Chapter 75: Until the Day We Meet Again End

In one of the rooms of the mansion prepared within the city, a young girl slept peacefully.

The current Spear King, Julia Yaranri.

The very girl who had been fighting me just a short while ago.

After carrying her back here, we treated her injuries and put her to bed. Alicia had healed her perfectly, and since she hadn't suffered any serious wounds, her current sleep was likely due to accumulated exhaustion rather than anything else.

"Mmm... Where... am I...?"

"You're awake, Julia."

"Leila...?"

Leila had been holding Julia's hand the entire time.

Seeing how peaceful Julia’s sleeping face had been, it probably hadn’t bothered her. If she had been awake, she likely would have complained and told her to stop—but everyone already knew she was the type to put on a brave face and say things she didn’t really mean.

"...Right. I lost to the Sword King."

She sighed heavily.

"Ugh, if that had been an actual King's Duel, I'd be dealing with this frustration and losing my wagered item. That would've been the absolute worst."

"If you're talking that much immediately after waking up, then it looks like you're feeling better. Wait here. I'll bring you something to eat."

"...Bring some for me too, sis..."

"Shut up. Get it yourself, you muscle-brained little idiot."

Leila left the room to get food for Julia.

Meanwhile, Lyla clung to her leg and was promptly kicked away, rolling across the floor.

Julia watched the scene with visible exasperation.

Watching the three of them interact created an oddly warm atmosphere.

This was another precious kind of relationship.

A different genre entirely, perhaps, but the shipper instincts engraved into my soul were lightly stimulated, and I couldn't help smiling.

"—You're smiling. That's awfully relaxed of you, don't you think, you colossal idiot?"

"—No matter how many times I heal your injuries, that doesn't mean I'm happy about them, you know?"

The pressure radiating from the two girls in front of me instantly doubled.

It felt so heavy that it seemed to physically weigh down my knees as I sat in seiza before them.

Actually, the worst part was that both of them kept poking my knees with their feet.

Being looked down on by a silver-haired beauty and a blonde beauty felt dangerously close to awakening something inside me.

Well, laughing while trying to avoid a lecture tends to lead to consequences.

But it wasn't my fault.

It was instinct.

My soul demanded it.

"...What exactly are you doing?"

"N-No, wait, this is a misunderstanding. It's just a small mix-up, or something like that. It's hard to explain—"

"You sure talk a lot. Funny how you were quiet in front of us earlier."

"...I'm sorry."

If the person you'd been fighting before passing out woke up and found you sitting in formal seiza while two beautiful girls lectured you, of course she'd want an explanation.

I'd ask too.

But right now, I needed everyone to wait.

Please.

"N-No, listen. I admit I may have pushed myself a little this time. But it's not like we were actually trying to kill each other. I'd appreciate it if you could overlook a few injuries."

I desperately tried to negotiate.

My knees, my mental health, and my questionable tastes couldn't take much more damage.

Hikari and Alicia were used to my recklessness.

That was my opening.

If I played this right, I could secure a reduced sentence.

"Well, it's not like your recklessness started today. Toma's been biologically incapable of behaving himself since birth. I did some pretty reckless things myself when I fought the Spear King."

"That's true. We can't really lecture you too harshly. The reason you went so far during the first King's Duel was partly because of me."

"Honestly, I did it because I wanted to. So you don't need to feel responsible. Same with Hikari. I don't want to restrict her either... though I'd appreciate it if she chose the safer option once in a while."

The two of them crossed their arms and nodded thoughtfully.

Good.

At this rate, my punishment and lecture would soon be over.

Then I could cure my numb legs, give Julia a cool silent nod like some mysterious protagonist, and leave the room.

"Yeah, we're not making a big deal out of your recklessness. We were planning on keeping the lecture fairly light."

"Really!? That's great! Thank goodness this is ending before I permanently lose feeling in my legs—"

"But why was your fight being broadcast?"

"Eh?"

The expressions on Julia’s face and mine froze simultaneously.

Broadcast?

"W-What do you mean!? Don't tell me you did that without asking me!?"

"W-Wait! No! Even I wouldn't go that far! This was a private match! Hold on, seriously!?"

"Yes. The entire thing was clearly visible. Though the audio wasn't very clear. The recording crystal was quite far away, and most of it was drowned out by the sound of your weapons clashing."

Julia's face turned bright red.

She grabbed my collar and started violently shaking me back and forth.

At this point, anyone watching would probably think my head had split into afterimages.

I was getting nauseous.

"You two sprinted to that plateau the moment you decided to fight. You left the rest of us behind. Then a recording started playing over the city. We figured out what was happening pretty quickly."

"Now that I think about it, there wasn't anywhere to hide up there. I should've wondered how everyone knew what was happening. But Hikari started scolding me and my body instinctively entered seiza before I could think."

"Toma... exactly how often does Hikari yell at you...?"

"About once every two days, I guess. Ever since the first time, like when she scolded me in front of Alicia."

Honestly, if Hikari weren't such a caring person, she'd have abandoned me long ago.

That's why I genuinely tried to listen to her whenever possible.

Though she wasn't perfect either.

Especially not in the kitchen.

I'd lost count of how many times I'd turned pale after becoming her test subject.

Cooking just wasn't her thing.

