Please Read : You can support me by find akadaka on patre0n. And sorry for grammatical errors because I am not a native speaker, I'll try to improve it with all my might.
—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima
Genre : Adventure, Action, Friendship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance
Summary : being the second strongest does not necessarily guarantee victory in every battle. He lost, and he had failed. However, he got a second chance in another world. With the burden of the past haunting him, how will his story in the world full of magical powers be?
Chapter 3: An uncertainty feeling.
—OoOoO—
Two years have passed since Yuta arrived in Magnolia and met his half-sister, Cana Alberona. Not only Cana, but he also met Gray, a boy the same age as Cana. A lot of things had happened between them at that time. And Cana filled most of them by asking Yuta to teach her because the girl saw him as an extraordinary prodigy.
The two grew up well. Yuta dedicated his savings, which he initially used for travel capital, to support his life in Magnolia with Cana. The boy rented an apartment on the outskirts of the city. It was inexpensive but comfortable for both of them to live in. Although at first, Cana was hesitant to move in with her brother. However, she never knew about him before. And yet she made up her mind to live under the same roof with Yuta.
It was the best choice she had ever made since her mother died. She had been looking for the warmth of a family that she could always rely on. She sought that warmth to Magnolia to pursue her father, who didn't even know the existence of his own daughter. She experienced severe depression and self-doubt because she felt inadequate and unnoticed. However, that all changed when her older brother, Yuta Okkotsu, came and gave her the warmth of the family she had always wanted.
"Come here, you little bitch!"
Cana ran between the dense trees. Even though the scream chased her, the girl didn't bother to look back. The goal was simple for her. She just needed to do what she needed to do.
"Bastard, how can such a small girl outrun an adult?"
The person after her was a man, probably in his early 30s. He was dressed like a mountain bandit with a cloth covering his head.
"Bastard…," he muttered in annoyance.
The man stretched his arms forward. By concentrating mana into his hand, an orange magic circle was formed.
"Fire Magic: Fireball."
With the incantation he cast, a one-metre diameter fireball shot out of the magic circle. The scorching magic shot towards the girl he was chasing.
Realising that she had become a target, Cana glanced back. Her eyes never left the fire-based magic projectile that was fired. Her concentration was not shaken at all. She had a rough estimate of the speed and pace of the magic. However, most of it resulted from the experiences she has honed over the year.
When the fireball was only one metre away from her, Cana, with good reflexes, turned her body to the right to avoid the magic's advance.
'I did it. I dodged eight shots in a row today!' Cana thought happily, 'I knew it. Listening to Yuta onii-chan's advice is the best, even though it was a little doubtful at first.'
—OoOoO—
"Eh? Magic Energy Tracking? Why should I train it, anyway? I don't want to be a sensor type, you know?"
Cana lay on the grass with sweat drenching her body and shortness of breath.
"You said you wanted to follow my training method, didn't you? This is one of what I've been doing since I could use curs-I mean magic," replied Yuta, who was still standing straight even though sweat was visible in several corners of his body.
"I don't understand. Master said that your reserves of magical energy are unbelievably abundant. But why are you focusing on such basic techniques?"
Yuta just looked at Cana with his usual warm smile. Before answering, the boy, 11 years old, wiped the sweat off his face using his shirt sleeve. However, Cana was impatient. The girl sat and then spoke again.
"I would understand if your reason for using the Body Reinforcement technique was for defence. However, you instead use it for close combat and even wield a sword. I mean, what you're doing is more like a knight than a wizard."
Once again, Yuta just smiled kindly. However, instead of giving an answer, the boy threw back a question.
"Is there a rule that a wizard can't fight with a sword?"
Cana was silent, faced with the question. Before even meeting Yuta a year ago, she had been hanging out with the people of Fairy Tail since she was six. She saw how the wizards fought and used their magic. However, she had never seen a wizard who used a sword as the primary weapon.
Maybe Gildarts was an exception because of the unique nature of his magic. But Yuta was a different case. Even though he could do summoning magic, he didn't seem interested in any spells other than that. However, her older brother dedicated his time to training the three basic techniques: magic control, body reinforcement, and tracking magical energy.
Cana shook her head at Yuta's question.
"There's nothing against it, but it's also unusual. Even fath-I mean, Gildarts didn't train those three basics to such an insane level as you, Onii-chan."
If this was his old world, Cana's question would be easy to answer. However, this was a new world, his new reality. Even though both possessed supernatural powers that could manipulate the laws of physics to a certain degree, the culture that developed in this world was very different.
Because of that, Yuta thought about how he should answer correctly. It was not just about theory but also reasonable answers that could be accepted with the cultural logic rooted in this world.
"That's because Gildarts can destroy anything he touches using magic is already extraordinary, though. However, forget about Gildarts. How do you think wizards use their magic?"
Cana tilted her head and replied, "Eh? Isn't that obvious? We will cast a spell and then fire it at the opponent? Though there are cases like a summoner, who tends to stand in the back."
"Exactly. Because of that, Gildarts and Master, who fight using their body, will stand out from the others."
"But isn't that because their magic supports it?" asked Cana, who still didn't understand, "Meanwhile, you, like I said before, train your close combat skills and basic techniques more than anyone else."
Yuuta smiled again.
"Wizards fight by firing their magic from medium or long distances. Meanwhile, the spells that are fired tend to have a straight path. Now imagine this. What happens if you train Magic Energy Tracking to a level to sense the mana flow a wizard uses while casting a spell and are about to shoot it?"
She gasped at her older brother's explanation. Cana, from the beginning, was a smart girl. With just a little encouragement and guidance, she could connect the dots to connect the outline of her older brother was trying to convey.
"Then we can predict the attack path?" asked Cana to make sure.
Yuta nodded in satisfaction and replied, "Right. It is complicated for attackers to change the shot line. That's why wizards generally make up for this shortcoming by accelerating the speed of their magic. Whatever it was, if you could sense the mana flow being used, you could guess the attack's direction. However, elite wizards may have better energy control, so their mana flow is more difficult to perceive until the magic is fired. That's why deepening Body Reinforcement is necessary when meeting with these elites."
Yuta's explanation amazed Cana. Her eyes lit up at the idea her older brother had proposed. Indeed, it was something simple and only relied on basic concepts. However, the difference would be obvious if you could master the technique to a level others never imagined.
Cana wanted to ask again. She wanted to quench her thirst that had been rekindled by her enthusiasm. However, she discouraged that intention when she saw her older brother, who was about to continue his explanation.
"Gildarts and Master are few of the wizards who are aware of this loophole, which is why they are honing their close combat skills. So, if Cana-chan wants to be something other than an average wizard, you must think out of the box. Only then you can stand on equal footing with Master or even Gildarts."
—OoOoO—
Cana didn't want to just be swallowed up by the utopia she felt. Even if she dodged the attack, it only meant that her distance from the pursuer was shortened. To regain her hard-won distance advantage, Cana quickly took a card from her bag.
