Slowly, the girl looked at the man who raised his sword towards her, showing a bewildered expression.
However, sensing the man’s seriousness in that solemn atmosphere, the girl asked with a stern face.
“Are you seriously thinking of requesting something like a life-or-death duel?”
“Not at all. To begin with, do you really think you can kill me?”
“…I can’t. Killing you…”
As the girl mumbled, the man chuckled and replied.
“I feel the same way. There’s no way I can defeat you. So let’s just spar normally. I would appreciate it if you could give it your all. I’m aiming to go all out.”
“…Are you saying I should use my abilities?”
“No, I’m just saying to give it your best as a swordsman. Even so, I don’t think I can win against you.”
Saying this, the man addressed the girl.
“Still, a swordsman should convey what they want to say through their sword. I have something I’d like to tell you. So, pick up your sword.”
At the man’s words, the girl slowly raised her sword and got into position.
Sensing that she was ready, the man charged at her without hesitation.
In the usual practice of swordplay, it would be common to introduce oneself first, but the man had discarded his name, and the girl had no name.
Thus, an introduction to each other was simply a mutual acknowledgment for the duel.
The man burst into laughter.
While the man wielded a real sword, the girl held a wooden sword.
The wooden sword was one that he had carved to match the girl’s height and the weight of a real sword as she grew.
However, it was the man who suffered from the clash of their swords.
In that moment, the impact was so intense it made one wonder if the blade would be chipped.
Although it was a wooden sword, the girl possessed the skill to make it feel sharper than any fine blade.
Yet despite the numbing pain in his wrist from the counterattack, the man struck again without pause.
The girl grimaced as she accepted the blow.
Had his message been conveyed?
He was a man without skill in persuasion and didn’t know how to convince anyone.
He simply conveyed his feelings sincerely.
And the man wanted her to realize her dreams.
Someday, she had said she would achieve what he couldn’t.
The dream of becoming stronger than anyone.
The man recalled the memory of the day when they raised their glasses in celebration.
She didn’t want to be his substitute; she desired this for herself.
Then he could only support her dreams.
He merely needed to tell her not to be bound to him in order to achieve them.
The swords clashed again and again.
But amidst the clashes, the man sensed that the girl wasn’t putting in her full effort and gripped his sword tightly.
How could he claim to be a mentor when he couldn’t even draw out his disciple’s full strength?
He wanted to show her a sword he wouldn’t be ashamed to have taught her at least for a time.
That willpower infused itself into the sword.
Then, the sword in his hand cried out.
Realization isn’t something special.
It simply requires persistent effort to grasp.
And the effort he had put into swinging his sword without laziness all this time culminated in this one strike.
The man understood.
He had stepped into the realm that had defeated him, the level he had long aimed for.
However, without any glee, the man calmly showcased his finest strike to the girl.
And responding to that blow, the girl’s sword swung,
quite quietly.
Silently.
Divided the world in two.
“Ha.”
And the man, who stood in the path of the sword the girl swung, turned his back to the sky and burst into laughter.
The sky he looked up at seemed to split, with moonlight shining through the clouds that looked as if they had been cut.
The man felt it.
Surely, the sword strike wielded by the girl grazed past him.
Yet, he was unscathed, while the sky behind him had been cleaved.
The girl had reached this level solely through her swordsmanship, without any ability to cut everything.
The man laughed and turned his gaze back to the girl.
The girl was looking at him with a complex expression beneath the moonlight.
“…It’s beautiful.”
Both the strike he had just witnessed and the moon shining in the sky, and…
The man murmured while looking at the girl, or rather now a matured woman.
“That little kid, I never imagined she would grow up like this.”
Surrounded by emotion, the man murmured towards the girl, who blushed and responded.
“What’s so good that you’re smiling so brightly…”
“Ahaha, why wouldn’t I be pleased? I’ve reached the level I have longed to attain, and I could compete with a swordsman anyone would admire. Moreover, that swordsman is my disciple whom I taught the sword. How could I not be ecstatic? For the first time in a while, I felt grateful to be alive. Even if I were to die today, I could leave without a single regret. However, there is one thing I regret—that I don’t even have a name to remember the swordsman who allowed me to witness such a wonderful sword.”
Saying this, the man looked at the girl and said.
“Then, I shall give you a name.”
“A name…?”
