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“Are you talking about opening the third awakening?”

The Holy Swor nodded. She leaned her arm against the sword on the ground and suddenly snapped her fingers again. A small table and two chairs rose in front of me. I don’t know where it came from. The more this happens, the more I wonder who she truly is.

“Let’s sit down. We can rest and talk.”

She walked to a seat, leaning the sword against the table. I sat down across from her, feeling uncomfortable. She looked at me with a smile as I took my seat. It was one of the few times I’d encountered the persona of the Holy Sword, but it always had that smile when it looked at me. Faint, soft, and warm.

“I assume you know what the Sixth Disaster is?”

“…If you mean the Meteor, then somewhat.”

Well, the Meteor was a meteor. However, tens of thousands of monsters that would sense its arrival will swarm to flee. We’ll have to fend them off, break through, and then… smash the Meteor.

“The Meteor is on another level. Its durability is greater than all the other Disasters combined, and cutting it down is probably beyond your power right now….”

The Holy Sword’s fingers tapped the table.

“I’m sure you’ll lose your life, or at best, crippled.”

Holy Sword said casually. I thought back to the original for a moment. How Arjen had defeated the Meteor. How he’d run through the monsters and literally sliced through the falling Disaster. It was one of my favorite scenes. It was the moment the world finally accepted him as the world’s savior.

“What does this have to do with the next stage? Is it strong enough to cut through the Meteor?”

Holy Sword shrugged her shoulders, though she kept her meaningful smile.

“That depends on what you do, doesn’t it? Just because I say so doesn’t mean I can say for sure, Elroy. You must have confidence in yourself, not in me.”

I frowned, my jaw clenching. The way she spoke so cryptically, it was like dealing with a sage hidden deep in the mountains. I let out a small sigh.

“So what are the conditions needed for this awakening?”

“I set the conditions, Elroy. I will grant you access when ready for the third awakening.”

The Holy Sword handed the Holy Sword(her sword) to me unceremoniously. I gripped the hilt and looked at the Holy Sword.

“You aren’t ready for it yet. Though you’ve grown a lot more than I thought.”

I sheathed the sword. The Holy Sword rested her chin on her hand, and she smiled up at me, her eyes looking at me with pride. I tilted my head, puzzled by her seemingly relaxed demeanor.

“Go ahead. Your bowl is not empty, so just focus on filling it with something for now. The opening of the third stage is a matter for another time.”

The Holy Sword said with a wry smile.

“First, it involves giving her a run for her money. As you grow, she grows with you. It will be a long time before you defeat her.”

The Holy Sword always treated the Queen disrespectfully. For some reason, she seemed to pout at the mention of her, but it was endearing that she thought so highly of her.

“Don’t look at me like that, Elroy. Just listen to what you have to do.”

The Holy Sword puffed out her cheeks in a needless scolding.

“Right now, you fight ten times and lose ten times. We’ll talk again when you can reliably fight ten times and win once.”

She stood up, and I followed her, fumbling to my feet. She snapped her fingers again, and the table and chairs waved away like a mirage.

“For that, we’ll have to work hard here.”

In her hand, another sword appeared, identical to herself.

“Now, this time, we’ll practice dual-wielding. Wielding two swords, naturally, requires much more effort than using a single sword.”

I sighed as I watched the Holy Sword take on its halberd.

“Facts you deliberately hide from me.”

The Holy Sword raised an eyebrow at my words.

“I wonder when I’ll find out.”

“…There are some things you’d be better off not knowing. There are things I’d rather keep secret from you forever. But there are things you must know someday.”

The Holy Sword didn’t evade my question. But she didn’t give me a straight answer either. As usual, she just smiled bitterly, with a pensive expression that made me feel uneasy every time I saw it. So, as usual, I spoke up and deflected.

“Don’t give me that look. I’d rather see you angry than this.”

Suddenly, Holy Sword was before me, her hand resting on my cheek. ‘What are you hiding?’ I wanted to ask repeatedly, but I could never grasp the weight, depth, and emotion in her eyes as she looked up at me. I carefully placed my hand over the back of hers. Holy Sword’s hand twitched, trembled, and she stroked my cheek with her thumb.

“Let’s really get started. I’m not going to give you any more pats.”

She turned her slightly reddened face away and said nonchalantly. ‘Who was the one being comforted?’

I frowned and stomped my foot. The ground in the imaginary world was not something I was used to. I didn’t know if it was stone, dirt, or wood. The earth and I didn’t belong together. I turned on my heel and ran, using the discomfort as momentum.

“The first strike is always an advantage. But many fail to capitalize on that advantage.”

The Holy Sword caught stopped charge without effort. The voice of the Holy Sword rang in my head.

