The long break is good for Mashiro and the others, but for me, too, it’s a much-needed rest.
Without classes, I can pour time into my own training.
Play isn’t unnecessary. With a frayed spirit, training efficiency plummets. But playing alone won’t do.
Balance in everything. Those who can flip switches on and off grow rapidly.
Today again, I faced Alice with fists raised.
"""…………"""
Several minutes had passed in standoff.
Wanting to move but unable. That describes the current state.
After a certain level, you can read an opponent’s movement and stop it. Conversely, if you find an opening, drive a sharp strike there.
According to Alice, an experienced brain draws thought and attack paths together.
So since hiring her as personal maid, I’ve greatly increased our live-sparring ratio.
Thanks to that, one-sided beatings have decreased.
Still — not even close.
“Phew……”
This also doubles as training to extend the active time of [Gear Change].
[Gear Change]‘s runtime depends on my mana volume.
So to fight longer, I have to optimize consumption.
Managing mana mid-fight is laborious.
So our conclusion: get used to it so even subconscious would handle it.
I imagined the blood flowing through my body. Wove mana in to enhance the body.
Minimum mana, maximum efficiency.
Can’t break concentration.
That instant would be an opening, her stroke cleaving me.
”…… Splendid, Lord Ouga. Your reading precision has increased dramatically.”
“Because Alice keeps sparring with me.”
“No, my help is minor. The result of your effort, Lord Ouga.”
”…… I see, thanks.”
Being praised by someone as strong as Alice — even I get embarrassed.
When my effort is praised by another — especially the one I aim for — it feels rewarded.
And I train harder tomorrow.
“So today, I’ll raise my level a stage.”
”……!”
That’s why I can fight without yielding to overwhelming violence.
Do what I can, resist.
The bank of effort won’t be wasted——
”…… What?”
The word slipped out unconsciously, no helping it.
Despite facing her, I rubbed my eyes.
Because four Alices stood before me, sword raised.
“Lord Ouga. If you can’t read trajectory, focus entirely on defense.”
Instantly understanding the symbol-reading didn’t work, I poured mana through my body at max.
“Here I come — [Afterimage Empty-Empty · Slash-Wind-Dust (Zan’ei Karakara · Zanfūjin)].”
In an instant, Alice’s blades — flying front, back, left, right — all cut at my body simultaneously.
“Splendid, Lord Ouga. To take all of it…… those who can take your life are now much fewer.”
“If I almost got knocked down, that’s meaningless……”
“Not at all. You retained consciousness, did you not?”
After sparring, Alice tended my wounds.
Even with body enhancement preventing cuts, damage accumulates.
Alice’s hits alone carry tremendous impact.
I’d taken the final hit fully today; bruises had formed.
“At least, with that last strike…… I had intended to take your consciousness, Lord Ouga. How did you receive it?”
”…… An application of [Gear Change]. By concentrating mana in a part rather than the whole, hardness increased.”
Until now, steel-like hardness, but I think I got beyond that. Normally, full-power mana defends against [Railgun], so concentrating it makes sense.
But I learned: concentrating in one spot isn’t great.
My arm aches not only from Alice’s attack. Unlike full-body distribution, the strain is heavy.
In exchange, small mana also blocks her attack.
“So I used [Gear Change] only on both arms and protected vitals by intuition. Pure luck. Without reproducibility, I can’t call it success.”
“As expected of you. A wonderful posture of never forgetting high aspirations.”
…… Alice would make a great instructor.
When my achievement is praised — yes, happy.
Gives motivation to keep going.
“Then my question. ……That last technique, how does it work?”
“[Afterimage Empty-Empty]? Using killing intent and the human limit of fear.”
“Killing intent?”
“Yes. Precisely, applying killing intent to make the target see hallucinations and strip rational thought. When humans feel their life threatened, they vividly picture the worst image. Fear materializes it.”
”…… Meaning the scene I saw——”
“Was your worst image, Lord Ouga. I was actually attacking only as one. …… What did you see?”
”…… Four Alices attacking simultaneously.”
“I was aiming for five. So you’re one stronger than I expected, Lord Ouga. You’ve grown.”
“And yet, I barely win against one real you.”
“As your blade, Lord Ouga, I can’t be surpassed yet.”
So the killing intent for [Afterimage Empty-Empty] wasn’t her serious one.
If she’d genuinely intended to kill me, I’d swear Alice would’ve been many more than four.
The image was born from her softened killing intent, so I judged I could handle up to four.
”…… The world is wide.”
“And you, Lord Ouga, will take that wide world into your hands.”
”…… Heh heh heh. You say nice things. Do I look like a man of that caliber, Alice?”
“Since the day we met. ……That you trust me, Lord Ouga, comes from seeing the trajectory in the sword I swing, I believe.”
…… True. At first I picked her based on track record and circumstance.
After that, different. Having witnessed Alice’s strength and the brilliance of her sword first-hand, I trust her.
”…… You, too, haven’t doubted me since that day, I think?”
“Exactly the same. Each training session shows me the marks of Lord Ouga’s effort in his fists, the strength of conviction. And the feelings within. They’re carved into my heart. That’s why I can loudly say Lord Ouga will save the world.”
…… Because of that trust, perhaps I can keep up this brutal training.
I don’t want to betray.
Somewhere deep inside, that feeling fuels motivation.
…… Ridiculous. Thinking I’d embraced evil, but human nature doesn’t change easily.
“To watch Lord Ouga grow up close — an unequaled experience of happiness.”
”…… Then, Alice. Watch to the end from beside me. See where the man you believed in reaches.”
“Yes, without fail. I promise.”
…… Heh, her unhesitating reply feels good.
“After breakfast today, I’m meeting with Reina and Father about Floné. Stay with Mashiro and Karen so they don’t feel lonely.”
“Understood.”
Without a single complaint, my loyal servant bowed her head.