Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Sword and You (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Still.
I'm in the swordsmanship training hall.
Class ended a while ago, but I had a bit more to do.
"......"
Six straw dummies sat slumped in the training hall. In the center, I gripped my sword and closed my eyes.
Now, I'm going to delve into the old world.
Search for memories from before my regression.
Memories of a certain swordsmanship I'd seen in a future that no longer exists.
Memories of a certain woman who came with blooming talent.
A story that exists only for me.
A memory faded into oblivion, but the Notebook that lived my entire life and experienced all of me surely remembers it clearly......
A faint voice seeped into my ears.
When was this?
Over my dark eyelids, a memory from before the regression surfaced.
A hand extended to my pathetically sprawled body, to my wound-covered form. A soft smile spread across her lips.
No.
I rewound the memory a little further.
The hand withdrawn from me, Soliet's voice swallowed in reverse, and my vision widened again.
Countless corpses littered the construction site ground.
Soliet sheathed her sword in the midst of them, walked away heavily, and soon the corpses revived as people, standing up.
At that point, I replayed the memory.
Soliet calmly inserted herself between the assassins trying to kill me.
The soon-to-be corpses glared at her, grinding their teeth. They showed no intention of retreating. Their resolve was at least admirable.
Soliet gripped the sword at her waist. That's when they charged.
Too late.
One— two— three— four—
A circular slash flashed precisely four times. Right after, they were gruesomely dismembered and scattered across the construction site's sand.
Saying that, once more, she extended a hand to my pathetically sprawled body, to my wound-covered form.
A soft smile spread across her lips.
I opened my eyes.
Zziiing— my head throbbed. Was there a cricket living in my temple?
"The memory...... it's clear."
The pre-regression memory was vividly imprinted.
As expected, the Notebook knows all my memories. Pretending not to, acting like a useless notebook while secretly spying, huh? You little punk.
"Let's see if I can do it."
I stretched my body.
Now, I planned to recreate that memory from moments ago.
Of course, I couldn't replicate her sword exactly. My mana was insufficient, my intelligence lacking, my experience inadequate, my body deficient.
That's why what I was attempting now was merely a single horizontal slash.
An inevitable starting move for any swordsman before combat. But for Soliet's 'Absolute Sword,' it was special.
Clack—
Moving the scabbard to my lower back, gripping the hilt with one hand, drawing and lightly swinging the sword......
Draw and Slash
——Whiiiiiing!
An air-rending whoosh erupted. A gale sliced through space. The curving arc from the blade whipped all around. The training hall dummies were evenly bisected, collapsing like wilted grass.
As if a lawnmower had shaved the entire ground clean in an instant, everything was tidied up.
It felt utterly unreal to me.
"What......"
I blankly stared at my arm. Veins and muscles bulged as if about to burst. Every joint in my fingers buzzed with sensation. My dantian ached dully.
A single slash had consumed too much mana, but thanks to the adrenaline surging through me, it didn't hurt.
"......"
I swallowed, sitting in a chair.
I looked at the tablet on the desk.
Rewound it to one minute ago and played it back.
[———Whiiiiiing!]
"......Is this really me?"
It truly was the sword I'd swung.
In a daze, I checked the Notebook.
[95 / 100]
Recent 24h capacity usage: +4
That single Draw and Slash stroke had eaten up 4 capacity points.
Friday morning.
I dazedly changed clothes and staggered into Cleam Hall.
-Hey. Party call after class today?
-Oh yeah. Champagne and all sorts.
-Right? Can't do it after first week. Let's go today.
At the back of the hall, Kain, Esher, and the other rich kids laughed boisterously, grating on my nerves for no reason.
What champagne? These brats whose blood hasn't even dried.
"Enviable."
I sat in any empty seat.
"Hey, guys. Grades are out from yesterday. Check the College Board app."
A helpful male student announced the grade release. Everyone pulled out their smartphones.
Except me.
"......College Board app?"
What was that? Did I need to install it?
As I typed 'College Bo-' in the app store.
"What the fu—ck?!"
A near-scream, seizure-like outburst echoed. Cleam Hall shook.
I glanced over.
"No— way, fu—ck! Why do I have zero—?!"
A bear thrashing like it'd been electrocuted.
I pursed my lips in satisfaction.
Sure enough, the snipe hit.
A shame it wasn't my top target, but that reaction was forgivable.
"I'm going insane—!"
I watched like it was a movie, intrigued.
"Which fucking bastard stole it? No, this is fucking impossible......"
Then he whipped around. Our eyes met.
