I vowed to never engage in physical labor after leaving the army.
Of course, if it came down to survival, I might have to exert myself, but at least I promised I wouldn’t do it voluntarily.
That’s why I avoided riding bikes, didn’t run unless absolutely necessary, and didn’t even dream of hiking.
Sure, all I gained was a spare tire around my waist, but my resolve was unshakeable.
Unshakeable… oh crap, I promised never to use that word!
Anyway…
Did you know?
I put a ton of effort into meticulously crafting the setting for the church knights, and it only appeared once in everything I wrote.
Why? Because the term “knights” sounded really cool!
I filled in all sorts of settings with my half-baked knowledge from internet searches, and then I happened to see a certain Japanese manga where zealots were riding helicopters with massive rifles. So, of course, I decided to incorporate this idea of shooting modern bullets imbued with holy power.
Then I added a medieval fantasy twist where they were armed with a holy sword tempered in holy water while wearing plate armor. Ultimately, the order in this world turned into a hellish organization with a training process for modern soldiers combined with the old knight promotion system.
From ages 13 to 16, they were “seeds”; from 16 to 19, they became squire knights, and finally, the qualified ones were knighted. During the seed period, they underwent typical soldier training fused with fencing lessons, and in the squire period, they got officer and non-commissioned officer training akin to modern soldiers— that was the setup I created.
Since Linea was 15, she had nearly completed two years of training.
That’s right. She was more than qualified to take on the role of instructor.
“Back to sleep!”
“B… back to sleep!”
And yes, I was rolling around tirelessly in the cathedral’s backyard.
“Clara, Sister, while your reflexes are lightning fast, it seems your stamina is lacking. To fight on the battlefield, basic endurance is essential. So, we’ll focus your training on building stamina.”
That’s why I was currently doing “basic stamina training.”
This included long-distance running, push-ups, and PT exercises.
The cathedral was vast since it included the convent, and I could easily train my stamina by running several laps around the property.
There was a small gym set up for the nuns, so I trained in one corner and did PT exercises in a little clearing behind the convent.
After exhausting my body, I’d take a break, then practice swinging a morning star.
I planned to repeat this after school every day.
For some reason, Father Nguyen was super enthusiastic about helping with our training, so I could skip the regular nun duties.
Despite the time I missed, I was still training hard.
But still…
Every time I trained, I felt an eerily familiar sense of déjà vu.
“Clara trainee, is it tough?”
“N-no, not at all!”
This was totally déjà vu!
*
Let’s put aside any PTSD-inducing vocabulary for now, because just like Linea, I wasn’t the only one diligently training.
Aurora, eager to teach me a different way to handle holy power, was just as passionate as Linea.
“Wow, that’s amazing! As expected of Sister Clara!”
She poured her holy power into pure, clean water to turn it into holy water.
Usually, holy water is made by multiple clergymen continuously pouring their holy power into water until it becomes a transparent, light golden liquid.
It takes time, but it doesn’t require particularly special abilities or materials to make, so in a church overflowing with clerics, they always kept water ready as priests or duty nuns continuously filled it with holy power. There’s a lot of use for it!
Of course, not all nuns can use holy power, and even among those who can, their abilities vary greatly, so there’s a restriction on its production, and misuse is forbidden.
By the way, the holy water I poured my holy power into shone brilliantly with a golden light.
Thinking back to my duel with Lina, I must have drawn because I was exhausted; if my stamina had been better, I could have kept going. At least while healing the continuous cuts, I didn’t feel like my holy power was dwindling.
Holy power is the result of a person’s magic intertwined with the faith in their deity, lending them divine strength in a physical form. Therefore, the higher one’s inherent magic, the more powerful their holy power can be.
However, on the flip side, having less magic doesn’t automatically disqualify someone from having great holy power.
The source of holy power is the miracles of the gods. If the one using it possesses absolute faith— a truly unshakeable conviction in their god— even with lesser magic, their faith can amplify their holy power to achieve extraordinary levels.
