Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

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　--Let's talk about a man named Wilhelm Trias.

　Wilhelm was born as the third son of the Trias family, a local noble family in the Kingdom of Lugnica.

　The Trias family is an old and historic family whose territory lies near the border of the northern country of Gusteko, located in the north of the kingdom. However, their prosperity as warriors is a thing of the past, and by the time Wilhelm was born, they were a weak barony with only a small amount of land and people. To put it bluntly, they were nothing more than an example of a fallen noble family.

　The eldest and second oldest brothers were modest but possessed the qualities to be lords, so for Wilhelm, the third son, the Trias family was a blessed environment that provided him with enough money to live on and allowed him to freely choose his future.

　Wilhelm was older than his older brothers and grew up without the constraints of inheriting the family business. Unlike his brothers, he lacked the talent to be a civil servant, so it was an encounter with a sword that showed him the path he could call the future.

　The sword engraved with an imposing engraving that was displayed in the mansion's hall was a relic from a time when the Trias family was famous for its warrior reputation within the kingdom; it was now merely a decorative piece of jewelry that had been left behind by the Trias family in its current form.

　The moment Wilhelm picked up the precious sword, which he had not even been able to take care of, and drew it from its sheath, he was at the mercy of the sword's charm.

　Before he knew it, he had taken out his unsheathed sword and was swinging it around in the mountains behind his house from morning till night, which had become a daily routine.

　He had been eight years old when he had first handled a sword, and by the time he was fourteen, when his limbs had grown out and he had grown accustomed to the weight and length of the sword and the awkward look it posed, there was no one in his territory who could match Wilhelm in sword fighting.

"I'm going to the capital and joining the royal army. I'm going to become a knight."

　It was around the time he was 14 that he ran out of the house uttering those stupid words, the kind of thing any boy would think at least once.

　It all started when Wilhelm, who was only absorbed in swinging his sword and hanging out with the bad boys of the territory and pretending to be a scoundrel, was lectured by his eldest brother about what he wanted to do in the future.

　He didn't care about the future, as long as he was enjoying the present, that was all that mattered. When he was swinging his sword, when he could truly feel that he was getting stronger, that was the only time Wilhelm felt bliss.

　The words of his older brother to his younger brother who had no vision for the future were harsh. Having been bombarded with sound arguments, Wilhelm was at a loss for words and blurted out the aforementioned dreamy remark.

　After that, there was an exchange of verbal abuse, with the usual "How could you possibly understand my feelings, brother!" erupting, and Wilhelm actually running off with only some money and his sword.

　Although it was an unexpected departure, Wilhelm's first visit to the royal capital was somehow accomplished before the money he had brought with him ran out. Originally, he had been thinking about putting his sword skills to good use in the royal capital someday. His plans were brought forward, and he had an unexpected event that he had not received permission from his relatives for.

　Wilhelm arrived in the royal capital in high spirits and immediately headed to the royal castle, knocking on its door, determined to go down in history as a private in the royal army.

　In this day and age, anyone attempting to pass through the castle gates in such circumstances would be considered a disreputable person, and would naturally be turned away at the gates.

　However, at the time, the kingdom was in the midst of a civil war with the demi-human alliance to the east, and no matter how many volunteers they recruited, they simply did not have enough.

　Then, a young boy who had been known to use a sword showed up. He was welcomed with open arms, and Wilhelm joined the royal army without any major obstacles.

　And so Wilhelm stepped onto the battlefield, completely untouched by hardships and setbacks. His swordsmanship was thwarted before the high wall of reality, his pride and pride was completely crushed, and he was forced to bow to his knees in a bitter but unforgettable experience - this was the baptism that everyone goes through on their first battle.

　However, Wilhelm's skill with the sword at this point easily surpassed that of a fifteen-year-old with no prior experience of actual combat.

"Wow, life is surprisingly easy after all."

　Seeing the young soldier on his first battlefield, piling up a mountain of demi-human corpses and thrusting his sword into the top of them, everyone was forced to imagine that his future would be a bloody one.

