Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Lion's Feast (4)
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We gripped our swords and faced each other.
Hoo-
For my first-ever spar, I took a deep breath to loosen my tense muscles a bit.
Until now, I'd been swinging my sword endlessly in the family training grounds to hone my swordsmanship, but this was different.
Swinging a blade at another person.
Even if it was a sparring sword treated to be non-lethal, it still felt alien.
The modern man from my previous life—the core of my old self—was tensing up.
In contrast...
'I'm not shaking at all, surprisingly.'
Kline Leonhart. The self from this current life remained utterly calm and serene.
No trembling.
As if swinging a sword at someone was my natural calling.
"Your stance is solid!"
At that moment, Yoru spoke up with a smile.
"You said this is your first spar, right? If you keep your form like that, you can handle any situation."
"You can tell that much?"
"Of course! I've swung the blade plenty myself."
......Is that something to brag about?
Yoru was praising me, but I had my own observations about her.
'She looks strong.'
This girl had appeared out of nowhere, yet I couldn't spot any openings in her.
I'd never sparred before, but even sizing her up, there were no gaps to exploit.
She's the real deal.
Definitely top-tier among kids our age.
'What kind of character was she in the original story?'
She might not have appeared at all, but that didn't seem likely.
Someone this distinctive had to be a character.
Well, whatever. I could think of it as building favor with a future key player ahead of time.
Yoru beamed and said to me,
"I'll yield the first move! Go ahead whenever you're ready."
"Don't mind if I do."
It was a generous offer for my first spar.
I immediately put strength into my legs—
Thud!
I kicked off the ground and charged at Yoru.
Running simulations in my head.
Where and how to strike best.
The ideal sword paths I'd traced countless times in training.
The moment I calculated the outcome, I swung in a semicircle from the right.
Clang!
Yoru blocked my attack with ease.
But this wasn't the end.
Semicircle from the left, from above, a sudden thrust.
The more I traced the paths I'd practiced, the more my senses sharpened.
"You're good! I didn't expect this level!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Our swords clashed, creating a beautiful harmony.
It was hard to believe these were the strikes of mere eleven-year-old kids—the sounds were so fierce.
I was certain.
This girl was absolutely an original character.
No way someone with this much talent wouldn't appear!
Ting!
We clashed hard and leaped back.
After exchanging countless blows in that short time, we caught our breath.
Judging from the impacts so far, Yoru's skill level was...
'She's pretty good.'
Better than me right now.
At least in 'fighting people,' her proficiency was way higher.
'Hmm......'
But no reason to feel down.
It just meant I was holding my own against someone far more experienced.
"Have you been practicing sword paths alone in your family grounds a lot?"
"Yeah. They said I'm not ready to spar with the other knights yet."
"I see! That makes sense. But it's a shame. With your current skill, real spars wouldn't be a problem at all."
"You think so?"
"Yes! If this is really your first, it's impressive."
Hmm...... Is she just being nice?
But Yoru's words carried real weight.
Coming from someone who'd swung the sword more than me, it had to be true.
"Shall we go again?"
"Sure."
I kicked off again and charged forward.
This time, I changed my approach a bit.
I'm getting the hang of it. How to fight a person.
I swung my sword in a semicircle. As it arced horizontally toward Yoru's chest—
"!"
The moment she moved to block, it angled sharply downward toward her lower abdomen.
'Got her!'
No way she'd dodge this.
But.
Clang!
"Not bad! Figuring that out already!"
"Ugh!"
Yoru blocked it nimbly as if she'd anticipated it, then coiled her sword like a snake toward my shoulder.
I twisted away desperately and recovered my blade.
'How did she block that?'
My reaction was slow, no matter how I looked at it.
Yet she'd positioned perfectly.
Just experience?
Hard to say.
But no time to think.
Another attack came flying.
Low left, high right, overhead, straight on...!
This girl doesn't hold back!
"Your reactions are slow! In a real fight, you'd be dead already!"
"It's a spar! Why bring up real combat?!"
"Life is real combat! Always remember the price is your life!"
"Jeez, acting like my master all of a sudden!"
"Oh? Should I be? Want to try? For someone like you...... uh, what's your name?"
"Kline!"
"Kline, huh? You'd make a fine disciple!"
"I haven't said yes yet......!"
How many exchanges later?
The martial arts tournament time for the 'Lion's Feast' had arrived.
I stopped the spar, panting heavily.
Whoa. I'm drenched in sweat.
Gotta wash up before the tournament.
"You did great! At this level, you can handle anyone. Probably not many better than me?"
"That good? You, Yoru?"
"Yep!"
Yoru puffed out her chest and grinned.
She was barely sweating compared to me.
Though her clothes were getting damp—someone should care about that.
Why am I the only guy worrying?
"Mind giving some pointers? Tournament's soon; I'd like to learn as much as possible."
"Sure, why not."
Yoru hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
After a moment, she started listing them off.
"Well! Honestly, you're already great. Among your peers, no one but me could match you. But!"
"But?"
"First! Remember your opponent is a person. Understand who they are and the situation—that tilts the odds."
"How?"
"Just now, I anticipated you'd adapt and blocked accordingly. Remember? Conversely, you didn't anticipate me."
True.
She'd read the technique I was starting to get a feel for.
In other words, she'd seen through my move.
"I don't know your opponent, but think of them as a person. How they'd see you, how they'd approach. Then you can win."
"Thanks for the advice. Anything else?"
