Love Letter From The Future

Amidst the background noise, two men and women stood with swords in hand. Professor Derek accepted the sudden duel request with a hearty laugh.

Although it was under the condition of not using real swords, it was still enough to clearly demonstrate the gap in skills. A true master didn’t discriminate against tools.

Of course, there were interruptions during this exchange. A beautiful girl with black hair neatly tied back had barged in.

She immediately slapped Ian on the back, causing a loud sound. Then, clearly flustered, she started babbling any words she could find.

“Hey, hey, hey! Are you out of your mind?! Miss Yuridina? It seems like Ian Oppa has lost his mind for a moment…”

“Celin, it’s okay, don’t worry.”

“No, what do you mean it’s okay?!”

The black-haired girl shouted with a teary expression, but there was no change in the man’s demeanor. Seraia felt a twinge of envy at that sight.

Having someone genuinely worried about you was surely a blessing. If only he would accept advice from such a precious person.

Unfortunately, it seemed Ian had no intention of heeding his friend’s words. Thus, it was just him and Seraia, facing each other, swords drawn.

It was arrogance. Seraia had given up everything except for her sword. That was the level she had finally reached.

Her desperation was different from those who wandered around drinking. It was natural; to her, the sword was a matter of survival.

Therefore, Seraia did not doubt her victory. However, there was one thing that weighed on her mind.

That peculiar sword path she had seen this morning.

Recalling that memory, strength naturally flowed into Seraia’s hand gripping the wooden sword. Tension flickered in her usually calm eyes.

Could it have really been an illusion? At that moment, Seraia had felt overwhelmed by that sword path. No matter how much Ian seemed like a pathetic senior who drank excessively, this was the academy.

Everyone had at least one hidden card. Otherwise, you couldn’t survive in the academy.

Seraia’s aquamarine-like eyes sank with a cautious light. She scanned every corner of Ian.

He had an easy posture. His sword not even drawn from its sheath, he seemed relaxed. The atmosphere felt like he might just yawn at any moment.

Seraia had to chew back her anger once again.

Wasn’t this a duel between swordsmen? There was a minimum courtesy to be shown on both sides. While she had been rude at times without meaning to, she had never remembered showing disdain toward her opponent during a duel.

Her eyes turned cold. She pulled the handle, ready to spring into action at any moment.

If her opponent had a hidden card, there was only one best move.

To crush the opponent before they could reveal that hidden card. Fortunately, Seraia had the foundation strengthened by mana.

With the start, she would overwhelm with explosive speed. Long years of combat experience against monsters had provided that answer. Her muscles tightened.

Professor Derek glanced at the relaxed Ian without drawing his sword and let out a deep sigh. It was a look that suggested the outcome was already obvious.

It seemed he believed that Ian was posturing to maintain his seniority. However, he wasn’t kind enough to offer advice to a student who couldn’t differentiate between courage and recklessness.

Everything is learned through experience. He was a firm believer in that and promptly announced the start of the duel.

“Then, begin!”

And before the weighty echo even fully resonated in the training hall,

With a loud pop, the space was compressed. A landscape, marked by strikingly straight lines, rushed forth like a swift current.

The sound cutting through the wind, but faster than the noise of the sword.

In that moment, her muscles propelled Seraia’s body like an arrow. She had already approached Ian’s side. The dull tip of her wooden sword was about to jab into the man’s solar plexus.

Even if it wasn’t a sharpened blade, allowing a hit to the vital area could lead to severe injury. Thus, Seraia intended to adjust her sword path towards his abdomen in the final moment.

Until that unpleasant sound of clashing echoed in her ears.

It was a lightning-fast draw. The dark blade of the wooden sword cut through the moment and struck Seraia’s sword tip.

As her center of balance wavered, she stumbled slightly.

With a sudden yank, her body was pulled forward.

The man had seized her sword blade with his unarmed hand. There was no hint of hesitation in his movements.

It was a moment where her palm could have easily been torn apart. However, he was flowing remarkably well with the momentum.

Seraia’s body was thrown to the ground like a ragdoll. She saw what had happened right before her eyes, but couldn’t grasp it at all.

With her back to the earth, Seraia blinked, staring blankly at the sky.

One round lost.