　From morning till night, Wilhelm continued to swing his sword until he was completely exhausted. This continued for six years, from the age of eight until he was fourteen.

　Even after joining the royal army in the royal capital, he continued to spend all his free time swinging his sword. His skill with the sword was already outstanding among knights who had experienced real combat, and the name of this swordsman from the countryside who had never even been awarded a knighthood became known as something to be reckoned with within the royal army, but was also feared by the demi-human coalition army.

　Undaunted by reality, and yet never satisfied with himself, Wilhelm continued to swing his sword on the battlefield, with pent-up emotions to contend with.

　Cutting another's flesh with his sword, covered in blood, proving he is stronger than the person whose life he took - it is only in that moment that he feels a dark joy.

　Before long, Wilhelm began to laugh while slaying people, and the name "Sword Demon" came to be called out on the battlefield with fear and hatred.

　Although the number of military achievements he achieved easily exceeded the fingers of both hands, Wilhelm was never awarded the title of knight. He did not socialize with others, and was stoically devoted to his sword, rampaging on the battlefield as if he did not even notice his allies, and would rush into enemy lines only to return in a bloody mess. Such a person could not possibly be worthy of the glorious title of knight. In this kingdom where the old spirit of chivalry still thrived, Wilhelm's existence, despite his contributions to the kingdom, was treated as an outsider.

　And Wilhelm had no intention of changing that situation.

　A man as honorable as a knight cannot bring into battle the life of another or the nobility of his own soul. In battle, men die, blood is spilled, and lives are crushed.

　Being a knight isn't suited for someone like him who enjoys that sensation more than anything else, and if he was no longer able to enjoy it, he didn't want to be a knight at all.

　A twisted desire to fight had been eating away at the mind of the young man named Wilhelm for a long time.

　The cracks had appeared when he was 18 years old - four years into his service in the Royal Army, and there was no one in the army who didn't know the name "Sword Demon".

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　--She was a girl with long, beautiful red hair and a profile so beautiful it made me tremble.

　As the war front expanded, he had been forced to return to the royal capital from the front line and, despite Wilhelm's advice that it was unnecessary, he had been forcibly given one day off.

　Suddenly released from the time he had spent feasting on blood and death, Wilhelm, with time to kill, passed through the castle gates with his beloved sword in hand.

　The sword of the Torias family that he had grabbed as a souvenir when he ran out of the house was quite worn, but this sword that he had been using for ten years felt the most comfortable in his hand. It wasn't that he couldn't use other swords, but this sword was the best for immersing himself in a battle for life.

　With his beloved sword in hand, Wilhelm set out for a development zone on the outskirts of the capital. It sounded good to say it was under construction, but he had heard that it had been a long time since the work had stopped. At the very least, it had already been stopped by the time Wilhelm arrived at the capital, and there was still no prospect of it resuming. It would likely remain that way until the civil war with the Demi-humans was resolved, he had heard.

"――――"

　The development area was deserted in the morning, and even if there were any, they were mostly just people who had used the place as a hangout for nefarious purposes. They were a group of small-timers who, if you showed even a little bit of energy and scared them, would run off without even being seen.

　Empty of his thoughts, Wilhelm calmed down, drew his sword and took a slash.

　What comes to mind is an endless image of a wooden puppet that has already been engaged in countless sword fights. Dodging, hitting with a blade, moving the body, and chopping off the head.

　I have been practicing combat since I was a child. My opponents' skills have become stronger and faster with each passing year, and before I knew it, I was fighting against myself.

"You have a bad look in your eyes."

　With glazed eyes and a mouth loosened in madness, he looked like a hollow swordsman who was simply in no position of sanity - it was no different from the image he saw in the mirror every morning.

　In the shadow that now dwells within Wilhelm, he could only find someone with a sword that could rival his own. Rumor had it that there were many skilled members of the royal army's elite, the royal guard knights, but there was no opportunity for Wilhelm to fight side by side with them on the battlefield. Naturally, his opponents were limited to himself.

