Killing Intent Detection (1)

My and Ethan’s Magic Swordsmanship class continued as usual, with the identity of the male student Mezlen supposedly fell for still shrouded in mystery.

Perhaps because it was a class held after a week’s rest, not immediately after returning from the Dungeon, I was in pretty good condition today.

…The only problem was that not only was I in good condition, but the opponent I faced with a sword was also in full condition.

-Whoosh! Swish! Whoosh!

“Uwaaah! Aaargh! Aaargh!!”

I moved my body, sweating profusely, trying to dodge Natalie’s rapier, which attempted five thrusts per second.

Even if she was a commoner who couldn’t use magic, Natalie was also one of the four ‘inhuman’ members of the Swordsmanship Department, so if both sides were in full condition, there was no way I could properly fight her one-on-one.

-Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh! Whoosh!!

“Where has your spirit from two weeks ago gone, Lillith-yang!? Are you just going to keep retreating and dodging like that!!”

Could it be that she was still upset about me winning once two weeks ago due to a difference in condition?

With eyes and a tone that could only lead to such suspicion, Natalie thrust at me, her thrusts, stronger than usual, threatening my life several times a second.

If I had known this, I would have just teased her moderately back then. No, but if you fight 100 times, lose 99, and win once, isn’t it okay to be a little happy about it?

Seeing Natalie express such competitiveness over something so trivial, I was truly dumbfounded.

‘…Now that I think about it, I’m getting a little pissed off.’

Just because I wanted to join Ethan in the same class, was it even reasonable that I had to face the sword of the Swordsmanship Department’s 3rd rank? Moreover, I wasn’t even in the Swordsmanship Department; I was in the Magic Department.

Just as I was feeling angry about this unfair treatment that I couldn’t understand no matter how much I thought about it, I suddenly felt a sensation as if a clear trajectory was drawn before my eyes.

-Flash.

‘……Huh?’

A fatal move that seemed to accurately pierce my right shoulder.

Clearly, I had never felt such a sensation from Natalie’s sword until now, but for some reason, at this very moment, I felt as if I could see something.

Just in case, the moment I struck away the sword path drawn before my eyes with the dagger in my left hand, Natalie’s rapier, which I couldn’t even follow with my eyes, suddenly appeared in front of my right shoulder and then bent.

-Clang!

“……!!”

“…Hmm.”

In this chaotic situation, Natalie looked at the sword path I had struck away with widened eyes, perhaps not expecting that I would block the opening she had precisely aimed for.

I wasn’t sure why, but it was clear that this was my chance. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to defeat Natalie’s sword.

-Whoosh!

As soon as I confirmed an opening appeared in Natalie, the Blackwood-patterned Dagger extended from my right hand.

It was a means of giving up the next attack, so Dagger Throw was rarely used in Swordsmanship Duels, but this situation was an exception.

Natalie was the owner of a sword fast enough to block attacks I swung alternately with both hands. The only way to forcibly create an opening in her was to attack two areas ‘simultaneously’.

-Claaang!

“Ah, damn it…!!”

Natalie parried my sword flying towards her chest and belatedly thrust her rapier again towards me, who was approaching her body.

However, my left-hand dagger was already accurately digging into her side, so Natalie now had no physical means to stop me.

-Craaash!!

“……!!!”

“Haa, haa, haa….”

With the sound of the Training Barrier surrounding Natalie’s body shattering, the sparring match ended.

Against none other than ‘the Main Heroine of the Swordsmanship Department’, it was the moment I, from the Magic Department, fairly secured a victory.

“…You worked hard.”

“Haa, g-good… work….”

Natalie, extending her hand with a subtly bitter expression, and I, reaching out and grasping her hand in return.

Just keeping up with Natalie’s movements was exhausting for me, so naturally, I was far more tired than her, but looking only at the result, it was my perfect victory.

-Squeeze!

“Ah, ugh?!”

“…I will never lose in the next sparring match.”

“Y-yes, yes….”

…Ah, damn it.

Her eyes really seem to have gone wild.

Perhaps she was incredibly vexed about losing to me not just once, but twice, Natalie’s usual bright personality completely vanished, replaced by a cold gaze.

After squeezing my hand tightly with a strong grip, watching her disappear, it was a moment when I felt a strange chill run down my spine.

‘Still, I did win, after all.’

Even if carelessness in an unexpected situation was the main reason for my victory, the fact that I had secured a proper victory against Natalie remained unchanged. Moreover, combined with the sparring match two weeks ago, it was a whopping two consecutive wins.

