Chapter 1030 - A Happy New Master and Disciple
"Haru-kun, sparring with you now is truly... fascinating."
It was a break, a pause after a good stretch of training.
For a while now, I'd been sitting on the dojo's veranda as I always did during our breaks. I was sipping tea from a cup meant just for me—one my master had apparently started keeping in her inventory for this very purpose—when she spoke.
"Huh? Fascinating?"
My master had said something that made her disciple tilt his head in confusion.
Sora-san was logged out. It was still too early to prepare for dinner, but like me, today was her last day of winter break, so she probably had things to get ready. That left the two of us alone.
As for why I'd stayed behind... well, I could think about that later.
"Hmm, well...? I'm not sure if I should be happy about that...?"
For now, I responded to the sudden topic. In return, my master, the [Sword Saint] Ui-sama, tilted her own teacup and took a sip of tea. After a leisurely breath, she spoke.
"Of course, it's a compliment."
"Oh. Well, thank you..."
She smiled softly.
Somehow, more than usual... No, Ui-san always smiled with a calm, peaceful tranquility, but even so, there was something slightly different. A hint of something more...
Was it my imagination, or was she in a better mood than usual today?
"That gift of yours—Memory. Truly, to have brought it this far is nothing short of magnificent. Your innate talent is one thing, but your dexterity in using it so skillfully is another."
Ignoring my continued internal confusion, she began praising her disciple, just as she'd said.
"When I face you now, I get the illusion that I'm fighting against a host of powerful warriors. Every move you make is etched with the techniques of the masters you have 'remembered' thus far."
"Ah..."
"It's truly a 'fruition'... yes. You don't let a single fragment go to waste. You turn every experience into strength, just as it is. It's a form of growth unique to you, Haru-kun. I can only call it magnificent."
She really had started showering me with praise, relentlessly. And so, there was only one way I could react.
"Whoa, wait a second. What's this all about? What are you after?"
Like a child suddenly praised by a parent. It was the proper reaction for a disciple lauded by his master. I was just getting extremely, normally flustered. A perfectly natural, ordinary reaction.
And in response, my master...
"Heh... If I had to say, it would be for that reaction."
"There you go again, teasing your disciple."
She replied with a mischievous little laugh. It was an expression only visible from my position, born from the unique master-disciple, almost parent-child, distance that I was so audaciously permitted.
"...And Sora-chan, too, who matches you so perfectly."
She took another sip of tea. Her serene profile seemed to radiate enjoyment. Still looking to be in high spirits, Ui-san continued speaking, more talkative than usual.
"She sees you clearly through all your transformations and supports you... No, she stands beside you. That trust, that faith. In both strength and spirit, she is a 'partner' worthy of admiration."
...Good grief. If she were here, she would have been squirming right alongside me, a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment. And Ui-san just kept rattling off these compliments.
So, as I thought.
"Uh, ah, th-thank you...? Um, Ui-san. Is something the matter?"
She seemed to be in a good mood... or rather, was she perhaps a bit... giddy?
My suspicion grew, so I had to ask directly. My master took another sip of tea—and then, setting the now-empty cup aside...
"Haru-kun."
"Yes."
She smiled softly and said,
"How is the sword faring?"
"Huh?"
She'd cut the conversation in two with a single stroke. Once again, her disciple could only tilt his head in confusion.
"How... what do you mean? What are you talking about?"
"The sword. I'm talking about your sword, the one you were using just a moment ago."
If she was going to continue like that, only one thing came to mind. It was only natural; once I understood her words, I couldn't help but think of that single, 'precious thing'.
"[Samidorizuki]...? Even if you ask how it is..."
The only answer I could ever give, then or now, was that 'it couldn't be better.'
Receiving it from her, the path we've walked together, the many battles we've fought through, the memories of the powerful foes we've cut down—
Everything about it has left me with nothing but the best memories, completely untarnished.
"All I can say is... I plan to continue relying on it with gratitude."
Ultimately, it's just data.
But if you'll let me say so, it's a treasure of mine that is in no way inferior to anything in the tangible, real world.
Even if the world were to end, the world of Arcadia to be lost, and its form as a sword to vanish... it is something that would never fade from my memory—my heart.
And regarding that very thing,
"I've been thinking lately... that it may no longer be suitable for you."
My own master, of all people, had said such a thing.
"..."
And if you'll pardon my rudeness.
My truly... incredibly... rude reaction.
For a single moment, I almost snapped, but I managed to swallow it down with reason.
"Uhm.................. well..."
It wasn't really directed at Ui-san, or... how do I put it?
It was more of a reflexive reaction from my heart to the words themselves, which could be taken as slighting my treasure, regardless of who said them.
I'm only human, so it can't be helped. I'm no saint; I can't control my initial reactions. However, we have a relationship of trust that allows me to quell such feelings in an instant.
Because my master... Ui-san herself... also cherishes the sword she gave me. That's an understanding we share without needing to ask.
"..."
I was able to wait silently, obediently, for her next words.
I wasn't sure what she was thinking as she looked at me, but she smiled gently.
"I forged it with the wish that it would never chip, never break, and always be by your side... that it would protect you, Haru-kun."
"...Yes. And it has fulfilled that wish."
My words made her cheeks soften into an even happier smile.
"But you are no longer a fledgling."
Without a hint of sadness, the master looked at her disciple.
"You are a magnificent warrior, acknowledged not just by me, but by the world."
"..."
"One who stands on par with the [Sword Queen]."
"..."
"And even with me—"
"That's going too far."
I couldn't help but cut her off.
"You know it's true. If I fought Ashe again right now, I'd lose. Plain and simple."
That wasn't a false accusation born from misjudgment, nor was it modesty.
"And of course, that goes for you too, Ui-san. If we showed our hands and fought with everything we had, I still couldn't win. Not just against you or Ashe, but even against that Irori guy."
It was a fact I could see clearly, now that I had learned from my master.
"Even if the world or whatever acknowledges me, I can't afford to get conceited yet."
"..."
In other words,
"I'm just getting started. From here on out—in the future, I'll show you that I can and will surpass you. So please, save the excessive praise until then."
I can't stand being praised for half-baked results. It's the troublesome nature of a stubborn boy.
".............................., ...sigh."
And so, my master let out a sigh.
"You really are... Honestly..."
It was a mix of exasperation and bewilderment,
"Who on earth do you take after...?"
"Who knows. You might find at least one reason if you look in a mirror."
And yet, her tone certainly wasn't entirely displeased.
"...Haru-kun."
"Yes."
"Take out the sword."
"Yes. Wait, what? No, um, that's why, right? I mean, I have no idea what's going on or what you're planning, but I really like this one and—"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to take it from you!"
"Ah, wai—stop...!?"
Master and disciple, bickering like they were both throwing a tantrum.
Uncharacteristically—or perhaps not so uncharacteristically—Ui-san pressed me to 'hand over the sword,' not just with words but with direct force, while I stubbornly refused.
After a few dozen seconds, maybe even a few minutes, of this playful scuffle—
"Hey, you are taking it...! The tyranny of a master...!!"
"Call it a privilege, please."
The outcome of the battle hardly needs to be mentioned.
As for why she's in such a good mood, well
I suppose you'll find out in about three years.