　Whenever Wilhelm was given a day off, it had become his daily routine to kill his incompetent self like this. Before he knew it, this corner of the Development District had been labeled as the territory of the 『Sword Demon』, and before he knew it, no one even came close.

　Deciding that this was convenient, Wilhelm immersed himself in his own dark world, where sword fights unfold that could never be imagined in reality, and where he feels that his life has meaning.

"--Oh, I'm sorry."

　The stranger who suddenly appeared in Wilhelm's world took the form of a beautiful young girl.

　He had stepped into the Development District as usual, ready to swing his sword and kill others, but he stopped in his tracks when he noticed the presence of the previous visitor.

　The corner that Wilhelm used was relatively well-equipped, and among the abandoned lots, it was an ideal location with no flaws in terms of size. Of all things, this outsider had taken to sitting in Wilhelm's resting spot, tilting his head in my direction.

"There are people coming here so early in the morning. In a place like this--"

"――――"

　The girl smiled faintly in Wilhelm's direction and tried to say something, but Wilhelm's response was simple: he slammed his sword energy down on him.

　If one was an amateur, they would have been struck by Wilhelm's sword spirit and would have quickly fled the scene. Even an expert, understanding Wilhelm's skill, would have left the scene in a hurry.

　However, the girl,

"...What's wrong? You look scary."

　He continued, nonchalantly parrying Wilhelm's sword energy.

　Feeling annoyed, Wilhelm clicked his tongue.

　Those who were not affected by the sword spirit - that is, those who had nothing to do with martial arts. Those who knew even the slightest sign of violence would respond accordingly to Wilhelm's sword spirit. However, to those who had no connection to it, it was nothing more than intimidation. Depending on the opponent, even that intimidation might be interpreted as a simple narrowing of the eyes.

　In the case of the person before me, he was definitely of the latter category.

"What is a woman doing out here so early in the morning?"

　Wilhelm sighed as the woman's gaze continued to remain on his face. The girl responded by making a small "hmm" in her throat,

"I'd love to say exactly the same, but that would be a bit mean. You look like you don't get my joke."

"There are a lot of dangerous people around here. I don't approve of women walking around alone."

"Oh, are you worried about me?"

"It's possible that I'm one of those dangerous people."

　Responding sarcastically to the girl's joke, Wilhelm clanged the hilt of his sword to assert the presence of his prey. However, the girl paid no attention to Wilhelm's actions and pointed to something nearby, saying, "Look at this."

　The girl sitting on the step pointed her finger at the other side of the step. Wilhelm couldn't see it from where he was, so he frowned and was beckoned over.

"I don't really want to go that far though..."

"It's okay, it's okay. Come on, come on."

　Feeling the corners of his mouth twitch as he spoke like he was soothing a child, Wilhelm closed his eyes to calm himself down and went over to the girl. He put his foot on the step and leaned over to the other side, peering in,

"――――"

　As far as the eye could see, there was a field of yellow flowers illuminated by the morning sunlight.

"Development stopped midway. I thought no one would come, so I planted the seeds. I came here to see the results."

　To Wilhelm, who was at a loss for words, the girl lowered her voice as if confessing a secret.

　Although he had been visiting this place for a long time, Wilhelm had never noticed the existence of this flower field. He could see it just by peering a little further in and widening his field of vision.

"Do you like flowers?"

　The girl asked, looking at Wilhelm's profile, who still hadn't opened his mouth.

　Turning his face towards her, Wilhelm gazed intently at the girl who was giving him a gentle smile. And then――

"No, I don't like it."

　He answered in a low voice, curling his lips.

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　--Since then, the girl and Wilhelm continued to meet frequently.

　On a day off, she would visit the development area in the early morning hours, arriving there before Wilhelm and sitting alone, quietly gazing at the flower fields while enjoying the breeze.

　And when he noticed Wilhelm coming,

"Do you like flowers?"

　He asks.

