CHAPTER 2 Conflict at School

After completing our suspension by finishing our one-month training stint as witchblades, Lia, Rose, and I gathered in front of the chairwoman’s office. I knocked on the entrance just as I always did and opened the door after being given permission to enter.

“Excuse us,” I said.

Chairwoman Reia was there, looking as healthy as ever, as well as Eighteen, who looked more dejected than I’d ever seen him. She must have worked him especially hard over the last month.

“Hey, you’re back! …Very nice. I can tell that you three have gotten tougher from the expressions on your faces,” she said, inspecting us closely.

“Ah-ha-ha, we went through quite a lot…,” I responded.

“We sure had our share of incidents,” added Lia.

“It was an action-packed month,” said Rose.

Looking back, we really did go through a lot in a small amount of time. It might have been more accurate to say my countenance had become older rather than tougher.

“Wonderful. I’d like you to tell me about everything you went through someday,” the chairwoman expressed with a smile. “But for now, I’ll lift your suspensions and grant you permission to return to Class 1-A!”

She stamped three documents she had on her desk.

“Thank you, Chairwoman,” I said.

“Hooray!” exclaimed Lia.

“We can finally get back to our real studies,” added Rose.

Though I was worried about being a full month behind, more than that, I was just happy and excited to be back.

I’m finally here. I can take the Soul Attire class at last!

I’d seen many different examples of Soul Attire in a short period of time—Lia’s Dragon King Fafnir, Cain’s Hundred Hellblade, Shido’s Ice Wolf Vanargand, Dodriel’s Shadow Sovereign, and Rize’s Withered Umbrella—and each one of them had tremendously powerful abilities.

I wonder what kind of ability mine will have…

That was all I could think about last night, so I didn’t end up getting much sleep.

“Anyway, first period is about to begin. Hmm… It starts in ten minutes, so I’ll just walk with you three,” said Reia.

We walked to Class 1-A together with her. It felt a little nostalgic heading down the hallways for the first time in a month.

“And we’re here,” the chairwoman announced.

She took one step to the side instead of opening the door. It looked like she wanted us to go in first.

“Phew…”

I exhaled loudly.

“I-I’m a little nervous…,” admitted Lia.

“Yeah, it’s been a month since we’ve seen everyone…,” agreed Rose.

That was part of the reason I was anxious about seeing my classmates, but most of all, I didn’t know how I was going to face them.

I’ve caused so much trouble for everyone…

I regretted what had happened during my match with Shido in the Elite Five Holy Festival.

If only I’d been able to control that power without my Spirit Core taking me over…

We probably would have defeated Ice King Academy, our longtime rival, if that hadn’t been the case. Honestly, I found myself ruminating on those kinds of what-ifs all the time.

“Okay…I’m going in. Ready?” I asked for confirmation. Lia and Rose nodded.

Steeling myself for the cold glares and jeers of my classmates, I slowly opened the door.

“ “ “CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RETURN, ALLEN, LIA, AND ROSE!” ” ”

Our classmates fired off party crackers and shouted their congratulations.

“ “ “…Huh?” ” ” all three of us mumbled in surprise, staring open-mouthed at this unexpected development.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! You should see your faces!”

“That couldn’t have gone better!”

“Welcome back! The last month must have been hard!”

Our classmates rushed toward us.

“U-um…you’re not mad?” I asked, voicing my fear.

“Of course not! Your opponent went way too far! Plus, he was an asshole!”

“It felt great seeing you beat the hell out of him!”

“You did go a bit overboard in the end, though!”

Everyone gave us a warm welcome.

Man…

I could feel tears welling up. Crying in front of this many people would have been embarrassing, though, so I did my best to stave them off. Meanwhile, our classmates threw questions at us in rapid succession.

“You worked as witchblades while you were suspended, right? Tell us about it!”

“I heard a rumor that there’s a terrifying bald dude at the Aurest Witchblade Guild… Was it scary working there?”

“Oh yeah, I wanna hear about the incident at the Unity Festival! Rize Dorhein name-dropped you in an interview, Allen!”

“U-um…”

I was flustered by the barrage of questions.

“Hold on, kids. Save the stories for later. We’ve already cut into class time,” Chairwoman Reia said, pointing at the wall clock above the blackboard.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was already three minutes past the start of the period.

“Ah, shoot, guess we have to.”

“We’ll talk later, okay?”

