Chapter 22

{ The Way of the Sword }

Once upon a time, Fanatio Synthesis Two thought that she had seen everything that the world had to offer. Her duty practically required her to go all around the empire, so she'd seen quite a number of things.

Clearly, the Million-Eyed experience had taught her a very good lesson; that there were just so many more things out there, be it big or small, that she hadn't seen with her own two eyes. And there would be even more things to see in the future.

In fact, even now on a rest day, when she would have expected no such excitement, Kirito had up and decided to do something completely unexpected. Something which she felt was possible, though had greatly doubted from the start—not on account of his skills, that was for sure, but simply by the nature of techniques still being somewhat rigid in what could be done with them.

But then he'd gone ahead and made a new technique from an old one.

She literally felt like punching a tree, for some reason.

Before she could even think of anything else, the sound of a «Secret Technique» charging up caught her attention. Kirito was doing the same thing again, letting loose a downwards swing that is quickly succeeded by a slightly slanted upwards. It's much faster now, she notices, and Kirito still hasn't lost that look of glee on his face.

"That's amazing..! Now there's an actual two-hit skill that we can use in a fight!"

"Yeah! That's really going to be useful," laughed Kirito. "Almost sixty tries. Could've been much worse. Like, maybe a hundred tries."

"Really going for the tried-and-true story of a hundred attempts of things, huh?"

"That would've been really exhausting if so. And if I did go that far, I would've just asked y'all to go home first. No need to keep you waiting on me."

"And risk the chance of finding out that you accidentally injured yourself the next day?" Huffed Selka. "Like we'd let that happen."

"Hah, yeah. Thankfully, I didn't have to resort to that. Oh hey. Now that we have the time, you should try it too, Eugeo."

"Eh? Seriously?"

"Sure I'm sure. You saw me doing it, so it shouldn't be hard to copy me," he handed the Blue Rose Sword over to Eugeo, who took it with some nervous thrill in his being. "Remember. From top-left to bottom-middle, then to top-right."

"Sort of like a 'V'. Got it."

They were both so excited. She could see it in their expressions, the almost child-like laughter that they were giving off as they tried it out together. It must have felt like an accomplishment; a statement of the impossibility made reality, done thanks to all the training they had done these three years.

Fanatio stood in place, watching them, uncertain why she hadn't spoken a word at all. Her eyes were simply focused on them, yet she could not think of what else to say.

Grass crunched as boots stepped on them. "So," Charlotte moved beside her. "How likely is it that the both of us are thinking the same thing?"

"Likely, perhaps, though I might be thinking of a hundred things at the moment."

"Then might I say one such thought that I'm certain the both of us share?"

"Sure."

"Kirito's and Eugeo's training is now complete."

Fanatio didn't say anything. But eventually, she simply nodded.

Three years was a lot of time to learn things, and they had been sponges; eager to absorb all their teachings, which meant they'd taken to their lessons faster than any other individual. As such, they'd improved by leaps and bounds in such a relatively short time.

And now that she'd realized that, it was… oddly bittersweet.

Something akin to watching children grow, which was literal in their case—she had been here for three years, after all, and she'd watched these children grow up into teenagers. She had been there to teach them, train them, explore Rulid with and even talk of aspirations and the future.

And now, those two young boys had grown up into fine lads who had goals to achieve, and that which she understood went above everything else that they could possibly hope for.

"We should… tell them tomorrow," she decided, steading herself. The sudden need to cry was… odd, but it wasn't unwelcome. "After we're done with training."

"Oh, Fanatio…"

"It's fine. We always knew this day would come, but now that it's getting sooner," she paused to chuckle. "It feels a little intimidating. That alone feels odd, considering that it should be even more so for those two."

"It's a big change."

"Certainly. After this, we'll actually leave Rulid."

That was a crazy thought. She'd gotten so used to Rulid and its people, having been a part of them for three years—and leaving it again would feel so alien.

Still, they had a mission now. And if Kirito and Eugeo was going to keep their heads held high as they stare down the future, then her duty was to stand by their side.

And that, too, was exciting.

Walking back to Rulid, the group split off to return to their respective homes—Selka to hers with Charlotte and Fanatio (apparently, the chieftain offered to house the knightess during her stay here. She'd been hesitant at first, but things have been great for them ever since), while he opted to go visit Eugeo's home. The last time he'd been here was a week ago, so it was great to be here again.

"Kirito, Eugeo!" He looked up from where he'd been staring at the ground, spotting the twins waving at them with wide arcs.

"Euden, Eugene," he grinned back. "You guys just got back?"

"Nah, we were just relaxing inside. We heard Lady Fanatio's dragon coming back, so we thought you came back too. Turns out you did!" Speaking of Lyra, she'd taken to sleeping behind the church, which made her the playmate of all the children. Not like she'd ever complained about it; if Fanatio's words were anything to go by, she enjoyed their company very much. "Where'd you two go?"

"Chilling by the Gigas Cedar as always. We were there with Selka, Charlotte and Fanatio."

