Chapter 21 - The Heir (3)
I responded by simply raising the wooden sword I was handed.
"Good. Tell me when you're ready. We'll start the research right away."
Yes, Professor.
I'm ready.
But the words wouldn't come out.
The upright wooden sword felt heavy.
It was the same wooden sword I'd held and swung since I was ten, but it strangely felt heavier than before.
What's wrong?
Did my arm strength drop in just a few months?
"What's wrong, Ray?"
"Just a moment, Professor."
I stared at the wooden sword for a while.
Union Sword, the state of becoming one with the sword.
But trying to become one with it now felt heavy.
It wasn't impossible.
Like when I performed it with Inspector Pale's sword earlier, if it was just for show, it wouldn't be a big deal.
However, this was a real sparring match.
I had to become completely one with it.
Just like I did in the poison cave months ago, and when I subdued the spy a few days ago.
Cold sweat began to trickle down.
My senses were distorted.
While a branch might be easy, becoming one with an object the size of a wooden sword was not.
Was my Union Sword not yet complete?
Still, I couldn't spar with the professor holding a branch.
It was embarrassing, but I had to do my best as I was.
"…Remarkable."
Suddenly, the professor's eyes changed.
"It's real. It's truly Union Sword."
"…"
"Shall we begin?"
I nodded silently.
In the final moment, we narrowly managed to become one.
My right arm extended outwards.
Then the professor charged forward.
Basic True Sword.
A vertical swing.
The movement was like a picture from a textbook: fast, precise, and without wasted motion.
But that wasn't all.
Another blade flew alongside his wooden sword at a constant interval.
A blade without substance.
Illusory Sword.
It was clearer than before.
The illusory sword, imbued with killing intent, descended on the same trajectory as the wooden sword.
Slightly to the side.
Both of us twisted our bodies more to evade.
The professor rotated his body as if in a single movement and swung his sword horizontally.
A beautiful flow, immediately followed by the Illusory Sword with a time delay.
No, was the Illusory Sword coming first?
It happened in an instant, making it impossible to distinguish.
I responded by moving back even further.
—Pulling back more than necessary is the quickest path to defeat.
Who said that?
My brother?
Father?
I don't know.
I swung my right arm towards the professor, who was twisting his body while striking at empty air.
The distance was far.
But it didn't matter.
As I relaxed my grip, the short wooden sword in my hand instantly shot forward.
Yet, it didn't leave my hand.
It was just connected, never falling.
"Huh!"
The professor reacted quickly, blocking the attack with his wooden sword.
Whack!
The tip of his wooden sword was cut off.
It was natural.
I was connected, and he wasn't.
"Ha!"
The professor exclaimed and retreated rapidly.
So fast.
He was as agile as if he had activated his aura.
At the same time, intangible blades surged around the retreating professor.
Countless Illusory Swords.
Like a spider extending its legs, eight different blades closed in from all directions.
Wow.
Dazzling.
So dazzling that I couldn't react to any of them.
And I thought that was the correct response.
Because they were illusions.
I could take these hits.
What I needed to avoid was the real attack that would follow the illusions.
The moment those eight Illusory Swords simultaneously pierced my body.
"…"
My body contorted.
It hurt.
It hurt unbelievably, even though I was stabbed by an illusion.
What was this?
Was it a delusion?
Or did it really hurt?
Amidst this, the professor's real attack slid down, striking the top of my head.
The opponent's shortened wooden sword.
I somehow blocked it, but my stance was bad.
My waist gave out, and my body collapsed backward.
At the same time, the professor's next attack flew in.
The interval was short.
I didn't have time to raise my right hand.
Instead, I raised my relatively shorter left hand.
"...!"
Suddenly, the professor's eyes wavered.
Why is this crazy kid trying to block a wooden sword with his bare hand?
I was going to stop the attack anyway, but he needlessly raised his hand, making it impossible.
Perhaps that's what he was thinking?
It was a misunderstanding.
If I could swing a sword like a hand, of course, I could swing a real hand like a sword.
Crack!
My hand was fine.
Instead, the professor's descending wooden sword was cut.
"Huh!"
The professor immediately retreated.
I, too, lunged forward, following the retreating professor.
The gap narrowed.
But as if he had planned it, new Illusory Swords poured in from all sides.
Endless Illusory Swords.
Even knowing they were illusions, it was impossible.
I couldn't dive into that with a sane mind.
If even one hit hurt like death, what would happen if I was hit by so many Illusory Swords simultaneously?
Then a brief vision flashed.
I saw myself narrowly diving through the gaps of countless Illusory Swords.
Was this the future?
I don't know.
I was moving in the exact same way I had just seen.
Through the gaps of the pouring Illusory Swords.
Before all those illusions could penetrate my body, I leaped over them all first and lunged my hand forward.
Speed wasn't important.
I couldn't move as fast as I thought.
There was just that one fleeting moment when it was possible.
A fleeting moment where future and reality overlapped.
But I had to stop there.
That future and this reality must never overlap.
Because in that future, I was piercing the professor's neck with my hand.
"...!"
It was a close call.
I stopped my hand just before it touched his neck.
The professor's gaze also rested on my fingertips.
"…Wonderful."
The professor smiled with an admiring expression.
Then he dropped his wooden sword and raised both hands.
"I surrender. I lost."
"Ugh…"
Having won, I immediately sank to the floor.
The professor, surprised, helped me up.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, I'm fine."
My legs had just given out.
The professor sighed and nodded.
"Indeed, Union Sword is different. It was good research. I lost, but I learned a lot."
"Because you went easy on me, Professor."
"What are you talking about? I gave it my all."
"If you had activated even a little bit of aura…"
"Ahem."