Our classmates returned to their seats while muttering complaints under their breath. Lia, Rose, and I sat at our regular desks by the windows. The chairwoman stood behind her podium and announced something that didn’t make any sense.

“All right, today marks the start of our Soul Attire class!”

What?

“Whooo! I’ve been so excited!”

“The last month was really hard…”

“It’s finally time to see what my Soul Attire is capable of!”

My classmates all cheered as if they’d been waiting for this day.

“Ch-Chairwoman? What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“Hmm? Oh, I haven’t told you yet… Per the wishes of your classmates, we’ve been doing nothing but strength training for the last month until your suspensions ended. They insisted on starting Soul Attire lessons at the same time as you three,” Reia explained.

“H-huh?!”

I looked toward my peers, and they all smiled and nodded.

I’m overjoyed that I’ll be able to learn Soul Attire together with everyone…

Studying with just Lia and Rose would have been fine, too, but not nearly as exciting as practicing with the whole class.

I feel bad about making them waste an entire month of their lives, though.

The guilt I felt greatly surpassed my happiness. Then as if she could read my mind, the chairwoman smiled boldly.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Allen. Your classmates didn’t squander a single second of their time,” she mentioned.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I asked.

“I personally pushed them like you wouldn’t believe for the entire month! See for yourself. Haven’t they all bulked up since the last time you saw them?”

“…Hmm.”

Now that I thought about it, everyone was in significantly better shape than they were a month ago.

They’re not at the level of Ms. Paula or Mr. Bonz, but it’s still impressive.

The guys had added a lot of muscle, and I could see that the girls’ legs had become more toned.

Strength was the basis for all swordcraft. To give an extreme example, if a five-year-old prodigy were to clash with a ripped novice, the novice would undoubtedly come out on top. That was how important improving your body was.

“Heh-heh, I’ll have no trouble keeping up with you now, Allen!”

“I’ve overcome a month of hellish training and improved my Slice Iron Style even further. I’m a brand-new man!”

“You have to give us a match later!”

It was the three boys whom I’d dueled on the first day of class. They each laughed confidently.

“Sure, anytime!” I responded.

It seemed like I was just overthinking things. Everyone in this room had significantly more talent with the blade than I did. There was no way they would choose to waste an entire month of their lives.

“Let’s get started! We’re moving to the Soul Attire Room—follow me!” announced Chairwoman Reia.

And so we followed her outside the classroom.

---

We arrived at the Soul Attire Room, which was an underground facility.

“All right, everyone, go to the prep room and grab a soul-crystal sword!” Chairwoman Reia ordered before blowing the shrill whistle hanging from her neck. This was giving me déjà vu.

“Let’s go, Allen!”

“The prep room is…over there.”

Lia and Rose took my hands and led me inside.

“Let’s see… They’re over there!”

“Wow, they’re beautiful.”

They both quickly grabbed one of the many soul-crystal swords stored in the room.

These blades were made with a rare mineral called soul crystals. They were used in Soul Attire classes and could apparently induce a person’s Spirit Core to rise to the surface.

I followed their example and took one of the weapons.

It’s heavier than I expected.

The blade looked like it was constructed out of transparent blue glass, but it was a good amount heavier than a regular sword. After collecting our gear, we left the prep room so we wouldn’t get in anyone’s way, then returned to the center of the Soul Attire Room, where the chairwoman was waiting.

The next moment, a brilliant idea popped into my head.

Doing some practice swings with this sword would make for great training!

Its weight would surely double or triple the results of my practice swings, which would do wonders for my shoulder muscles, core, and back muscles. I performed a few light slashes as a warm-up.

“Word of warning, these soul-crystal swords are very expensive. Each one is worth one million guld, so I suggest you handle them with care,” the chairwoman shouted conspicuously enough for everyone to hear.

“O-one million guld?!”

Floored by the exorbitant price tag, I immediately stopped what I was doing.

How can a single blade be worth that much?!

Clutching my weapon cautiously in both of my hands, I quickly glanced around. I counted thirty soul-crystal swords total, which meant there was thirty million guld worth of gear in this room alone. That was enough money to live worry-free for a decade.

This place isn’t one of the Elite Five Academies for nothing…

The equipment and facilities here were truly stunning.

As my face went pale, the rest of my classmates waved their swords around without a care in the world.

They all must be loaded…

That should have been a given. Every one of them was an elite sword wielder who’d graduated from a famous swordcraft academy. None of them were born in the sticks like I was.

