"Sorry, I'm no good at teaching—I only know how to cut."
"So, I'm planning to teach you Mind's Eye… through battle."
With that statement, Ikki Kurogane's personal nightmare began.
Ikki had never seen swordsmanship like this before.
It was as if Souji had stripped away all unnecessary flair and refinement, focusing solely on the most effective method of "killing."
Gone was the Souji who held a bamboo sword. Now, she embodied the epitome of a true "killer."
From the moment she gripped her sword with both hands, she hadn't spoken a single word.
And beyond that…
"Her footsteps… her breathing… there's nothing to sense…"
Of course, in an actual kill, any extraneous movement would only alert the target.
Black and white clashed mid-air, sparks exploding from the collision, briefly illuminating their faces.
Ikki's face was ashen, while Souji's…
Held an expression no living person should possess.
Shhhk!
Ikki managed to block her strike, but still, Souji's blade carved into his shoulder, slicing away a chunk of flesh.
Blood poured down his arm, splattering against the stone floor.
And it wasn't just his shoulder; his entire body was littered with wounds, his pale face drained from blood loss.
Anyone else would have lost consciousness long ago.
Even Ikki's mind was growing dim, his body moving on pure survival instinct.
He looked as though he could collapse at any moment.
Then, Souji raised her sword high.
All the weight and force of her aura gathered in the slender, snow-white blade as she swung it down with a force that seemed to split the heavens.
Facing this crushing blow, Ikki ignored the pain in his shoulder, gripping Intetsu with both hands and meeting Souji's strike head-on.
Sword met sword in a clash of blinding light.
The winds whipped across the training ground, slicing through the air with enough force that, even standing on the sidelines, Shizuku Kurogane felt a sharp, stinging sensation on her skin that forced her to look away.
Amid the raging storm of sword wind, two sounds rang out sharply.
Crack.
The sound of something hard breaking.
Shhhk.
The sound of flesh, muscle, and bone being cut.
Ikki's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his Device, now reduced to a hilt, before his body shuddered, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsing forward.
"Heave-ho!"
Souji caught him before he hit the ground, supporting his weight.
"Onii-sama!"
Without needing Souji's prompt, Shizuku rushed onto the field, kneeling beside her brother and immediately using her powers to heal his injuries.
"His Device couldn't withstand it, huh? Looks like we'll have to stop for today."
Since a Device is a Blazer's manifested soul, damage to it also affects the Blazer's mind, often knocking them out cold.
"Onii-sama is way too reckless! And you—how could you be so brutal with him, Souji?"
"What can I do? I told you, I only know how to fight, not teach!"
Shizuku shot Souji a fierce glare, and Souji didn't bother arguing. Her intentions were sincere in wanting to help Ikki, but she couldn't deny the brutal training had left him half-dead.
To be fair, Shizuku hadn't been this bold at the start of their training.
When Souji unleashed her "killer" side, even Ikki, with all his resilience, had been taken aback the first time. Kirihara Shizuya had fared worse—utterly terrified, probably left with a lifelong trauma.
Naturally, Shizuku hadn't been spared, either.
Just from watching Souji from afar, she had felt her life force drain, her legs going weak. When she first approached Ikki to heal him, she was as pale as a ghost, not daring to meet Souji's gaze.
Souji hadn't minded. In fact, she'd been impressed that Shizuku managed to hold herself together well enough to give Ikki proper treatment.
Ikki hadn't passed out after that first round, so once Shizuku finished treating him, training resumed, with her returning to the sidelines.
Souji had expected Shizuku to need a break to recover from the psychological strain, but after that first round of healing, Shizuku seemed to steel herself. By the second time she came in to treat Ikki, she was nearly back to normal and even daring to scold Souji like usual.
"Well, well. Guess I underestimated Shizuku."
Thinking back, it made sense. As the protagonist's sister and one of his key supporters, she would naturally be tough.
If Souji recalled correctly, later in the story, Ikki dies, and Shizuku, defying her limits, achieves near-miraculous healing powers to bring him back to life.
Or something like that, anyway. Her memories from the story were hazy now, after all.
Just then, Shizuku completed the treatment and Souji stepped over, asking with concern.
"How's he doing?"
"What do you think?" Shizuku shot her an exasperated look, sighing. "His injuries are mostly healed, but with his Device damaged, Onii-sama's spirit took a hit. He won't wake up for a while."
"I see… Do you think he'll be up by tomorrow?"
"What are you planning?" Shizuku instantly went on alert. "Are you planning more of this barbaric training? Do you really think it'll help him?"
"Oh, it's effective."
Souji touched her chin thoughtfully, a faintly amused smile crossing her face.
That last strike—the one that had broken Ikki's Device—had felt… strange. Ikki had made an attempt to parry that had introduced an almost imperceptible resistance to her swing.
"If only he can reach the intended level before the tournament…"
Shizuku studied Souji's expression, then, after a long moment, glanced away.
"I'll take Onii-sama back."
"Let me help. You'll have a hard time alone, right?"
It wasn't a matter of weight—lifting him would be easy for a Blazer. But their height difference posed some practical challenges.
Ikki and Stella were roommates, and Shizuku lived in the room next door, making it easy enough to bring him back. But Souji's residence wasn't in their dormitory; she was housed off-campus, a condition even the headmaster had reluctantly agreed to.
"Oh, and here."
Just as they were about to leave, Souji suddenly remembered something and handed an item to Shizuku.
"What… is this?"
Held in Shizuku's palm was an apple.
Except, this apple gleamed silver, its flawless shape and color making it look like a work of art.
"A Silver Apple. Make sure Ikki eats it—it'll help him wake up sooner."
"Don't waste it! This thing's quite rare. I'm careful even with my own."
Yes, very precious. She only had a hundred or so left in her inventory.
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Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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