Of course, before we could get to ramen, we had something else to take care of quickly.
I had two girls whose swordsmanship needed to be tested.
Perhaps spurred on by ramen, to my surprise, the blonde-haired girl who seemed extremely reluctant when it was first brought up didn't seem to be so hesitant anymore.
"I will do what is required." Lilibette declared matter-of-factly, actively stepping up first.
She thought she was being quick, but I caught the glance she sent Zekka, one that screamed 'witness me!' for whatever reason.
…Maybe she is Zekka's special someone after all? Heh!
Regardless, Lilibette picked out and held up a wooden blade, her chosen training sword being as close to a western longsword as could be.
I held my usual ultra-large training sword over my shoulder and waved at her casually.
"Whenever you're ready, Lunaire."
Lilibette nodded, and without another word, burst forward.
Alright, so let me be honest with myself here.
As the spar went on, everything sort of started blurring together.
Not in a bad way, like I was put under some kind of magic spell or curse, but more like I was bored as shit.
That's not meant to be a knock against Lilibette specifically, either; it's just that she doesn't bring anything particularly unique to the table.
Zekka was just plain better, and her techniques reminded me of my breathing style forms, Avi was sheer tenacity incarnate and utterly refused to go down, and though I haven't fought Schwe yet, I never had fought someone who use's four swords in a fight before either, and I was looking forward to see how exactly that works.
By comparison? Lilibette fought like a European knight, just without the armor, only a longsword.
That's not to say she is a bad swordswoman, not at all. Just samey, forgettable even. I haven't fought another knight personally before, but I've seen the type so much already that I can't help but not truly be engaged.
It was like watching a pre-packaged set of movements and sword strikes, trying to fight. Regardless of how good those moves are, it's still all just eh.
A particularly funny thought I'm now having is imagining how this is likely how Jeanne would have fought. You know, if I hadn't blown her up without even looking.
By the end of our spar, Lilibette having tired out, my eyes were slightly glazing over, and I felt a measure of disappointment.
Not Lancelot's descendant, then. A shame that, but also somewhat a relief?
As said, I would rather not have a front row seat to whatever baggage that old hero's madness would bring.
It would have made for a better, more memorable fight, at least.
By the end, I could almost see the disappointment I was feeling mirrored in Lilibette's one eye, angled at herself, as she looked down, heaving tired breaths.
"Hey now." I reach out with my wooden sword, bringing the tip down to her chin, before pulling it and thus her head up, making her look at me, "I see that look, don't let this get you down. You weren't bad at all."
Lilibette said nothing in response to that, instead huffing and looking away, toward the others.
Avi, who's been standing off to the side staring this entire time at nothing, suddenly snaps out of it.
"Huh? Oh, ya! What sensei said, Lili-chan!" Avi abruptly cheered.
Shrimp, girl, come on, at least pretend you were dozing off there.
Schwe looked up from her phone, snapping out whatever she was doing when Avi started shouting, "Hmm? Is it my turn yet?"
The only one who seemed to have paid attention the entire time was Zekka. In my opinion, it looked like she was focusing a bit too much, almost like she was trying to remember something.
Lilibette, for her part, didn't seem to care about the others at this moment. Instead, her sole eye focused on Zekka.
The nervous girl caught on to her gaze and sent Lilibette a shy, uneasy smile in response.
Lilibette, in turn, sighed and lifted her head off my sword as she stood.
She said nothing as she bowed to me, before walking off to the others, stopping to stand right next to Zekka, an impassive stare on her face pointed at nothing.
For some reason, that seemed to make Zekka even more nervous.
Well. There was some kind of silent conversation just going on between those two. Maybe they have some history? That happens all the time in romance plots, doesn't it?
I could just ask. Either Zekka or Lilibette. The former would probably give it up more easily if I had to pry, but at the same time, should I be prying into their private lives?
It doesn't seem dangerous, at least not that I can see. There's more there, but I'm getting a more drama-based feeling rather than a sense of danger.
Ah, well, something to consider later, I suppose.
I rub my eyes, making sure to get the glaze out before resting my sword once more over my shoulder.
"I suppose so, Schwe-chan," I smile as her eyebrow twitches, "step on up."
The silver-haired girl glared at me as she did just that.
Like Zekka, Schwe picked up more than one weapon.
Unlike Zekka, though, she picked up four.
Without even touching them.
Four Norse magic circles whirled into existence around the pile of training swords, and for each circle, a sword was extracted.
I recalled her showing her magic fencing, the swords she summoned herself were long and thin, and the swords she grabbed from the pile were as close as she could get to that as possible.
