Swordsmaster Fox-girl

“W-What are you talking about? I don’t want to…” 

Of course, I’d expected it. So, I gave Herald “the look.” You wanted to see what I was capable of, didn’t you?

As if sensing my intention, he commanded Ihwa to accept the duel.

“You two may proceed with the duel.”

“B-But father! I-I don’t want to! And…I’m still injured!”

“Trivial things.” Herald waved his hand dismissively. Then, he ordered his Butler to feed Ihwa a really expensive Recovery potion.

How did I know it was expensive? Well, Ihwa’s wounds instantaneously closed as soon as she was fed the potion.

With no more excuse to save herself, Ihwa gulped and slowly made her way atop the raised platform.

“N-Nova, p-please don’t do this…”

“What are you all scared for?” I yawned. “Isn’t this the chance for you to win your father’s love?”

I didn’t know what went through Ihwa’s head, but she was actually smiling. Huh, did she…

“Thank you!”

…She did.

Seeing her dash toward me in a straight line like that, I sighed. She really thought that I’d throw away the match so that Herald would acknowledge her again, huh?

Herald wasn’t that stupid to not know that I gave the win to her.

And…shouting “thank you” like that… Was she actually dumb?

Wanting to show her how foolish she was, I side-stepped her attack and tripped her.

“W-Wha—”

“You really thought I was going to give you the win?” I chuckled as I kicked her squirming body to the other end of the platform. “Earn it. Give me a good fight. Prove to everyone here that you’re worthy.”

Ihwa gulped. She was getting serious now. Though, her expression told me that she was a bit hurt and betrayed.

‘Don’t look at me like that, dammit! This is for your own good!’

I seriously couldn’t let my resolve waver here!

Ihwa approached me again—more carefully this time, and used House Leinfall’s swordsmanship.

Nimble strikes, quick dodges. It didn’t matter. At its most basic state, attacks and dodges would blur and blend together seamlessly.

At least, that was what I could gather from Ihwa’s subpar performance.

She was extremely sloppy, to the point that it would be an insult to every Swordsman there was.

I dodged her attack again and again, each time by only a hair’s breadth. It wasn’t as if I was struggling, I was just analyzing the sword style.

Yet, Ihwa saw this as a sign of me losing. She began attacking with even more fervor.

Unfortunately, it only served to make her more laughable.

The time had come. Gripping Nira seriously for the first time in this fight, I deflected a thrust from Ihwa and counterattacked.

“...!”

But upon seeing that she wasn’t going to manifest her Shield, I twisted my blade from her at the last second and instead opted to kick her in the stomach.

“W-Was that Leinfall Swordsmanship?” She stammered in shock.

All around, the spectators were similarly expressing their surprise.

It made sense. This being a House of Swordsmen, it would be concerning if no one knew what I did.

“Y-You… How did you perform it so flawlessly?”

“Eh…I just swung my sword. That’s all.”

-”Nonsense!” Someone from below shouted. “I’ve been practicing it for forty years! How can a brat like you be better than me!?”

I took my eyes off Ihwa to answer the stupid person.

“Trust your eyes, not your pride. If you can’t even recognize perfection when you see it, you’re better off dead.”

I wanted to say more, but from the corner of my eyes, I noticed Ihwa taking this chance to attack me.

Meeting her attack rather easily, I said with a hurt expression. Of course, all of it was fake. I was a rather dedicated advocate of using everything to my advantage.

“Are you really stooping that low to do a sneak attack? Have you got no pride?”

Seeing me lie through my teeth like that, Ihwa must’ve been mad.

“Are you toying with me!?”

‘Much as I want to tease her even more, it’s best that I finish it now.’

“If you want me to get serious… Then fine!”

I poured all of my Aura into a strike and knocked her sword out of her hand. Then, I systematically struck her body so that she would fall down to the ground as agonizingly as possible.

Her left knee was the first to hit the floor. Then her right one, then her left elbow, and finally, her right elbow. With Ihwa now on all fours, I crouched down, placed a finger under her chin, and lifted her head up.

“Stay on the ground like the worthless trash that you are.”

Ihwa tried to move. We can’t have trash disobeying orders now, can we?

Her punishment was being kicked in the gut, over and over again. Even when she fell to her side and screamed out in pain, I didn’t stop. What Bruce did to her earlier, I did it with even more brutality.

