LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 42
In the end, Siabel heeded Shione’s request.
Ultimately, they found an open space outside the training grounds where they could face each other without any lack of swords.
There wasn’t a single tree around, and the sunlight was blazing, but fortunately, a cool breeze from the forest blew in.
The moment Siabel entered the training area, she tied her long hair into a ponytail and said,
“We should refrain from using mana to avoid serious injuries.”
“I will comply.”
Shione readily agreed to her words.
The violence in a duel involving mana and one without it is distinctly different.
In a mountainous region teeming with monsters, engaging in a duel with real swords instead of practice swords is not a good choice.
Given that Shione wasn’t particularly skilled in swordsmanship, she had no choice but to agree with her sister.
Before long, Siabel, having tied her hair, swept her bangs back and asked,
“Shione, are you ready?”
“Huff… let’s begin.”
“Then, here we go.”
Shrugging her shoulders in response to Shione’s words, Siabel unsheathed her sword with a precise motion.
Shione, too, was tense at the thought of dueling with her sister after several years.
Rustle.
Perhaps it was because the sword felt heavier than usual.
Shione’s expression grew complex as she drew her sword.
“I’ll try to minimize any injuries.”
“…I hope you won’t go easy on me.”
Siabel shook her head firmly.
“Stop. I won’t hold back beyond this point. Moreover—”
Siabel set her sword in a ready position, adopting a formal and sturdy stance.
“I am an expert knight, you know.”
At Siabel’s words, Shione fell silent.
To say she hoped for leniency from an expert knight was nothing but arrogance and childish stubbornness, and she knew it well.
“I’ll let you take the first move. Come at me comfortably.”
“…Thank you for your consideration.”
“Don’t mention it. If my little sister wants to vent her frustration, it’s only natural for an elder sister to help.”
“I’ll begin.”
Before Siabel could finish her words—
Slash!
Shione thrust her sword forward and struck the ground.
“Gasp!!”
Without hesitation, as soon as her sword tip came close to her sister, she swung it.
There was no need to hesitate for fear of harming her opponent.
After all, Siabel was indeed an expert knight.
Such a predictable attack should be easily discerned.
Clang!!
The sound of a sharp blade clashing reverberated.
As expected, it was nothing different.
Siabel easily parried her sister’s attack.
Multiple times from offense to defense.
As Siabel watched Shione flailing in frustration, unable to control her emotions, she clicked her tongue when her sister took a moment to catch her breath and distanced herself.
“…Tch.”
After years away, seeing Shione’s swordsmanship through their duel, it was worse than she had imagined.
Had she not retreated to her own world, her skills wouldn’t have been this pathetic, even if her sword had changed.
Emotions bursting forth instead of cold rationality caused her sword to swing like that.
Even if Shione attempted to strike again with a wide arc, nothing changed.
The swordsmanship designed to combat demons and to enable one to be more devilish was nowhere to be found.
Let alone that, how could a sword fueled by emotions pouring out reach her?
Dealing with Shione was frankly so dull that it made her want to yawn, even with real swords in hand.
“Ugh!!”
“Looks like you’re completely consumed by your emotions.”
Shione’s current state was embarrassing to even call swordsmanship.
Simply wielding the sword in horizontal and straight lines was something even cooks who had spent years in the kitchen could accomplish.
What drove Shione was not the swordsmanship they had learned together years ago, but her pent-up frustration.
“What the heck happened?”
So, I asked.
What on earth had happened for Shione to be so overwhelmed by her emotions?
Even comparing herself to me, Aida had never thought of harboring such deep-seated anger while hiding away.
Although my sister had certainly mistreated her servants in the past, she had never been so lost in her feelings.
With a flurry of arm whips, Shione exhaled harshly and said,
“…I encountered Arachne.”
“Arachne?”
I had just rushed back after hearing that Shione and her servant were receiving treatment, so her words were utterly shocking.
Shione’s statement prompted my thoughts to deepen.
Encountering Arachne, huh?
That statement gave me a basic understanding of the situation.
Shione’s servant must have been injured and fallen due to that spider.
Shione, who cherished him dearly, was now angry.
However, there were still lingering questions.
Shione was not strong enough to face Arachne.
Arachne is a cunning and vicious monster that never lets go of its chosen prey.
How on earth was Shione standing here, sharing swords without a significant injury?
“You encountered that Arachne?”
“You should have hurried back when Ray suggested we leave.”
Shione’s previously heated expression gradually grew cold.
“I still remember his figure, using mana that barely did anything to stab his sword deep into Arachne’s head while trying to protect me, even though he looked as if his arm might burst.”