"More? You're greedy, Kline!"
"Learn when you can. Who knows when I'll see you again."
"No worries there. I like you, Kline. We'll meet again."
"Flirting now?"
"Who knows~?"
Yoru gave a ladylike pout and continued with more advice.
"Now, a question. How did I block your technique so quickly? Even anticipating, the reaction speed was off, right?"
"Yeah. Felt like cheating, honestly."
"Cheating? No idea what that means, but there's a reason. It's these eyes!"
"......?"
Yoru pointed to her eyes with her fingers.
More precisely, the eye sockets covered by the black blindfold.
"Wait, aren't you blind? Where's the guy who said no discriminating against the blind?"
"I am blind! I just see with my mind's eye."
"Shouldn't the mind's eye point to your heart then?"
"Pervert! Telling a girl to point at her chest?!"
"This damn......"
She's a tough opponent.
Everything I say bounces into weird territory.
Tastes like a shooting star.
"Anyway, the secret is the eyes! Watch your opponent's attacks, movements, body closely to spot weaknesses."
"Weaknesses? Visible to the eye?"
"Yes! Can't you see them?"
"Nope."
"That's a pity."
Hey.
Drop the hand.
You're smirking right now.
"Focus on seeing with your eyes. Don't see things as they are—feel the flow. Once your eyes open to the world's flow, you can do it like me."
"Hah...... You make it sound so easy."
"It is!"
A scolding tone.
But Yoru just smiled brightly at my words.
"You can do it, Kline! I believe in you."
"Uh. Okay."
No comeback when she says it with that smile.
She's got a way with words.
Makes me think I can pull it off too.
Fine. Let's test it.
I closed my eyes.
Trying to see the darkened world through this 'mind's eye' thing.
Yoru in front of me. The dirt-covered training ground around her. Swords and water bottles in the distance.
"......"
Huh?
I can see?
"Hehe. You took my word for it hook, line, and sinker! Want to test it?"
Then Yoru playfully thrust her sword.
It looked like it would hit, but no real danger.
Just to scare me.
But I reacted too late.
I'd been focusing inward.
Right as the attack came—
Clang!
"Eek?"
I blocked it late, targeting the spot for minimal effort and max speed.
"......"
"......"
Our eyes met.
Yoru blinked at me, then...
"Did you...?"
"Yeah. Worked."
"Whoa. Hate to say it, but that pisses me off."
She puffed her cheeks and scolded me.
An unexpected gain from this unplanned spar.
The Crimson Blood Cult's forces had dyed the continent in blood.
They'd toppled more than half the Empire, burned Aonia to ashes, and buried Priod in ice.
The vampire horde pressed on relentlessly.
All followed one woman—the Elder Vampire known as the 'Blood Demon.'
And among them, her most favored: Number One Squad.
Yoru, belonging to that squad, set down her drink.
"You're here?"
A shame to cut the drinking short, but no choice.
When the squad leader comes calling, etiquette demands it.
Soon, a figure emerged from the brush.
Dull gold hair, dull gray eyes.
Pupils not human, but demonic.
A single sword at the waist.
This trio made Imperial forces lose the will to fight.
They called him humanity's betrayer, Leonhart's shame.
The Crimson Moon Blood Sword, or so they said.
"What are you doing here."
"Nothing much. Just having a drink."
"We're about to claim the Emperor's head, and you're so carefree."
"Eh. Doesn't matter, right? Since when have I cared about the cult?"
"......"
The Crimson Moon Blood Sword—Kline Leonhart—said nothing.
His subordinate, Kurotsuki Yoru, was always like this.
Joined the Blood Cult but never devoted to it.
As if she were above the other faithful.
"Fine. I'll join you."
Yet strangely, she obeyed Kline perfectly.
So he decided to humor his excellent subordinate.
His heart was worn thin, but...
A little courtesy wasn't too much.
"Haha! What's up with our squad leader? Drinking with me and all."
"Only because your recklessness disrupts cult operations."
"You're perfect in every way but words, leader. Fix that and you'd be flawless."
"Been a while, and your ego's inflated."
"Aw, don't get mad. You know I like you, right?"
Kline clicked his tongue and drank.
Aonia's traditional brew.
Yoru loved the one made from moonflower extract especially.
She never said why.
One cup, two.
They downed them steadily, neither getting drunk.
Neither Kline nor Yoru.
This was nothing for their caliber.
"......Leader."
"What."
Yoru gazed at the distant mountains.
A round moon bathed the world in white.
Beneath it, mountains of corpses dyed the land red.
"If I'd met you sooner, would things have been different?"
"What do you mean."
"Just... Someone who'd understand me, whom I could understand. Someone I could share my skills and secrets with. If I'd met them early, would the future change?"
"Nonsense."
Kline dismissed it outright.
A pointless hypothetical.
Was his subordinate drunk after all?
Once in the Crimson Blood Cult, no turning back.
What changed with idle what-ifs?
"It could have."
So Kline continued.
To make Yoru face reality.
And self-mockery toward himself.
"You shouldn't have been born."
His life, shattered by meeting his sister Ariel Leonhart's freakish talent, couldn't be undone.
Yoru said nothing.
She just mulled his words sadly, then...
"Haha. Yeah. What was I saying."
She raised her glass to him.
"Cheers, leader."
Kline clinked glasses silently.
A night for just the two, fallen into utter abyss.
『Excerpt from Shardia Academy Guidebook Volume 11』