"My Indestructible Body of Steel—Eisen Gladius—Activate."
The moment we lunged forward, the man's flesh and sword took on a dull steel hue. I parried the downward slash of his metallic blade with the sword in my right hand. The edges grated against one another, throwing off sharp shrieks and a shower of sparks.
"What...?!"
"Not bad. That's a powerful strike."
His swordsmanship didn't rely solely on his innate skill. He could only handle such power because he possessed a thoroughly trained body and genuine technique. Keeping my left hand lowered, I deflected his high strikes, horizontal slashes, and thrusts using only my right. Any one of them would finish me if it landed cleanly. Which meant all I had to do was not take them head-on.
"Why...?! Why can you block me with one hand?!"
Agitation crept into his movements, and his sword path grew slightly erratic.
A body of steel was sturdy and formidable. However, his absolute confidence that he couldn't be harmed made his attacks simple and predictable. Relying that heavily on defense, are you? Fine by me.
"Heh, heheh... With an opponent like you, it should be fine to use magic too."
A smile broke out on my face unbidden.
I drew my staff with my left hand and thrust its tip toward the sky. With a body of steel this tough, it wouldn't break easily even if it took a hit from my magic.
"What are you planning to do...?"
A single fireball flickered into existence at the tip of the staff.
Immediately after, two, four, eight—countless flames ignited around it in rapid succession, blotting out the sky above in an instant.
"Wh-What... the hell is this...?"
Though stunned, the man immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Shielding his vitals with both steel arms, he sank his hips low to brace for the shockwave. Deciding evasion was impossible, he had committed entirely to defense.
"Splendid reaction. Now, show me just how much you can take—"
I brought down the staff in a single, sharp stroke. On that cue, the fireballs blanketing the sky shifted trajectories all at once. Countless flames trailed smoke as they poured down from the heavens.
"Guh, uwooooooooooogh!"
One, then two, the fireballs detonated against his steel frame, the explosive blasts and thunderous roars rattling the earth. When the rain of fire finally ceased, the man's silhouette emerged through the thick, rising black smoke.
"You endured that? Color me impressed."
This world is overflowing with the unknown. To think an ability exists that can keep someone conscious after taking that many fireballs head-on.
I want to know more.
I want to see more.
Show me more of what I don't know.
What happens if I flash-freeze him with ice? Would lightning penetrate all the way through to his core?
My pulse quickened at the endless possibilities, and another smile slipped through.
"Now then. What should I try next—"
Letting my staff and sword hang loosely at my sides, I took a slow step forward.
Just then...
Tap. A hand touched my shoulder from behind.
"—Leon. That's enough."
"Leticia?"
"You've won. He can't fight anymore."
Following her cue, I shifted my gaze to the man.
His metallic transformation had already dissolved, and he was down on one knee where he stood. Beside him, Char swept her staff, weaving healing magic over his scorched flesh.
"And please, stop walking toward him with that look on your face like you're plotting what to experiment with next. It's utterly terrifying..."
"Was it that obvious?"
"Yes. You looked like you were having far too much fun."
Leticia let out an exasperated sigh.
Once his treatment was finished, the man gave Char a brief nod of thanks. Then, with heavy footsteps, he trudged over to me.
"...It's my loss. Complete and utter defeat. I don't think I could beat you even if I spent a lifetime trying."
"Is that so? Still, that was an incredible innate skill. To think you could withstand that barrage of fireballs!"
As I gushed with genuine excitement, the man's cheek twitched.
"...I wouldn't call that withstanding it. I just barely avoided dying."
"Really? Looked to me like you could keep going."
"Just where were you looking to get that impression...?"
Exhaling a long, deep breath, the man stared hard at my face.
"Hey, just what are you?"
"Me?"
I glanced down at the sword in my right hand and the staff in my left.
"I'm Leon. Just an ordinary adventurer who uses both a sword and magic."
"No ordinary adventurer parries my sword one-handed, then summons enough fireballs to blot out the sky."
"Even if you say that..."
Gazing off into the distance, I went on.
"I still know next to nothing about this world. That's why I want to experience more powers, both swordsmanship and magic. Your innate skill was one of them."
The man fell silent for a long moment, then let out a wry, defeated laugh.
"...I see. I guess real monsters never realize they're monsters."
"How rude. I'm human."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about."
"Once your wounds heal, will you duel me again? I'd like to test ice next."
"Not a chance."
His rejection was instantaneous.
After that, the man offered another sincere apology for trying to poach the quest. We had no reason to press the issue any further, and the conflict was peacefully resolved. Before parting ways, I asked him about one detail that had been lingering in my mind.
"Have you noticed that monster activity has been surging lately?"
