Rischel (7)

"You alright?"

"Hah... hah! Th-thank you, Master."

Gawain, who had just forcefully driven away the knights swarming like fans at a meet-and-greet, bowed to me while catching his breath.

"Hooo... Anyway, what brings you here?"

"I had some time before the banquet, so I came for a spar... You busy?"

At my words, Gawain's eyes widened for a moment before he shook his head vigorously, as if his neck might snap.

"No no no! I happen to be free. Please, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Ughhh...!"

"Liar! You had exhibition training today!"

"Captain, stop the dictatorship...!"

The knights, who had been eavesdropping from afar, let out a chorus of boos at Gawain's words.

"Y-you bitches...!"

"We want time with the hot guy too!"

"Hear hear!"

"Captain, implement the hot guy quota system!"

"Implement it!"

"Quiet down, all of you!"

Only after Gawain couldn't ignore it anymore and suppressed his knights with force did the commotion finally die down.

"...Shall we get started then!"

"...Didn't you have a schedule?"

"Haha! It's fine! I can leave the knights' training to the vice-captain!"

Behind her, as she praised the vice-captain's competence, I caught a glimpse of the vice-captain pulling a miserable face.

"Alright! Let's begin!"

"Got it."

"Do your best, bro!"

The moment Modred slipped from my arms and headed toward the knights...

Gawain moved to the center of the training grounds and immediately deployed a training barrier.

Right away, a pale blue magic circle unfolded, etching geometric patterns into the air.

"Interesting. A fairy's barrier?"

"It's a special one made by Sir Merlin."

"Looks sturdy."

"Yes, I hear it converts impact into mana to reinforce the barrier."

"I see. So the harder you hit it, the stronger it gets."

Merlin lives up to her name.

It was a pretty useful barrier.

Good enough that I'd want to introduce it to Academy City.

No, that'd be impossible.

I shook my head, picturing the sinisterly grinning witch, when Gawain's voice rang out.

"Here I go...!"

At the same time, she crouched low and shot forward like a bullet.

"Coming at you!"

"...!"

Boom──!

Our eyes met, and the sound hit a beat later.

"Fast."

Not something you dodge by sight.

Only instinct to guide the body!

Immediately after, her sword and my fists clashed at blinding speed.

"As expected, you're incredible!"

"You've improved a lot."

Her speed was stable, power solid.

No glaring openings, so in swordsmanship alone, she was at a masterful level.

Hmm. Even conservatively, she's Superior Mercenary rank.

Worth being ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called the Round Table's strongest knight, huh.

Compared to other heroes, her sword was unmatched in speed and precision.

An all-out offensive style abandoning defense.

Normally suicidal, but for her, it was her greatest weapon.

And that was because──

"It's past noon, but the sun's still up! With the sun's blessing, I fear nothing...!"

"Excellent!"

Strength, agility, stamina, durability, natural recovery—all combat stats nearly doubled.

A cheat-level blessing.

With Sun's Blessing active, Gawain was practically invincible.

Of course, it wanes as the sun sets, but not now.

Conveniently, it was 3 p.m.

The sun, just starting to dip, still blazed brightly over the world.

In response, Gawain's body erupted in brilliant yellow aura as she gripped her training sword two-handed, drawing up her full power.

"This time, I'll land a hit!"

"Looking forward to it."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠casually replied and matched her stance.

Whoosh─

At the same time, I slightly loosened my restrained aura.

The perfectly controlled aura burst out, raging wildly.

And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then, something surprising happened.

"...A wall?"

The rampaging aura gradually piled up, forming a solid wall.

"Ngh...!"

"Break through it."

"Gladly!"

She let out a kiai, infused her sword with aura, and charged.

"Haaah...!"

Immediately, her flame-wreathed sword clashed mid-air with my deep blue aura.

Kagagagak──!

"Nghhh...!"

"Hmm."

The ferocious sword sprayed sparks in all directions, struggling to slice the air.

The sword, charged to its limit, blazed with light as it swung wildly, accompanied by deafening roars.

"Stupid... thing...!"

Yet it couldn't penetrate far, and shock etched onto Gawain's face.

"Aura refined to the extreme is no different from a shield."

Her sword finally bounced off the aura wall, leaving her staring blankly at me.

"Good output. Aura control's not bad either."

"Kuh...!"

"But not your full power yet."

Immediately, I spread both hands toward her as she stood frozen.

