Ken yo, kaku katariki – 102
#10 – The Sword is Crying
(…Why did this happen?)
While holding the sword I was given, I looked up at the night sky and sighed.
Show me your skill with a sword—meaning, let’s have a bout.
Of course, I was not obligated to accept. However, things changed as soon as Margrave Racrode clapped his hands and said, ‘splendid!’
Before I knew it, we were moved to the garden.
I looked at the sword in my hand. An edgeless sword for the purpose of dueling…
(But it has been tampered with.)
The tip was light, and the handle heavy. It was clearly no ordinary sword. And while the blade looked impressive, there was likely no iron inside of it.
Something like this would break or bend. A child’s toy.
(…Does he want to win this much?)
The young man who looked at me and grinned— Blamfelt? I looked at him and sighed.
“Yukito.”
I turned just as the Count approached me with an apologetic expression.
“It’s no problem, Count.”
“Aye…”
“I know it’s not what you usually use. Is there a problem with it?”
Asked Margrave Racrode.
I could say that there was…
But I doubted he would listen.
After all, he had volunteered to be mediator, and checked both weapons himself.
And so he should have noticed the issue as soon as he picked it up. But he purposely did nothing.
So he must be on the other side.
“Well, it is fine.”
“Indeed. An expert like you could do well with any weapon.”
…This racoon. His eyes are shining…
As if to say, surely a little disadvantage won’t hurt you?
While it was annoying, I nodded. I would just get tired if I continued to speak with him.
“However, he fights in the Cassandra style, and is considered a genius. Do not lower your guard.”
“I understand.”
…Genius, huh.
Suddenly, I felt someone pull at my sleeve. It was Ms. Iria.
“Teacher…”
“It’s fine.”
I patted her on the head and smiled.
Of course. There was no problem at all.
“Now, we will begin. Step forward!”
The margrave gave the signal, and we took a step forward.
My opponent unsheathed his sword.
…As I thought, it was real, with sharpened edges. And clearly of high quality.
“If you wish to yield, do it now.”
I sighed.
Really. This man….
“…The sword is crying.”
I would not call it cowardly.
Prepare in advance and win. It was a good strategy.
However, this was not a sword that just happened to be like this.
It was made deliberately.
Money was spent. How wasteful.
Indeed, swords were expendable. No matter how good you took care of them, they would chip away and break eventually.
So what about this one that I was holding?
It was dead as soon as it was born. It was never allowed to live.
(Crying.)
About how it wanted to have lived. Even for a second.
“…Begin!!”
“Arrghhhh!!”
As soon as we heard the signal.
Blamfelt shouted and charged at me.
“Die!!”
A downwards swing. Yes, he was not bad. Judging by the way he moved.
However, his attack stopped right before cutting into me.
“Wha…!?”
A false, decorative sword.
And yet it was blocking his blade.
“How…!?”
And no matter how much he pushed, it did not move. He could not even make the blade slide.
It was like he was going against a wall.
The nobles who surrounded us began to murmur to each other. The ones who knew how to fight, understood the significance.
Especially the margrave, who knew that the sword was defective.
“Tsk. Arghhh!”
The man gave up pushing, and began to slash in every direction. But no matter how he swung and thrusted, all of his attacks bounced off without reaching Yukito.
Not only that, but Yukito was doing it with one hand, without moving a single step.
(Impossible! His sword should allow him to be doing this!)
Blamfelt was completely confused.
(Did the margrave betray me? No, it didn’t look like it… Surely he would not want me to be humiliated by this commoner…)
As for Yukito, he was looking back at him without any expression.
“That sword.”
Yukito suddenly said, and the man flinched.
“It’s not yours, is it? Did you just take it from your parent’s house?”
“Wh-what…”
He was right.
Yukito let out a sigh.
“As I said. The blade is crying.”
For a swordsman, the sword was a part of your body. Your soul.
Even if it died eventually. No, because it did.
You could not be a swordsman if you did not love your sword.
Blamfelt’s face became tense and he let out a little shriek. It was something instinctive, that he could not control.
The murderous intent. While only a little of it had spilled out, it was enough to make everyone fall quiet.
“Come.”
“…Arghhhhhh!!”
Was it fear or nerves? Blamfelt raised his voice as he charged.
Everyone thought it. Regardless of who wins, this would be the end.
And so they watched without blinking. And yet…
A sudden wind blew.
But none of the spectators understood what had happened.
However—the results could not be more clear.
Yukito was suddenly standing behind Blamfelt.
And something was pierced into the ground.
It was half of the sword that Blamfelt had been wielding.
“Ah…?”
He looked dumbly at his own hand.
His blade was broken.
The family treasure that he had begged his father to allow him to take out.
“That’s enough!”
The margrave’s voice cut through the air, and the spectators cheered.
And then…a crack appeared, and Yukito’s blade shattered.
“…Good work.”
