Chapter 281 - Seeing Through, and Being Seen Through
Time passed, and we were now on the cusp of midnight. I was facing the invincible princess in my second unwinnable battle.
Or rather, it was less that I couldn't win and more that—
"Um, I'm sorry. I actually have a fiancée…"
"I know. Your fake engagement to the Yotsuya heiress."
—or,
"And besides her, there's someone else who things might get… complicated with soon…"
"If it's only one, then it seems I have far fewer rivals than I imagined."
—or,
"No, um, wait, just wait… I've already used up a year's worth of brainpower today alone. Can't you people give me a break…!"
"I'll try to be considerate, but I can't hold back. I can't help it—since that day, you're all I've been able to think about."
—and so on.
It turned out that Iris, a.k.a. Alicia White, was an invincible girl in the real world as well as the virtual one… How was I supposed to achieve victory against an opponent who couldn't be defeated?
Besides, how could I possibly process her suddenly talking about 'love'?
Unlike the other person things might get complicated with, this was a complete and total blindside, and my confusion was immeasurable.
I mean, come on. How could a true celestial being, hailed as a 'Princess' by the entire world, possibly fall for someone she's only crossed swords with once?
It couldn't be… The fantastical trope of a 'heroine falling instantly in love with the opponent who defeated her' couldn't possibly happen in real life—
"…………"
"…!"
She smiled at me without a word, and I held my breath. How many times had that happened now?
If I may shamelessly defend myself, I'd like to plead my innocence on this one. Does anyone exist who can be smiled at face-to-face by this fairy-like girl and take no damage? If so, please step forward. I'll give you a cash prize.
"The Acrobat (you) smiling in the virtual world was inscrutable—but the you in the real world is easy to read."
"Oh, is that so…? You say that like you can read my mind…"
My deliberately provocative tone was an attempt to mimic my persona from the virtual world she'd mentioned.
I was trying to recall my mindset from the fight with Iris, to forcibly reclaim my own pace—
"Yes, that's right—it's not like I fell for you because you beat me."
…Or so I thought.
If she could really see right through me, there was nothing I could do…
"I've lost before, you know. In Istia, that 'duo' is like my natural enemy… and if we're talking about people close to you, I've never been able to defeat the [Sword Saint] either."
"Huh? My master—Ui-san—said the opposite…"
Something like, 'I was one step behind her'…
"It's true that I won the match. But she wasn't going all out."
"…That's probably a misunderstanding, isn't it? From what I know of her, I can't imagine she'd ever hold back in a match."
I said 'probably,' but in my heart, I was certain. There was no way the Sword Saint would ever hold back in a contest of martial skill.
This was a woman who would obliterate her own disciple in a playful spar the moment she drew her blade. Against a powerful opponent like Iris, I would have thought she'd be thrilled to give it her all—
"Of course, she wasn't holding back in terms of technique. But—she didn't use any skills, her [Anima], or her [Terror Armament]."
"Well, that's…"
…Let's set aside the piece of information I had no way of knowing that just dropped.
"I understand. That's the Sword Saint's style. Her sword is what it is because of that… I have no intention of complaining to someone who doesn't desire strength in the first place."
"…Well, as her disciple, I'm glad you seem to understand."
—Okay, this is what's happening. For a moment, I was worried there was some kind of friction between Ui-san and Iris, but if I try my best to decipher her usual, mostly expressionless face…
"I genuinely respect and admire her—I believe her sword is the pinnacle of what a human (avatar) can achieve in that world."
She wasn't a 'fan,' exactly, but it was clear that she, too, deeply acknowledged the [Sword Saint]. There was no hint of falsehood or flattery in her voice as she spoke of her admiration, and as a disciple, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.
"—But that's why her sword is 'supreme,' not the 'strongest'."
…Though, of course, the [Sword Queen] wouldn't just leave it at that.
"She never holds back herself, but that's where it ends. She never tries to reach for what lies 'beyond'."
"…………"
That was probably the common ground between Iris and me, and the one thing that set Ui-san apart—whether or not to embrace the things granted by the system as 'one's own power.'
As her disciple, I have no intention of questioning my master's ways… but I understand what she's saying.
In other words, this is what she wants to convey—
"I gave up on it a long time ago… but there was a time I used to think about it. I wished that if she ever felt like it, she would become someone who could truly compete with me."
