Kays Translations

0-3 Sword Fight in the Sky

　The fragments of light that covered his vision gently dissipated, and Sage looked around to make sure he was okay.

　From an inconspicuous spot in an alleyway, he listened closely to the bustle. The main street along which the parade would pass was lined with stalls and crowded with people. He was certain that this was where Marie was headed.

　As he was about to run out into the alley, he paused.

"As expected it's strange."

　Perhaps he was too concerned about people's eyes, but he felt uncomfortable with his cloaked appearance, feeling like he was a suspicious person. If a man in a dull gray cloak with a hood suddenly approached a young child like Marie, it wasn't hard to imagine how people would react.

　He took off his hood and pinched the edge of his cloak with his hand. The color of his clothes, which had begun to glow from that point, turned to the same color as the light that had been emitted.

"This should be fine right ......?"

   He looks again at the cloak, which has changed to a light blue. The fact that it looks a little dull is not due to skill, but just a lack of sensitivity. The man himself seemed to be aware of this, so he tilted his head, put his hood back on, and walked toward the main street.

"Well, let's see where she went. This would be quick If I could only see the color of her hair......"

　In this region, many people have dark hair colors such as black and brown. No matter how small Marie was, her red eyes and silvery white hair made her stand out no matter what. Sage was prepared for a long battle, but the back of the figure he was looking for easily slipped into the corner of his eye.

　He kept his eyes down as he approached, blending in with the crowd, but his fears seemed to be unfounded. She was holding a skewer of some kind of meat in her hand, and her face was filled with ecstasy.

　As I observed Marie for a while, chewing on a skewer with no caution or presence of mind, my conscience began to tingle..

....Should I let her eat a little better on a regular basis

No, but ......"

　Shaking his head, he shook off the indulgent thoughts. You can't blame them for getting carried away by the festivities, but they're not there for sightseeing. In the first place--

"Big brother!"

　I looked up at the familiar voice and saw Marie standing in front of me, as if she had sensed me.

　No, more importantly.

"What did you say, Marie?"

"Did you find your brother, little girl?"

"Yes!　Thanks, Uncle!"

"Hey, when in doubt, ask away."

　　The owner of the stall stroked her hair, and Marie gave a carefree smile. . Remembering, I reached for my wallet, but the owner stopped me.

"I don't want it," he said. Her smile is enough to pay for it.

"No, that's not how it works...."

　I didn't understand the situation, but I couldn't take advantage of the favor. The moment I tried to pay on Marie's behalf, I was confronted with a skewer that smelled fragrant.

"You're tourists, right? The gods of commerce won't be offended if you ease up on the day of celebrating a meaningful festival."

　"Eat up," the burly shopkeeper said, and smiled at us. I and Marie thanked him and left the place to follow the parade.

"Isn't it delicious, Sage?"

　Marie, who was walking next to me, looked up at me with an air of pride.

　Since this was a local festival, the meat must have been lamb or beef. The skewers were simply grilled with some spices and salt to remove the smell and add seasoning, and the juices dripped from the meat, making it look very appetizing. It was tender with just the right amount of red meat left on it, and I couldn't disagree with Marie's high praise.

　But there was more to it than that.

"So? What's with the brother?"

"Earlier, you told me not to call you by your real name."

"............"

"...... No, well, I was walking along and got mistaken for a lost child, so I just went with the flow......."

　She was feeling guilty about the wallet, and when I pressured her silently, she broke easily.

　Perhaps because she was so embarrassed, her snow-white cheeks turned bright red and she turned away. Looking away, she said, "Nn" and held out her hand to me.

"If we're to appear to be brother and sister, we can at least hold hands, right?"

"Well, okay, but ......"

　As soon as I expressed my agreement, Marie intertwined her fingertips with mine. The high temperature of our skin melted into each other, and I immediately felt comfortable. I looked up and averted my eyes to the gently flowing scenery around me as I rode the stream of people.

　We stepped on the long cobblestones and walked past the red brick houses. Soon, the parade would reach its final destination, the city gate, where the festival was said to come to a close.

　Every year, the sorcerers on top of the city walls show off their magic to the crowd gathered in the square in front of the city gates. The magic is said to be so well received that some tourists travel from other countries just to see the court mages perform their magic.

　There are probably some wizards whose talents have blossomed in the past few years, but whose names are still unknown. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it.

"It's a nice country, isn't it?"

　Marie, who was looking up at the sky with a distant look in her eyes, spilled out what she was thinking.

"If there is a lot of nature, the climate is good, and the food is tasty, it's natural to develop a warm and humane spirit."

"...... That's one thing, and this is another."

　Even if the majority of the people are exemplary, if only one person in power is a bastard, the people around that person will be corrupted.

　It's much harder to inspire conscience than it is to infect laziness. That's why we need to know more about that knight who represents this country today.