Of course, that’s only theoretical, and in practice, such individuals are exceptionally rare.
In my case, I had an average amount of magic combined with a faith born from the belief that a god truly exists, causing my holy power to emit to absurd levels.
Using all my magic doesn’t leave me exhausted; I just can’t use that magic again until it regenerates. Of course, if I tried studying to use magic efficiently, I could endlessly wipe myself out, so typically, mages aren’t good at close combat. With a few rare exceptions.
As for holy power, it fundamentally uses magic, so if overused, there’s a chance of running out of magic during a battle; fortunately, in my case, that’s not likely because I’m an outlier.
But honestly, the fact that the goddess responds to my internal monologue shows how I’m on another level from everyone else.
“If that’s the case, it seems like it would be faster to bless metal rather than liquid. Watch closely!”
With that, Aurora pulled out a palm-sized box from her bag.
It was filled with bullets for a pistol.
“… live ammunition?”
“Yep, live ammo! The blessings will be done by the church!”
Wait, so blessed rounds are made at the church before being sent to the battlefield?
Sure, I had written in my setup that blessing solid objects took much longer than liquids, so producing them directly on the battlefield would be impossible.
This was probably the logical extension of a part I hadn’t thought through.
“Normally, we would bless much larger bullets, but our church isn’t central to the war effort, and we lack a combat nun order as well as knights stationed here. So, the blessed bullets we produce are a smaller variety and fewer in number. Their main role is to stockpile less critical ammunition.”
Normally, there wouldn’t be a need to shoot demons in the middle of a city, so it wasn’t made very often, but just in case, they prepared some small-caliber ammunition for storage.
“When you bless a liquid, once the surface is blessed, you can stir it to mix and then bless the surface again, ensuring thorough mixing, but you can’t do that with solids. You have to bless from the very surface and let it seep inside, which takes much longer than with holy water.”
Aurora explained and then took a bullet and poured her holy power over it. While not as much as mine, Aurora’s holy power was still impressive; however, once she blessed the bullet, it hardly looked any different from before.
“To bless correctly, you’ll need to keep doing this continuously. It’ll take much longer than making holy water, but I believe Sister Clara can do it faster than anyone else!”
With that bright look in her eyes, Aurora seemed to expect me to live up to her hopes.
Ultimately, I managed to get some sleep after blessing around a full magazine of bullets by 3 AM.
*
I can’t say for sure if my stamina was increasing, but I was absolutely exhausted.
After all, it wouldn’t be realistic to expect a huge improvement in one day. It’s not like I could go to the gym for a day and suddenly check my muscles in the mirror.
Sure, I wasn’t feeling any muscle soreness, likely due to the physical abilities I gained, but considering how little rest I’d had compared to the energy I expended, I felt completely wiped out.
It was reminiscent of those late nights during college where I’d cram right before exams and ended up in class struggling to think of anything.
I felt awake, but not wholly present.
Was Linea holding up okay?
She seemed perfectly fine. After all, she rolled me during the day and probably just slept at her usual time.
But what about Aurora, who was giving me lectures on blessing techniques late into the night? She too seemed lively.
Were all the nuns in this convent superhumans?
Maybe they’d become accustomed to waking up early and sleeping late, allowing them to function just fine with those schedules?
… It would be weird if I were the only one dozing off.
Despite my best efforts to stay awake, a few times my head dipped involuntarily.
I rubbed my eyes and pinched my thighs to fight off the drowsiness, but I simply couldn’t resist anymore…
……
BANG!
“Eep!”
I jerked awake from the sudden sound of something crashing loudly against the desk and yelped.
Perched on the desk was a black sword. Though it was sheathed, it was odd that the desk remained unharmed despite the apparent force of the impact. What the heck was it made of?
Regardless, I was glad the startling noise drove away the encroaching sleepiness. While denying that I had been dozing off would be impossible after that scare, I still rubbed my tired eyes, sighed deeply, and turned my head, only to jump again.
