Chapter 162

Upon reaching the realm of Grand Master, a warrior completes their own ‘Imagery’ despite not being a mage.

Of course, manifesting an Imagery does not suddenly grant a Steel Body user the ability to cast magic. They lack mind mana.

However, a Grand Master can utilize this inner landscape in a different manner through the pinnacle of body mana control.

Namely, materializing their own Imagery into reality using body mana.

‘That is precisely Imagery Realization.’

It was the ultimate manifestation of body mana manipulation, achievable exclusively by a Grand Master—or more accurately, a Grand Master-class Steel Body user.

In that sense, mages and Steel Body users were entities positioned at exact opposite poles.

Mages started from the Imagery and moved outward into reality, whereas Steel Body users started from reality and returned inward to the Imagery.

“Imagery Realization, is it…”

He scrutinized my expression intently before letting out a faint smile.

“The exact nature of my Imagery Realization is already famous, so your purpose isn’t merely an idle sightseeing tour… It seems you have something specific you wish to obtain.”

I was about to reply with a casual ‘Yeah, exactly,’ but quickly remembered my current persona’s age setting and adjusted my tone.

“…Mm. Indeed. There is something I strictly wish to observe.”

“Then you will have to pay a higher price.”

“A price?”

He casually spun the longsword he was holding in his hand.

“Let us trade blows a bit more. A brutal sword fight where flesh and blood actually scatter.”

“Is that truly necessary? Do we really need to go that far?”

“Naturally! It has been nearly a century since I last looked upon someone from whom I genuinely wanted to learn. You think you can just stir up the water and slip away? Utterly out of the question.”

“Hmm… Are you certain you’re fine with that? Your reputation is going to take a massive hit.”

“Do you honestly think I care about reputation or pride right now?”

“…I suppose not. Well, it should be fine. Very well. Let’s do this. After I beat you down for a bit, I’ll see about giving you some proper feedback.”

At my response, a bizarre expression crossed his face.

“Why that look?”

“No, it’s just… it feels incredibly surreal to hear someone else say the exact words I usually deliver to others.”

“Cut the chatter, here I come again.”

“Just leave me breathing.”

The two Grand Masters(?) made no effort to conceal their conversation. Consequently, their exchange naturally drew sheer shock from everyone watching the battle, including the Emperor.

“…So him getting pushed back earlier wasn’t a mere fluke?”

“For the great Duke Orléans to openly admit his own inferiority?”

“H-He must mean strictly in terms of close-quarters brawling, right?”

“T-That must be it. The true might of a Master or Grand Master cannot be determined solely by their skill in a sword fight….”

The disciples, who had only just regained consciousness, went beyond mere shock and plunged straight into absolute denial.

“…Ha, I think this is the first time in my entire life I’ve ever seen Father sound so weak….”
“I-Is this a dream? Did I fail to wake up after getting beaten by that monster? Or was getting beaten a dream to begin with?”

“P-Priest. I’m sorry to bother you while you’re busy, but could you focus your healing on his head first? I think the impact to his brain when he collapsed has left him….”

And amidst the chaos, those whose brains were actually functioning quickly pulled strings to procure image-recording artifacts.

“Ah, a-ah! T-That’s right…! Does anyone have an artifact capable of recording right now!?”

“Bringing recording artifacts into the Audience Chamber is strictly forbidden, so….”
“What about mages? Recording magic!”

“All spells of that nature are actively being dispelled. You know that much yourself, My Lord. F-For now, we are at least transcribing the dialogue as it happens….”

“That alone is not enough…! Sir Mila! You’re the fleetest of foot among us, so go secure a recording artifact immediately! Hurry! I’ll give you three minutes!”

“My Lord… how on earth am I supposed to find one within three minutes under these circumstances?”

“Then are you just going to stand there and watch!? You think a clash between Grand Masters happens every day!? If we can just secure the footage, there are countless nobles who would trade their entire territories just to own it! Seize it, steal it, do whatever it takes to get one!”

