Ch.49Duel (2)

Zernya appeared out of nowhere and snapped at us.

“You’re both sloppy.”

“What?”

“Do you think you could become A-rank Hunters with that pathetic skill?”

It was likely a thoughtless remark, tossed out like a piece of chewed gum.

“I already knew about Rheinland, but… you’re nothing special either.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“What else? Give up.”

Zernya folded her fingers one by one. Blood vessels appeared in Rustila’s eyes.

“I noticed it when I saw you before. Swordsmanship that wasn’t properly learned. It’s child’s play. Just raw power and crudeness, nothing more. With that kind of swordsmanship, you couldn’t cut down even an A-rank monster, let alone an S-rank.”

She was scratching at Rustila with almost artistic skill.

But Zernya didn’t know.

The sword was everything to Rustila—her sacred territory.

“Are you done talking?”

“No. Not yet.”

Look at that, what an absolute brat.

If she’d just keep her mouth shut, she’d be a beautiful girl who’d attract crowds, but she always misuses that tongue of hers and makes enemies.

“Please wait a moment.”

“I cannot stand by while you insult the lady any further!”

It was bad enough that Sonia and Berdia, who had been at each other’s throats until just now, were both stepping in to intervene.

“Get lost.”

The two androids were pushed backward.

“I have no interest in tin cans.”

“T-tin cans…? Did you just say that?!”

Berdia shouted, having a fit.

“Though my body was created by humans, I must speak my mind. Don’t say such things. It’s offensive!”

Even as an android, a 5th generation is still a 5th generation. They possess emotions almost identical to humans. It was impossible not to get angry at being called a tin can.

Unlike Berdia, who was clenching her fists while breathing heavily, Sonia remained relatively calm.

“Actually, I have no interest in humans either. No need to store this in my memory. Hmph.”

She pulled Berdia away, retreating with quick steps. It seems her skill at walking tightropes while pestering Eidel hadn’t gone anywhere—she knew exactly when to back off.

Rustila glared at Zernya, gritting her teeth.

“Skip the long talk. Just tell me why you’re picking a fight.”

“Aren’t you impatient.”

“You just want to mock me, right?”

“Mock you?”

Zernya, who had been approaching slowly, suddenly closed the distance to Rustila. Zernya lifted her head, and Rustila looked down.

It wasn’t a gesture of submission from Rustila. She was caressing the sword in her right hand.

“Itching to use that?”

“…Yes.”

“What a coincidence. Me too.”

Only then did Zernya release her hands from behind her back. Something came out with a rustling sound.

A Plasma Sword.

“I’ll make you know your place.”

“You…”

“Girls who are hopeless at both studies and swordsmanship don’t deserve a place in our class. You just muddy the waters.”

“I’ll shut that mouth of yours right now.”

Wow. A confrontation between the main hero and main villain of the college arc. My heart is already pounding, and they haven’t even started fighting yet.

The location is perfect too—the stadium. An ideal place for a face-off.

The two gripped their swords with no Aether in the blades and distanced themselves from each other.

Are they going to fight? Are they going to fight?

“I’ll let you have the first move.”

They are fighting!

“…No excuses later.”

“Whatever, just come at me already.”

The next moment, there was a sound of air being sliced, and Rustila’s form disappeared. The ground cracked.

In the blink of an eye, Rustila’s blade thrust toward Zernya’s chest, and Zernya boldly parried it.

Just as Rustila’s eyes were about to widen—

Zernya drove the hilt of her sword into Rustila’s abdomen.

***

The next morning.

As I was organizing my dormitory space and preparing to go to class, a girl walking out from the opposite residence hall shouted fiercely.

“That fucking bitch!”

What now?

Seti, with a ferocious face like a yaksha, spewed every curse word she knew as she charged forward. Thanks to Sonia, who was obsessed with protecting me and blocked her way, I avoided the misfortune of getting my solar plexus pierced.

“Little sister, what’s wrong?”

“It’s that bitch Zernya! That bitch!”

Seti stomped her feet and shouted loudly.

“I’ll kill her! Absolutely!”

I can pretty much guess why she’s angry.

Yesterday, Rustila lost in the duel against Zernya. And not after exchanging several moves, but with a single strike.

While their absolute skill levels might be similar, Zernya had a sense and technique that Rustila lacked.

That small difference created an overwhelming result. Even I was surprised, as I hadn’t expected Rustila, who would be called the Sword Saint in the future, to be defeated in a single blow.

“You were there then. Why didn’t you stop it?”

“I thought she would win.”

“Ah, shi…”

“So, is Rustila okay?”

I did go to the hospital with her just in case, but her condition might have worsened overnight.

“Her stomach is bruised dark blue. It’s not so bad that she can’t move, but… she groans whenever she gets a chance. I’ll never forgive that crazy bitch.”

Seti clenched her fist tightly.

But what can she do just because she’s angry? There’s clearly a difference between Zernya’s power and ours. It’s a gap that prevents us from beating her up even if we wanted to.

And even if we somehow managed to beat up Zernya, it would be problematic. We couldn’t predict the consequences of roughing up a direct descendant of the Adelbein family without justification.

Seti knew this well too. Throughout the walk to school, she just kept repeating like a parrot that she would kill Zernya.

“What’s our first class again?”

“Military training.”

“So we need to go to the stadium. Ah, wait…”

Seti paused and then let out a “khuhuhu” laugh.