Just as she turned 180 degrees, she threw the card at her pursuer. She didn't mind her aim, but she made sure it at least hit the bandit. Because of that, instead of seeing how the bandit reacted to the card she threw, Cana turned her body 180 degrees again and ran away from him.
Meanwhile, the bandit was slightly surprised by Cana's brilliant reaction. He had initially intended to use the fireball attack to close the distance. However, he didn't expect Cana to do the same thing—by throwing a card at him—to widen the distance again. Cana's counterattack wasn't that significant, but it was enough to make up for a one-second difference in their distance.
He didn't see the card the girl threw as anything dangerous. However, because the direction of the throw was directly at his head, he had to tilt his head. Unfortunately, because he had underestimated a little girl's attack, the side of the card grazed his neck, making him wince as blood started seeping out.
"I swear I will kill you even if you are just a child."
Cana glanced back when she heard the curse. She paid attention to her surroundings and noticed the signs that her comrade had previously left. That way, Cana knew what she should do next.
Cana slowed down her speed, ensuring she was in the right momentum. Unfortunately, the bandit thought the little girl was running out of stamina. He was eager to increase the speed to immediately catch her.
Cana, still leading several metres ahead, felt a strange and familiar sensation when her feet hit the ground.
'Here.'
It was an area that she and co had marked. When her feet entered the area, Cana strengthened Body Reinforcement again to increase acceleration. Seeing the little girl he was chasing suddenly pick up her speed surprised the bandit because he thought she was running out of steam.
The bandit didn't want to lose. Even though he had reached the max speed limit, he didn't want to be humiliated by a ten-year-old girl. Thus, he forced his body to move even faster. However, his narrow vision failed to notice the slight difference in the ground.
In fact, there wasn't much of a difference except that the land in that area didn't have a single blade of grass growing. It was a clue unless you looked closely.
And when the bandit's feet entered, he could feel a slippery sensation on the bottom of his shoe. His foot slipped slightly as if he were walking on a glass surface splashed with water. His balance faltered because of the stark difference in the ground. However, he quickly regained his balance.
Unfortunately, before he could do so, the slippery footing he had felt vanished. It wasn't like the ground had disappeared, but something beneath it seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Trap? That girl set a trap and covered it with dirt?"
It was not a deep hole. Maybe only two metres deep. The bandit panicked if there were sharp sticks or something ready to stab him. However, those worries were dispelled when he saw nothing inside.
"What? So, is this just to slow me down or something?"
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Something the bandits didn't know about. Inside the trap hole, no sharp weapons were ready to stab him. However, it was purposely constructed to lower the opponent's alertness, even if it was only a little.
When one fell into a trap, let alone fell into a pit dug, one would have to at least expect something like sharp objects or a herd of monsters in the hole ready to welcome. Because of that, a person who fell over would immediately be on high alert. However, what would happen if there was nothing inside the pitfall? Psychologically, he would feel relieved, lower his alertness, and focus more on something that might be dropped from the top of the hole.
And that gap was what Cana was after.
"Onii-chan always said to put a trap under a trap," Cana smirked while remembering the lesson Yuta gave her.
"Card Release: Shackle Chain."
Hidden in the subsoil of the pit trap, Cana had placed her cards. When the bandit focused on the top of the hole, he didn't notice that the cards that Cana had hidden where he stood were now glowing in response to the spell that Cana was chanting.
It didn't last long, though. The bandit immediately noticed some magical activity under his feet.
"Shit."
He cursed and immediately jumped up. However, it was already too late. The cards that Cana put there released the chains that entangled the bandit. It bound his body so tightly that he found it difficult to move his arms.
Being tied up in chains in a pitfall was something really ridiculous. If he didn't get out of this situation soon, the worst ending that awaited him might be being buried alive.
'That brat is just relying on traps. With her small body, she wouldn't be good at head-to-head combat,' muttered the bandit in his mind, 'Regardless, I have to get out of this hole first.'
Luckily for him, the chains didn't bind his legs, so he could still move around pretty well. The bandit immediately jumped high out of the hole. However, while he was in the air, something was right by his side to greet him.
"Ice-Make: Hammer."
The huge hammer made of ice kissed the bandit and sent him flying several metres. Even though their target had just been hit by a heavy attack, that didn't necessarily make Cana stand still. She dashed towards the bandit before her opponent could do anything.
Cana shot up and then jumped, gliding through the air towards the man. She bent her leg back, letting it touch her opponent's nose. Her tiny body reinforced with Body Reinforcement gave him a knee that had an enough effect of making him stagger backwards.
Not stopping, Cana, who landed behind her opponent, immediately twisted her body and raised her left leg to deliver a high kick to the side of the bandit's head. Cana continued to turn her body again and then kicked the bandit at the same point with her heel. The kick successfully sent the bandit knocked to the ground.
Not wanting to waste any chance, Cana grabbed the still-chained bandit and threw him at her partner. Gray understood Cana's point. Besides, this wasn't the first time they had worked together. He immediately formed a symbol using his spell-casting hand.
"Ice-Make: Ice Impact."
An ice hammer bigger than before appeared above Gray. With the right timing and following the movement of his hand, the hammer stabbed and stuck the bandit's body into the ground.
Facing the sudden successive attacks caused the bandit's consciousness to fade. However, both Cana and Gray didn't let their guard down just like that. They took out the handcuffs that could bind the magic, which had previously been prepared, and then handcuffed the bandit.
"Huff, this is the second target, isn't it?" Cana asked, while wiping her sweat.
Gray looked at Cana. Instead of answering that, he had something else he wanted to say.
"Even though you didn't learn many spells, your progress is fast, huh?"
"Well, it's not like I learned nothing. Onii-chan said to further hone my understanding of mana and the properties of Card Magic," replied Cana.
"But I still don't understand Yuta's way of thinking and his methods."
Cana, who finished handcuffing the bandit, stood up.
"If you're curious, you can join our practice, you know?"
Gray shook his head and replied, "No thanks. Unless Yuta can teach me ice magic, I might consider it."
Cana sighed at the reply. Grey's response was very similar to how she used to doubt Yuta's training.
"You won't understand until you try, right?"
Even with Cana's persuasion, Gray remained stubborn in his stance.
"If it's just Body Reinforcement and Energy Control, I can train them along with the missions and experiences I go through. After all, don't you think too highly of Yuta?"
Gray's words slightly offended Cana. She stared at the boy with furrowed brows and pursed lips. Realising the change in the reaction that she showed, Gray immediately corrected his sentence so it wouldn't cause misunderstandings.
"It is not like that. I mean, I know he's strong. His hand-to-hand combat skills and swordsmanship are also extraordinary. However, he had never performed a high-level spell. The only magic I've ever seen is the summoning he showed when we met two years ago."
'You just don't know what kind of creature Onii-chan has always hidden all this time,' thought the girl.
