My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 008: Duel in the Dark Night

The night garden dominated by darkness.

—Whoosh.

A wind-cutting sound echoed through the silence.

—Whoosh, whoosh.

From a diagonal slash, he reversed the blade tip and flipped it up in a V-shape. [Sword Aura] lingered like embers along the slash’s trajectory for just an instant before becoming smoke and vanishing.

Imagining a hypothetical enemy, he swung his blade down at the empty night darkness.

What mattered most wasn’t imagination, nor the depth of his step-in, nor even the sharpness of the slash or technical precision. It was [Ki]. Kishō knew that controlling [Ki] was most important.

How much could he refine the [Ki] forged within his body? How efficiently could he transmit that refined [Ki] to his sword? How long could he maintain the [Ki] transmitted to the sword without dispersing it? If he could perform this sequence smoothly, as naturally as breathing, his understanding of [Ki] would deepen accordingly.

Kishō wasn’t particularly interested in improving sword technique. His interest lay in the essence of [Ki] itself, its proper manipulation methods.

Night training was good.

The sensation of becoming one with the darkness. His five senses sharpened, concentration increased. He could sense the flow of [Ki] more closely than usual.

“Whoa.”

Sweat running down his forehead entered his eyes, distorting his vision.

He’d been doing practice swings continuously for about two hours now. It was about time for a break, but for some reason, he was in good form today. Might as well continue a bit more while riding this momentum. Kishō wiped his sweat and assumed middle guard with his practice sword.

Suddenly, his sharpened senses detected an abnormality.

The flow of atmospheric [Ki] was strange.

No one was around. If there were factors disturbing atmospheric [Ki], it could only be the [Sword Aura] he was wielding. Then logically, its influence should spread in concentric circles centered on Kishō.

“—It should, but. A person?”

The flow of atmospheric [Ki] Kishō had disturbed wasn’t spreading concentrically. As if there were an obstacle, it was vaguely distorted in one spot.

That abnormality was approaching straight toward him.

“Crap, if I’m found this’ll be troublesome.”

Night training didn’t exist in the academy curriculum. Not only that, he hadn’t gotten permission, and he’d snuck out of the student dormitory. If an instructor found him, he’d be thoroughly chewed out. Kishō swiftly hid in the grass.

The distance closed. A presence appeared. He heard footsteps on grass too.

Those footsteps stopped around where Kishō had been standing. That frighteningly precise accuracy made him break into a cold sweat.

“I know you’re there. Why not come out?”

He recognized that cold, monotone voice. Thinking it couldn’t be, Kishō peeked just half his face from the grass without making a sound.

He could see faintly in the moonlight. The outline of a pale face floating in the darkness.

“There you are.”

Even submerged in darkness, that beautiful face couldn’t be hidden as it turned toward him.

No time to hide. Kishō gave up.

He emerged from the grass and brushed leaves off his head.

“As always, your intuition is sharp.”

“I hear that often.”

Strange understanding settled in, and Kishō smiled wryly. Simultaneously, he noticed a certain change in the Princess.

She still had a beautiful face, but her dignified atmosphere had receded, replaced with an impression tinged with melancholy.

(Huh? What’s wrong, she’s like a different person…)

The Princess took a step forward. Slowly approaching.

As the distance closed, Kishō finally managed to see. In both her hands, she gripped swords sheathed in their scabbards, one in each hand.

She came right before the suspicious Kishō and extended her right hand. Fist in reverse grip, thrusting the scabbard horizontally as if telling him to receive it.

“Don’t tell me these are real swords.”

“Yes, they are. Take it.”

While floating a question mark over his head indicating incomprehension, Kishō accepted the scabbard as instructed. The scabbard was luxuriously decorated with jeweled ornaments. When he shifted the scabbard slightly, a magnificently polished blade revealed itself. He returned it to the scabbard with a satisfying metallic sound, then voiced his question.

“So, what’s this about?”

“Fight.”

“Huh?”

“Fight.”

“Why’d you say the same thing twice?! No, that’s not it. Fight what? Explain properly.”

The Princess nodded slightly, then vigorously drew the sword in her left hand.

“Kishō. Duel with me.”

For an instant, time stopped. Kishō’s brain refused to comprehend.

Then time resumed, and Kishō resisted the unacceptable reality with all his might.

“Huh? No no no no, that’s crazy! Explain so I can understand. No, please explain?!”

Before he knew it, the melancholy had vanished from the Princess’s expression. She’d returned to her original dignified, beautiful yet robust countenance, her pale pink lips pressed firmly in resolve.

[Sword Aura] rose from the Princess’s entire body. Navy blue [Sword Aura] resembling flames dwelled in the sword she held, beginning to eerily adorn the blade. Weapon quality and [Sword Aura] had a multiplicative relationship. The quality was fundamentally different from [Sword Aura] dwelling in a mere training practice sword. Getting hit by that, even with the flat of the blade, would be fatal.

“Hold on. This isn’t funny.”

It had been getting dicey for a while, but he no longer had the luxury of using polite speech.

“Draw. There’s no point in cutting down an unresisting you.”

When Kishō still didn’t show a fighting stance, perhaps losing patience, the Princess lowered her upper body and swung her sword. A flash past his nose. Wind pressure slapped Kishō’s face.

“Are you angry about what happened at the entrance? I’m sorry, I apologize, so—wait, that was dangerous?!”

He barely dodged the diagonal slash flying at him.

“You were aiming to kill with that one, weren’t you?!”

“If you defeat me, I’ll obey any order. Not a bad deal. Now draw.”

“—This again.”

She’d said something similar during the mock battle.