"Holding back because it's a spar?"

"......"

"Not going all out because it's not real combat?"

"......"

"Is that enough for you?"

At those words, killing intent began boiling from Gawain.

"...As if."

Immediately, dazzling light burst from her chest.

──Like I'd be satisfied with this!

At the same time, fierce flames engulfed her body.

"I have no intention of ending this with a lame spar!"

How long had it been?

"From now on, full power...!"

Her words were followed by a mechanical voice from within the flames──

Roar──!

Bang─!

"......!"

"Hah!"

In an instant, Gawain burst from the flames and swung at me.

Her incoming sword smashed into the thick aura wall with a roar, cleaving through it.

"Well done."

In the brief gap as she sliced the wall, I retreated and nodded, appraising her changed form.

"I cut the aura."

She shouted triumphantly, her appearance utterly transformed.

Her plain training clothes had become ornate armor blending yellow and white, and her crude training sword a splendid golden blade.

Meanwhile, a strange pattern on her heaving chest glowed brightly, gradually fading.

"Sun's Stigma, Galatine. Impressive."

I nodded at the vivid pattern visible even over her armor, offering a brief comment.

"Galatine...!"

She kicked off lightly and leaped high into the sky.

Immediately, intense flames erupted from below.

"Not enough!"

Clank─!

"...!"

With Gawain's voice, Galatine's hilt twisted, hot energy surging.

"Haaah...!"

"Ha! You finally mastered it!"

She'd finally learned that technique after so long!

With that brief thought, I extended both hands and seized Galatine's flames.

"Excellent!"

"Wha...!?"

I forcibly gripped the fiercely resisting flames and contained them.

"Wh-what...!"

"A reward for surprising me."

──Let me show you something good.

She'd shown results beyond expectations.

I infused aura into the flames in my grasp.

In an instant, control of her flames was wrested away.

"...!?"

"Know this?"

"Ngh...!"

Gawain, staring in shock at Galatine, gritted her teeth and drew up more aura.

"Aura starts with observing the body."

"Why...!"

"Once proficient, you spread aura throughout the body."

"Nghhh...!"

"Hands, feet, and further—weapons, armor. Veteran heroes handle it this way."

"......!"

"A step further: emitting aura."

"Guh...!"

"As you know, elite hero territory from here."

Recognize inner aura and project it outward.

A realm impossible without perfect body control.

Hence, elite heroes' domain—the grave of the mediocre.

Blood trickled from Gawain's nose.

She'd overexerted trying to reclaim control, injuring herself.

"Next: infuse aura with enlightenment."

Probably Gawain's current realm.

Enlightenment—or personal traits—imbuing aura with attributes.

For her, solar attribute in aura as proof.

"Reach this, and you're superhuman."

"Few heroes arrive here; nearly all are top-tier, bar exceptions."

──And this is your limit.

"Hah...!"

Suddenly, a sun appeared before her eyes.

"Wh-what...?!"

"Infuse aura with enlightenment, comprehend nature's laws."

The so-called five elements or four elements.

Grasp nature's cycle, understand its principles, wield nature's aura...

"Then, things like this become possible."

With those words, the sun froze solid, becoming a massive ice sculpture.

"Wh-what is...?"

Not just Gawain, but the watching knights gaped at the magic-like feat.

I casually dusted off my hands, dispelling the ice, and flicked her forehead as she stood dazed.

"Spar's over."

"...Ah."

"You've grown splendidly."

"......"

"Galatine handling was flawless. But relying solely on solar heat is a shame. Think more on the sun's diverse aspects. That'll bring you closer to nature's laws."

Understanding intellectually is easy.

But nature's aura isn't grasped by the mind alone.

It demands bodily sensation, constant communion with nature.

Still, Gawain'll master it soon.

She's a knight with solar power, after all.

The mightiest natural force—her day wielding nature's aura isn't far.

"Time to go."

"......"

"...Gawain?"

"Heek...!?"

As I turned to leave the grounds, I eyed Gawain, still on the ground, curiously.

Her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flushed, dazed face twitched sporadically. When I touched her shoulder, she jolted with a weird yelp.

"......"

"Ah, ah! N-no! It's not like I wet myself because Master is so cool and amazing...!"

"Heading out first."

"Ah! W-wait, Master! Masteeeeer...!"

Leaving her self-destructing with a beet-red face, I walked out of the training grounds.