Chapter 100

――I am about to cut down my former disciple.

I didn't want to do this if I could help it. If asked whether I am fully prepared, I would have to say it's a bit questionable.

Roze, my former disciple, had attended my dojo for a short period of one and a half years. She was a devout follower of the Sphen religion, always praying to her god whenever she had the chance.

I can't count the number of times I made a bitter face at her enthusiastic proselytizing. However, looking back, despite the busyness, she always greeted me with a smile, and there were many good memories.

"…Hehe. Then I'll resist, okay~"

She is wearing full plate armor. If we were to run, I would definitely be faster. She must know that too.

She holds her kite shield to cover half her body, and her estoc is lowered, almost in a low guard.

She didn't use a shield when she attended my dojo. But even thinking back to our training sessions, she was always good at counterattacking from a defensive position.

Her skills must have improved even more since then. With the shield, her defense must be even more solid.

Can I really break through her defenses with my strength?

To begin with, can I even properly raise my sword against Roze?

I've never had to use a real sword against a disciple, only wooden ones. I do want to stop her, but the thought of possibly killing a familiar disciple makes it hard for me to make a decision.

"Ha!"

Before I could make up my mind, Roze's advance started the battle.

"Whoa!"

I deflect the estoc that was thrust straight at me.

Roze is good at defense, but she's not bad at offense either. If she wants to, she can easily take the initiative.

In fact, her advance was sharp, despite the heavy armor.

"Hiss!"

Roze, following the momentum of the deflected estoc, skillfully turned her wrist and launched a horizontal slash.

The unique sound of her breath echoed as her estoc bounced two or three times.

"…Ugh!"

The task of parrying the incoming rapier began.

Damn, Roze is strong! The speed and weight from her full plate armor are unexpected.

I've recently experienced this kind of strength in battle.

It's similar to the sword technique of Spur, whom I fought before capturing Bishop Levious.

He uses the rotation of his shoulders and hips to generate speed at the tip of the sword without putting his full weight into it. In other words, I can parry or block, but it's difficult to counterattack.

So, naturally, to break this situation, I have to attack.

"Hehe! What's the matter, teacher!?"

"…!"

She must have sensed my lack of resolve, as she continues to swing her estoc while speaking excitedly.

Both Roze and I are naturally defensive fighters.

To be precise, I am more of a deflection type, while Roze is a complete defensive type, but neither of us is the type to initiate attacks.

However, the Roze I know was extremely defensive, with very few offensive moves. While it could be said that she was good at observing her opponents, it often felt like she was overthinking.

That's why I remember focusing on teaching her effective offensive techniques and how to move her lower body.

The skills I taught her back then are clearly being put to good use. Her improvement is so significant that I can't help but feel proud.

"…Aren't you going to fight, teacher!"

I can't bring myself to attack due to my wavering emotions, while Roze, perhaps because she has no other choice, is actively attacking.

It's a strange situation. Our sparring sessions at the dojo were much more relaxed and graceful.

"I made my decision to be here!"

I parry the estoc, which was swung down with a wide arc.

That was a chance to counterattack. If I had aimed for the follow-through, I could have landed a blow, though not a fatal one.

However, my sword still wouldn't move forward.

"Stop me! Stop me!"

Roze's attacks and verbal provocations don't stop.

Her sword technique is indeed beautiful, but this aggressive stance is far from the Roze I know.

I have my doubts.

But more than that, I feel hesitation in Roze's sword.

"If you can stop me, then do it! …Stop me!"

I parry the estoc, which was swung down with a shout.

The momentum caused Roze's feet to pause, and I took a step or two back.

"…Roze, you…"

"…Hehe. Perhaps I got a bit carried away."

My mouth, which was about to say something, was sealed by Roze's usual tone.

―Roze, are you…

…Hesitating?

I close my mouth, which was about to ask the question.

Even if I asked her now, she wouldn't answer honestly. If my persuasion could make her stop, this battle wouldn't have happened.

In the heat of battle, emotions can boil over.

It's not uncommon for hidden true feelings to spill out in the midst of a fight. Indeed, when I fought Hembritz and Srena, they revealed their inner thoughts through shouts and exclamations.

If Roze wishes for someone to stop her from committing this atrocity.

