The northern lands, at the far western edge.
The Holy Land of the Sword.
This place carried the weight of a long history of battle.
Currently the headquarters of the Sword God Style, this very land had once been claimed by the Water God Style.
Just over a hundred years ago.
A Water God of that era had dueled the Sword God and seized this territory from him.
That Water God was later defeated by yet another Sword God, and the Holy Land passed back into Sword God Style hands. Since then, it had become the place where the strongest swordsman of each generation—and their school—held dominion, teaching the way of the blade.
To learn the sword from the strongest swordsman.
And perhaps, if fortune favored you, to defeat that strongest swordsman and claim the title for yourself.
Swordsmen harboring such ambitions dreamed of this place, longed to visit at least once.
And now, a rare visitor had arrived in that very land.
Two of them, in fact.
One was roughly past sixty. An old woman.
Her expression was stern, yet her overall demeanor was soft and unhurried, giving those around her a sense of calm.
Though currently dressed for travel, she would have looked perfectly at home settled in an armchair doing embroidery or knitting.
There was one thing about her appearance that didn't quite fit.
A single short sword hung at the old woman's hip.
And anyone with a trained eye would discern that her bearing left absolutely no openings.
Any swordsman of sufficient skill would look at what appeared to be an opening-riddled posture and realize that no matter where they struck, their blade would never reach its target.
To be blunt, she was none other than Water God Reida Liria.
One of the strongest swordsmen alive, she had mastered the Water God Style's ultimate technique, the Disarming Sword.
Following at Reida's side was a young woman.
She appeared to be around twenty years old, and bore a strong resemblance to Reida.
Like her master, she was dressed for travel and wore a sword at her hip.
"Master. So this is the Holy Land of the Sword?"
"That's right. This is the den of beasts you kept going on and on about wanting to visit."
"I'm nervous."
"Just trust your own technique. As long as you're not fighting the Sword God himself, it should serve you well enough."
"Yes. Master."
With those words, the two of them entered the Holy Land of the Sword.
Though it was called the Holy Land of the Sword, at first glance it looked like an ordinary town.
There were inns, weapon shops, and an adventurer's guild.
Adventurers walked the streets, merchants hawked their wares, and everyone bustled about with purpose.
If one were to point out anything unusual, it would be that nearly every single townsman was a practitioner of the Sword God Style.
A slender-armed town girl could possess greater swordsmanship than a brawny adventurer.
"Shall we find an inn first?"
"No need. We'll stay with Gar's boy."
Reida said this as she cut through town, pressing onward toward its depths.
As they advanced, the adventurers and merchants grew scarce, replaced by figures in padded training armor carrying wooden swords, and what appeared to be dojos.
Her companion looked around with open curiosity. The sight of people standing about in the snow in light training gear despite the cold was somewhat novel.
"Master. These people dress awfully thin, despite the cold."
"The Sword God Style is about speed. If you can't move fast, you're nothing but a scarecrow. They won't wear anything heavy, even in freezing weather."
"The exact opposite of us, who bundle up even in the heat. Fascinating."
"It's not fascinating."
Reida paid no mind to any of the dojos they passed, walking in a straight line deeper into the complex.
Beyond a certain point, the dojos, the houses, the young people in training armor—all of it vanished.
All that remained was a valley-like path stretching through an unbroken expanse of snow.
At its end stood a single great dojo, enclosed by a wall.
This was the heart of the Holy Land of the Sword.
The grand dojo that served as the headquarters of the Sword God Style.
--- When Reida and her companion reached the entrance of the grand dojo, a woman was just stepping out through the gate.
She had long hair gathered behind her neck and wore a composed, dignified expression.
Judging by the bucket in her hand, she may have been heading out to fetch water.
The moment the young woman spotted Reida and her companion, she hurled the bucket aside, placed her hand on the sword at her hip, and assumed a guarded stance.
"What business do you have with our household?"
Reida studied the woman's face, then softened her stern expression slightly.
"Oh, is that you, Nina? You've grown up."
"...?"
The woman's face twisted with confusion at Reida's words.
"Ah, of course you wouldn't remember. Can't be helped—I last saw you when you were this big..."
Reida's expression turned nostalgic, but the woman—Nina Falion—had no such memory in her mind.
