The Strongest Villain Sets Out: Reincarnated into a Merit-Based Clan, I Become the World's Strongest Swordsman

The battle with Aiden was over.

In the end, he hadn’t grown at all. No matter how desperately you practice swimming in lukewarm water, you can’t become desperate without experiencing raging currents.

A frog in a well.

I might have expected too much from him.

No… my expectation itself was strange to begin with.

I’d been thinking that as the original protagonist, as a chosen person, he should easily surpass my efforts.

That was wrong.

In this world, both Aiden and I have equal value. We’re just pieces arranged on a board.

Just as the route had already been twisted, Aiden’s talent was also different from the game.

He was no longer just an idol manipulated by users.

He was there, definitely breathing like me, struggling like me—a single human being…

Thinking about it that way, my expectations were rather cruel.

He had his story.

I had mine.

They might never intersect. It might be better if they didn’t.

I no longer had the feelings I’d had in childhood.

Rather, what I’d been fixated on was—

▼△▼

After finishing my match, I returned to where Cornelia and the others were waving.

Seeing me sit down, Cornelia tilted her head curiously.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Luka? You look gloomy.”

“…It’s nothing.”

I was just disgusted by my pettiness, my foolish thinking that still saw this world as a game.

I didn’t think it would be easy to fix, but considering the future, I had to recognize that this world was this world.

Don’t pay attention only to Aiden. Whatever comes, I’ll blow it away.

I remembered the words I’d sworn as a child, albeit belatedly.

“Really? But you should cheer up~ The next fight is between you and me.”

“If you don’t lose to someone else first.”

“Boo! There’s no way I’d lose to anyone but Luka!”

“It’s frustrating, but as someone who lost, I can’t deny it…”

Lucia, sitting on the opposite side from Cornelia, glared at her resentfully.

In response, Cornelia said with a smug face:

“Hehe! Luka and I are the strongest! We absolutely won’t lose to anyone!”

“With my current strength, I still can’t beat Norn-nee-san though.”

What kind of strongest knows defeat?

I wanted to quickly become the strongest who knows no defeat.

“We’ll become the strongest anyway so it’s fine! More importantly, when you fight me, use your full power, okay? I’m going with killing intent.”

Cornelia grinned broadly.

I also chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll beat you to a pulp without holding back.”

“Yep yep, it wouldn’t be right otherwise.”

With those words, Cornelia settled back into her seat.

The tournament progressed smoothly, and eventually our turn came, just as Cornelia had said.

The final match of the day.

“Now, everyone gathered in the colosseum! Today’s final match is… the prodigy of the Salvatore Ducal House, prestigious among the prestigious, famous for the strongest martial prowess! Luka Salvatore, and though unknown, showing tremendous momentum, Lia!”

“OOOOOOH‼”

The tournament had continued for a long time. With the final highlight match about to begin, the spectators’ excitement reached its peak.

Their tension had dropped and they’d become quiet partway through, but everyone had been conserving energy for this moment.

The announcer stirred up the atmosphere, and cheers thundered through the colosseum.

Basking in them, Cornelia and I stood on the ring. Both of us held wooden swords.

“Ah…! In any situation, in any place! Just thinking about fighting Luka gets me excited!”

Cornelia readied her sword. An astonishing amount of aura emanated from her entire body.

I also readied my sword and released aura.

“I’m happy too that you’ve grown so admirably.”

She’d become much more belligerent and dangerous than the original Cornelia—a woman to my liking.

At this rate, I’d have her become my punching bag. That’s why I took Cornelia’s hand and granted her power.

For just a few seconds, silence fell over the colosseum.

Everyone was speechless, feeling our aura on their skin.

Amounts of aura never shown in previous matches clashed, and eventually, the announcer gave the signal to start the match with a somewhat trembling voice.

“Now then, the tournament finals! Let the final match—begin!”

A loud voice echoed, and hearing it, Cornelia and I simultaneously kicked off the ground.

Just that alone shattered most of the ring. Next, our wooden swords clashed. The impact shook both air and ground, completely destroying the ring.

“Ahahaha! This won’t be much of a match!”

“We’re going to beat each other until one of us passes out anyway, so it doesn’t matter to us!”

Like flashing light, my and Cornelia’s wooden swords repeatedly collided.

Each time, the ring cracked further until there was no trace left.

Out-of-bounds rules? They didn’t matter to us.

To have a proper finals match, we continued crossing blades until one of our consciousnesses was reaped.

Sometimes magic. Sometimes prayer. Sometimes mixing in curses to perform a real fight to the death.

With aura, it didn’t matter whether it was wooden swords or real blades.

My sword sliced through Cornelia’s left arm, severing it.