Without delay, the swords formed up behind her like some sort of parody of Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.
I hum, "Whenever you're ready-"
Two of the four swords promptly launch themselves like missiles.
I hear Avi cry out in awe as the speed with which the swords move momentarily catches me off guard, forcing me to block one with the hilt of my sword as a step back is enough to let the other careen into the ground.
Schwe sends me a smirk.
It took only a second to figure out where she had aimed.
My throat and my groin.
The audacity of this brat!
Before I could point that out, the swords had already begun moving again.
The one on the ground starts spinning up, forcing me to jump. A wave of her hand sent the other two swords on standby straight at me.
This time, I'm far more prepared, far less playing around, and so block both blades in a single slash.
Just in time to twist midair, as the first blade I blocked comes for my back, batting the thing away like a fly with the edge of my sword.
A single swipe before I land sends the spinning blade skipping across the ground and away, allowing me to land easily.
Schwe frowns, her hands out like a puppeteer holding puppets up by their strings, her swords all beginning to move as one as she focuses intently.
My eyes narrow before I send myself spiraling into the air, dodging a four-pronged assault coming from all around me, the swords bashing together where I once stood.
I come down heavily, my foot stomping down on the training blades and forcing them still against the ground.
Schwe's eyes tighten, a gleam of sweat against the side of her head, the swords wriggling beneath my foot, trying desperately to escape.
To absolutely no avail.
I merely raise an eyebrow at her, amused that she thinks she could force them out from under me.
Still, I've got to wonder, just how much would it take to break her magical hold over her weapons?
Let's give it a stress test, like so!
Without further delay, I kick off her weapons, driving myself straight toward her, my blade already raised.
I didn't go anywhere near as fast as I could go normally, or even with Zekka, because I assumed at this distance Schwe wouldn't be able to react.
My guess was correct, as Schwe's eyes widened comically at my sudden approach, finally moving from where she stood all this, quickly stepping back as she pulled her hands back.
I immediately went low, almost falling in a sense, straight into a plank with only one hand to support me.
All four swords soared passed me, Schwe groaning in frustration and panic.
With a push off the ground, I was back up and standing straight; my advance continued unimpeded. Schwe attempted to impede it, grabbing one sword and pointing it out, while the others hovered behind her.
Right before she got into my range, she stabbed out with the sword she was holding, causing one of the floating blades to launch toward me.
It slashed it out of the sky without stopping, my speed such that I made it into her physical range while she was still overextended, unable to pull back her outstretched sword and hand in time, I slashed out, straight for her wrist.
Schwe let go of the sword, just barely in time, resulting in the small sword taking the full brunt of my slash, and promptly sent spinning off against the wall.
Small chips of wood rupture from it before it hits the ground, unmoving, energy sparking off it.
Oho? So you just have to hit her weapon hard enough to break the spell on it, then?
Schwe sees the sword, then looks at me, and the realization that I figured it out strikes her almost immediately, as she grimaces.
This doesn't cause her to give up right away, however; instead, she leaps back, her hands outstretched, the two swords behind her flying at her command.
It's good that she didn't give up.
But this is pretty much over now.
The strength of her method of swordsmanship is its range and ability to strike from blind spots, odd angles, and from several different places at once, all while the user themselves is within a relatively safe spot, outside of the enemy's range.
Well, I'll put a pin in that last comment, that technically only applies against other swordsmen, but against combatants in general?
Not so much.
Pretty much everyone has some form of ranged spell or attack option, even if it's just a simple 'aura bullet' projectile.
That said, in an actual fight, being attacked and pressured from several angles at once could make it so that an actual opponent wouldn't be able to blast you if your pressure is strong enough, which, to be fair to Schwe, her pressure wasn't half bad.
The only real issue is, not only does everyone have some form of ranged spell or attack option, but most people can, well…
My sword sings through the air, in an arcing circle around me twice over.
All three flying swords are struck down, sent spiraling across the dojo in every direction, wood and magic flaying across them.
Schwe winces in pain, letting out a heaving breath. She can't even try to step away before the edge of my blade finds her throat, and halts, pressing right against it.
Not only do most people have ranged options, they also have what I'm going to simply term as 'get off me!' cards. Shockwave attacks, big area of effect blasts focused on them, or even just a spinning slash.
Now, none of this makes her fencing style weak in my opinion; it's all about how she applies it. I think I know why she prefers slimmer blades now, too, rather than throw large greatswords at people.
The name of the game with her fencing is getting through the guard and around the attacks. A big sword, a big target, a small sword is far easier to maneuver.