—and I get it. It's easy to see why she'd think that.
If something were to ever make my master greedy for 'strength,' I can easily imagine she'd become the undisputed 'strongest' Sword Saint.
"…I'm aware I'm saying whatever I want. You can be angry if you'd like."
She must have noticed my affection for my 'master' from the way I'd subtly defended her. It was rather charming how she'd bared her true feelings, only to timidly gauge my reaction afterward.
The way she looked timid (while remaining expressionless) was… I couldn't tell if she was skillful or clumsy, but it almost made me let out a weary laugh.
"Why would I be angry?"
If I got mad over something like this, my master herself would scold me.
"Ui-san would definitely just give a gentle smile and say—'…but that is my sword.'"
…………Yeah, I didn't need to imitate her voice. Calm down, me. If I don't get a grip soon, I'll be at her mercy forever—look, she laughed. I'm dead.
As I watched Iris let out a small laugh and downed some barley tea in desperation, she maintained her smile and murmured, "That's not it."
"I wasn't teasing you—I'm sure that's the reason I fell for you."
"—Ngh, guh…"
Even if she wasn't teasing, the damage I took didn't lessen; it multiplied. I didn't even know what 'that' was supposed to be…
"You don't pay attention to yourself… no, maybe that's why. You see people so clearly. Better than you see yourself—maybe even better than they see themselves."
"Um, in the virtual world, I'm pretty selfish and do whatever I want…"
"I know, because you saw right through me."
She wasn't interrupting my words—more like gently correcting them.
"You're the kind of person who wants to entertain others more than you want to enjoy yourself."
"No, that's—"
"No, that's not it—you're the kind of person who wants to entertain others for your own sake."
"————"
"—Haru."
A warm hand on my cheek made me realize I had completely lost my train of thought.
"You were the one who brushed off my 'scars' with a 'who cares' and melted everything away… so I'll say this, ready to be hated."
"…Yeah."
Despite her talk of being prepared, Iris's expression was serene.
"Whatever that way of being means to you—it saved me. …I felt rewarded."
"…………"
"Winning or losing didn't matter. You just came straight at me, throwing nothing but your own childlike emotions—and just screamed at me to 'smile'."
…As I listened intently, I noticed a faint tremor in her level voice.
When I looked up,
"It wasn't the [Acrobat] who defeated the [Sword Queen]—I fell in love with Haru, the one who made me smile."
She said the smile on her face was my doing.
It was a terrible retaliation. It was, quite brilliantly—nothing less than my greatest weak point.
"…It seems you believe my feelings now, so I'll ask something important."
As I could do nothing but stare back at her, unable to reply, Iris's expression softened noticeably. It seemed she really would be considerate, even if she wouldn't hold back.
—Don't just sit there and take it, you Japanese man.
"…Whatever you wish, Princess."
"Setting aside the fiancée, do you have a girlfriend right now?"
"No."
"Setting aside the important people, is there someone you've given your heart to?"
"…No."
"Are you, by any chance, not interested in girls?"
"I am, as much as the next guy."
"In that case—do you perhaps… hate the idea of romance?"
"Give me a break…"
—Damn it, I can't win.
How much has she figured out about me in such a short time?
"I see. Then… asking you to 'go out with me' would be a bad move."
If only she had, I could have turned her down directly—but thinking that was probably pointless. Because she, from the sound of it…
"In that case—I'll just have to make you fall in love with me."
…was a girl who, thanks to a certain someone, had been rewarded for not giving up.
From now on, she would surely embody 'never giving up,' without a single moment of doubt. And the target of that passion was none other than that certain someone.
—The world's princess, Alicia White, is in love with someone like me.
The whole situation was so surreal I didn't know what to think anymore…
"So… be prepared, Haru."
"……………'You won't hold back,' you said. How far are we talking, exactly?"
If there was no escape, then I had to 'prepare' myself to face her, just as she'd said. This would be the beginning of an onslaught from the strongest princess in the virtual world—
"Let's see—be careful not to let your guard down, or I might just push you down."
"……………………"
—an onslaught from a girl in love. Iris, who had declared that she didn't give a damn about a man's (my) circumstances, in the most literal sense of the words.
He was the one who pried first, so he can't really complain when she does the same, can he?