The thought made me feel more than a little out of place.

“Nrgh…”

“Ahhh…”

Lia and Rose, who were both holding their soul-crystal swords, suddenly each made a sensual-sounding noise. Their cheeks were slightly flushed, and they were fidgeting restlessly.

“Uh, are you two okay?” I asked.

“S-sorry, Allen. I don’t know why I made that voice…,” answered Lia.

“My body is so hot… I feel odd…,” muttered Rose.

Swaying a little, they looked down at their blades.

…They feel odd?

I wasn’t sure what Rose meant, but they were clearly acting strangely.

Their faces are red… Do they have a fever?

I contemplated whether I should take them to the infirmary or alert Chairwoman Reia about it. Before I could decide what to do, however, the chairwoman blew her whistle.

“Okay, is everyone ready?”

She swept her eyes across the class, then gave a satisfied nod.

“I’m sure some of you know this already, but soul-crystal swords are special weapons that are only used for acquiring Soul Attire. Just holding one gives you a strange sensation, doesn’t it?”

My classmates all bobbed their heads together. Everyone had the same symptoms as Lia and Rose to some extent.

Hmm… I really don’t feel much of anything.

It seemed like I was the only one in the class who was totally unaffected.

“When a talented sword wielder like each of you holds one of these blades, you should begin to feel a throbbing inside your body. This is proof that the Spirit Core dwelling within you has been stimulated. The intensity of the throbbing differs greatly depending on the person, but generally speaking, the response is stronger in women than in men.”

It sounded like talent vastly influenced your level of pulsations.

That’s something I’ve always lacked…

There could be no better explanation for why I felt nothing.

“What I want you all to do now is begin a dialogue with the Spirit Core concealed within your soul. You should speak with it, duel it, negotiate with it, and ultimately seize its power. The ability you gain will be a manifestation of a piece of your Spirit Core, which becomes your Soul Attire!”

I was at last connecting the dots on a subject I’d only ever had a vague grasp of; I was very grateful that Reia had explained it in a way that was so easy to understand.

“There’s one thing I need to warn you of—make sure you don’t let it take control,” the chairwoman said, lowering her voice. “The fundamental purpose of a Spirit Core is to protect you. You are mostly safe to think of it as your ally. However, there are very rare instances where your Spirit Core has such a strong sense of self that it will try to possess your body. As you all are aware, Allen’s is one such example.”

Every one of my peers turned to me.

“That being said, his is especially abnormal—a rarity among rarities. Your Spirit Core will almost never try to possess you, so there’s not much need to worry about that. On the off chance that it does take over, however, I’ll subdue it,” she insisted, cracking the knuckles of her right hand.

That’s reassuring.

The chairwoman was definitely unreliable about paperwork, but when it came to matters of muscle, her presence was more than appreciated.

“Anyway, let’s move on to the explanation. Using soul-crystal swords couldn’t be simpler! Start by closing your eyes and focusing your mind. Then sink deeper and deeper into your consciousness until you reach the world of your soul. Before you know it, your Spirit Core will be right in front of you.”

It was an abstract, yet intuitive explanation.

“Well, I think seeing is believing with this one. Go ahead and try it.”

Chairwoman Reia then clapped her hands together and told us to begin. Everyone in the class closed their eyes and started to concentrate.

Okay, let’s do this.

Honestly, I was a little frightened. The possibility that he might hijack my body and wreak havoc again was making me nervous.

Chairwoman Reia said she would use her might to suppress us, though.

If worse came to worst, I was sure she would bring me down.

“Whew”

After exhaling deeply, I sank into the depths of my consciousness until I reached the world of my soul. The minutes passed slowly. But before I knew it, he was right there in front of me.

“Yo, it’s been a while.”

He had long white hair, and a black mark on his face. His expression was so savage that I felt like he could eat somebody. Most unsettling of all, he had my face.

This was my Spirit Core.

---

I was in a sprawling, desolate world with rotten vegetation, putrid soil, and fetid air. He was sitting there alone on a giant, cracked rock.

“You really are my Spirit Core…,” I remarked.

“Huh? Oh…sure, you can think of me that way,” he answered evasively. “So whaddaya want? Finally feel like handing over that body?”

He aggressively changed the subject.

“Of course not. You would just go on another rampage if I did that,” I answered.

“Gya-ha-ha-ha! That’s better than having power and choosing not to wield it, like you. I’ll never understand it. Letting loose, crushing people, and kicking back is what life is all about! You need to live for the moment!”

Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of that moment-to-moment behavior.

“That’s not the lifestyle for me. I’d rather live a long, simple existence,” I stated.

“Geez, you’re so goddamn boring…” He sighed, shrugging.

“Anyway, I’m never going to give up my body. After what you did last time, why would I?”

He’d pushed Shido to the brink of death. If Lia hadn’t stopped me, my Spirit Core would have slaughtered him without hesitation.

“You mean when I fought that ice-wielding brat? Sure, I went a little overboard, but think about it. That saved your life.”

“I…can’t deny that.”

He definitely had rescued me during my bout with Shido. I didn’t have any energy left to dodge when Shido had lunged for my throat with the move he called Vanar Thrust. If my Spirit Core hadn’t emerged, there’s no question I would be in the ground right about now.

“You have no idea how grueling that was… I had to possess your body with the path still closed. I’m still stupid tired from the enormous amount of power I had to use.”

He gave a big yawn. I didn’t have a clue what he was going on about.

“Regardless, you should be grateful. You have no business blaming me for what I did,” he chided.

“Okay…thank you,” I responded.

Though I wanted to tell him that he’d gone too far and that he shouldn’t have gotten so violent, I did have to express my gratitude to him for saving my life.

“Huh? Gross, don’t get all sappy with me. Thank me with your actions instead—gimme that vessel of yours,” he asked again. Something about this constant request didn’t make sense to me.

“You really seem to want my consent. You’re clearly strong enough to take my body by force, though,” I countered.

“How stupid are you? With the path closed, overtaking your flesh with your consent—without any resistance—consumes significantly less energy than twisting your will and controlling it by force! I’m just a spirit, after all…,” he explained before looking at his right hand with a frown.

“Oh, I see…”

That was a relief to hear. Just as Chairwoman Reia had told us, he’d made a great sacrifice when he’d possessed me.

That means he can’t just take over me whenever he wants…! I thought.

“If you’re not gonna give me your body, then get lost. I’m sick of your ugly mug.”

He waved his hand as if swatting away a fly. What a selfish guy.

“I’m not leaving. I came to borrow your power. You know why I’m here—I want to obtain my Soul Attire,” I insisted.

I decided I should try starting a dialogue first. He was crazy, but clearly not an idiot. He could speak intelligently, and most importantly, he was capable of rational thought. If I spoke with him or negotiated with him, there was a chance I could get him to lend me a part of his might.

“Huh? You’re saying I should give an amateur like you a piece of my power? Pfft, gya-ha-ha-ha-ha! That’s a good one!”

My Spirit Core slapped his knees and burst out laughing.

“H-hey! That wasn’t a joke—”

“Cut the bullshit!”

Before I knew it, he was standing right in front of my face.

“…?!”

He’d already lifted his right arm and was going to nail me in less than a second.

“Take this!”

He delivered a right straight, with no feint.

“?!”

On a split-second impulse, I slipped my sword between my face and his arm. It was a perfect defense. I dropped my center of gravity and prepared for impact.

To my surprise, however, he sent me rocketing backward as if I were a ball.

What the…? He’s ridiculously strong!

My defensive move hadn’t worked at all. I twirled in midair to bring myself to a halt, then brandished my blade as soon as I landed.

“Geez, how little do you weigh…? Are you skipping meals, dumbass?!”

“…I’m eating just fine.”

His blows were impossible to defend against.

That means all I need to do is stay on the offensive and not give him a chance to strike!

I closed the large gap between us with one step and unleashed my signature chain of slashes.

“Eighth Style—Eight-Span Crow!”

My eight-strike attack had become much stronger since my encounter with Shido. Despite that, my Spirit Core just yawned. A moment later, my eight slashes rained down on his arms, legs, neck, head, torso, and the rest of his body.

Unlike when I’d fought Dodriel, I felt each move connect. And yet, not a single one did so much as scratch him.

How is that possible?!

Not only could I not cut through his skin, but I also hadn’t even left a single bruise. In fact, my blade seemed like it was going to break instead.

“Pathetic…do you really think you can hurt me with such a childish skill?” he taunted, totally at ease.

Crap, I don’t stand a chance…

His upper-body strength, lower-body strength, and stamina were like nothing I’d ever seen.

I continued to slash at him, but he batted all my attacks away with his right hand without a care in the world.

