Chapter 57: Tomorrow (1)

Tomorrow (1)

The Endex on a Thursday afternoon is peaceful.

The incident that occurred last night at Recordark is plastered all over the news, but Endex seems unaffected.

After all, there are no College Board scores assigned to the special experience, and the deceased are from other magic high schools.

The current Endex admission is much more important than the already deceased seniors from other schools.

"Nice to see you. It's already the third week of Swordsmanship."

Perhaps for that reason.

Instructor Jeoly started the class as if nothing had happened.

"Today we have a bit more people, they are all your seniors. They are college students from Endex."

There were many cadets in the swordsmanship training room. They were all dressed in the uniform of the prestigious magic university's knight department.

"They are the kind seniors who took the time to help with your assignments, so let's welcome them with applause."

Clap, clap- The seniors also clapped. The cadets had a smug expression.

"You will pair up to check the assignments."

Upon hearing that we would pair up, I inadvertently looked around. Then, I made eye contact with Elise. Her expression froze instantly. Her sincere killing intent whirled like a blade.

I quickly turned my head.

She must have gone crazy all of a sudden.

"It's alphabetical. You can go into one training room per pair. First, training room 1 is Gail and Gitten, training room 2 is Gerkhen Kal Doon and Baran......"

A name caught my ear as I was half-listening.

"Training room 13, Shion and Soliette."

"......"

I looked back at Soliette. She was only looking straight ahead.

The two of us stood in training room 13.

A male cadet was waiting at the door.

"Haha. Who is this? Long time no see, Soliette?"

He spoke to Soliette first. His smiling face was quite mixed.

"Yes. Long time no see, Mr. Stegen."

Stegen?

I know the name. I saw him once in the Knight Council before, no, before the regression.

He's probably not a bad guy. I remember him being quite a funny person.

"Hey. You'll be a junior next year, shouldn't you call me senior?"

Stegen laughed out loud, but there was no change in Soliette's expression.

"Haha......"

He looked a bit awkward and looked at me next to Soliette.

"What's your name?"

"Shion."

"Oh, right."

I thought that was the end of it.

"Let's go in."

Stegen opened the door to the training room.

"......?"

Suddenly, my head spun. My legs stumbled over each other. The side wound from Recordark throbbed heavily.

I almost fell, but managed to keep my balance.

"......"

Soliette glanced at me and went into the training room.

"Oh, are you anemic?"

I shook off the feeling and followed her.

......Edsilla National Magic University, Knight Department, first-year cadet.

A former 4-star high school student who was admitted to the best university on the continent this year, and a promising 3-star knight who is honing his sword.

'Stegen Ren Joel' feels nervous after a long time.

It's almost the same as the trembling of the heart when taking the final entrance exam.

Perhaps, it was because of Soliette.

He had been watching her from afar since his days at Endex, but back then, he could barely exchange a few words with her. Soliette was always on a high pedestal. They were both nobles, but their statuses were different. She was as distant as a flower on a cliff.

But now, things were different.

He had become a first-year knight student at Edsilla National Magic University, with a guaranteed future.

Moreover, she was now deeply wounded. She was going through a very difficult time.

If only he could fill her sorrow and loss. If only he could create such a movie-like story...

"......Shall we start right away?"

"I don't mind."

"Yes."

Soliette and... was it Shion? Anyway, the man responded.

Stegen glanced at the score sheet.

[Shion Ascal]

It was Shion.

"Let's start with you."

Stegen pointed at Shion with his finger.

Since Soliette was bound to be perfect, he could show his prestige and skill as a first-year knight student at Edsilla National Magic University by using Shion as a teaching aid.

"Draw your wooden sword."

"Yes."

Shion Ascal drew his wooden sword.

"Hmm. Your stance is good."

His posture was straight, and his body was surprisingly not bad. He looked a bit small compared to other swordsmen, but his reach seemed oddly long.

"Well. You know the Five Basic Forms, right?"

"It was homework. I've practiced."

"Show me."

He executed the Five Basic Forms in the air.

Triangle cut. The wooden sword smoothly drew three sides. There was a regular rhythm in his advancing steps.