'Well, if nothing happens, that's all the better. We'll just pull out when we're done checking things out."

"Even if something does happen, I'd like to enjoy the festivities."

"Be patient. Looks like the parade's about to end."

　It seemed the buoyant atmosphere had a way of upsetting people's sense of time. We were only following the parade around, but before we knew it, the shadows cast by the slanting sun announced the arrival of evening.

　As the gates approached, the people who had been following the parade began to drift out of line. When Chris, the princess knight, and the five black-robed men who had been accompanying her appeared on a pedestal in the square in front of the castle gate, the gazes of the strangely silent spectators focused on them.

　Among them were Sage and Marie, who had slipped into the front row.

"Ladies and gentlemen!　Blessed with such a blue sky, this year's performance is entitled "Sword Fight of the Wind"!　Please refrain from blinking for a moment until the end of the performance."

　With a pleasant voice that drowned out the cloudy sky, Chris drew her white blade. As if on cue, the men in black who had been serving her raised their wands.

　The crowd was suddenly buzzing.

　With the dull glow of the pedestal around her, Chris, once again clad in armor and holding her sword, gently ascended. Sage, who had been keeping silent, shouted in admiration, and Marie looked up at him curiously.

"What the hell is that? Compound magic or ......?"

"Is it amazing to you, Sage?"

"I don't know. I've never done it before, and I don't have anyone to try it with."

"That's right. You can't use compound magic by yourself."

"Urusei (Shut up)......."

　While the two of them were having a fruitless exchange, smoke in the shape of a person took shape in front of Chris, who captured the gaze of the audience. It made a gesture as if it was looking around and then pointed a sword-like object that extended from the end of it's arm at Chris.

　Chris saw it, too, smiled, and regripped her sword.

　It was Chris who slashed first. A sharp metallic sound popped, and the two swords that had collided and separated caused sparks.

　The crowd's enthusiasm, which had been suppressed, overflowed into cheers. Chris danced through the air, thrusting, cleaving, and parrying with her sword.

　Just as a silver flash caught the smoke swordsman, the smoke changed its shape and took Chris' back.

　Each time offense and defense were reversed, the exchanges became more and more fierce. The stage was no longer confined to the sky above the plaza, but the sword fight danced wildly in the air, using the sunset as a light, and the air was filled with applause and cheers for the clash of swords.

　This time, Chris's sword cut the smoke in two. The split smoke began to act independently, and attacked Chris from above, below, and on both sides. Then Chris drew her second sword and changed her stance to a dual sword stance.

　It was Sage who first noticed a change in the atmosphere as the end of the match seemed near.

"...... Hey, Marie. Can you see the feet of that man in the robe?"

　He asks Marie, who was looking up to the sky with shining eyes like a child, worthy of her appearance.

"What, we're in a good place..."

Marie's expression stiffened as she followed his line of sight. Looking over at her expected reaction, Sage gave her a nod.

　　One of the wizards, who had been chanting magic in a corner of the square to avoid being seen, had a black puddle of water at his feet. It's not noticeable because it's covered by a cloak of the same color, but it was unmistakably human blood, rippling and spreading.

"...... What will you do?"

"I can't help what I've seen. We'll help them, okay?

　If you go east from the square along the city wall, you will find a station. We can give them first aid there.

 The power to lift and support the weight of a single person, the finesse to ensure that the target would feel as if she were on the ground, and the magic to conjure up her opponent and make it mimic sword strikes. It was a series of highly difficult magic operations that underpinned almost all of this performance. These magicians may be the best of the best, but for a magician, running out of magic power is an act that's tantamount to cutting down one's life.

　They must have spent most of their time rehearsing and discussing the production. It's just that the unseen burden on the body has been steadily accumulating without the person noticing, and now the results are showing. If he continued to chant in this state, it would be something that a fellow wizard would not want to imagine.

"I'm glad I have the chance to try it out."(Sage)

"Sorry but If you fail, I'll leave with my tail between my legs, and you'll have to forgive me for laughing when I do.".

　When I took out a small bottle from my pocket and offered it to Marie, she grabbed it back with the palm of her hand and held it gently.

"I'll be fine."

　She smiled so innocently that I could hardly say I wouldn't and disappeared into the crowd.

　 I have to admit, I don't really understand how to concentrate smoke. But the situation is what it is. I guess I can be forgiven for improvising.

　As long as the magic worked according to the plan I drew in my mind, the knight named Chris would do the rest. If she could make the alter ego burst into flames, it should be a big success.

"It's funny. I'm starting to enjoy this."

　 I've never used magic for show before. However, groping my way out of an unexplored situation is one of the most exciting parts of studying magic. My expression relaxed on its own, so I put on my hood to hide my face.

　Up in the sky, Chris's sword point was about to catch the gap of the smoke warrior, which had started to slow down badly. Taking advantage of this moment, he twirled his index finger in the air.

