Piel drew the rapier she had been wearing at her waist.
"This is what I was hoping for. This will be quick."
Piel stood upright, her torso straight, her right foot in front, and her left foot firmly behind.
The sword was in her right hand.
It was a stance reminiscent of modern fencing, a beginning pose for her duel.
Britney and Piel.
The two women had not known each other for more than three minutes before they pointed their swords at each other.
There was no further exchange of words.
"......"
"......"
Silently, the two women narrowed their eyes, searching for an opening in each other.
A tense moment.
Yet, no one intervened.
Everyone watched the unfolding scene with keen interest.
Siena came over, giggling, pulling a chair next to Theo.
Creeeak──
At that sound, Piel briefly glanced at Siena.
That was the signal for the duel to begin.
Britney made the first move.
"Haah!"
Britney's longsword thrust toward Piel. The tip aimed at Piel's left shoulder.
Clang!
The two swords clashed.
Piel twisted her sword to the left, deflecting Britney's blade.
"Huh."
Piel immediately counterattacked, aiming for Britney's right shoulder.
Sshhwack─
Piel's sword moved in the shortest path possible.
"Eek!"
Britney was surprised by the speed, much faster than she had anticipated.
She managed to defend, but her balance was thrown off.
The leg she had firmly planted on the ground wobbled.
Piel didn't miss the opportunity.
Swoosh, swish──!
Piel stabbed with her sword rapidly.
Likewise, her sword moved in the shortest path possible. This time, targeting Britney's thighs.
"Uh······ Ugh!"
The thrust was too quick and sharp to counter.
Britney performed a backflip, rolling away twice to escape.
Piel immediately charged toward Britney.
However, Britney quickly regained her posture, preventing Piel from advancing further.
The two women glared at each other. The duel entered a stalemate.
Nay commented.
─Hmm, quite interesting. Child, did you see their movements?
─Yes, Nay.
Piel's efficient, shortest-path thrusts.
Britney's backflip and posture recovery.
Theo carefully reviewed the entire duel.
He knew then. The movements of the two women bore some resemblance to his own.
─They resemble me.
─Yes. The child with lemon-colored hair seems to move instinctively... The one with red hair appears to have learned her moves from someone. However, not from someone strong. They're far from matching me.
─······Are you mocking me now, Nay?
─Was it that obvious?
─Yes.
Theo easily recognized Piel's master. After all, it was he himself.
'When I fought against the robot, she had been watching my movements.'
Piel displayed swordsmanship that mimicked Theo's movements.
"......No."
If the level of refinement was such, it was beyond imitation; it was closer to a reinterpretation.
Just as Theo had once reinterpreted Piel's swordsmanship after observing it.
Piel had now reinterpreted Theo's swordsmanship after observing it.
"Interesting."
Then.
Creeeak──
The door opened.
There were two men inside.
Both appeared to be on the cusp between their teens and twenties, both with slender builds.
Theo looked at the two men.
'Dwarf Billy and Limping Mike.'
Both were members of the Order of Light.
Limping Mike spoke.
"Wow, Britney, already getting in some post-meal exercise?"
Dwarf Billy added.
"Count me in too! I've been on standby for a week and I'm itching for some action!"
Perhaps it was the sudden appearance of the two men.
Swoosh.
Piel and Britney, losing their enthusiasm, sheathed their swords back.
Piel smirked mischievously, lifting one corner of her mouth.
"What's this? Got a bit nervous hearing you were Order of Light... turns out, it's nothing special?"
Piel said this, glancing at Adrienne.
It was because Adrienne had spoken a lot about the strength of the Order of Light inside the carriage.
Adrienne replied.
"......Britney here is the weakest among us. Obviously, she's not the average for the Order of Light."
Britney, having returned to her usual expression, retorted to Adrienne.
"Who was it that got beaten by the weakest last month~? Oh my, here you are. Adrienne, you're really the weakest, aren't you?"
Adrienne, infuriated, reached for the hilt of his sword.
"......Living off that one victory, huh? Hey, let's go again."
"Nah~ I don't feel like it~"
While Adrienne and Britney bickered,
Dwarf Billy and Limping Mike approached Theo.