All she could tell was that the old woman before her was no ordinary person.
And the woman beside her also carried power equal to or greater than her own—Nina could sense that much.
"I was summoned here today by your leader. Won't you show us in?"
"Leader?"
"Gal Falion."
Nina hesitated at those words.
Many came to seek out the Sword God, Gal Falion.
But the vast majority were arrogant nobodies hoping to inherit the Sword God's name.
Turning away such riffraff at the gate was part of Nina's duty as a disciple.
"Pardon me, but might I ask your name?"
"I'm Reida. Reida Liria. You can probably guess who I am without me spelling it out, can't you?"
"! Understood. Please, this way."
The moment she heard the name, Nina bowed deeply and ushered them through the gate.
There was only one person in the world who could declare herself Reida Liria with such confidence.
The head of the Water God Style.
Only the Water God could bear that name.
Nina had briefly considered the possibility that the woman was lying about her identity, but sensing something unfathomable beneath the old woman's composure, she dismissed the thought.
Even if she was an impostor, she would have to be a formidable swordswoman to carry herself like that.
Led by Nina, Reida and her companion set foot within the Sword God Style compound.
They walked straight from the entrance and through the raised threshold characteristic of a snowy country, stepping inside.
They brushed the snow from their feet at the entryway and crossed the creaking wooden floor.
Watching Nina walk ahead, Reida murmured: "You're remarkably composed and sharp for someone so young. Made Sword King yet?"
"No, I'm still far from that."
"Oh? You're the strongest among the young generation, yet so humble."
"I may be the fastest, but I am not the strongest."
"My. That's quite the attitude. Not what I'd expect from a Sword God Style youth."
Carrying on their conversation, the three of them arrived at the Formal Chamber.
A single man sat inside.
His eyes were loosely shut, as though in meditation.
Reida felt the sensation of a blade pressed to her throat.
Reida was one of the three supreme swordsmen, the Water God, and despite her age she maintained strength no different from her prime.
But this was the one man whose sword she could never deflect.
This man was the Sword God, Gal Falion.
"I have brought Lady Reida Liria."
"You've come."
Gal Falion opened his eyes slightly and looked at Reida.
He glanced briefly at the young woman beside her as well, but quickly lost interest and looked away.
"Thank you for making the long journey. The trip must have been rough on these old bones."
"Indeed. But when you say you'd bow your head to me, well, I was curious enough to come all the way here. Heave-ho."
Reida walked up to the Sword God and sat down.
Though she said "heave-ho," her movements were as fluid as water.
A short distance behind her, Nina and Reida's companion seated themselves in deference.
"So, who am I supposed to teach, and what? You want me to teach this girl here the Water God Style's ultimate techniques?"
Reida tapped her chin toward Nina as she addressed the Sword God.
"She seems like a straightforward sort. Suited to the Sword God Style, I'd say, but there's no harm in learning Water God techniques as well."
She had read a letter sent by the Sword God and traveled here on its strength.
"I'd like you to train a disciple of mine."
That was the gist of it, and Reida had been ready to tear the letter apart on the spot.
But the fact that Sword God Gal Falion—who hated asking anyone for favors—had gone so far as to write a letter piqued her curiosity.
Still, that alone wasn't enough reason to walk all the way here from the
"However, I have a condition of my own."
"What is it?"
"Just as you want to raise your own disciple, I'd like you to show my disciple the sword techniques of the Sword God Style. You don't have to teach her—just let her fight."
Reida had also been worrying that her disciple was becoming arrogant.
The Water God Style served as the Asura Kingdom's official sword instruction and had many disciples, but precious few with talent worth developing.
The disciple Reida had brought today was one of those rare talents. But because there was no one in the school on her own level, the girl had gotten a bit full of herself.
She trained diligently, but without a goal or a rival, Reida had noticed over the past year that her growth had stalled.
She had brought her here today to break her pride and spur greater growth.
Even if the Sword God Style's young generation turned out to be mediocre and her disciple's pride remained unbroken, simply having the chance to face the Sword God Gal Falion's own blade would be an invaluable experience for the Water God Style.
After all, the Water God Style grew more from fighting stronger opponents.
And Reida was certain that Gal Falion had summoned her here for exactly the same reason.
To have her disciple face the Sword God's blade directly, learn its counter through personal experience, and grow from it.