"We had a light lunch because Selka already made us something, so you don't need to worry about us eating or not," Eugeo added.

"All's good. Big sis is out with her friends at the moment. She'll probably be back later in the evening."

Stepping inside what has become a second home to him, Kirito basks in the comfortable silence of the household. Nothing drastic had changed throughout the years, save for the few new decorations here and there—wooden carvings of horses and birds made by Hotaru's father, some books Sulinea had bought, two new paintings hung up on the wall in the kitchen and one at the stairway, and even new curtains of new colours.

Little differences, but this place still felt the same.

He sat at the dining table, sighing as he stretches forwards and rests his chin on his folded arms. There wasn't always much to do here, but that wasn't what mattered. Being here, his mind automatically replays numerous memories of his time here.

Of the time in the winter, when they'd bundled up in blankets and drank hot cocoa together. When he talked about all kinds of things with Uncle Orick. When everyone would sit at the table, both excited and dreading Sulinea's cooking. And even when he'd come here last week just to laze around in Eugeo's room with his best friend.

The peace that they'd experienced since three years ago was a wonderful thing. No one had to deal with any world-destroying phenomena or worry about the arrival of the next Integrity Knight who could be harbouring bad news.

It had been good. More so for him, he liked to think, as he'd had the opportunity to simply calm down and bond with everyone in his life. Even Selka. Over the years, they'd gone from awkward side glances to casual conversations, to even hanging out together whenever he and Eugeo do their calling.

At times, with her there, it felt like all three of them were together again; him, Eugeo and Alice.

It wasn't, but… that was fine. He'd come to genuinely enjoying Selka's company. She wasn't a replacement for her sister, but a good friend he could bond with over all their struggles and delights in life.

"So Kirito," he hummed back when Eugene called his name. "When do you think you'll be done with your training?"

"Probably soon," with some effort, he forced himself to lean back and sit upright. The other boys joined him at the table shortly. "We've been making steady progress these past three years."

"That's cool to hear," he grinned back. "And you, big brother? Will you be okay?"

"Fortunately, there are single-handed sword styles, so I can definitely use the sword," he nodded, tracing a finger along his scars. They had faded enough that it would be hard to see them from far, but they were still there. "And I've been practising to use my left hand more. In fact, I'd say it's as good as I was with my right arm before."

"Switching handedness isn't easy," Kirito added. "It's practically changing how the brain works, and your brother had a real hard time. But he went all-out in practising. Now, he can write pretty well and fight with his left hand."

"Not as neatly, but still."

"Neater than my chicken scratch."

"Sure I do," he rolled his eyes. "But yeah. I practically hold and touch things with my left hand now. My right arm feels partially numb, but when I try to hold or touch things, it becomes highly sensitive to stimuli. If I were to hold a spoon, I'd probably drop it."

"How about casting «Sacred Arts»?"

"That one should be fine, since it's not exactly a 'physical' thing," he said while making air quotes. "And I suppose anything that isn't exactly strenuous, though I rarely use it for much now."

The few times he'd ever seen Eugeo use his right hand was for the little things; rubbing his eyes, picking a flower, or—as he mentioned—casting basic spells. Never for anything else.

Ivenda hadn't exactly understood the reason behind this condition, though he called it a result of nerve and muscular injury. His fine motor control was severely impacted and he was on the midline of feeling nothing and feeling too much.

Still, the man had reassured them that his condition shouldn't deteriorate, so long as he didn't take a beating to his arm or used it for heavy work. He just had to learn to live with it.

Kirito's eye twitched, but he kept his smile up for his friend and his brothers.

'Kirito, are you okay?'

'I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about.'

Everything was not perfect, but he'd long learnt to stop showing any forms of guilt in front of the others. Just how deep that pit went, he alone knew, but he refused to allow anyone a glimpse of it ever again. Not since that night he'd reconciled with Selka.

He just needed to be calm, and everything would be fine.

"…and also, I've been picking up lessons on how to do emergency treatment from Ivenda."

"You have?" He focused on the conversation once more, in time to see the looks of surprise on the brothers' faces. "Why?"

"Well, it's a 'just in case' sort of thing. If anyone ever gets injured, I'd at least know what «Sacred Arts» to use to stem bleeding, or what kinds of herbs I could procure to make a salve or medicine. Even how to wrap up wounds."

"Oh yeah, that's true. Eugeo's been studying this right around a month after we started our swords training. He decided to talk to Ivenda to ask him for his guidance, and he's been studying medicine and care for the past three years alongside our swordsmanship training."

"Huh… For some reason, I'm getting call-backs to an old conversation we used to have…"

"Hey, yeah, I remember!" Euden snapped his fingers. "Didn't we once talk about what big brother could pick up as his calling after you guys were done with this one? I think you mentioned apothecary, Kirito!"

