四十七話
「あ、ハ。アハハ、はは、はははははハハハハハハ!!!!」
響く、響く、鳴り止まぬ。
轟く剣戟の音は、上限知らずに高まって行き、とうの昔に余裕もって視認が出来る速度というものは超えてしまっていた。
最早お互いがお互いに視認に先んじて本能に身を任せ、最適解を予想して剣を振るっている状態。視線の向けられる先、筋肉の動き、直前の剣の軌道。なけなしの判断基準が存在するものの、一瞬であれ、音すら置き去りにするこのやり取りの前に、〝考える〟という行動は最早自殺行為に他ならない。
故に、なけなし。
銀に煌く軌跡は際限なく雨霰のように俺へと降り注ぎ————ほんの一瞬だけその勢いが消えては直後、一瞬前よりも更に速度を上げて円弧を描く剣線が二方向から襲い来る。
まさしくそれは————チェンジオブペース。
狂笑轟かせ、まるで理性や冷静さを捨てたかのように立ち振る舞うリレアであるが、その実、戦い方はどこまでも合理的。
だが、本能に身を任せて彼女なりの最善の二文字を掴み取っているだけなのだと頭では分かっていても、身体が追い付かない。
しかも、独特ともいえる戦い方をされているせいでやはり、守勢に回るしかなかった。
「そんなんじゃ、私には勝てないわよッ!? ねぇ、ねえ! ねええええええ!!!」
攻めに転じなければ勝機がないという事は指摘されずとも分かっている。
けれど、それを行えるだけの隙が全く見当たらない。故に耐え忍ぶ事でジッ、とその瞬間を待ち続けていたのだが、どうにもリレアにはそれが面白くなかったらしい。
言葉と共に、限界まで圧搾した闘志滲む視線が俺を射抜き、ひたすらに訴えかけてくる。
「攻、撃する暇を与える気がないくせに、そんな事をよく、言えた、ねッ!!」
限界まで引き絞られた矢の如き勢いを伴ってやって来る縦横無尽の連撃。その軌道を予想しながら行うギリギリの綱渡り。程なくガキンッ、と聞き慣れた金属音が鼓膜を殴りつけ、それが二度、三度と立て続けに響き渡る。
言葉ではそう言っているが、当の本人たるリレアが虎視眈々と俺が攻撃に転じるその瞬間を狙っている事なぞ、丸わかりである。
故に、その挑発に乗るのも一興かと思ってもやはり、思うように踏み込めない。
狂気に囚われているようにみえて、その実、あんな状態の癖して無駄を一切省いた戦い方になっているのだから迂闊に行動を起こせないのだ。
ただ、時間をかければかけるほど不利になるのは俺の方。であるならば————。
「————ふふ、あははっ」
俺が覚悟を決めると同時。
まるでそれを待っていたと言わんばかりにリレアは目を細め、不気味としか形容しようがない笑みを浮かべた。
「そう、それよそれ」
私が待ちわびていたのはそれである、と。
明らかにそうと分かる喜悦を瞳の奥に湛え、きひ、とまた嗤った。
......リレアの望んだ通りに行動を起こす事は釈然としなかった。
あくまでこれは手合わせの範疇。間違っても殺し合いではない。
これでもかと浴びせられる殺気ですら、鬼気迫るものではあるものの、それはこの状況を最大限楽しんでいるからこその副産物。
なればこそ、失敗は恐れるだけ損だ。
負けても全てが終わりというわけではない。
故、に————未だ続く雨霰ごとく降り注ぐ連撃を防ぎながらも、フゥッ、と鋭い呼気と共に脳内で渦巻く邪念を俺は吐き出す。
そして、再度、飛び退いて後退。
「............うん?」
そして、鞭のように虚空に幾つもの円弧を描いていた剣線の動きを止めてリレアは俺の様子を見て————そして、更に眉間に皺を刻んだ。
距離を取るや否や、半身のみを向けて奇妙な構えを取った俺の姿を目にしたが故に。
「......ふざけてるのかしら?」
「ふざけてない。俺はいつだって真面にやってる」
きっとその理由は————その構えがあり得ないくらい堂に入っていたから、だと思う。
「何より————リレアが知ってる事が全てじゃない」
常道こそが何より、機能性に重きを置かれた最適解。その考えは間違っていない。
元より、楽に勝てる相手でない事は納得ずく。
普通に戦い、剣を交えたところでジリ貧にしかならないのだから、勝つ為にはやはり攻め方を変えるしか道はない。
「————」
空白の思考。そして数秒もの間。
そして脳裏を過ぎるソフィアの言葉。
リレアに負けたらその時は————。
そう口にする彼女の気持ちは一応、これでも分かってるつもりだ。何より、恐らくソフィアは親父からも何か言われている。
きっとそれは無茶をさせないでくれだとか、あのロクでなしをちゃんと見張っててくれだとか。多分そんなところ。
故に俺は、その気遣いは無用であると行動で以て示さねばならない。証明を、しなければならない。
そしてそれを成す一番の近道は、己の中に存在する『最強』を我が身で体現してしまう事————!