Lina was abruptly up in my face!
It was already alarming on its own, but even more so when I noticed the look on Rina Hicks’ face.
Her under-eyes were dark and sunken.
… Did a succubus just say she hadn’t slept a wink?
Since they could last a week without getting a wink of sleep, seeing Rina’s eyes in such a state meant she’d had an awful night.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Her voice trembled like she was about to collapse.
This was alarming too. Succubus voices are typically soft and alluring, aimed at charming men.
There’s no way her voice would be raspy unless something was seriously off.
What the hell?
“Today, you.”
Lina said through gritted teeth.
“Come armed.”
“… Huh.”
Oh no, I see where this is going.
Just then, the back door to the classroom opened, and two familiar figures stepped in, but not in the usual staggered manner; they both entered together.
Both Selena and Lee Ji-An were sporting dark shadows under their eyes too. Unsurprisingly, Lee Ji-An looked more worse for wear than Selena, given his munchkin protagonist nature, but still!
How inverted is it to be catching glimpses of a tired Lena!
Lina didn’t mind what I was going to say, just glaring at me with those piercing eyes before returning to her seat, collapsing forward on her desk.
How envious!
I wanted to drop my head down too, but I knew if I did, either Linea or Aurora would poke me to wake up.
“I saw Ji-An dragging you away yesterday. Looks like he wants to learn swordsmanship directly from you. I suppose he wants to try and beat Clara.”
Linea said, sitting upright while glancing slowly towards Lina.
“It’s only been a day; he shouldn’t have had any meaningful impact, but do be careful.”
Well, she was right. Yesterday’s hellish practices……
“While you still have much to learn about holy power…”
Aurora piped in, “Considering your latest performance, your raw holy power was much more refined than usual. Your healing speed should be much faster now!”
Uh, that may be true, but…
Isn’t assuming I’ve become a magical prodigy after a mere basic lesson a bit of a stretch?
Or is it a given that I have a failure-proof guarantee?
“Hello…”
Selena, struggling to walk over, greeted us with an exhausted tone that felt like it took an eternity to reach her seat.
“Aha, hey!”
Lee Ji-An responded awkwardly, laughing lightly at Selena’s plight.
So all three of you were together, huh?
What the heck! Are you all forsaking your roles as students!? Why were you three teenagers out all night exercising!?
Of course, that was a joke. They were probably getting the same treatment from Lina, right?
Even if I couldn’t imagine how grueling it would be, I certainly believed it.
I chuckled bitterly as I returned their greetings.
*
“Haah, haah, haah…”
“Huff, huff, huff…”
The two girls’ ragged breaths filled my ears. Sweat trickled down their bodies, their hair damp, and the rips in their clothes revealed a glimpse of skin underneath.
Let’s skip any lewd descriptions and stick to the results: once again, it ended in a draw.
Lina’s swordsmanship had improved remarkably. While the speed of her strikes hadn’t changed, the angles she used to attack were unexpected, and her movements had become much tighter and more efficient.
While there hadn’t been much of a change in explosiveness, if she continued down this road, she would become extremely difficult to predict.
Honestly, she hadn’t been bad from the start; her skills had always been solid. Had our physical skills been equal, she likely would’ve easily cut through my defenses in our last duel, leading her to victory.
So I can see why she couldn’t win today either; in terms of physicality, I had the upper hand.
That was still the case today.
While I’d certainly improved since yesterday, that didn’t exactly translate into a significant skill gap.
But it wasn’t exactly identical either.
As I gazed at the shield I had tossed aside, I noted various deep gouges left by her sword after successfully parrying several strikes.
Yeah, this time I had properly used my shield.
… I don’t think I can call that growth, exactly.
I knelt on the auditorium floor, resting my hands on my knees, waiting for my breathing to return to normal when I heard footsteps approaching.
Looking up, I saw Linea and Aurora rushing towards me.
“You’ve improved significantly since yesterday!”
Linea remarked proudly.