She had superiority in strength, mana, and even in position. Yet in the end, she was the one rolling on the ground.

The result was logically inexplicable, and the surrounding noise began to murmur softly.

Exclamations of surprise, amusement, and mockery began to echo around her.

Everyone seemed to think she had merely let her guard down, and soon enough, Seraia came to believe that as well.

This couldn’t be right. How could something so simple happen?

She had dedicated her entire life to swordsmanship. There was no way she could lose to a slacker who merely wandered around drinking. She was a genius and needed to work harder.

Only then could she cast away the shadow that hung over her life. The brightest sun of Yuridina, the rightful heir of the golden lion protecting the northern region, and her half-sister.

“Are you going to continue?”

The indifferent voice struck Seraia’s ears like thunder. At those words, she jolted awake and immediately grit her teeth, rising to her feet.

Perhaps due to the impact from hitting the ground, she was slightly unsteady, but it was still manageable. After all, she hadn’t dropped her sword yet.

Her flaming blue eyes turned toward Ian once more. He had already casually walked back to his opposite position.

“…Please.”

She uttered that heated voice, biting her lip, and it was apparent to anyone that Seraia was genuinely serious.

However, Ian merely nodded slightly as if it was of little consequence to him.

His attitude suggested he was ready to spar again whenever. Seraia could no longer hold back.

With another leap, she closed the distance that had widened. Yet Seraia wasn’t foolish enough to repeat a failed strategy.

At first, she had focused too much on speed and ended up tracing a straightforward sword path. Her opponent was not a clumsy bear but a cunning fox. A dangerous opponent who could use her strength against her.

Thus, she needed to be even more cautious. Her leap came to a halt a little distance away from the man. Then she followed it up with a charging strike.

In the final moment, she hid her sword path. Perhaps he couldn’t have foreseen that; when she aimed upwards with her strike, he responded with a downward slash.

It was an appropriate response executed at the right time. If her opponent wasn’t Seraia Yuridina.

With a bang, a shockwave that resembled an explosion reverberated. The sword strike, reinforced with dense mana, had terrifying power without needing to apply an aura.

The man’s wooden sword was sent flying up into the air, naturally exposing his shoulder. It was proof that Seraia was far superior in terms of mana.

Sadly, she couldn’t force him to lose his sword, but her opponent was now exposed. Seraia sensed victory.

Yes, it had to be like this. She had given her whole life to swordsmanship. That desperate effort had made her a genius. There was no way she could be denied now.

However, when Seraia brought down her wooden sword once again with a fluid motion,

Her sword cut through the air smoothly.

And with a fierce blow, the man’s wooden sword hit her solar plexus. With intense pain, a gasp escaped Seraia’s lips.

Having been unexpectedly hit at her vital area, she was once again flung back, rolling on the ground multiple times. It was a blow enhanced by mana. In terms of sheer power, she had the upper hand, but her opponent was also a third-year student at the academy.

The physique of a slender girl was still strong enough to be bounced off like a resilient ball. A muffled groan slipped from Seraia’s lips as she allowed a hit.

Her breath hitched, cutting off.

She couldn’t even identify how long it had been since she felt pain like this. It hurt to the point of tears. Her breathing was labored, and the sharp pain pierced every fiber of her being.

The throbbing pain spread through her body. She realized she had inadvertently dropped her wooden sword. That was something she couldn’t bear.

Even amidst that excruciating pain, Seraia fumbled to grip her wooden sword once more. The murmuring noise brushed against her ears again.

If the previous murmurs were reactions of schadenfreude, now they carried mixed feelings of confusion.

An unexpected result that no one had anticipated.

It was only natural for them to be shocked. They, too, were slowly beginning to notice that something bizarre was unfolding.

It didn’t matter. Seraia had resolved not to care about how others perceived her.

Right now, all her mind was concerned with was reviewing the previous exchange.

How did he evade it?

She couldn’t see it coming. Her stance had been broken. Yet his defense had seamlessly blended with the flow as if that was natural, narrowly bypassing her strike and instead jabbing his sword into her abdomen.

She couldn’t comprehend it at all. And not understanding was terrifying. Accompanied by that intense pain she hadn’t felt in a long time, Seraia’s eyes glimmered with faint fear as she looked at Ian.

