Duel Beyond Life and Death

All the scenery surrounding him was being filled with his sword and Rian's sword.

Shirone, who had dropped his sword, staggered backward.

"…Haha."

The sword, too, is infinite. He had experienced the infinity created by the two swords.

'So this is the path that swordsmen have chosen.'

He, too, had chosen the infinite path of magic, and that sense of kinship put him in a good mood.

'Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I might not be able to return.'

There was no regret.

Rian must have felt the same way.

He was simply relieved that, standing on the brink of life and death, he was able to witness such a magnificent world.

Deng, deng, deng...

The bell rang, signaling 11 o'clock.

Rian, who sought what he could not have, and Shirone, who had done everything he could.

The stark contrast between the two boys' clash was now just an hour away.

At the grand training hall.

Arriving precisely on time, Shirone saw that Rian had already arrived and was waiting.

The battle had essentially begun.

The two stood still, no longer moving, only gazing at each other's swords.

"Let's begin."

Rian's weapon was also a longsword.

The overwhelming and bold Ozhent swordsmanship was originally more suited to a greatsword than a longsword.

But that was only when the Schema was opened.

Therefore, choosing the longsword was not out of consideration for his opponent but because it was more suitable for himself.

Rian carefully observed Shirone's stillness-in-motion stance, which he had learned at the beginner level of swordsmanship.

His center of gravity was more stable than before.

'Is that really possible?'

Discovering Rye's talent in Shirone, Rian suddenly had a thought.

That guy might really have never learned swordsmanship.

'More than anything… He says it's his first time holding a sword, so how can he be so calm? Is he not afraid of death?'

Rian, too, feared death. That's why he trained endlessly, finding courage through it.

'No matter how talented he is, he can't match my training volume. So how…?'

Of course, Shirone knew as well.

As a beginner in swordsmanship, he couldn't handle a duel of life and death as smoothly as Rian.

So, he had undergone special training.

'If I can't overcome fear, I just have to understand it.'

He called it 'jumping off a cliff.'

If one didn't imagine the next moment, anyone could jump off a cliff.

'Fear lies in the future. And the future is nothing more than a nonexistent illusion.'

Like an absolute ruler calmly enjoying a banquet even with rebels right before him.

Shirone imagined himself standing on a cliff.

He stepped forward with his right foot, then his left foot followed, leaving his body suspended in the air.

'Until you fall, you haven't fallen. Until you die, you aren't dead.'

Understanding the essence of danger. That's why cold intelligence was sometimes more terrifying than a warrior's bravery.

And as his mind became so composed, the stability of his Spirit Zone skyrocketed.

"Here I come!"

At some point, Rian had already closed the distance.

A flash seemed to streak before his eyes—swordsmanship clearly on a different level from his own.

'But… I can feel it.'

Sensing the trajectory of the sword through synesthesia, Shirone calmly leaned back.

When Rian saw Shirone dodging his sword with his eyes open, shock spread across his face.

'He's watching the sword?'

Even seasoned practitioners struggled to dodge a real blade just by looking at it.

But the sword, too, is infinite.

As the number of attacks increased, blind spots began to appear in Shirone's synesthesia.

At the moment the blade grazed his chest, his Spirit Zone shook violently.

Shirone's heart dropped.

'Damn it!'

At this rate, he would be struck.

However, contrary to his expectations, Rian continued attempting big attacks rather than finishing moves.

Thanks to that, Shirone predicted the next trajectory and threw his body aside, narrowly escaping death.

'Why is he…?'

A simple sidestep could have ended it.

Yet, Rian continued his exaggerated movements, seemingly unaware of Shirone's distress.

It was then that Shirone realized—

'His understanding of swordsmanship is lower than I expected.'

Although he executed techniques skillfully, he lacked a fundamental understanding of their purpose.

'In that case…'

Shirone adjusted his assessment of Rian's skill.

Overconfidence was dangerous, but overestimating an opponent could also eliminate chances for a counterattack.

'I will attack.'

As Shirone suddenly shifted to offense, Rian faltered and stepped back.

"Urgh!"

Dozens of exchanges followed, and the tension of defending rapidly drained Rian's stamina.

'Damn it! This can't be happening! This isn't possible!'

It was just basic slashes.

'Why is it so hard to block? I can't even see them properly.'

Suddenly, he remembered Rye.

The detestable face that had subdued him with one hand and sneered during their match two years ago.

"Don't make me laugh!"

Rian shouted and charged.

"I will become the world's greatest swordsman!"

Shirone was puzzled.

Charging forward in a crisis was commendable, but this reckless approach was just courting death.

'Does he not want to win? Why is he being so stubborn? Is he even thinking?'

And at some point, Shirone realized—

'Huh?'

Rian's movements were unreadable.

By emptying his mind and swinging, his sword became unpredictably chaotic.

"I won't lose! I will surpass you!"

As Rian seized the upper hand, Shirone's stamina finally hit rock bottom.

He had conserved his strength as efficiently as possible, but the sheer difference in training volume was undeniable.

The sword felt heavy in his hands.

"This ends now!"

With his longsword lowered, Rian rushed forward, aiming an upward strike at Shirone's chin.

"Ugh!"

Reacting instinctively, Shirone put all his remaining strength into swinging his sword downward.

With a sharp clang, one of the swords flew into the air and embedded itself far in the training ground.

Silence fell.

As the two glared at each other, panting heavily, Rian was the first to lower his gaze.

Shirone's sword was pointed at his solar plexus.

'Just before the clash…'

Shirone had twisted his wrist, striking Rian's sword from below.

With added momentum and impact, the exhausted Rian had no choice but to let go of his sword.

'That was even possible?'

It wasn't a technique one could attempt with certainty.

Only a mind solely focused on achieving its goal could determine victory and defeat.

Shirone did not let his guard down.

"Huff… Huff…"

He wanted to collapse on the spot, but he couldn't let go of the life he had fought so hard to keep.

And in the next moment—

"Heh, I lost."

Rian admitted his defeat.

"Ah, I lost again."

Scratching his head roughly, Rian's fierce aura had completely disappeared.

He had trained to his limit and fought his best, so there was no lingering regret.

"You won. I have no right to complain even if you kill me."

That childish remark irritated Shirone even more.

"Are you joking right now?"

"What?"

"If I kill you, do you think I'd just walk away alive?"