They actually remembered that? That had been so long ago—and shortly after Alice had been taken away. His heart strained. He stamped down on the feeling and chuckled instead. "Yeah. At first, I thought he was going to make that his next calling, but…"

"I just wanted to have a second set of skills to be prepared," his friend shrugged back. "If I wanted to properly devote myself to the craft, I wouldn't have learnt swordsmanship. And after all the things we fought before, not knowing how to defend myself would be really bad. I decided that I would pick the same calling as Kirito while having some additional knowledge on how to patch people up."

"Speaking of that, Ivenda tests you at the end of every month. How have those been coming along?"

"Pretty good," he answered, relieved. "It hadn't been easy at the start, but Ivenda's a patient teacher. We started off with learning about herbs. Then we got to making actual concoctions for various stuff, like fever and wounds. He even taught me useful «Sacred Arts», though they're usually that of 'Luminous' element."

"And some other important skills like dressing wounds and examining people, right?"

"Yeah. That second part was a little embarrassing," admitted Eugeo, a light flush on his face. "He taught me what signs to look out for when checking another person's body. Things like bruises and cuts and stuff…"

The brothers looked at one another before looking at Eugeo. "Did you ever have to check a woman before?"

"…Twice," wait, what? "B-But it was for training, I promise! I never looked at her shame or her chest. He said I didn't need to learn that bit. And when I inspected her, I always did it with him. He says it's important to do it with a chaperone, or else you could get blamed for trying to do something lecherous."

"Who were you even inspecting?"

"Urk… Sulinea volunteered…"

Ahh. Now that he remembered, he did remember a particular memory from around a year and a half ago, when an incredibly embarrassed Eugeo refused to look him in the eye as he hung out with him in the church, saying how he didn't want to be home. When he did go back home, he had averted any and all confusion with Sulinea for at least a week. Neither of them refused to say a word, though Sulinea didn't simply because she knew Eugeo would have wanted to die if he knew.

Awkward, but not so bad. He understood how it would be a little embarrassing to look at your own sister's body, but if she was fine with it and they hadn't gone so far as to examine the breast and the lower regions, then he supposed no one had to be worried about anything. He said as much to Eugeo.

"Well, sure, but it's still kind of nerve-racking."

"Oh, come now. If it's knowledge that'll let you help people when something goes wrong, there's no need to be embarrassed about it," he offered, rubbing his best friend on the back.

"Y-Yeah. But I just hope that it won't come to that someday. I think I'd probably freeze up and die out of embarrassment…"

Everyone shared a laugh at his expense, making him blush a little harder. Poor guy. Well, he was a guy with a solid head on his shoulders. There was no world he could see where he would violate a woman in any way. 'Gentleman' was his middle name (if he had any).

Just before he could say something else to change the topic, the front door rattled as someone knocked on it twice. The boys turned their heads in that direction, all sharing curious looks as to whom it was.

"I'll go check it out," he said, standing up and making his way over to the door. He grabbed the handle and pulled back—

"Kirito?"

Black eyes blink in surprise at the unexpected face outside of their door. With her casual dress and hair let loose, he would have thought that he was looking at someone else.

But no, he'd recognize this person anywhere. "Selka? Didn't you head home earlier?"

Her wide blue eyes blinked quickly. "O-Oh! Well, yes, I did, but uh…" She looked to her right. He followed her gaze, and saw nothing there. "Well, mother made, um, these," she held up the basket that she'd been holding, filled with an assortment of pies. Fresh from the oven, judging by the steam wafting off of them. He was full earlier, but the smell was doing a real god of whetting his appetite. "And she wanted me to give Eugeo's family some."

"Wow. Those all look good," he grinned, taking the basket from her. Even the smell was great. "I'll pass these over to Eugeo, then. I'll say 'thank you' in their stead. Pass that on to her," he then tilted his head inside. "Want to come in for a bit?"

"N-No, that's fine. I wasn't planning to stay here for long," she chuckled nervously, running her fingers through her hair. "I was just going to give these to Eugeo and be off. I've got to help mother around the house for a bit."

"Charlotte and Fanatio?"

"They're offering to help. Mother wanted to tell them that they didn't have to, but you know how they are."

"Generous to a fault," they shared a chuckle at that. "Well, thanks either way. Be safe on your way back."

"Mm, okay! Bye, Kirito!"

If she was trying to hide how skittish she'd been earlier, she definitely didn't bother now, fleeing from the scene as quickly as she could. That left him to stand outside of his best friend's door and watch her until she disappeared out of sight. He stayed there for just a few seconds before heading back inside.

'I think she likes you.'

'Oh, not this again,' he rolled his eyes. He'd gone through this song and dance multiple times with Sulinea, Selena and Fanatio (who knew she could be quite a tease?).

'Can you really argue against that? The poor girl was so flustered, she was adorable!'

'Selena, she just wasn't expecting to see me here. She's probably surprised.'

'Oh, Kirito…' She drawled pityingly, making his brow twitch. 'I can't tell whether you are being dense or purposefully evading the fact. This exact situation has happened so many times—and with so many other girls! Surely, you get the message already!'

