Chapter 358: From Now On, I Will Wield My Sword for You!
"…"
"…"
"Really?"
"…R-Really."
"You're not joking?"
"…I'm not."
Looking at Edelweiss, who repeatedly confirmed his questions, Luke knew she was probably telling the truth.
But still, to lose weight…
Luke no longer knew how he should even comment.
In other words, Edelweiss had wanted to lose weight, then trained and trained until she became the strongest in the world???
Luke looked at Edelweiss with a conflicted expression.
Edelweiss, meanwhile, was somewhat embarrassed to face Luke's gaze.
If it had been someone else, she would not have felt embarrassed about it.
She might even have told them openly and confidently.
But when it was Luke, things were different.
A little concerned over whether he would think anything strange, Edelweiss quickly began explaining.
"I-I told you before, didn't I?"
"I've loved sweets since long ago. I loved making them myself, and I loved eating them too, so… I-I was just a tiny bit chubby."
When she said the word chubby, Edelweiss secretly glanced at Luke, as if planning to see his reaction.
But to be honest, Luke could not imagine Edelweiss being fat at all.
After all, her current figure was absolutely perfect.
With a full chest, shapely curves, and a slender waistline, Edelweiss looked extremely alluring.
Combined with her snow-white skin and dazzling long white hair, she was almost absurdly perfect.
Otherwise, Luke would not have ended up staring blankly earlier.
Luke's reaction also seemed to gradually reassure Edelweiss.
Her originally tiny voice returned to normal.
"At the time, my parents were worried it would affect my health, and they also wanted me to maintain my figure, so they decided to have me exercise."
"By coincidence, a teacher from the Far East had come nearby to teach swordsmanship, so they took me there."
"And then you trained and trained until you beat the teacher, then trained and trained until you beat the whole world…"
Luke commented with an indescribable expression.
This script was practically like some invincible protagonist from his memories.
"It really is a little hard to believe, isn't it?"
Even Edelweiss herself knew how miraculous her life's path was.
"I've heard many versions of the rumors about me too."
"Most of them believe that there must have been some profound reason why Twin-Wings Edelweiss became the world's strongest swordsman, but that is only people's imagination."
"I was never especially special. The so-called Peak of This World was, at the beginning, only an ordinary girl who grew up in an ordinary, happy family."
"Even I never imagined that I possessed such astonishing talent."
As though recalling something, Edelweiss laughed softly like a silver bell.
But immediately afterward, a look of envy flashed through her eyes.
With a complicated tone, she said to Luke,
"I'm actually very envious of you."
"You understand very clearly why you hold a sword, and you have no confusion at all about the path of a swordsman."
"But even now, I still don't know the reason why I hold a sword… Perhaps that is why I lost to you."
Edelweiss revealed her true feelings to Luke.
At this moment, her strength and dignity all vanished.
What replaced them was confusion and helplessness.
She had only learned the sword by chance, and she had only happened to possess greater talent than others.
By the time she came back to her senses, she was already standing alone at the peak of the world, unreachable by anyone.
That was all.
She had no reason to swing her sword at all.
The only time she had swung her sword with a goal in mind was probably that famous battle fifteen years ago.
However, to Edelweiss, the result of that battle was not something worth celebrating.
Mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Her family shattered, her home destroyed.
Wandering alone, with no fixed place to live.
To be honest, even Edelweiss herself did not know why she was so powerful.
Her strength seemed to have no reason at all, completely unreasonable.
She was born into this world and possessed world-shaking talent.
For what purpose?
"Just what does my sword exist for? Where should this power I was born with be used?"
Edelweiss gently shook the cup in her hand, looking lost as she watched the vortex created by the spinning juice.
Her current appearance was very far from the pure-white Valkyrie in Luke's impression.
The person before him was merely an ordinary person troubled by the direction she should move in.
This Edelweiss made one want to cherish her.
For anyone, finding a direction to move forward was not an easy thing.
People like Luke, Stella, and Ikki were the rare exceptions.
That was why they could continue growing stronger and constantly surpass their limits.
Looking at Edelweiss like this and sensing the confusion in her heart, Luke held both of her hands.
"If you can't find a reason, then let me give you one."
Luke's tone was extremely gentle, but the gaze he directed at Edelweiss was very serious.
No matter what, the woman before him had already become his lover.
That special relationship made Luke influence another person's decision with his own will for the first time.
"From now on, how about wielding your sword for me?"
"For you… wield my sword?"
"That's right. If you're willing to believe in me and trust me, then from now on, let me become your reason for wielding your sword."
Luke looked at Edelweiss and firmly held both her hands.
"If I surpass you, then you have to work twice as hard to surpass me back."
"If you surpass me, then you can't slack off, or I'll surpass you again."
"Are you willing… to wield your sword for me?"
Edelweiss looked at Luke somewhat dazedly.
A strange light flickered in her silver-gray eyes.
Time passed little by little.
Edelweiss quietly looked at him like that.
Luke did not rush her either, and simply looked back at Edelweiss just as seriously.
After a long while…
Edelweiss suddenly smiled.
That smile was so bright, and so happy.
Along with that smile came her firm answer.
"Sure. From now on, I will wield my sword for you!"
…
Japan, Osaka City.
Near the bay area, far from the city center.
There were high-rise buildings here, but no sign of human life.
Several decades ago, taking advantage of urban development, this place had been filled with buildings.
However, the most important part, attracting businesses, had not gone smoothly.
With no tenants moving in, these buildings were abandoned and ultimately became the remains of a failed development plan.
But today, this desolate area had regained its vitality.
Street stalls lined the roadside, and countless people had gathered here.
The excitement and noise seemed to surge into the sky.
As for the reason?
Naturally, there was only one.
Two days later, in the building located here, the Bay Dome, the annual large-scale festival for student knights would be held.
The Seven Star Sword Art Festival!
…
(PS: Vote for more chapters this week. If this fanfic reaches 100+ powerstones, I will increase the daily upload frequency. Also, don't forget to write a review!)
---
Read more than 20 chapters in advance:
patréon.com/tom22
Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.
---
For Audiobook:
youtube.com/@animefic22