kscans

Chapter 180 - Along with the Blade

The place I was led to by teleportation was a stark, familiar space.

It was a perfectly square room, devoid of any objects, its only feature being the large sword crest drawn on the floor—the symbol of the Eastern Faction.

It was the same place that had served as the waiting area for the preliminaries of the selection match.

Of course, while it looked the same, it wasn't as vast as it was back then. It was scaled down to about the size of a large hall, making it a perfect space for moving around freely.

Though it doesn't have a unified name like 'Training Ground' or 'Practice Room,' it's one of the convenient features provided in each faction's castle—in Istia's case, the [Otherworldly Subterranean Castle - Ruvalest]. It's a type of instance room that can be generated on the spot.

It's not an exclusive privilege for rankers either; apparently, regular players can use it too. You can even configure it to spawn targets and whatnot, so it's said that many combat-focused players find it useful.

...If I had known about this place earlier, I probably could have avoided all those accidents during my test runs on normal fields.

Like getting flattened by a giant boar.

"—Well then, shall we have a light spar?"

"Ah... well, I don't mind that, but..."

Anyway, I had come here with Irori—thinking that as the 'disciple' and 'student' of the [Sword Saint], we would exchange various feelings and words.

However, while a hint of some unreadable emotion flickered deep within his eyes, what he proposed was a "light spar."

To be specific, it wasn't about going all out with skills and everything, but more like a practice match where we could chat and pass the time.

Honestly, I was bewildered, wondering what on earth he was thinking.

It was obvious that he held some ineffable feelings towards Ui-san. Considering that, it was also clear that he would have some thoughts about me becoming her disciple.

Frankly, I thought he might challenge me to a straightforward duel... but to think he'd request a light practice match.

"You received a sword from Sensei, didn't you? It's more convenient to have a partner to get used to it."

It's not like he read my perplexed mind, but Irori urged me on with a plausible reason while drawing his own sword.

Well, whatever the case, I had intended to face him with that anyway... I see now, I should probably stop overthinking things.

If he simply desires a friendly exchange to pass the time, I'm not against it either.

If the [Sword Protector] himself is willing to be my opponent, then this is the best possible debut for this 'sword.'

"You're right... in that case, I'm in your hands."

[Blink Switch]—[Samidorizuki].

In my left hand, I summoned the uchigatana I had just received from my master. Its solid weight was, of course, incomparable to the feather-light [Rabbit Dagger: Parabellum], and it felt more than twice as heavy as my orthodox straight-sword type Anima...

"—...Yeah."

I drew the jade-steel blade with a sharp ring, gripped the hilt firmly, and gave it a swing—the supreme sword, forged by the [Sword Saint]'s own hands, felt like a true extension of my right arm.

She, who had long wished to become someone's master, had prepared this for me today, saying it was a 'must.'

Giving a sword to a disciple—if this too was one of her 'aspirations,' then an indescribable emotion filled my chest.

...I guess I'm already quite the Sword Saint fanboy myself. Well, even though I'm studying under the Sword Saint, my build isn't exactly that of a samurai.

"...Magnificent."

"Yeah, it's incredible."

I had no choice but to show it off, but for Irori, this too was undoubtedly the work of his beloved 'Sensei.'

Together with him, who uttered words of admiration, I found myself mesmerized by the gleam of the blade for a moment.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—You're swinging it better than I thought. I heard from Sensei that she wasn't able to teach you much about handling a katana."

"Whose sword do you think I've been watching, and for how long?"

Even if I didn't have enough time for direct instruction, the example I'd been witnessing was a masterclass. By tracing the sword of my master, which was deeply ingrained in my memory, it was bound to be more than just mediocre, even if imperfect.

I was also used to fighting while exchanging words, thanks to the countless games of 'tag' we'd played.

Furthermore, while switching between offense and defense, Irori and I naturally fell into a rhythm similar to that training, swinging our swords at each other.

"Haru. With a virtual world sword, you don't need to be conscious of the pulling motion. It's different from a real Japanese sword; you'll get more power by striking with it."

—And on top of that, I was getting a bonus private lecture from the seventh-ranked player.

I think he was intentionally trying to match my intuitive style, as Ui-san doesn't usually give detailed verbal explanations during her lessons.

Ultimately, I've reached a point where I can confidently say "my training has borne fruit," so I can assert that her policy of making you learn with your body was not a mistake... but that aside, it's also true that a different approach can be stimulating.

"That... might be so, but Ui-san probably does it consciously, right?"

"Sensei is Sensei, so it's fine. It's better to focus on and polish what you can do, rather than trying to imitate what you can't and messing up everything else."

"That makes sense."

Accepting his point, I released the unnecessary tension from my right hand—and sure enough, I could feel my swings becoming more natural.

"And your left hand. If Sensei made it, that sheath should be as durable in offense and defense as the sword itself. Isn't it a waste to keep it as a decoration?"

"Ah... well, that's, uh... you probably know why you're saying that, don't you?"

This time, he poked at a sore spot, and I frowned.

"Ah, I see—you're not good with it after all."

Without showing any particular surprise, Irori nodded in understanding, as if to say, "I knew it."

It was the same in the selection match, so it's no wonder he figured it out.

"Well, let's just hope for improvement on that front in the future..."

"Then that's fine—keep at it, disciple of the Sword Saint."

"—...Hey."

I'm grateful that he's helping me get used to it. And I couldn't ask for more than his guidance. However, I could no longer ignore the growing bewilderment within me...

Although I still hesitated, I couldn't help but voice it.

"If you have something on your mind about me, just say it."

—Irori stopped in his tracks.

We lowered our swords and our eyes met. The 'something' dwelling in his blue eyes hadn't changed since he first called out to me.

"You said it before, right? That since we've got this connection, you want to get along."

"..."

"That, honestly, made me pretty happy."

That's why I'm setting aside any shyness or reservation—

"I, well... you know, I think it's better if there are no hard feelings."

It's obvious that the Irori looking at me is holding back some thoughts or words deep in his eyes.

So, what I'm trying to say is...

"Talk to me, senpai—let's become friends for real, right here and now, yeah?"

"...Haaah... honestly."

I pushed down my embarrassment and said it. In response, Irori let out a huge sigh—

"What an impudent kouhai."

And then, a wry smile appeared on his face.

That guarded look I'd been worried about was nowhere to be seen.