Nothing could be done about that.

"So what's the real reason you two are angry?"

"Because once again you were saying cool, heartfelt things to another girl. Any problem with that?"

"Nope. None at all. Which is why I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd lower that clenched fist, Lady Hikari."

The moment she admitted she was jealous, I couldn't stop a grin from slipping out.

Hikari immediately turned red and started practicing punches in my direction.

I apologized at once.

When I glanced toward Alicia, she wore a similar expression.

After a light cough, she continued.

"I know that's just the kind of person you are, Toma. In fact, that's exactly why I ended up the way I am. So I'm not trying to deny that part of you."

She paused.

"But if you keep doing things like this, eventually you're going to get yourself into trouble. Some girls are perfectly willing to take those kinds of words seriously."

"Ehh...? It's not like I say things like that to every girl I meet..."

Please stop making me sound like some playboy who flirts with anything female.

I chose my words carefully.

I said what needed to be said to the people who needed to hear it.

"What I've said to Hikari and Alicia was sincere. What I said to Julia was sincere too. I would never take any of it back."

After all, people could disappear at any moment.

Like my father.

Like Hikari's family.

People died easily.

People vanished.

If you didn't speak honestly to the people who mattered, you might end up regretting it forever.

"I'm serious. Always."

"That's exactly why you're such a pain."

"And why you're impossible to argue against."

"You two really have it rough."

Julia’s comment was accompanied by three simultaneous sighs.

All of them carried the weight of experience.

Then Lyla, who had been quietly observing the entire time, casually dropped a bombshell.

"...So basically, the Sword King is a womanizer, and Julia got swept off her feet?"

"WHO GOT SWEPT OFF HER FEET!?"

Julia’s face instantly turned bright red.

Like a kettle reaching full boil.

For some reason, instead of grabbing Lyla, she grabbed my head.

"WHY!? EXACTLY WHY!? ARE YOU ASSUMING I FELL FOR THIS IDIOT!?"

"...Well... with my hearing, I could mostly hear what you said even through the recording. And judging by your expression..."

"You've got to be kidding me! What the hell is wrong with your monster senses and superhuman body!?"

"...Also, that's the same face you make whenever you're not being honest with yourself."

"I DO NOT MAKE THAT FACE!"

"Julia, could you stop covering my ears every time Lyla talks? I have no idea what's being said, and it really hurts."

My ears were ringing so badly that I doubted the damage would fade anytime soon.

Still, I could tell Julia simply didn't want anyone hearing this conversation.

And after acknowledging that side of her, it felt wrong to push the issue.

"STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M SOME ADORABLE LITTLE ANIMAL!!!!"

Her face was as red as an apple.

And in that moment, she looked just like any ordinary girl.

That would remain my secret.

"Tch! Whoever released that recording...! I'm going to find them and beat them senseless!"

Inside a carriage heading back toward the Yaranri Kingdom, the new Spear King sat fuming.

Her face was still bright red with lingering embarrassment.

Across from her, Leila watched with a gentle smile.

"Come now, Julia. I was happy to learn more about you. Besides, it's true that you feel better now, isn't it?"

"That's completely beside the point. Whether I feel better and whether someone broadcast that recording without permission are two separate issues."

In the end, nobody discovered the source of the recording.

Fortunately, it had only been shown within that city.

What Julia didn't know was that the rare sight of the Sword King and Spear King clashing would be replayed countless times in the future and become one of the catalysts for the city's growth.

"...I'm jealous of Julia. I wanted another chance to fight the Sword King too. This time all the way to the end."

"I'm not throwing you at him again. That idiot's going to reach King-class strength eventually. From now on, I'll be the one fighting him."

Julia tightened her grip on the Royal Spear.

Losing to that boy had only strengthened her resolve.

"First, I'll master this spear completely. The Second King's Future Sight. The Third King's overwhelming destructive power and wide-area attacks. Then I'll improve my technique. As annoying as it is, that fool King's movements are engraved into my body. I'll use them as a reference."

Now she could see her destination.

And she swore she would surpass it.

Otherwise, she would never reach the boy who had become the Sword King.

He would continue growing stronger for the sake of those around him.

If she wished to remain his equal as a fellow king, then she had no choice but to keep moving forward as well.

"...Why are you both staring at me? And why are your mouths hanging open?"

"I was just wondering when exactly you started calling Lord Sword King by his name."

"...The Sword King is definitely a womanizer. That's an established fact now."

Julia immediately felt heat rise to her face.

She had already reached a conclusion regarding her own feelings.

But having someone else point it out was apparently too much for her pride to endure.

The carriage carrying the three girls continued down the road amidst noise and laughter.

It was the complete opposite of the silent journey that had brought them there.

Almost as though it were heralding the coming changes within the Kingdom of Spears.

"...More importantly, we should figure out how to lure the Sword King over to our side. There probably isn't a single man in the Yaranri Kingdom broad-minded enough to handle Julia."

"As Julia's friend, I want her to be happy too. How about challenging him to another three-person King's Duel? If we win, we bring Lord Sword King here. If we lose, we hand over Julia. We profit either way."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT 'PROFIT EITHER WAY' MEANS!!! I KNOW YOU TWO ARE JUST HAVING FUN WITH THIS!!!!"