"Very well. You have yourself a deal."
"Heh heh. Tell you what—why don't our disciples have a spar between them?"
Reida seized the initiative with that suggestion.
Her real aim was to have Nina humble her disciple's stubborn pride.
Even if fighting the Sword God himself would serve the same purpose, having her pride broken by someone her own age would sting far more.
"Very well. Nina, call for
"...Understood."
Hearing that exchange, Reida tilted her head with a puzzled "Oh?"
She had assumed Nina was the one they intended to train, ever since they met at the gate.
"Um, Master."
"What? Hurry up and fetch her."
"Well, might I also participate in the spar? I'm curious to see how strong a Water God Style swordsman truly is."
"Hm? That was the plan from the start."
Gal Falion nodded with an irritated expression.
"! Thank you! I'll bring Eris right away."
Nina let a brief flicker of joy cross her face, bowed, and hurried out of the dojo.
--- The moment Reida saw that girl, she felt her skin prickle.
It was the same sensation as encountering a demonic beast on the roadside.
Her hand reflexively reached for the sword at her hip.
The only reason she didn't make such an unsightly movement was that her disciple had moved first.
Her disciple had already placed her hand on her sword, displaying a level of alertness unbecoming of the ever-composed Water God Style.
"Eris. This old woman here is going to teach you all about the Water God Style."
"...Pleased to meet you."
Eris made no effort to hide her displeased expression, though she did bow her head.
(She's like a wild beast...)
Reida could sense the raging passion of a starving beast lurking behind Eris's eyes.
Teaching a passive style like the Water God Style to someone driven by such ferocity would be fruitless.
A person like this would never have come knocking on the Water God's door of their own accord.
"I'm sorry to say it, Gar's boy, but this girl has no aptitude for the Water God Style. It'd be a waste of time."
"I know that."
Gal Falion nodded extravagantly.
"Then what am I supposed to teach her?"
"You don't need to teach her anything. Just fight her as a Water God Style practitioner."
"Hm."
Through that exchange, Reida realized what Gal Falion was after.
He wanted this girl named Eris to learn firsthand how to deal with the Water God Style.
But she couldn't fathom why.
Certainly, gaining experience fighting against the Water God Style wouldn't be a loss.
But there was no need to summon her all the way here for that.
If his aim was to train a talented Sword God Style disciple, any capable swordsman from his school could easily produce strikes faster than the Water God Style's reaction speed.
Rather than learning the Water God Style's techniques, honing the Sword God Style's own would be the superior strategy.
Unlike the Water God Style, which couldn't train effectively without an attacking opponent, the Sword God Style was a school built to seize the initiative and cut down anyone, regardless of who they faced.
Forcing a disciple to gain experience against the Water God Style implied the possibility of facing a Water God Style practitioner in the future, Reida mused.
And there was only one Water God Style swordsman she could think of who would make the Sword God believe his disciple couldn't win without this preparation.
"Don't tell me you're planning to have this beast assassinate someone for you?"
"Don't be ridiculous. If left unchecked, she'd go and kill that old woman on her own—what would be the point of that?"
"Then tell me—why should I teach this girl about the Water God Style? Who exactly are you planning to have her fight?"
At that, the Sword God flashed a vicious grin.
"Eris here says she wants to defeat the Dragon God,
"What... Orsted?"
A look of great agitation spread across Reida's face.
She, too, knew that man well.
His strength—and the fact that, for some reason, he was able to use Water God Style techniques.
"The Dragon God? Well now, that's thinking big. Does she actually believe she can do it?"
"I believe she can. Eris does too."
"I see, I see. Good. Confidence is the most important thing."
Whether it was true or not was impossible to tell.
Defeating the Dragon God, second-ranked among the Seven Great Powers—it sounded like nothing more than a joke.
But the Sword God's confident expression and Eris's look of absolute certainty somehow carried a strange persuasiveness.
And Reida found herself thinking that if they were truly serious, it would be rather interesting.
"But here's the thing, Sword God. I refuse to teach someone without talent. Let her spar with my disciple first, and once she's been overwhelmed, I'll consider teaching her a thing or two."
A two-for-one deal—or rather, three.
Break her own disciple's arrogance, give her own disciple experience fighting the Sword God Style, and participate in what promised to be a fascinating spectacle.
