Chapter 120: Everything...
{TL: By Creed}
Just by standing here facing her, my body can't stop trembling.
I feel like my heart is about to break from fear.
But still...
I grit my teeth, grip my sword, and push off the ground.
“Yaaaaah!!!”
I strike with all my strength and speed.
I think I managed to deliver a fairly decent attack, even if I say so myself...
However, my sword doesn't reach Sofia.
Like an illusion, Sofia’s figure disappears, and my sword cuts through the air.
Immediately, I feel an intense pressure from the right side.
Reflexively, I forcefully tilt my sword, which I had just swung, to use it as a shield.
Clang!!!
With a harsh impact, I was sent flying far away.
“Ah…”
Ignoring the pain all over my body, I get up, only to see my sword broken in the middle.
This sword was something I bought today at the weapon shop in town, specifically for this practice session.
It wasn't some famous sword, but it was made of a layered alloy, which I was told wouldn't break easily unless something extreme happened...
And yet, it broke so easily.
No, maybe this just shows how incredible Sofia is
I don't think that last strike was even at full power.
It was probably just a probing attack.
And yet, it shattered my sword so easily...
"What’s the matter? Should we call it a day?"
"No, not yet!"
I swapped out my sword and readied myself again.
Up until now, I had been able to hold my own against Sofia during our training sessions.
With her exceptional physical abilities and talent, I couldn't win, but I could at least keep up for a while.
I had a certain level of confidence.
But that was arrogance.
In practice, I might be able to fight Sofia to some extent.
However, in a real battle, it was a different story.
In a practice session that was as close to the real thing as possible, my strength was insignificant.
I couldn't even touch her, and she toyed with me effortlessly.
Even so...
"Haaaaah!!!"
"Yah!"
"Uwaaaah!!!"
As expected, my sword didn't reach her at all.
I was sent flying repeatedly, or her sword was thrust right in front of me.
If this were a real battle, I would have died over a hundred times by now.
How many hours had passed since we started training?
My entire body was battered.
Thanks to Sofia’s care, I didn't have any broken bones or fatal injuries...
But I had wounds all over my body, and these hurt even more.
There was a suffocating, strangling pain, like being choked by a silk cloth, and both my body and mind were screaming in agony.
"...Do you want to keep going?"
"Hah, hah, hah... Of course!"
"We’ve been crossing swords for hours, and you haven’t managed to reach me even once. Do you still want to continue?"
"That’s..."
"Are you scared to fight me seriously?"
"..."
"If so, there's no need to push yourself. Even if you stop here, I won’t blame you. No one will. In fact, I think you'd be praised for how hard you've worked so far. So, why don't we call it a day?"
"But... that's... I..."
It felt like she was telling me to give up.
To Sofia, the Sword Saint, my strength was nothing significant.
Even with high physical abilities, it didn't mean much in actual combat.
That's how it felt...
No.
Sofia wouldn't say something meaningless like that.
She was strict, but she was also a very kind girl.
There must be some intention behind her words.
The purpose is...
"...Ah."
Suddenly, I realized something.
Up until now, I had been swinging my sword recklessly, trying to overcome my fear of Sofia...
But what would forcing myself to overcome fear achieve?
In the end, forcing it would still leave me distorted... could I really call that growth?
Instead of trying to force my way through, shouldn't I accept the fear?
Blind courage isn't true bravery.
Rather than forcibly suppressing or overcoming fear...
I should accept everything, make it my own... and then move forward.
That is, surely... the right path.
"..."
To Sofia, who was silently asking how long I intended to continue, I responded by raising my sword.
Sofia also raised her sword.
I thought I saw a slight smile on her lips.
What I must do is not to overcome but to accept.
I will use that strength to make the sword my own!
"Haaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
Fear, impatience, dread... I accepted every negative emotion in my heart and channeled them into my sword.
Then I unleashed it all towards Sofia.
"......"
"......"
My sword didn’t reach Sofia.
But for the first time, I succeeded in making her defend.
Our swords clashed, grinding against each other.
But that was my limit.
I had no strength left to continue, and the sword slipped from my hands.
My body collapsed as well...
"Well done, Fate."
As my consciousness faded, I saw Sofia smiling gently.
TL Note: Sofia is soft on Fate.
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