Of course, if I were to face Natalie again now, she would surely swing her sword with the intent to kill me, so in reality, this would be my last victory against her.

If there had been a Video Recording Magic Tool, I could have left behind an awesome video of my glorious final moments, but it was truly regrettable that I couldn’t.

“Lillith, you.”

…And, my joy at having won a round against Natalie was short-lived.

“Yes?”

“Come to the Swordsmanship Training Ground after dinner today. There’s something we need to discuss, just the two of us.”

“……Huh???”

“I’ll tell Ethan, so be aware of that.”

“…….”

No, why.

Why is everyone doing this only to me?

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

At Harold’s summons, I was forcibly called out to the Swordsmanship Training Ground after dinner.

I was already tired today from the sparring with Natalie, so why was he specifically calling me to the Swordsmanship Training Ground at this hour?

I still couldn’t grasp Harold’s intentions for calling me, yet I stepped onto the training ground. There, I was met by Harold, who was waiting for me, dressed in his training clothes and holding a sword, just as he was during regular classes.

“You’ve arrived, Lillith.”

“Y-yes, yes…. Professor Harold-nim….”

Since it was just the two of us, I was confused whether to call him Professor-nim or Master-nim, but since we were still inside the Academy, I used the title Professor-nim.

Harold, from the start, didn’t seem to care much what I called him anyway.

“During class today, you had a good sparring match with Natalie-yang.”

“Yes?”

“Take up your sword. Show me what you just showed Natalie in class.”

“……Huh???”

No, why is he telling me to take up my sword out of nowhere?

I had expected it would come to this ever since he called me to the training ground, but even so, shouldn’t he at least explain the situation?

I looked at Harold’s face, wanting to know why he had called me, but he still seemed to be waiting for me to take up my sword. When I showed no sign of moving, Harold began to take the first steps in slight silence.

“Professor Harold-nim. I cannot grasp the intention behind your words, calling me at this hour and telling me to take up my sword-“

“If you won’t come, I will go to you. If you want to live, you should pick up your sword before you babble.”

-Dash!

“No, what the hell…!!”

Harold was approaching, running the nearly 20-meter distance with quick footwork, so in the end, I also instinctively had to take up my sword for survival.

Two daggers pulled from beneath my skirt. I desperately twisted my body to dodge Harold’s sword strike that flew at me, even before I could properly assume a stance.

-Slam!

“Kyaaaah?!”

No, fuck! Is this bastard crazy?!

He hasn’t even activated the Training Barrier yet, and he’s openly swinging his sword with the intent to kill?!

Seeing the sword strike that felt like it would have split my body in half along with the floor if I had stayed still, I felt all the blood drain from my body at once.

“P-Professor Harold-nim?! If you’re angry about something, please tell me-!”

“…Wield your sword, Lillith, not your mouth. Shouldn’t swordsmen converse with their swords?”

-Whoosh!

“Ugh, kyaaaah…!!”

With some inexplicable words, Harold approached again, swinging his sword full of Killing Intent towards me. I wasn’t even a swordsman to begin with.

Dodging the sword blade that would clearly split me into “Lil/lith” if it hit me wrong, I hastily lowered my stance, and for now, I swung my dagger at Harold’s lower body, aiming wherever I could see.

I didn’t know why, but it was a moment when my mind was filled with the thought that if I didn’t want to die, I had to either kill Harold or render him immobile.

-Whoosh!

“Slow.”

Of course, the biggest problem was that Harold wasn’t an idiot who would get hit by a dagger wildly swung by someone who hadn’t even properly assumed a stance.

Harold’s third Killing Intent strike came crashing down while I couldn’t even properly hold my sword or assume a stance. Naturally, I had to focus solely on dodging this time as well, so I hastily cast a Shockwave magic spell on the floor directly in front of me.

-Boom!

“Agh…!! H-haa, haa, haa….”

Even hurting myself, after I used the recoil of the Shockwave to propel myself up, another sword strike landed exactly where I had been.

Saying there was something they needed to discuss, just the two of them, and telling me not to call Ethan and just come, Harold kept swinging Killing Intent without any proper explanation.

At his absurd and unfair treatment… a strong rage surged from deep within my heart.

-Squeeze!

“Haa, haa, haa.”

“……Hmm.”

Alright, fuck it. Bring it on.

For a bastard who treats me like shit for no reason, I’ll give him a reason to treat me like shit.

Whether it’s Harold or anyone else. I don’t really care.