144 Because I like it

"You...How dare you show that face here...! "

As soon as Masamune appeared, Azami turned hostile.

Masamune, on the other hand, opened her mouth with a calm expression on her face.

"This is the face I have. This is the face sister and stepmother raised me with."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah, well. Even now, all I can hear is nothing but hatred... but that's all in the past."

"You killed her, didn't you?! "

"I don't know. It seems to me that with an illness, there's nothing anyone can be blamed for."

Things were heating up between the two of them.

I don't care what you do, I just want to borrow your katana as soon as possible.

"Masamune."

"Yeah, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Here you go, Second-kun."

When I numbly called out to her, Masamune handed me her katana.

It was a beautiful katana, beautifully crafted and beautifully maintained, no less than Akaneko's.

Then, to my amazement, Masamune said to me as if to advise me.

"But you better stop. You'll be disappointed. Azami-neesan is weaker than me."

A moment later, Azami stood up as if she couldn't take it anymore.

Her clenched fists were shaking. I'm sorry she had to hear that, but I guess she couldn't talk back.

"Let me just have a taste."

"It won't taste good, I'm sure."

"I don't know. I can eat damp crackers just fine."

"...You don't waver, huh?"

Masamune gave me an "oh dear" look, took three steps back, leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms.

Akaneko stared at her.

Then she returned her gaze to me and broke the silence with a questioning look on her face.

"You and Masamune-dono seem to be getting along very well, don't you? No way, was it last night? You haven't done something weird again, have you...? "

At times, she is so determined that she almost pulls out the katana at her waist.

A wrong word here and it could get troublesome. I think I should be brief and just state the facts here. With that in mind, I responded.

"We showed each other our crotches."

"Y-You haven't shown me yours! "

"Ehh."

"Ehh."

"...Ohh!? "

All eyes focused on Masamune.

Even Azami, who should have been outraged earlier, was with her mouth agape.

"T-That's not it! It's just a misunderstanding! He saw mine, but I didn't show it to him, and I didn't see his...Ahh, no! What am I talking about!? "

Masamune smacked herself on the head with a plop and turned red in the face.

I turned to face Azami to escape, unable to bear Akaneko's laser-beam stare.

"...I've never seen that girl like that before. You're a mystery."

"Let's just get it over with."

"Yeah."

After exchanging a couple of words, we moved to the dojo.

The dojo was clean and tidy. Not a single speck of dust. Azami must be cleaning it every day.

"Well, I'll be in your care."

"Same here."

We exchanged greetings and then faced each other after a pause.

Silence reigned over the place... then, a moment later.

"――Begin! "

Akaneko's order echoed.

I took the lead with my "Lance Sword-drawing".

You can tell by the way she put her weight on it. Azami is very good at receiving.

If that's the case, I'm gonna have to go on the offensive.

"You're good～"

I couldn't help but spill my thoughts.

Azami smoothly dodged the initial "Lance Sword-drawing"move.

But that's not where the praise belongs.

She doesn't draw her sword after she has dodged.

Nice patience! I must say.

If she had activated "Silver Sword-drawing," it would have been "the end" for her right there. Unlike with "Knight Sword-drawing", the distance to travel and the time to draw the sword is shorter with "Lance, Sword-drawing", so it is possible to use "Bishop Sword-drawing" in time to respond to the attack.

On the other hand, she could've activated "Gold Sword-drawing"in response to my "Bishop Sword-drawing", so that's why I didn't activate the skill. Otherwise, the counter would've hit, and I would be the one with the game over.

I canceled the "Bishop Sword-drawing" that I had prepared and again sheathed the sword after a pause.

"You made me break out in a cold sweat."

"It's okay, I'll finish it next round. Then you can take a bath and get warm."

"...You like to have the last word, huh?"

Let's start over and go again.

Azami's weakness was identified.

She is slow.

...That's a shame. But this is all in her nature, she can't help it.

It is certainly not a good match for the sharp, subtle, and fast Benzai style. Now I understand why Masamune called Azami weak.

But even with me having the advantage, how was she able to see through the "Bishop Sword-drawing" counterattack? That is where it deserves praise.

Great, I'm in a good mood.

"This is a service. I'll show you something."

What is true quickness, what is speed?

Everyone has it wrong.

They simply believe that they should move their katana more and more quickly.

That's not good enough. There are inevitably limitations.

The ingenuity to go beyond that is the skill needed by the world rankers.