It's fencing after all. Sticking them with the pointy end is kind of the entire point.
I smile at Schwe, "Not bad at all, Schwe-chan."
Despite being out of breath, the girl manages a glare, "Stop…calling me that."
I tilt my head, innocently, "Oh? Would you rather Voyalk-"
"Schwe-chan is fine!" Schwe panickedly interrupts without a moment's hesitation, her hands waving at me rapidly as she glances between me and the other girls.
Zekka tilts her head, trying to make sense of what I was starting to say, "Voya, stealing?" She translates the meaning, "What does, that mean?"
"N-N-Nothing!" Schwe cries out, now focusing on Zekka, causing the girl to reel back.
Avi wasn't hearing any of this. The shrimp was just standing there, a fire in her eyes and an awed look on her face. Lilebette had the most tame reaction, with only a mild look of interest at it all.
"A-Anyway!" Schwe starts desperately trying to change the subject, twitching a bit while sending a mild glare at me, "It's ramen time, right, sensei. Didn't you promise ramen earlier, sensei? Right!?"
Hmm. You know, Schwe, you keep calling me sensei like that, and I'll think you're planning something nefarious.
Despite her tone, her words make all the other girls perk up at the same time, like a hive mind remembering as one.
I couldn't help but chuckle at them all, so ravenous as they were.
"Ya ya," I concede easily, "I'll set some clones to work cleaning the place up while we head out."
So enamoured with noodles they were, that the girls who have no idea about my abilities don't even question what I mean by clones.
Seriously, the noodles aren't that good around here, are they?
~ A New Sun ~
They were alright, about as good as other ramen places I'd been to.
Zekka ordered extra everything, though, because picking up social cues and lingo is hard. The other girls, I, and everyone left in the shop had to help her finish it.
I damn near called Kuroka for backup; it was that much.
In more important news, it's been, what, about a month since all this started? Since I met Zekka, the whole thing with the club, everything, I mean.
A couple of weeks since the 'ramen incident' as I've taken to calling it.
And I'm surprised, because suspiciously enough, nothing has exploded yet.
In the end, I decided not to try and pry into the personal lives of a bunch of younger girls, so all that's happened are club activities.
The club became official, though I've noticed the vice president watching us and the building like a hawk from afar ever since, and the president was right that the general student populace and the other student council members are a bit miffed about the whole thing.
It's a good thing I don't care, and Avi has taken to rubbing it in Mina's face as much as possible. The shrimp ran around putting up posters and shit proudly proclaiming the club's existence, and since they didn't break the rules or anything, the council couldn't take them down.
I don't know what exactly Avi and Zekka did to get the vice president so pissed about them in particular, but it does make for a good show when Avi preens like a peacock purely to piss them off.
Didn't even need to teach her that! She just picked it up!
Ah, I'm so proud~!
But yeah, it's really weird; nothing catastrophic has happened yet.
And honestly, at this point, I'm starting to suspect nothing will.
The only thing that's been a little odd is Lilebette and Zekka, but those two have always been a somewhat awkward pair ever since the former joined.
There's history there.
Lately, I know Lilebette specifically has been making far more of an effort to do stuff with Zekka, much to the latter's…honestly, it's kind of hard to tell whether she wants to do anything with Lilebette or not half the time.
Zekka isn't the most social, but I can tell she's trying with Lilebette, really.
Which makes it odd, as when I came into the dojo today, I found an envelope sitting in the center of the room, neatly placed atop a sitting mat.
"Uhhh? Wut?" I uttered, completely taken aback. A glance through my sixth sense told me nobody was here, hiding, ready to jump out and call this entire thing the stupid prank it is.
Which means someone went through all that effort of putting an envelope down in the room like this.
I couldn't say when exactly it was placed. I don't come in until a little before classes are over, so it's already the evening. Who knows when this was placed?
Without much fanfare, I stride over to the envelope and pick it up, all the while trying to think of who would be so dramatic as to do this.
I came up pretty short on the list of suspects. My first thought was of Mina, though from what I saw of her, she always seemed to be the more confrontational type to me, not this.
There wasn't any need to waste much time on it when I could just open it and more than likely have all my questions answered.
So, I sit down on the mat and pop it open.
It's a letter, or at least looks like one; a lazy glance at the bottom of the paper gives me a name.
Lilebette D'Artagnan Lunaire.
Huh, okay?
What the hell is this about, then?
The very first line, I begin uttering aloud.
"Dear members of the Occult Sword Research Club, I was a member of the-"
I pause, my breath hitching.