Cana exhaled to relieve her emotions. She was still angry that Gray had underestimated her brother's abilities. However, it wasn't like Cana didn't understand where he was coming from.
"All right, all right. I won't force you if you don't want to. Just come if you change your mind."
Gray knew that the 10-year-old girl was still upset because he had underestimated her brother. Even though it wasn't his true intention, Cana couldn't help it. Instead of continuing the conversation, ending the discussion was the best choice before they got into a fight over a trivial matter.
"Speaking of Yuta, where is he? He said he would deal with them alone, while he only let us take care of the two bandits. I mean, will he be okay? I heard their number around 30."
Cana just sighed with a crooked smile.
"He will be fine. If they were all on the same level as this bandit, it wouldn't be a problem for Onii-chan."
To be honest, Gray rarely took on the same mission as Yuta. Gray often went out with Cana, though. So, apart from the sparring that Yuta often did at the guild, the Ice Wizard rarely saw Yuta's abilities. Yuta often acted as a guide and mentor, even if they were on the same mission.
"You go get the cart," Cana said to Gray, "We're going to Onii-chan's place."
Gray looked at Cana while raising his eyebrows.
"You know where he is?"
Cana nodded as she took out a card from her sling bag. Inside the card was a portrait of Yuta with a blue pointer in the middle.
"Inside this card is sealed his residual energy. I developed this simple spell, which will always point where he is."
This technique was the original spell that Cana had cultivated. Even if it was just something trivial, it resulted from her hard work after understanding the properties of Card Magic. Even though Yuta's role couldn't be set aside in its development, Cana was still proud of this achievement.
—OoOoO—
On the other side of the forest, a 12-year-old boy wearing a long-sleeved shirt and black pants was standing straight, looking around him. Bloodstains—belonging to whom—were stuck to his clothes and even his face. His black shirt had several torn marks and even burn holes. Surprisingly, even when looking at the marks, there were no wounds on the boy's skin.
Around where he was standing, about 30 bodies were lying helpless. In fact, some of them were stuck in trees. They weren't all dead, but they didn't have the slightest strength to move their bodies. Even if they had, they were too scared to do it. Because the second they tried to do something, they wouldn't know what kind of painful thing the brat would drop.
"Urgh…."
The boy looked down when he heard a groan from someone whose name he didn't even know.
"Please, forgive… me."
The former sorcerer rolled his eyes lazily. He could no longer count how many words of pleading he had heard. However, all that did not shake him. On the contrary, he gave a cold, condescending gaze to the man sprawled weakly beneath him with a sword thrust into his chest.
"Not only robbery, but your group also commits kidnapping, rape, murder, selling organs, and even human trafficking. To be honest, I want to give you the worst experience to the extent that you pray that death is as merciful as you can expect from me. However, our client expects you to be captured alive."
Yuta felt reluctant to continue standing. Then, he sat down next to the head of the man lying in pain because of the sword stuck in his chest. The boy bent his knees and pressed them to his chest while his hands wrapped around them.
"Well, work is work. Whatever I am with you, the client's wishes are a priority. After all, if anyone has the right to judge your sins, it should be your victims."
Just as Yuta could sit back and look at the horizon, he felt a small object coming toward him from the sky. It wasn't a threat, but a shikigami he had secretly sent to watch over Cana and Gray.
"I guess that's all we talk about. I must save this sword before they arrive. Besides, I don't want Gray-kun to see where I keep this sword, or he will misunderstand me if I ally with a demon."
Yuta stood up. He then pointed his right hand at the sword embedded in the man's chest. He adjusted the sword to the right and left, intending to loosen the grip so that it would be easier to draw from the body. However, what he did just add tremendous pain to the man.
Before he could draw it, Yuta poured cursed energy into the sword. However, the energy continued to flow into the man's body. It wasn't ordinary cursed energy, but the positive energy he generated from changing the nature of cursed energy using the Reverse Cursed Technique.
Cursed energy was negative energy produced by various kinds of human emotions. Even though it was called negative energy, it didn't have to come from negative emotions. In fact, overwhelming emotions such as love, happiness, pride, and even hope could be sources of negative energy. For this reason, cursed energy was a manifestation of impure because various kinds of human emotions polluted it.
Negative energy—the nature of cursed energy—was destructive. Not just something that was used to fight and kill, this energy was subconsciously often used to condemn others. It became one of the greatest sources of disaster in his old world.
Meanwhile, the Reverse Cursed Technique was a technique that made it possible to reverse the nature of the negative energy. Or rather, like the Yin-Yang, where the concept of dualism always occurred. The Reverse Cursed Technique could generate a positive charge of cursed energy. And different from negative energy, which has destructive properties, positive energy could be used to regenerate injuries. Depending on the user's skill, it could also be used to restore lost organs.
And that was what Yuta did. The thin red energy glow entered the man's body to heal the wounds that Yuta had created.
"I'm just doing it to the extent you won't die when I pull this sword out."
This was a technique that Yuta also used against this group. He used the Reverse Cursed Technique when he saw his preys were about to die.
Yuta pulled the sword out of thin air to ensure his work was working correctly. Viscous red liquid spurted out right when the sword was raised. However, the blood spilt was a little because Yuta's positive energy did its job well.
Seeing the blood dripping from the blade, Yuta released a low snort. He reached into his trouser pocket for a handkerchief. It was a dark green handkerchief. Using that, Yuta carefully wiped the blade as if he were treating the sharp object like an irreplaceable heirloom.
There was a strange atmosphere that surrounded the boy every time his hand moved to clean the bloodstains. He looked at the sword sorrowfully. His breathing seemed heavier than usual, as if the 12-year-old boy was trying to hold back the turmoil of emotions surging through his chest. He sometimes clenched his teeth just to give himself courage.
The fist holding the handkerchief dropped, turning to the tsuba, a sword guard on Japanese swords.
The sword that Yuta held was a Japanese sword, more popularly called a katana. However, the structure of the katana didn't follow the general standards of Japanese swords. His katana had a larger blade with intricate carvings on the blunt side. Meanwhile, the sword guard was different from the others, using soft white feathers. While the hilt of the sword was jet black.
Soul Liberation Blade was the name of the katana that Yuta was holding. It was originally not his sword, but his partner from the past, Zen'in Maki. It was a special grade tool. If the wielder had eyes that could observe even the shape of inanimate organic objects, the true potency of the sword would be unlocked, namely to cut through whatever it was by ignoring the density of the target.
In his old world, only Maki could perform such a feat. But, both of them were afraid that Sukukna also held eyes as sharp as Maki. As such, in their last moment against Sukuna, when they were cornered, Maki asked Yuta to keep the katana in Rika. It was the better choice than it fell into Sukuna's hands.
And with Maki and Yuta dead, the Soul Liberation Blade was forever gone because no one could access Rika besides Yuta. That was what Yuta thought. However, he didn't expect that the Soul Liberation Blade—and the collection of other cursed tools he kept inside Rika—had also shifted dimensions with him.
