“Now then, obey my power!”
“!?”
Guld kicked off the ground and charged straight at me.
Fast.
He moved as if wrapped in the wind—smooth, fluid, and yet so fast that the eye could barely follow.
In an instant, he was right in front of me, swinging his demon sword.
I caught the blow with the flat of the Meteor Sword…
And immediately angled my blade, deflecting the edge aside.
The moment his attack flowed past, I countered.
I swung my sword, aiming for Guld’s exposed side as he became completely defenseless, and slammed my blade into him.
Clang!
“What—”
I definitely struck him, but the sensation was dull, and my blade was repelled.
He must be wearing chain mail or something similar underneath.
It’s not like I hadn’t considered such a possibility…
But armor so sturdy that even the Meteor Sword couldn’t cut through it was beyond my expectations.
Wearing something like that should weigh him down considerably…
Yet, Guld was still fast.
“Is that all, brat!?”
“I’m not a brat. My name is Fate!”
I immediately regained my stance and blocked Guld’s relentless assault.
A downward slash from above.
Halfway through, the blade bounced up diagonally.
Then it flew in the opposite direction, swinging horizontally.
A truly unpredictable sword style.
Fast and heavy.
Not only was it hard to read, but every single blow numbed my hands.
“You are…!”
Power like this couldn’t be gained overnight.
Even with a demon sword, one couldn’t master such technique so easily.
This swordsmanship… it belonged to the man himself.
“With power like yours, why would you do things that hurt others!?”
“That is the right of the strong!”
“The right!?”
“The strong command the weak—that is the law of this world! And so, whatever I do, whatever I choose, is my freedom! Yes, this is a privilege granted to me!”
“You…!”
…Memories of a former companion surfaced in my mind.
A man who had risen to A-rank, a true powerhouse.
But gaining strength made him arrogant, deluding himself into thinking he could do anything…
And in the end, he met his ruin.
Having power doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.
It simply means your range of choices becomes wider than that of others.
That should be all it is…
So why does everyone misunderstand it so badly!?
If only people could carry even a little compassion for others, so many things would change.
The world would become so much kinder.
And yet, why…!?
“That’s nothing but arrogance!”
“Spare me your nonsense!”
“If you say you can do anything, if you claim you can make anyone submit… then defeat me!”
“As you wish!”
I will never lose to someone like this.
There’s no way I’ll let myself lose!
My heart burned hot.
Heat flared throughout my body.
I will… defeat you!!!
“Uwaaaaaahhh!!”
“Guh… th-this power!?”
My heart burned.
My feelings burned.
As if turning them into raw strength, I attacked again and again…
And then, suddenly, I noticed something.
“…It’s glowing?”
The blade of the Meteor Sword was faintly shining.
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