Chapter 19: A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat

Bonus chapter for reaching 25 rating on Novel Updates. Another bonus chapters on reaching 50, 75 and 100 ratings.On a weekend morning with a cool breeze,

the sun, infused with the sweetness of leisure, warmed the earth with the lingering heat of summer.

Clouds with sharp outlines drifted across the clear blue sky,

and the refreshing scent of rustling leaves filled the air.

It was summer.

A peaceful scene, befitting such a phrase.

I took in all of this, feeling refreshed…

“…Damn it.”

I muttered a curse under my breath.

It seemed like I had been cursing more often since coming to this world.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Today, I felt even shittier than yesterday.

“Because of that dream…”

I sighed, clutching my head, which was still throbbing.

The dream of my mother’s death.

It was a nightmare that I had at least once a month, so I knew it was about time,

but I didn’t expect it to overlap with yesterday’s events.

It was nice to see my mother in my dreams,

but I didn’t want to see her turned into a mangled mess after being hit by a truck.

“Sigh…”

As I groaned with a frown,

Ariel, who was standing next to me, spoke up.

“Brother…? You don’t look so good this morning.”

The red-haired girl looked up at me with worried eyes.

I gently stroked her hair, and she purred, melting into my touch.

“Hmm…”

…Maybe I’m feeling a bit better?

Cuteness is amazing.

It can even alleviate trauma.

I hid my irritation and gloom behind a facade of composure and smiled.

“I’m fine. I just had a rough night’s sleep, so I’m a bit tired.”

“Are you feeling sick?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that.”

I ruffled her hair lightly and smiled.

“More importantly, let’s get started.”

I tapped the training sword in my hand to distract Ariel.

She glanced at me for a moment, then reached for the staff strapped to her back.

I smiled at her again and stood in the middle of the training ground.

“Brother! Should I stand here?”

“A little further back.”

“Like this?”

“Perfect.”

Ariel positioned herself a short distance away from me.

She channeled mana into her staff, preparing a spell.

“But what kind of training are we doing? You usually train alone, brother.”

“There’s something I want to practice.”

“Practice?”

Ariel tilted her head at my answer.

I fiddled with the other sword sheathed at my waist and replied,

“Yeah. I recently… well, not recently, but about a month ago, I obtained a new ability, and I want to test it out.”

“You obtained an ability?”

“Hmm… Let’s just say I want to practice a new technique.”

“I see.”

Ariel nodded in understanding.

I tightened my grip on the sword in my hand.

Then, with my other hand, I gently stroked Sorrow, which was sheathed at my waist.

-Click…

It responded with a strange sound.

This sword was the key to today’s training.

I needed to get a feel for it before I could properly use it in actual combat.

Of course, I couldn’t swing it around freely, as I couldn’t let anyone know it was a divine artifact.

But I should be able to use its special skills without being noticed.

The scabbard perfectly suppressed Sorrow’s unique aura.

“Let’s do this.”

As I gripped the hilt tightly, Sorrow resonated as if excited.

-Woooong, wooong…

I patted it reassuringly and looked ahead.

There, the red-haired witch stood, aiming her staff at me.

Ariel waved her hand and shouted,

“Brother~! Shall we begin~?”

I raised a finger, giving her the okay sign.

She slammed her mana-infused staff onto the ground.

-Thud!

The impact resonated, and the surrounding mana began to stir.

-Rumble…!!

The agitated mana particles collided with each other, creating a strange humming sound.

I felt a tingling sensation throughout my body and adjusted my stance.

Amidst the turbulent flow, Ariel focused all her energy on manipulating the magic, her eyes closed.

Her small lips began to chant.

“O, winter’s bitter cold.”

Before records were kept,

Marybell, who bloomed frost flowers in a pristine world.

Hear my call, the rightful heir of the frozen wasteland.

I covet your grand slaughter,

and seek to build a tower of sorrow with the tears of fallen witches.

“Grant me the chill that will erase summer.”

-Application of the Seventh Verse of Ariel’s Frost Magic-

‘Thin Ice Descends (薄氷如臨)’

As the chant ended, the surrounding temperature plummeted.

White frost began to form around Ariel’s feet,

and her breath condensed into visible puffs of air.

Massive shards of ice emerged behind her.

“Frostbite, Ice Spears.”

A hundred ice spears filled the sky.