　He shook his head and became so engrossed in swinging his sword that he forgot about her existence.

　Sweating, immersed in the thoughts of the murderous conflict, when he finished and looked up, he saw her still standing there,

"You must be really bored."

　It became customary for him to exclaim sarcastically,

　Little by little, it seemed like the time we spent talking to each other began to increase.

　The conversation that used to only take place after the sword was swung started to take place before the swing as well, and the conversation after the swing also took a little longer.

　Gradually, I began to arrive at the place earlier, and sometimes I would step on the smoothed ground before the girl, and I would find myself smiling when she would say with a regretful look on her face, "Oh, it's early today."

　--It must have been about three months after we met that we exchanged names.

　The girl who introduced herself as Thearesia stuck out her tongue and said, "It's a little late now, isn't it?" He replied by saying his name back to her, "Until now, I've been calling you Flower Girl in my head," and she puffed up.

　As we got to know each other's names, I think we got to know each other a little better. What had been a harmless exchange of words up until then gradually changed in quality.

　One day, Thearesia asked him why he was swinging his sword.

　Wilhelm answered without hesitation that it was the only option.

　As long as he remained in the military, bloody days continued as usual.

　The war with the demi-humans continues to intensify, and the task of slipping through their enemies' magic, sneaking into their hearts, and slicing through their bodies from their crotch to their chin is repeated over and over again.

　He runs across the ground, breaks through the wind, and leaps into the enemy camp, chopping off the head of the general. He returns to his own camp with the sword that pierced his neck in one hand, receiving praise mixed with awe and reverence, and exhales.

　Suddenly, I noticed a flower at my feet on the battlefield, covered in blood but swaying in the wind.

　Before I knew it, I realized that I was trying not to step on it.

"Do you like flowers?"

"No, I don't like it."

"Why are you swinging your sword?"

"Because this is all I have."

　When speaking of the usual exchanges with Thearesia - about flowers, Wilhelm could even smile. However, when speaking of swords, he had come to feel pain from having to say the same old phrase.

　Why wield the sword?

　Thinking back to the days when he had stopped thinking and had no other option, Wilhelm began to search seriously for the answer to that question, going back to the day when he had first held a sword.

　Back then, looking up at the sword that had been in Wilhelm's hand, unblemished and shining with its untainted blade, and reflecting the light on the sword that was too large for his small palm, what did he think?

　One day, while I was lost in a whirlpool of unanswered thoughts, I went to my usual place.

　My steps were heavy, and I felt depressed at what awaited me ahead.

　This may be the first time in his life that he has had to rack his brains so much. He was beginning to come up with a simplistic answer: wasn't it precisely because he didn't have to think that he had been swinging his sword so long?

"--Wilhelm."

　The girl who had been there earlier turned to look at me, smiled and called my name.

　Suddenly, my soul was shaken.

　My feet come to a halt and I can no longer bear the rising emotion.

　A sudden awareness hit Wilhelm's entire body, threatening to crush him.

　By throwing everything into mindlessly swinging his sword, everything that he had left behind by ceasing to think came flooding back.

　I don't know why. I'm not sure what triggered it. It was like a levee that had been stretched for a long time, and it had suddenly reached its limit at this moment.

　Why wield the sword?

　Why did he start swinging his sword?

　He admired the brilliance of the sword, its strength, and the nobility of living as a blade.

　That's true. That's true, but I think the beginning was different.

"I have to be able to do things that my brothers can't do."

　My brothers were completely ignorant about things like swinging a sword.

　Still, my brothers were trying to protect the home in their own way, so I wanted to be of help to them and tried to find a different way to protect it.

　And weren't you fascinated by the brilliance and strength of the sword?

"Have you started to like flowers?"

"...I don't hate it."

"Why are you swinging your sword?"

"This is the only way I could think of to protect it."

　Since then, that usual exchange has never taken place again.

　Instead, I think I have started to initiate conversations more often. Before I knew it, I found myself aiming to talk with Thearesia rather than swinging my sword.

