Eugeo's dejected sigh could be heard from behind me. Rina-sempai clenched her fists tightly as she held back from sighly sharply. And also, someone seemed to be sighing away on my hair, 'yare yare'— that's what I felt.
The name 'Master Swords Academy Large Practice Field' may sound impressive, but in fact, it was just a large sports hall. The white floor was polished brightly, and there were four black squared sparring arenas. The spectator stands were built all around, and it had the capacity of 260— enough to contain every student and teacher during the biggest events of the academy, the swordsmanship examinations.
I stood on the east arena Uolo chose, looked around, and saw that there were already more than 50 students around. Since it would be just before the curfew time of the rest day today, it seemed that all the students who stayed in the Academy were all back here. There were around three instructors, and what was shocking was that even the novice trainee dorm supervisor Miss Azurika was there.
Also, what was most shocking was that present amongst the students, were those two annoying upper-class nobles... Rainos and Wanbelll. Perhaps they came back from their own mansions earlier than usual. They were sitting at the front most seats, giving heinous smirks as they looked over. It looked like their faces were saying that they wanted to see me get sliced down by Uolo.
When Uolo let me choose, I said so boldly to him that 'He can decide the rules', and I didn't regret it at this point... Or rather, in that situation, I personally had no other choice.
But on the other hand, there was another doubt lingering in my mind.
Should I be sparring against Uolo?
I want to challenge the swordsman who's called the strongest in this academy. I couldn't shake off this lingering thought in my mind. Basically, the third objective when I originally came all the way from Rulid Village that's far north to Central Centoria here was to fulfill the antique gaming goal, the desire to 'fight against strong opponents'.
But at this point, in my heart, there was a wish that was much stronger than fighting against Uolo.
I wanted to let Rina-sempai win against this guy in the final battle. To let her beat this guy and release her from these binds. During this year I had been serving her, I never saw a sincere smile from her before.
As my heart was harassed by these lingering thoughts, I continued to stare at Uolo, who was standing on the other side of the arena, inspecting the sharp blade of his beloved sword—
“Kirito.”
Rina-sempai's voice came from behind me, causing me to turn around like I was ejected.
The second ranked swordsman stared right at me with her navy blue eyes, and whispered to me with an unwavering voice,
“I believe in your strength, Kirito. I trust you, so I'm going to tell you this. The Levanteinn family that teaches the Empire's knights has a secret family teaching called 'The sword drinks the blood of the strong. The power will become mine'.”
“...Blood, is it?”
Sempai nodded back at the whispering me.
“Yeah. Uolo probably went through quite a few first strike matches in his private land before he entered the Academy. That experience probably created that terrifying strong sword of his. And right now, he... wants to turn the power of your sword into fresh blood and absorb it as food.”
These were words that were hard to understand immediately, but I changed it to the knowledge I was familiar with in my mind, and immediately answered "I see" as I nodded.
It was all because of the «Imagine Power». Just like how the swordsmen of the Celulute family were restrained by the thought that 'The Celulute-style was an inferior style because they were forbidden from passing down the traditional sword style', the generations of the Levanteinn family had the imagination of 'The more the sword's dyed with the blood of powerful foes, the stronger they become', and this gave Uolo the power in his sword.
Most likely, that guy saw the slices of my consecutive hits in the open space of the forest and the black sword with high priority and deemed that I was an opponent worthy of letting his sword be dyed by my blood. It sounded honorable, but in fact, it was no different from being a 'high quality prey'.
In other words, if I took an actual hit in this spar and bled, Uolo's imagination would get stronger, and to be honest, the possibility of that happening was rather high.
I couldn't allow myself to help the enemy before Rina-sempai's last battle. At this point, I had to take back my initial words and change the rules such that one side had to be cornered... as I was thinking about this.
Sempai pats her hands on my shoulders that drooped unwittingly and said,
“But I'll say this again. I believe you. I believe that you're not a swordsman who will take that guy's move that easily... You haven't forgot about what you promised me today, right?”
“What I promised...?”
I repeated it, and nodded my head hard,
“Yeah. I promised you that I will show you everything I have, sempai.”
“Alright. The conditions may be slightly different now, but just show it to me here, Kirito. Release all the power and skills you have and beat Uolo Levanteinn.”
The moment I heard those words, I felt all my doubts dissipate within me.
My hesitation over abandoning sempai and fighting Uolo and my fear of making the enemy stronger after my defeat were all just the worst excuses a defeated dog would think. I nearly gave that ruckus to my respected sempai as a present. Once I grab onto the sword, I just needed to focus all my soul into it and clash with all I got. I probably came all the way here by using that as my number 1 philosophy.
I gave a smile at sempai, nodded, and turned my head to the right. I exchanged looks with Eugeo, who was seemingly probing his body over from the handrail of the spectator stands. I grinned at him, and he gave me the usual worried expression while raising a clenched right fist at me gently.
I answered with the exact same move, and turned to Rina-sempai again,
“I'll fulfill my promise.”
I merely said these words, and sempai wordlessly nodded before taking a step. A steady voice then came from the other side of the arena, seemingly waiting for this moment,
“I suppose you're done, Trainee Kirito.”