“Maybe I can beat her up under the pretext of training?”

“Stop it. We’d lose even if both of us attacked her.”

“In my current state of rage, I might be able to do it.”

I sighed.

While Seti is cold-headed when it comes to money, she always loses her rationality when it comes to Rustila.

“Don’t confuse courage with recklessness because of momentary emotions. Do what you can do.”

“What can I do?”

“That’s for you to find out.”

Actually, the answer is already set, but I didn’t want to tell her. It’s better to let her find it on her own, so she can bring down one aspect of the Adelbein family entirely with her own strength.

The Adelbein family is the villain group of “Foreign God’s Murder.” If we can’t bring them to our side, we must eliminate them.

I’ll do it through rankings, Rustila through her sword, and Seti through finance.

Other characters must also grow to check Zernya and the entire Adelbein family. Of course, I’ll only help subtly so they feel they’ve grown on their own. Because that’s true growth.

It might seem like we’re bullying Zernya, but it can’t be helped. I’d like to change her, but if she doesn’t change until the end, she’ll remain an enemy.

I headed to the class location with complicated feelings.

I could see Rustila swinging her sword vigorously on one side of the stadium.

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem to be broken by yesterday’s incident.

Soon, a sturdy-built man blew a whistle, drawing the attention of students who were training independently.

“Class is starting. Everyone gather around.”

It was a face I hadn’t seen before.

“Who are you?”

“I’m the new teacher.”

“What about the teacher who was here until last week?”

“Fired.”

The students looked dumbfounded. Until last week, the military training class had been relaxed and comfortable.

“Let’s introduce ourselves. My name is Isaac Clarke.”

That’s an incredibly impressive name.

And it’s certain that he’s actually a very strong person. Even without knowing the content of the novel, one would have to judge so. This person emanated the aura of a constellation, and a galactic-scale one at that.

“Ah, Isaac Clarke…?”

“If it’s Clarke, that’s the surname of the Hunter couple with Omega rank…!”

The students were already whispering about how famous he was.

“Not just Omega, but Great Omega, you fool.”

Great Omega.

That’s what they call the twelve extremely powerful Hunters among the Omega rank. They take the twelve zodiac constellations as their own and defend the corresponding directions of each number.

Wait, why would such a person come to our school as an instructor?

“Alright, alright, enough chatting. There’s only one reason I came here as a teacher. To make you stronger.”

“Stronger…”

Rustila murmured.

“You had a tough time during the last two attacks. It seems there was a hole in the Aether Belt that protects us due to some unknown phenomenon. Scientists are still working hard to figure out why the belt broke.”

“What?”

The students asked in great surprise.

“There’s a hole in the Aether Belt…?”

“Ah, right. This was confidential, wasn’t it?”

“…?”

“Well, there’s no reason to hide it from you. You’ve experienced such attacks twice already. Rather, what’s the point if we don’t tell you these things? Tsk.”

Instructor Clarke clicked his tongue and continued.

“Anyway, I’ll teach you the best swordsmanship and skills so none of you will die in the future. Learn properly so you can take care of yourselves and grow.”

Rustila’s eyes sparkled like stars.

In contrast, Zernya had an indifferent attitude.

As if she had met Omega Hunters many times before, she showed no sign of being impressed and was just glaring at me.

Her gaze was sharp, so I glared back at her just the same.

***

From the first hour, Instructor Clarke made a sparring chart. He wanted to pair up students in the elite class in groups of two with people they were close to for simple sparring.

This had the advantage of allowing him to roughly gauge everyone’s skills.

As Clarke surveyed the situation, two girls caught his eye.

Blonde and silver hair.

Rustila Kersil and Zernya von und zu Trisha Adelbein.

“Didn’t I say to form pairs with people you’re close to?”

“Why, we’re close, aren’t we?”

“Just crossing swords once doesn’t make us that close.”

Zernya particularly emphasized the word “once.” She was mocking Rustila for being knocked out in a single blow the day before.

Crunch—Rustila’s teeth ground together.

“I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

I will definitely defeat you. Such determination was visible in her deep blue eyes. Instructor Clarke’s eyes widened as he sensed her fighting spirit.

“Hooh.”

The two girls took their ready stances.

Either one seemed to have considerable skill.

The silver-haired girl was somehow already in a stance required for military swordsmanship. Not only that, but she had also mixed in applications to create a stance that fit her body type. In a word, a genius.

In contrast, the blonde girl’s stance was crude. The position of her feet, the distribution of weight between her sword and body, securing her field of vision, protecting vital points—she relied on instinct for all of these. It was improvised.

It’s hard to judge which one is more skilled.

However, in terms of proficiency itself, the silver-haired one is far superior.

“You still don’t know your place. Fine, come at me.”

“…I’ll win.”

Rustila leaped forward, leaving a long afterimage of her ponytail.

“Yaaawn.”

As an intense battle was about to begin, a voice gently stepped on Instructor Clarke’s ear, breaking his immersion.

Clarke turned around. There was a boy lying horizontally on a bench, flipping through a stack of papers with a rustling sound.

“…Right, student. Your name was Eidel, correct?”

“Yeees.”

“Why are you by yourself like that?”

The boy, Eidel, rolled his eyes like a flatfish and retorted.

“Because when you divide 25 by 2, there’s 1 left over.”

It was an extremely abstract answer, but the instructor could understand it immediately.