'That's exactly it; they're just being nice and there's no deeper meaning to any of it. We're all friends in this village. End of story.'

Selena, the Algor Halcyon, let out a groan unbefitting a divine dragon such as herself. Kirito paid her no mind as he walked back to the table, happy to just let that conversation die there.

Honestly, he wasn't sure why she liked to bring that up. While it was true that the village girls had often given him stuff, long after the buzz from the Million-Eyed incident died away, he knew that they were nothing more but friendly gestures. If anyone was misconstruing their intentions, it was Selena and just about all the other woman.

Nothing would change his mind. Even if she brought up the fact that he'd received gifts plenty of times, or the way they turned shy whenever they talked to him, or blushed around him, or muttered things like 'He's so dreamy…' (okay, he was pretty sure Selena just made that one up)—there was absolutely nothing there.

When he reached the table, the boys all stared at the basket before staring at him. "Another gift?" They asked in unison, as if they'd seen this play out a million times. Which they did, for these past three years.

"It's from Selka. And no, it's not for me. It's for your family," he retold the story to the three, earning sounds of understanding.

"But, well, I'm pretty sure Selka was happy you were here," the twins giggled together. Kirito just frowned at that.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Come oooon. You know what we mean."

"I really don't, and I'm starting to think I'd rather not."

"Pfft. Sure, Mister Popular," he faltered at Euden's sudden nickname for him. Eugeo snorted in amusement. "Man, we should put these away. Then we can eat them with father and big sister when they get back."

"Good idea. Come on, help me pack them up."

"Sure thing, Big Brother."

While Euden and Eugeo got to work, he sat at the table with Eugene, and the two chatted away about many other things, bouncing between his training and their plans for the future. It was all nothing but idle chatter, but he enjoyed it just as ever.

Dinner was just as good, where he joined Eugeo's family to eat through the pies Selka's mother had made for them, talking and laughing over the events of the day. Even when he bade everyone a good night to return to his family in the church, all the kids boisterously welcoming him home and Sister Azalia looking so content with the heart-warming sight, he had a smile on his face through it all.

Another peaceful day in Rulid comes to an end.

13th day of the 4th Month – HEC, 375

"Nine hundred and ninety-eight..! Nine hundred and ninety-nine..! One thousand!"

The Dragon Bone Axe was swung into the gash as hard as possible, its blade dug deep into the demon tree's bark. Kirito let out an exhale, rolling his shoulder to ease the tension that he'd built up from that.

"Good work," he heard Eugeo say, followed by the sound of something thrown his way. He caught the canteen with one hand, uncapping it and taking a quick swig out of it. "Remember back in the day when we used to take so much time just to complete our task? It'd be close to evening by then."

"Yah, I know…" He let out a sigh of relief, enjoying the cooling sensation in his throat. "And now, we're practically blazing ahead. Hell, I don't even know if three hours have passed."

'It's only been two and a half,' Selena helpfully supplied.

"Sheesh. Yeah, we definitely got faster. Guess it's time we start our training, huh?" He looked to Eugeo when he said that, the other boy nodding back. "Selena, can you call Fanatio and Charlotte?"

'Of course. Give me a moment.'

Every day, their schedule would consist of their calling, followed shortly by a small break. Afterwards, they would proceed with their training, of which both Fanatio and Charlotte would work on teaching them a multitude of things—Fanatio with swords and «Sacred Arts» training, whereas Charlotte helped them work on their bodies.

He's got to say; for as gentle as Charlotte could be, she definitely held nothing back in pushing them through the grinder—arms, legs, core, calves and a whole lot more muscles he didn't even know existed in his body. Every time they'd be done with her training, they'd be going home with bodies sore for the rest of the day, and most times they would linger until the next day.

Still, there was no denying how much it helped. Though their «Object Control Authority» was high enough for them to hold and use the Blue Rose Sword, they still needed to work on their stamina and endurance. Every single training helped ensure that they would be able to last longer, something that Fanatio had drilled into them from the start.

After all, in a real fight to the death, there was no such thing as timeouts or stopping before contact. The one with the greater stamina could win a fight of attrition, and those with the greater body strength would benefit from being faster, stronger, more coordinated.

'Everything is connected. Nothing gets left out, which is why we've had to take our training seriously. More seriously than anyone else, since we started so slow.'

Jink once told him that kids learning to get into swordsmanship began at the age of eight or so. Some of the youngest ones clocked in at around six, which was hard to believe, and which made it aware that he and Eugeo had started relatively late compared to others.

And yet, be it grit or talent (he would highly argue that it was the former than the latter in their case), they'd ended up being pretty darn great. Not trying to stoke their egos or anything, but Fanatio, Charlotte, Jink, Hotaru's dad and the hunters and guards had all said that they were growing incredibly quick. Likely had to do with the fact that they'd experienced true combat before this, which made it all the more easier to adapt to their training.

