Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

[Rudeus and Sylphiette's affection increased. Childhood Phase Participation Score updated.]

[Current Stage: Childhood | Total Score: 54 points]

[Assessment: I didn't expect showing off could earn affection points too. Huh.]

Allen frowned as the system panel faded from view.

Excuse me? When did I "show off"? Where did this affection even come from?

He turned to glance up the hill. Sylphiette was standing there in a daze, staring in his and Rudeus's direction.

Then he turned to Rudeus—same thing. Zoning out.

...What is going on.

"Hey, Rudy, quit spacing out. Crank up your mana and hit me with another one. Look, Sylph's already starry-eyed watching you."

Rudeus blinked, snapping out of it. He glanced at Sylphiette atop the hill, then grimaced.

Here we go—classic dense protagonist. Dammit, I chose this life myself…

But seriously… Allen's even stronger than I thought. No way he just "stared" the [Water Cannon] into splitting. I didn't even see him move. No wonder he said to keep our distance—if this were a real fight, I'd probably already be headless. Or maybe he'd have a sword at my neck and say something like "Still too green," all smug-like…

No. I can't fall behind. If this keeps up, who knows whose attention Roxy will be looking for the next time we meet...

Rudeus took a deep breath, and with renewed determination, raised his palm toward Allen.

"Alright! Take this!"

Allen's eyes narrowed. Before him, water coalesced into a spinning vortex, forming a sphere larger than a boar's head. Even the grass at Rudeus's feet began to soak with moisture.

BOOM—a blast of compressed water surged forward!

"[Twenty-Fold Slash]."

With a quiet murmur, Allen raised his blade—and the incoming torrent split before it reached him.

But this time, what followed wasn't Rudeus's face.

It was a rock.

"[Water Cannon]! [Rock Bullet]!"

The two had moved so fast, Rudeus's shout didn't reach Allen until after the [Water Cannon] had been sliced apart.

The rock burst through the spray, aimed right for Allen's face!

Using the [Water Cannon] as cover, Rudeus had conjured an [Rock Bullet] no larger than his own head—but its craggy edges, its rotation, its velocity—everything registered perfectly in Allen's dynamic vision. For a moment, the world slowed around him.

The background noise vanished.

The pressure in Allen's chest rippled with moisture and loamy earth. The [Rock Bullet] spun clockwise, reflected clearly in the depths of his stormy grey eyes.

Allen narrowed his eyes. He still hadn't exhaled. Heat surged up from his waist. The [Dragon-Saint Aura Seed] pulsed in his core, releasing a steady stream of tempered battle aura through his body.

So. He snuck in an [Rock Bullet] this time, huh. Clever. If I use [Twenty-Fold Slash] again, I'll dull the blade... In that case—

Water God Style—Secret Technique:

"[Pluck the String]."

Allen snapped out of his slowed perception in an instant. His blade, already half-sheathed, shifted slightly. Instead of drawing it, he let the tip scrape down toward the ground—

Then flicked the hilt.

Using just his battle aura–infused knuckle, he tapped the hilt upward—plucking it like a musician tuning a string.

In a flash—

The sword shot up from his hip, striking the [Rock Bullet] from below with a resonant ding.

The [Rock Bullet] was knocked upward—just enough to skim past Allen's cheek, sending his bangs flying back.

The sword bounced off the stone and clattered to the ground, quivering where it landed near his feet.

Allen calmly retrieved it, spun it once in the air, and resheathed it with a clean motion.

Then he turned to Rudeus, who had just made a goofy kung-fu "passing energy" pose.

Allen started clapping.

"Not bad, not bad. You prepped the [Water Cannon] to mask your casting, and used the moment it blocked my sight to launch an [Rock Bullet] with your other hand. Technically not a hybrid spell, but even more unpredictable than one."

"Truly a disciple of the North God Style. You might not have formally studied it like Paul, but you've definitely grasped its essence."

Rudeus glanced at the torn-up battlefield around Allen. Water-split trenches and scattered soil everywhere. He felt a little deflated.

He knew Allen would deflect it—but seeing it done so effortlessly still stung.

"The gap between us is that big, huh? You didn't even move."

Allen blinked.

"Just got lucky, that's all~ You're improving. Next time—"

"[Rock Bullet]!"

Rudeus, clearly not finished, suddenly cast another sneak attack.

Allen simply raised his leg and gently deflected the rock with his foot, kicking it harmlessly into a nearby ditch.

He grinned, not missing a beat.

"—you'll land it for sure. Though, this one was slower than the last. Were you distracted?"

Rudeus dropped his hands, seething.

"That was the fastest I can cast right now! Any slower and you'd dodge it!"

"Then hit me again. This is fun."

"No!"

"C'mon~ just one more—"

"I said no! Sylph's already seen enough! Why do it again? And aren't we supposed to duel in two months?!"

"But two months from now, I'll be fighting back. Right now, you've got a free shot. Better take it while you can. Next time, you might not even hit me."

"Heh… as if I could hit you now anyway. [Ice Blade]!"

Allen casually caught the flying beginner-level spell—an ice shard shaped like a dagger—and turned it over in his hand with curiosity.

He didn't dodge this time. It looked just like a real sword blade, and as someone trained in swordsmanship, his distance control was precise enough to snatch it from the air without harm.

Rudeus scowled, spun around, and bolted up the hill.

"Forget it! I'm done! I'm never doing this again!"

Allen tossed the [Ice Blade] to the ground. It shattered with a crack.

He turned to follow, smiling like a wolf.

"Hey, wait for me~ Just one more shot—"

"NO!"

...

But what happened next took Allen completely by surprise.

Sylphiette, hands clasped earnestly before her chest, looked up at him with sparkling eyes and a serious expression.

"I want to learn swordsmanship! Like… the kind where you catch the [Ice Blade] with your hand!"

"Uh, that takes a lot of training… You need battle aura and sword technique—"

Rudeus, sensing danger, tried to sneak off.

But Allen, still speaking, reached out and grabbed him by the back of the shirt.

Rudeus glared at him bitterly.

"Come on! We already showed her everything! If she still wants sword training, there's nothing more I can do. You teach her!"

But Allen turned to him, suddenly very serious.

"She's really not suited for swordsmanship. But… I don't think what we just showed her was enough. You need to give her something more impressive."

"...Huh?"

They stared at each other in silence.

Then Rudeus blinked, thinking.

"Don't tell me…"

Allen glanced at Sylphiette, who was standing nearby with her hands neatly behind her back, looking up expectantly.

He gave an excited nod.

"That's right—the Saint-tier spell Roxy taught you..."

"[Cumulonimbus Thunderstorm]!"

Here it is. The moment everything began. If we don't show this spell, what's the point of crossing worlds into Mushoku Tensei?!