'If only I had been stronger back then, maybe we would have had a chance of at least surviving Sukuna.'
The Soul Liberation Blade was a sword that belonged to someone precious to him. And whenever he looked at it, it made Yuta experience mixed feelings.
'Reborn in another world with all the memories intact was not as good as I've seen in anime.'
Starting over on something completely new was easier said than done. In fact, living with past memories was tantamount to carrying all the hurt and regrets of a past life. It would be better if that person died peacefully and happily. However, for Yuta, who died at the hands of the king of curses and left various problems unresolved, the nightmares would only haunt him every night.
'Thinking I can live a completely new life here, while I don't know what happened to my friends there…, isn't this the worst torture? If reality is a horrible stepmother, I wonder what kind of punishment I'm living.'
Yuta shook his head. He didn't want the fog of emotion to cloud his mind. Even if this regret constantly tormented him, he had no other choice but to live while enduring it. Besides, he has a sister here. There was a responsibility that he must bear so that the lousy ending would not be repeated in his new life.
"Rika."
The empty air before him suddenly distorted in response to Yuta's call. It was like black paint that suddenly poured on a canvas. However, this was a canvas of the firmament and what was like a splash of black colour was a distortion of connecting with the realm where Yuta Okkotsu's monster lived.
"YOu cALleD mE, YuTA?"
A hoarse voice came from a girlish sounding yet sinister. Not a second later, something went out of the portal. Only half of the monster's body came out with one hand gripping the frame.
It was a gigantic, hideous monster with a muscular body. She has long, pointy nails. The beast has no eyes. On her face, there was only a mouth with canine teeth capable of tearing anything. Part of the head was composed only of a hard shell, which, at first glance, has brain-like carvings. Meanwhile, instead of hair, the monster had long snake-like tendrils on her head.
Even with just a part of her body exposed, the dry air of the god of death was felt, and her presence alone would knock the weak people out.
"I want to keep this sword back," said Yuta with a friendly smile.
He walked closer to the monster he named 'Rika'. And without needing to explain further, Rika understood what he meant.
Her right hand gripped the portal frame and then touched her muscular chest. And with a single pull, the chest opened and revealed boundless darkness. Yuta then put the sword into it, and with little effort, the darkness swallowed the sword left by his dearest one.
When he was done, Rika covered her chest again and looked at Yuta, even though she had no eyes.
"tHAt iS It?"
Yuta nodded with a smile.
"That is it. Thanks for the help, Rika."
"ANyThiNg fOr YuTA."
After finishing her job, Rika then disappeared into the portal connecting the two realms. And not long after, all traces of the portal vanished as if the tear in space had never happened.
While waiting for his sister and Gray's arrival, Yuta walked towards a large tree. In the roots that reach up to the surface of the ground, there was a brown duffel bag. It was the bag he had left during the fight. Inside were handcuffs and rope.
As the number of magical restraining handcuffs was insufficient, the remnants of the bandits he tied up in such a way that none of them could move freely. Even if there were, none of them would dare to do it. After experiencing the boy's strength first-hand and silently witnessing the terrifying monster he was still hiding from, the bandits realised they were no match for the 12-year-old boy.
—OoOoO—
"So, how are we going to take them, Yuta?" Gray asked.
After about 30 minutes of travel, they finally arrived at where Yuta. At first, it entirely surprised the shirtless boy that Yuta could take down 30 bandits alone. He knew Yuta was strong, but he didn't expect that Yuta would ultimately be on another level, even though they were only two years apart.
"I've left a shikigami in the village. That will notify the guards there when our mission is complete, and they will take care of the rest," Yuta replied.
"You've thought of everything, huh?" asked Gray with narrowed eyes.
Yuta only replied with a clumsy smile. He was about to respond to the boy, but Cana had already done so.
"Of course. I told you that Onii-chan is amazing, hadn't I?"
Gray then looked away while folding his arms across his chest.
"Hmph. If it's just like that, I was already thinking that way."
Cana then put her hands on her hips while glaring at the messy black-haired boy.
"No, you didn't think about it at all. That's why you asked my Onii-chan."
"What do you mean? If I try hard, I can be as strong and smart as Yuta."
Meanwhile, the object the two children were arguing about could only laugh awkwardly. He was pretty amused by their little bickering. He thought it was cute seeing Cana, who wanted to defend him and Gray, who tried to look cool in front of his sister. To him, views like this were priceless, and he would definitely miss these moments when the children grew up.
'If there was a smartphone here, I would take a picture of them immediately.'
There were cameras in this world, but they were only early-generation cameras compared to the old world. So, the size was still quite large and needed more efficiency if taken on a mission.
Yuta walked closer to the two children two years younger than him. He then stroked their hair gently, causing them to simultaneously turn their eyes to him.
"Calm down. Gray-kun is right. He has done a good job and will become strong if he keeps trying. Likewise, with you, Cana-chan."
Cana puffed her cheeks and looked away. While Gray still folded his arms to act cool, even though his cheeks were flushed.
"You're too soft on Gray, Onii-chan."
"I believe in Gray-kun, after all." Yuta replied, who then turned to look at Gray, "Besides, he just wants to look cool in front of you, Cana-chan."
Yuta smiled mischievously at Gray. Teasing someone, let alone a kid, wasn't his style. It was just a spontaneous action because he briefly remembered one of his friends from the past. However, when he idly did it, the taste was quite pleasant. And that explained why Panda liked to tease him so much whenever dealing with Maki.
"It's wrong!" sprayed Gray.
Yuta tried hard to hold back his mischievous smile when he saw Gray's face as red as a boiled crab. Gray also realised what the boy was thinking. He couldn't put out a single defence. Because he knew the more he spoke, it would only make him look more pitiful in front of Cana. Therefore, the only thing he could do was change the subject.
"Fo-forget it. Besides, I'm pretty good already, right, Yuta? So, the next time you take on another mission like this, you need not hesitate to ask me out."
Yuta smiled, seeing how funny Gray was trying to change the subject. He wanted to tease him more. However, he was not as cruel as Satoru or mischievous as Panda.
This time, the mission was actually at a level where Cana and Gray couldn't take it yet. However, because they forced—half begged—Yuta to invite the two, the former Jujutsu Sorcerer finally complied with them. With a note, they must obey whatever Yuta said while doing the job.
Yuta thought that this mission was still too early for both of them. Even though they exceeded his expectations, he didn't think about letting them take part soon. However, children always live with hopes and dreams, and sometimes a little discipline was needed to achieve the dreams. If one of them was taken away from children, those dreamers would be empty shells. And Yuta knew that aspect very well.
"Next time, okay?"
—OoOoO—
Fairy Tail always felt as alive as ever. They were considered a troublemaking guild, not without reason. Even within the hall, the noises caused by trivial laughter and fights were never absent from this family. Also, if a new member joined, the welcome party might be held for an entire week.