I watched the spectacle with a smirk.

As expected of a member of the Lishite family.

Ariel possessed an overwhelming talent for frost magic, befitting someone born with such a gift.

Ariel Lishite, the ‘Winter Witch’ who would succeed Steiner Lishite, the ‘Flame Emperor.’

I tightened my grip on Sorrow to shake off the sense of intimidation.

Then, I muttered,

“Sorrow.”

As soon as I uttered its name, the blade vibrated wildly.

I maintained a firm stance and balance, suppressing its frenzy, and opened my eyes.

A faint blue aura flickered across my eyelids.

I spoke the activation word.

“Awaken.”

-Screeeech!!!!

Sorrow let out a ferocious shriek.

A blue aura leaked from the scabbard, flowing along my hand that held the hilt.

It slithered up my wrist like a snake, then wrapped around my entire body.

My senses…

Awakened.

-Ding!

[The divine artifact ‘Sorrow’s’ unique skill 1, ‘Extrasensory,’ has been activated.]

[※The maximum duration of Extrasensory is 10 minutes.※]

[Remaining time: 9 minutes 59 seconds]

A tingling sensation…

A subtle pain coursed through my body as the status window appeared.

Then, all my senses sharpened to an agonizing degree.

“Ugh…!”

-Ding!

[Due to the backlash from the special skill ‘Extrasensory,’ you are afflicted with the status effects (Confusion, Nausea, Headache)!]

My head felt like it was splitting open.

Sounds I had never heard before rang clearly in my ears,

and minute details that were previously invisible were now displayed as clear as photographs.

I could feel the flow of the wind, the temperature of the air, and other chaotic currents against my skin.

Hundreds of scents, usually unnoticed, mingled in my nostrils.

It was agonizing.

My eardrums felt like they were about to burst.

My pupils felt like they were burning.

It felt like my skin was being peeled off in real time,

and a sharp, piercing pain assaulted my nose.

As if my brain couldn’t process the overwhelming amount of information, my consciousness began to fade.

“Ugh…!!”

I almost gagged but swallowed it down.

It’s okay. Just hold on a little longer, and soon…

-Ding!

[The skill ‘Iron Will’ nullifies the status effects (Confusion, Nausea, Headache).]

“Ugh, haa…”

The seizure subsided quickly as Iron Will activated.

I took a deep breath to shake off the terrible aftereffects and examined my body.

I immediately recognized the true value of ‘Extrasensory.’

“…”

It was a strange sensation.

It felt like all my senses were amplified several times over.

My body was light, and the world seemed to move in slow motion.

I could feel every contraction and relaxation of my muscles as I moved.

‘This is… unique skill 1, Extrasensory.’

As I marveled at its remarkable ability,

-Whoosh!!

I heard the sound of something sharp flying towards me from behind at high speed.

I effortlessly twisted my body and dodged it.

-Thud!

A spear embedded itself in the ground.

I turned my head and saw Ariel casting the attack as I had requested.

“Descend.”

With her final chant, the countless ice spears that filled the sky began to fall.

Like a shower of light blue rain.

Their target was, of course, where I stood.

I released Sorrow and assumed a stance, holding the training sword.

-Whoosh!!!

Hundreds of sounds tore through the air, assaulting my eardrums.

I could feel every single groove of the hilt against my palm.

I surrendered myself to the wave of sensations.

At the same time, I swiftly rolled to the side.

-Crack! Boom! Crash!

Dozens of spears pierced the spot where I had been standing.

I quickly got up and raised my sword diagonally.

-Clang! Boom! Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Two spears, aimed at my shoulder, were deflected by my angled blade.

‘…That was close.’

My hand, empowered by Extrasensory, moved as if it were one with the sword.

The vibrations from the sword heightened my focus.

-Whoosh!!

A cascade of spears rained down, giving me no respite.

I backpedaled, deflecting the incoming ice shards one by one.

‘Three from the front in 0.4 seconds.’

Five from above in 0.7 seconds.

Two from behind in 1 second.

Four from both the right and left in 1.4 seconds.

-Clang! Clang! Crack!!

Calculation, measurement, conclusion, action.

My accelerated brain made swift judgments, guiding me out of danger.

My hearing and touch alerted me to attacks coming from my blind spots,

and my vision helped me see through the complex magic formations.