It’s no use… It doesn’t matter if I hit his face, neck, solar plexus, or any other vital point; I can’t bring him down with normal strikes.

But that didn’t mean I was out of options. I still had a certain move up my sleeve.

There’s no way my special ability that can tear through a world won’t hurt him.

Waiting for an opening, I delivered a series of moderate slices. When he yawned as if tired of our duel, I struck.

“Fifth Style—World Render!”

My strongest attack, so powerful that it tore through the World of Time, ended in failure.

“Good lord, could you be any slower? You’re gonna put me to sleep.”

“You can’t be serious…”

Unbelievably, he grabbed my blade before I could even swing it down. This guy was a monster.

“Down here, the strength of your heart determines your power. A total amateur like you couldn’t hope to have the resolve to fight me!”

I was totally defenseless as he held my sword, then he kicked me hard in the stomach.

“Gah!”

My breath shot from my lungs, and blood rushed to my head. My vision flickered, and I lost my sense of balance completely. He cackled as he watched me tumble to the ground.

“Ha-ha-ha! Now that your will has been weakened, I’ll take that vessel of yours!”

“No…don’t…”

My consciousness faded to black.

---

The moment Allen lost to his Spirit Core, his body began to transform. His black hair grew long and turned white, and a black pattern appeared under his left eye. What was most striking, however, was his change in demeanor. His kind and gentle manner disappeared, replaced by the menacing sharpness of a bare blade.

“Gya-ha-ha-ha-ha! That was way too easy, you bra— Whuh?!”

While he celebrated his victory over Allen, Reia appeared before him with clenched black fists.

“Swordless Style—Sever!”

“Gwah!”

Reia hit him hard in the abdomen with a powerful thrust that exceeded the speed of sound.

“Spirit Cores have one major weakness—they can’t move freely until they wrest total control from their host. This period is called ‘initial petrification,’ ” Reia explained.

Allen staggered a few steps backward, then looked at her with eyes full of hate.

“B-Black Fist…it’s you…,” he spat.

“I’m impressed you can manage this endurance in such an immature body… You really are a monster,” observed Reia.

“Shit…”

Allen lost consciousness, and the changes to his body immediately vanished.

“I don’t like resorting to such a dirty trick, but think of that as a handicap. Truly subduing you would be tough even for me…”

The Soul Attire Room fell dead quiet. Lia then asked the question on everyone’s mind.

“Reia, was that…?”

“Yeah, that was Allen’s Spirit Core. As you witnessed, it’s terrifyingly powerful. Allen Rodol has a preposterous amount of talent. It’s honestly a little frightening, but as his teacher, I am excited to watch his growth,” she responded, shaking her bloodied right hand.

“Is that blood…?”

“Hmm? Oh, you can relax. It’s mine. My hand didn’t even get this battered when I leveled three mountains. Allen’s stomach is relatively soft. I’m stunned by how firm it had gotten.”

---

---

After learning that Reia’s right hand wasn’t seriously injured, Lia finally asked what had been gnawing at her the most.

“Is Allen okay?”

“Of course. He’ll wake up soon, so there’s no need to worry. Anyway, let’s get back to it! Concentrate so you can acquire your Soul Attire!”

She then blew the whistle that she was so fond of.

---

I was lying flat on my back when I came to after losing to my Spirit Core.

“Urgh… Where am I?”

Lifting up my upper body, I saw Chairwoman Reia standing right next to me.

“Hey, you’ve already come to. I knew you would recover quickly,” she said.

“Ch-Chairwoman…? Oh yeah! What happened with that—that monster?!” I asked.

I was positive I’d heard him say, “I’ll take that vessel of yours,” as my consciousness faded. Flustered, I looked around the room but didn’t see any signs of violence.

“Don’t worry. I knocked him out right away. I had to be a bit underhanded, though,” she answered with a look of frustration. It sounded like she’d stooped to a method she would have preferred not to have used.

Regardless of how she’d pulled it off, however, I was just grateful that she’d stopped him from doing any damage.

“Sorry about that,” I said.

“No need to apologize. I expected this to happen,” she responded with a smile, clapping me on the back.

Now that things had settled down, I took a moment to reflect.

The strength of my mind…

He’d told me that your power in that place depended on “the strength of your heart,” and that I didn’t have the “resolve” to fight him. In order to defeat him in that world, and in order to obtain my Soul Attire, I would apparently need to train my heart.

But how do you do that?