“The basics need more work, but seeing your progress brings me joy.”
“Same with holy power! With more effort, you’ll surely improve your efficiency!”
I could see the potential benefits of my skills if applied properly, even if that meant I’d be helping those fighting beside me by boosting their abilities or burning demonic foes.
“Damn it…”
Rina grumbled next to me as Lee Ji-An and Selena joined the conversation.
Lee Ji-An wore a worried expression, while Selena looked as if she’d much rather not be there but felt compelled to help, given how rough Lina had it.
Knowing Rina, she likely took exception to not being able to outmatch someone like me. With personalized sword training under the best master owing to Ji-An, she probably expected to do much better against a supposed novice like me.
She didn’t have bad skill either. In fact, she was in the upper echelons of the A-Class standard. It just so happened that she faced the wrong opponent.
“I saw you yesterday, still frustrated about not achieving that victory.”
Who could blame her; she should be performing much better.
However, one day of noticeable growth was fantastic, considering she had solid skills to begin with.
Even I had to admit, I was kind of liberating to have others supporting me rather than being alone during this hellish training.
“Hold on!”
Selena and Ji-An simultaneously relinquished their grip on Lina, since it was likely routine by now.
Lina snatched the towel Ji-An held and buried her face into it while wiping herself down.
Then, staggeringly, she approached me, still leaning on Linea and Aurora.
“Tomorrow at this hour, let’s do it again.”
“Wait, what?”
“Let’s do it again.”
That statement alone implied that, presumably, until the day we were finally deployed to the war front.
“And the day after that?”
“The day after that.”
So, basically, until we manage to settle this once and for all?
“No.”
Rina shot down my proposal, shaking her head vigorously.
“Until I win.”
Such hubris from that arrogant succubus!
Well, alright, I thought. In that case, let’s have an epic showdown.
I had been so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice I was standing without needing to lean against anyone anymore; I just glared hard at Rina.
*
Once more, we ended in a draw.
Under the fully darkened night sky, Rina reflected on the day’s stalemate.
What was missing?
Everything was likely missing— skills, physical capabilities— especially if she had to battle a beginner like Clara to end up with another draw.
The only reason she couldn’t claim victory was because of how immensely better my statistics were compared to hers.
Just the ability to utilize a shield effectively in combat had drastically reduced my vulnerabilities. I had indeed allowed myself to be attacked several times, leaving room for potential resets within our spar.
Yet I could only stare in awe of her remarkable talents.
To keep up in combat against the highest-ranking swordplay instructor like Ji-An, while she moreover maintained her position against me, was a tremendous accomplishment.
Perhaps, the greater the time spent refining techniques would expose the gap in our abilities, stretching it wider.
Seeing Clara asleep in a chair this morning, I briefly considered maybe surprising her with an assault, prompting a surprise victory just as I had experienced from that dropkick incident.
But such ideas didn’t linger long.
She was frustrated not due to me but because I hadn’t taken a single victory home against someone of her caliber.
“I want to win. I want to fight to win.”
That night, I walked quietly, reflecting on all this.
“Rina—”
On my way back to base, an annoying voice rang annoyingly from behind.
Turning around, I found a hefty bald man standing before me.
Naturally, he wasn’t human. He just happened to appear in human form.
“You’ve been sneaking around here late at night— are you looking for someone to mess around with?”
Starting off with a crass remark immediately put me on guard.
What a despicable personality; I probably should’ve just sliced him down right there.
“But to come all the way here, how flattering.”
His face was absurdly muggy with a sickening grin, which creeped me out.
“You came out with a pretty girl and a boy, right? Jealousy? How about a little fun at my place later? I’m good with both boys and girls, you know. This pretty face doesn’t mean I can’t hit it from behind— haha, what’re you doing to get that pale face, huh? How did you get so beaten down? Did you even sleep at all?”
If I hadn’t kept my wit about me, I would have literally ground my teeth in anger.
“Your expression tells me otherwise?”