I slowly turned around, walked towards the edge of the black tiled arena, and answered "Yes". Uolo and I then did a simple knight salute by putting our right fist gently onto the left chest. As it was not an official sparring contest, there was no instructor acting as an umpire. However, I didn't have any doubt about the conditions of winning. The first one to be struck by the opponent's sword and bleed would be the loser.
I took a step forward and stepped into the arena. 2 steps, 3 steps, once I took 4 steps, I stood on the starting line indicated by the white tiles.
We drew our swords, my opponent drew from his left waist, and I from my back. I saw Uolo's sword that had a golden tea colored hilt and a refined forged steel-colored sword, and the surrounding students all let out a cry of amazement "Ohh". After seeing my sword, those words became mutterings of doubt. Nobody had ever seen a real sword with a black sword hilt and a blade.
“Oh my, oh my. To think that the folks from the countryside would have the custom of dying their swords with ink, Rainos-dono!”
Wanbell, who was sitting on the spectator stands, pretended to whisper as he said with a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Don't say that, Wanbell. Valet-dono here has no time to polish his swords.”
Rainos however continued with the usual sarcastic remark, causing the surrounding noble students to be amused.
However, the instant Uolo started swinging his sword, the surrounding atmosphere went quiet. Perhaps it was partly due to the respect they had for the head swordsman trainee, but I guessed that those guys felt a tremendous sense of pressure from that posture.
—Is the difference between a wooden sword and a real sword so great?
I muttered silently in my heart.
As Rina-
sempai's valet, I had witnessed the critical move Uolo Levanteinn would execute during the three swordsmen exams that were held in the arena first hand— the Northlangarth style «Avalanche» move, quite a few times. However, the pressure I felt was completely different as my opponent was using a real sword instead of a wooden sword, and this opponent just had to be Uolo.
The flatheaded blond-haired Uolo, who was slightly skinnier than me, had the impression of a pilgrim. However, I finally understood at this point that this was a completely serious mistake. Right now, those steel-blue eyes had some form of hidden light in it, the light of a berserker swordsman who was only seeking to use the steel blade to rip the enemy's body.
In this gaming world, Uolo's sword would likely be classified as a «Bastard Sword». Uolo used both hands to raise the slightly long sword hilt and the steel blade. The blade seemed to be surrounded by the flare of the sun, and that wasn't an illusion. That was the sword priority and the 'power' caused by the owner's imagination strength causing the space to tremor.
*Zun*. A heavy rumbling was released, and the head swordsman trainee finished his large overhead posture.
Once he dragged the sword further back, the «Heavens and Mountains Break»... also called the two-handed single thrust strike «Avalanche», would be activated.
It seemed like a long time ago, yet felt like several days ago when I spent my time in that floating city Aincrad. I went through countless battles, including one-on-one battles. One of the two-handed sword users who had the biggest impression on me was from the guild of the «Knights of Blood»the guard of the vice guild leader Asuna, the guy called Kuradeel.
I, who was challenged to a duel by him, read his first strike «Avalanche» and used a similar single thrust attack «Sonic Leap» to aim at the side of his weapon and managed to achieve my aim of breaking his weapon with the skill Arms Blast.
This memory awoke within me again, causing me to instantly consider if I could use the same tactic at that moment. However, I quickly gave up on this idea. Let alone breaking Uolo's sword, I might end up breaking my own sword— while this would not be likely, my sword would undoubtedly be deflected, and I would be slashed at cleanly down the shoulder.
The original form of the «Heavens and Mountains Break» was the «Avalanche» alright, but the move Uolo used was completely different from Kuradeel's in terms of speed and weight. He had absolute faith in the strength of his own move, granting his sword power in the process. If I couldn't find an imagination strong enough to resist it... An imagination of breaking through the organs and body until the sword tip is poking out from the other side, I wouldn't be able to stand on the same starting line as him.
Now isn't the time to think of it as a personal spar anymore. I have to use consecutive hits.
So I thought as I made the first motion of the highest level skill I could use up till now— the four consecutive hit «Vertical Square». This would require a high level of control, but I should be able to use the first, second and third hits to negate the opponent's Avalanche and hit with the fourth to win.
I raised the sword in my right hand, letting it face Uolo, and showed a steady posture. When using a sword skill to take on another sword skill, timing would be the essence. I had to use my sword skill while timing the opponent's sword skill activation. In other words, I had to 'activate later, strike first'.
The black sword tip that moved slowly arched through the top of the circle it drew and started tilting slightly behind. At that moment,
“...HAA!!”
Uolo took action while letting out a bone-chilling roar.
The blade of the broadsword had a reddish-golden glow surrounding it. The two-handed overhead slash that crushed Rina-sempai's «Cyclone» three times dragged what looked like a blazing trail as it closed in.
At this moment, my body started to move. I used a powerful stamp to activate the «Vertical Square» with the minimum prep action, and my first strike accelerated as I let out a flying thrust while moving forward.