Billy looked at Theo and said,
"Oh, Theo Lyn Waldeurk. The man closely watched by the First Saintess! You've managed to convince Adrienne, I see!"
Billy extended his hand to Theo.
"Hi, I'm Billy. Very interested in you, Theo."
"Theo Lyn Waldeurk."
Theo shook Billy's hand.
Then Mike also offered a handshake to Theo.
"Hi, I'm Mike. I'm very interested in you too, Theo. That sword you're wearing at your waist, that's 'Demon Slayer,' right?"
Theo expressed his confusion.
"Demon Slayer?"
"Ah, it's slang. The old folks in the Order call that sword 'Demon Slayer.' Somehow it caught on."
Theo chuckled and grasped the [Demon Sword] in his hand.
"No, that's quite something."
Theo then immediately said to Nay.
─Nay, congratulations on acquiring a new nickname besides 'Princess of Ashes.'
─What are you talking about?
─The higher-ups in the Order refer to you as 'Demon Slayer,' Nay. It seems the Practitioners does as well.
─These wretched creatures...! Of all the names, why 'Slayer'? It makes me feel like I've become a butcher.
─Demon Slayer, Demon Slayer, Demon Slayer... Hmm, it has a nice ring to it, sticks to the tongue quite well.
─Shut up! If you mention that derogatory title again in front of me, I will smite you.
─Understood. Perhaps the previous nickname suits you better? Princess of Ashes.
Nay screamed in rage.
Theo casually placed the [Demon Sword] on the table.
After that, Nay's screams were no longer heard.
Adrienne asked Billy and Mike.
"Where did Sara go? Didn't she go out to eat with you guys?"
Mike scratched his head awkwardly and replied.
"She told us to go ahead first."
"......She must have gone to visit Trey's grave."
Trey was a Practitioner who had died about a month ago.
Mike said,
"Jeez, it's not like Trey is coming back by doing that. Ever since Trey died, Sara has been drowning herself in alcohol. I get that, Trey's death is hard on us too, but the living must go on. She was actually happy when Rob died, though."
Rob was a Practitioner who had died about six months prior. He had been the leader.
Given that the Practitioners was a special operations unit focused on specific missions, the term "leader" was more like "team leader."
After Rob's death, Sara became the new team leader.
Britney chimed in,
"Right. Even when we went out to eat before, she wouldn't eat, just sipped on champagne."
"Well, Sara did have a particular fondness for Trey. I still remember what she said when Trey first joined. 'A true member must be able to let go of their sanity. You pass.' Right?"
"Yeah, that's right. I think Sara was attracted to Trey's abilities. Trey was strong and understood Sara's tactics and strategies better than anyone here."
"That's true. I spent a year trying to sync with Sara and still didn't get it, but Trey got it in just over a month."
While Mike and Britney were talking.
Creeeak──
The door opened.
There was a woman with long pink hair, drunk, holding a silver champagne bottle.
Unlike the other members of the Order of Light, who appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties, she looked to be in her mid-twenties.
Mike greeted her,
"Finally arrived, Sara! It's been a while since we had such a welcome guest. Oh wait, is it your first time here?"
"......Hiccup."
Regardless of Mike's chatter, Sara, with her tipsy eyes, scanned Theo and his group. Her gaze fixed on Theo.
As she was about to approach Theo,
"Sara, there's something I need to tell you."
Adrienne approached Sara.
Glancing at Theo, Adrienne whispered something into Sara's ear.
After Adrienne finished speaking, Sara raised her right hand.
"Everyone, prepare for battle. The targets are Theo Lyn Waldeurk and three others."
As soon as Sara finished speaking, the demeanor of the Practitioners changed.
The previously friendly gazes they had directed at Theo were gone.
Swoosh─
They all drew their weapons, aiming at Theo and his companions.
Sara pulled out twin swords from the scabbards strapped in an X-shape on her back.
"......How did you come to know classified information? There are too many things that are suspicious."
Then, still with a tipsy look in her eyes, she muttered,
"Subdue them all."
Billy, holding a spear, asked,
"To what extent?"
"As long as they can still speak, it's fine."