　The place where he was supposed to be mindlessly swinging his sword had somehow become a place where he was turning his inadequate brain and swinging a topic instead of his sword.

　It was around this time that the behavior of the 『Sword Demon』 on the battlefield began to change.

　Until then, his body had been focused only on how quickly he could get in close to his enemy and how many lives he could take, but before he knew it, his body had shifted to how he could fight without causing any damage to his allies.

　The enemy, too, prioritized putting an end to their enemies' lives and putting them in a position to fight, and they began to support their allies rather than pursue them too far. Naturally, the way people around them saw them began to change.

　You will find yourself being approached more often, and also approaching people more often.

　There was talk of a knighthood, something that had never occurred to me until then, and I began to think with some ulterior motives about accepting it.

　Having a certain amount of prestige gives credence to one's ulterior motives.

"The topic of awards came up, and I became a knight."

"That's right, congratulations. You've taken one step closer to your dream."

"dream?"

"You took up the sword to protect, right? A knight is someone who protects others."

　It felt as if that smile was burned into the things I wanted to protect.

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　Time passes again.

　As he gained his status as a knight and came into contact with more people in the army, he naturally began to receive more information. The civil war with the demi-humans was getting worse, and there were repeated advances and retreats on several fronts. Wilhelm, too, had experienced not only victories but also many losses.

　Each time, he struggled to protect whatever was within the reach of his sword, and every day he would feel frustrated when he couldn't reach it.

　--There's no doubt that the news of the civil war spreading to the Trias family's territory was also influenced in part by his expanding circle of friends.

　The civil war, which originally began in the eastern part of the country, expanded and spread northward, eventually reaching just a small part of the territory of House Trias.

　There were no orders. As long as he hadn't forgotten his position as a knight and his loyalty to the royal army to which he belonged, he was not allowed to act on his own.

　However, to Wilhelm, whose heart once again held the same feelings he had when he first held the sword, these ties meant nothing.

　When he rushed to his beloved territory, he found that most of it had already been taken over by the enemy.

　Faced with the reality that the scenery he had left behind more than five years ago, the scenery he was used to seeing, was now fading, Wilhelm drew his sword, raised his voice, and jumped into the bloody mist.

　Slash your enemies, step over their corpses, scream until your throat is hoarse, and get covered in blood.

　There was a battle between demons who lived and were kept alive by the sword, and who could only find meaning in life through the sword.

　They were outnumbered. They had no reinforcements and their original fighting force was weak.

　And unlike in battle, when fighting side by side with his comrades, Wilhelm is alone and has no time to retreat. He is reminded of how much he thought he had been fighting with his own strength until now, and one by one, his wounds grow - until he is unable to move.

　Collapsed on top of the pile of corpses, his momentum thwarted by the never-ending enemy forces, Wilhelm realized that death was drawing near.

　His beloved sword, which he had known for a long time, fell to his side, and he didn't have the energy to grab it, as it got caught in his fingertips. When he closed his eyes, he remembered half his life, and there he found himself, continuing to swing his sword.

　It was a momentary scene that almost made me conclude that my life had been lonely and empty - but as I watched, the faces of people came to mind one after another.

　His parents, his two older brothers, the bad friends he'd committed crimes with in the territory, his comrades who'd fought alongside him in the royal army - one after another, he rememberedーー the last thing that came to his mind was the image of Thearesia, with flowers on her back.

"I don't want to die..."

　He had always believed that living by the sword and dying by the sword was his true desire.

　However, at the end of this life of entrusting everything to his blade, and facing the end he had hoped for, Wilhelm was overcome by only an unbearable sense of loneliness.

　The enemy soldiers, whose many comrades had been killed, would never forgive such faint final words.

　A demi-human with an abnormally large build and green scales mercilessly swung the large sword he was holding down towards Wilhelm.

"――――"

　The beauty of the slashing attack will be burned into your memory forever.

　The sword wind blew wildly, slicing through the demi-humans' limbs, necks, and torsos.