About three weeks ago, a new member named Levy McGarden just joined. She was a nine-year-old girl, a year younger than Cana and Gray. At a young age, Levy showed a keen interest in literature. In fact, the reason she joined Fairy Tail was that she heard the guild had an extensive collection of books.
As explained, Levy McGarden's welcome party was a frenzy. However, Levy wasn't the only new member they had. Or instead, about six days ago, they had another new member.
"Macao, Wakaba, come teach me swordsmanship again!"
Amidst the noisy atmosphere of the guild, two of the several senior members looked troubled when confronted by the enthusiasm of their new member.
"Even if you say that, there's nothing else we can teach you," said an overwhelmed Macao.
"Right. After all, we are wizards. Our skills in swordsmanship are very limited. However, it's a different case if you ask us to teach you magic, Erza-chan."
Erza Scarlet, that was the name of the new member. She was a little girl with a passion that seemed inextinguishable. As her name suggested, Erza has scarlet-coloured hair and brown irises.
Even though she looked like an indestructible girl, anyone who saw her state when she came to the guild would reject that statement. Contrary to her appearance, Erza was a fragile child. In fact, she looked like a girl about to die when she first walked through the guild door.
The girl came with a body full of open wounds and dried blood. She even lost an eye for a reason she has never told anyone until now. Leaving that aside, Erza had survived such severe injuries was already impressive.
"Your swordsmanship can't be just that, right? I hear wizards are great. So, you guys must still be able to teach me swordsmanship," Erza said in disbelief.
Wakaba looked uneasy when he saw the girl's disappointed expression. He then looked at their master, who was just sitting at the bartender's counter. However, all he got was a smile from the old man, which he didn't know what that meant.
On the other hand, Macao was also getting restless. The girl called Erza from a few days ago still looked gloomy, as if she was contemplating her world that had collapsed. However, only two days ago, she seemed to have found her spirits again after asking them to teach her swordsmanship.
"Well, Erza-chan. We are wizards, so our speciality is magic. Meanwhile, swordsmanship is a knight's speciality. So, if you ask us to teach you magic greater than Requip, we can help."
"What Macao said is true. Besides, your sword skills are already excellent. You can even beat us with a sword with just your physical strength," added Wakaba.
Erza looked glum at that answer, even though they were praising her.
"I don't want any other magic. I feel that Requip magic suits me very well. I just want to learn swordsmanship and weaponry arts."
Macao and Wakaba glanced at each other. They already wanted to give up on Erza. However, that all changed when they heard a bell being placed over the door. The bell that rang indicated that the door had been opened. Both Macao and Wakaba looked at the door. The faces of the two 28-year-old men immediately brightened when they saw who had entered through the door.
Three people, three children to be precise, entered the guild. They were familiar faces. That being said, with the talent they possessed and the fact that the three of them joined simultaneously, it could be said that they were the best recruits the guild had made since the era of the third master.
It wasn't just Gray, a genius of ice-type magic. Cana, who has been hanging out with them all this time, turned out to have enormous reserves of magical energy. And on top of that, Yuta Okkotsu, Cana's older brother. If Makarov said that Cana has vast reserves of magical energy, then Yuta Okkotsu went far beyond that. The magical energy he had was like a bottomless pool.
In his entire life, Makarov has only ever met someone with as much energy as Yuta. That person was someone who was considered the archwizard in the neighbouring country. And thinking he would meet a person with a quantity of magic at that level, he could only hope that it was a good omen for Fairy Tail.
Returning to Macao and Wakaba's anxieties, the two men seem to be on the same frequency and agree on the same idea. Macao immediately shouted without needing to wait while waving his hand at the boss of the children's group who had just entered the building.
"Yuta, what a coincidence you've come. Here, here!"
Meanwhile, the oldest child, whose name was called, turned his head towards the source of the sound. Initially, he was confused by the man who suddenly called out to him. However, seeing the foreign girl near them, the black-haired boy who was combed to the side thought that the call was not far from a request to guide her.
Even though only Yuta was summoned, Cana and Gray followed him from behind. After all, they were still curious little kids and didn't want to miss anything new.
After they arrived, Macao looked back at Erza, who was now looking at him questioningly.
"Erza-chan, they are members of the guild. From the black-haired boy without the shirt, he is Gray, Gray Fullbuster."
"What? Since when did my t-shirt disappear?" responded Gray, who realised that he had been naked all this time.
Macao snorted, trying to ignore the unique boy.
"Meanwhile, the girl over there is Cana Alberona."
Cana waved her hand to Erza in greeting. Meanwhile, Macao immediately grabbed Yuta's shoulders and pulled him closer.
"And this young man is Yuta Okkotsu. He is Cana-chan's older brother."
Yuta, who was introduced to the girl, bowed slightly and politely. Erza, who had never learned proper manners, stepped back slightly in surprise at what Yuta did. However, she immediately realised that what she was doing was stupid, and the girl quickly covered her nervousness by lightly scratching her cheek.
"The name's Erza Scarlet. Nice to meet you, guys," she said shyly.
Erza still didn't understand Macao's reason for bringing these children who may be the same age as her. The girl looked again at the man for the umpteenth time. Meanwhile, Macao, who understood the meaning of that look, only lightly patted Yuta's shoulder before finally giving an explanation.
"I take back my words that said no one can help you learn swordsmanship here," said Macao while looking at Yuta, "This boy may have quite a unique sword style, but he is far better than anyone here. I'm sure Yuta can teach you many things."
Hearing this one-sided declaration, Yuta quickly looked at his senior. He demanded an explanation from him, but all he got was a straight face as if he was proud of having found a solution to his problem. Yuta gave up and just snorted softly.
It wasn't like he was against the idea of training someone. However, Yuta wanted at least him to be included in the discussion before reaching an agreement. Moreover, training swordsmanship to someone was something he had never done in the two lives he had lived. In fact, the swordsmanship he possessed was simply what Maki had taught him and seasoned with accumulated hands-on experiences.
"Will you teach me swordsmanship, Yuta?" asked Erza enthusiastically.
Her sparkling eyes and fiery red hair overwhelmed him. He wanted to refuse, or at least he wanted to prepare the training menu first before deciding to teach Erza. However, seeing the girl's enthusiasm, Yuta did not have the heart to refuse, even with a subtle refusal.
"I will. However, I never had a formal lesson. So, my method might be a little different. Are you okay?"
Erza was very satisfied with Yuta's answer. That made it seem like the rest of his words didn't even enter her ears. As such, she immediately nodded and put on a bright smile.
"Thank you. So, let's get straight to sparring right now!"
"…Eh?
Yuta just gaped at the response he had just heard. He hoped it was just a mistake in his hearing. However, seeing Erza, who had already dashed off to the training ground, made Yuta even more sure that he didn't mishear the girl's words.
—OoOoO—
"Of all the possibilities that could have happened, I never thought a new member would invite Onii-chan to a sword duel just like that."
Together with all the guild members, Cana was currently on the outskirts of the training ground to see the match that would be presented.
