I spent my days being "played with" by Katori-sensei.
It was absurd.
No matter where I fled, she found me.
When she tracked me down in the monorail staff warehouse, I thought I was truly done for. I even tried blending in with the extravehicular workers outside the ship, but she caught me there, too. I donned a ghillie suit and lurked in the fruit cultivation area, but she spotted me instantly.
She was more relentless than a Special Forces unit.
Wait, what? I could become an infiltration agent?
Yeah, right.
My "serious" face had been plastered across the galaxy for propaganda purposes. It was an impossible dream.
During the "In the Wall" Operation, she started punching her wooden sword right through the partitions. I had to beg for my life before my spirit was crushed. When I fled into the freezer, she locked the door from the outside.
Was she actually an Ogre?
Anyone else would be dead by now.
I was just glad I hadn't fled to the incinerator. I knew for a fact she would have put me through something truly horrific there!
By this point, I started to think that a serious, life-or-death duel was actually preferable to running away. Her blows were heavy, sharp, and stripped of all unnecessary movement.
But here’s the thing—Katori-sensei had already evolved beyond that level.
Which meant...
The wooden sword snapped.
In fact, there were several broken ones rolling around the floor. The blades simply couldn't withstand the impact of our exchanges anymore. We tried resin and metal ones, but they would either shatter or snap, which was even more dangerous. The resin ones on the market had way too much rebound compared to wood.
As a result, we were now fighting with new material imitation swords. They were incredibly dense and heavy, but they didn't break.
"Oraaa! Die!"
Katori-sensei dodged the strike with a casual flick of her body. My blade buried itself in the wall behind her. I wrenched it out, but of course, she wasn't about to ignore an opening like that.
"You're the one who's dying!"
She swung a diagonal strike toward my back. I threw myself into a full-power evasion. The wall behind me cracked—no, it was practically gouged out.
An opening!
I tried to slash her, but I couldn't land a hit. Instead, she transitioned into an overhead strike the moment she dodged.
Just as I expected!
"Die alreadyyyyyyy!"
I attempted to evade and counter simultaneously with a spinning roundhouse kick...
"You're so annoying!"
She caught me with a returning sword and sent me flying like a home run ball.
I hated this life!
"Leo, you idiot! Why do you keep trying big moves there?! Your thinking is way too much like a gambler's!"
"Heeen!"
It wasn't on purpose. But my inner voice—my instinct—kept whispering to me. Go for the big move, it said. But I knew better... I was so sad...
Just as my spirit was starting to break, it happened.
"What in the world are you doing?"
Wifey arrived, followed by Piggett and the others.
"Practicing?" I offered.
"Look closely! This place looks like the aftermath of a kaiju battle!"
The floor was dented and scarred. The walls were in tatters.
"It wouldn't be proper training otherwise," Katori-sensei said, her expression perfectly composed.
"That's true!"
"Wifey! You're actually agreeing with her!?"
"Lord Groom... I must reveal a somber reality to thee. Thou art already a practitioner at an inhuman level."
"W-What?!"
"Katori! Where does the Lord Groom rank among the practitioners of Imperial Swordsmanship?"
"Second, right after me."
She actually thought that highly of me? I had no idea because she never once praised me!
"And in a pure fight to the death?"
"Even without a humanoid fighter, he'd likely be in the top ten."
What a terrifying ranking. I bet there were professional assassins in that list! I didn't want any part of it!
"The ones at the very top are basically tanks and missiles, after all."
So the top ranks weren't even human. It seemed I wasn't being treated as a human anymore either.
"And as a pilot?"
"Number one by a landslide. Right, Piggett? What do you think?"
"It's frustrating to admit, but as a humanoid fighter pilot, the Groom is probably the strongest of the Empire."
"Indeed. Which brings me to my point... Lord Groom, dost thou understand what I am trying to say?"
"...Ah, you want us to spend some quiet time together as a couple? You were lonely, weren't you? We can take it slow..."
"Wrong! If two monsters like you keep fighting, the facility won't hold! I am finally receiving direct complaints about the damage!"
I guess I was wrong. I... was so sad...
"I'm having the facility walls reinforced with battleship exterior, so we're suspending training for a while! Is that clear?!"
I broke into a massive grin. "Understood!"
"Hey, Leo, think about it. She's replacing them with something you absolutely can't break with your bare hands. That means she's telling us to go even harder next time."
Katori-sensei delivered the death sentence with a smirk.
"Huh?"
Wait, she didn't mean we should hold back?
Piggett nodded. No way!
Wifey nodded too. Wait, am I going to die?
"Hold on, an amateur like me doesn't deserve such an honor. We should give it to someone I respect, like Edge..."
I tried to offer Edge as a sacrifice.
"Edge is included, of course."
"Huh?"
"Isono, Nakajima, Melissa, and Edge, too. Next time, we're doing this while wearing combat suits."
You've got to be kidding me...
"Don't worry. Edge is actually thrilled. It's rare for anyone to get direct instruction from me."
"Sensei! Something's wrong! I'm supposed to be 'playing,' not getting instruction!"
"Hah. I'm not so arrogant that I'd call it 'instruction' for someone on my level."
My level? If I accepted that, I'd be the arrogant one!
"With all due respect, Sensei, 'on your level' is a bit much..."
"It's an objective fact. The gap between us is negligible."
Liar! There's no way!
"Same for Edge. Neither you nor he can be matched by students. If you entered a national tournament, you'd be shocked by how weak everyone else is."
"Lies! Total lies!"
"Your Majesty, what should we do with him?" Sensei asked, turning to Wifey for help.
"Nothing. The Lord Groom has grown so rapidly without a yardstick for his own strength that I have decided to simply leave him be."
"I can still call it 'instruction' for Isono and Nakajima, at least..."
"Fufu. Those two are monsters in their own right. Regardless, Lord Groom, rejoice. Our departure has been set."
Another battle was coming. The fight against Mother was drawing near. I was also close to conquering the simulator.
Looking back, I really had come a long way.