[Perspective: Kiba Yuto]
This may well be the greatest shock of the day.
And not just for me. Everyone who knew him doubted their own eyes.
To those unfamiliar with him—Saji-kun and the warriors of the Church—he was likely just a mysterious swordsman who had appeared out of nowhere. Yet, their confusion was distinct from ours. They were dumbstruck by the sheer reality of what had just happened: the new model of Evil Dragon developed by Qlippoth—a behemoth spanning a hundred meters—had just been cleaved in two.
I stared intently at the figure.
The first thing that bubbled up was a question.
Why...? Why is he here?!
"Maurice... san?"
I called out, my voice trembling with uncertainty.
It was entirely a question. I had to know if the man standing before us was truly the Maurice Noah we knew. The thought that he might be a look-alike had even crossed my mind.
The man turned toward me and flashed a grin.
"Yo! Long time no see, Yuto!"
That tone. That smile.
There was no mistake. Although we had only lived together for a short time, this was undeniably the man known as the Sword Saint.
Understanding this, I asked again.
"W-Why are you here?! How did you even... You are..."
"Hmm? Ah, worried about the Knighthood? Don't sweat it! I took some paid leave, so we're good!"
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Who cares about paid leave right now?!
Maurice-san scratched his head nonchalantly.
"As for how I got here? Simple story. Issei came to see us and asked for help. We answered the call and hopped over to this world. That's all."
Issei-kun went to the other world again... to Ast-Arde?!
It likely involves the incident in the Netherworld. We had heard that Assem, a god from another world, was ravaging the Netherworld and that Issei-kun had gone to investigate. I had felt we needed something to make up for Issei-kun and his team's absence... but I see now. Issei-kun had already made a move.
And that move was this swordsman, known as the strongest in the world of Ast-Arde.
Former President Rias, still stunned, finally spoke.
"Wait a moment... did you just say 'we'? Does that mean..."
Maurice-san nodded at her question.
"You bet. Lisha is here, too. Along with Sally and Fina... Come to think of it, you guys don't know Sally and Fina yet. I'll introduce you later. They went to the Netherworld to back up Issei."
Even Lisha-san is here...
And he mentioned names I didn't recognize. Sally and Fina. We don't know them, but if they travel with Lisha-san, they must be considerable powerhouses.
However, there was one point that didn't sit right.
Former President Rias asked the question on all our minds.
"Why did Issei keep this a secret?"
Maurice-san gave a wry smile.
"That was Azazel's doing. To catch Qlippoth—was it?—off guard. If a god from our world is involved, there's a chance they know my face or Lisha's. They were likely planning to target you guys when you were exhausted after a fight. To properly bait them into dropping their guard, we had to hide our presence... And, well, if we told you guys, it would show on your faces."
"...Azazel."
Former President Rias put a hand to her forehead and sighed.
I couldn't entirely blame Azazel-sensei for his reasoning, though. If we had known such a massive war potential was waiting in the wings, we certainly would have remained too calm in the face of a crisis. That wouldn't work if the goal was to lure the enemy in.
...Still, Azazel-sensei has a nasty streak. And so does Issei-kun.
Maurice-san walked over to me, Xenovia, and Irina-san. When he stopped in front of us, he suddenly grabbed our heads and ruffled our hair vigorously.
"I was watching your fight. It was a good battle. You're still naive in some areas, but you've grown a lot through this. Now, leave the rest to your Uncle here and get some rest. That goes for Rias, the old man over there, and those warriors, too."
He flourished his white cape and shifted his gaze to the clones of the Red Dragon Emperor floating in the sky.
I voiced my objection.
"You aren't planning to take them on alone, are you?! That's reckless! Each one of those possesses Issei-kun's power!"
"Ah, so I hear. What a ridiculous guy he is... Actually, can I get one of those clones of me made? It'd really help lighten my workload..."
W-What a lack of tension...
He's trying to use Belle's cloning ability to slack off...! I'm starting to think Alice-san's laziness is entirely this person's influence!
