Rishitea watched Liam stand opposite the Sword Saint.
(How can this guy face off against a Sword Saint!?)
The Sword Saint, who held a sword, exuded an overwhelming presence that even made Rishitea, who trained rigorously, tremble.
These were people who lived to reach the pinnacle of martial arts, surpassing the best.
Facing an existence that seemed to have stepped beyond human limits, Liam appeared calm and collected.
Liam twirled his sword and smiled at the Sword Saint.
"Wow, I was looking forward to this after hearing from my subordinates. I'm so excited to fight a Sword Saint, it's like I'm a kid again."
Doesn't he understand the gap in strength!?
That's what Rishitea thought, but the Sword Saint's reaction was different.
With a more ferocious smile than Liam's, the Sword Saint's hand gripping the hilt of his sword creaked.
He didn't show any interest in Tia at all.
"Are you Liam?"
The Sword Saint approached Liam.
When they were within striking distance, the height difference was like that between an adult and a child.
"Use the honorific. I'm the next Duke."
Liam, looking up at the Sword Saint, had an attitude as if he were dealing with someone far below him.
He was completely unbothered.
He could look like a naive child, but his attitude made him seem like a formidable opponent.
(No matter how strong he is, he can't win against a Sword Saint. Sword Saints are unbeatable even by several sword masters. There's no way he can win, even if he's the Viscount Banfield.)
The rumors about the Ippan-ryu style were uncertain when it came to a Sword Saint.
Even the skilled Tia had lost.
How far could Liam go against such an opponent?
Rishitea was extremely worried.
The Sword Saint took a stance in front of Liam.
"Brat, you're from the Ippan-ryu, right? Who's your teacher?"
Facing the serious Sword Saint, Liam didn't take a formal stance.
"My teacher is Yashi— the strongest man in this world."
The Sword Saint narrowed his eyes.
"Yashi? I've never heard of him."
Hearing this, Liam's expression changed.
"You don't need to remember him. You'll die here today."
A larger spark flew between the two.
Their movements were so fast that afterimages were visible.
Each time their swords clashed, larger sparks flew than when Tia fought.
They swung their swords at close range, creating a wind that swept through the room.
Rishitea couldn't believe Liam stood his ground against the Sword Saint.
(What a fool. This is a Sword Saint recognized by the empire. How can he even stand there!?)
Cleo called out to the flustered Rishitea.
"Sister, tend to Tia immediately!"
"O-Okay."
At her brother's urging, Rishitea approached Tia, who was embedded in the wall.
After pulling Tia out, she was covered in injuries but gazed at Liam with a dreamy look.
(What is this woman thinking!? Doesn't she understand the situation!?)
Rishitea thought Tia was a serious female knight, but her infatuation with Liam in such a crisis was disappointing.
However, Tia took a small bottle from her equipment pouch, drank a little, and then applied it to her wounds.
Then she spoke.
"Lord Rishitea, can you see Lord Liam's dignified figure?"
"You, what are you saying at a time like this! We'll all be killed if we don't do something about this situation!"
Rishitea's anger was understandable, given the skilled knights who had invaded the facility, which was guarded by the security forces, and the presence of a Sword Saint.
The chances of surviving were slim.
Moreover, it was strange that no help had arrived despite the commotion.
(Not just Linus, but someone higher up must be involved. They want to eliminate Cleo so badly!)
Rishitea didn't think Linus alone could move a Sword Saint, so it was likely someone higher up—Calvin or even the emperor—was involved.
Could they survive this?
Rishitea was almost resigned.
However, as Tia's wounds healed, she picked up her weapon.
"There's no need to panic. Watch. In my knowledge, the strongest person in this world is Lord Liam."
◇
There was something Liam learned from clashing swords with the Sword Saint.
"Is this the level at which you can call yourself a Sword Saint? If so, I can call myself a Sword Saint from today!"
Laughing, the large man in front of him gritted his teeth.
While he seemed to be clashing with me, his limbs were accumulating more and more scratches.
Of course, I was unharmed.
"A brat who hasn't even lived a hundred years!"
"To lose to a brat like this! You're only this much! Did you understand how strong the Ippan-ryu is? It's good that you got to know the strongest sword technique before you die!"