A few minutes later and Fanatio had arrived on the back of her dragon, Charlotte sitting behind her. "The both of you are done already?" The knightess asked.

"Yep. A little faster than before too, which is pretty good."

"Two hours and a half would be our shortest time yet," Eugeo said happily.

"Three years ago, you took almost an entire day, and now you've barely gotten past noon," Charlotte sounded both proud and exasperated. "Talk about impressive."

"Hey, these muscles just aren't for show," he laughed, patting his bicep… which wasn't a lot, but it was still there. Honest. "And hey, these are the result of your work, so you definitely helped out a lot."

"Well… I'm certain there's no use arguing with you, so I'll keep my opinion to myself. Shall we begin with our training?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

From there, their rigorous training began, lasting all the way to about seven in the evening—since they'd finished early today, that gave them seven whole hours to work with, and he was itching to make full use of the time.

Today was apparently Fanatio's turn to teach them, hence their focus on «Secret Techniques» (there wasn't much to learn about «Sacred Arts», and neither were too proficient in that to really make that a focal point) rather than focusing on their bodies. That meant a thousand swings of the sword. Afterwards, they would move onto other lessons like appropriate stances, evasive steps, and finally «Secret Techniques». The last one, he had a feeling they might just skip out on because Fanatio admitted to having taught them everything she knew.

Not a surprise, she said. Three years was a long time to learn everything, and she'd called them sponges; eager to absorb all the knowledge and apply them. He felt honoured by her words then, and still is now.

The other important aspect of Fanatio's training were the spars. Either he or Eugeo would train against Fanatio or Charlotte in a variety of scenarios, either on an attacking phase or learning how to block or evade attacks. There were also lessons on what «Secret Techniques» were appropriate for which situation, which he had no doubt would be incredibly useful in the long run.

When he was finished with his one thousand swings, he waited for Fanatio's signal for him to repeat the motions another five hundred times. When she didn't, he twisted his grip on the sword and planted it into the ground, swinging his arms a little to ease the pain and catch his breath. Damn, that was a hell of a workout.

"Now, we will have each of you demonstrating two techniques each. Both of you are quick studies, so I'm sure you've already mastered them."

Both he and Eugeo chuckled nervously at that. They, fourteen-year-olds, mastering «Secret Techniques» that noble families had spent generations perfecting and passing down their bloodlines? Fat chance.

Still, he looked forward to this one. This was, honestly, the most important aspect of his training—at least, in his opinion. «Secret Techniques» are basically power moves, channelling some strange power that somehow makes what would typically be simple actions into rather devastating blows.

He'd seen plenty of the guards in the village pull off some rather impressive «Secret Techniques». All of them were only of one single swing (and he found that to be a pretty big flaw. What if the attack missed? They'd be leaving themselves too open), but there was no denying the power behind their attacks.

And he'd come to appreciate that, in his training. Despite how these techniques are technically basic moves, he couldn't underestimate their power just yet.

"Let's begin with Eugeo. I want you to perform both «Azure Wind Slash» and «Lightning Slash»."

"Gah, lucky. He gets the one-handed techniques. I bet I'll have to do the double-handed techniques…"

"I won't deny that possibility."

He rolled his eyes as Eugeo chuckled, taking his position in front of the two teachers. He understood why, though; with his right arm unsuitable for holding stuff, there was no point teaching him double-handed techniques. However, that meant he'd learnt even less than even Kirito, though he wasn't going to complain about that. After all, Eugeo put in even more effort to learn medicine and treating methods from Ivenda.

And because Eugeo had to learn to get used to his left hand quickly, it meant that he'd learnt how to use his sword extremely quickly, hence why his «Azure Wind Slash» was executed with a speed that his eyes just couldn't track. Blue light danced in the air from his down-right slash—with his left hand, he started off by holding his sword above to his left, after all.

"Execute the attack in the other direction."

He responded by obeying her command, holding his sword close to his waist and aiming it behind him. Once more, he allowed the preceding operation to take place before he swung once more, this time to his upper left. The blades of grass around him danced from the outburst of air that his attack projected.

And not even a single look of exhaustion on his form; a clear sign that the technique was so integrated into his system that he had absolutely no trouble executing it.

He whistled. "Wow. That's really fast."

"Indeed. While «Azure Wind Slash» isn't a very strong technique, it can catch the opponent off-guard if they use a weak technique of their own. You can deflect their attack, and then initiate a reposte with another technique."

"True. The faster I can draw my sword, the faster I can then make another move," Eugeo nodded. "Okay, so my next one is «Lightning Slash»."

This one was just as easy, though it packed a significantly greater strength compared to the previous technique. His feet spread apart and his sword saddled on his left shoulder, he let the energy build, blue light glowing around him. With a cry, Eugeo let loose an immaculate downwards slash, making full use of his entire body to pour momentum into the attack.

"I can't even spot a flaw in that," Charlotte happily said, which made Eugeo beam at her.

"Truly. I mean, I'm not surprised, but it certainly speaks well of all the practice you've done thus far."