Her heart stirred at the thought.
Reida was a practitioner of the Water God Style, but before that, she was a swordswoman.
"That's how it is,
The Water God's disciple.
The woman called Isolte rose to her feet.
"I've heard the proposal. I am Isolte Cruel, the Water King. I look forward to working with you."
In response, Nina and Eris likewise faced Isolte.
"I'm Nina Falion, Sword Saint. Pleasure to meet you."
"...Eris
Three women together, as the saying went, would scheme and plot.
But these three, whom those words hardly applied to, each reached for the wooden swords stored in the corners of the dojo.
"I'm only doing this because my master asked me to, so don't think for a moment that someone at the Sacred tier could overwhelm me."
Isolte pressed a hand to her mouth and whispered so that only the two could hear.
"...I see. Please, go easy on us."
"Hmph..."
Isolte's cheap taunt set fire to the easily kindled hearts of the Sword God Style's prodigies without the slightest difficulty.
--- One hour later.
Eris lay sprawled in the center of the dojo.
"Hah... hah..."
Her eyes were wide, her breathing ragged.
She had been utterly and completely dismantled by Isolte.
Not a single one of Eris's strikes had come close to touching her.
At present, Eris's sword possessed speed that ranked among the top ten in the entire dojo.
Her single strike, honed through countless hours of solitary practice, carried sharpness and weight approaching Guilène's level. Launched from her own unique rhythm, it was extremely difficult to avoid.
Coupled with techniques from the North God Style, Eris's combat power should have far surpassed that of ordinary Sword Saints.
But Isolte deflected every one of Eris's attacks and countered each time.
In less than thirty minutes of sparring, Eris had died—metaphorically speaking—nearly a hundred times.
"............"
Lying beside Eris was Isolte.
Nina was the one who had overwhelmed Isolte after her triumph over Eris.
After all, the Sword God Style was nothing but brute speed and momentum—a crude sword. There was no way it could overcome the refined technique of the Water God Style.
Nina had shattered Isolte's arrogance with effortless ease.
The slash Nina unleashed gave Isolte no time to react. It landed on her temple.
As a result, Isolte was knocked unconscious.
In a single strike.
"Now that's an interesting outcome."
Those words came from Sword God Gal Falion, seated in the place of honor at the head of the dojo.
"..."
Nina bowed deeply to the Sword God.
An interesting outcome, he'd said.
He had never expected her to win in the end.
She felt a twinge of disappointment, but she also felt glad to have been given a stage on which to demonstrate her growth.
Because Nina, too, enjoyed the thrill of victory.
"That outcome was entirely predictable, if you ask me."
It was Reida who said this.
She had considered the result only natural.
A beast that didn't bother hiding its naked killing intent was easy prey for the Water God Style.
Eris was undeniably strong. She possessed enormous potential.
But potential alone wasn't enough.
Even if she was a walking bundle of fighting spirit, a being born for battle, she couldn't defeat the Water God Style.
Conversely, the result of Nina and Isolte's fight was also entirely predictable from Reida's perspective.
Nina, at her age, with her level of skill, remained free of arrogance.
It was probably the existence of that girl named Eris that kept her from letting her ego take over.
And the fruits of diligent training without complacency were evident in how she defeated Isolte, who had grown lax with overconfidence.
Nina's slash wasn't particularly faster than Eris's.
In fact, it was slower by the width of a fingernail.
In terms of weight, Eris's was overwhelmingly superior.
But Nina's was a strike devoid of emotion.
Without the faintest trace of killing intent, without even the precursor of emotional movement—a single flash.
Isolte surely hadn't sensed so much as the intent to attack.
"Still, it was a good result overall.
So, what will you do? Would you like to learn the Water God Style from me?"
At that question, Nina appeared to consider for a moment.
But soon she shook her head.
"No, I intend to master the Sword God Style."
"I see, I see. That's the right choice."
Reida smiled, amused.
"Gar's boy. How about this—have these three train together for a while, pushing each other to improve?"
"That sounds about right. If our people can't even beat the Water King, it'd be a laughingstock."
"And with a goal just above her head, my disciple will have good reason to stay diligent again."
The result of the Sword God and Water God's discussion was this: Eris would train until she could defeat Isolte.
