Under the sky filled with stars, Ryuu witnessed that dream-like sword dance.
The silver-armored female knight was draped in a celestial blue robe, wielding twin swords—elegant, swift, beautiful, yet deadly.
Inside the dim, ancient castle.
At first, the battle seemed somewhat ordinary, just like the many "Monsters" and "BOSSes" the two Elves had previously witnessed within this [Dark Hall].
The tall female knight remained silent, simply brandishing her longswords and charging towards her.
Ryuu had already adapted to such battles. In Isagi's [Dark Hall], for some reason, these "powerful knights" were always quite numerous.
Dodge, parry, seek a counterattack at the critical moment—for the girl, this was no longer a difficult task.
She focused intently.
She committed every movement of the opponent's twin swords to heart.
Although she herself did not use two weapons in combat, since Isagi had asked her to fight this opponent, he must have his reasons. Moreover, it hadn't been long since the start, and Ryuu had already noticed something unusual.
The attacks of the [Twin Moon Knight] were not only swift but also "invisible."
She always moved with agile steps, as if dancing, always leaping lightly to launch sudden attacks from the edge of one's vision.
And.
Even though it appeared to be a slash with the longsword, often, when she swung her right hand, the thrust from the longsword in her left hand was the true killing move.
The movements of the two weapons happened almost simultaneously, making them nearly impossible to distinguish.
Is she performing different actions with her left and right hands at the same time?
Is Isagi asking me to learn such a technique?
No!
From time to time, the twin swords would slash simultaneously with heavy force. Two longswords chopping down from the same angle—without a doubt, this at least doubled the power.
I understand!
Ryuu seemed to have realized something, finally understanding the meaning Isagi wanted to convey.
Since it is 'Twin Swords,' why can't it be the boy's one sword added to my one sword?
If her attacks could synchronize with Isagi, happening almost simultaneously, they could attack from different angles or apply pressure from the front together.
Clearly, this was true "coordination"!
She had been like this in the past as well, but something was always lacking; she simply couldn't achieve such unity. Why was that?
The girl, who had been thinking constantly lately, quickly arrived at the answer.
That was.
She thought too much during battle.
As a mid-guard, Ryuu always felt that all her teammates needed her coordination.
She had to pay attention to Lefiya and Heith in the distance, and also constantly care about the situation on Tiona's side. Consequently, compared to Isagi who was focused on the battle, she would always be a beat slower.
The 'Sword' does not think.
That's right. She should precisely abandon thinking, completely follow the boy's rhythm, and fight side-by-side with him.
She understood! She believed it!
In this instant, Ryuu completely comprehended!!
And as the battle continued, the twin swords in the female knight's hands transformed into azure blue and crimson red. The flowing moonlight and burning scarlet flames danced together like gorgeous, flowing colors.
"?"
The battle suddenly became completely different from before.
Just a moment ago, Ryuu was thinking that Isagi wanted her to witness with her own eyes what a powerful Magic Swordsman looked like, right?
Although the [Twin Moon Knight] Rellana had just released that basic magic the boy had taught her, known as "Carian Magic"—suspending several magic longswords behind her back which would automatically fly out to attack the enemy.
Ryuu even felt it was somewhat similar to herself.
Because [Luminous Wind] was also that kind of magic. Facing the female knight before her, she even felt a sense of familiarity.
The result...
Now it was even more "familiar"!
The azure magic slash, like an incomparably brilliant moonblade under the night sky, crisscrossed and flew towards the Elf girl. Following that, crimson flames suddenly arrived before her eyes, exploding the instant the sword blade was about to reach her.
The rolling flames wrapping around the longsword almost made Ryuu think the Twin Moon Knight before her could also use her close friend's [Agaris Alvesynth]!
So that's how it is. A Magic Swordsman's battle is like this...
[Twin Moon Knight] Rellana was not an incredibly, incredibly strong fellow. If one were to speak of using "Melee" and "Magic" simultaneously in battle, a certain "True Lord" might be considered the true "Ultimate Goal"—why isn't Lightning Magic considered magic?!
But Isagi felt that showing Ryuu-senpai that one was still a bit too early.
One must eat rice one mouthful at a time.
And this was indeed very suitable. When Rellana swung the longsword burning with crimson flames in her hand, it turned into an incomparably scorching flame dance—
Ryuu learned quickly.
She was also a very talented adventurer. In terms of growth speed alone, she had even once compared favorably to Miss Ais.
But the difference between the two was that the golden-haired girl knew instinctively, almost from birth deep within her heart, that the existence she pursued was the back of the father she dreamed of every night.
That was some kind of indescribable legacy, a bloodline and instinct rooted deep within the Sword Princess's heart.
Therefore.
