Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139846077736864
The sound of wooden swords clashing fiercely—clang, clang—echoes through the training ground.
The sharp, dry clashes repeat over and over; with every attack parried or evaded, clouds of dust swirl into the air.
“――! Raah!”
My sparring partner—Yu—stomps forward, his foot gouging into the ground.
Closing the distance in one swift motion, he unleashes a strike from high. As I meet the blow—which cuts through the air as it closes in—with my own weapon, a shockwave so powerful it makes my arm go numb courses through me.
“Not yet!”
Without a moment’s pause, Yu delivers a horizontal slash.
I dodge it with a backstep, but Yu closes the distance, determined not to let me escape. And then, the fierce onslaught begins again. Every single attack is fast and heavy.
And above all, there is no hesitation.
The movements—stepping in, swinging through, and regaining his balance—flow seamlessly together.
No feints, no tactical maneuvering. Faced with this fighting style that simply aims to crush his opponent head-on, I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
(That’s way too straightforward, isn’t it…? Even Liene would mix in a few feints into her fighting style.)
Liene may trample her opponents with the overwhelming mass of her greatsword, but…
Her skill as a swordswoman is actually quite high. It’s only because she often fights monsters with a greatsword that her style seems a bit rough, but when it comes to fighting humans, it’s a different story.
She gauges the distance, draws her opponent’s gaze, and throws off their balance.
Despite appearances, she’s actually thinking carefully about every swing.
In contrast—
“Here I go!”
Yu’s lunge sends sand flying once again.
It’s not that he isn’t thinking at all. As proof, if I try to counterattack, he jumps back out of range, and if I’m too fast, he blocks with his wooden sword—he’s capable of basic defense and situational awareness.
Whether that comes from his instincts, his experience as an adventurer, or perhaps the benefits of the “Protagonist Buff”—despite his one-dimensional, attack-focused fighting style, he manages to keep the damage he takes to a minimum.
He may seem reckless, but he never stands in a fatal spot.
That’s exactly why he’s so strong. …He really is the protagonist of a game.
“I’ll end this right here!”
With those words, Yu closed the distance.
His lunge was different from before. His center of gravity was low, and his gaze was unwavering. It was as if he were saying he had absolute confidence in this technique.
(…Don’t come.)
The first strike is a swift diagonal slash. Next comes an upward cut that seems to bounce off from a low stance.
From there, a barrage of high-speed combos rains down from both sides.
I deflect some with my wooden sword, while others I dodge with ease.
“—What!?”
Yu’s face contorts with shock, creating a massive opening.
I wouldn’t let that moment slip away.
I swiftly slid in close.
I deflected the wooden sword that came crashing down as if to say, “Don’t come near me!” Then, I swept at the legs of the defenseless Yu, who had lost his weapon, throwing him off balance. As Yu collapsed helplessly to the ground, I pressed the tip of my lade against Yu’s throat. After a moment of dazed silence, Yu gave a wry smile and said—
“I give up. I lose.”
He raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
“You really are amazing, Rai.”
Yu muttered as he stood up, brushing the dirt off his waist.
Even though his signature move had been broken, there was no trace of regret in his expression. He looked somehow serene.
“I was actually pretty confident about that move. I thought I could push through.”
“Yeah. Honestly, if it weren’t for me, you would’ve won.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you just trying to save face for me?”
“I’m just stating the facts. That combo is really strong.”
In fact, that combo is strong. It’s no wonder it’s the protagonist’s signature move.
Against ordinary monsters, it would strip away nearly all their health, and even against opponents with high defense, it would break through their defenses in an instant, creating an opening. That combo, which plays a key role from start to finish, is an absolute nightmare when used against you.
Since the initial movement and the sword’s trajectory were the same as in the game, I managed to parry it, but if anything had been different, I would have been overwhelmed just like a game enemy character, with no way to defend myself.
As I was thinking about this, Yu pointed at the wooden sword in my hand and said,
“So, Rai, you know swordsmanship too, huh?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. Well, I did learn the basics at the Duke’s residence.”
As the son of a duke, there’s a lot I had to learn.
Swordsmanship was one of those things.