Figuring out how to hone your body and your sword skills isn’t rocket science. You can perform practice swings or have someone teach you some techniques. Edifying your heart, however, is very difficult.

Should I meditate? Stand under a waterfall? I’m not sure what to do…

I racked my brain until the chairwoman interrupted me.

“Allen, this is your chance!” she suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“It takes an enormous amount of energy for a Spirit Core to manifest against their host’s wishes. Now might be your best shot to tear away his power!”

“Should I fight him again?”

“Of course. Come on, ready your soul-crystal sword! Don’t let this opportunity go to waste!”

She took my hands and tightened them on the grip of my blade.

“B-but…what if he gets loose again?”

“I’ll just subdue him. But I don’t think he’ll emerge again today. Given the nature of Spirit Cores, I’m positive that he’s vulnerable right now. There’ll be no problem as long as I keep a watchful eye on you.”

She paused and then gave me one warning.

“But make sure you don’t go near him while I’m not around, okay?”

“…”

Her tone was firm and serious.

“Allen, your Spirit Core is monstrous—literally in another category entirely. You just clashed with him, so you should know that better than anyone.”

“…Yeah.”

His power really was on a whole different level.

“If he’s not trounced during his period of initial petrification—a weakness that all Spirit Cores share—even I don’t know what would happen. That’s why I only want you to practice your Soul Attire where I can keep an eye on you. As long as I’m around, it won’t matter if he manages to take over. I’ll stop him every time,” she assured me.

“…Yes, ma’am. Please watch over me.”

“Sure thing.”

After that, I challenged my Spirit Core repeatedly, but his might proved too much for me. Ultimately, every attempt failed miserably. On the bright side, he didn’t possess me again after that first instance. I was also happy to see that he’d weakened even slightly. True to Reia’s word, it seemed that he required an enormous amount of energy to control my body.

No matter how many times I confront him, though, I still have no chance of defeating him.

I needed to develop my heart.

“Chairwoman Reia, how does one strengthen—?”

My question was interrupted.

“Hey, we’ve come here to demand a duel!”

The door to the Soul Attire Room flung open, and a group of five people entered. They were all wearing Thousand Blade Academy uniforms, and I’d seen some of them in this building. They were likely fellow first-years.

“All right, where’s the third-rate swordsman named Allen Rodol?”

Sounded like they were here for me.

---

Two teachers burst into the Soul Attire Room immediately after the group of five students waltzed in.

“I-I’m so sorry, Chairwoman!”

“What are you kids thinking? We’re in the middle of class right now!”

Surprisingly, the chairwoman stopped the instructors.

“I don’t mind. I like to see fire in my wards… When I was a first-year, I was left off the team for the Holy Festival. As soon as I heard, I challenged one of the participants to a duel and claimed their spot for myself,” she told them.

“R-really…?”

It sounded like she’d been a handful when she was a student, too.

“Thousand Blade Academy had such a grand atmosphere back then. You’d find sparring matches and duels playing out everywhere you looked! Oh, those were the days!” she reminisced.

Bickering and getting into fights with other students nonstop doesn’t sound appealing to me.

Personally, I’d rather get along with everyone and have fun as we honed our swordcraft together. As I thought that over, the boy at the front of the invading band drew his blade.

“Where are you, Allen Rodol? Too scared to announce yourself?” he spat provokingly, sweeping his eyes across the class.

“That’s Reyes… He wields a scimitar,” whispered one of my classmates.

“You mean Reyes Volgan, the one who caused so much trouble in middle school? I had no idea he enrolled here,” whispered another.

Reyes Volgan… Sounds like he has a bad reputation.

His hair was dark red, and a bit long for a boy. A silver earring hung from his left ear, and he stood slightly taller than me at about 170 centimeters.

We weren’t going to get anywhere if I stayed quiet, so I decided to speak up.

“I’m Allen Rodol. What do you want from me?”

“Hmm…”

The five of them examined me appraisingly.

“Ha-ha-ha! You’re tellin’ me this deadbeat was chosen to compete in the prestigious Elite Five Holy Festival?”

“Did he bribe someone?”

“There’s no way a wuss like him could be a good swordsman.”

“He looks so frail.”

“Well, clearly, he’s no threat to us.”

They bombarded me with insults; obviously, they weren’t impressed with me.

“You all had better watch it!” Lia fired back.

“You’re obviously blind,” warned Rose.