「本物には程遠い、けど、それでも————」
————こういう時にこそ、やってみる価値があると思ったから。
だから、「技」だけでなく剣技の根幹。
不思議と、両の脚は羽が生えたと錯覚する程に、物凄く軽かった。
「キ、ミ......さぁ、いつの間にそんな真似を、」
どうしてか、驚愕に目を見開いてリレアが呟く。その声は、面白おかしそうに笑っていた。
————手だけじゃなく、脚にまで魔力を。
そんな言葉が続けられていたが、悠長に言葉を聞き取る事なく、手にする剣に意識を集中。
やがて、俺は再びリレアへと肉薄を始めようと試みる。しかし。
何を思ってか、無言でリレアは手にしていた双剣を手から離して落下させていた。
程なくからんと鳴る金属音。
......私が言えた義理じゃないけれど。
「参った。それを使ったキミと剣を交わすのは魅力的だけど、......それをすると間違いなく私とキミのどちらかが大怪我するわ。〝魔法使い狩り〟なんて物騒な輩がいる以上、これより先は今はやめておく」
ここが、最終ライン。
理性で堰き止められるギリギリのラインなのだとリレアは言って、両の手を挙げた。
......確かに、リレアの言う通り、〝魔法使い狩り〟なんて輩がいる中で致命的な怪我を負うのは得策ではない。
ただ、どうせならもう少しだけ剣を交わしてみたくもあったんだけれど、あくまでこれは手合わせ。
殺し合いではないのだと言い聞かせる事で己の中で一度燃え上がってしまった熱をゆっくりと鎮静化させてゆく。
それに連動するように脚が軽かったあの不思議な感覚も消えて行く。まるでそれは、〝流れ星〟を放つ時の感覚に似ていた。
「————にしても、どこで覚えたのよ。そんな芸当」
手から離していた双剣と、鞘を拾い上げながらリレアが俺にそう問い掛ける。
だけど。
「......さ、ぁ? 何となく、真似出来る気がしただけだから、俺には何とも」
俺自身もどうしてあんなに脚が軽くなったのか、理解出来ていない。
「......真似?」
「そ。俺が思い浮かべる理想を真似しようとしたら......気付けばああなってた」
言わずもがな、それは『星斬り』の男の真似である。
「真似しようと、ね。成る程。......その感覚、忘れない方がいいわよ。覚えておいて損はないと思うから」
Chapter 47
"Ah-- Haha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Her laugh echoed and echoed, and it failed to stop.
The sound of the roaring exchange of swords swelled and swelled with each passing second, and already long exceeded the speed beyond what a normal naked eye can keep up with.
And although there was a meager basis for proper judgment, even for a moment, our way of "thinking" that led to the sounds from the exchange that was left behind was nothing short of suicidal.
Therefore, we were in a deadlock.
The silver trails poured down on me like an endless hail of rain, her attack's momentum briefly dissipating, only to be immediately followed by arcs of swords coming towards me from two different directions with even greater speed than it had before.
--It was as if she was trying to change the pace.
Lilea roared with maniacal laughter and acted as if she had abandoned reason and calmness, but in reality, her fighting style was as rational as can be.
But even though I knew in my head that she was just letting her instincts take over, my body couldn't keep up.
What's more, because of her unique fighting style, I had no choice but to go on the defensive.
"You won't be able to beat me if you turtle up like that, you know?! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"
I was well aware that I had no chance of winning without taking the initiative to attack without being told, it was just that I couldn't find any opportunity to do so.
Thus why I had to patiently wait for an opening to exploit, though Lilea, knowing what I had in mind, only laughed with amusement.
Her words, along with her fierce, bloodshot eyes, shot through my entirety.
"You have all the audacity to think about that when you can't even attack back!!!"
Before long, a familiar metallic clang struck my eardrums, followed by two or three more.
She taunted me as she spoke, but I knew that Lilea, the person in question, was eagerly waiting for my turn to attack.
So even though I thought it would be fun to take advantage of this provocation, I could only do so much.
But in practice, she couldn't act carelessly given that her natural habit was to fight efficiently at all costs.
