Chapter 23: Elise Gladius
“Hey, what are you spacing out for? We’re going to do this!”
Elise, with a puzzled expression hovering above her head, finally snapped to attention when I called out to her again. She drew her sword and took a stance—only to suddenly look startled.
“What on earth are you?”
Elise asked me, her face etched with concern. There it was again, her brow furrowing.
“I’m just me, you know that. As you all are aware, I’m Yamada Ichiro, the Holy Knight.”
“Then, what about that battle earlier…”
Her words trailed off, but I understood perfectly what she was trying to convey. She was clearly confused because the “me” she knew and the “me” she had seen with her own eyes were different.
It would be easy to answer her question with words. I could simply say, “I am your master.” But more than wanting her to understand who I was, I was troubled by the fact that she, who should have touched the pinnacle of swordsmanship, had been defeated by a No-Skill, and the grim expression she had shown during that battle lingered in my mind.
“Well, it doesn’t really matter who I am. More importantly, let’s cross swords again after such a long time.”
You’re not just that, are you? Swinging your sword should be something much more enjoyable for you. I pondered how to convey my feelings to her, but in the end, I could only choose this clumsy method of crossing swords.
“After such a long time…?”
Her confusion deepened at my words. But I ignored it and readied my sword in my left hand, drawing it from its sheath once more.
“Come on, we don’t have much time.”
We were still in the midst of exploring the Labyrinth. This wasn’t the time for such things. I hopped a couple of times to loosen my shoulders and then lunged at Elise.
“Hah!!”
Elise, a beat behind, swiftly drew her Affirmative Sword and parried my strike.
“Alright then, let’s do that thing. Make sure you can handle it.”
This was—a reenactment of that time.
I struck at her with my sword. One strike, two strikes, three strikes—then I continued to unleash a flurry of blows without pause. She still appeared bewildered, but I had no intention of stopping. The sound of our swordplay rang out like a chorus of clashing metal.
As our exchanges approached the high double digits and neared triple digits, I consciously began to increase my speed.
“This is… no way, it can’t be…”
Elise murmured something, but I paid it no mind and kept swinging my sword. The sound of our swordplay echoed relentlessly.
However, it was all too fragile—
“Ugh…”
Eventually, Elise could no longer endure and dropped her sword.
“That’s not a bad sword, you know.”
Elise had been wielding the Affirmative Sword.
“Elise, that Holy Sword suits you perfectly.”
—Indeed. It is fitting for you.
My feelings had not changed since that time. Elise, with a troubled expression, listened to my words.
“So return that thing and draw the Holy Sword.”
Even though the “me” she knew was not a good person, she didn’t argue against my words. Instead, she revealed her feelings to me.
“I can’t use the Holy Sword. I must not be worthy as its wielder, so I can’t even draw it from its sheath.”
Elise wore the darkest expression I had seen since we reunited.
“That’s not true… You are the wielder of the Holy Sword, Elise. I, its former user, recognized you, and the Holy Sword itself must have recognized you too.”
“Then why can’t I?!”
Elise’s expression shifted in an instant. I could feel the anger in her voice.
“Why can’t I draw the Holy Sword?!”
Tears streamed down her face. I had seen her fully unleash the potential of the Holy Sword. That was proof that she had been acknowledged by it.
“—Its True Name is Guardian Sword Rifire.”
I conveyed the True Name of the Holy Sword to her as she wept uncontrollably. As if responding to my voice, Guardian Sword Rifire began to glow softly.
“Elise, call it by its True Name.”
“True Name…?”
“Yes. The Holy Sword can fully unleash its power when its wielder knows its True Name.”
Upon hearing my words, she positioned Guardian Sword Rifire beside her and placed her hand on it.
“Guardian Sword Rifire!! Lend me your power!!”
With a swift motion, she drew it from its sheath.
The light that spilled from Guardian Sword Rifire enveloped Elise.
“This feeling…”
Elise traced her fingers lovingly from the hilt to the tip of the blade.
“Indeed, that sword suits you perfectly.”
—No! The Holy Sword belongs to my master! It is meant for my master!
—No, it is you, who has devoted everything to the sword—Elise Gladius—who truly deserves this Holy Sword!
I recalled our past exchanges and murmured with deep emotion. And then—
“Here I come!!”
With my voice, I unleashed a barrage of strikes at Elise. Undeterred, she effortlessly parried every single one. The light surrounding her began to intensify.
“Ah, ah…”
Her face twisted in a mixture of emotions.
“This can’t be…”
Our strikes began to synchronize perfectly. The sound of our swordplay transformed into a harmonious melody, the intervals between each clash shortening. I felt a sense of comfort in the rhythm of our exchanges. It was just like that day long ago.
“Is this… reality?”
As she murmured, the light enveloping her grew even stronger. It became so intense that it was no longer a mere illusion, and I felt a gentle warmth emanating from it.
“Why am I…”
Elise, perhaps unconsciously, shed tears without end. Yet her sword did not falter; rather, it began to shine with terrifying clarity as time passed. I was in awe of her concentration.
“This is wonderful, after all.”
It was a joy to cross swords with her. I reminisced about those days—those distant pasts. Those jewel-like days would never return.
But still, Elise stood before me—she was undeniably here.
She was indeed a bundle of talent.
The more she swung her sword, the faster it became. The more she swung, the more refined her technique grew.
I reaffirmed that once again.
Gigi-gigi-gigi—finally, the sound of our swordplay intertwined like a single thread.
“What’s with that face?”
Elise’s tear-streaked, snotty expression was so amusing that I couldn’t help but realize my own vision was blurred with tears.
“You’re crying too, aren’t you?”
Back then, I had always thought it was natural for her to be by my side.
“I’m not crying.”
I had met Elise about a year after I had completely separated from Mika and Ange. Looking back now, I realize I was on the verge of being crushed by loneliness back then.
—Where I am is where my master is! Where my master is, is where I am! This is the natural order!
And without a doubt, it was Elise who saved me.
—I don’t want to leave you alone.
Thanks to her declaration, light pierced through my darkness.
“No way! You’re crying!”
With her dignified presence, she called me “Master” every day, and simply being by my side, doing her usual silly things, was enough to save me.
Every mundane day spent with her sparkled brightly. Each day with her by my side was something special, irreplaceable.
And above all, I—back then—loved her more than anyone else.
In response to our feelings, the light released from the Holy Sword reached its climax.
Within the light that enveloped us, Elise took a deep breath and unleashed her fastest, most powerful strike that I knew of.
“Autobahn!”
The preparations for activation were complete.
What I unleashed was merely a simulated speed, relying on swiftness.
“Wha…?!”
The voice of astonishment came from Elise.
My sword glided smoothly against hers, twisting upward—within the depths of her eyes, I could see the flames of determination flickering. Just as my sword was about to complete its finishing motion, it was ensnared by her soft, water-like blade and sent crashing down to the ground.
I let out a breath, wiping my sweat and tears-soaked face with the back of my hand.
“Well done! I knew you could do it!”
But I couldn’t finish my sentence.
“Master!!”
I was suddenly knocked down by Eris, who was sobbing uncontrollably.
“Jijooooo!! Jijooooo!! Aaaahhh!!”
I sat down on the ground, and she soaked my chest with her tears. Faced with my beloved disciple’s relentless crying, I struggled to find the right words to comfort her, so I simply continued to gently stroke her hair.
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On July 16th, the comic adaptation of this work was released. The talented manga artist Yuchi Su has beautifully illustrated the first chapter featuring Sena and Sensei in stunning color! If you’re interested, please check it out!