"I know, right? I don't know if that girl is stupid or what. However, she only seems to want to challenge Yuta on the grounds of training. That way, she won't lose face even if she loses."
Cana glared at Gray after she heard the obscene words the boy was saying.
"Hey! Onii-chan said you shouldn't judge someone you know nothing about."
Gray rolled his eyes lazily.
"Well, well, you and all your Onii-chan."
"What? You don't like it? There's nothing wrong with what Onii-chan said, though?"
Gray didn't reply. The boy just crossed his arms over his chest with a pursed mouth. It wasn't like he disagreed with what Yuta taught Cana. It's just that it bothers him a little every time Cana praises her brother to the sky.
'I mean, I can also be as good as Yuta if I try hard, you know. Just watch. I'll make you admit that,' grumbled Gray in his mind.
—OoOoO—
Yuta and Erza stood in the middle of the training ground. They were about ten metres apart. Since this was just a friendly match, they were only using wooden swords. Even so, what they wielded were not standard wooden swords, but were imbued with magic to have higher resistance.
'Why is it like this? When she asked me to teach her swordsmanship, I expected to give her a structured method instead of sparring right away.'
Yuta felt like he wanted to cry facing his situation. He knew that sparring was important in skill development. However, that only applied if in reasonable portions. Besides that, when Erza immediately asked him to spar at their first meeting, it showed that the girl was only interested in practical training, not theory which emphasised basic understanding and instilled certain habits in battle.
In other words, constantly sparring would yield no significant results unless you were someone with a natural talent for close combat.
Yuta took a deep breath and cleared his mind.
'I can't jump to conclusions. Who knows, she might have great martial arts talent like Maki-san and Itadori-kun.'
Unlike her appearance a while ago, wearing silver armour and a white shirt underneath. Erza now took off her armour, leaving only her white shirt and covering it with a brown vest. She also changed her blue skirt to black pants, allowing her to move more freely.
Meanwhile, Yuta just made little a difference. He only took off his black shirt, leaving only the white t-shirt he was wearing now.
"Are you ready?"
Makarov's voice came from the side of the training ground. The two kids, who were only a year apart, nodded in harmony. They both took their respective fighting stances.
Erza put her wooden sword to the right side of her head, letting it swing forward in a ready-to-attack stance. Seeing that stance, Yuta normally held his sword in front of him in a defensive posture. After making sure that both of them were ready, the bell rang as a sign that the friendly match had started.
Without further ado, Erza sped towards Yuta. The boy was a little surprised by the speed she showed. However what shocked him even more was the moment when their wooden swords collided.
With only brute strength, Erza pushed Yuta two steps back before he strengthened himself with Cursed Energy Reinforcement.
'What's with that strength? She didn't use body reinforcement magic, yet her physical strength is already this strong?'
Yuta gritted his teeth to block Erza's sword, which kept trying to break down his defences. Not wanting to waste his energy, Yuta jumped backwards to re-adjust his stance.
However, as if she didn't want to let her opponent take his breath away, Erza chased Yuta aggressively. Unlike before, where he was negligent in his defence, now he was more prepared and didn't want to underestimate the girl's brute strength. He firmly planted his feet back on the ground as he placed his wooden sword at his waist.
As their distance closed again, Erza swung her wooden sword horizontally. However, Yuta only backed his head slightly without changing his stance. Erza's sword tip just passed in front of his face. Yuta quickly lowered his stance, and with a speed that was hard for the eyes to follow, he drew his sword and slashed upwards, aiming for Erza's exposed wrist after making a wide swing.
Yuta's quick counterattack surprised Erza. However, the girl caught a response and jumped to the side to avoid his slash. Meanwhile, the boy was no longer surprised by her quick reaction and only looked at the girl with serious eyes.
'As expected, her reflex is quick.'
Yuta didn't chase after Erza. He got back into a fighting stance as before. Meanwhile, the red-haired girl was still in awe of the sword-drawing speed and technique that the boy showed.
'What technique is that? I don't understand, but it was swift with the right momentum.'
—OoOoO—
The spectators on the side of the field saw Yuta's counterattack with a look as if it was something they had seen quite often from the boy.
"Ah, there he is. Quick sword drawing technique. What is the name again? Iai Technique?" Macao said, folding his arms across his chest.
"Yeah, I've never seen a technique like that before, so I thought it was Yuta's original technique," Wakaba replied.
The man's gaze then turned to look at Erza for a few moments until he finally spoke again.
"Yuta's swordsmanship is amazing. It's not only powerful, but also fast. However, Erza,who dodged the attack, left an incredible image to me."
Even though the swords in this world had a similar shape to the swords on earth, that didn't mean the way they were used was the same.
Sword techniques were heavily influenced by culture and civilisation. In this world, magic has an essential role in development. It also affected aspects of swordsmanship. Because it was influenced by magic, swordsmanship in this world was also not free from the user's dependence on the Body Reinforcement spell, which could significantly strengthen the human physique.
Not to mention that many of the swords in this world were imbued with magical energy, which made the durability and sharpness of the blades much higher than that of regular swords. In fact, to a certain degree, this world has many weapons at the level of special-grade cursed tools.
That's why, instead of honed sword techniques, people revolved around the concept of a magic sword that could unleash its full potential as long as the wielder has enough mana.
Meanwhile, on earth, in Yuta's old world, the existence of spiritual things like magic was known only to a few factions. In a way, the development and utilisation of cursed energy—basically the energy for creating phenomena beyond reason—was far behind when compared to the mana of this world. However, since more than 90% of the earth's population was ignorant of magic, developments in other fields were far superior to this world's.
The development of human civilisation and culture was based on the desire to survive. To survive the darkness, humans created lights. To survive the stronger beasts, humans created weapons. And because humans generally have physical limitations, efficient techniques for wielding weapons were developed.
Roughly, that was why there were so many styles of martial arts, sword arts, archery art, war, and even art in science.
The sword technique used by Yuta was the fruit of human cultivation that has been passed down from generation to generation. The movement was named Iai.
Iai was one of a basic technique that all samurai must master. It was a technique that focused on drawing the sword as fast as possible with the best momentum and using the minimum power. This technique looked powerful because it could cut through the human body smoothly, even though the sword was just a standard katana. However, the Iai technique's real secret was that the blade's speed, momentum, and angle must be under the direction of attack so that it could reveal the true potential of a katana.
Yuta was basically not a speedster-type sorcerer. However, his speed wasn't at the level to be underestimated. In fact, an old man with a whole experience like Makarov admitted that Yuta's speed was quite extraordinary. Therefore, for Erza to dodge Yuta's attack was definitely a feat itself.
—OoOoO—
Seeing Yuta, who returned to his original stance, Erza knew what the boy wanted to say. He wanted her to overcome his quick counterattack. However, Erza didn't really know where to start. Yuta noticed the confusion on the girl's cute face. He had enough experience to see what she was thinking and knew what to say to her.
