Bang, bang.
I emptied the entire magazine without holding back.
Now that they had crossed into my territory, I didn’t want to miss my chance.
Of course, Lucas didn’t just sit still. He dodged quickly to the side, avoiding my bullets, and readied his stance again.
I dropped my weapon. The gun, secured with a strap, dangled near my chest instead of hitting the floor. I quickly pulled out my automatic pistol and aimed at Lucas again.
Considering the power difference, my pistol had to be loaded with Marmaros, a fire-element bullet. Even if the gunpowder was less compared to a rifle, a .45 caliber bullet isn’t exactly something you’d want to ignore. It was more than enough to cause an explosion if it hit something.
Boom, boom, small explosions erupted at Lucas’ feet.
But Lucas was a character who had surpassed even the Sword Saint in the original story. He was a monster capable of deflecting bullets and wielding his sword towards me without a hitch.
He leapt sideways, completely stepping out of my firing angle, and swung his sword towards me.
I gritted my teeth and tried my hardest to jump to the side—
—But before I could even move, the sword strike split the air.
It was like two-colored rays of colored mirage colliding and scattering in mid-air, almost distracting me even in this situation.
“Huh?”
For a moment, Lucas wore a dumbfounded expression.
“Have you always had a habit of jumping out without a word to your companions? You should really fix that. I enjoyed my alone time too, but if we’re not fighting solo, we should at least communicate, don’t you think?”
The Sword Saint, chuckling joyfully, sauntered forward as he spoke.
As he said, sounds of fighting echoed around us. There were sounds of ground being torn up, submachine guns firing in rapid succession, and things breaking and exploding.
“And, if there’s someone who handles a sword, shouldn’t he ideally be handled by someone who uses the same weapon? I didn’t follow you just to spectate.”
The Sword Saint flashed me a grin before turning his gaze back to Lucas.
“It’s the first time we’ve seen each other since last time.”
And just like an old friend reuniting after a while, the Sword Saint greeted Lucas.
“Ha.”
At the Sword Saint’s words, Lucas let out a sigh, as if his tension had eased.
“Why, does this old man seem too insignificant for you to handle?”
Lucas responded to him with a defeated expression.
“……I wouldn’t have thought so in the past.”
When Lucas said that with such a feeling of emptiness, the Sword Saint shrugged and replied,
“I might have let you slip last time, but I don’t think I demonstrated a shameful skill. In fact, aren’t you the one being toyed with by the young girl right in front of you?”
The Sword Saint slightly turned his head towards me. His eyes were slightly slanted.
“She’s the least talented among my disciples.”
“……”
Was it really necessary to point that out, Master?
“Go. We have things to do, don’t we? The fact that you’re not alone here means you need our help, right?”
The Sword Saint said quietly.
…In the original story, the Sword Saint dies at Lucas’s hands.
Of course, that time isn’t now. He dies a bit later than this.
Even in the original, Lucas was already beyond the Sword Saint’s level. In this world… I couldn’t say for sure, but… he certainly doesn’t seem weaker than the original.
Even knowing such facts, the Sword Saint’s voice was so confident that it felt easy to believe.
“Go.”
The Sword Saint said once more.
“……Understood.”
Wishing for his safety, or urging him to retreat if things got too dangerous… such words would hold no meaning.
It was I who called Frederick, the Sword Saint, all the way here.
Yes, this world is different from the original. Just like the Sword Saint is here, so too are his disciples.
The situation was different from when I faced Lucas alone.
I turned my head.
Far away, the Emperor was still standing.
He was quietly looking up at a machine rotating right before his eyes.
I leaped towards him, throwing my body as if to explode in that direction.
*
“Are you willing to risk your life for a talentless disciple?”
“How would you know if I’m risking my life or just enjoying a bit of fun?”
In response to Lucas’s provoking words, the Sword Saint chuckled.
Unlike Lucas, who was tightly gripping his sword with both hands, the Sword Saint was standing comfortably with his sword-hand relaxed.
Lucas was confident he could defeat the Sword Saint. He had already been confident in his level of skill. Even when he invaded the Papal State or when he fought his brother to steal resources from him.
Lucas was self-assured.
Yet—
The Sword Saint before him seemed to possess something beyond that confidence.
“If you think I see any potential in my talentless disciple, then you’re fooling yourself.”
“Oh?”
The Sword Saint found interest in Lucas’s words, laughing.
“Even though I carry the title of ‘Sword Saint,’ I want to ask how a talentless person could deceive my eyes.”
“…What if I could turn back time?”
“……”
“If I could turn back time and try a few times to always come out with a perfect conclusion, then I could deceive an opponent.”
“Hmm.”
The Sword Saint made a short snort.
“Is that so?”
Then, in a flat tone, he continued.
“I’ve certainly been curious about how someone with absolutely no talent could move so well. You often acted as if you already knew things in advance.”
“Exactly, so—”
“However,”
the Sword Saint said, looking steadily at Lucas,
“if that ‘talentless’ person had to turn back time to face a regular swordsman, no, a few better swordsmen, how many times do you think they would need to attempt it?”
“……Huh?”
“Someone who can’t even swing a sword properly nor walk without struggling—someone who might need to spend years just to master the simplest technique—how many times do you think they’d have to turn back time to properly learn and utilize the skills we can actually use?”
“……”
“That’s impossible. At least, I couldn’t. Because I was a genius from the moment I was born. From the first moment I picked up a sword, I thought it was my path, and so I lived that way. Having swung a sword my entire life, I’ve amassed a wealth of experiences separate from talent. I’ve known for a long time that not everyone in this world is like me.”
The Sword Saint lightly waved the arm holding his sword.
In the background, there was an explosion sound and the dust stirred up, but the calm voice of the Sword Saint reached Lucas with incredible ease.
“Do you call the act of someone less talented putting in unlimited amounts of time to grow ‘deceit’? Well, to me, it seems like we born with talent are the ones who are playing the bigger ‘deceit’ game.”
With each step, the Sword Saint walked closer to Lucas while speaking.
“……Then what is turning back time if not deceit?”
“Well, there is such a beautiful word as ‘effort.’”
The Sword Saint laughed.
“That talentless disciple, he was simply putting in his time to bring about the best possible outcome.”
“……If that ‘effort’ renders all my actions meaningless—”
“Yet, here we stand face to face.”
The Sword Saint stated.
“It doesn’t matter whether time goes back or not. In any case, we won’t be able to feel it if time did go back. So, don’t you think we should just do what lies before us?”
Saying that, he gripped his sword firmly with both hands.
“Simply facing the opponent with the sword and feeling that we’re alive is what matters. No matter how many times time rewinds, my time will always flow right before my eyes.”
“……”
“I made a promise with that talentless disciple.”
Frederick said, still wearing a smile.
“This disciple’s promise to show someone stronger than me has been kept like this. Thanks to that, I’m having quite an interesting time in my old age. So, this time, I suppose I should grant my disciple’s request a little.”
Bang, bang, several gunshots rang out from where Sylvia had fired.
“I swear by the name of the Sword Saint. I will do my utmost to prevent your sword from striking that overly dedicated disciple of mine. And I’ll be honest, I’m really curious about what that disciple is aiming for. If I’m not mistaken, having turned back time countless times to arrive here, things to come won’t simply be ordinary, right?”
As he spoke, the Sword Saint’s blade shone with a blue light.
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