He was walking back to his opposite position silently once again. There, he stood, gazing down at Seraia with an uninterested expression.

There was a hint of “What can you do?” in his gaze. Seraia gritted her teeth and staggered as she stood up.

Her breathing was labored. Still, Seraia aimed the tip of her wooden sword at him once more.

“…Once again, please.”

Yet no matter how many times she repeated it, the result never changed.

Seraia was convinced she had grasped the victory several times, but the next moment would always find her rolling on the ground. It was fortunate that it was merely rolling on the ground.

She had been struck on the temple with the side of his sword, kicked in the abdomen, and her arms and legs had been struck dozens of times until she could hardly feel anything at all.

After a few exchanges, blood erupted from Seraia’s lips. The cumulative impact had caused the inside of her cheek to burst.

And after several more exchanges, Seraia vomited hot yellow bile.

By the time the last exchange concluded, Seraia was unable to rise. Her whole body was in tatters.

It seemed to have left several fractures. The excruciating pain dulled the sensations in her limbs. Her vision had blurred, and she could hardly breathe. She might have even injured her lungs.

The murmurings quieted down only after several exchanges had taken place.

They were overwhelmed by ruthless violence. A weak girl’s body, completely unable to resist, was subjected to countless acts of violence.

She was broken, torn, and blood streamed out. Yet Ian continued to swing his wooden sword mechanically.

With each strike, screams accompanied splatters of flesh and blood. Seraia’s body, having permitted the last blow, convulsed slightly.

Even Professor Derek, who should have intervened at this point, was pale and unable to speak.

Witnessing a human inflict such cruelty upon another was an occurrence even he, a legendary monster hunter, had rarely seen.

Only Ian remained calm. He walked over to Seraia, whose blood was mixed with her inability to cough properly. That alone set off a scream in Seraia’s instincts.

Run away; please, get out of there. Her body, having embodied a violence she couldn’t even resist, trembled involuntarily.

Seeing Seraia like that, Ian said softly.

“Get up, Seraia Yuridina.”

At those words, Seraia stiffened.

Was it still not enough? She had done her best. Wasn’t this an unbeatable opponent?

Her body screamed in pain from every inch. Please stop; that man is an opponent she cannot face. If this keeps up, she would only die.

Seraia’s trembling gaze turned to Ian. He, as always, had an expressionless face.

“This is pain you will have to face countless times in the future. You don’t plan to break this easily, do you?”

She dared not meet the man’s gaze and looked away. Her expression was pitiful, trembling in conjunction with her body. Tears nearly fell from her eyes.

Standing was frightening. There was a limit to her pride. After all, if she stood up again, it would only mean facing more pain. No matter how defiant and proud a swordsman she was, at her core, she was just a girl who had just turned twenty.

Finally, it was Professor Derek who stepped in for her. He had been watching the duel with foolish eyes, but quickly gasped and shouted.

“Stop! The duel is over! Seraia is already gravely injured. The duel must be stopped now!”

Then, Professor Derek lumbered toward Ian and Seraia. It was a delayed intervention, but it was still acceptable. Even if one sustained severe injuries, the high priests of the Holy Kingdom within the academy could heal them within a week.

Even letting the saintess, who was a third-year student, tend to Seraia’s wounds would be enough for her to recover in a matter of days. Although, the mental scars would be a different issue.

As Professor Derek approached, Ian’s glance, which had briefly rested on him, fell back on Seraia.

He asked once more.

“What do you want to do about this?”

Hearing those words, Seraia felt a surge of emotions. What was she supposed to do? Of course, of course.

She should give up, naturally.

Her body trembled with fear and wouldn’t obey. Her muscles screamed in protest. She could barely move her body with the help of mana. Her bones weren’t unscathed either.

She stumbled repeatedly, unable to keep her balance.

Even when her body had been intact, she was unable to win. Now, there was no way she could.

Knowing all this, Seraia still tried to raise her body using her wooden sword as a staff.

Her arm gripping the wooden sword trembled violently. Every time she faced Ian’s gaze, it felt as though her blood froze. Yet she could not afford to give up.

Because the sword was her life. If she bent and gave up like this,

Another shadow would loom over her life that she couldn’t shake off. That was unbearable.