Circular cut. A round vertical cut swept through the air. The wind rose and brushed his clothes.

Curved cut. The first and second strikes of the wooden sword connected in a straight line and a diagonal line, and the third strike sprung up the next moment, forming an 'N'.

Rapid thrust. He jabbed seven times in 1.5 seconds. It was exactly the passing cut line.

Slash. He raised the blade of the wooden sword and cut through the air honestly. A heavy sword wind was carried in one blow.

"......"

Stegen, a first-year knight student at Edsilla National Magic University, was slightly surprised.

Shion Ascal's initial movements were textbook perfect. All actions were accurately textbook level, and there was no part to fault.

This was not supposed to happen.

"......Hmm. Not bad. You're good at following. Just like the textbook."

Stegen, a first-year knight student at Edsilla Magic University, revised his strategy.

Shion tilted his head.

"Isn't it a pass if I do it according to the textbook?"

"Pass...... yes, but. Are you going to live a life that's always just passing?"

"If possible, I'd like that."

He's a guy who only hopes to maintain the status quo. Stegen snapped his fingers left and right.

"No. The textbook is just a standard. You can't become a good swordsmen by just following the standard. You need to incorporate variations into the standard. Understand?"

"......Hmm."

"You seem to not understand. I'll show you the triangle cut first. Stand there."

Stegen drew his wooden sword. Then, leaning his center of gravity a little more forward, he stepped quickly like fencing and swished—!

He swung almost simultaneously on all three sides.

At first glance, it was just a fast triangle cut, but if you stop thinking there, you're a novice.

At the tip of his sword was a 'spin'. A whirlwind-like wind actually stirred Shion's hair.

"How about it? This is called 'spin'. If you apply rotation to the tip of the sword, the burden inflicted on the opponent is upgraded."

It's a very difficult technique. If the sword doesn't draw a delicate curve, it's prone to miss.

"By doing this, you don't have to swing hard to double the power. You know how masters seem to swing lightly, but each strike is incredibly strong? They're all utilizing this 'spin'."

"...Hmm. Is that so?"

Shion seemed uninterested. Stegen was offended.

Does he not know how valuable this lesson is? Even in his own dojo, only the top students can learn this, a lesson worth tens of thousands of Ren.

"...Right. You won't know by just watching. Try to block it. Draw your sword."

Stegen gritted his teeth slightly. Then, Shion also raised his wooden sword.

"Can you handle it?"

"I'll try."

"Good."

Stegen immediately unfolded the Five Basic Forms—Triangular Slash. He intended to actually hit at least once.

After all, it's just a wooden sword.

"Hup!"

Clang——!

Three friction sounds rang out in just one second. The wooden sword clearly drew three sides. It left a clear trajectory. There was definitely spin and vibration.

But, not one touched his skin.

All were blocked.

"...What?"

A defense so clean that even he, an 'Edsilla Knight School freshman', was taken aback.

"Hmm~"

The opponent himself doesn't even seem to know what he did, murmuring in admiration.

"Indeed, adding spin does put more power into it. I didn't know that."

"...That, that's right? See."

"Can I try it too?"

Shion asked, fiddling with his sword. Stegen asked back, pretending to be relaxed.

"Sure, why not. But... junior, where did you learn swordsmanship?"

"My father was a knight."

"Really? Which knight order-"

"A lower-ranked knight."

"......."

A lower-ranked knight is, frankly, just a civil servant. A lower class that isn't even recognized as a knight. It takes a whopping 15 years to be promoted from a lower-ranked knight to a middle-ranked knight.

He, an 'Edsilla Knight School student', would be a high-ranked knight just by passing the graduation exam.

Stegen brushed his hair and said.

"Give it a try."

He raised his wooden sword.

Since Soliette is watching, he has no intention of going easy. Let's give the junior a proper education.

"I'll try to do it slowly but surely."

Shion gripped his wooden sword.

"Do as you wish."

The distance between them was about five steps. It was plenty of room for Stegen. He could see and respond to any mischief.

"Here I go."

In an instant, the guy's foot lifted off the ground.

