Eh!?”
This time, Luna reacted with a loud voice.
“No. We’re simply companions. We aren’t romantically involved.”
“Ah… Is that so?”
For some reason, Riana looked relieved.
Perhaps she had thought she might be intruding.
“…You denied it without even a moment’s hesitation.”
Luna muttered those words under her breath, sounding irritated.
As usual, she was surrounded by a dark aura as she glared intensely at me.
“There’s nothing wrong with taking an apprentice into my household. From now on, let’s explore dungeons as part of the same party. I’ll also teach you swordsmanship properly.”
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
Riana politely bowed her head.
An apprentice, huh?
To be honest, I had taught swordsmanship to others several times throughout my life, but I had never formally taken someone on as a disciple like this.
However, as someone pursuing the pinnacle of swordsmanship, I believed that teaching others was surprisingly important.
To teach something meant having to put that technique into clear words so that it could be passed on to someone else.
This would benefit Riana, but it would also benefit me.
“However, if that’s the case, our current house might be a little cramped. Perhaps we should properly establish a new home.”
“I have enough money to buy one outright, but doing that within the kingdom would be a little… troublesome, wouldn’t it?”
Luna left the rest unsaid, but she had a point.
Riana would probably feel uncomfortable remaining in the kingdom, and her former family would likely feel the same way.
Perhaps leaving the kingdom altogether was one option.
“You’d do all that… for me?”
“No, don’t worry about it. I have no particular reason to remain attached to this kingdom.”
“Exactly. I’m only here because I thought the kingdom was the closest major city where I could make money. I don’t have any particular attachment to it either.”
Luna and I were in agreement.
After all, Luna had become an adventurer in this kingdom in order to repay her debts. Now that those debts were no longer an issue, there was no particular reason for her to remain here.
Besides, I had also been curious about exploring dungeons in other countries.
“We probably can’t do it immediately, but how about we stay at my house for a while and move within a month? Some countries are difficult to enter, but there are others that aren’t nearly as strict.”
“Judging by the way you’re talking, Luna, do you already have a place in mind?”
“How about the Water City Akrim?”
“Ah. Yes, that does sound like a good choice.”
Riana seemed to understand immediately, but I still wasn’t quite following.
“The Water City Akrim. What kind of place is it?”
“Literally, it’s a country built on top of the water. Its infrastructure is comparable to that of the kingdom, and above all, the scenery is beautiful! Entry requirements aren’t particularly strict, either. People from all sorts of places gather there.”
“That’s right. It’s not particularly dangerous, either, and it isn’t too far from here. If we’re going somewhere outside the kingdom, I thought Akrim would be a good choice.”
“Hmm. Then, one month from now, we’ll move there.”
“Yes!”
“I look forward to it!”
And so, the three of us decided that one month later, we would head to the Water City Akrim.
However, we did not yet know that the darkness of the kingdom was still stirring beneath the surface──.
†
《Third-Person PoV》
“A count’s family and a ducal family. And not just any ducal family—the eldest son of the Grace family, one of the most prominent among the Five Great Magical Families, was defeated single-handedly. As expected, he appears to be the real deal.”
Inside a certain mansion, a man sat before a chessboard, moving the pieces by himself.
“He challenged a magician to a battle with swords and won. Ordinary swordsmanship would never be enough to contend with a magician, yet he still managed to overcome magic. Hmm. I definitely want him.”
“Should we make him a subject as well?”
A maid standing behind him asked the question.
“Yes. There can never be too many. Until now, I have been studying the brains of magicians, but I believe that a swordsman of his caliber must possess something unique as well.”
“What exactly is he? He appears to be only in his late teens, but I don’t think swordsmanship of that level is something a teenager could possibly have attained.”
The maid’s observation was entirely reasonable.
Ayame’s swordsmanship was the result of dedicating his entire life to the blade. It was only natural to conclude that such skill could not have been developed by someone in their teens.
“Abilities are determined by talent, effort, and environment. In his case──I’m no expert in swordsmanship, so I can’t give you a definitive answer, but… I believe that his adaptability comes from experience—in other words, from effort and environment. I don’t think it’s something based purely on talent like that of a Sword Saint.”
The maid immediately understood the implication behind his words.
“Then you think his appearance and age don’t match?”
“That is what I believe. That aspect makes him extremely interesting. Furthermore, he can wield supernatural abilities comparable to magic. He has no aptitude for magic, yet he possesses the ability to wield supernatural powers. What exactly accounts for that difference? Magic is merely one part of supernatural abilities. Perhaps he has mastered some unique technique of his own.”
The man analyzed Ayame with tremendous interest.
Until now, he had hunted magicians and examined their brains──but now, he had become fascinated with the existence known as Ayame.
“My magic has also improved considerably thanks to my research. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to confront him head-on.”
“Understood. Shall I make the arrangements, then? Would within a month be acceptable?”
“Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”
“Very well.”
The man spoke casually, as though they were discussing their plans over afternoon tea.
“Ayame-kun. I’m looking forward to the next time we meet.”