He simply shrugged his shoulders while continuing.
“That was just a joke, so loosen up!”
Then he playfully tousled Rina’s head. She was gazing down, and didn’t put up a fight against being forced to raise her face.
“That pretty face all scrunched up… You looked like you became friends with those awful kids.”
“…No, I didn’t.”
“Yeah, I believe you.”
The man grinned, patting Rina’s hair affectionately one last time before continuing.
“With that hair color, it’s a bit obvious I won’t blend in as well. The academy was probably out of bounds.”
Then he scratched his bald head with his index finger.
“Oh, guess what? I heard that they’re sending those teenagers to the frontline soon?”
His tension broke into a sly smile.
“Well done! I knew you would pull through! You’re coming too, right? We’ll have to enjoy ourselves together!”
“…Yes, I’ll be going.”
Rina replied, knowing it wasn’t part of her plan, but her reasons for going were separate— keeping it tightly-lipped seemed prudent.
The more assistance I provide, the longer I would survive.
At least, that’s what Rina reasoned.
“Smart move! Feels good to think about devouring them, huh? I can practically feel the excitement just thinking about it! Especially with those little nuns running around? I’m practically drooling over the prospect!”
As Rina listened, her face started to go green.
“How about that girl… Clara, right? She’s got a nice rack, doesn’t she? I’m thinking I might have a feast on her instead. Get a proper look at that pretty face while doing it— listening to the sweet sounds of her anguish is going to feel divine.”
Rina clenched her fists tightly.
“And when the dust settles, I’ll reward you! Once the chaos has subsided, you’re getting the spoils. I can tell I’m going to enjoy this one. Unlike the others, she won’t be able to hold out long before breaking.”
Watching as the man continued patting Rina and gleefully ranted set her entire body on fire with a sense of distaste.
“Once you finish your work, I’ll allow a little leeway… I do intend to preserve the ‘fun’ of how it happens. You know my girls can’t go beyond their first night.”
You should have seen Rina’s expression as she struggled to stifle the urge to vomit as he continued with his sinister banter.
“Until then, just lead her on until she hits that sweet spot of surrender! I get that feeling already! And don’t worry; you’ll get some satisfaction before the day’s through! It’ll be a wild ride for you two, and then your prize will be waiting for you!’’
“…Yes, yes, I understand.”
As he ruffled Rina’s hair one last time, she fought to conceal the goosebumps wracking her body, desperate to keep her composure.
“I can hardly wait— there’s something special about girls who can wield such formidable power. Imagine the potential heirs born between the two of us— now that’s going to be something I want to savor!”
Rina felt rage push against her chest as she prayed that he would go away.
The entire time he hooted with laughter as he ambled back into the shadows.
When the foul stench of a high-ranking demon finally disappeared into the abyss, Rina remained frozen in place, grounded to the earth.
It made her heart pound heavily.
She didn’t want to have anything to do with that guy. She could never accept him as a partner and absolutely did not want to shatter.
But honestly? She wanted to run away.
Why was she born into this world to become such a thing?
She was fighting for the losing side while gaining nothing worth having. She had seen and witnessed firsthand what had happened to the other succubi she was like.
She remembered how the high-ranking demon had made it a reality.
Her hands quivered uncontrollably.
If she stumbled, she would become just like them— toys consumed while still writhing in pain.
However terrible it might sound, if she succeeded…
Then the kids she went to the front with.
The ones she had shared those laughs with.
With red hair, the innocent girl who treated her like anyone else, and the boy whose constant smiles left her heart a flutter.
“I wanted you to know that some of us exist.”
Rina thought of Clara.
Could she let go of who she truly was to protect those around her against the darkness?
Deep in her heart, she was bound by a lingering question:
“Can I really do this?”
“Even if it is for the sake of victory.”
All for the simple motive of wanting to win against Clara.
That was all.
Rina forced that thought down, pressing it further and further away.
She simply wanted to defeat her rival first before events “got to that day,” where they might lose it all….
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