First Step.

In simple terms, 'first step', in long terms, 'the act of taking a step that breaks the static state'.

Unlike other steps, the First Step has a very significant meaning of dynamic transition from exploration to combat.

It's a very important ability as it's directly connected to the right to attack first.......

——!

Shion's body sprung forward like a spring. In just one step, he closed a distance of five paces.

The first stroke of the Triangular Slash, swung by the man who had approached him in an instant.

A vertical slash from the upper right to the lower left.

Thud——!

Stegen blocked as usual, but a sound like a cannon echoed from the collision of the wooden swords.

Kwaa——!

His eardrums vibrated. The rotation at the end of the sword had caused the air to explode.

"Kuk!"

The shock was insane. Saliva flew from his mouth. His shoulder and arm twisted involuntarily, and his standing foot was pushed back.

"......Ugh."

The moment he unknowingly gritted his teeth, the second stroke rushed in.

A horizontal slash pushing up from the lower left to the right. The spin of the blade looked too dangerous to receive with a bare body.

Should I turn on the Magic Body?

As he hesitated, the second strike approached.

Kwoong——!

This time it was like a bomb. His grip actually burst slightly. The surface of the wooden sword was scorched.

It's not over yet.

Now, the last of the Triangular Slash.

The third upward strike.

"......."

Stegen, a 'Knight School freshman', watched the wooden sword coming at him. The saw-like blade, which was spinning with a whirlwind, somehow felt slow to his eyes. Like slow motion...... Wait.

Isn't this a strobe light?

Standstill-!

The wooden sword stopped when he felt the threat to his life. The whirlwind also dispersed in an instant.

"......."

Stegen unknowingly swallowed his saliva.

"Checking the feel."

Shion, who muttered so, suddenly dropped his wooden sword. He walked to the corner of the training room and lay down on the floor.

"......."

"......."

Stegen and Soliette blinked their eyes and watched him.

Soliette asked first.

"What are you doing?"

Shion looked back at them. His complexion had turned blue.

"I overdid it a bit yesterday......."

He fell asleep without finishing his sentence.

No, did he faint?

No, is he dead?

"......Soliette. Is he a friend you know well?"

Instead of answering, Soliette pointed at Stegen's hand.

"Blood."

"......Blood?"

"Your hand is bleeding."

Stegen also looked at his hand. Blood was flowing from his palm.

"Oh, it's okay. That junior friend suddenly used Magic Body... Haha."

'Knight School freshman' Stegen thought so.

It must be Magic Body.

Of course, it's Magic Body.

Because if it's not Magic Body, such power wouldn't have been produced. It shouldn't have been.

Who swings a bomb with their bare body?

"He's quite... a hitter. He seems talented. Is he aspiring to be a knight who uses a sword?"

'Freshman' Stegen tried to sound cool as he looked at Soliette.

"......"

Soliette didn't say anything.

"......"

'Freshman' Stegen also silently gave full marks to Shion Ascal on the score sheet.

"Now, it's Soliette junior's turn. Let's test the Five Basic Forms."

Even though the love that took care of Soliette's wounds seems to have gone down the drain, 'Stegen' doesn't care.

With his conditions, he can meet someone better than Soliette.

After all, the flower on the cliff is beautiful when viewed from afar, what kind of crazy madman would climb up the cliff to pick the flower?

"......You're bleeding quite a lot."

Soliette slightly furrowed her eyebrows. Stegen also looked at his palm.

Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip——

It's flowing like a turned-on faucet.

Stegen laughed and said,

"Oh, this is okay. Just, ah~ I should have turned on Magic Body~"

Trying to act casual, he unknowingly raised his hand and brushed his hair. His entire head was smeared with blood.

"Ah, my mistake. But you know, Soliette junior? The combat power of a knight, you see. Depending on whether Magic Body is on or off, the difference can be at least double, up to five times. I'm the type who has a big difference whether Magic Body is on or off... If I had just turned on Magic Body, haha. Ah~ this Shion guy is quite sneaky. Turning on Magic Body without saying?"

"......"

Soliette was at a loss for words.