Walburga and Maurice-san locked eyes. Walburga looked at him as if he were a foreign object.
"Who might this Ojisama (Mister) be?"
"Me? I'm just a passing-through Ojisan (Old Guy)."
"Don't screw with me!"
"Whoa now, getting genuinely angry at a joke? You'll get wrinkles before your time, you know."
Maurice-san exhaled sharply.
"I am the Knight Captain of the Kingdom of Audier, Maurice Noah... Though, if I introduce myself like that, you'll probably just think 'Who?'. Simply put: I'm a swordsman from another world. And, more importantly, I'm your enemy."
The moment he said that, the air crackled with tension.
Walburga unleashed her bloodlust, glaring daggers at Maurice-san. However, given that he had just bifurcated her giant Evil Dragon, she seemed to be gauging how to approach him.
In contrast, Maurice-san looked cool and collected, paying her bloodlust no mind.
Suddenly, Walburga's expression flipped into a smile.
"Well, it doesn't matter who Ojisama is. After all, I'm just going to murder-wurder you anyway-n!"
Walburga thrust out her hand, and the Red Dragon Emperor clones launched themselves at Maurice-san! They dove toward him at high speed!
There were about a dozen closing in on him. Numerically, it wasn't a huge amount.
But, as I warned Maurice-san, they use Issei-kun's power exactly as is. They don't seem to reflect his combat techniques, but they still possess his immense raw power.
It's reckless, no matter how you look at it!
We tried to jump in to assist, but Maurice-san held up his left hand to stop us.
Is he really going to do this alone in this situation...?!
Maurice-san simply smiled, watching the approaching clones with a relaxed expression.
The clones closed within striking distance—
But their fists never reached him.
Just as I thought he brushed past them, the clones were split cleanly into upper and lower halves.
—?!
Everyone on the battlefield widened their eyes.
When did he cut them...?!
His sword was still pointed downward.
Are you telling me he cut them all in that single instant they crossed paths?!
"Xenovia... did you see that?"
"No, not at all..."
Even Irina-san and Xenovia had the same reaction.
I know how terrifying he is. He doesn't possess any special abilities, nor does he wield a Holy Sword or a Demonic Sword. His weapon is just a sword that cuts well.
And yet, he handled my Holy Demonic Sword and Xenovia's Durandal as if they were nothing. He clashed with us head-on.
And now this.
He instantly bisected the armor of the clones, which presumably has the same defensive power as Issei-kun.
The magnitude of this feat... His swordsmanship is far beyond our comprehension.
Maurice-san rested his sword on his shoulder and sighed.
"They say these are copies of Issei, but they're not much of a threat. Sure, they have his power, speed, and defense... but that alone doesn't cut it. The reason that guy is strong comes from his idiotically stubborn guts and his unbreakable soul. If you can't reproduce that, you're nowhere close. These are defective goods."
Maurice-san drew the other sword resting at his hip. A dual-wielding stance, just like Xenovia.
Then, a change occurred in the two blades.
The blades he gripped were dyed jet black.
...What is that?
It's not a holy aura, nor a demonic one. It's not draconic either. Magic...? No, the atmosphere is different.
While I wondered, Maurice-san swung his sword. Or rather, he must have. Before I knew it, his sword had been swung downward.
I only saw the result. The process of the swing was invisible.
The tip of his blade was simply facing a different direction than before.
If he swung his sword, what on earth did he—
"Is this all you've got, Missy?"
Maurice-san spoke.
In the next instant, the dozens of clones floating in the air were separated into upper and lower halves, just like the ones before!
Walburga screamed.
"W-What did you do?!"
"I cut them. With sword pressure. If you want to know how, I can teach you? I'll drill it into you from scratch. My instruction is strict, you know? The young ones back home complain while doing their practice swings. Hahahaha!"
Sword pressure... He sent a flying slash to cut them? I didn't even see the projectile.
—Overwhelming.
If I had to describe Maurice-san in one word, that would be it.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"