*KIINN!!* As the high-pitched metallic sound rang, a powerful impact rushed up my right hand. My first strike was instantly struck down effortlessly. The surrounding students and instructors all probably thought that my move was the Norlangarth Secret move «Lighting Strike», the single strike «Vertical». If that was really the case, the winner would have been decided then. However, the show began here.
Even if I clashed with the opponent's move, if my posture wasn't severely knocked in disarray, the sword skill that was activated would continue. The second strike of the Vertical Square was to swing right up from below. My sword skill hadn't ended.
“ZAA!!”
I let my entire body turn left, and I swung my sword up sharply. The sound of impact rang again. The blue glow that surrounded my sword was mixed with the orange glow on Uolo's sword, forming a dazzling white light that lit the slightly dark practice arena.
This time, my sword was deflected back again. However, the opponent's Avalanche was slowed down as well. I gritted my teeth and immediately let out the third strike, a vertical slash down.
*GAGIINN!!* A much heavier sound than before rang as both swords clashed.
As I expected, the third hit wasn't enough to knock back Uolo sword, but Uolo's move stopped.
If I could pressure him back now, the Avalanche would be stopped, but I would still have the final hit of my 4 strikes.
“U...ohhh!!!”
“Nu...nn!!”
Uolo and I let out growls at the same time, desperately trying to parry away each other's sword.
At this point, the attack power of the sword skill and the system assist or whatsoever was meaningless. This was all about imagination vs imagination, a battle of wills. The two clashing swords let out bright white light at their intersection, letting out a small bright spark. The floor of the arena endured the tremendous pressure from our duel as it let out a rattling cry.
If there was someone observing the main memory installation of the entire Underworld at this point, he would see that there was a bright white glow in a quantum medium. Our Fluctlights were giving out signals, desperately trying to overcome each other and win. My opponent had lost all the collectedness he had on his face as there was a deep frown on him as his lips were curled. My face was most definitely having that same expression as well.
This situation remained for 2, 3, 4 seconds— at that moment.
I saw something unexpected.
On the sides and back of the head swordsman trainee Uolo Levanteinn, I could vaguely see more than 5 figures that had similar looks, but were obviously different from him.
What I could see was the transparent shadowy bodies wielding the sword in the same posture as Uolo, but my instincts were telling me that these swordsmen definitely were the heads of the Levanteinn family over the generations who inherited the family name of Imperial Knights instructors.
In other words, these was what the mere student Uolo was bearing despite being the head of the family... Or rather, what he was forced to bear, the real show. The real source of power hidden in Uolo's slash.
—I... can't lose here!![5]
I seemed to hear this roar. At the next moment, a force that was much heavier and overwhelming pressure than before struck my shoulders.
The broadsword that was surrounded by a wildfire-like orange glow pushed the black sword in my hands back, seemingly trying to crush it. I desperately tried to steady myself, but my feet were slowly pushed behind.
If I was pushed back by another 10... no, 5cm, my sword skill would be forcefully stopped. At that moment, my sword would be deflected back, and my body would be slashed into heavily.
380 years.
This line suddenly appeared in my mind.
This amount of time had passed ever since Underworld was born. Even if it was protected by the absolute law, even though this became a world that didn't have any real battles, the swordsmen born here kept passing down the sword skills they refined for generations during these hundre
ds of years of history. The outcome was already far beyond the concept of «VRMMO game attack skills».
*Zuu*. My right foot was pushed behind again, and the glow surrounding my black sword started to trembled as it flickered.
—However.
I definitely wasn't fighting just to earn experience or something.
For the sake of my good friend who I first met, who reached out his warm hand to me, Eugeo. For the sake of Rina-sempai, who gently yet sternly guided me and taught me countless things, and more so for the people in the real world waiting for me to come back, Asuna, Suguha, Klein, Liz, Sinon, Agil, Silica and so many people.
“I also... MUSTN'T LOSE HERE...!!!”
In what seemed to be a response to this roar that was not of a voice—
*DOKUN!* The sword in my right hand trembled.
Golden lights appeared in the middle of the blue glow that was vanishing. The lights continued to multiply, finally filling the inside of the sword. While this phenomenon happened, the surroundings suddenly got darker drastically, but I seemingly didn't realize this.
That was because something stranger was happening on the sword itself.
*KIN*, *KIN*. The sword gradually expanded. As it was covered by a strong light effect, only Uolo and I could see that it was only widened by several centimeters. However, that was obviously and definitely not an illusion.
The sword blade, and even the hilt got slightly longer. I reached my left hand, seemingly guided, and used both hands to grab onto the sword hilt that was covered in black leather.
If this were Aincrad, this would be an irregular equipment, and the sword skill would be forcefully ended. But at this point, the blue glow of the Vertical Square that was about to vanish gained back its glow once my left hand gripped onto it, merging with the golden lights inside the blade, and seemingly swirling in a vortex.
I saw the wild force the black sword in my hands were releasing, and for some reason, remembered it original state... I remembered the «Giant Cedar». The same Gigas Cedar that stood high up in the middle of the forest south of Rulid, I remembered how it absorbed a large amount of resources from the earth and the sun, that pitch black giant tree that was never cut down for more than 300 years.
Sword Art Online - Volume 10 - Alicization Running Page 22