…
Everyone needed time to understand what had happened right before their eyes.
Probably only Regres could keep up with the split-second event. Even Gordon, who had been raising his battle cry to kill me, saw only a puff of smoke and my sudden disappearance.
And then, in that instant, with an explosive sound, the head of Gordon’s brother was blown off.
Everyone lost their voice as I held the girl tightly in my arms.
◇◇◇
“What… what… what… don’t mess with me!”
I glanced at Gordon, who had finally managed to squeeze out a voice.
“Sorry, just wait a little longer.”
Saying this, I released Kimishima and started walking towards Gordon. Brian and Amur hastily retreated. These two were no longer a problem. Now, it was these guys.
I calmed myself, holding the sheath of my sword with my left hand. Seeing this, Gordon tensed up. But his spirit hadn’t completely broken.
“You’re the ones who are messing around, aren’t you?”
“What did you say?”
“Well, fine. You want me to get serious, right?”
“Grr…”
“Fine. You move first.”
These kinds of guys would drag students into danger again if they survived. If I had to do it, I had to do it right. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was better than feeling bad later. Entering Gordon’s range, I lowered my stance and prepared to draw my sword, not hiding my killing intent.
“So, that’s the condition?”
“Condition?”
“There’s no way you, who just transferred here, can beat Carton! So, your ability activates when your opponent attacks first, right?”
I see, he thought there was some condition. In a way, he was right.
“Indeed, my attacks benefit from countering, but that’s not quite it.”
“What?”
“Then… shall I move first?”
“No! Wait! I’ll move first!”
Driven into a corner, Gordon took a deep breath and resolved himself. I could see thick magical energy swirling around him. Indeed, he wasn’t ordinary either.
But.
“Wooaaah!”
Gordon was the first to move. As he raised his greatsword with a roar, my blade had already pierced his forehead.
In the split second of separation. My blade moved at ultra-high speed straight towards Gordon. How many saw its trajectory?
Gordon, who died unable to do anything, fell to his knees with an angry expression.
“Hiieee!”
Jiggit, the last of the Disaster Clan, screamed and turned his back. Striking someone who had lost their will… Just as I thought that, Mainui threw her twin spear.
Without a sound, the spear pierced Jiggit’s back, and he collapsed.
“If you start, finish it.”
“Even against someone who’s lost their will…”
“Well, they pointed their blades at the Federation soldiers. That’s my duty.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. But with this, Shigeto-sama’s reputation as a Celestial will be solidified.”
Mainui then glared at Brian and the others.
“Y-you, we…”
“Y-yeah, we just came to climb the Ladder Steps…”
“Y-yeah, that’s right.”
Brian and the others had completely lost their will. Of course, facing someone whose movements they couldn’t even see, they wouldn’t challenge them. Protecting their own lives was the adventurers’ instinct.
Living by pride would lead to an early death in this world.
Naturally, Amur also smiled gently and said, “Let’s go check out Dix Village.”
Watching this, I realized everything had been arranged by Regres.
Even though it was the second time, I still wasn’t completely without resistance to killing. Nishina and Sakuragi might have seen someone die for the first time. I thought about comforting them, but they were surprisingly composed.
“Are you guys okay?”
“We’ve killed so many monsters and seen so much blood. It’s not completely fine, but it’s not as bad as I thought.”
“I see. I’m sorry I couldn’t focus on you guys.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Nishina helped move the bodies to the side of the road, showing he was fine.
“By the way, what’s that amazing thing?”
Checking on Kimishima, she showed me the bracelet with vines she used on Bodick. It was just a grass ring, but the lush vines could extend and be controlled freely with Kimishima’s magic.
“Spellsess taught me this. It turned out to be useful immediately.”
“I see. I should thank Spellsess… I’m glad you’re safe.”
“It’s thanks to you, Sensei. You saved me again.”
“Well, I also dragged you into this.”
Kimishima pouted at my words.
“What are you saying? If you trace it back, you saved me first, Sensei. That’s why you became a Celestial.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“I need to get stronger quickly and work hard as your knight. So!”
“A knight, huh…”
“I’ll always be with you.”
Seeing Kimishima’s smile, I felt myself becoming unable to resist her.
…
…
On the way back, on about the second day, Brian, seemingly unable to withstand the pressure, approached me timidly. His face reminded me of Millet-san, probably a racial trait. Despite being ranked in the hundreds, he was undoubtedly successful.
But he had tried to challenge me. I didn’t know how to respond.
“Shigeto-san, as expected of a Celestial. You defeated the Disaster Clan in an instant.”
“……”
“That move… what is it called? I’ve never seen such swordsmanship. Is it a skill carried over from your previous world?”
“……”
“Um… is that a katana? A single-edged sword…”
“……”
“Yeah… the way you twirled the katana and sheathed it was impressive…”
As I silently stared at Brian, he gradually became more flustered. His behavior was comical, and I felt a bit sorry for ignoring him.
…Alright.
“My technique isn’t that impressive.”
“Huh? No, it was impressive—”
“This katana… It can’t be sheathed without drinking blood. I’ve already fallen into the path of a beast.”
“Ah… what?”
“This world is so rotten. Without this blade, I can’t even walk the main roads. It’s a harsh world, isn’t it?”
“Uh, I guess?”
“Relying on a blade, walking a blood-stained path alone, what am I?”
“Uh, um…”
“A killer… nothing more.”
“Uh…”
It wasn’t because I was a history teacher, but I started speaking like a traditional storyteller, or rather, like Jirocho or Zatoichi. I teased Brian with this style. It was a bit mean, but I felt it was deserved.
The students beside me burst into laughter. Regres even took notes, muttering, “I’ll use this.”
Regardless, Brian and Amur needed to spread word of me as a proper Celestial, or unnecessary adventurers would keep coming. Spellsess also ensured their safety.
Thus, we finally returned to Dudur Valley after a long time.