　A roar spread among the enemy forces like a raging wave, but the blade's speed was far faster than that, and death was mass-produced.

　A nightmarish scene unfolded before my eyes.

　Blood splatters, and the demi-humans' lives are snuffed out without even being able to scream. The brilliant slash snuffs out the light of life, without even letting the person whose life has been taken know of it.

　Whether that was cruel or merciful, no one knows anymore.

　If there's one thing we know, it's just one thing.

　--I will never be able to reach the realm of that sword in my lifetime.

　Wilhelm had devoted the majority of his short life to the life of a swordsman, and it was precisely because of this that he was able to understand the heights of the swordplay that was being mercilessly swung before his eyes.

　And also the fact that it is a realm that I, an untalented person, could never reach.

　If the world Wilhelm created was a valley of bloody mist, then the world he saw before him was a veritable ocean of blood. The size of the mountain of corpses was incomparable.

　The sword fighting did not stop until the demi-humans who had invaded Trias territory had been eradicated.

　Having witnessed the overwhelming slaughter, Wilhelm was carried to his feet by his belated comrades and treated for his injuries - but he couldn't take his eyes off the sight.

　The figure walked away, swinging his long sword. Seeing that there was not a single drop of blood on his body, Wilhelm felt a chill run through his body.

　I'll never reach that place.

　It was after I returned to the royal capital that I heard the name of the 『Sword Saint』.

　Similarly, instead of the Sword Demon Wilhelm, the name of the Sword Saint began to resound throughout the land.

　The 『Sword Saint』---the legendary being who once slayed a witch.

　Only the blessing remains in the blood, and they continue to protect one of their clan as a transcendent.

　The name of the current Sword Saint had never been made public until now - that was, until now.

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　It was a few days after my wounds had healed and I was able to visit my usual place.

　Gripping his beloved sword tightly, Wilhelm stepped slowly on the ground and headed towards that spot.

　He was certain that she would probably be there. And just as he had been certain, Thearesia was sitting in the same place, unchanged.

　Before she could turn to face him, he had drawn his sword from its sheath and leapt at her.

　Just before the falling blade of the bamboo splitter was about to slice her head in half――the tip of the sword was caught and stopped by two fingertips. Amazement caught in her throat, and a smile curved up the corner of her mouth.

"It's humiliating."

"--yes"

"Were you laughing at me?"

"――――"

「Answer me, Thearesia… no, Sword Saint!!」

　He forcefully took up his sword and attacked again, but the attack was dodged without a hair on his head. His leg was swept away and he was defeated without being able to defend himself.

　There was an insurmountable wall, an enormous gap between the two of them.

"I won't be coming here again."

　He slashed again and again, but each time he was counterattacked and Wilhelm was knocked down.

　Before she knew it, her beloved sword had been snatched from her hand, and she had been struck by the flat of the blade, suffocating her and unable to move even a step.

　Too far. Too weak. Out of reach. Not enough.

"With that face... you don't even have a sword."

"Because I'm a Sword Saint. I didn't understand the reason for that, but now I understand."

"reason..."

"Swinging your sword to protect someone. I think that's a good thing."

　--She loved admiring flowers and had not been able to find meaning in holding a sword, so he gave her a reason to do so.

　This was especially true since she was stronger than anyone else and had a greater reach with her sword than anyone else.

　So, to atone for the sins he had committed――

"Wait, stay, Thearesia…"

"..."

「I will take your sword away. I don't care about the blessings or the role you have been given… or about swinging the sword… or the beauty of the blade, Master Swordsman.」

　With his back receding into the distance, there was a foolish demon talking about swords to a sword saint who was loved by the sword.

　After that, the two never met in this place again.

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　The Sword Demon disappeared from the Royal Army, and in his place the Sword Saint became famous within the army.

　Worth a thousand men――The tide of the battle turned in Thearesia's eyes as she fought bravely, as if to embody the phrase. Though she was an individual, her bravery was no longer on the level of an individual, and the thunderous nickname of 『Sword Saint』 was a cause for despair even for the demi-humans who knew the legend of the past.

