Delvers' Guild. The training grounds. Training Ground No. 18.
It was a training ground, so of course there'd be training.
Still, keeping up with developments that went from completely unexpected to even more unexpected was about all I could manage.
And the only reason I could even barely keep up was because I wasn't the one involved.
Ens had taken a wooden sword in hand. I held a wooden knife.
I suddenly wondered — if this wooden knife snapped, would that count toward my attempts?
"Well, where should I start? I'm not good at this sort of thing. Swinging a sword is easier."
"That right there. You're exactly like Axe."
"Oh, is that so? Ah, right — Axe's weapon was a sword, wasn't it? I'd already settled on 'Axe' for a boy's name, but did he end up wielding the same kind of sword as me?"
Come to think of it, the origin of Axe's name—
Wasn't it because Emmy used an axe as her weapon of choice?
"So the witch asked you to do this?"
"I've heard quite a bit about you from the witch. You want to defeat a Rank I delver named Arveld, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Good answer. I never would have guessed that after twenty years, the witch would take on a disciple — and of the opposite sex, no less."
"Ha ha ha... I hear that a lot."
"That's a very good thing. Now, Arveld. I don't know him well, but I've heard he uses Relics with technical efficiency. Here's the thing — it's awkward for me to say this since I don't have any Relics myself, but he's a very troublesome opponent who understands the true nature of Relics. At this rate, winning would be quite difficult. No — probably impossible."
"Y-yes."
He was blunt about it, but I already knew.
Now that I could handle the same techniques, that alone wasn't enough to win.
"So to fight someone like that on equal footing, there are two ways. Either you can handle Relics just as well, or you can use a combat technique."
"A technique…"
"That's right. What you're going to learn from now on is a technique. It's the most fundamental basics of everything that was once passed down by the 'Sword of the Sword'."
"From the 'Sword of the Sword'… Is that 'Sword of the Sword' really that dog?"
"It is. Surprised?"
"Well, yeah, I'm a little surprised."
"And it's the oldest of them all."
"Wait, really? Even though it's a dog?"
"I don't know how it's managed to live so long, but I'd say it's older than Abramirin."
"Does that mean it's not even a monster anymore?"
"I'm not sure about that. Well, whether now or in the past, it's a great being — stern, but kind. Now then, shall we begin?"
"Um, am I really allowed to learn that technique?"
"You are. I've already gotten permission. You had the qualifications to begin with — being a witch's apprentice. Though it sounds like in your case it doesn't stop there. Also, you seem to get along well with Axe."
"…I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize. I'm hardly one to talk, but I'd appreciate it if you kept getting along with Axe going forward."
"Yes."
He smoothly drew his sword into a stance. In the way he moved and the aura he gave off, I could sense Axe.
Father and son after all. It was complicated and messy in so many ways, but they were father and son, weren't they.
"Here I come. This is the technique you're going to learn―――"
Mr. Ensu vanished from sight, reappearing right before my eyes. The wooden sword descended.
"Huh!?"
It was a miracle I managed to get my guard up in time. Even so, the blade knocked my own aside.
The wooden knife went spinning through the air.
"One Step."
Was it because he's a dog? I thought that but kept quiet.
One Step. Mr. Ensu suddenly disappeared, and the next I knew, he was right in front of me.
This whole sequence was definitely One Step. He’d said it wasn’t a Relic, but a technique.
One Step. One… dog… oh.
"It’s a pounce, isn’t it?"
A dog's one-step leap. And that movement—there was no mistaking it. It was a pounce.
Mr. Ensu smiled.
"Oh, you figured it out already. As expected of the witch’s apprentice. Sharp intuition."
A pounce. My old family dog used to do it all the time.
Juicy does it sometimes, too. He’s been restraining himself lately.
"You turned a dog’s pounce into a technique?"
"Well, since 'Sword of the Sword' is a dog, I suppose it’s only natural. You close the distance in an instant with a single leap. Once you learn it, there’s nothing more reliable for a surprise attack."
"It’s a surprise attack technique?"
"That’s just one way to use it. There are countless applications. Master it, and you can chain them together or even pull off consecutive ones in the heat of battle. Now, next I’ll give you a live demonstration—watch closely from the side."
"Got it."
I was convinced after watching Ens's demonstration.
One Step — this was a very, very useful technique.
I absolutely had to learn it, master it. And then a thought crossed my mind.
Would Axe, who was doing mock battles with the very originator of the technique, also learn One Step?
Yeah, surely he would. If anyone could pick it up faster than me, it'd be Axe.
I didn't know what had happened.
When I came to, I was flat on the ground. The wooden sword in my hand had been sliced clean through.
It had been cut in two — split right down the middle — by another wooden sword. A wooden sword... a rounded wooden sword...?
"Wh-what the hell was that?"
"I didn't see a thing. Nothing at all..."
"That was One Step. The most fundamental technique of 'The Sword of Swords,' and one that applies to everything."
"............One"
"Step?"
"I get what you're trying to say, but Celest is the one who named it."
