The Sword's Obsession
The principal and Gawain let out low groans upon hearing that they were weak. It wasn't an incorrect assessment. Even during the cultural festival incident with Aria, the two of them had attacked together yet failed to subdue Kyle. Though they had been constrained by the rule that they must not kill one another, the fact that two Masters couldn't overpower a single opponent suggested their combat strength was weaker than expected. And indeed, that was the case. One was a mage who spent most of his time holed up in a study rather than fighting, while the other was a swordsman whose strength had been crippled by injuries sustained in war.
"The two of you won't do."
"……Is he that strong?"
"Yes. Perhaps even stronger than me."
Kyle nodded as he recalled Schwarz, the man he had met on the street. He looked to be in his late twenties, though his actual age was impossible to tell. What was certain was that he was over a decade older than Kyle, and as a swordsman who had lived as a Master for far longer, his experience was several times greater. No matter how unprecedented Kyle's talent was, there were two things he could never overcome against those born earlier: experience and effort.
"I don't even know what would happen if we fought. Whether I could win or not."
"That's exactly why we're saying we'll step in."
"No. If you do, he'll run. That bastard."
Kyle was certain. If three Masters came at him together, Schwarz would immediately sense the trap and flee. And once a Master decided to escape, there was no catching him. Hadn't they already learned that lesson with Kayness?
"He laid hands on our academy students. We can't just let him get away."
"But how?"
"It's simple."
Kyle began explaining his plan with a slightly hardened expression—a plan to capture the Master. The two men looked visibly uncomfortable as they listened, but before long they nodded and agreed to participate. At the thought of catching a ruthless murderer, Kyle grinned.
* * *
"Ah, welcome!"
"You're here again."
The young woman who ran the bakery blushed as she watched the man enter her shop. His striking appearance—a perfect blend of rugged masculinity and handsome features—had walked through her door. If it had only been his face, she might have kept her admiration to herself. But this man had been visiting her bakery for several days straight. The frequency was enough to make her wonder if he had ulterior motives.
"Oh, the usual today?"
"Yes. The bread here is quite good."
"I'm glad to hear that! Ah, if you like that one, I think you'll enjoy this too… I'll give it to you as a service!"
"Oh, really? Thank you."
The bakery owner piled on extra bread as a "service." Schwarz thanked her for the mountain of loaves, paid, and left the shop. The academy grounds were better than he had expected. The food was especially delicious—perhaps because of the academy cafeteria, which was said to serve meals finer than those of the imperial palace. Any shop within the academy grounds had to offer food at least on par with the cafeteria, or slightly below, to survive.
'Delicious.'
Schwarz savored the bread as he tore off a piece. It was hard to believe this was the face of a man who had brutally slaughtered a student just days ago. After buying ham from the butcher and making a sandwich, Schwarz realized his hunger was returning. For the past week, his mind had been replaying the fight against that monstrous one-armed man. He was bored of it now. He needed a new battle. If it were up to him, he would storm the academy grounds immediately.
'No, that won't do…'
But Schwarz was no fool. The academy grounds were essentially a single massive workshop built by the principal. Charging into a mage's workshop alone was foolish. Especially with two more Master-class experts waiting inside. If he attacked the academy, what awaited him wouldn't be a thrilling fight, but a one-sided hunt. That held no appeal. Being overwhelmed and killed by sheer numbers was disgraceful, even if dying to an overwhelmingly powerful opponent didn't bother him.
'Won't he come out soon……'
Crunch— As he bit into the bread, Schwarz waited for Kyle to appear. As if the universe had answered his longing, Schwarz's eyes lit up when he spotted Kyle approaching from afar.
"Hmm— A bit much for dessert."
Schwarz slowly lowered the bread bag as Kyle flicked a letter toward him. He caught it on the tip of his knife with a soft thunk. Staring at the letter impaled on his blade, he tilted his head in confusion.
"What is this?"
"Read it, Schwarz."
"What is it?"
Obediently unfolding the letter, Schwarz's face lit up with delight as he read its contents. It was a formal challenge for a one-on-one duel. A wide grin spread across his face as he looked at Kyle.