"Your name is Erza, right? Your physical strength is powerful even though you didn't use Body Reinforcement. Your speed and reflexes are no joke either. However, you swing your sword too wide and make your moves easy to read. Try swinging your sword more calmly and with fewer unnecessary movements."
To be honest, Erza didn't expect that she would receive directives right in the middle of a spar. She had thought that Yuta would let her evaluate her own faults, just like Macao's method.
"Thank you. I'll try it," Erza replied with a nod.
"Remember, a sword is not a hammer. You don't need to spend a lot of power to give your opponent a fatal wound. When using a sword, you need to pay attention to accuracy, speed, and the direction of the blade, which must match the angle of your attack. Forget about magic swords having extraordinary abilities. Basically, swords dealt fatal wounds with minimal force."
Erza absorbed every word that came out of his mouth. To be honest, she didn't quite understand the meaning of 'the direction of the blade which must match the angle of your attack'. However, she understood one thing for sure.
'In essence, the most important thing is that my blade must hit the target precisely, right?'
After confirming what she needed to do, Erza started to put up her stance. It was different from before. She was currently keeping her wooden sword to her left waist, a fighting stance similar to Yuta's. The girl lowered her stance and spread her legs apart as if preparing to rush forward.
Yuta, who witnessed that, was surprised because she could perfectly imitate his fighting stance. Several people Yuta knew in this world had tried copying his technique. However, because of cultural differences and habits that have gone too far, they couldn't imitate it perfectly. But what was presented before him was the perfect stance from Iai's technique.
It was only natural for samurai to compete with Iai techniques during duels. However, Yuta was a person who was studying to become a sorcerer, not a samurai. So, there was no obligation for him to answer the challenge. However, with Erza's perfect imitation, he was curious about how far the girl could go.
Because of that, Yuta changed his stance from being defensive to an attacking stance.
They shot out simultaneously as if their minds were on the same frequency. They trimmed the distance that was originally about 15 metres in an instant.
Erza with her overwhelming brute strength, and Yuta with trained Cursed Energy Reinforcement. Represented by their wooden swords, the two clashed against each other, causing a loud sound between the blunt objects. Erza, lacking in many aspects, was pushed to one step by Yuta.
'Don't use a wide swing. Reduce excessive movements,' Erza thought, repeating what Yuta had said earlier.
Erza then took one step back to pick up the momentum. She then took half a step to the left diagonally while leaning forward. Then, with a swift pull, she slashed her wooden sword to the right, aiming for Yuta's stomach.
Unfortunately, with his experience, Yuta could parry the slash using his wooden sword. While continuing to block Erza's sword with his own, Yuta stepped in and pushed her with his shoulder. He then rotated his body 360 degrees to create momentum while circling Erza,
However, Erza immediately bowed with her wooden sword back at the left side of her waist. Yuta thought Erza would return to using Iai's technique. Unfortunately, instead of doing that, Erza hit Yuta in the stomach with the tip of her sword hilt. Nonetheless, Yuta fended it off using the broad side of his wooden sword. However, Yuta, who lost the momentum, had to be pushed by Erza.
Even though he could have stopped in one step, Yuta took another two steps to distance himself from Erza.
'She adapted to battle well. She also perfectly implemented my suggestion to reduce unnecessary movements. This girl really has extraordinary talent in martial arts.'
Yuta couldn't hide his admiration for Erza's talent. It wasn't like he had never met other gifted people. However, seeing her made him nostalgic for some people from his past life who possessed similar talents, namely Maki and Yuuji.
However, one thing still bothered Yuta a bit during their clash of swords. And he intended to ensure something and end this sparring.
"That was a good move. Now, try attacking me like that with more intensity."
After finishing his words, Yuta placed his sword vertically in front, taking a defensive stance. Erza heard that and nodded. She narrowed her eyes and stared at Yuta with a great focus for her age.
Waiting no longer, Erza shot towards him. She slashed her wooden sword sideways horizontally and aimed at his neck. However, it only ended up being parried by Yuta. She drew her sword to give it a little space, then thrust it into his heart.
Not wanting to get hit, Yuta shifted his body and let the sword pass in front of his chest. He also changed the way he held the sword. If it used to be pointing up, now he was holding it upside down. With a movement that seemed to elbow, the tip of his sword tried to hit Erza's stomach.
Erza was a little surprised by Yuta's change in holding the sword. However, relying on her monstrous reflexes, she avoided it and immediately gave a quick counterattack by trying to slash Yuta's skull.
Even though it was a quick counterattack, Yuta had already expected the move. As such, he just lowered his body deeply. Seeing Erza's widely opened defence, he thrust his sword right at the girl's stomach.
However, one thing Yuta didn't expect. Instead of dodging with minimum movement and counterattacking quickly, Erza jumped high. She filpped in the air, only to face his back.
'Told you not to make any flashy moves,' Yuta thought while looking at Erza, 'This way, your defences are widely open and easy to attack as soon as you land.'
Yuta wouldn't hold back. With the right timing, Yuta turned around to greet her, who was about to land. Right when her feet hit the ground, his sword was inches from her neck.
You couldn't just stabilise your body on landing when you take a high jump. It was an application of the laws of physics. Where there was action, there was always a reaction. In fact, even Yuta still needed at least a second to take the next step when he made such a big move.
That's why, with Erza's neck already being met by Yuta's wooden sword right as she landed, there was no chance for her to parry or dodge. Never mind parrying, she won't have time to put her stance back.
Or at least, that was what Yuta thought. In reality, Erza didn't parry or even try to dodge.
Instead, the girl completely ignored her stance and spread her legs 180 degrees, so the entire lower side of her foot was now completely touching the ground.
'No way!'
Yuta was very surprised by Erza's reaction. His thoughts had even stopped for a few moments. What he witnessed and what the girl showed made him drift into nostalgia. However, he quickly regained his senses. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Erza, still clinging to the ground, swiftly tackled Yuta's leg. It didn't stop there. She locked his movements using her small foot. This very effective and fast movement pulled and knocked him to the ground.
And as if she wanted to kill the game right away, Erza thrust the tip of her sword into his forehead, and a 'bonk' sound was heard from the impact.
"There, you're dead," said Erza.
Meanwhile, Yuta just winced when something hit his forehead.
"I win, right?" added the girl.
—OoOoO—
"Onii-chan lost?" muttered Cana, who was watching from the side of the field.
"He lost?" said Gray, who also couldn't believe it.
Yuta's defeat left the spectators speechless. Even though it was just a friendly match and both were only using wooden swords, anyone who saw him would know that Yuta was using Body Reinforcement during the fight. He was one of the best in Fairy Tail's new generation. If anyone could beat him, it was probably Laxus Dreyar, Makarov's grandson.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, his opponent—Erza Scarlet—-didn't use any reinforcement techniques and only relied on her physical strength. Not to mention that they all knew that Yuta's swordsmanship was even better than most knights, even though he was only 12 years old.