Seraia gasped for breath and raised her sword tip once more. She swayed slightly as her body momentarily tilted.

At that determination, Professor Derek, who had been walking over to intervene, halted his steps. Anyone would have.

If anyone had laid eyes on Seraia’s cold, burning blue gaze, they would have understood.

“Once again, huuh… please.”

Even with her fervent resolve, only Ian showed no signs of surprise or admiration. He merely nodded as if he had expected that.

“…Very well. Seraia Yuridina should rightly do this.”

Then his sword whipped out, mercilessly striking Seraia’s body once more.

Her body flew into the air and rolled on the ground. It had happened several times during the duel. However, the difference this time was that the cumulative strikes had gone just past her limit.

Her hazy consciousness hung by a thread. Seraia inhaled laboriously, grasping with her hands. Trying to grasp the sword somehow.

But the sword was too far, and sleep was too close.

Just before she lost consciousness, she heard the man’s voice.

“Only facing monsters, your muscle reactions are too straightforward.”

Before she could even ask what that meant, her consciousness was enveloped in darkness.

This was the tale of the “Yuridina’s Disgraceful Incident,” which had sent shockwaves through the academy over the past week.

After hearing Celin’s words, I could only fall silent.

The crux of the story was that she had evaded all of Seraia’s sword strikes and even counterattacked to leave her in a dire state. All for a single disrespectful comment.

Did she even rise after vomiting bile and collapsing into tatters?

“…Are you joking?”

“I wish it were a joke. At the time, Ian Oppa seemed genuinely insane.”

Celin’s grim response made me jump right there. In my abrupt reaction, I had even forgotten that everyone was watching me.

“No, it’s not that he was insane; he’s just plain crazy! You’re telling me he hit a girl who couldn’t even move after she collapsed?!”

“Yes, that’s why the likes of Tean would get involved.”

With a pitying gaze, Celin looked at me, arms crossed. It felt like she was watching a dying cat gasping for breath on the street, filled with compassion.

She quietly shook her head.

“I warned him? Anyway, it’s Ian Oppa’s sin, so let him pay for it. Thinking about it now, a few hits wouldn’t be enough.”

“No, I mean, I wasn’t myself back then?!”

I defended myself with frustration, but both Celin and I knew that such words wouldn’t hold any weight. It certainly would even less with Seraia.

The situation was more serious than I thought. If it continued like this, I wouldn’t have any retort if Seraia were to kill me.

I pondered through the discussion I’d just heard, searching for something I could work with.

Then suddenly, the last thing I had said flickered through my mind.

“…Hey, speaking of which, what did I say?”

“What do you mean?”

Celin, hands clasped together as if praying for my soul, tilted her head in confusion at my sudden question. But I was urgent, so I rested my hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer.

It was to show my strong resolve. Celin’s face turned bright red in surprise as she shuffled her eyes away.

“W-Why are you suddenly acting like this…”

“The last thing I said. I mentioned something to Seraia while she was collapsing.”

“T-That?”

Celin, flustered to a degree that it was evident, almost struggling with my insistence, quickly sank into thought. After a moment, she found the answer I wanted somewhere within her remarkable memory.

“Uh, what was it? ‘Only facing monsters, your muscle reactions are too straightforward’…”

“Right, that’s it!”

I exclaimed in admiration, finally letting go of Celin’s shoulders. Blushing and stammering, she shot me an annoyed glance as I pushed her away.

She huffed, seemingly incredulous as she asked,

“Do you even know what that means?”

“…No, but I have a bad feeling about it?”

Celin shook her head knowingly, as if she had expected it. But contrary to her thoughts, I was serious.

“But I have to figure it out somehow…,”

Otherwise, I would end up facing Seraia’s wrath.

It was almost certain that a duel request would be made during today’s class. It was an opportunity to shatter both my crushed pride and the trauma of defeat.

Thus, I had no time left. Time to prepare for my fight against her.

Desperately, I racked my brains to take responsibility for something I couldn’t even remember.

I had thought it would be another day, just like any other, until this turned into chaos.

I sighed internally, but it couldn’t be helped.

Seraia’s aquamarine-like eyes were still fixed sharply on me, as if pinned in place.

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