“Instead of going to such extremes, why not try striking a deal with the Court Mage later? If it’s him, he is undoubtedly recording this via artifact or magic anyway….”

“Don’t you know that guy only takes orders from His Majesty? Requesting the footage from him is virtually no different from asking the Emperor himself! For us, who follow Duke Theodore, is such a request even remotely feasible!?”

However, at this exact moment, those reactions were nothing more than loud, irrelevant noise to both the Grand Master and me.

Clank-clank-clank! Crash!

We collided. Shaving, pushing, pulling, and deflecting. Trapping and rolling, redirecting, spinning, and thrusting once more.

A fluid, lyrical sword fight that looked almost choreographed.

However, each and every movement of that seemingly simple exchange was actually the culmination of hundreds, thousands of tactical calculations passing between the Grand Master and me.

And just like that, ten exchanges passed.

Slash!

My blade slid away, leaving a long line drawn across the Grand Master’s neck.

Wiping away the thick blood streaming down his throat with his hand, the Grand Master laughed fiercely.

“That counts as one death.”

“You roughly knew it would turn out this way.”

“Knowing it conceptually is entirely different from experiencing it firsthand. …Here I come again. This time will be different.”

“Mm. Naturally, it will be different.”

Boom!!

And this time, pushed back after a mere seven exchanges, the Grand Master used his aura to stem the blood pouring from his flank.

“…Ha, that makes two deaths.”

The Grand Master gestured toward Astraphe, which was currently anchored in thin air, and questioned me.

“The trick from just now, and the one from earlier… is that the same technique you used against my son?”

I shook off the blood staining my left hand, which had clawed his flank before slipping back.

“Indeed. It is called Coordinate Axis Fixed Defense.”

“Is it truly impenetrable?”

“Impenetrable. Though it would be a different story if you could comprehend the direction my finger was pointing earlier.”

“Phew… Can you fight me without relying on that?”

“Very well.”

And then, a mere five exchanges.

Slice!!

One of the Grand Master’s ears sliced clean off, flying through the air.

“Master!!”

“Father!!”

“Silence! It is not a mortal wound, so what is all this hysterical fuss about!”

Barking that sharp reprimand, the Grand Master used his aura to seal the bleeding ear and leveled his sword once more.

“Three deaths. Here I come again.”

“As many times as you like.”

And… three exchanges.

Flick!

Even though he hadn’t sustained any visible injury, the Grand Master lowered his sword first and retreated a couple of steps.

“Tsk….”

Immediately after, a tiny droplet of blood welled up right between his brows.

“…Four times. The duration is getting shorter and shorter.”

“Because I am getting used to you.”

“Used to me? Then is the fact that my wounds are getting progressively smaller also because you’ve grown familiar enough to precisely gauge your output?”

I inclined my head.

“If we clash one more time, I could probably split a single strand of your hair vertically.”

A whirlwind of complex emotions surged across the Grand Master’s face.

“A total defeat, at least in terms of pure swordsmanship. You are slower than me, weaker than me, and your reach is shorter than mine… yet I still cannot touch you. Hahaha….”

“…….”

“It has been a long time since I felt something boiling violently within my chest. Is this anger? I was under the impression that I had completely forgotten such emotions.”

“That is why I asked before we began if you were truly fine with this.”

Griping his sword tightly as he wrestled with intense inner conflict, the Grand Master ultimately let out a low sigh and lowered his blade to his side.

“Continuing beyond this point would be meaningless. Clinging to it any further would simply be unsightly. You mentioned you would offer feedback, yes? Is there something you wish to say to me?”

“Hmm. Are you desperate?”

“…Desperate enough to claw my own throat out. Truly, utterly desperate.”

“…It will be quite expensive, you know?”