I raised an eyebrow innocently.
"Wasn't me."
"......Who said it was you, asshole? You don't even know mana ritual basics, gold medal prick. Fu—cking who the hell was it?!"
Kain stomped like a gorilla. I barely held back laughter, finishing the College Board app install.
[Please recognize your student ID's mana code.]
Mana code?
It was the 'Senior' stamp engraved on my student ID.
I scanned it with my smartphone camera.
Sion Askal
1. Prism Dismantling: 1 CP
2. Paper Bird Observation: 0 CP, 3.5 CP
"?"
"Fu—ck! Fu—ck! Fuuu—cking hell—!"
Kain was still raging, but something was off.
Why did I get 3.5 points?
Wasn't the max for second period 3 points?
"Oh right, fu—ck. Some bastard must've copied mine and submitted. Tied for zero? Fucking hell, who the fu—cker—"
But now his tantrum was annoying. Big guy moving around made a racket.
I fiddled with my phone, muttering.
"Gorilla's got a rag in its mouth."
"......Fu—ck you! What'd you just say?"
Wow. Good ears too.
I looked at Kain. His face was a volcano. He ground his teeth, glaring.
"What'd I say? Repeat, fu—cking Sion."
I nodded, gladly replying.
"Got a rag in your mouth?"
"......"
Cleam Hall fell silent. Everyone stared at me in shock, those around me hastily fleeing.
"This fu—cking punk—"
"Shh."
Just before he erupted, Elise approached. She blocked Kain from lunging at me.
"Let me see."
"......No, that's."
She snatched Kain's smartphone. Frowned slightly at the screen.
"File an objection with the proctor later. Don't make a scene. It'll hurt you."
"......"
Kain finally shut up. Froze like a dog meeting its owner.
Sit! And he'd sit.
Creak—
The door opened right on time.
Jedric at exactly 9.
"......Hm."
Scanning the ketchup-faced Kain and the disorderly seniors, he said dryly.
"Sit."
"......"
Kain sat silently too.
"We'll start the last first-week College Board right away. Stand."
But stand right after sitting.
"Follow me."
Jedric exited. No further explanation. Seniors grabbed bags and stood.
Jedric walked the hall. 127 followed. We left Cleam Hall together, strolling the campus like a field trip.
Passed Endex's inner park, reached the main gate.
Where to?
"Don't fall behind."
Out the gate, Jedric suddenly ran. Dazed students chased hurriedly.
"Pissed off enough to die, what bullshit now."
"Ah, should've worn makeup......"
Kain's curses, Rae's grumbles. Elise ran silently, Esher with earphones, steadily.
"Huff, huff......"
Of course, I was running too.
Condition naturally poor.
Aftereffects from recreating one stroke of 'Absolute Sword' last night.
"Huff, huff, huff......"
Body creaking after just 10 minutes. Breathing ragged, thud—!
Something rocky shoved my body from behind. Kain.
"See you later. You're done today."
He smirked, pulling ahead. Countless others overtook me.
I let them go. Instead, I keenly observed Jedric and Gerkken at the front.
Running was a skill too.
Leg extension. Feet hitting and pushing off ground. Knee bend angle. Arms swinging rhythmically, core abdomen steady, consistent breathing rhythm.
I watched it all and mimicked with Look-See-Do......
"......Urgh."
But my chest pounded like bursting. Blood taste in mouth. Body trembling like aspen.
Stamina already depleted.
"Urk, urk, urk."
Students still fine glanced, snickered, passed by.
I finally braced hands on knees, bending over.
"Haa, haa......"
Can't keep up.
That moment.
"......?"
Something strange.
Just 1 minute rest, and suddenly my body improved.
Heart on verge of explosion calmed, taut calves and thighs restored instantly.
Impressive recovery.
Why?
I wiped forehead sweat, straightened. Tilted head, ran again.
"......Urgh, uurrgh."
But 5 minutes later, breathing wrecked again.
"Haa......"
I ran till 3 seconds from death, stopped. Rested exactly 1 minute.
No more needed.
"Hoo."
Wiped sweat, straightened.
Didn't know the principle, but 60 seconds rest made me feel reborn, full of energy.
"What is this?"
Cancer patient stamina remained, of course. As expected from cancer patient.
But recovery efficiency had skyrocketed......
Could this be the effect of Body Integration?
"Fine by me."
Anyway, I resumed running. Stepped toward the horizon.
Sky clear. Clouds like an artist's sculpture. Sunlight welcoming.
Five minutes later, all of it repulsive.