"Shut up!"
The Ippan-ryu is truly a wonderful sword technique.
Probably the best in this world.
It's unfortunate that such a noble sword technique was given to a villain like me.
Still, when was the last time I clashed swords like this?
Maybe when I had a match with Kurt during my training?
Back then, I struggled to figure out how to hold back.
If I had to point out a weakness of the Ippan-ryu, it would be that it's extremely difficult to hold back.
After all, drawing the sword means killing the opponent.
Cutting off an opponent's limbs in a match is a big problem, and invisible slashes are incomprehensible to amateurs.
So, the reason I'm standing here with my sword drawn is purely to show contempt.
Normally, the winner is decided the moment the sword is drawn from the sheath in the Ippan-ryu.
I'm only doing this to see the Sword Saint's true strength.
And to see how much stronger I've become.
Then, the Sword Saint backed away and put some distance between us.
The narrow-eyed man was surprised by this action.
"Sword Saint, how long are you going to play around!"
But the Sword Saint shouted at the narrow-eyed man.
"Shut up! —I got a bit heated, but I didn't expect a man who could keep up with me like this. This feeling is rare. It's the best. You're the best!"
This man enjoys battle.
Sometimes, there are knights like this.
How strong can they become? They want more thrilling battles. Is there a stronger opponent?
Such a sad existence, loyal to their desires, exists.
I can't understand it at all.
When the Sword Saint took the Eight Phases stance, my instincts warned me of danger for a moment.
"I didn't think I'd face someone who could seriously use this technique again. Please, hold on for a while!"
Laughing, the Sword Saint launched a slash, but it was terrible.
It was like a net of slashes.
He launched multiple slashes in an instant, overlapping to form a net-like pattern.
It was a slashing technique that suppressed the opponent like a wall.
"What a terrible technique."
The Sword Saint laughed.
"The sword of certain victory! No one can escape this slash!"
He launched this technique multiple times.
—No, it was really terrible.
It was foolish of me to feel danger from such a level of slash.
I, who have the Ippan-ryu's highest rank, shouldn't be surprised by this.
With one swing, I deflected the slashes, and the Sword Saint stopped moving.
"—Are you going to cut this too?"
"What a disappointing sword. Are you really that strong?"
I began to doubt.
Is it even possible for someone doing such shady work to be a Sword Saint?
Is he a fake Sword Saint?
I became suspicious.
It's disappointing.
The Sword Saint changed his stance again.
Holding the sword in one hand, he took a natural stance.
Then, he pursed his lips and exhaled deeply, and his muscles swelled and then shrank.
They swelled in an instant and then became thinner than before.
His clothes became loose, and the Sword Saint tore them to reveal his underwear.
He looked ridiculous, but steam rose from his body like an anime or manga aura.
—Is it necessary to make it steam? Can't you use magic?
"You've changed."
The Sword Saint was smiling, but he looked a bit strained.
"This is the pinnacle my sword has reached. Pursuing pure power, and the answer I found! It's a secret technique that trades explosive physical abilities for life!"
When the Sword Saint took a step, his sword was already swinging down where I was.
His step sank into the floor, and the sword that pierced the floor exploded.
I dodged, wide-eyed.
The moment he swung, his sword was already aiming to cut me in half horizontally.
Dodging that, he attacked from a different direction.
"How about it, brat! Do you still think I'm weak! I can cut even a mobile knight in half! This is the power that surpasses humans!"
When I blocked the Sword Saint's attack, my feet sank into the floor.
The attack was incredibly heavy.
But it didn't resonate with me at all.
"The pinnacle, huh. —You aimed for the wrong place."
"What?"
I deflected the Sword Saint's repeated attacks, and my sword became worn out.
I should have brought my favorite sword and ended it in one strike.
"You can't resist. How do you plan to win from here? If you're waiting for me to get tired, you'll be disappointed. I can fight for a whole day in this state!"
Each time the Sword Saint attacked, his skin would tear slightly, and a little blood would come out.
Can he really last a whole day? I was impressed, but—
"It's very disappointing. I thought it might be useful, but your sword is too crude."