-Shhhk!

A sound from behind.

I smoothly spun my body.

-Thwack!

A spear grazed my cheek.

The chill of the ice lingered on my skin, where the tip had almost touched.

“Wow…”

Ariel gasped, impressed by the scene.

I smiled leisurely and swung my sword again.

‘Though I’m far from being leisurely right now.’

The barrage of attacks was so intense that it felt like I could be hit at any moment.

I was merely minimizing my movements for maximum efficiency,

which made it appear as if I was effortlessly dodging the attacks.

‘Maintaining a poker face is also an important aspect of a match.’

-Boom! Whoosh!! Thud!

I suppressed my ragged breathing and swung my arm.

Dodging, deflecting, parrying.

Not a single wasted movement.

Every action was imbued with purpose and strategy.

-Ding!

[3 minutes remaining for the special skill ‘Extrasensory.’]

It felt like an hour had passed, but it had only been 7 minutes.

My heightened perception seemed to be slowing down my sense of time.

I focused my gaze, ready to end this spar.

-Clang, crack…! Thud!!

The number of spears remaining had dwindled to about ten.

I reduced their number one by one.

Splitting the incoming ice shards in half,

and making those with overlapping trajectories collide and shatter against each other.

As I struck the last spear with the pommel of my sword, shattering it,

-Ding!

[‘Extrasensory’ has been deactivated due to the time limit.]

Extrasensory’s duration had come to an end.

I collapsed to the ground, reading the status window’s message.

“Huff… Huff…”

My burning lungs craved oxygen.

Perhaps due to the skill’s backlash, a loud ringing filled my ears.

‘…I can’t do this twice in a row.’

Even a full day of stamina training would be less exhausting than this.

My head and eyes ached,

and the intense movements made me feel nauseous.

As I patted my churning stomach, trying to calm it down,

Ariel, who had been standing at a distance, hurried over to me.

“Brother! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah… I’m okay… Ugh…”

“Did you push yourself too hard…?”

You’re telling me.

I took Ariel’s outstretched hand and got up.

My muscles screamed in protest.

“…I’m dying.”

I mumbled, and Ariel puffed out her cheeks and said,

“You were the one who boasted that you’d be fine…”

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect it to be this intense.”

I gave her a weak smile and patted her head.

“H-Hey…! Your hand is sweaty! It’s getting on my hair…!!”

She hissed like a cat.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her feisty reaction.

“Shall we head back?”

I asked, massaging my stiff shoulder.

Ariel tilted her head, looking surprised.

“Already? It’s only been two hours.”

“It feels like a lot longer.”

“Well… yeah, but you usually spend at least six hours in the training ground, don’t you?”

Six hours…?

I stayed there that long?

That meant I spent almost all day training, except for class and sleep…

‘…Is this a habit from my previous life?’

I was unconsciously obsessed with training. Compulsion is a scary thing.

I swallowed the bitter aftertaste and shrugged.

“There are days like this too. Besides, I’m really exhausted today.”

“Really…?”

“Oh, right. Do you want to come to my dorm? Rachel has been whining about wanting to see you.”

“Rachel?! Rachel is at the Academy?!”

Ariel exclaimed in surprise.

I tilted my head at her reaction and asked,

“Didn’t I tell you? Rachel is my personal maid now.”

“Whaaat?!”

As we were chatting and heading towards the carriage stop,

“Huh?”

“Ah.”

Ariel froze in her tracks, her eyes meeting someone’s gaze.

“Ariel? What’s wrong? Do you know them…?”

I followed her gaze and couldn’t help but stop as well.

Because standing before us were unexpected figures.

A boy with golden hair and eyes,

and a girl with deep blue hair and eyes.

A boy and a girl I knew all too well.

Major characters from the original novel, [Sorrow-erasing heroes].

The protagonist, Allen Reinhardt.

And Clara Misoph, Allen’s heroine and the top student in our year.

The characters I had only seen through the pages of a book were now standing face to face with me.

‘The protagonist… It’s the protagonist.’

The one I admired,

the one who brought back cherished memories.

For a moment, an indescribable emotion surged within me.

However, my sentimentality was shattered by Clara’s first words to Ariel.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t our runner-up.”

“You…!!”

“Oh my, so sharp… You’re shaking after just a few words.”

Huh?

What’s going on with them?

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