"We don't need something like this. We could just fight right now."
"Can't you see over there?"
"……?"
Kyle pointed behind him. Schwarz turned to look and saw two Masters radiating fierce auras in the distance. They were far enough that he could escape at any moment, yet close enough that they could close the distance and kill him the instant a fight began. Staring at Kyle's scheming face, Schwarz let out a hollow laugh.
"Why should I trust your words?"
"Don't worry. Those two won't interfere."
"They won't show up on the day?"
"No. It means you'll die by my hand."
Schwarz burst into laughter at Kyle's arrogant declaration. It came from a swordsman over ten years his junior, someone whose experience was still shallow. Yet it was also the statement of a genius who couldn't be dismissed. After laughing, Schwarz waved his hand and walked away.
"I'll be waiting with great anticipation. Don't disappoint me too much."
"Write a letter to your friends while you still can."
"Ahaha, kids these days really are……"
Schwarz disappeared without losing his smile. It might have looked like he had simply vanished, but Kyle didn't think so. He would show himself again. Schwarz wasn't the type to value his own life. He was the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to throw his life away if it meant satisfying his desires. All that remained now was finding a way to defeat him.
'Should I ask about it?'
Kyle had never even seen Schwarz swing his sword, so there was no way to know how he fought. Normally, that would be true. But Kyle possessed a repository of knowledge that knew everything about this world. Someone who had already uncovered the strengths and weaknesses of this unfamiliar opponent.
* * *
"What? You decided to fight Schwarz?"
"Yeah."
Kyle went straight to Sera and asked about Schwarz's weaknesses. She immediately explained them.
"Just like most swordsmen, if you blast him with magic from a distance, he can't do anything."
"……Anything else?"
"Anything else? According to the setting, he's a master of swift swordsmanship. He can swing his blade dozens or even hundreds of times in the blink of an eye."
Schwarz's weakness was similar to Kyle's own: vulnerability to long-range attacks. A few Master-class mages firing spells would leave him helpless. The problem was that gathering several Master-class mages was realistically impossible. Besides, it wasn't much of a weakness to begin with. Being unable to fight back when outnumbered wasn't exactly a flaw.
So Kyle started asking about Schwarz's strengths instead. A master of swift swordsmanship. Kyle belatedly recalled the corpse Gawain had mentioned.
—It had been sliced into over a dozen pieces in a single strike.
The work of a Master.
'I see……'
The bloodstains that had soaked the road—Kyle had wondered how so much blood could pour out at once. But if it was a swift sword capable of dividing a person into dozens of pieces with a single strike, that made perfect sense.
Having roughly grasped Schwarz's nature, Kyle nodded and looked at Sera.
"Thanks. I think I know what I need to do."
"Want me to help?"
"No, it's fine."
"But……"
"What could I possibly expect from someone who isn't even a Master? Right?"
Sera fell silent at Kyle's words. She had done all she could. Unless she became a Master herself, an Expert like her couldn't offer meaningful help in a fight. Neither she, nor the professors, nor the principal would be of much use.
'I have to solve this alone.'
It had always been that way. And this time would be no different.
* * *
[School hours have ended. All students, please return to your dormitories. Residents of the academy grounds—]
A sweet voice, different from the usual announcement, echoed across the entire academy grounds. Listening to the surprisingly pleasant tone, Schwarz realized the time had come.
'He's coming, he's coming he's coming he's coming he's coming.'
Schwarz calmed his pounding heart as he waited for Kyle, feeling as though he were about to embrace an unparalleled beauty. Footsteps echoed from afar. A sound he had grown accustomed to from thinking about it every day. Kyle's footsteps.
"Welcome."
Schwarz greeted Kyle with the expression of someone welcoming a beloved lover. Kyle's face twisted at the sight.
"Shit, I'm not even into guys. What's with that look……"
"Aha, ahaha—! Either way, it doesn't matter, does it?"
Schring— A sword was drawn. Gripping his blade, Schwarz charged toward Kyle.
"Now then— kill me, Kyle♡."