What a Fine Day
BOOOOOOM!!
The sudden, thunderous roar was more than enough to snatch every gaze on the battlefield.
A shockwave rippled outward in concentric rings. Dirt and dust billowed skyward. Pale-blue remnants of mana hung in the air.
Anyone could tell at a glance that a mana bomb had just detonated.
But—
"W-what… Billy and Leon?"
"Don't tell me they both got eliminated…?"
Even in the thick of combat, the cadets had been paying close enough attention to know. The blast had gone off right where Billy and Leon had been locked in their fierce duel.
The entire battle had hinged on which of those two came out on top.
And now both of them were gone.
No one had seen that coming.
Carotin, however, reacted differently.
"……"
A grave, steely look settled over his face. Leon's words from earlier were replaying in his head.
— Carotin, when I fight Billy later… if it looks like I'm gonna lose, I'll just blow myself up, okay? After that, you can handle the rest, right?
And Carotin had answered with absolute confidence.
— Of course!
His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. A burning sense of duty and responsibility flared hot in his chest.
The outcome of this battle now rested on him.
More precisely—on who won between him and Esabel.
"……"
In Esabel's mind, a conversation with Billy was replaying.
— Billy. If we end up facing Class A, you'll have to take on Leon.
— That was the plan, but…
— ……?
Billy trailing off was rare enough that Esabel had tilted her head sharply.
— There's a chance I might lose. You should start thinking about what comes after.
— ……!
She had been genuinely shocked. Billy never said anything he didn't mean. For him to speak like that meant the odds truly weren't certain.
Esabel had trained alongside him long enough to know just how absurd his talent and skill were. The idea of him losing a one-on-one duel—even to Leon—had been hard to picture. Billy had already left the level of a first-year cadet far behind.
And yet.
I never thought he'd just blow himself up.
It had to be Leon. He'd fought, realized he was going to lose, and decided to take Billy down with him. Classic Leon.
Still… if things have come to this…
Esabel looked at the opponent who had pulled back during the brief lull, putting distance between them. Carotin was licking his lips, his red hair whipping in the wind.
…Then me beating him becomes the important part.
Rank 3: Esabel.
Rank 7: Carotin.
Unexpectedly, the gap between them wasn't all that wide. Carotin's skill wasn't lacking—and the difference in their equipment was significant.
"……"
"……"
Both of their eyes sharpened at the same moment. They understood now—the victory rested in their hands.
Steady breaths. Tense glances exchanged. A tiny pebble rolled to a stop at their feet—
CRACK!
The ground shattered.
Carotin moved first. A long trail of crimson energy streamed from his blade as he lunged in like a wild beast.
Bastio's Sword.
Breeze of the Northern.
The swordsmanship of House Bastio unfurled from Carotin's fingertips.
SHHHHHHHRK!
Reddish arcs split the air like a savage gale, painting the sky—like a giant wolf raking its claws through empty space.
"Hup!"
THUD!
Esabel drove her foot forward in a powerful advance, meeting him head-on.
Grand Emperor Sword—True Essence.
A single blade can hold even a mountain.
WHOOOOOOM!
A crushing, all-suppressing weight flooded Esabel's sword. Against the ferocious assault that threatened to carve her body into pieces, a silver arc began to fall in a long, sweeping curve.
CLAAAAAANG!
The two sword strikes charged at each other with savage force—each seeking a single victor.
Tower of Illusions, training room.
"……"
Billy slowly lifted his eyelids. Then he sat up, unhurried.
A clean interior designed in white and black came into view.
The training room, huh.
It took only a moment for the memories to click into place and the situation to become clear.
Right. At the end…
Leon had taken him out with that self-destruct.
A faint breath slipped from Billy's sharp nose.
What an interesting guy.
It was a snort of laughter—not mockery or contempt, but pure amusement. Even after falling for a move some might call dirty, not a trace of negativity showed on him.
Billy rose fully to his feet, planting both boots on the ground.
Where's Leon?