"A-Ah, thanks. Still got a few things to improve on, but I appreciate it."

"Hey, take the compliments where you can get them," snickered Kirito as he walked over to the other boy's side, patting him on the back. "Even I could tell that you were great. If only we could spar with each other, but we don't have another sword."

"Which is why I suggested we just borrow one."

"Nah. Wouldn't have felt the same. And I know that, if I do, you'd ask me to use the Blue Rose Sword. I think it's better if you do."

"What? Why?"

"Blue looks better on you," the other boy promptly said something about him being an idiot. He did not argue with that. "Alright then, my turn. What's my first technique?"

"Let's begin with a «Whirling Current»," a double-handed technique, just as he expected. He bit back a groan. "Go ahead. Show us how to execute the technique."

"Alright. One «Whirling Current» coming right up."

His friend walked away to join their teachers. Kirito took up his position and relaxed himself, willing away his annoyance to focus on the motions. He spread his feet apart and aimed his sword behind him to his right. The blade was slightly slanted downwards, which would allow him to move forwards and draw it in a circle to execute the attack.

The image of light materialized in his mind before physically willing upon his blade. His sword seemed to grow featherlight, a faint whistling as green glowed from his weapon.

And then, he moved forwards.

With a shout, Kirito moved his body to spin counter-clockwise. His sword travelled upwards and towards his left. He allowed the momentum to carry him forwards, twisting himself on his feet and coming in for the second, true swing. The Blue Rose Sword sailed through the air and released an outburst of air from the strength of his swing.

"Impressively done," Fanatio's voice pulled him back into reality, noticing her pleased expression. "That was a perfect display of «Whirling Current». One of the Serlut family's techniques, they are well-known for their ability to trick and disrupt the enemy with the use of secondary weapons and misleading techniques."

"Yeah… Certainly fooled me the first time."

"And what kind of secondary weapons do they use, Fanatio?" His best friend asked from where he was now sitting beneath the tree.

"Well, one of the older members of the family used a knife in conjunction with their sword. As of recently, whips have become an integral part of their style."

"Whips?" He shared his friend's surprise. "That's a really weird choice."

"Indeed, but it's those kinds of unexpected weapons that make them truly dangerous foes to face against. After all, the use of whips allows them to bypass range limitations and break the enemy's stance in a fight."

Oooh. That sounds pretty good. Maybe, once he gets good enough with the sword, he might pursue learning how to use another weapon.

"So, what'll be the last one? «Head Sea»? «Heavens and—»…" Kirito paused for a moment, frowning. "What was it called again?"

"«Heavens and Mountains Break»," his friend helpfully answered. "Although, to be fair, it's a pretty lengthy name compared to all the other «Secret Techniques»."

"Long names evoke the sense that it's powerful. That it's earned its worth of being long and meaningful, and that ties in with the fact that it's designed by higher-ranking noble families in Norlangarth. Their ego, though detestable at times," and wasn't she right about that? "Is also their power. Their belief in their invincibility is what makes them incredibly powerful in the face of enemies, and thought this attack is a single hit, it's a devastating attack that one must be careful of not allowing themselves to be hit by."

"Then it'd be a damn shame if their enemy decides to just dodge their attack," he doubted he sounded sorry for them. Wasn't feeling it either. "Really, that would suck sooo much."

"Kirito…"

"He's not exactly wrong," hummed Charlotte, making him nod back and making Fanatio sigh. "And in a real combat situation, you should make use of that exploitation if your opponent decides to use a single-hit attack. If you believe it's too dangerous to meet their attack head-on, opting to evade is the smarter play."

"Heh. That would be awesome. So, what'll it be?"

"«Heavens and Mountains Break»."

"Sure thing. Just let me—"

"Actually, we would like to try something different this time," Kirito quirked a brow at the short glance the two women shared. Charlotte nodded, then looked at him once more. "To put it simply, I would like you to use the technique on me."

It took him only two seconds to realize what she said before he articulated a single word: "What."

"Err, is that a good idea?" Eugeo sweat-dropped, sounding concerned. "I mean, we both know that you're resilient, since you're… you. But that doesn't make you completely resistant to all attacks. There might be a chance that Kirito might accidentally injure you."

Okay, that is crap. "No way in heck. You didn't see half the things I saw that night. Gabura was slashing away at her and she wasn't even fazed in the slightest! She was awesome!"

"That is debatable," Charlotte interjected before he could anything more. Also, did she sound flustered? Probably not. Must be his imagination. "And even then, I can assure you that I won't be wounded. I can promise you that I will be able to handle it."

'That…' If there was a horrible idea that he knew of, this was one of them. Would it be fine to hit someone? Injuring another person would be violating the «Taboo Index», and he would really prefer avoiding that, even if the chance of that happening with Charlotte of all people was downright miniscule. "Err. Should we at least treat it as a 'First blood' duel?"

"Ah. Smart. Just like that one time you beat up Hotaru."

"Bruh!"

