Chapter 17

“Magic Sword—Ice Blossom Flash”

Yukina-san slowly walked while transforming her sword into a magic weapon. The blade turned pure white and shifted into a slender rapier. Though it looked delicate, it possessed tremendous power. Merely by transforming her sword, the surrounding temperature dropped, and her breath became visible in the cold air. Yukina-san swung her magic sword once, instantly freezing the small monsters around her.

“Sorry, it must have been cold, right?”

Yukina-san smiled wryly and reverted her sword from its magical state. Hugging myself with my arms, I shook my head.

“It’s not cold…”

“Really? Then, can I activate it again?”

“Please don’t.”

“Hehe… You don’t have to be considerate. I’m still not able to control it well, and it affects my allies too.”

Yukina-san chuckled as she walked towards me. Looking around, everything within sight was frozen solid. If she used this in battle, it would be incredibly effective. It’s no wonder she’s nicknamed the Ice Sword Princess. With such power and range, expecting fine control might be asking too much.

“And this is with incomplete control…”

“My goal is to become a Sword Saint. A White Sword Saint wields two magic swords, despite the norm of only one per person. The only one with dual magic swords. They can make an entire army of ten thousand retreat without even using their magic swords. It’s no surprise they’re considered the strongest in history.”

“I can’t believe you aim to surpass such a Sword Saint.”

“When aiming high, you have to aim for the top. That’s why time is precious.”

With those words, Yukina-san readied her sword. Good grief. Today is a field exercise day. Each of us is tasked with subjugating small monsters. We’re allowed to use any method we choose, and failures are tolerated, so I hadn’t been motivated from the start. However, Yukina-san had asked me for a sparring session once she quickly finished her task. I had agreed lightly, not expecting her to finish by using her magic sword transformation. How badly did she want this sparring session?

“Go easy on me.”

“Don’t hold back, okay?”

“Please go easy on me.”

As I spoke, I made the first move with a simple thrust. Yukina-san deflected it with minimal movement and countered, which I barely managed to block. I quickly regained my stance, expecting her usual relentless assault. But Yukina-san stopped after a few attacks. Surprised, I launched an attack only to be met with a sharp counter, a tactic she never used before. It was a heavy blow that forced me back several steps. She didn’t follow up. This wasn’t like her usual fighting style. Yukina-san, with her strength, had multiple opportunities to overwhelm me, yet she didn’t take them.

“Are you holding back?”

“I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

“I see.”

Relaxing, I approached Yukina-san. I was full of openings, yet she didn’t attack recklessly. I stepped into her range and thrust again, which she flawlessly evaded. Usually, this would be the end, but since this was a sparring match, I pressed on, swinging my sword horizontally to chase her. Yukina-san’s sharp counter sent my sword flying, and she placed her blade near my neck.

“I yield.”

“Still not good enough. Ideally, I shouldn’t let you attack at all.”

Yukina-san critiqued herself as she sheathed her sword and picked up my fallen weapon.

“What did you think? From your perspective, Roy-kun.”

“You’ve switched to a defensive style…”

“Yes. I analyzed the duel between you and the senior. The decisive factor was defense. I realized that was what I lacked the most. In hindsight, like the senior, I often relied on attacking to solve problems. That works for certain opponents, but not all.”

Yukina-san stared intently at me as I shrugged and took my sword back.

“You’re overestimating me.”

“You easily blocked the senior’s attacks, didn’t you? If you were serious, you could easily block mine too, right? You attacked just now to test me, didn’t you?”

“That was a duel. Normally, I couldn’t block attacks that easily. And yes, I did test you, but I didn’t hold back. I thought it would be better to attack if you were using an unfamiliar defensive style.”

As I spoke, I was sweating internally. Yukina-san had been increasingly suspicious of me since that duel. She seemed to think my hidden strength far exceeded her own, and now she believed it was way beyond.

“When will I get to see Roy-kun at full strength, I wonder?”

“I’m always at full strength.”

I replied with a wry smile. But if that moment ever came, it would signify significant progress. Yukina-san had realized the importance of defense. This realization had to come from within; it couldn’t be taught. Yukina-san had analyzed her duel, seen herself objectively, and taken steps to improve. She had the motivation, the talent, and was addressing her weaknesses. As a successor to the Sword Saint, she was an exceptional talent, but her intuition was too sharp. I feared she might discover my true identity as the Sword Saint—or worse, the Great Sage. Feeling the danger of being exposed, I shivered.