Isolte would train until she could defeat Nina.
By standing on the same level and pointing out each other's flaws, both sides could expect to grow.
"...Nina, is that acceptable with you?"
"It's fine by me."
Nina nodded.
She had indeed gotten involved out of curiosity, but sparring with a senior disciple of the Water God Style would benefit her as well.
Nina had won, but she didn't consider Isolte or Eris beneath her.
She knew firsthand the synergistic effect of competing with equals.
Without Eris, she wouldn't have been able to defeat Isolte—she understood that much.
"All right, then it's settled. In the mornings, train with your respective masters as usual. Once the sun starts to come down, the three of you gather here and train together."
"Yes."
"...Fine."
Nina nodded quietly, and Eris, still lying on the floor, answered as well.
Isolte remained unconscious, but Reida had no intention of letting anyone complain.
And so, Eris's training against the Water God Style began.
--- One month later.
A peculiar three-way stalemate had formed.
Eris beat Nina.
Nina beat Isolte.
Isolte beat Eris.
Each of them pursued their own training, but several times a day they gathered to spar and exchange ideas.
Isolte quickly identified Eris's weakness.
"You put out far too much killing intent, Eris. We of the Water God Style are highly sensitive to killing intent. If we sense an attack coming, we can prepare ourselves instantly."
"That may be true, but I don't know what to do about it."
Eris listened to Isolte's words without defensiveness.
She was often perceived as selfish and violent, but when it came to the question of becoming stronger, she was ravenous for knowledge.
"Let me think... Nina, you hardly release any killing intent before striking. How do you do it?"
"I'm not sure what you mean. If I just draw my sword at maximum speed, I win—there's no need to release killing intent in the first place."
Nina was, if anything, more puzzled by why Eris walked around releasing killing intent all the time.
There were no enemies around—why stay so wound up all the time? Wouldn't it be better to relax?
"I don't know."
"Well then. Every day, take a bath, wash your body, eat a good meal, crawl under a warm futon, think fondly about that special someone of yours, and fall into a deep sleep."
"What's that supposed to mean?
"Ahh... that last part was a joke. Just do everything else. You smell, you look unhealthy, and it's hard to watch."
"...Fine."
For Eris, she didn't want to cut the taut wire she'd drawn within herself.
The more she trained, the more she realized just how unfathomably powerful the Dragon God Orsted from her memories truly was.
He had used the same techniques Isolte used now, but elevated to a far higher level of precision and sophistication.
Even more proficient with them than the Water King—than Orsted, who was an outsider to the style.
"Sigh, why can't I beat someone like this? I'm losing my confidence."
Nina let out an exaggerated sigh.
She trained every day following the rational methods advocated by Sword God Gal Falion.
Rational physical conditioning, rational nutrition, rational daily routines.
And yet, she couldn't defeat Eris, who was the very antithesis of rationality.
"...It's because I'm making you move after me."
"Huh?"
Nina had never expected Eris of all people to offer an explanation.
Eris was supposed to be someone who only thought about herself, who couldn't care less about anyone else.
"I learned it from
"Ruijerd... who's that?"
"He was my teacher."
Nina tilted her head at Eris's words.
She couldn't quite follow what was being said.
What Eris used regularly was an advanced technique taught to her by Ruijerd.
It was a demonic warrior's fighting art, born from the unconscious habits of a battle-hardened swordsman and elevated to a formalized technique.
That was why Eris couldn't explain it very well either.
"So you're saying that Eris is intentionally manipulating her opponent's movements?"
"That's right."
"..."
Through Isolte's analysis, Nina grasped the meaning of Eris's words.
But the strangeness of it didn't fully sink in, and Nina glared at Eris.
She had assumed this woman, who looked like she'd been born and raised on a mountain, could never be doing something so sophisticated.
Isolte, on the other hand, understood such things readily.
The Water God Style was fundamentally a counter-based school.
There existed techniques specifically designed to force the opponent to act first.
"I see. You were doing that to me as well during our sparring?"
"I was, but you didn't move."
"That's because I've been trained to resist it... Next time, I'll deliberately leave myself open without releasing any killing intent. It might change things."
"...I'll try."
Eris nodded with a frown.
She said she'd try, but she didn't know how to suppress her killing intent.
She had never particularly made an effort to suppress it before.