"Excuse me?" Fanatio's head snapped his way. "You beat up a person?"

"It's a long story. And no, it wasn't abuse; it was just… discipline?" He weakly said. "We'll tell you later."

"…I swear. Just when I thought I knew all the crazy things you get up to, I just keep learning more," she shook her head, having the face of a person who aged so many years at once. "I will need a cup of hot chocolate after this… No matter. Please, Charlotte. Take it away."

"Of course. And yes, I agree with you, Kirito. For safety's sake, let us treat this as a duel. You needn't hold back on my account. Unleash a «Heavens and Mountains Break» on me. I need to know the extent of your strength."

Kirito, uncertain and worried, gulped.

There was no doubting her strength. He had, after all, witnessed her deflect swords and knives with her bare arms. She'd even taken a powerful slam from Gabura, who was easily twice her size, and still come out unscathed from that. If Gabura himself couldn't kill her, his own attack would do next no nothing to her.

It had more to do with the fact that he was just unsure of whether or not this was right. This is the first time they'd ever done something like this. All the other times, she'd only ever made him unleash the techniques and she'd watch them.

He supposed that this was the best way to evaluate his performance. After all, their end-of-the-month practical assessment, which included a proper duel (at the very least, that had been stopping short, and with full consensus for both parties to fight one another), gave both himself and Charlotte a pretty good insight into his abilities.

He rid himself of his hesitance, deciding that he may as well get it over with. "Alright then… Let's do it."

In truth, besides the idea of attacking Charlotte, he'd been worried about the «Taboo Index». He was glad that they'd accepted to treat this as a duel, which would allow them to circumvent the «Taboo Index», which forbade one from harming another.

Breaking it would… well, no one needed to bring it up. And he was not going to think about it. Right now, the moment he lived in mattered, and everyone would be okay.

Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip over his sword, steeling his heart for what's to come.

Before him, tranquil, like untouched waters. Powerful, like the very mountains. Undefeated—like no other.

Charlotte stood before him with one hand extended forwards while the other was kept close to her chest, her feet more or less the same. She angled herself in a way that she could easily lean to the sides to let attacks sail right past her, making her an incredibly hard target to hit.

This time, however, she was not going to move. She was going to become an unmovable shield and test his strength.

He still didn't want to do this. Harming his friend and teacher felt so wrong to him, even if it was technically her orders. Even Fanatio seemed okay with this, so there was no other way to avoid this. He had to face it head-on.

Alright, he can do this. This was just part of the assessment. He rid himself of his hesitance, knowing that such would only weaken his sword. "Okay… I am ready."

Charlotte nodded back, preparing herself in a stance he recognized to be one of her more defensive-oriented styles. This isn't one she utilizes to dodge attacks or hit back five times as hard (he'd experienced that during an assessment when she almost broke his arm punching his sword); she intended to only block his attack.

Hah… If only he possessed half her willpower.

Image of the technique in his mind, Kirito braced himself for the appropriate position. His sword was raised high above his head, and he slightly bent his lower body a little. He let out a breath before inhaling once more, trying to steady himself. He needed to focus. He needed to be prepared to attack.

Kirito poured energy into the Blue Rose Sword, feeling it slowly gain weight in his hold. Light the colour of golden blazed around him, and he could feel the phantom pull of his weapon backwards. He almost felt as if it grew.

He hated two-handed techniques for how… heavy they feel. How difficult they are compared to the single-handed techniques. «Heavens and Mountains Break», especially, made him feel slower. He couldn't help but feel weighed down as if he was wearing metal on his person every time he initiated this skill in particular.

Even so, for all his distaste with this skill, nothing contested the fact that it was powerful.

As if something clicked into place or his mind conjured the image for him, his body moved by its own volition. He did not leap forwards so much so that he accelerated forwards in a surprising burst of speed, kicking off from the ground like a thunderclap. The earth cracked from the point of his separation, time coming to a close cease as orange streaked right behind him.

'Now!'

He closed the distance between himself and his mentor in just two seconds. With but every intent to attack, Kirito let gravity and his own momentum take ahold as he swung downwards with a roar.

The Blue Rose Sword struck against her arm like a guillotine. The sound of metal striking metal boomed like a monster's howl, the impact of his attack connecting with her impenetrable defense creating a shockwave around them.

Fantastic reach and undeniable impact. To master this technique alone put one leagues above the others and was highly valued amongst the nobles. For all that he hated this skill, he felt the sheer rush of power coursing through his veins.

Kirito, in feeling the strain of all the muscles in his body and the movement of the blade he weld, could only gasp at the sheer recoil of his attack.

In unleashing this «Secret Technique», one expects the attack to break past the opponent's guard and knock them down in an instant. The build-up of momentum in the forwards motion and the incredible power behind the swing would best the normal man.

Charlotte was not a normal opponent.