"Hm? Yeah. Packs have been moving way more aggressively than usual. I hear Stampedes have been breaking out all over the place, too."
"I knew it..."
I offered him a word of caution.
"I know there's friction between the staff and the sword even among adventurers. But from here on out, we'd all be better off cooperating. If monsters keep running wild like this, relying on just one discipline won't be enough. People will get killed."
"...You're right."
The man looked from Leticia to Char in turn.
"I've hit plenty of walls where my sword alone wasn't enough. Fighting you today drove that lesson home whether I liked it or not. Swords and magic both have their own strengths. If we work together, our odds of survival go up."
"Then—"
"Yeah. Fighting you made me realize I was just clinging to useless pride. I'll try being a bit more open-minded from now on."
"Good. Glad to hear it."
Small as it was, this was a step in the right direction. I hoped adventurers would start changing their ways, little by little.
As we prepared to part, he extended a broad, calloused hand toward me.
"The name's Darius. Take care of me next time our paths cross. Because there's no way in hell I'm ever fighting you again."
"Of course. Next time, let's fight side by side."
I gave his hand a firm squeeze.
With that, they took their leave.
"It seems a true genius truly has a way of sweeping everything else aside, doesn't he?"
The one murmuring that was Char.
"I understand how he feels. Leon's talent really is staggering. Of course, you must have poured an absurd amount of effort into getting this far... but even so, the sheer raw talent you were born with is on an entirely different level."
"Is that right?"
"Yes. Not that I have any intention of giving up, though. If anything, having someone like you ahead of me just gives me a back to strive toward."
"I feel the exact same way."
With those words, Char stepped right up beside me.
"Meeting you, Sir Leon, made me forget the loneliness I had simply taken for granted. One day, you might genuinely erase the feud between the staff and the sword."
Char smiled gently, softly pressing her body against my arm.
"H-Hey! You're too close!"
"Oh? Do you think so?"
"You're obviously too close! Say something to her, Leon!"
"Hm? Well, what's the harm?"
"There is plenty of harm!"
For some reason, Leticia circled around to the other side and grabbed my other arm.
"Aren't you standing a bit close too, Leticia?"
"I-I'm only trying to pull the two of you apart!"
"Then wouldn't it make far more sense to grab my arm instead of Sir Leon's?"
"You be quiet!"
Their bickering echoed through the forest once more.
It seemed it would still take some time before these two truly saw eye to eye.
We decided to lodge in a nearby village. While Leticia and Char headed to the guild to report the subjugation, I waited for them in a tavern.
—Surging monster activity.
Stampedes breaking out all across the land. Something felt distinctly off about it...
At the same time, thoughts of the old man and the old lady crossed my mind.
Following the incident twenty years ago, they had vanished from the public eye. How had they spent the decade that followed, and why did they dedicate the next ten years to raising me?
As I turned the question over, a memory from my childhood resurfaced.
A courtyard at twilight. Watching me grip a sword and a staff, the old lady had quietly murmured:
"I always believed the feud between the staff and the sword could never be mended. But, little Leon... With you, perhaps—"
"With me?"
"...No, pay me no mind."
"..."
The old man had looked as if he wanted to speak up too, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut.
Perhaps the two of them had intended to entrust something to me all along. Even so, they had kept their past secret, never burdening me with an explicit duty.
And on the day I set off for the royal capital, they mentioned they were going to travel the world. But was it really just a casual journey?
The incident from twenty years ago.
The surging monster activity.
The two of them making their move once more.
The scattered dots were beginning to align into a single line.
A quiet foreboding lingered in the depths of my chest.
"Ugh... Sob... Where did Rio gooooo...?"
A weeping voice drifted over from the table beside me. I turned to look at the woman slumping her shoulders over a drink. The face was instantly familiar.
"Rosalia?"
"Hm...? Who're you...?"
Rosalia blinked teary eyes, staring intently at my face.
"Mmh...? Ah! Could it be... Rio?! You weren't wearing your robe, so I didn't recognize you!"
"Y-Yeah. Long time no see."
"Where have you been?! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Sorry about that. Things got a little complicated."
"I'm never letting you go again!"
Rosalia sprang to her feet and threw her arms around me in a crushing embrace. She was clearly completely drunk, her face flushed red all the way to the tips of her ears.
"Rosalia, calm down a bit—"
Cutting off my words, an icy voice rang out behind me.
"Sir Leon? What, pray tell, are you doing...?"
"Well, well... Leaving us to file the report while you fool around with women? You really are a flirt, Leon. Fufu."
My body froze solid at the voices at my back.
Timidly turning around, I found Char and Leticia standing shoulder to shoulder.
Both of them wore magnificent, beaming smiles. However, their eyes were entirely dead—.