All his movements were forceful.
They weren't beautiful.
I was looking for something useful, but there was nothing to see.
—It's not useful.
"Are you mocking my sword, brat!"
When I lowered my sword and became unresisting, the Sword Saint's sword couldn't cut me.
His sword, which he swung down, was broken at the base.
The blade spun in the air and fell, sticking into the floor.
It was slightly red, as if it had been heated.
I pulled my feet out of the floor, sheathed my sword, and stretched.
"Thank you for your hard work. From today, I'll call myself the Sword Saint in your place."
The Sword Saint looked at me.
"Not yet. It's not—over—yet."
His head fell off, and the Sword Saint's large body collapsed, spewing blood.
The narrow-eyed man, drenched in the blood, glared at me.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to beg for your life?"
As he approached and reached for his sword, I cut off both his arms.
Seeing this, the narrow-eyed man laughed.
"When I first heard the name and techniques of the Ippan-ryu, I laughed, thinking it was some street performance— but even after seeing it demonstrated, I can only laugh."
An invisible slash.
The Ippan-ryu's secret technique, which you don't even know when you've been cut.
The narrow-eyed man didn't resist.
He spoke without looking at me.
"Do you want to know who the mastermind is?"
I don't believe such a man would tell the truth, and it's meaningless.
"It's unnecessary."
"Even if your enemy is the empire itself?"
The man, looking up, smiled as if it was nothing.
He looked like a nice guy.
I cut off his head.
"Rather, I welcome it."
The empire as an enemy? So what?
This world is my playground.
If they oppose me, I'll crush them.
When the battle ended, Rishitea confronted me.
"You, why did you kill them!? We could have learned something from interrogating them!"
She's right, but I don't do meaningless things.
"What's the point of knowing the enemy now? Besides, we're surrounded by enemies anyway."
"That's true, but—"
"Do you think this guy would talk? He'd just lie and cause confusion. These kinds of men are troublesome."
The security forces didn't come to help when Cleo was attacked.
It's unlikely that only Linus was involved.
I don't think he could move a Sword Saint.
The enemy is likely Calvin or the emperor— and I'm relieved they're opposing me.
When Rishitea looked down, Tia came to me and knelt.
"I showed an unsightly figure."
Well, just buying time against a Sword Saint is a good enough job.
Now I can call myself a Sword Saint.
Sword Saint— it sounds good.
"You did well. I'll praise you. And since I'm in a good mood today, I'll forgive everything. After all, I became a Sword Saint."
"Lord Liam! What a generous person you are!"
It's true.
Just employing you is quite generous.
Tia clasped her hands and looked at me with shining eyes.
It feels great.
When I was boasting, Cleo, who had been listening, tilted her head.
"Sword Saint? —Does the viscount not know?"
"What?"
Cleo looked at the fallen Sword Saint.
"In the empire, only the emperor can appoint a Sword Saint. Of course, the emperor will consider recommendations, but defeating a Sword Saint doesn't make you one."
Hearing this, I despaired that defeating the Sword Saint had gained me nothing.
I had just fought a battle.
"—You're kidding, right?"
Tia, looking at me in shock, blushed.
"Lord Liam, it's—disappointing!"
I lost my motivation.
I'm going home today.
"That's enough. Let's retreat."
As I tried to leave, Rishitea stopped me.
"Are you going to leave this situation as it is! We should ensure Cleo's safety first!"
She doesn't understand anything.
Why does she think I'm just playing around?
It's because everything is already over.
"I've eliminated the enemies outside, and my subordinates are guarding here. I've already reported to the higher-ups. It's over."
Being connected to the top is useful in situations like this.
I contacted the prime minister and had him take action.
"Over?"
To show contempt, you should finish all the trouble first.
Showing contempt after winning is meaningful.
Playing around before the battle is decided is just being careless.
You shouldn't play around if there's work left to do.
I only did this to show contempt by fighting the Sword Saint.
Show contempt after winning! —It sounds like a quote.
I'll make it my motto.
Bryan (´；ω；｀) "Lord Liam— Fighting a Sword Saint isn't showing contempt. It's painful. It looks like Lord Liam is living for thrills— it's painful."