The girls both glared at the five students. Reyes paid them no mind, however, and produced a piece of paper from his pocket.

“I did some research into you, Allen Rodol. You were a total failure at Grand Swordcraft Academy. Students even called you the Reject Swordsman, and you had the worst grades in the history of your institution. You tried to join many Schools of Swordcraft, but their teachers all turned you away because of your impressive lack of talent. That’s why you’re self-taught! I also read that in your third year, you defeated some swordsman named Dodriel by using a cheap trick.”

There was no doubt that he did some thorough research into my time at Grand Swordcraft Academy. But so what? The past was just that—the past. There was no point comparing my current self with who I was from a billion years ago.

“Do you all realize now what an unskilled poser Allen is? Wake up, you idiots! The Reject Swordsman is deceiving you! Or does he have something on everyone here? Is it money?” Reyes accused.

My classmates in Class 1-A couldn’t hold back their laughter any longer.

“Sheesh, guys… Did you not see Allen’s fight against Shido?” a classmate asked, shrugging in disbelief.

“I saw it. He got thrashed in the beginning, then right after, he finally started to show some fight, and his Spirit Core possessed him, so he got eliminated for breaking the rules! Is that supposed to impress me?”

Reyes guffawed scornfully, and then the other four spoke up in turn.

“You may be Class 1-A, but that’s only based on your skill from when we entered the academy.”

“Yeah, that’s no reason to act like you’re better than us.”

“I don’t know about this cheap friendship thing you guys have going on, but you’re all idiots for spending the last month doing boring strength training instead of taking your Soul Attire class. You’re no match for us.”

“The strength of a swordfighter is the strength of their Soul Attire. Everyone knows that.”

Every one of them was mocking us.

I can’t let them get away with this.

I couldn’t just stand by without brandishing my blade as I watched them ridicule my friends. I took a step forward.

“Wait, Allen.”

Tessa Balmond, the boy who practiced the Slice Iron School of Swordcraft, leaped out in front of me.

“There’s no need for you to face these jerks. Leave them to me. I’ll cut them down with my Slice Iron Style!”

He drew his weapon emphatically.

“Hmm, what’s this? You goin’ first?” Reyes asked provokingly.

“Yeah, I’ll give you your fight. But we’re not going to need a second against the likes of you,” Tessa boasted confidently.

“…Heh, how funny. Fine, let’s do this. Come at me!”

Looking offended, Reyes calmly drew his scimitar.

“ “…” ”

As they locked eyes, the atmosphere turned menacing.

Ten seconds passed, then another ten…

“Slice Iron Style—Rust Remover!”

Tessa dashed straight forward and swung his blade at Reyes.

That’s a good strike!

He’d devoted himself to physical conditioning last month, and the fruits of his training were plain to see. His grip, charge, and vigor had all improved significantly.

“Hyaaaaaaaa!” he screamed as he swung his sword.

Reyes grinned in the face of Tessa’s slash attack.

“Surge Forth—Three Skeledragons!”

Suddenly, three small dragons materialized and blocked Tessa’s strike.

“What?!”

Each one of the skeletal wyrms, whose eye sockets shone with red light, chortled merrily.

“See if you can handle this. Skeleton Shower!”

His three familiars broke apart into small bones and flew at Tessa with stunning speed.

“Gah!!!”

The projectiles pelted Tessa and knocked him backward onto the ground, where he fell unconscious.

“T-Tessa!”

“Are you okay?!”

“Someone take him to the infirmary!”

Reyes watched as my classmates began to panic.

“Pfft, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! How pathetic! Is everyone in Class 1-A this feeble?” he shouted, clapping his hands and bellowing with laughter. The four students behind him jeered at Tessa as well.

…Damn.

In terms of pure swordcraft, Tessa was much more skilled.

But Reyes is currently the superior swordsman.

And only one thing set him apart—Soul Attire.

Whether or not a sword wielder could produce Soul Attire made an enormous difference. In fact, you had to actually be able to control this ability in order to become a high-ranking holy knight. That was how much society valued the power of Soul Attire.

As we were preoccupied worrying about Tessa, the other four students sprang to action.

“Indent—Adamantine Blade!”

“Envelope—Shorea Robusta!”

“Come Out and Play—Flame Children!”

“Pierce—Eyeleteer!”

They each produced their Soul Attire.

“Are you serious?!”

“This whole group obtained their Soul Attire in just one month?!”

