“Now then, you’re next.”
“Y-yes!”
Leaving Sakurai, who had completely stopped moving with his gaze fixed on the void, Iris turned her attention to Higaki.
“It’s not strange at all to be jealous when someone you admire is more interested in another person, and that person is ahead of you. ”
“Right!?”
“But what do you think you’re doing by turning it into a fight to the death, you idiot?!”
“Ouch!?”
Higaki, like Sakurai, was struck a little harder on the head, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as the pain arrived belatedly.
The stick Iris wielded was a special weapon that directly impacted the soul orb, and even if one was used to the pain of external injuries, not many were accustomed to the pain of the soul.
“‘I want to be special to the person I admire, and I want to be number one. I’m working hard every day for that, so why is it him!’… It’s not strange to feel that way, and it’s understandable that you can’t forgive it. However, to direct that flame of jealousy towards attacking others is just appalling! What you’re doing is sullying your sword, and the master who taught you the sword!?”
“T-that’s not true!”
“Is your sword meant to kill those you don’t like? Is that how your master made a name for himself?”
Higaki was at a loss for words at Iris’s question.
Even Higaki didn’t think that the Sword Saint, Sanuki Shoichiro, had never swung his sword for personal reasons.
However, as she said, the Sword Saint’s sword had not been used to kill those he disliked, and he was praised as the Sword Saint precisely because he had used his sword to save people from the threat of monsters.
Higaki had also been saved by that sword, which was why she aimed to become a Sword Saint. That sword was so powerful that its flash was still etched in her heart, unfaded.
“Then, then what should I have done!? Every time I see Sakurai’s… his sword, I feel like I’m going insane! I can’t stand it!”
“Then instead of throwing a tantrum, go train, you idiot!!”
Iris cut off Higaki’s lamentation and struck her head with the strongest bonk yet!
Higaki, whose rising flame of jealousy had been extinguished, fell silent with a face like she had bitten into a bitter bug.
Iris, seeing this, sighed softly, and then spoke to her in a more admonishing tone.
“Listen carefully, Higaki-san. I understand from talking to him that he has devoted all of his time to training, except for sleeping and eating. Even when you were enjoying family time, laughing with friends, or studying. Judging from his demeanor, he has been like that since he was old enough to understand things. The amount of time he has physically spent on the sword is different.”
“…”
“I don’t want to say this in front of him, but… well… I think he is far inferior to you in terms of talent. He has given up everything and poured everything into training, and he has finally reached the same place as you. If you were to acknowledge and praise that effort, that would be one thing, but to try to eliminate him… of course he would be furious. Or rather, there’s no way he wouldn’t be furious after having the sword he inherited from his master taken away from him unreasonably. I think you understand that feeling well, don’t you?”
“I, I…”
“You are from the same school, aren’t you? He is your senior disciple, isn’t he? Shouldn’t you have ‘learned’ from him instead of ‘attacking’ him? The only two disciples who inherited the master’s sword, killing each other and extinguishing their own swords from the world. No one wants that, or so I believe.”
With that, Iris crouched down, made eye contact with Higaki, and smiled.
Her smile was soft and warm, but the words she had spoken were heavy and weighed on her heart. Because Higaki was a reasonable person, especially when the Sword Saint was not involved, she could clearly understand what was being said and reflect on her own shortcomings.
One was stunned and frozen, while the other was downcast and silent.
Iris clapped her hands lightly to draw the attention of the two, and then began her final summary.
“For now, this matter will be settled with a stern warning and a one-week ban from entering the ‘Tower’. Also, you will each spend tomorrow in separate reflection rooms. Spend the day reflecting on yourselves and have a proper discussion. If there is anything, you can call me, Iris Niflheim, and I will come. That’s all, do you understand?”
She finished speaking.
And while watching the backs of the two being led to separate places by the waiting staff, and while recalling the ‘passion’ they had emitted.
“With owners of that much ‘passion’, it would be bad if they went in the wrong direction… I have to keep an eye on them.”
She muttered to herself that she couldn’t leave them alone, and sighed softly.