The ultimate speed is ingenuity. The performance of how fast they make it look.

"Let's go."

I closed the gap between us while slowly preparing "Rook Sword-drawing".

"! ! "

The moment the opponent showed her initial response, I immediately canceled the skill, lowered my posture, and spun around in a single sideways motion.

The principle is simple. Slow and steady, covering the moment of skill activation with your back.

The skill was a simple and ordinary "Silver Sword-drawing".

That's all there is.

Just that.

...However.

"Eh!? "

Just after seeing the slow preparation of "Rook Sword-drawing,"I suddenly pulled out my sword quickly from an unseen position―― That's what happened.

Azami's activation of "Gold Sword-drawing" will not be completed in time. Despite the timing, which should have been right on time.

A mere "Silver Sword-drawing" would appear to be ridiculously fast.

It's strange, isn't it? A few simple tweaks can change the result in such a way.

That's why it's entertaining. That's what competition between people is.

"――That's enough! "

Akaneko's order ended the match.

Azami was still motionless. Because the tip of the katana was held against her neck.

"You seem to be confident in your ability to receive, but your reflexes are slow, so you should not fight in a way that keeps you on the receiving end. You should turn to attack in the midpoint. Or, if you can use your superior situational awareness to get them into close combat, you're on the right track."

I advised Azami as I lowered my katana.

Azami, who had been listening quietly, slowly opened her mouth after I finished.

"Are you saying that I should abandon the Kisshou style? "

Eh? What does that mean?

"Kisshou school is a type of style that focuses on receiving."

"Yeah. A melee is out of the question. The essence of the Kisshou school is to win beautifully by striking one's opponent immediately after defending against an incoming attack."

"Heee."

I don't understand why she is so obsessed with it.

"Well, that's fine. Then you have no talent. It's not suitable for you. You shouldn't use it."

"...! ! "

"I don't understand the point in saying that you can't aim higher. Why are you doing Sword-drawing in the first place? Isn't it because you like it? "

Silence.

Azami bit her lower lip and faced down.

Her shoulders were shaking in a slight shiver.

"Second-kun is right. I also decided to review the forms of the Benzai style. Azami-neesan should do the same――"

"What do you know?! You guys!! About me, what do you!! "

...Screams.

It was a cry as if all that had been building up had exploded all at once.

"Because I like it...? I don't know the happiness of being able to do something just because I like it?! Congratulations, you're a lucky man! But I have something to bear! The history of the Kisshou school that has been in existence for hundreds of years! Techniques passed down from one generation to the next! I have to carry it alone and live with it all my life! "

Tears spilled from Azami's eyes.

"I don't have any talent. I'm not cut for this. I have tried until the verge of death, but it's no use. My stepsister was many times better than me. Mother didn't expect anything from me. I knew that kind of thing better than anyone! In addition, I have no money! No family! I have nothing!! Even so! Nevertheless! I have to keep the Kisshou school alive.! "

Well, I guess it was too much for her. For everyday life.

...I understand it well. Unfortunately.

"It's not as simple as a man like you might think――"

"Do you think I'm doing this simply because I like it? "

"Wha..."

"I'm trying my best. But I've come a long way, up to this point, just because I like it."

"Then!! "

"Then what? "

"...Then..."

Azami's words were stuck.

She's a person who has struggled so much, there's no reason she can't understand.

――The difficulty of continuing something just because you "like it."

I was told a lot of things. About what I would do in the future.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious. Rather, there was only anxiety.

Every time I heard the words "future" or "society," I lived with a lid over my ears.

Some of them were making a career out of the game, but I couldn't live that skillful life.

All I've ever done was Mobius. I was a fool who only knew Mobius.

There was no way I could live on prize money for the rest of my life.

My parents' inheritance would eventually run out.

There was no guarantee that Mobius would last for decades.

...It was always destined to end at some point.

That's right. It was not a simple problem that could be solved by saying, "I like it."

But I liked it. I couldn't help it. I was so into it that I was willing to bet my whole life on it. Even if I knew I was going to lose that bet.

But.

You'll never, ever be able to resist your own "likes."

Thus――

"You wait and see. I'm going to destroy it all."

"What are you talking about...?"

"You can't do anything because you're on this island. This isn't a place where you can do what you love."

"So what!? "

"Oh, shut up. Just let me handle it."

――Azami, do you know?

This world is actually the best.