Chapter 1221 - Salt Replenishment
—Both blades, which were not made of steel, struck each other, and a vivid flash of light illuminated the stage.
"—!"
"... ...!!"
Words were useless, all that existed was each other's fighting spirit and the sound of breathing.
The Suito (Jade Blade) soared. The Azure Blade flashed. The Crimson Blade cleaved. The roaring echo of countless running and swirling sparkles completely slashed away even such a tiny sound, endlessly... or so it seemed.
Just how much time had passed, filling and filling the battlefield?
"—,"
"...!"
A click of the tongue, from one person. It was directed at the 'shadow thread' that had crept up and ensnared one of his legs in the midst of the extreme offense and defense. In other words, the breath of an enemy whose surprise was thoroughly gouged out.
If so, now.
"Connect, [Kurikara]"
Sheathing.
"Ugh, [String Ice Six—"
Fusion. And then,
"'Drawing'"
Early green, turning into ash flame.
The odachi, scattering burning ash like budding petals, cut through all of the space it brushed at a speed that could not be caught by anyone's eyes—and what rang out was the blunt system sound announcing the end of the match.
In short, hearing the game set announcement that made the decided victory and defeat known...
"................................I... won..."
The victor, me,
"........................Not... yet..."
And the loser, Irori, remained in the afterglow of the settlement.
With their backs turned to each other, while spilling their respective murmurs of victory declaration or request to continue the battle—the two of them, in perfect harmony, collapsed flat on the ground due to the exhaustion of their mental strength.
...Thus, in the silence that visited the training ground.
"—Eh, are they idiots? These guys."
If the actors had stopped moving, the next thing to liven up the place was the exasperated voice of the audience... or rather, the onlookers who had been watching this extremely foolish play that had lasted for several hours.
"...There's no doubt they are fools, maybe?"
Following the first person, a second voice of agreement.
And with the added bonus of my back of the head being poked repeatedly. Since I didn't even have the energy to react, I left the violence alone, and squeezing out the last of my strength, I raised my head and looked over there...
"Ugh... move, you idiot..."
"The idiots are you guys, you know. Yay, idiots, idiots, look at you unable to resist—"
Pitiably, there was one man being treated as a chair by the tiny Mi-na.
There was no doubt the red one would be subjected to a terrible time later, but there was also no doubt that Irori was having a definitive humiliation engraved upon him at this very moment. In other words, where that would end up was a 'draw,' which meant that was nothing but flirting between lovers (future tense)—
As I let such random thoughts float in my head, which was hazy with fatigue, a few seconds later.
"—Fubheh...?! Why, you... move, you useless younger sister...!"
"In sickness and in health, if you are an older brother, you should gladly become your younger sister's chair."
"What is she saying... scary..."
Predictable, unavoidable. The red one (Mi-na) to Irori, and the blue one (Ri-na) to me.
Though they seemed opposite in various ways, their fundamental nature was exactly like their partner. In short, I was mercilessly crushed by my useless younger sister, who did almost everything that guy (Mi-na) did, and the number of pitiable men increased to two.
◇◆◇◆◇
"No, each and every match is stupidly long, you guys. Can't you fight with a lighter vibe?"
"Hah, don't be stupid."
"It was light enough."
"Eh... they got so absorbed in it until they couldn't move, and what on earth are these guys saying?"
"Scary."
—And so,
The day after Sora fell ill, I went to visit her, and this and that happened.
For now, having logged into Arcadia first thing in the morning, I exchanged casual greetings with Irori, whom I happened to run into at the clan home, joined him in his morning activities on a whim, and as things heated up, started a half-playful fistfight... leading up to now, just before noon.
No, I'm dead tired since the morning. Today can end already, good job.
"Seriously. I want our precious time back."
"...No one told you to watch."
"We didn't say that, and we didn't invite you either."
Furthermore, the onlookers who were currently resting their chins on their hands above my and Irori's heads without anyone's permission were genuine onlookers who came to watch of their own accord, even though literally neither I nor Irori had invited them.
Since it was obvious they had come to play with us out of boredom, it was probably about time it would be forgiven if we grabbed them. Go on, Irori, and I'll follow after you—
"Anyway, Big Brother. Haven't you gotten stronger again? What's up?"
"Ah?"
"Not really, there haven't been any dramatic updates recently, but..."
"That's true. My skills haven't improved much since a while ago."
"Stop with the dead-straight crime of displaying facts, it's annoying."
"I don't really want to say this kind of thing myself, but..."
"...Feels like you've reached as far as you can go?"
"Yeah."
"...Well, enjoy it. It's a long way from there."
"That's profound."
"Have I finally become the real deal? What they call full-fledged."
"Eh... what is this person (Rank Three) saying?"
"At this point...?"
"That's right. ...That's why, right now, you aren't becoming 'stronger,' but 'more skillful.'"
"Hm?"
"The growth that Mi-na noticed must be in that kind of area."
To the extent that even the renowned [Peerless] himself acknowledged it.
"We are probably even now. You and I."
"Huh...? No, my win rate is still just over twenty percent..."
"In a real match, that is. —As always, you, who are smiling in a real match, are scary."
To the extent that that Irori would declare such a thing to me, as if it were only natural.
"...I'm glad you've come this far. It's deeply moving, junior."
"............Eh, what, stop. You're being kind of creepy, senior."
Only one year, yet one year.
I must have come ridiculously far.
Currently, with 'swords' only, the win rate is ten percent, and with anything goes, it's twenty percent, apparently (practice match (swordplay)).
Furthermore, in the unlikely event that he succeeds in activating [Lightning], it would be a hundred percent (it will absolutely not succeed).