Chapter 27

"Murdererrrrrr!!!"

The air was crisp, and the scorching sun shone pleasantly on the peaceful morning.

In the backyard of a mansion on the outskirts of town—said to be the dwelling of the Sword Saint—the shrill scream of a young girl pierced the air.

"Now, now, don’t run away, Natal. You’ve gotta clear this beginner’s training first."

"Let me go! Release me! You lunatic! Murderer! Loser!!"

"Who’re you calling a loser?! I won’t forgive this, Natal! I won’t let you escape!"

"Nooooooo!!!"

The maid-clad girl panted heavily as she desperately scrambled to flee—from the swordswoman chasing her with a small blade in hand.

"...What’s going on here?"

"Mei! It’s Mei! Help me! Just like you said, if I become that woman’s disciple, I’ll be killed!!"

"Meiii. Catch that useless maid for me, will you? I was just starting to teach her the basics of the sword, and suddenly she bolts."

"Stay away, you psycho! What part of this woman is a proper swordswoman?! She’s just a serial killer!! If I take her as my master, I won’t have enough lives to spare!"

At the Sword Saint’s exasperated command, Mei had come to check on the backyard commotion… but all she saw was a half-crying maid running for her life and a swordswoman hot on her heels.

It was, by all accounts, an utterly peaceful scene.

"Natal. If you were the one who asked for training, maybe you should tough it out a little."

"So you’re on her side?! You’re siding with this moron?!"

"Obviously. …First, you get used to the sword. Who the hell screams and cries at the very first step? If you’ve got the guts to call yourself a swordsman-in-training, show some backbone."

"Shut uuuup!! I said I wanted to be a swordswoman, not a corpse!! I never said a damn thing about wanting to die!!"

The maid—dressed in provocative attire—shook her head, eyes brimming with tears. Any man (or Rex) who saw her might have found the sight irresistibly alluring.

Though the girl herself was dead serious.

"...She might be overreacting just a little. Flatche, what kind of training is this?"

"Dodging practice. The first step isn’t swinging a sword—it’s learning to evade one."

"Ah, I see."

"No matter how strong your attacks are, death means game over. No matter how weak your attacks are, survival means another chance. …That’s why I want her to master the basics of defense first."

"Natal, you should really try. Flatche’s reasoning sounds solid."

"Then you do it, Mei! You try it! If you’re so confident, go ahead!"

Mei attempted to persuade the reluctant maid, but Natal kept shaking her head, still on the verge of tears.

Flatche, too, was starting to radiate irritation.

"Natal, enough already. This training has nothing to do with Mei, a black mage."

"...Good grief. It’s fine, Flatche. Even as a black mage, learning to dodge blades isn’t a waste."

Fine, I’ll step in. With a sigh, Mei slowly stepped forward, standing before Flatche.

"...You sure? Then, Mei, I’ll show you how it’s done first."

"Please do."

If she, a black mage, could demonstrate evading the sword, maybe Natal would find some motivation.

Mei had witnessed Rex’s mighty blade up close countless times. At this point, she had no fear of mere steel.

"First, blindfold yourself."

"Eh? Blindfold?"

But Flatche’s training method was utterly baffling. Why block your vision when the whole point was dodging swords?

Mei tilted her head in confusion as she watched the swordswoman, who then picked up a small box—about 50 cm square—resting at her feet.

"Next, throw the box straight up."

"Throw… the box straight up?"

Just as she said, Flatche hurled the box high into the air. Drawn in, Mei looked up at it.

Under the dazzling sunlight, a glint of steel flashed. The countless blades packed inside the box slowly fanned out midair—

"Wha—?!"

"...There."

Dozens of swords rained down where Flatche had stood moments ago. Sharp blades embedded themselves into the ground one after another, and Mei’s eyes widened as she fell back onto her rear.

"Phew."

Yet, Flatche—standing at the center of it all—was completely unharmed. As if dancing, she effortlessly weaved through the storm of falling blades.

"...And that’s how it’s done. Think you can manage, Mei?"

"Manage this?! You murderer!!"

"Wha—?!"

"I told you!"

Incidentally, this was the very training Flatche’s master had first imposed upon her.

On her first day as his disciple, after losing to Rex and drowning his sorrows in alcohol, her master had drunkenly come up with the idea on a whim.

Back then, he had cleared it without issue—but what Flatche didn’t know was that even the master who devised it still couldn’t pull it off.

---

"That's right. Just use your dominant hand to guide."

"Like this?"

Flatche had been fired as the maid's teacher.

A perfectly reasonable decision.

"Your dominant hand is stronger, so if you put too much force into it, the blade will waver. That’s why you only use your dominant hand to control the sword’s path—support the sword itself with just your left hand."

"It’s heavy…"

"That’s how it is. First, practice your swings… You need to be able to swing straight with just your left hand."

"……It’s too heavy. I can’t."

"Think of it as strength training. If you can’t do this, we can’t move forward."

After hearing the situation, Rex reluctantly decided to teach Natal the basics of swordsmanship himself.

A one-on-one beginner’s lesson from the strongest Sword Saint in history. Natal was being spoiled beyond belief—though she had no idea.

"Why, Natal… Why are you running away from me?"

"One-on-one time with Rex… Lucky~."

Hidden in the shadows, two girls watched the privileged maid with intense envy.

"……That training method is unacceptable, Flatche."

"I went out of my way to get those dulled swords from the blacksmith too…"

"Even if the blades are dull, a lump of metal hitting your head would still cause serious injury. ……Actually, how were you even dodging that, Flatche?"

"Hm? Just sensing the swords’ presence, I guess? You dodge the zing feeling by going whoosh. It’s easier to tell with sharp blades, but that’d be too dangerous."