The more time I spent turtling up, the worse my chances were.
"--Heh. AHAHA--"
It was at the same time I made my decision.
And as if she had been waiting for it, Lilea narrowed her eyes and smiled a smile that could only be described as eerie.
"Yes, that's it."
That's what I've been waiting for, she said.
She laughed again, with a clearly recognizable glee in her eyes this time.
...I wasn't happy about doing what Lilea wanted me to do.
I was only here to prove myself in a fighting contest, not a fight to the death.
Even the killing intent showered at me was uncanny, but I couldn't deny that it was just a natural result of her enjoying this situation to the fullest.
Being afraid to lose was the only thing that could make me lose.
Losing this fight right now wouldn't be the end of the world either way.
Thus-- while defending myself from the continuous barrage of blows, I let out a sharp exhale and let out the wicked thoughts swirling around in my brain.
And once again, I retreated.
"...Hm?"
Lilea looked at me-- and wrinkled her brows even more.
The reason being as soon as I got distance, she saw me in a strange position with only half of my body facing her.
"...Are you messing with me?"
"I'm not. You're one of the only people who know how serious I am."
I guess it would be more accurate to say that she was stunned out of it, given that the stance I'm trying to achieve was impossibly grandiose.
"Besides-- it's not like you know everything, Lilea."
The normal way was, above all, reaching optimal responses with an emphasis on functionality above all else.
I would be happier to be convinced that those opponents aren't very easy to beat.
Since fighting and crossing swords in a normal way would only result in a slow and steady decline, the only way to win is to change the way you attack.
"----"
For a few seconds, I had blank thoughts, and only at this time, in this very moment, could I afford to do that.
What broke the brief silence in my mind was Sofia's condition to this fight.
If I lost to Lilea--
Despite everything she says, I knew firsthand what she really felt.
Maybe it was to keep me from doing something reckless, but my father generally had Sofia to look after me, after all.
Therefore, I had to show by my actions that there was no need for such concern.
And the quickest way to do that is to embody the "strongest" that exists within you--!
"It's far from the real thing, but still--"
--I thought it was worth trying at a time like this.
So rather than only trying to imitate his "techniques," why not imitate his fundamentals on swordsmanship-- hell, even his form?
Strangely enough, both my legs felt so light that it was almost as if they had wings.
"Hey-- Julius... Since when were you able to do--"
Why, Lilea muttered, her eyes wide with astonishment, with her voice sounding amused and comical at the same time.
--To not attack using magic, but only exerting magic on both my legs and feet instead of only my hands.
I didn't take the time to listen to what she had to say, but focused my mind on the sword in my hand.
Before long, I attempted to start closing my distance to Lilea again, but...
Silently, Lilea let the twin swords in her hands fall from her hands.
And soon after, a metallic clang sounded from the ground.
"...I know it's not my place to say this,"
"I give up. As tempting as it is to cross swords with you using that technique... it would only end up causing a serious injury to either of us. I'm not going to go any further than this right now, given that there's still the 'Magician Hunter.'"
This was the line.
A fine line that can be damned by reason, Lilea said, and raised both her hands up in the air.
It's not the brightest idea to get fatally injured in the midst of the magician killings.
As much as I would've liked to cross swords with her a little more, this was only a match to determine my skill.
By reminding myself that this wasn't a killing match, I slowly calmed down the heat that had once flared up inside me.
And as if in tandem with this, the strange sensation of lightness in my legs also disappeared, it was a sensation similar to what I felt unleashing a 'Shooting Star.'
"--With that being said, where the hell did you learn a trick like that?"
Lilea asked as she picked up her twin swords and scabbard that she had taken out of my hands.
But...
"...I wonder about that myself, too. I just felt like I could imitate that technique and tried to apply it myself, so I don't really know."
I myself didn't understand how my legs became so light, nor how much of a feat that was.
"...Imitate?"
"Yeah. I tried to imitate what I wanted to do with a clear ideal in mind... But the next thing I remembered was that I just found myself already doing that."
Needless to say, it was an imitation of the 'Star Slayer' that resided in my memory.
"I see. Trying to imitate, huh? ...You'd be better off not forgetting that sensation. Remembering that very feeling would do you good sometime, I guarantee it."
Star-Slaying Swordsman
星斬りの剣士
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/star-slaying-swordsman/
Action Fantasy Martial Arts Mature Psychological Shounen
Adapted to Manga Dark Fantasy World Male Protagonist Mature Protagonist Medieval Philosophical Romantic Subplot Sudden Strength Gain Sword And Magic Sword Wielder Transplanted Memories
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7336gg/
アルト／遥月