The Water Magician

"Finally, I've been waiting for you, Abel."

"I'm not particularly waiting, you know."

Orenju and Abel.

With their swords drawn, the two face off.

It's been a year.

However...

(What is this guy...? No, it's Abel; I can tell that. I understand, but he's so different from a year ago.)

Orenju takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.

He was so overwhelmed that he couldn't maintain his composure without doing so.

Abel isn't doing anything.

He's just holding his sword.

He's not even applying any pressure.

But...

(Too different from a year ago! Abel is human, right? Can a human change this much in just one year? Just by confronting him... am I trembling? No, no, no, I'm a kin of lord Garwin!)

Orenju takes another deep breath and exhales deeply.

"What's wrong, Orenju?"

Abel asks.

At that question, Orenju flinches.

It feels like his heart has been grabbed, like his throat is being constricted... an inexplicable sense of pressure.

"I see you've changed in a year."

The words come out of Orenju's mouth without thinking.

He said it. He couldn't help but say it.

He had to voice it in order to escape that feeling of pressure...

"Is that so? I guess I've certainly been swinging my sword every day."

Abel replies, nodding enthusiastically.

He doesn't seem burdened at all.

"I don't think it's just something superficial like that."

"Even if you say that..."

Orenju squeezes the words out, but Abel seems completely unfazed.

In reality, Abel feels almost no change.

He has regained the desire he once had in the eastern region to "want to become stronger."

That much is certain.

However, he also knows that you don't become strong in just a year or so.

It's only recently that he's resumed his efforts.

Results will come in a few years, or maybe a dozen years later...

"Honestly, it would have been better to have our rematch a little later."

"What did you say?"

"I mean I wanted to fight after becoming a bit stronger!"

Abel suddenly invades the distance between them.

Clang.

The sound of swords colliding rings out.

Abel's consecutive strikes begin.

"Ugh."

Orenju is desperately on the defensive.

Abel is human, and Orenju is the kin of a demon.

Normally, the kin of a demon should possess overwhelming strength and speed compared to humans.

Even in the current situation, Orenju should have more strength and speed than Abel...

Yet, Abel is pushing forward.

Why?

Because Orenju is being overwhelmed emotionally by Abel.

In human combat, "emotion" plays a significant role.

Suzu always says so.

Taking away an opponent's calm is the very basics of combat.

Angering them is not the only way to strip away their calmness.

Instilling fear can also rob them of their composure.

When calmness is lost, what is affected the most?

Is it strength?

Speed?

No, it's technique.

Orenju's wounds are increasing rapidly.

He hasn't taken any fatal blows.

His hands and feet are moving without any issues.

His combat ability itself hasn't decreased...

But the significant damage isn't visible.

It's within his heart.

(Why? Why has such a gap opened up?)

Such thoughts are unsettling Orenju's mind.

In reality, the gap isn't as large as Orenju thinks.

Rather, Orenju actually has the upper hand in strength and speed.

There isn't an astonishing gap in technique either.

However, because his heart is lagging behind, that gap is affecting his technique, leading to more injuries.

Abel, on the other hand, doesn't fully understand all of this.

He can just feel that he's anticipating Orenju's moves more smoothly than usual.

He can also feel that his body's movements are flowing better than usual.

Somehow, it seems like his sword is shining whiter than red today...

Regardless of the sword, he knows that everything else is going well.

At the same time, he realizes that Orenju's disturbed heart is manifesting as a difference in technique, exacerbating the results.

If he understands it, he will take full advantage.

There is no need to speak.

He just needs to showcase his sword.

If he does that...

"Impossible... why is there such a gap?"

A word spills from Orenju's mouth, sounding more like a curse.