The professor frowned, putting on a stern expression.
"What's aura got to do with pure swordsmanship research? We do these things without aura."
"Even so, I felt your Illusory Sword scattering. Wasn't it adjusted so that some of it wouldn't hit me directly?"
"…You noticed that."
"That's why I could exploit the opening. You intentionally created a gap, Professor."
"Huh!"
The professor suddenly hugged me tightly.
"It's real! This is real! A true successor has appeared!"
"Gah, Professor…"
"The one to inherit the great lineage of our Swordsmanship Faction has appeared!"
"…Huh?"
"Haha! Hahaha! I need to quickly share this news with the other Swordsmanship Faction professors. Oh my, you're adorable!"
"Excuse me, just a moment."
I forcibly pushed the professor away and asked, "What is the Swordsmanship Faction? Are you talking about the academy's swordsmanship subject?"
"No, it's different. It's… something else. It's not immediately important, though. Ahem. More importantly, you just performed Union Sword bare-handed in our research, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. You completely caught me off guard. I never knew Union Sword could be performed that way. There's a lot to review from this research. Thanks to it, I was also able to gauge your skill."
"I'm glad you liked it."
"Like it? I love it! From now on, you're our class representative. Speaking of which, shall we start talking about the first class-to-class match that begins next week?"
"…Huh?"
The professor smiled broadly and nodded.
A class representative coming up suddenly now?
The academy operates on a credit system.
Graduation is determined by the total credits earned over four years, and rankings like valedictorian or salutatorian are also decided this way.
The class-to-class matches have the biggest impact on credit increases and decreases.
Therefore, it's no exaggeration to say that these matches are the beginning, end, and virtually the entirety of the academy experience.
First, there are monthly class-to-class matches.
Each class selects three representatives.
Class B and Class C first compete, and the winner then faces Class A in the finals.
The winning class in the finals receives an additional 1 credit for all its members, while classes that don't reach the finals lose 1 credit.
At first glance, it seems Class A has an absolute advantage, but since Class A usually wins anyway, it doesn't mean much.
What's important here is that students who participate as class representatives in the matches receive an unconditional 1 credit, regardless of win or loss.
They earn an additional 1 credit for each victory they achieve.
Therefore, Class B and Class C, which play one more match, also have an advantage.
If you wish to graduate with good grades, you must somehow become a class representative and achieve good results in the matches.
"If you collect 5 points, can you also transfer classes when you advance a year?"
"Yes. Do you plan to transfer to Class A in your second year?"
"No. Rather…"
I wanted to bring Phil, who was in Class C, to Class B.
Of course, that would only be possible if he did well, not just me.
"No, you don't have to say it. I know. To graduate with good grades, it's definitely advantageous to get into Class A."
"But weren't class representatives supposed to be chosen through internal evaluations?"
"For the first month, it's the homeroom teacher's recommendation."
"Ah…"
"We'll have to prepare for the evaluations soon. Even so, you'll definitely be chosen for the swordsmanship duel."
"I suppose so."
I didn't deny it, as it was likely true.
However, just because I was the strongest didn't mean I had to participate in the matches.
I could simply refuse.
And I didn't particularly want to participate in such competitions.
Honestly, a class-to-class match in front of the entire student body?
That's not my style at all.
I didn't even enter the academy to gain attention with good grades in the first place.
The future simply led me here.
Entering the academy was connected to a future where I would get revenge on the Poison King Cult.
There was no need to get good grades, and it didn't even matter if I didn't graduate.
For reference, the bottom 10% in credits don't graduate in their fourth year.
Most of all, I didn't want to stand out in front of others.
It wasn't a matter of innate personality or preference.
Anyone who experienced the same events as me would surely make a similar decision.
Even now, when I close my eyes, the scene of that place comes to mind.
The poison cave.
A dark, damp, terribly foul-smelling place.
The same goes for dreams.
Since that day, I've always had the same dream. Months have passed, but I still haven't escaped that place.
Perhaps I'll never escape it.
For someone like me to fight other students while drawing people's attention, it's…
"…It's difficult."
"Hmm?"
Just imagining it sends shivers down my spine.
I respectfully bowed my head towards Professor Totten.
Professor, I'm sorry, but I won't participate in the class-to-class matches.
Not now, and not ever in the future.
But just as I was about to say that.
—Look at me!
A clear voice rang in my head.
—I'm the best! I have to be the best!
—Everyone is watching me! Everyone at the academy is paying attention to me!
—I will definitely succeed! Not only will I graduate at the top of my class, but I'll make the Granvelle family number one in the Sword King family's hierarchy with my own strength!
It was Rajiks Granvelle's voice.
"Hmm? Are you alright? You look pale."
The faces of the professor and my brother overlapped in my mind's eye. I slowly inhaled and shook my head.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little overwhelmed."
More than a little overwhelmed.
But this was my brother's dream.
So I'll do it.
What could I not do for the brother who protected me, when he wished for this?
I am here, and he is not.
"Thank you for the recommendation. Though I may be lacking, I will do my best as the swordsmanship representative for Class B, first year."
"Lacking? Nonsense. If it's just a swordsmanship fight, even a fourth-year student couldn't beat you."
I had said it with quite a resolve, but the professor just nodded as if it were obvious.
It felt a little anticlimactic.
But there was nothing I could do.
The professor didn't know me.
"But the match is best two out of three. You'll need to win one more match in either the aura duel or the mixed combat to win. And I want our class to win this first match."
"I hope we win too, Professor."
"I think I have a good idea…"
The professor narrowed his eyes and smiled.
"One representative can participate in a maximum of two events in the matches. Would you perhaps consider participating in the mixed combat as well?"