episode_0018

Technique (技術 – Technique)

Swordsmanship, martial arts, tactics — while the words differ, their essence remains the same.

They were conceived by the weak to overcome the strong.

When strength alone cannot prevail, use intellect.

How to swing a sword more efficiently. How to fight more effectively. How to defeat an opponent stronger than oneself — through relentless thought and refinement, technique was born.

Thanks to technique, frail humans could survive against monsters and demons.

Though physically weak, they compensated with their minds.

They built walls to preemptively block enemy ambushes. They crafted weapons to supplement their physical shortcomings. They studied more efficient methods of combat to gain superiority.

All of that is technique.

So, even the combat style of the one they call the Hero Lia’s master is a technique.

He used his intellect to challenge the strong.

Yet, despite his defeat, considering that he was stronger than any opponent I’ve faced before, I had no choice but to acknowledge it.

Physically lacking, yet overcoming weakness through thought — I couldn’t deny that fact.

I liked that.

Because technique is the very manifestation of human potential.

______

Still.

Whether or not that’s true, I was pissed.

A battle is meant to be an exchange, but that man just attacked unilaterally and fled the moment it seemed he might take a hit.

I couldn’t land a single strike…

Running away when I was finally trying to fight properly…

‘…Well.’

‘That’s also tactics.’

Fight when advantageous. Retreat when disadvantaged.

It’s the foundation of tactics, and the reason humanity could triumph against monsters with overwhelming numbers and strength.

Because monsters were fools who fought even at a disadvantage, humanity survived until now.

So, retreating at the right moment is actually a mark of excellence.

…Though, no matter how sound the tactics, being on the receiving end was infuriating.

Thus, my evaluation of Lia’s so-called “master”…

Hmm…

Was ambiguous.

I disliked losing, but purely in terms of combat, he was someone worth learning from.

And.

He had good naming sense.

『Snowbloom Sword (雪花劍)』… 『Nice…』

Better than “sword that blossoms snowflakes.”

『Using runes to name techniques.』 『Cool.』

(Info: Due to the effects of the translation magic, the kanji spoken by the protagonist are perceived as runic script.)

______

But.

A question arose.

“I have something to ask.” “Hm?” “What?” “How did that ‘master’ of yours know about 『Snowbloom Sword (雪花劍)』?” “This is the first time I’ve ever used this technique.”

The first time.

Until now, freezing my enemies with my sword alone was enough. Today was the first time I needed to use 『Snowbloom Sword (雪花劍)』.

So it was puzzling.

“That’s just how amazing our master is.” “Amazing?” “Yeah!” “Our master knows everything!” “Everything?” “Yes!” “What does that even mean?” “After the fight, I’ll show you.” “Master said there’s a book he’d show if he made the Ice Princess his ally.”

A book…

What could it contain?

I grew curious.

But.

I’d save that for later, after the battle.

For now, the fight continued.

“Lia.” “Yeah?” “I’ve already acknowledged you.” “Blocking my swordsmanship, enduring my sword aura unscathed—you embody the ideal comrade I seek.”

If she withstood my sword aura with her bare body, it meant she could endure my frost as well.

That was enough.

『I don’t know about that master…』 『But Lia passes.』

So.

From now on, this wasn’t a battle to find a comrade.

“I’ve already acknowledged you, but…” “I want to test something else now.” “What?” “I want to experiment whether the techniques I’ve cultivated work against a Hero.”

An experiment.

Technique isn’t perfected by thought alone.

It must be tested in battle, and its practicality proven—only then does it become a true technique.

So I challenged her.

『Until now, there was no way to verify.』 『Because no opponent was strong enough to make me use my techniques.』

Technique exists for the weak to challenge the strong.

Using it against the weak is meaningless. Anything would work against them.

Only against the strong does it hold meaning. Only when the weak can defeat the strong does it deserve to be called technique.

With that mindset, I swung my sword.

Swoosh!

『Snowbloom Sword (雪花劍)』—a flurry of snowflakes dancing with each strike.

Clang!

Hero Lia blocked again with her wooden sword.

But.

This time was different.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Snowflakes like blades assaulted the wooden sword in a relentless storm—

_Thunk!_

“!!!”

_Snap!_

It severed the wooden sword.

Experiment successful.

『Snowbloom Sword (雪花劍)』was a technique effective even against a Hero.

“Wow…” “You cut through my wooden sword…” “So even with Absolute Defense, consecutive attacks can break it…” “Amazing.”

Hero Lia’s admiration was genuine.

Then.

She conjured another sword.

“?”

Swoosh!

A blade of ice filled the void left by the broken wooden sword.

Fwoom!

Flames coiled around the glacial edge.

“H-How did you…?”

Ice and fire coexisted in bizarre harmony.

What?

I’ve never seen anything like this.