“Yes. I think Lucifer would suit you well. It’s the name of an angel who defied the gods due to possessing exceptional talent and was cast out from the celestial realm. You might not like it, though.”
“…If you gave it to me, I would be happy with anything.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
After contemplating for a moment, the girl, now Lucifer, cautiously asked the man.
“I also want to know your name. It doesn’t seem right to not know the name of the one who named me.”
“It’s okay. It’s a name I’ve already discarded, and I don’t wish to bring it up now.”
“But…”
“A name is something meant to be remembered by someone. Lucifer, will you forget that I existed as time passes?”
When the man asked her this, the girl shook her head vehemently, as if the thought was absurd.
“…There’s no way I could forget you.”
“Yes, that’s right. So it’s fine for me to be a nameless swordsman. Even as time goes on, you’ll remember that there was a person like me.”
The man who smiled like this sat down on a nearby rock and looked up at the sky.
The moon shining above seemed particularly bright today.
As he gazed up at the luminous moon, the man asked.
“Lucifer, do you remember when you said you wanted to be stronger than anyone?”
“…Of course, I remember.”
“It will be possible. You can do it. So go ahead and be as arrogant as you wish. Become a being that everyone looks up to like the moon in the sky. You deserve that.”
Muttering like this, the man then said to the girl.
“It’s cold. It’s no good for a woman to be in the cold air, so you should head in now.”
“What about you?”
“…The moon is beautiful today. You go ahead. I’ll take a little more time to enjoy the moon.”
Leaving the man behind, the girl turned and walked away.
*
The next day, the girl awakened and prepared breakfast just like any other day.
Two servings, including for herself and the man.
Although she could live without eating, she always prepared two servings so that the man wouldn’t worry about her if she didn’t eat.
Having finished preparing breakfast, the girl headed to the man’s hut.
However, when she knocked on the door and felt no response, her face hardened.
Immediately feeling anxious, the girl ran up towards the mountain’s peak.
And there, waiting for her, was nothing but the high cliff she had always seen and a sword stuck in the ground in front of it.
It was the same sword he cherished and never let go of even while he slept.
“…Did you really have to leave without a word like this?”
The girl asked this with a sad expression.
Naturally, there was no answer to her question, but she already knew why he had done this.
Last night, she had heard the reason from him.
The man had known.
As long as he remained alive, she would never leave his side.
He must have thought about it too.
A future where they would age and die together.
Yet he chose not to do so.
Because he wanted her to fulfill her dreams.
Because he had said he wished for that.
“…Really, from start to finish, he had no guile at all.”
That was why the man had left.
To not bind her, to allow her to spread her dreams.
That was his own way of supporting her.
So very uncrafty, yet so very extreme.
“Since I’ve been supported, I suppose I must meet expectations.”
Muttering this, the girl slowly walked towards the cliff.
“Don’t entertain any illusions. I’m only doing this because I truly want to. It’s not specifically for you.”
Then, she took the sword that was shaped like a present and raised it towards the sky.
“So, just watch from there. Witness me become the strongest in the world.”
Believing that her words would reach the nameless swordsman who had gone to the highest place,
And on that day, the girl departed from the mountain.
*
In some tavern, a man was dining.
He was a swordsman whose name had become quite well-known.
Naturally, no petty folk would dare to trouble him, and he was enjoying a quiet meal because of that.
But,
“Kalise. Am I right?”
The peace was shattered by someone calling his name.
Annoyed, he turned to see who the ruffian was interrupting his meal.
Rather, it wasn’t a ruffian but a woman.
With ebony hair that boasted a beautiful hue, it made him wonder if she had come seeking some leftover favor.
With such beauty, there might even be room for negotiation depending on the price.
“Do you remember this sword?”
Unfortunately, seeing her brandish the sword, he assumed that wasn’t her intent and paused his chopsticks.
“Unfortunately, I don’t remember.”
“Hmm, is that so? Well, it doesn’t matter. After all, that’s not the purpose.”
The woman gripped the sword and said.
“Stand up. I challenge you to a duel.”
“…Are you asking me for a lesson?”
“No, of course it’s a life-or-death duel.”
Immediately asking for a fight to the death, he thought she was quite unaware of her own status and inquired her name.
“…What’s your name?”
“One name is enough for anyone to remember me.”
The woman smiled and said.
“Well then, shall I introduce myself as the Witch of Pride?”
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