　The civil war ended about two years after the Sword Saint entered the battlefield.

　The decision was left to a meeting between the leaders of both sides, and at least the fighting between those with swords came to an end.

　To celebrate the end of the battle, a small but grand event was held in the royal capital.

　A ceremony planned with many events planned, including the awarding of medals to the beautiful and above all powerful sword master.

　People from all over the country flocked to the royal capital and the royal castle to catch a glimpse of her, and a frenzy engulfed the girl, the hero who had ended the war.

　It was at that moment that the Sword Demon suddenly swooped down, as if to put an end to the frenzy.

　The guards were excited at the sight of the rebels with their swords drawn. But who was it that overpowered them and stepped forward? It was the Master Swordsman, who was about to receive an award.

　Everyone held their breath as the girl similarly unsheathed her sword and faced the intruder.

　The beauty of her posture was so refined that I hesitated even to put it into words.

　On the other hand, the person facing the girl is incredibly sinister.

　He was wearing a brown jacket, and as far as he could see, rainwater and mud had dried up and stuck to his skin. The sword he held was a poor one compared to the ceremonial sword of the Master Swordsman, and although the fittings were splendid, the blade was warped and had reddish-brown rust on it.

　The King on the stage stopped the knights who were trying to come to the aid of the Sword Saint. Everyone watched in hushed tones as the Sword Saint stepped forward with his chin tucked in, his sword flashing.

　The swung blades met, and a high-pitched sound pierced the crowd.

　The sparkles linked together, creating a wind, and the two shadows began to slide at dizzying speed.

　As they watched this spectacle, what came over the hearts of those who had lost their voices was an overwhelming and overwhelming emotion.

　The roles of offense and defense switched with incredible force, the two swordsmen clashing swords, on the ground, in the air, on the wall, and in the sky. Some even shed tears at the sight.

　People can reach this far.

　This is the extent to which a sword can inspire others with a sense of beauty.

　Swords clash, sword tips flash, and they strike again and again.

　And finally,

"――――"

　The reddish-brown blade broke in half, and the tip spun around and flew into the air.

　And then, the ceremonial sword that the Sword Saint held in his hand,

"My."

"..."

"I win."

　The ornate sword fell to the ground with a clang, and the tip of the broken sword came close to the Sword Saint's throat.

　Time stops, and everyone knows it. - The Sword Saint's defeat.

"You, who are weaker than me, have no reason to hold a sword."

"If I don't have the sword... then who will?"

"I will inherit your reason for swinging your sword. You can be the reason for me to swing my sword."

　Flip up the hood of your jacket.

　Under the reddish-brown stains, Wilhelm was glaring at Thearesia with a sullen expression.

　She shook her head at Wilhelm's attitude.

"You're a terrible person. You've wasted everyone's resolve and determination."

"I'll take over all of that too. You can forget you ever held a sword and just live peacefully behind my back, tending to flowers."

"While being protected by your sword?"

"That's right."

"Will you protect me?"

"That's right."

　Placing her hand on the flat of the sword, Thearesia took a step forward.

　The two of them looked at each other, so close that they could even hear each other's breathing. The tears that had gathered in their moist eyes ran down Thearesia's smile,

"Do you like flowers?"

"I don't hate it anymore"

"Why are you swinging your sword?"

"To protect you."

　Their faces get closer, the distance between them closes, and then they disappear.

　Releasing her lips that had been touching so closely, Thearesia blushed and looked up at Wilhelm,

"Do you love me?"

"--Part ways."

　He turns his face away and speaks bluntly.

　The time freeze for the crowd was broken, and the guards swarmed towards him in large numbers. Wilhelm saw among them the people who had stood shoulder to shoulder with him before, and shrugged.

　His cold attitude made Thearesia puff out her cheeks, like a picture from the days when the two of them were at that place, laughing together in front of the flower garden.