“……”
“The funniest thing? Do you know?”
A deep sigh mixed with self-deprecation settled on Shione’s lips.
“I couldn’t even shoot an arrow to help him; I could only watch from afar.”
“…Wasn’t the situation dire? Arachne is one of the top predators in the Beltlin Mountains—”
“No.”
Shione firmly shook her head, cutting off her sister’s words.
“If only I had been aware from the start. If only I had possessed enough skill to help Ray—”
Shione’s face was once again filled with rage.
This time, it was a controlled and rational kind of anger, not the kind that consumed her mind.
“He shouldn’t have had to sacrifice himself, throwing me to safety and enduring all that pain.”
Finally, Shione quietly gripped her sword and stared at Siabel.
Shione’s icy blue eyes bore a chilling gaze akin to that of a sharp knight, unlike her pitiful swordsmanship.
“Even against demon worshippers, he faced them without showing a hint of fear, never uttering a word of terror.”
Shione’s fierceness changed.
The panting from before vanished, and she calmly inhaled the air.
With a clearer mind, she completed her preparedness to clash swords with Siabel.
“The screams he let out in pain are still fresh in my memory.”
The tip of her sword pointed towards Siabel.
Ready for one final blow to release that last pent-up emotion.
“I want to completely change myself with this last blow.”
Siabel, too, read the atmosphere.
She was ready to receive her sister’s attack, aligning herself with her determination.
“Huff!”
With that, Shione exploded off the ground once more.
In the blink of an eye, she approached Siabel, and the sharp edge of her sword rose up towards the sky, then slashed upward.
Kiiiiinnng!!
The sound of clashing metals echoed coldly as Shione’s sword danced upon Siabel’s blade.
It was at that moment.
– Swiftly slash the enemy to subdue, stab, and then retreat to secure a safe distance.
Recalling the story about the single-edged sword Ray had told me in the past.
“Hmph!”
As I exhaled, I exerted strength into my wrist.
Shione’s trajectory, which had been riding Siabel’s blade, suddenly altered.
As though she had jumped off her sword, she advanced forward, aiming for Siabel’s neck.
It was a swift and sharp thrust.
“Oh.”
Siabel’s mouth twitched slightly.
A small smile appeared and vanished multiple times as Siabel raised her sword high to intercept, blocking Shione’s attack.
They both hesitated.
“……”
“……”
Shione’s sword stopped right in front of Siabel’s neck.
Unlike the clumsy attacks from before, this was a refined strike.
In that fleeting moment, their gazes crossed.
As Siabel swung her sword out to push Shione back, Shione swiftly retreated to create distance.
“Phew……”
While her attack was blocked, it seemed Shione had successfully released some of her frustration.
Her movements were restrained as she sheathed her sword.
Seeing that, Siabel whispered, a slight smile appearing on her lips that was just barely noticeable.
“This is fun.”
She found it enjoyable, purely because this situation was entertaining.
That a fascinating man who could wield magic had managed to capture Arachne all by himself this time.
It was also fun to see my sister transform like this compared to before.
Moreover, that last attack had been impressive in its own right.
It was a situation with no dull moments.
“Ray—”
If I thought about it, he was present, showcasing his magic right in front of me during that whole ordeal.
Not only wielding magic, but also having the audacity to stab his sword into Arachne’s head, even with his left arm getting mangled.
Unlike her timid servant Bronte, he was fundamentally different.
He was the first person to have made me enjoy anything in my life.
“I should talk to him when he wakes up.”
With that murmured thought, Siabel started tidying her sword and approached Shione.
As Shione lowered her head, she said,
“Thank you for indulging me.”
“Yeah, so is your venting over now?”
“Yes… thanks to you, I was able to clear my thoughts to some extent. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m just doing what a sister should do to help her little sister vent her frustrations.”
Saying this, Siabel regained her composure, folded her arms, and added,
“By the way… we should talk in detail about what happened, from capturing Arachne to everything else I want to know.”
“…I found what seems to be a place where the demon worshippers performed their rituals.”
“Let’s return to the fortress and talk about it.”
As Siabel brushed past Shione, she remarked,
“Oh, and if you want to change, it’d be best to commit to it completely. If you still show hesitance with a half-baked resolution, you may risk losing him again—”
Glimmers of amusement began to appear on Siabel’s face as she passed Shione.
“I mean, you might just lose him.”
Having spoken with a determined heart, Shione followed Siabel, stating,
“You don’t need to worry about that from me. I won’t let him—”
With a gaze set on her future, her determination was firm.
“I’ll make sure he won’t be taken from me.”