"...Hero Faction." I finish, grunting in sheer and utter incredulousness, a sneer crossing my face immediately in disbelief.
That's not possible. I destroyed the Hero Faction with my blade. I have their former leader's Longinus, literally under my bed!
So how!? Are these fuckers like cockroaches? Are there more that didn't attack me or Kuoh that day, and have just been lying around this entire time!?
If they were, why was that never mentioned in novels!? Why did it seem like they were done and dealt with entirely after Cao Cao and the others were done in!
Ugh, just my luck. Murphy, you piece of shit, just when I started thinking otherwise…
I gave the rest of the letter a quick read, and it did confirm what I figured the original problem was going to be.
Someone was after Zekka's gear; turns out, it was the Hero Faction who sent Lilebette to do it.
But she chickened out because she started caring about everyone, who could have seen that coming?
The letter mentions someone called Shi Wengong, a superior in this Hero Faction of some sort, but I don't recognize the name even a tiny bit.
I couldn't care less about who she is, I'm more worried about what she's doing.
According to Lilebette, that's amassing a force in Kuoh, secretly, to do terrorist shit again.
Gee, I could only wonder where such a force would be amassed? Where is one of the only places where the majority of the strongest people in the town couldn't go.
The abandoned church.
Not like they could use any of the abandoned warehouses and other areas out there, those got blown up, torn down, and rebuilt on top of already. Last I checked, such places aren't exactly so available around here.
I'm going to destroy that place after this. I should have done so the first time I was there.
I couldn't help but let out an aggravated groan as I set down the letter.
What a revelation, and through some letter of all things too? Seriously!?
On the bright side, the letter mentions that Lilebette is leaving to settle things with them, which implies she's leaving them now, or going to try to.
That, unfortunately, also implies they are still currently active. Not already destroyed, like I presumed. And once more, what a way to get that information, a letter of all things.
It almost made me scoff.
It's making me regret not prying into either of those girls' personal lives, when I really shouldn't. No point in going into what ifs right this second, I need to head out, now.
"Ah~!" As if the universe couldn't stop fucking with me, it sends Avi through those doors at that exact moment, "Good evening, sensei! How's your day been…?"
I turn to look at her, and I guess she saw the look on my face, because the pep in her step fell off, and she essentially froze, the smile she nearly always has on faltering.
I don't need to answer her; I merely toss the letter at her before getting up.
"Eh!? What is this…?" The shrimp scrambles to grab it, though as soon as she does, she starts reading it, her eyes bugging out almost immediately as soon as she starts.
But I'm already walking past her, so I don't get to see her face reacting to the entire thing.
Yet I don't even make it halfway to the door before something impacts me from behind.
Avi, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind, likely trying to stop me.
"W-Wait, sensei!" She calls out, "Don't go right now! We need to wait for the others!"
I don't stop walking, dragging Avi along behind me.
"There is no time to waste." That is my simple response.
Avi stutters and blubbers a bit, "T-That may be true, but this is important, for everyone! Lile-chan is one of ours! We need to do this together!"
"Do we?" I ask honestly, "I can wrap this up in ten minutes. Tops."
"It, it isn't about that!" Avi tries to deny.
"You're right." I agree, causing Avi's eyes to light up, only to squash it back down with what I say next, "It's about the people that trash will hurt if their attack goes through."
"I…um, that's…sensei, please…" Avi doesn't have a good argument against that, so she resorts to begging.
It doesn't stop me.
I open the doors.
"Gather the others if you want." I speak out, "If you want to follow, I'm heading to the old abandoned church. I won't kill her if I don't have to, but if she's threatening the town, I will put her down." I turn my head and look back and down at her, "Understand?"
"I…" Avi lets out a ragged breath, "I understand, sensei…"
"Good. Be safe. Be swift. I don't plan to take my time."
Not this time.
I look forward and step out into the evening light, Avi having jumped off me at last.
In another step, that light takes me, and I'm sent across the town.
To a place I haven't been to in a long, long time.
There was a barrier around the church, a subtle one that hid itself and those inside it.
I smashed through it without as much subtlety as an isekai truck.
My light let me out in the old church grounds, still just as decrepit as I remember.
But nowhere near abandoned. I could feel them, dozens of powers, of people, of different races, teeming across the grounds.
I could feel the moment nearly all of them locked onto me.
Good.
I held out my arms, and without reservation, I made my presence known. My power, my aura, my being, everything.
As the barrier that kept them hidden falls to pieces around me, cracking the sky, a light the likes of which I bet none of them have ever seen before follows.
And it calls to finish what it started.