{Hey, don’t you think it’s a bit much?}

But I ignored Nira and continued torturing Ihwa in front of everyone. It’d gotten so bad that I could even see Herald wince a bit.

After several agonizing minutes, I stopped. Kicking her one last time, I roughly grabbed her hair and lifted her bruised face up for everyone in the chamber to see. With the sharp part of Nira pressed against Ihwa’s neck, I whispered.

“I’m going to kill you.”

“...!”

“I’m serious. Do your best if you don’t want to die.”

To prove my words, I quickly stabbed Nira in her forearm before returning to my previous position.

“Five…”

I pressed Nira even closer to her.

“Four…”

Blood trickled down Nira’s blade. Huh, Aerin would love this.

“Three… Come on, Unnie. Your shield.”

I could sense Aura slowly converging in Ihwa’s hand. Yes, finally! Only through the threat of death could she throw her attachment to Leinfall Swordsmanship behind her and improve herself! Hiding my smirk, I deliberately slowed my counting down.

“...Two…”

This was it. All my efforts, for this!

“On—

“[Scutum]!”

I’d been waiting for this! I immediately distanced myself away from her when the translucent purple Shield appeared.

“This that it? You tortured me, for this!?” Ihwa cried. “All our years of friendship means nothing to you!?”

Not waiting for me to answer, she began dashing at me in a straight line. But unlike before, it was wise to do so since she was protected.

I grinned. I wouldn’t be a good friend and Swordsman if I didn’t respond with my best.

Pointing Nira’s tip toward Ihwa, I waited until she got into my range before muttering,

“[Sagitta]”

When a spear that could pierce everything and a shield that could block anything clash against each other, they would be at a standstill.

But in this case, the spear, or rather, the Arrow, came out as the victor…

“I win a—”

…Or so I thought.

As soon as Nira broke through the shield, another one formed, effectively trapping me. 

Then, molten Magma began pouring from above.

Despite certain death being right above me, I still smiled.

“Heh, finally, took you long enough. Everyone would be much more impressed with this than with Leinfall shitmanship.”

Abruptly, the vicious expression on Ihwa’s face vanished, replaced with a look of understanding and…horror. She quickly alternated her gaze between the molten Lava and me before dismantling her Shield and pulling me out of danger.

We rolled on the ground, but this time, we were not fighting, if Ihwa’s laughter and giggles were anything to go by.

“Nova…Nova….Nova….” She muttered my name while crying. Tears of happiness, of course. “Thank you.”

Eventually, we stopped. Ihwa was on top of me.

She caressed my ears before leaning in and—

“...!”

—Giving me a kiss.

W-What? That was my first kiss…and with my own s— oh no…

But Ihwa didn’t care. She broke the kiss and began hugging me tightly.

I knew I couldn’t get out of this no matter what. So, I slowly got up and looked at the audience. Yeah, they were shocked, as I’d expected. But I only cared for only two people there.

The first was Mom. She was breathing sighs of relief. No doubt she thought that this was the end of my friendship with Ihwa.

And then there was Herald. His expression was…complicated. Though, I could tell that he was satisfied with seeing the potential of both Ihwa and me.

“So, ‘Patriarch’.” I smiled sarcastically. “Isn’t it about time for the duel to end? We both lost our swords.”

Herald coughed. Then, his Butler stepped up and spoke in a dignified voice.

“The result is a draw.”

“What!? No!” The pig who screamed was Ihwa’s mother. “I demand t—”

“If you have any questions, please speak to the Patriarch directly.” The Butler bowed. Then, he disappeared back to Herald’s side. Dammit, he was so cool!

After a while, Ihwa broke the hug and got to the Glass Sword with me. We were holding hands and all, like the good friends that we were.

Though, she had to return to her mother’s side once the Butler warned her that it could be dangerous being this close to me during my Attribute Awakening.

But…her mother led her out of the chamber, and presumably out of the Leinfall Castle. I wasn’t that worried. I was sure I’d meet her again soon.

I rubbed my hands and looked around. My relatives were all still here, watching me with anticipation. Herald was no exception. Though, he looked like he’d kill me if I got anything other than Fire.

And Mom was ready to rush up at me at any second in case something unexpected happened.

Without any reason to delay it further, I placed both of my hands on the Sword.

Silvery light burst out of the Sword. It did not stop halfway through but filled up the Sword just like Ihwa’s did.

Coldness that rivaled a tundra appeared,

Snow fell,

The ground froze with frost…

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

…And the Seven Dawns inside me flared.