The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 31

Chapter 31: The True Flying Swallow

Ameri condensed her magic power from the iaijutsu stance. The pressure she released was impressive, considering her age.

…But it had become something similar to, yet different from, ‘Flying Swallow’ due to her uncontrollable emotions.

Ameri stepped forward with enough force to dent the ground, closing the distance between us with a single kick, and drew her sword from its sheath.

At that moment, as she stepped in, I grabbed and restrained her sword-wielding hand with my left hand.

“What!?”

Surprised that she was stopped, Ameri let out a cry of shock. She immediately tried to shake free, but I inserted the sword into my side and restrained her movements.

“Ugh!?”

“…Why aren’t you trying to protect your own life? Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“Shut up! There’s no need to protect if you defeat the enemy! If the enemy is gone, neither Mother nor Sister will be in danger!”

Despite twisting her body, Ameri glared at me with tears of frustration streaming down her face.

“Then let me rephrase the question… Is that… Kunou’s teaching?”

“Eh…”

Ameri stopped her movement, the intense emotion in her eyes wavering slightly.

“Did Kunou teach you to defeat the enemy even if it costs your own life? Or is this your own conclusion?”

“That… is…”

“What kind of face did Kunou have… and what did he think when he taught you the sword!? What would Kunou think of your sword now!?”

I asked, releasing the pressure with my magic power, and bombarded Ameri with words as she trembled.

“Someone who can’t even protect their own life… What can they protect!? What can they claim to uphold!!”

I released the restraint and pushed her away, then lowered my stance to prepare.

“Come on, give it your all… Show me a strike with your entire body and soul.

…Let me teach you the sword Kunou wanted to pass on to you.”

Ameri regained her composure and assumed the same stance, concentrating her magic power even more and releasing a strong pressure.

In contrast, I quietly concentrated my magic, keeping all the magic within me and not leaking any out.

The magic power Ameri released shook the grass and trees on the high ground. I remained still, calmly watching Ameri.

Ameri kicked off the ground, rushing towards me like a gust of wind and closing in on me in an instant.

The sword was drawn from its sheath, and the blade, illuminated by moonlight, was already aimed at my neck without a moment’s pause.

A high-pitched sound echoed across the high ground.

The blade, reflecting the moonlight, was half severed as it spun through the air and stabbed into the ground.

On the high ground, there were the figures of Ameri and me in the aftermath of the swing. Ameri, bewildered, eventually sat down as if her legs gave out, staring at the broken sword.

“…To prevent the fight from becoming a fight for life and death, move after the opponent, and when the opponent doesn’t stop fighting, strike first.”

I spoke while sheathing the sword, conveying Kunou’s wish embedded in ‘Flying Swallow.’

“To prevent taking lives, assess with calmness, and then, before the opponent takes someone’s life, strike with action… This transition from stillness to action is like a swallow flying freely in the sky.”

The sound of the sword sheathing echoed, and the blade returned to the darkness within me.

“‘Flying Swallow’ is… a sword technique devised to protect lives, both your own and others’.”

As I passed by Ameri, who was sitting down, I conveyed what she needed to do.

“Remember Kunou’s teachings once more, think about the feelings Kunou had when he entrusted you with the sword… Consider the wish embedded in the technique.

When you can do that, you should be able to master the true ‘Flying Swallow’.”

Leaving the high ground and returning to the castle, I sighed at myself for becoming a bit heated and muttered while gazing up at the moon.

“This is the best I can do, Kunou.”

The moon, unchanged, continued to illuminate the night sky as I whispered to the souls within the Chaos Crusader.