How did she—

Just as I wondered.

“This is the true way to wield ice magic.” “Master taught me.” “True way…?” “Yeah!”

Hero Lia grinned, brandishing her blazing glacial sword.

“Gh—!”

Flames so intense they melted 『Snowbloom Sword (雪花劍)』’s snowflakes.

Yet.

Lia’s ice blade remained unthawed.

In fact, it grew harder.

The stronger the flames, the sturdier the ice became.

Thump!

My heart raced.

Technique is born not only from one’s own thoughts, but from learning from others.

Human lives are fleeting; human history vast.

Rather than relying on one mind’s thoughts, it is more efficient to learn from the accumulated wisdom of countless minds across generations.

And.

Adding another brick atop the towering edifice built by humanity.

That is the evolution of technique. That is the progress of civilization.

So.

I loved learning. I loved mastering swordsmanship, the applications of ice magic—anything.

Yet.

Learning was never easy.

Humanity’s strength lies in passing down accumulated techniques to future generations— but some hoard knowledge for personal gain.

Especially those at the pinnacle of technique—they hesitate to share.

Noble swordsmanship clans guard their teachings. Arcane dynasties conceal their spells.

Technique flourishes when shared, yet they refuse.

Thus, I could never learn magic.

Swordsmanship can be gleaned from combat, but magic cannot—no matter how many battles you fight.

I regretted that.

But now.

Finally.

I saw someone who could quench my thirst.

“Lia.” “If I become his disciple too, can I learn techniques like that?” “Yeah!” “You’ll definitely learn!” “Nice.”

My evaluation of the so-called “master” skyrocketed.

Though weak, he honed technique precisely because of it.

Sharing his refined craft to foster further progress—

An admirable ideal.

…But.

All that could wait until after this battle.

We resumed fighting.

“Hup—!”

I unleashed a surge of freezing air to immobilize Lia.

I’ve never formally learned magic, so my method is brute-force—blanketing everything in ice.

A reckless tactic unusable with allies around.

But I’m alone here.

When everyone around is an enemy, I can use it freely.

Swish!

Hero Lia, unaffected, swung her sword through the frost.

The cold was even fiercer than when I lost control— yet she endured.

I liked her more by the second.

Swoosh!

I compressed my sword aura harder. Deepened the cold further.

Compressed, compressed—then released everything in an instant.

「Snowbloom Slash (雪化斬)?」 「No…」 「Snowbloom Slash (雪花斬).」

Wow.

So runes could be used like this too.

Normally, my sword aura transforms everything into snow—「Snowbloom Slash (雪化斬)」.

But this time—blades wrapped in snowflakes, severing and freezing all—「Snowbloom Slash (雪花斬)」.

A magnificent name.

I’d remember it.

…Or so I thought, until—

Vanish.

The moment 『Snowbloom Slash (雪花斬)』touched Lia—it dissipated.

What just happened?

My slash was meant to relentlessly assault the enemy until death, not disappear in an instant like this.

It didn’t melt.

It was erased.

So I questioned—

“So 『One-Hit Kill』can nullify things like this too…” “Instantly killing anything it touches…” “Ah…” “No wonder Master could use my body as a weapon…”

Lia seemed to grasp something, murmuring about her master.

Again—her master.

Teaching her, her gaining enlightenment and advancing further.

Adding another brick to the tower he built.

Technique evolving. A disciple surpassing their master.

I was envious.

I wanted to learn too. I wanted to contribute to his legacy—to glimpse higher realms.

“So?” “If you’ve got nothing left, shall we finish this?”

Lia’s words implied she’d end things if I had no more techniques to show.

And I didn’t.

All my swordsmanship was blocked. My techniques barely worked—but that was it.

All I cut was a wooden sword. Nothing beyond that.

My prized snowflake techniques couldn’t even scratch the Hero.

I lacked technique.

But.

That made me happier.

I’d found a master who could teach me. I’d met an opponent worthy of testing my craft.

My techniques could grow stronger than this.

And.

Their evolution might solve my mana outbursts.

…As I thought this, I witnessed Lia’s technique—

Beautiful.

A blade of burning ice, wreathed in sword aura.

Dancing snowflakes became blades. Coiling flames brought ruin.

A strike that severs all, incinerates all—the ultimate technique.

KABOOOM!

CRACKLE!

That ultimate slash brushed past me—erasing everything in its wake.

“Incredible…” “Right?” “This is how Master taught us to synergize fire and ice magic.” “Using flames and ice together creates unbreakable fire!” “Unbreakable fire…” “An amusing concept.”

Hardened ice shatters the enemy’s armor. Scorching flames burn them from within.

Terrifying logic.

Which only heightened my interest.

“Can I… learn it too?” “Yeah!” “Let’s learn together!” “But first—” “We need to stop Master from running away.” “?”