　With a poof, there was a sound as if the air had been knocked out of it, and the smoke warrior vanished into thin air. Chris lowered her sword, unable to hide her agitation at the unplanned development. He focused his attention on the space in front of her nose and cast his second spell.

　Immediately after, his vision distorted in the blink of an eye, he saw Chris's figure in front of him. Transfer magic by sight  into the air is very difficult, but it seemed to have worked.

　Chris was speechless, as if she was bewildered by the sudden appearance of a figure. Its feet were shaking slightly, but it wasn't blurry indicating that the effect of the magic had changed.

　It's not that I don't feel guilty for upsetting the situation, but I don't have the grace to be remorseful.

I flashed my dagger as I felt the stillness of the place focus on me.

　While maintaining the flying magic, I had to maintain the alter ego transfer. It's not easy and if I don't hold the initiative in the sword fight to some extent, I won't be able to concentrate.

　I showered her with slashes that were not fatal, but sharp enough that she couldn't avoid them lightly. I had trusted Chris's skill with the sword, but my expectations were betrayed in an unexpected direction.

　Rather than blocking the first blow, Chris sharply slashed back at my ego. As I hurriedly dismissed it, another sword slash came at me without a moment's delay.

　Perhaps it was because the target was no longer an amorphous smoke, but her aim was more relentless. I felt a cold sweat break out on my face as Chris attacked me, aiming precisely at the vital points of my body. I wanted to concentrate more on the sword, but if I made a mistake, Chris and I would go straight to the ground. On the other hand, if I cut corners any further, I would be cut in two.

"If I help people and get killed, what the hell am I doing!"

　I couldn't speak, so I complained in my mind. Chris danced with her two swords as if they were part of her body, and her movements became sharper rather than dulled by exhaustion.

　Even if I tried to fight an endurance battle, I wouldn't be able to break through the current situation, let alone reverse the offensive. The sparks from the blades coming at me from above and below, left and right, were slowly but surely approaching my body.

　No choice then.

"I guess I'll just have to bring it to my side."

　I can't help but think it's tactless to do in a sword fight, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not  chivalrous enough to give my own life just to keep up appearances.

I deflected the slash that was coming at me and tried to get as far away as possible to invite an attack. Without a moment's hesitation, Chris came after me with unhindered steps.

　The sword in Chris's left hand reached for the sky. She stepped forward with her left foot vigorously, and just as she was about to swing, Sage was struck with a right thrust that seemed to embody her piercing gaze. As Sage shifted his body to dodge, the trajectory of Chris's sword shifted into a right cleave. Sage's sword, which was held diagonally, blocked the sword in front of him.

　Chris's center of gravity, which had drifted to the right, was forcibly reversed by his forceful step and strong counter. Chris's eyes, looking up at Sage, radiated a pressure that could shoot through an opponent by itself.

　She swung out her sword and aimed at Sage with a slashing reverse body blow. As Sage evaded by getting on his knees, another sword flash was coming at him.

　Chris's sword, released from an unsteady stance, drew a semicircle as if it was going to be sucked into Sage's neck.

　Sage was on one knee, and only a dagger held by his right arm was protecting his head from the powerful slash.

　At that moment, everyone in the audience and Chris herself were sure of victory. Sage was the only one who smiled fearlessly under the hood that hid his face.

　The two swords touched each other and clashed.

　Chris put all her strength into her sword, but it was not the blow that decided the outcome. He swung out his arm, and for the first time, Chris's eyes showed dismay when she saw one of the two swords, which made a high-pitched sound had lost half its blade.

　Sage didn't miss the slight pause that occurred on the battlefield, where sparks were flying fast and furious.

　The outline of the cloak covering Sage, who was still kneeling, blurred, and then it split into three pieces. Before Chris could reposition her sword, Sage's shadows soundlessly attacked her.

　Chris deflected the first one's swing with a big twist, and then unleashed a kick that rotated on its axis. Sage's shadow disappeared in a puff of smoke, making a light sound that  seemed out of place with the exchange of gray sweat.

　As she continued, she twisted her left arm out and delivered a precise stab to the center of the second shadow's neck as it danced towards her.

The last one appeared from the back of the shadows that had disappeared, as if it were passing through the belly of her outstretched sword.

　The broken sword was thrown into the space where the head should have been, as if it had been sucked in.

"Huh."

　Chris's breath was the signal, and Sage's whole body was engulfed in flames. Without raising an angry or charming voice, the figure that had become a flame stretching to the heavens completely disappeared, and Chris, who had only the unbroken sword in her possession, was showered with loud cheers.

　As if by coincidence, the lights of the streetlights illuminating the square intensified. Chris, who was illuminated under the setting sky, blushed a little shyly, and then bowed gracefully.

"............"

　In the midst of the frenzied crowd, there was a figure that showed no emotion at all. After a while, the shadow disappeared through the crowd into a building attached to the city wall.

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