It might be wishful thinking on my part. It might be a misunderstanding.

But.

The Roze I know.

Even in past sparring sessions, she never raised her voice like this.

"…Phew, you're strong, teacher. I can't break through."

Despite her intense offensive, Roze's breathing wasn't labored.

She must still have plenty of stamina. It's a testament to her consistent training. While I'm glad she's kept up her training, it's disheartening to see her skills used for this.

"Will you surrender?"

I ask, hoping for a glimmer of hope.

If Roze gives in, it would be the best outcome. I wouldn't have to hurt her, and I could persuade her later.

"…I can't. I can't, teacher."

It seems that's not an option.

My faint hope was crushed by her clear refusal.

"…I probably can't beat you, teacher. I realized that again after our sparring~"

"Then—"

"But I can't stop. Not now."

Roze smiles as she always does.

"If I fail here, the children being held captive will die."

"Wha—"

Roze's face, as she confesses, is clear and calm.

"His Holiness must want a sure victory, I suppose~. But I have no intention of holding back~"

"…!"

You bitch.

The words almost slipped out, but I managed to hold them back. Venting my emotions at Roze wouldn't change the situation.

It's easy to imagine. She's acting to save the children, who are being used as hostages. I understand her desire to save the country.

But this is too much.

Regardless of the internal affairs of Sphenyard Vania, it's not my concern. But seeing my beloved former disciple fall to such depravity, I can't turn a blind eye.

I finally understand why words won't make her back down.

"Teacher"

"…What is it?"

She speaks in a singing tone.

"Please stop me. Scold me, your incompetent disciple."

She repositions her estoc with a determined look in her eyes.

"…Phew—"

I take a deep breath.

Wavering won't change anything.

This battle can't drag on any longer.

I need to make my decision.

"Roze"

"…Yes~"

I hold my sword straight, my gaze fixed ahead.

"I'm going to cut you down."

There was no response to my words.

"…"

Instead, she returns a smile that seems normal.

She readies her shield, preparing for my attack. The Roze I know is there.

I don't know how she has grown since leaving the dojo. On the other hand, Roze doesn't know what kind of life I've been living recently.

My strength is almost at its peak. A few more years of sword practice at my age won't bring dramatic improvement.

However, there is one thing I have now that I didn't have back then.

"…Phew!"

Two steps.

I step forward and raise my sword diagonally.

I'm not particularly fast in my approach. I have a bit of confidence in my reaction speed, but in terms of raw physical ability, I'm far behind Alusia and Hembritz.

At best, I'm a bit better than the average man of my age.

Roze, who has spent time with me, naturally has the same information.

So she chose to defend with her shield rather than a large evasive move.

With my strength, it's impossible to break through Roze's defense in one blow. I know this best, and Roze must have known it too.

Defend with the shield and counterattack when ready.

This plan is sound. With her high skill level, it would be a winning strategy in a normal match.

However.

I am not a normal swordsman.

Roze doesn't know the sharpness of this sword.

"…Wha—"

Roze's confident smile, backed by her belief in her impenetrable defense, fades.

The sword, with its momentum, easily slices through Roze's kite shield.

It effortlessly shatters her heavy full plate armor.

It carves a single, permanent mark on her chest.

"Ga…Ah…!?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected power of the blow, Roze stumbles back a step or two and finally kneels on one knee.

Blood drips from her chest.

Her expression, now devoid of her usual smile, is filled with shock and anxiety. She must not have expected her beloved shield and heavy armor to be broken in a single blow.

From the lack of blood in her mouth, it seems the sword didn't reach her lungs, a fortunate or unfortunate fact.

But the wound is severe enough to make continuing the fight impossible. If not treated quickly, it could be fatal.

"…The match is over."

I held back nothing.

I swung the sword with the resolve that killing her might be necessary. I couldn't afford to consider the value of her life when facing a skilled fighter accused of regicide.

Now, I can understand how Gathgar felt.

I'm not related to Roze, but if my former disciple was acting maliciously, I, as her former teacher, felt it was my duty to set things right.

"Ugh…!"

I look down at Roze, who is struggling to stand.

What kind of expression am I making now? Am I sad? I can't tell.

"It's over, Roze."

The voice that came out was surprisingly cold, even to me.