(Because the gap between the fighters is too big.)

In a single motion, the Holy Sword sends me flying backward. But she didn’t stop there. I saw her body disappear, and I heard her voice behind me.

“In battle, don’t dwell on your mistakes. Only think about how to survive.”

I twisted midair and raised my two swords. The Holy Sword’s blade fell like a judgment upon them. I let out a short groan and plummeted to the ground. She wouldn’t even give me time to wince in pain. I scrambled to my feet and narrowly dodged her attack.

“Not bad.”

The Holy Sword reappeared before me, swinging her sword without much effort. I raised my right sword to block it. My wrist bent as our swords collided, and my arm felt numb.

“…I think it’ll take some time to defeat you.”

“The Queen wouldn’t be able to touch you if you were at that level.”

The Holy Sword nagged me to focus on the goal she set for me. I stepped forward, intent on matching her on a level playing field, one day surpassing her. I must not stop moving forward. That was the greatest lesson I learned from the Holy Sword.

Null stretched forward. The Holy Sword lightly blocked it. I clashed with her, hoping to break the stalemate, but she would never let things go the way I wanted.

“That was a reckless move, but you should keep trying new things while you are here.”

The Holy Sword spoke as if reading my mind. She looked at me with a twisted smile as it swept away all my attempts. Before I knew it, I had both my swords on the ground and the Holy Sword held her blade to my throat.

“Not bad for a first attempt. Try your moves here when you play with the Queen again.”

Demoralizing. I looked at Holy Sword’s face, still smirking as if she had just told a funny joke. Her voice and young face didn’t match her tone at all. One day, I’ll beat her up and pinch those white cheeks.

“Good work again today, Elroy.”

The Holy Sword sliced through my head. My vision blurred as I barked out a laugh. I waved my hand as the landscape disappeared.

***

I lower my sword. There were no patterns to the Queen’s movements. It seemed she trained her body to an immense level, then used her intelligence to learn the opponent’s habits to create her attacks. Her style was so fluid, and she could face any opponent of any level.

“Though it is a fact that I feel every time I dance swords with you….”

Agnes placed her foot against the sword and flicked it up, the kick so graceful that it was almost dignified.

“Your rate of growth is strange. You have the movements of a well-developed swordsman, yet you somehow seem like a new person each time we meet. Like a never-ending canvas.”

The fight grew longer with each bout. Agnes’ movements were adaptive and inscrutable, but I was stronger. Every night, I fought an opponent no human could adapt to and understand.

“Strange.”

And then, Agnes’ swordsmanship changed. The Queen glanced at my surprised expression and smiled.

“This is the first time I’ve met someone besides me who possesses these ‘qualities.’”

Agnes is a genius. Someone with the qualities to become the greatest Swordmaster in this world. I could feel it with each clash. She quickly switched her footwork and began pressuring me as if she hadn’t realized she was disadvantaged.

“I’ve discovered a pleasure I never thought possible.”

Agnes’ sword clashed with mine. Her eyes sparkled, perhaps a little excited. It was a scene I had replayed in my mind repeatedly. I let go of the sword in my left hand. Her eyes flashed with panic.

“This is….”

The swords flowed. I didn’t only train dual-wielding. I grab Agnes’ hand and yank it forward with my free hand. There’s another gleam in her panicked eyes. I steadied her as she stumbled forward, off balance. The sword in her hand clattered to the ground.

“I win.”

I still had my other sword in my hand. I supported her with my left hand, and my right hand was aimed at her side. Our faces were close, though I didn’t care much about it. All I could think about was that I had finally won.

“…Yes.”

In a flash, Agnes hooked her leg and swung me over her back. I smirked up at her as she sat on top of me. She smiled strangely and ran her index finger over my chest. The faintest blush crept up her face.

“You win this time.”

She said it in a voice that feigned composure, then glared at me. The upraised finger turned into a palm.

“I’ve been enjoying our time together, Elroy. I haven’t felt this way in a very long time.”

I could only hope Agnes wasn’t looking at my throat, which was cringing from the dryness because I was too afraid to move. She chuckled softly as she studied my expression.

“Well, I suppose I should ask you a favor first.”

“A favor… you mean?”

Agnes nodded.

“There is a place currently monitoring the location of the Sixth Disaster.”

“…You mean the Magic Tower.”

“Now listen carefully.”

She leaned a little closer, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, cascading down her side.

“When the new academic semester at the Magic Tower begins, I’d like you to stay and discuss with the wizards how to counteract the Sixth Disaster.”

Agnes smiled and looked me in the eye.

“Well, you won’t just be staying there to research. You’ll be working as a teaching assistant as well.”