"There are some things I want you to put into words."

"ah"

　Scratching his head and grimacing in embarrassment, Wilhelm turned to Thearesia, and then he leaned close to her ear,

"Someday, when I feel like it."

　And so, she tried to hide her embarrassment with words.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　--The glittering sword easily cuts through the rock-like outer skin, and a gust of wind passes through.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh--!!"

　The blood spurted from the wounds caused by the blade, dyeing the sky crimson red, as if chasing after the old swordsman who was running while letting out a roar.

　He looks completely injured.

　His left arm looked as if it might fall off at any moment from the shoulder down, and the blood that soaked his entire body was a dark dark color, a mixture of spurts of blood and his own.

　The effect of healing magic can only be expected to stop the bleeding and restore some of his physical strength for a short time. However, his condition remains critical and he should remain at rest.

　But looking at Wilhelm now, who could laugh at him as a dying old man?

　See the sparkle in his eyes, the strength of his sprinting steps, the vividness of his sword strokes, hear the resounding roar of his fighting spirit, and witness the brilliance of his soul, and who could possibly laugh at the old man's summary of his life as foolish?

　The blade cuts through, and the white whale's screaming, writhing body trembles in excruciating pain.

　The Demon Sword's blade didn't hesitate as it swept across the back of the beast, pinned under the large tree and unable to move. The blade entered from the tip of the head, passed through the back, reached the tail, and when it landed on the ground, it returned, ripping open the underbelly, aiming for the head once more.

　One swing - a long, long, deep and sharp slash that circled around and cut the White Whale in half.

　The Sword Demon leapt and landed once again on the nose of the motionless White Whale.

　Shaking off the blood-stained blade, the Sword Demon saw his own image reflected in the white whale's right eye, the only one remaining, which was staring at him.

"I have no intention of calling you evil. There is no point in preaching good and evil to a beast. The only thing that stands between you and me is the absolute law of life and death, where the strong prey on the weak."

"――――"

"Sleep. --Forever."

　With a final soft whinny, the light fades from the white whale's eyes.

　Naturally, all strength went out of his huge body, and his falling body and dripping fresh blood created a rumbling sound and a muddy crimson torrent.

　No one can speak as they feel the blood running down their feet.

　Silence fell on the Leafous Highway, and then――

"It's finished, Thearesia. At last…"

　Above the motionless white whale, Wilhelm looked up at the sky.

　The sword dropped from his hand and covered his face with his free hand. The Sword Demon, who had lost his sword, spoke in a trembling voice,

"Thearesia, I…"

　The voice was husky, but there was an unfading sense of love in it.

「I-I love you――!!」

　Only Wilhelm knew these unspoken words of love.

　The excitement of emotions that I had never been able to put into words until the day I lost my loved one.

　After decades had passed, Wilhelm finally spoke the words he should have told her when she asked him that question.

　On top of the White Whale's corpse, the Sword Demon, who had dropped his sword, burst into tears and cried out his love for his deceased wife.

"--And here the White Whale sank."

　A single, dignified voice echoed quietly through the night on the plains.

　The men, who had been speechless at the sound of that voice, raised their heads, and all saw the girl leading the earth dragon forward.

　His long green hair was tangled, any ornaments were gone from the wounds he'd received during the battle, and his face was stained with his own blood; he was a very shabby-looking man.

　But the girl's appearance to them was brighter than at any previous moment.

　That makes sense if the brilliance of a person's soul determines their worth.

　The sword was on loan, and Crusch was not currently carrying it.

　So she pointed her empty fist towards the sky, her clenched fist visible to all,

"The Mist Beast that has lived for 400 years and threatened the world - Wilhelm van Astrea has been defeated!"

"----oh!!"

"This battle is our victory!"

　The lord loudly proclaimed victory, and the surviving knights cheered.

　As the mist clears, the signs of night return once again to the plains. The moonlight shines upon the people across the land, as night should be.

　--And so, after hundreds of years, the Battle of the White Whale came to an end.