"That explanation is incredibly vague. And yet, you did at least consider safety…"

Deep down, Mei realized Flatche was not cut out to be a teacher.

"When I became her disciple, she used a bigger box—and the blades weren’t dulled."

"It’s a miracle you survived."

"For some reason, my master kept apologizing to me about it later."

"Yes, I think I should reflect on things too…"

Mei sighed.

What kind of beginner’s training was this? And how had Flatche cleared it so effortlessly?

Until now, Mei had seen Flatche as a somewhat unreliable swordswoman—but now, her impression shifted to "one of those monsters like my sister." As a bonus, her master, Kazanagi, was now firmly categorized as "a bit of a weirdo."

"Alright, Natal—500 swings! Finish them by nightfall!"

"Tyrant! Demon! Reeeex!"

"Well then, shall we go, Flatche? Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Whatever. You could’ve just kept having fun with Natal forever."

Pouting, Flatche turned away with a huff.

She was, in truth, a siscon. Seeing her little sister getting along so well with her best friend had made her jealous.

"……You’re sulking too, huh?"

"I’m not sulking."

Rex, having finished the beginner’s lesson, quietly laughed at her petulant attitude. Despite being the target of her sulking, he looked oddly pleased.

Of course, it was because he knew she was jealous. Though it never even crossed her mind that she might be jealous—jealous that her little sister might be taken away from her.

---

"Don’t slack off on your training, Natal."

"Have a safe trip~."

The next day, we set off for the royal capital as planned.

Natal, being a non-combatant, was left behind this time. ……Rex had entrusted her with the mansion’s upkeep, but would she really be okay?

Natal’s clumsiness was no joke. If she accidentally burned the place down while cooking, I wouldn’t even be surprised.

"……It’s been a while since I’ve been to the capital."

"You lived there, Mei?"

"Yes. Before I ran away, I lived with my sister in a house she owned. ……Though Clarice was rarely home."

"Huh. So, will you stay at Clarice’s place? Since we’re going, you might as well visit."

"No. Absolutely not. Being near her is bad for my mental health."

"Well, suit yourself."

Rex gave a wry smile and patted Mei’s head. She looked faintly pleased.

"I’ll drop by the church. They’ve got the real deal—a sacred statue of the goddess for prayers. As a believer, I like to visit at least once a year."

"Got it."

"We’ll probably stay at the church too. If I ask, they might let you guys stay as well."

"Nah. Since we’re here, I’d rather stay at a nice inn. ……Honestly, I can’t stand the church’s stuffy atmosphere."

"Yeah, figures. What about you, Flatche? Got a religious sect or something?"

"Swordsmen don’t pray to gods. We cut gods."

"You’re disgusting, you know that?"

The nun sighed in exasperation. As a devout follower, Karin couldn’t tolerate the idea of her god being sliced apart.

……Not that a god could be physically cut. At best, you might chop down a statue.

"Let’s go over the rules for the capital. First—don’t engage with any generals besides Penny!"

"If they approach you, either run immediately or call for Rex!"

"Second—don’t start any fights! No matter what, don’t take the bait!"

"Wait, why are you staring at me?!"

"Third—no unauthorized shopping or contracts!"

"The capital’s full of scams and price gouging. If a clueless country bumpkin walks into a shop, they’ll get fleeced down to their last hair."

"Got it, Flatche?!"

"Huh?! That was all directed at me?!"

"Well, Mei and I have been to the capital plenty of times."

Rex watched the shocked swordswoman with an amused grin.

"Relax, I’ll cover for you if anything happens. But try to be careful, alright?"

"Don’t underestimate me. I’m not naive enough to fall for scams that easily."

"I can already picture you getting tricked instantly and crying…"

────Unaware of the cruel fate awaiting them in the royal capital.

---

────Meanwhile, in another place.

"Truly, demons are on another level... Hah, I really was just a frog in a well."

"For a human, you were exceptional."

Deep within a certain cavern.

A lone man stood, a slender, short sword in hand. Before him loomed a massive monster clad in an iron helm, gripping a greatsword.

"Demon Sword King, I owe you my thanks. For singling me out... and bringing me back to life."

"If you're grateful, then thank Jaliba. The fact that you, who should be dead, still breathe is thanks to her skills."

"Don't make me laugh. Why the hell would I thank some fool who dared defy the Demon King?"

The man spat out the words scornfully, then calmly raised his sword, swaying gently as if dancing.

"Here I come."

"Come at me."

A brief exchange—and in the next instant, the demon known as the Demon Sword King unleashed a godlike slash, aiming to bisect the man in one stroke────

"Gotcha. Finally, one hit."

"Hmph... Not bad."

By the time the blade completed its arc, the man had vanished like the wind. Unnoticed, he now stood behind the Demon Sword King, his short sword pressed against the demon's back.

"Hahaha. Damn, this body is insane. Might even be stronger than Rex now."

"We mixed our blood into your flesh. Against any human, you will overwhelm them."

"...Yeah. That bastard Rex was just lucky—born with a superior body. That's why I kept losing."

The swordsman's eyes burned with madness.

────The kindness and nobility that once defined him had been erased. The love for his sister, his mother—gone. Now bound by loyalty to the Demon King, the swordsman threw back his head and laughed.

"I can win. I'm the strongest now. Rex is nothing to me."

"Of course. Don't waste your rivalry on humans. You are one of us now."

"Heh... Heh heh... HAHAHA!! Then I'll carve it into them—brand them with terror!! I'll slaughter every last one of these foolish humans!!"

Like a broken puppet, his lips twisted into a vulgar grin, his unfocused eyes shaking as he screamed.

"This 'Kazanagi' will show the world—to the ends of the earth—who the strongest swordsman truly is!"

────Soon, fate would bring them together.