Every day, under the watchful eye of a tutor, I would swing a wooden sword in the mansion’s garden.
I wasn’t glared at harshly, nor was I shouted at.
I was simply watched over quietly.
If my posture faltered, I’d be gently reminded, “Watch your feet,”
and if my breathing became erratic, I’d be advised, “If you rush, the sword will rush too.”
It felt less like drilling techniques into me and more like having my attitude toward the sword corrected.
On the grass still damp with morning dew, I repeated the practice swings over and over.
Swing, stop, steady my breath.
Swing, stop, swing again.
As a result of repeating these basic drills, before I knew it, the skin on my palms had thickened, and a faint callus had formed at the base of my fingers.
(……That brings back memories.)
It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory either.
As I let my thoughts drift back to the past, Yu looked at me with interest.
“Huh, so that’s what they call a noble’s pastime?”
“Well, something like that. They drilled it into me over and over: that a sword is for self-defense.”
“But being able to fight at that level—doesn’t that go beyond self-defense? If you’d trained more, I think you could’ve mastered swordsmanship, Rai.”
At Yuu’s words, I shrugged my shoulders slightly.
“I don’t plan on mastering it, so it’s fine.”
“Why not? That’s such a waste.”
I gave a wry smile at Yu’s remark and turned my gaze toward Liene, who was watching the situation unfold from a short distance away alongside Ciel. When our eyes met, Liene broke into a smile as bright as a blooming flower and clenched her fists slightly in front of her chest.
“You’re truly amazing, Rai-sama…!”
Hearing her voice, filled with pride as if she were speaking of herself, I couldn’t help but let a smile spread across my face.
“For me, my sword is already right there.”
She wanted to be useful. She didn’t want to lose it. Liene, who had swung her sword until calluses formed on her soft palms. Through rain and wind. I know the back of that girl who, even as tears of frustration welled up over her own inexperience, kept gripping her wooden sword.
Even when I tried to dissuade her by saying, “That’s enough,” she shook her head and said, “It’s still not enough.” I don’t want to pretend her resolve—that effort—never existed. Nor do I intend to rewrite the time she’s spent building up her skills just to suit my convenience.
And above all—
I find the sight of her swinging her sword with such determination utterly endearing.
Whether she knew of my inner thoughts or not, Yu stared intently at me.
After a few seconds of silence, she let out a soft sigh and shrugged her shoulders.
“Is there some rule that nobles have to say things like that?”
Half of it was exasperation. But the other half had a tone that sounded almost envious.
“There’s no such rule, actually.”
“You’re completely oblivious, aren’t you?”
Yu gave a wry smile at my words.
■
After wrapping up the mock battle, I made my way to the Knight Commander’s quarters.
The man, who had weathered countless battlefields, stood in the shade of a tree. He glanced my way, then quietly approached and began to kneel before me.
Instinctively, I raised my hand to stop him.
“You don’t need to do that. We’re on school grounds, and I’m a student while you’re an instructor.”
The Knight Commander paused for just a moment, then slowly stood up.
“…Understood.”
“No need for formalities. I’m here today to ask for your guidance.”
The Knight Commander straightened his posture and looked at me intently once more.
“I’ve heard the story. You’re seeking the technique passed down within the Knights’ Order—the method of drawing the enemy’s attention to save your comrades?”
A low, yet polite tone.
“Yes. It’s only something I’ve heard through the grapevine… but I’ve heard that such a method exists.”
“It does.”
The answer was immediate.
“However, while it is a source of honor, it is also an extremely dangerous technique. To divert the enemy’s gaze means you must be prepared to bear the full brunt of their attack.”
“I understand.”
I replied briefly, and the Knight Commander narrowed his eyes slightly.
“May I ask why you seek this technique?”
“…Because I need it right now.”
I said no more.
There was no need to say more here and now.
After a few seconds of silence, the Knight Commander nodded deeply.
“Understood. Then, shall we start with the basics? What you need is to control your magical power. Imagine spreading it thickly and strongly… Just that alone will make it impossible for the enemy to ignore you.”
I took a step forward. Not to swing my sword.
—But to acquire the power to become the target.
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