“Crap, guess they weren’t all talk…”

My classmates were starting to freak out. In response, I calmly drew my sword and approached the interlopers.

“I’ll help, Allen!”

“I want to fight, too!”

Lia and Rose both rushed forward to back me up.

“Actually, can you let me do this alone?”

“A-are you insane?! All five of them have Soul Attire!”

“No matter how strong you are, you can’t possibly beat every one of them by yourself!”

They were definitely right, but they weren’t going to change my mind.

“Sorry. I just really want to do this on my own.”

“…Okay, fine. But don’t do anything rash!”

“Withdraw the moment it’s clear you can’t win.”

Seeing that my mind was set on this, Lia and Rose reluctantly stepped back.

“Thanks.”

I exhaled, then glared at the five students in front of me.

They can say whatever they want about me. It’s true that I’m the Reject Swordsman, and true that I have no talent. There’s no point denying any of that at this juncture.

But my classmates were different. They were all elite sword wielders with innate talent who’d put painstaking effort into their skills. And more than anything, they’d been nice enough to delay the beginning of our Soul Attire course for the likes of me.

I can’t just sit back and watch as they ridicule my friends.

My peers weren’t weak by any stretch of the imagination. There was no way that these hardworking prodigies, who’d spent an entire month performing dull, demanding physical conditioning, could be considered frail.

I need to get Reyes and the others to see that they’re wrong…

And there was one method that would be most effective for making them understand.

If all five of them lose to the Reject Swordsman, they’ll be completely out of arguments.

To force them to admit that they were mistaken, I, the Reject Swordsman, would have to take the whole group on and strike them down myself.

This is for Class 1-A! I can’t lose!

As I fortified myself, I felt something strange—the inside of my body seemed to grow hot, and I sensed power surge within me.

Oh, I see… This must be what resolve feels like.

It was as though I’d gotten a glimmer of insight into what my Spirit Core had told me. This feeling that I couldn’t afford to fail, the determination to fight for everyone’s sake, and the eagerness to represent my class all combined to strengthen my heart and open the path to my Soul Attire.

As I basked in the energy flowing through me, the five challengers began to berate me.

“Heh, finally decided to show yourself, Reject Swordsman?”

“Hmm-hmm, we’ll let you off if you cry and apologize.”

“Whoa, are you really gonna try and fight us alone?”

“Talk about idiocy. This just feels like bullying…”

“You truly have no idea how far we outstrip you… How comical.”

They each readied their Soul Attire and smiled fearlessly. I could see in their eyes that they couldn’t be surer of their imminent victory.

…Something feels off.

I felt no aura whatsoever from their Soul Attire. When I’d duked it out with my Spirit Core, it was as if my heart were being squeezed, but now I sensed absolutely nothing. Their Soul Attires were utterly lifeless.

I assumed the middle stance and raised my voice.

“Ready?”

“Ha-ha, go ahead. We’ll cut through you like cloth!”

Reyes shrugged and laughed.

“…Huh?”

I closed the distance between us instantly and pulverized his three dragons with a single strike. The bones clattered to his feet, and a momentary silence befell the five students.

“What the hell was that?!” Reyes exclaimed, flabbergasted.

“You’re finished,” I asserted, and I struck his open neck with the back of my sword.

“Impossible…”

His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed.

“ “ “ “…?!” ” ” ”

The other four students went pale.

“Bone Crusher!”

“Shorea Snare!”

“Fire Daruma!”

“Puncture!”

They each psyched themselves up by unleashing the power of their Soul Attire, and then they proceeded to attack me at once.

But I was ready for them.

“Eighth Style—Eight-Span Crow!”

I knocked each of their Soul Attire weapons away with my eight slash attacks.

“Huh?!”

“No way…”

“He defeated us…alone?”

“I don’t understand…”

They muttered to themselves deliriously as they watched their Soul Attire vanish before their eyes.

“Soul Attire is certainly very powerful. But if the person wielding it lacks skill, they won’t be able to make full use of it,” I said.

Take Shido’s Vanargand, for instance. Shido could cause so much destruction when he wielded it because of his overwhelming physical strength. If Reyes were to use it, he wouldn’t have posed nearly as much of a threat.

I sheathed my blade, and they all collapsed on the spot. They probably hadn’t even noticed that I’d hit each of them on the neck directly after Eight-Span Crow.

“In other words, your training is simply insufficient,” I finished.

I’d successfully repelled my sudden challengers.