Part 263: Monster

I grabbed the sword, then stared helplessly at the thing wrapped tightly in string.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm."

"Come on, draw the blade."

"...You know that already."

She probably knows everything about me, even my embarrassing moments.

Still wearing a bitter expression,

"Are we really supposed to fight without even using this?"

"Actually, I don't mind. Back in my 'Phase 3' days, I used to fight primarily with magic for a while."

"Really?"

"After all, unlike you, a warrior, I was a mage."

As she speaks, the other version of "me" raises her sword.

"…By the way, why is it glowing blue?"

"You'll figure it out in time, once you start fighting."

The sword enveloped in a vivid flame reminiscent of a blowtorch seemed like an entirely different weapon from the one in my hand.

Instantly, the memory surfaced—fighting "Hunger Man," the battle against Kotou Ryouma.

This sword… just holding it might make my movements sluggish.

Thinking this, I began to set the weapon aside…

"Please don't. That won't do."

A sudden presence behind me.

No way. This is straight out of a battle manga.

I instinctively leapt back,

"W-... I didn't see that just now!?"

Trembling, I asked like a clown.

If this was some kind of skill—say, something like *Shukuchi*—I wouldn't have been so shocked.

But she had simply used raw physical ability to circle behind me.

That "pishun!" type of expression—something you often see in manga—is one thing, but witnessing it in real life makes it clear just how utterly unnatural it is.

"It was simply a matter of exploiting your momentary lapse. People don't pay attention to everything as carefully as they think they do. I waited for the instant your focus wavered, then moved behind you."

No, "simply" is not the right word for that...

How many hellish trials must one endure to master the skill of detecting the exact moment when an opponent's focus falters?

"One more thing—let's impose a rule on this match. From now on, you must fight while always holding that blade."

"Eh? Eeeeh?"

Seriously?

You want me to run around with this heavy iron rod?

"Give up. That's what training is—unfair."

"Come on, cut me some slack. This isn't some over-the-top sports manga training."

I've been a straight-up cultural studies kid since elementary school.

Back during sports festivals, I only ever joined in the ball-throwing and tug-of-war, then spent the rest of the time zoning out in the corner.

"I'm sorry, but if you can't do it, I'll kill you on the spot."

"W-wait, you can't just solve everything with violence like that..."

"Isn't it because you want to protect the people who matter to you?"

"Gnugh..."

"Is it because you feel everyone's death around you is somehow your fault due to your own inadequacy? That's what scares you, isn't it?"

"Gnugh... Gnh..."

"Since you've hardly had any friends before, you probably started to care about companions—like a generic light novel heroine—after finally letting your guard down and showing your softer side?"

"Ghhmm..."

Damn it. Just like always, 'me' knows exactly how to counter my arguments.

"In this world where Shura lives, know that being foolish or weak is also 'evil'—that is the duty of those granted special power."

At the same time, I heard a sharp, rushing sound near my ear.

In an instant, I realized another 'me' had closed in right before my eyes.

"——! "

I barely managed to manifest the Aegis Shield and protect my temple with my right arm.

The shield and sword clashed, filling my nose with the sound of burning air.

"……ggh!"

Realizing my arm was burning through the shield, I leapt back like a grasshopper, retreating from the spot.

For the first time, the "me" from my past life smiled contentedly.

"Oh? I only meant to swing it at half the strength—about half of half."

"Seriously?"

I can sense a considerable level of skill in your magic... It seems you've realized how to train your magic power within your lost memories.

"What... is that supposed to mean?"

"Let me give you a hint: a player's combat strength isn't simply determined by level. You're already stronger than the current Hana-san."

"Wha—?"

What do you mean by that...—I didn’t even need to ask, as the other "me" had already resumed the attack.

Still, after enduring it twice, then a third time, I realized she wasn’t just fighting me—she was truly trying to "train" me.

Her sword strikes always targeted the very edge of what was "possible" and "impossible."

"You seem to be lacking in the fundamentals."

"What... are you talking about...?"

"Perhaps it's the drawback of having lost your memories—lacking confidence in yourself, afraid of uncertainty. It's like driving a car. If you're constantly afraid that a runaway vehicle might suddenly come out of your blind spot, you won't be able to press the accelerator when it really matters."

"Driving... I don't even have a license, you know."

"Still, you'll be driving soon enough."

That prophetic, definitive tone made her smile awkwardly.

"You're—imagining the other person as stronger than yourself. Despite having the strength to fight just fine. You always picture yourself, like an ordinary girl, needing someone to protect you."

"Is being ordinary... really that bad?"

"It is. You know it yourself. We've already become... monsters."

There was something lonely about her, somehow.

"It's not something you can grasp just by listening to a lecture here and now. You must realize it yourself..."

"I know, but..."

"Activate the Demonization. Only then might you understand, even in part, what I'm trying to convey."

"Demonization...?"

I hesitate for a moment.

That... was one of the mysterious abilities I'd long kept tucked away in the back of my mind.

Intuitively, I avoided using it, fearing I might hurt someone nearby.

"But are you sure that's okay?"

"Yes. I didn't learn it in life, but I know it well—another companion did."

Hmm.

Come to think of it, if I'm not using it now, when will I?

"What I wish for you to understand is this—how beings like us deal with one another."