"One Step..."
If my mom had been the one to say it, it probably would've sounded even more ridiculous — but somehow, it just fit.
One Step. Not a bad name, actually.
I let out a wry laugh and pushed myself to my feet. No injuries. Just took a flashy fall, that's all.
I had a feeling even that — taking a tumble like that — was something "The Sword of Swords" took into account.
A blue dog with a greatsword strapped to its back. I could hardly believe it, but apparently this was the real deal — "The Sword of Swords."
No Relic, same as me — but so strong it almost didn't matter anymore.
No matter how you looked at it, it was just a pale, oversized dog.
Being a dog, it held the sword in its mouth — gripping the hilt between its jaws.
Thinking about it, the only moving part for swinging the sword was its neck, so the range was incredibly narrow and hard to use.
Actually, forget the range — I couldn't even wrap my head around a dog swinging a sword in the first place.
But it let me cross swords a few times, and I started to get it.
It really had been letting me clash blades.
Normally, even crossing swords with it should have been beyond my current ability.
And yet it had deliberately matched my pace.
I could see why it was called the strongest among first-rank Delvers.
But just now — what even happened?
"...In an instant."
"The Sword of Swords" — "The Sword of Swords," which had been sitting there like a dog, had gotten up.
Well, gotten up on all fours. Then it leveled its sword sideways and leaned forward.
And then it vanished. I blocked on reflex, and my wooden sword was cut clean through. I went flying.
"Wait — a wooden sword cut through a wooden sword? What is that?"
That shouldn't be possible. Absolutely absurd. Then again, this was "The Sword of Swords."
"One step. If I can learn that, I might actually be able to land a hit on it."
First things first, though — I needed a replacement wooden sword.
And as if on cue, a new wooden sword was tossed over to me from "The Sword of Swords."
"H-hi."
I take it in hand and get into stance.
"Yeah. Axe should be able to pick up One-Step in about one more try."
"Is that so?"
"Because it's Axe."
"Hey, got a minute? Axe. Rel. Hoss."
"Hm?"
"What?"
"What is it?"
"So about Mineha — that girl. She's gotten so gorgeous lately she doesn't even look ten anymore. Like, I wouldn't even recognize her. Did something happen?"
What's my mom even asking about? Mineha?
Come to think of it, she has been growing a lot lately.
Those new OOPArts of hers are something else.
"How should I know?"
"Oh really?"
"Dunno."
"She was always a cute girl. But now she's definitely, without a doubt, prettier than before. In just these past few months, she went from cute to beautiful. Come to think of it... I saw in a letter that you've been living together... But never mind. That's Ruriha's department."
"What are you even talking about?"
"What IS that about?"
"What."
Good grief, Mom... I raised my wooden sword. Might as well give it a try.
"Sorry for making you wait so patiently."
I apologized to the Sword of Swords. It said nothing. Now then, one step.
If I remembered right, you leaned your body forward and closed the distance to your opponent in one go—ah, right.
Got it. This is basically a dog's pounce.
That makes sense. Of course. The Sword of Swords IS a dog, after all.
"Alright. Let's give it a try."
Somehow, I had a feeling it might actually work.
Ense's lesson was over, I'd parted ways with Axe and the others, and I made it home.
"Phew. That was tiring."
One step. I felt like I could pick it up surprisingly fast.
Still, so that was Emmy. She was quite something.
Having worked up a sweat, I headed for the bath — but first I went back to my room to grab a change of clothes.
"...Huh...?"
An older woman... Mineha was sleeping in my bed.
That was... well, yeah. It happened a lot lately. Or at least sometimes.
But this time was different from usual.
She was always big, that hadn't changed, but she was completely naked.
Everything on display just as she was born.
And that wasn't all. The futon was strangely rumpled, and a damp towel lay on the floor.
And the room was filled with a strong, sweet scent, like honey.
"……………"
Mineha-san was clutch my futon like a body pillow, lying on her side, half-exposed.
Not as big as the witch's, but still substantial for her size. A defined waist. A beautifully rounded rear that was frankly spectacular.
Plump thighs flowing into slender, toned legs.
She had the sensual body of a woman — not a girl — and there was absolutely no way she was ten years old.
Honestly, her features were above average too, making her far too attractive as a woman.
"…?"
She'd always had a maturity beyond her years when it came to cuteness.
But lately, I felt like it wasn't cuteness anymore — she was becoming genuinely beautiful, almost startlingly so.
That probably started around the time she began making breakfast.
"…………"
What if — what if she weren't ten years old and was actually much older?
"…Well, even if that were the case, Mineha-san would still be Mineha-san."
I smiled and sat down against the wall near the room's entrance.
Whew. I was tired. Quite a lot had happened today.
Tomorrow there'd be instruction from Enss-san. I'd probably get the hang of it by then.
When I'd asked on the way back, Axe had already mastered the next step. Impressive, as expected.
The day after that
Subjugators
So next week it's finally the Great of Browns.
The rematch with Alverld is coming up too... And I still need to take a bath... *groan*.