Ais had never been lost. Conversely, because of her father's existence, she could always feel her own weakness. Even though she had become a Level 1 Adventurer and one of the strongest guys in the city, she understood that her current self was still far from enough.
But Ryuu-senpai was not like that.
Her former self had simply been growing together with her partners and friends, purely and simply.
For the girl, that time was even too carefree. It was precisely because of this that when her companions all departed, she had absolutely no way to continue moving forward.
But it didn't matter.
Some people can strive unceasingly for self-improvement, pushing forward with all their might no matter what difficulties and obstacles they encounter;
Others need to gaze at a back in the distance to make up their mind and start running;
This is a very normal thing. There is no better or worse, merely a very ordinary difference between people—
Evening.
The first thing Isagi saw upon waking from his sleep was Ryuu-senpai's fragrant, soft, and slightly flushed pretty face, completely pressing down on his body.
In the grassy field, the Elf girl was sitting on the ground.
She had given her legs, clad in shorts, to him as a pillow. And because she had also quickly entered the [Dark Hall] after he fell asleep, her originally upright upper body had unconsciously bent down completely.
Fortunately, she hadn't collapsed straight down to crush his face.
Although the angle was perfectly correct, and he should have been able to directly feel the girl's even more fragrant, soft, and plush... But!
Isagi wanted to emphasize that, actually, this feeling wasn't pleasant to endure.
One really couldn't breathe!
Isagi, who had experience being "suffocated awake" like this multiple times at night, knew! Although Ryuu-senpai's scale couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the Goddesses, the power should still be about the same.
The Elf girl was currently turned sideways, bending at the waist, sleeping while leaning against his chest.
And looking past her pretty face.
Further down, there was Miss Riveria lying prone. He had clearly told her there was no need to tag along.
At this moment.
The High Princess, who had also woken up, skillfully climbed up from the boy's abdomen. Although it wasn't the first time, her pretty face still instinctively flushed with a rosy hue. While tidying her hair, she hurriedly stood up and looked into the distance.
The sun was slowly setting, about to hide behind the distant mountain forest.
Ryuu-senpai had also woken up. Her eyes were slightly open, but her face looked as if she was reluctant to part with something; she simply didn't want to lift her small head from his chest.
Pursing her lips.
Her small face was slightly flushed. At this moment, the girl's thoughts were clearly visible even to Riveria beside them.
Her heart is in chaos.
The girl's gaze fell completely, entirely, upon the boy.
This couldn't help but make Riveria's heart a tangled mess. After all, Ais also... Sigh... Let the children solve their own matters...
Mainly, it was too messy!
Her own mood was also a mess, and her thoughts couldn't focus on the battle just now at all.
Clearly, it was a very interesting opponent. If it were before, Riveria would definitely be itching to challenge this monster, but now she had absolutely no such mood.
"Cough..."
Coughing lightly, she interrupted the eye contact between the boy and the girl.
For a tiny, fleeting instant.
Riveria felt she was guilty of a heinous crime! But very quickly, she felt she had absolutely no problem!!
Puffing out her chest.
The Elf High Princess thought to herself that she was also helping Ais. that child was too clumsy—she couldn't let her be beaten to the punch by other girls again, right?!
However, it was completely useless!
The eye contact between Isagi and Ryuu continued.
Reasonably speaking, the traditional and thin-skinned Elf girl should have immediately jumped up in shock and shyness at this moment, hurriedly keeping her distance from the boy.
But as luck would have it.
Ryuu felt that being like that was useless!
After such a long time, she had already discovered that rather than repressing herself, it was better to boldly enjoy it.
Just like now.
At this moment, feeling Isagi's warm and solid chest, inexplicably, gave her an indescribably comfortable feeling.
That tingly, numb sensation of heat, like tiny electric currents rushing through her whole body, left the girl not knowing how to describe it at all. She simply, instinctively, wanted to lie there a while longer.
Ryuu had many, many messy thoughts in her heart right now.
She wanted to dump everything she had just comprehended in the battle onto Isagi all at once, and even demonstrate her newly conceived applications of magic and sword skills in front of the boy—
She also wanted to continue this intimacy.
As well as.
To speak those words.
I like you.
Facing Isagi's face which was close at hand, Ryuu felt that under the gradually dimming sky, only her own heart seemed to be beating.
But no matter what, she couldn't ignore Riveria's existence!
Her final shred of reason told the girl that this was not the time to think about this!
Fortunately, perhaps her lucky day had arrived recently.
Whether it was displaying her strength;
Or obtaining a chance to be alone;
Ryuu got her wish. Because just in the evening, when she returned to the city with Isagi, she received a commission delivered by the Guild.
That was a very, very unexpected event—
Head to the Magical Powerhouse Nation outside the city and rendezvous with the Familia of the Moon Goddess, Artemis.
And.
Work together to handle the impending [Calamity of the Visiting Dragon].
____
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