“I do not know what it is you wish to see within my Imagery Realization, but I shall give it my absolute best. If that is insufficient, I will even hand over my entire territory.”

I let out a wry chuckle and waved my hands.

“I have no need for your territory. Hmm… let’s see….”

I organized the thoughts inside my head for a moment. What exactly should I tell this old man?

I had definitely stumbled once around this guy’s exact realm of strength back in the day… when was it? It wasn’t middle school… fifth grade? Sixth grade?

After tracing back through my memories for a moment, I suddenly snapped my fingers.

“…Ah, I remember. It was fifth grade.”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Disregard that. More importantly, your problem… is that your sword is not free.”

“…Not free?”

“Oh dear. Was trying to get you to snap into it all at once a bit too much? I suppose I should explain it with a little more care.”

The Grand Master ground his teeth in spite of himself.

“…Thank you so much for making me remember the word ‘pride’ for the first time in a while.”

“Ah, save your thanks. Mmm… alright. Let’s explain it like this. Earlier, I mentioned I was growing used to you, right? What do you think that means?”

“…….”

“It means your moves are being read.”

“…….”

“Which in turn means your next action can be predicted….”

“…….”

“And it also means your sword has failed to break free from its frame.”

“Frame…?”

“Grand Master. Have you broken free from your own swordsmanship?”

This martial-arts-master style of speaking wasn’t exactly my preference… but well, given the situation, there was no helping it. I just hoped that even if I spoke roughly, he would interpret it perfectly.

And fortunately, the Grand Master seemed to understand my meaning, as his expression stiffened.

“I have broken free. A very long time ago, at that.”

I shook my head.

“You are wrong. That is an illusion.”

“…What did you say?”

“You didn’t ‘break free,’ you merely ‘developed’ it. Splitting one into a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, and simply choosing the best option among them. That is exactly why you are being read so transparently.”

“……!”

“To cross the wall, simply increasing the number of possibilities is not enough. You must break free in the truest sense. If you had actually done so, you would have lasted more than a mere ten exchanges—easily twice or thrice that.”

“…So I didn’t break free, but was in truth merely selecting options from a menu?”

I nodded, offering my final piece of advice. This was where my service ended.

“Discard the finite and reach the infinite. Only then will you finally be able to stand at the ‘starting point.’”

Yeah. Back in the day, I also wrestled with it quite a bit, thinking, ‘I used to get stronger just by breathing… so why am I running in place even when I breathe?’

Seriously, it was an incredibly distracting time. How distracting was it, you ask? I actually took a flyswatter and practiced for a whopping ten minutes a day.

‘I think it took me about three days to break free from that stagnation? Mm. From his perspective, it’s understandable that it’s difficult.’

The moment he heard my teaching, as if realizing something, the Grand Master immediately crossed his legs and sat in a meditative posture.

Staring at him, I turned toward the murmuring spectators and placed my index finger against my lips.

“Shh.”

“…….”

“…….”

At that, the Audience Chamber plunged into total stillness. Even the Emperor kept his mouth firmly shut, maintaining the silence.

And after about five minutes had passed like that, the Grand Master slowly pushed himself back up.

“Was there any harvest?”

At my question, a deep sense of gratitude welled up in the Grand Master’s eyes.

“…Thanks to you. It feels as though I have managed to carve at least a single step into that wall.”

“Make sure to eat well, keep yourself alive for another thirty years, and keep putting in the effort. If you do, you’ll be able to live without ever worrying about old age after that.”

“…You know far too much. Could it be… are you what I think you are?”

Instead of an answer, I merely shook my head to indicate he shouldn’t ask.

Yeah. Knowing too much can get you hurt. Specifically, your self-esteem.

The Grand Master pressed his lips tightly together, then placed his hand over his chest in a formal military salute.

“This grace. I shall not forget it. Never. Never.”

“Don’t exert yourself trying to remember it; just pay it back right now.”

The Grand Master flashed a grin.

