Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

Just as the tension between Rudeus and Allen reached a boiling point—

A quiet sob broke through the air.

A small hand reached out from the side and grabbed tightly onto Allen's sword hilt. Sylphiette stood there, tears streaming down her face, cheeks flushed, but this time—unlike before—she forced herself to meet Allen's gaze.

Her voice was shaky but serious.

"A-Allen… we're f-friends. Friends shouldn't fight. Please, don't..."

Allen stared, stunned.

Then Sylphiette burst into full-on tears.

Panicking, Allen fumbled to sheathe his sword, but he quickly found himself scratching his head in desperation. In both his lives combined, he'd only ever scared children—not comforted them—so this situation had him completely at a loss.

Rudeus finally snapped out of his daze and glanced over at Allen, exasperated.

So Allen's the hot-headed type too, huh… Actually drew his blade just to find out who's stronger. Good thing he used the back edge, though—that means he was still in control. So, this was all just to show Sylph the power of magic?

Still—damn, Allen-dono! Kids really shouldn't be walking around with sharp weapons!

Guess now's not the time to worry about the duel. Better comfort Sylph first…

Sighing, Rudeus walked over with the helpless expression of an adult faced with a crying child. He gently took Allen's hand, ignoring the latter's look of abject horror—and promptly shoved Sylphiette into Allen's arms.

He even helped guide Allen's hand to pat her back.

Allen watched, wide-eyed, as Rudeus completed this string of actions like some kind of matchmaking robot. His pupils practically dilated with disbelief.

Then Rudeus leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"Go on—comfort her. You've got this!"

He stepped back, folded his hands behind his back, and plopped down on the grass with a dignified air, chin propped up like a doting father watching his kids play pretend.

Allen glanced down at the quietly sniffling Sylphiette in his arms… then over at Rudeus, who was now pumping his fist in encouragement.

His eye twitched.

This is seriously too much.

...

"Don't cry, okay? It's just a friendly match. Not a real fight."

Sylphiette peeked at him through her fingers, her face still streaked with tears, and gave a faint nod.

Wh-why did I cry…? Allen doesn't like it when people cry. I won't cry again.

At this point, she'd only known them for a single day. Their first meeting came earlier than it had in the original story, and she was even younger now—still timid, still wary. She hadn't yet become the gentle, thoughtful "White Mom" of the future, shaped by her deep bond with Rudeus. There was still a long road ahead to get there.

But… at least he's not scowling anymore.

Allen blinked and, seeing her calming down, let out a long breath.

"You can stay here and watch from under the tree, alright? Rudy and I are going to spar—just a light match. You'll get to see what magic can really do. Then maybe you'll understand how cool it is."

Sylphiette dropped her gaze and stared at her shoes, nodding so softly it was barely audible.

Allen then dragged a still-unwilling Rudeus a good distance down the slope—about thirty meters away.

"Alright, this should be far enough."

He swung his gleaming blade a few times to measure distance. Rudeus eyed the sword and shrank back.

"Are we seriously doing this?"

Allen tapped his chin, thinking.

In the original timeline, Rudy didn't start amplifying his basic spells until two years after Roxy left. Right now, if I closed the gap, I could probably behead him before he could react. So today's about showing Sylphiette the power of magic. The duel can come later. What I really need is to nudge Rudy toward improving his combat magic and developing some good battlefield-usable combos.

"Let's just keep it light for today. You cast, I block. Deal?"

Rudeus's eyes lit up.

"Deal!"

Then Allen added, casually:

"But two months from now, I'm going to challenge you seriously. So you've got two months to polish your magic. Then we'll see how you really measure up."

Rudeus stiffened.

"Can't we, uh… skip the duel?"

Allen's face hardened.

"No. Have you even thought about your future?"

Rudeus blinked.

My future? I guess… maybe I'll marry a shy but beautiful girl and live a quiet life. It'd be nice to see Roxy again now and then. Though who knows when that'll be…

"Roxy told me, before she left—her goal is to reach Water God level. What about you?"

Rudeus looked up, startled.

"Water God level…"

"You want to see her again, don't you?"

He didn't answer. But his gaze slowly grew more serious as he locked eyes with Allen.

Allen smiled faintly.

"Then you've got your answer."

He raised two fingers.

"She's got a two-hundred-year lifespan. Right now, she's just in her thirties. Ten years from now, when you're a grown man in the prime of your life—maybe a quarter into your lifespan—she'll still be in the first quarter of hers. You'll stand eye-to-eye again. So when that day comes—what kind of man do you want to be when you face her? A backwater magician with a wife and kids? A renowned adventurer? A top student at a magic university?"

"You ever think about that? About how each choice leads to a completely different path?"

Rudeus said nothing.

But he slowly raised one arm, pressing the other hand to his elbow in a ready stance. His expression turned calm and focused.

"I accept your challenge. In two months. But for now—I'll show Sylphiette what magic can really do."

Allen saw the resolve in Rudeus's face and smiled subtly.

"Good look you've got there."

Then he shifted his stance, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, feet firmly planted in the grass.

"Let's begin. You attack, I'll defend."

Rudeus drew in a deep breath.

"Alright… here I come."

Magic—[Water Cannon]! Size: 10! Speed: 10! Allen-dono… I'm mad. Take this spell, full of righteous fury!

As soon as the thought was formed, the spell triggered—chantlessly, instantly.

A vortex of clear, gleaming water condensed out of the air before Rudeus's palm, swirling rapidly in the blink of an eye.

The pressure surged around him.

Then—

A roaring water jet exploded from his hand, so powerful it sent dust and mist billowing around him. The sheer force of it blasted his hair back, and the recoil made him stumble a step.

His heart lurched.

Oh no—I overdid it! Allen!

He looked up—just in time for his pupils to shrink in shock.

The image seared itself into his memory, lingering even years later:

A meter-wide column of water surged forward like a bolt of fury, utterly obscuring Allen's figure from view. For one suspended instant, it was as though time itself halted—sunlight froze in place, reflecting off the watery surface like a glint of silver in his eye.

Then—

The water split.

Right in front of Allen, it split apart like a balloon filled with nothing but air. No force, no resistance. The jet cleaved cleanly down the middle.

Smooth. Not a ripple.

And the water, robbed of direction, collapsed violently to either side—crashing into the ground with a deafening roar.

Two deep trenches were carved into the earth where the diverted torrents struck. The lush grass was torn away, exposing muddy gouges below.

A breeze blew through.

Allen stood untouched, grass still brushing against his legs. His sword hand hadn't moved. His feet hadn't shifted.

The sunlight refracted through the lingering mist, wrapping him in a halo of shimmering gold.

He smiled.

"Not bad. Again."

Rudeus stared at him, dumbfounded.

And in that moment, he felt—

That Allen's smile, shimmering through the sunlight and mist, was brighter than the water's gleam itself.