Kishō felt unbearably irritated at behavior that devalued herself.

“You’re not some cheap trinket prize!”

He drew his sword simultaneously, deflecting the navy blue strike swung at him again.

Sparks scattered in the dark garden.

“Why do you do things that demean yourself? How can you dismiss yourself as worthless and throw yourself away!”

The sharp metallic sound of clashing swords echoed. Each time, sparks flew, momentarily dispelling the night darkness.

“Hey, answer me, Princess!”

“To have the leisure for idle chatter. You really are no ordinary person.”

Kishō’s slashes were large swings using abundant [Sword Aura]. In contrast, the Princess defended with nimble blade work, waiting for openings to counterattack.

“And ‘I’ll obey any order’—are you serious?!”

“Of course.”

Deadly slashes ran rampant through the night curtain.

Missing even a single stroke would mean fatal injury. Not a moment’s lapse in concentration was permitted.

“Do you really understand? You’d be giving me the power of life and death. Even if I took your life, you couldn’t complain!”

“I’m fully aware.”

Forced to participate in a life-or-death match, Kishō’s patience was reaching its limit.

“When I win, be prepared! I won’t hold back just because you’re the Princess.”

He hammered in a series of brute-force strikes, but the Princess skillfully parried them all, striking back at the tiny openings created. He barely dodged the sharp thrust released into that gap with a powerful backstep relying on leg strength, then continued retreating to increase distance.

The scenery changed at high speed. Tracking it all with his eyes, Kishō secretly guided her toward the pond area.

“Ha! What’s wrong? You’re breathing hard.”

Kishō’s breathing was labored too. After all, he’d been doing practice swings continuously for two hours until just now.

“Quiet. Just fight silently.”

“You should be grateful I’m entertaining your wish.”

The Princess took the bait, and Kishō smirked inwardly. Evidence her concentration was slipping. A good sign.

However, before he knew it, Kishō’s number of strikes had decreased. To an observer, it would look like stamina depletion. Relatively, the Princess’s strikes increased. But this was tough. Parrying her technique-laden, unpredictable slashes was extremely difficult.

“Tch, the skill gap really is considerable.”

He was barely managing by not just blocking with his sword but utilizing his trained agility.

And then it happened when he made a large backward leap.

“Crap?!”

Upon landing, his foot got caught in mud. He’d reached the pond’s edge.

Seeing Kishō lose his balance, probably seeing victory, she unleashed not her usual nimble blade work but a large, heavy swing.

An evil smile plastered itself on Kishō’s face.

He’d been waiting for this moment.

“Just kidding. Good acting, right?”

“Wha—?!”

Losing balance had been an act to draw out the large swing.

He bared the fangs he’d been secretly sharpening.

He suddenly increased [Sword Aura] output and intercepted the Princess’s strike, forcibly blowing away her delicate body with brute force. Without pause, he followed up. As expected, the Princess swiftly regained her stance despite losing balance greatly. But Kishō had seized the initiative. He’d had plenty of time to refine his [Ki]. A full-force strike from overhead. The Princess defended by receiving it with her sword. A heavy, dull sound echoed. The overhead strike was stopped just above the Princess’s head. The steel screamed with creaking sounds.

“This is it. Remember this.”

“…What?”

Kishō had the advantage in strength.

Despite absolute superiority, Kishō withdrew his sword and sheathed it.

Before the dissatisfied-looking Princess could speak, he preempted her.

“Follow me. We’re changing locations.”

◇◇◇◇◇

Though he said changing locations, it wasn’t far—the destination was in the same garden.

Though unconvinced, Kuroyo reluctantly followed.

Kishō stopped at a place like a stone altar. As he approached the black pillar erected on the altar, Kishō asked:

“Do you know about black dragon stone?”

“The world’s hardest mineral.”

Though suspicious of the sudden question, Kuroyo dutifully answered.

“Then I ask: can this practice sword cut black dragon stone?”

“Impossible,” Kuroyo flatly denied. “Only Dragon Dukes and above who’ve achieved dragon ascension could do that. With a real sword, even I could probably scratch it.”

Kishō nodded in return. His face was deadly serious.

“Long ago, there was apparently a Dragon Emperor who specialized in swordsmanship. When he was a student, using the practice sword he had at the time, he bisected black dragon stone, leaving behind that legend. Following that legend, in the Lower School courtyard—”

He reached the black pillar and knocked on it with his practice sword.

“A pillar of black dragon stone was prepared like this.”

The moment she grasped the intent of his words, violent tremors ran through Kuroyo’s body.

The thought ‘no way’ dominated and paralyzed her entire body.

Her throat suddenly went dry, and she became aware of tension enveloping her whole body. Her heart pounded more intensely than ever. More powerfully than when they’d been clashing swords. In those black eyes’ deepest depths, fear, expectation, and doubt mixed complexly.

“Don’t tell me you’re claiming you can do the same thing. The same as the legendary Sword Saint Sendō?”

Silently, Kishō thrust the real sword, scabbard and all, into the ground and gripped the practice sword with both hands. Facing the black dragon stone, he assumed his stance and drew a deep breath. Immediately after, [Sword Aura] explosively amplified and released from Kishō’s entire body. It was a violently raging tsunami of [Sword Aura]. The [Sword Aura] transmitted through the atmosphere, making her skin tremble.

Eventually, the disorderly raging [Sword Aura] was controlled and converged, gathering into the practice sword. The moment everything converged into one blade, Kishō swung the practice sword diagonally down from overhead.

“Finally found one.”

In the instant the black dragon stone was bisected, Kuroyo had unconsciously murmured.