“Imagery Realization? I shall show it to you until I collapse from exhaustion. That should at least cover the interest.”

And, just as he had promised, he proceeded to manifest his Imagery into reality.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!!

Even though it wasn’t a technique to be displayed so carelessly, the Grand Master generously revealed his absolute best card.

With a slightly fatigued expression, the Grand Master extended his hand.

“This is my Imagery Realization.”

“Hmm….”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the ten or so ram beastkin standing before me.

“It’s exactly as the rumors say. So, these are past versions of yourself, materialized through ‘aura materialization’?”

“Indeed. From left to right, me at age thirty. Me at sixty-four. Me at eighty-five… and the tenth one on the far right is me from twenty-two years ago—that is, at age three hundred and two.”

“An Imagery that reproduces one’s past realms of strength… I assume they represent the exact moments you crossed a wall, whether large or small? The joy and ecstasy of those moments form the foundation of your Imagery.”

“Correct. Spot on.”

“And… once you give the signal, they become your clones, unleashing those past realms of strength upon the enemy?”

“Mm. I have only used it three times in actual combat. At the very least, no enemy who witnessed it ever survived. Care to trade a blow with them?”

“No. I’ll pass. I’d obviously just win anyway, so why bother.”

“…You truly possess a talent for delivering facts in the most irritating way possible.”

“Facts are inherently irritating. More importantly, what I want to see is something a bit different. Hmm… I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

“Hmm?”

“Alright. Again. Do it.”

“Huh?”

“Erase them and materialize them again. You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you would show it to you until you collapsed from exhaustion. So literally keep repeating the materialization and release until you collapse.”

“Uh… seriously? Why?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just do as I say. Didn’t you say you’d pay back the interest?”

“Uh… mm. V-Very well. A promise is a promise.”

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

“Again.”

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!!

“Hmm… it feels right within my grasp, yet just out of reach… Again.”

“Again.”

“Again.”

“Again.”

And like that… by the time the past versions of himself he had repeatedly manifested began to look less like people and more like jelly-like slimes blurring out of shape…

“I—I cannot go on. Ugh… it has been centuries since I last experienced my mana being completely emptied like this.”

“Good. Good work.”

I had finally obtained what I wanted.

“Pant, pant… was there any harvest?”

“Thanks to you.”

Yeah. The reason I hadn’t avoided the fight with the Grand Master and had accepted it instead was partly due to my curiosity regarding the realm of a Grand Master…

…But mostly because there was something I ‘strictly wished to obtain’ from him.

‘I was actually wondering if I’d have to go track him down later, but things worked out perfectly. Shall I give it a test?’

I conjured pure spiritual power over my hand. Then, I tightly clenched my fingers over it.

‘I think it felt something like this?’

Crackle….

Opening my hand once more immediately after….

That pure spiritual power had already materialized into a small piece of shiny white metal, glittering in my palm.

I smirked, slipping it into my pocket.

“…Wow, this actually works.”

And as time passed, exactly ten days after my visit to the Imperial Capital.

I called out the Shadow Saintess, who had been cooping herself up inside the inner room of the mansion.

“Veloa.”

At my call, a clattering sound echoed from inside, and soon, a dark-haired young lady who looked somewhat timid and gloomy peeked her head out from the doorway, her hands pressed tightly together.

“Sword… God?”

Good grief. Those bangs of hers. How can she even see what’s ahead with hair like that? Seriously, every time I look at her, I feel a sudden urge to just snip them right off.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“Um… what brings you all the way to my room…? Ah, the time has finally come, hasn’t it. I am glad. Even though the one I am to serve is the West Demon King rather than Lady Lumina, it is a bit… but that too is for the sake of Lady Lumina and this world. Please give me just a moment, and after I offer my final prayer….”

“Ah, it’s not that.”

“Pardon…? It’s… not?”

“Phew… Just drop that and follow me for now. There’s something I want to show you.”