They had been eliminated at the exact same time. Yet from the moment Billy woke, there had been no sign of him. Leon had probably bolted outside the instant he transferred—eager to check the results of the evaluation.
Out on the field right now, the final clash between Class A and Class B would still be raging.
Billy cinched the sword at his waist a little tighter, then started walking. He didn't bother hurrying. He already had a rough idea of how it would end. When the course of a battle and its outcome were already painted so clearly in his mind, what was the point of running just to see it a few minutes sooner?
Billy continued his unhurried stroll out of the tower. He left the training room, answered the instructors' and assistants' perfunctory questions, and slipped past the medical staff who insisted on checking him for any residual injuries. Past the long corridor and through the wide main doors—
"Hmm."
—and there, Elprime's full panorama stretched before him.
The sun had already sunk; the world was darkening. Lamps and lights had all been switched on, casting a bright glow over the buildings and streets. Cool night air pricked his lungs. Stars dotted the clear sky one by one.
Excited shouts drifted faintly from afar—everyone watching the evaluation's final moments. The entire academy was caught up in a feverish atmosphere.
Amid that clamor, Billy savored a quiet moment of solitude.
He drew in a deep breath.
"What a fine day."
The words carried the full weight of his mood, spoken low. He drew his sword.
Shhhhing—
The blade came free with an unusually smooth pull. The white steel revealed itself to the world. The heat of the fierce battle still lingered in the metal; it wasn't cold, but faintly warm.
"……"
Billy raised the sword and closed his eyes.
His body felt light. So light he might take flight at any second. His senses were sharp, vivid, crystal clear.
Hmmmm—
He slowly poured mana into the blade.
Crackle—
The mana flowed through his hand and the hilt, then burst forth along the edge, forming sword qi across the surface. It looked as though the blade had been wrapped in mist—or wreathed in flame.
Billy focused harder.
Tszzzzzz!
The billowing sword qi began to draw inward. Mana condensed, coalesced. The energy that had been sprawling outward was gathered into a dense, refined form.
Tszzzzzzzz—!
Before long, the shape of the sword qi started to change. The chaotic, scattering energy resolved into a uniform structure—thin, fine, threadlike. Tangible strands of mana wrapped tightly around the blade, wound clockwise in perfect evenness, each thread holding condensed mana within.
A spool spun from threads of mana.
—Sword Thread.
A higher form of sword qi. Proof that one had reached the upper ranks of Sword Expert.
The small catalyst Billy had needed. The opportunity that had come within reach last time, only to slip away through sheer misfortune. The spark required to finally shatter the wall that had been cracking but refusing to break.
At last, he had it—thanks to his duel with Leon, his true rival.
Shhhhing— click.
Billy gave the completed Sword Thread a single glance, then sheathed the blade without a shred of lingering attachment.
And once more, he set off at his own leisurely pace.
Thunderous cheers shook the academy grounds. Fresh sprouts pushed up from the flower beds lining his path. The moon hung high and full, grown round and heavy. Stars danced in wild disarray, each flaunting its own brilliant light.
—Hoo.
Billy exhaled the breath he had been holding and murmured,
"What a fine day."
The arena was packed with frenzied cadets.
"WOOOOOOOO! That's it!"
"Push them back!"
"Nice one, Carotin!"
"Kill him! Wreck him!"
"GOOOOOOO!"
Among them, Leon stood clustered with the other eliminated Class A cadets, screaming at the top of his lungs as he watched the screen. The moment his consciousness had returned, he had scrambled straight to the waiting room. This was basically the final stretch of the championship match. The excitement had hit its peak.
"Nooooo! You should've gone in there…!"
He clutched his head and howled—then suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"…Huh? Wait."
"Leon, what's wrong?"
Celia, standing beside him, asked.
"No… I've just got this weird feeling…"
Leon peered toward the outside of the waiting room, rubbing the chill from his arms.
"A weird feeling?"
"A really nasty, uneasy vibe… OOOOOOH! YES! I believed in you!"
But the moment Class A started putting up a good fight, he shook off the bad feeling and threw himself back into the screen.