Even though his current Cursed Energy Reinforcement wasn't as strong as his prime, keeping up with Yuta and only being armed with brute strength was an outstanding achievement.
"With her overwhelming strength and also her magic that hasn't been honed at all, Erza may be destined to become a great and respected figure in the future," muttered Makarov while looking at the training ground.
—OoOoO—
Erza then stood up, not forgetting to help Yuta as well. While standing on the same footing and observing each other for a few seconds, she snorted, a little annoyed at the boy.
"You did that on purpose, right? If it was you, you should be able to dodge it or at least do something," asked Erza with her hands on her hips.
Yuta giggled while stroking his forehead when he saw the girl's reaction. It was a win for Erza, that's for sure. Yuta wouldn't have any reason for his defeat. However, he didn't expect that her competitive nature would push the girl to find out that he was off guard then.
"I was completely shocked, seriously. Normally, the moment you landed was a checkmate for most people. Even if one dodged, that person would definitely receive an injury. However, what you did was really amazing. Ignoring your stance to make the submission, that was amazing."
What Yuta said was half truthful and half lie. Erza's action surprised him, but like the girl said, he could do something. However, what made him act late was that what Erza did was precisely the same as what Maki had done before. Seeing that scene for the second time with two different people made him experience mixed feelings.
"Erza-san, can I ask you something?" Yuta said.
The red-haired girl was slightly surprised by the boy's way of addressing her. She stared at him, ensuring that what he said was a coincidence or his intention. However, when she dived into the black irises, she only found that the boy had accidentally called her by adding '-san' to her name.
'Why he calls me such an honorific?' Erza thought, still not responding to Yuta.
Erza didn't want to be too bothered by what other people called her, as long as it was not meant to make fun of her. Generally, she would also just let that slide. However, when Yuta called her 'Erza-san', a warm feeling spread inside her.
It might have been a call that had little meaning, but it was something she had longed for. Erza seemed to have gotten used to how the boy called her. She appeared to be familiar with the warmth and care behind that soft call.
"Erza-san?" asked Yuta once again.
However, in the next second, Yuta suddenly realised what he had just said. To be more precise, he just realised what he called the red girl. To be honest, he didn't know why he called Erza like that. However, it's no use crying over spilt milk.
"Ah, sorry if you feel burdened by me using honorific like that. I'm just in awe of your abilities. I think it's something worth respecting. And I thought maybe I would learn a lot from you too."
Erza gasped at Yuta's explanation. She cursed herself for being dumbfounded for a few moments because of a feeling that she didn't even know its origin.
"Ah, no, no. That's not a problem at all. So, what do you want to ask, Yuta?"
Yuta smiled at her. It was a feeling of happiness that he could not trace where it came from.
"When you jumped earlier, what were you thinking that you did that?"
Erza rounded her mouth and uttered an "ooh" after hearing Yuta's question. She thought for a moment before finally giving an answer.
"I saw you several times using feints and using your other limbs, like when you locked my sword and then pushed me with your shoulder. So, I thought of doing the same. However, since it's you, I'm not sure if it will work if I just do it the normal way."
Yuta nodded and replied, "So, you jumped like that to distract me?"
"Exactly. You asked me to reduce unnecessary movements, right? So, if I trick you with some big moves, you might let down your guard and deliver an attack to kill the game. And since I had predicted your next move, it would be easier to lock onto it."
Erza looked happy as she explained the plan she had devised. She was very proud when she could come up with the idea. After all, she would never have thought of using such a trick if it was her a few days ago. She would always rely on her inhuman strength to create a difference. However, the sparring with Yuta made it as if she had opened a whole new window.
"That was a brilliant plan, Erza-san. If you continue to hone your creativity and don't rely too much on special-grade magic tools, you will grow into a good swordswoman."
Erza held her breath when she received compliments from someone like Yuta. He was a wonderful person in the art of swords. Erza admitted the boy was the pinnacle she had to reach if she wanted to live independently without worrying about fear. And just from one sparring, she knew Yuta was a person who deserved respect, both in terms of ability and attitude.
Therefore, getting sincere praise from people like him meant a lot to her.
"Thank you. I will become the strongest in no time!"
Yuta smiled at the resolution. The enthusiasm that the girl showed also radiated and infected him. Her red hair really fit her fiery nature and unquenchable ambition. However, behind the bright that Erza offered, something really bothered him until now.
Yuta wanted to ask. However, he thought that this was not the right moment for that. Moreover, they also just met each other today.
'A novice should learn how to swing a sword properly first. And from her movements, which are still a bit stiff, there's no doubt that Erza-san is a beginner. However, all her slashes were aimed at vital points that could make one die instantly. If it was only once or twice, perhaps it could be said to be a coincidence. But all of Erza-san's attacks aim at my vitals, from the neck, heart, to the head.'
Yuta looked at Erza's back, who was now walking before him.
'I don't want to jump to conclusions. However, if you're not used to killing someone, you won't be able to attack those points naturally with such high accuracy as Erza-san did.'
Yuta looked up at the sky as he continued walking. He knew that a girl as bright as Erza wouldn't become a cold-blooded killer. He also wouldn't judge the girl if it turned out that she had indeed killed someone.
'I mean, the number of lives I've taken in my past can't be counted using my fingers,' Yuta thought while looking at Erza from behind sadly, 'it's just, what kind of dark had you been through that you had to kill people, Erza-san?'
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello, how are you? Thank you very much for your understanding and the support you give, everyone.
I know I said this in my other fic, but I'll say it again. I've been resting for over a month since the earthquake, and doing nothing during that time is more boring than I imagined. My feet are in good condition, although it is very difficult for me to poop. And walking on stilts is troublesome. And rather than die of boredom, I wrote, even though my typing speed wasn't as fast as usual because my right middle finger was still recovering.
Like I said, I was fired from my job because I couldn't attend for the next 4 months during treatment. And I can't do field work for up to six months. I'm an engineer, and my company, or now my former company, can't keep an engineer on hiatus for that long. And the rest you can imagine yourself. Fortunately, the severance pay was enough to support me and my father for the next few months, and I still had some savings. Although some I have used for other purposes. While trying to find a job that I can still do with my current condition, I also plan to open my business. However, finding a job now days is very difficult, even layoffs occur in many companies.
Also, after considering several suggestions and situation, I decided to open a subscription on patre0n. You can see my account's name that I wrote in bold at the opening of the chapter. or if you don't want to be complicated, "patre0n+dot+com/akadaka" (please replace "0" to "o", change "dot" to ".". and remove the "+". Sorry for the inconveniences because this site blocked the word and i can't provide the link). my account won't get blocked by asking for subscription, right?
With this subscription open, I thought I had no way back. That way, I will upload new chapters regularly at least twice a month and I will write my stories to the end with all my might. For that, your support will mean a lot to me.
Anyway, what do you think about this chapter? And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Please leave your review for this chapter. And see you in the next chapter and stay safe. Happy new year, guys.