Others had told her to, of course, more than once.
But Ruijerd had trained her to harness that overflowing killing intent rather than suppress it, so she had never taken those words to heart.
If something others considered a weakness was actually an area where she excelled, there was no need to suppress it—that was her philosophy.
"What about me? Hey, Isolte, what do you do?"
"...For Nina, the Water God Style teaches a method of visual occlusion to sever the true strike. But I've heard demonic warriors use similar combat arts, so the Sword God Style likely has its own countermeasures. Why don't you ask your master?"
Isolte was brilliant and perceptive.
Practitioners of the Water God Style tended to be patient and studious.
"Hmph, it's not going well at all... Oh, it'll be dark soon."
At Nina's words, the day's study session came to an end.
"Well, same time tomorrow then... I have to say, I've been having so much fun lately. I've never been able to talk with someone my own age on equal footing before."
Isolte said this with a cheerful smile.
"That's right, Isolte. Me too."
Nina felt the same way.
Eris rarely spoke on a normal day, but when she did, her knowledge of combat was vast and varied.
Not only the North God techniques she had recently begun learning, but she also understood demonic warrior arts.
The impression of a cryptic, ape-like woman hadn't fully faded, but her respect for Eris's abilities was steadily growing.
She wasn't using savage techniques—she was simply using a different school's arts, that was all.
"...Hmph."
Eris was as usual.
If it were any other day, even if the Sword God had told her to participate in these sessions, she wouldn't have said a word.
What Eris was recalling now was something from long ago.
The time when she and Rudeus had practiced swordsmanship together.
Back then, she and Rudeus had talked like this, exchanged ideas, brainstormed together.
What Rudeus did.
That simple, clear reason—absolute to Eris—was why she was communicating with others now.
"I should be going. I have training with my master."
"Thank you again today, Isolte."
"No, thank you, Nina. The feeling's mutual. I can feel myself getting stronger bit by bit too."
At the fork between the guest quarters and the dormitory, Nina and Isolte exchanged these words with a shared smile.
Eris walked off toward the dormitory without a backward glance.
"Thank you too, Eris."
"...Next time, I'll land a hit on you."
"I look forward to it."
"...Hmph."
Eris didn't look back, simply continuing to walk.
Nina bowed to Isolte, then hurried after Eris.
"Eris. If you want to train some more after this, that's fine, but at least take a bath when you're done!?"
On any other day, Eris would have ignored such words entirely.
Nina, knowing full well it was futile, still said it every day simply because the smell was that bad.
But today, Eris was different.
She turned around with a slightly irritated expression and glared at Nina.
"...What you said earlier. Was that true?"
"Earlier? About what?"
"That if I bathe every day, wash my body, eat my meals, think about Rudeus under a warm futon, and fall into a deep sleep, I can rid myself of killing intent."
"Wh—"
Nina was at a loss for words.
It had been a spur-of-the-moment lie just to get her to listen.
But relaxation leading to a clear mind wasn't wrong, per se.
So she decided to hold her ground.
"Y-yes! Besides, if you stay smelly like you are now, I bet even that special someone of yours wouldn't give you a second look."
"That's not going to happen. Rudeus always used to hug my shirts drenched in sweat and—"
"That's..."
Nina recalled the one time she'd caught a glimpse of Rudeus, and tried to imagine the woman before her burying her face in a sweat-soaked shirt.
A total pervert.
But seeing Eris growing visibly more irritated, Nina decided not to voice that thought.
"Anyway, I've heard that if you're too unkempt, even men will lose interest."
"Well, Rudeus was meticulous about cleaning and such, true."
"R-see! That's why you should always keep yourself presentable!"
Eris considered.
What came to mind was Rudeus.
She had been trying not to think about him, but whenever she let her guard down, he slipped into her thoughts.
And when she remembered him, a smile would creep onto her lips.
That was when Eris realized.
In this state, her killing intent would be gone.
She nodded at Nina.
"All right. I'll go take a bath."
"There, you see? That's the spirit. All right, I'll finally give up on... wait, what did you say?"
Eris didn't answer that question and went back to her room.
Nina was left standing there with a bewildered expression, as though a fox had played her for a fool.
--- It was another full year before Eris was able to fight Water King Isolte on equal or greater terms.