Her arms and fists that had blocked steel, resisted slash and tear, did not buckle from his singular attack. If anything, it felt like he'd hit a brick wall—knowing just how powerful Charlotte is, that wouldn't seem too far from the truth. Rather than the energy behind his attack overpowering her, it was simply mirrored back at him, spiking through his sword and into his arms, rattling the bones of his arms and making him slack in his grip.

One second.

The next, he was flying backwards, sword displaced from his hands and him sent skidding on the ground backwards until he crashed into a tree, making him seize up with a hack.

"Kirito!"

"I-I'm fine..!" He forced out, quick to try and calm his friend down. Even so, as he attempted to push himself back up onto his feet, he found his arms unwilling to obey him, and he eventually crumpled back down. "Urgh… Give me a f-few seconds. I got, ah… Crap…"

He'd sparred with Charlotte plenty of times before, but he always knew that she'd been holding back, if only to give him the opportunity to learn how to fight and defend himself. Today's demonstration proved just that, as her full-on defense emphasized just how powerful she really was.

His laugh came unbidden. It really would take a long time before he could fight with her on equal footing. That thought was incredibly relieving.

"Kirito," the woman in question jogged over to his side, falling to a crouch. "Are you injured?"

"Nah, nah… Just a little dizzy," he waved off her concern. "Saw this coming, to be honest… The last time you were defensive in our last sparring, it was more or less the same."

"Certainly makes you wonder how Charlotte is so tough."

There was a hint of nervousness in her expression, indicating something that she was trying to keep under wraps. He chose not to ask her further, knowing that it must have been incredibly private. He wasn't about to dig into her business now.

"Even so, I must say that your execution was incredibly well-done," Fanatio said happily. "If I'm not wrong, this is only the fifth time you've ever used it, but there were no faults with it. Your stance, your momentum, the power—I'd give you full points."

"I appreciate that. Zero for failing to do much against Charlotte, though," he joked, accepting Eugeo's help to stand back up.

"You needn't worry about that part. We simply wanted to evaluate both of your physical strength," she crossed her arms. "Eugeo is understandably a little weaker since he's forced to rely on just one-handed techniques, but even he held himself well. You, however, were able to maximize your output by using your entire body."

"Hah. Well, you did say to use the entire body."

"Indeed. Making full use of your body to do something is the only way you can achieve something far more stellar than usual."

"I could get behind that. So… is that it for training?"

"Typically, we would continue, but there's something that we must discuss at the moment," the hint of seriousness in her voice had him pausing. "Mind you, it's nothing bad. It's just… yesterday, Charlotte and I came to a realization."

"Oh?" He sheathed the Blue Rose Sword. "What is it?"

"You and Eugeo have completed your training."

For a moment, no one said anything. Even Kirito questioned himself if he'd heard the right thing. But looking at their two teachers, seeing no such change in expression to indicate it was a joke of sorts, he realized that they were telling the truths.

"We… actually have?"

"You two have," nodded Charlotte. "You three had been incredibly diligent in your training, and with both of your demonstrations from earlier, it's made clear that there just isn't anything more to work on, outside of physical training. As for your swordsmanship training…" She exhaled. "It is done."

That was… Wow. That's crazy to consider.

Kirito let his head hang, considering how it had taken three years to get to this point. It was always meant to come someday, but they were actually at the end point.

"Hah. Man, we're actually done..?" He laughed, but he thought it sounded a little bittersweet. "I see. Guess it'll be time to leave soon. There's no escaping that."

Both he and Eugeo stared at one another, wordless—both with their mouths and in their own heads. But that single gaze they shared was more than enough.

It really was time to go, huh?

Eugeo offered a hand on his shoulder, perhaps as a small gesture of support. He appreciated it; with how hard his heart was beating now, he thought he might have fallen over.

It was the melancholy over the idea of leaving home… and the excitement of seeing so much more beyond their little village.

"Charlotte," the woman perked up. "Tell Chief Gasupht that, at the end of the month, we'll cut down the Gigas Cedar."

"…I see. That's your decision, then?"

"It is," he and Eugeo nodded. "I'll be telling Sister Azalia as well. She would want to know."

"Guess I'd better be passing the news to my family as well," Eugeo hummed. "This is it, then."

"It sure is. Took plenty of time to get here, but I sure ain't complaining," a thought popped in his mind, and it made him laugh. "How likely is the pontifex pissed at us taking so much time?"

"Kirito, please do not make such nonsensical comments," despite her chastising tone, he didn't miss the slight quirk on her lips. "And I'm sure she understood that it would have taken a long time. She won't complain."

"Let's hope so. We're finally making good on our promise, after all, so I'd prefer our journey to Centoria being a good one."

And that journey would finally take them beyond Rulid—the sleepy little village that they'd lived in for fourteen years up to this point.

By the end of the month, they would be bidding this place farewell. For how long that would be, he didn't know, but it made him nervous all the same.

Even so, as he looked off towards the horizon, in the direction of Centoria—the mighty cathedral standing tall and visible from just about anywhere and everywhere—all he could think of was how closer they were to fulfilling their objective.