〈 Chapter 163 〉 The Fourth Trial (3)
*
In the empty space, there were only me and another me.
For someone trying to pass the trial, it was natural to think that I should try to fight and win.
Of course, the trial had likely intended that as well.
‘It’s a rare opportunity to see myself from someone else’s perspective.’
It was different from simply swinging a sword in front of a mirror.
It was about directly clashing swords with myself.
This was a good chance to find my shortcomings and immediately test what I had improved.
‘I don’t know what kind of deity this trial is from…’
In that sense, I had said that this trial would be just as fun as the second one.
There was plenty of meaningful growth possible within the trial.
Perhaps the goal of the trial wasn’t just to defeat another version of myself, but rather to achieve growth by facing myself.
However, I wondered how long ordinary people could endure fighting against themselves in a nothingness.
Only perverts like me would enjoy it.
Yet, even for someone like me, there was a problem.
‘In order for me to achieve meaningful growth here, three days promised to Yusera wouldn’t be enough.’
I had spent several hundred years in the second trial.
Yet here I was, having already reached the realm of Swordsmanship S, where limits had been surpassed, and to gain even a bit more growth, I would need to spend almost the same amount of time.
And that kind of time was a luxury I didn’t have right now.
‘If only I had come here after everything was over, it might have been fun.’
Or maybe not.
Thinking about it, if everything was over, I wouldn’t need to become stronger.
But on the other hand, it did seem like it would be fun, even if it wasn’t necessary.
‘Well, it’s too late to back out now that I’ve already stepped in.’
At least I had the three days I promised to Yusera.
Since she was also planning to keep her promise of three days, I could focus on this trial during that time.
Three days might not be enough for obvious growth, but it would be sufficient to see my swordsmanship from a third-party perspective and fill in some gaps.
‘Then let’s make the most of these three days.’
I grasped my sword again.
To spend these three days as meaningfully as possible, I couldn’t afford to slack off.
If I utilized Wind’s Power and Libero’s swordsmanship, I could engage in quite a few sword matches, but factoring in time for analysis and applying improvements, three days still felt insufficient.
‘By the way…’
The other me facing off against me was also holding a sword.
That guy looked happy.
Which meant I must’ve been wearing the same expression too.
‘Am I really that happy?’
It’s true that I hadn’t trained much since leaving the Hero Academy, but still, I seemed to be enjoying it a bit too much.
‘There’s definitely room for improvement.’
Seeing it from a third-party perspective was a little scary.
Now I understood why Elsie and Yusera were horrified whenever I tried to train during academy days.
*
“Sky Cleaving!”
“Sky Cleaving!”
The swords clashed against each other.
Both of us launched full-power attacks.
Yusera was sent flying by the impact of the blow.
“Gah…”
We had already clashed countless times.
The time that felt like it had passed was probably half a day.
In reality, it might not have even been a few hours.
‘When will I fill those three days?’
This space made me feel like my sense of time might get warped.
There had been a time I worried about how to count the three days to ensure I wouldn’t be late.
Allen always carried a pocket watch, but I didn’t have one.
However, that worry had long since faded away.
Time flowed so slowly here.
If I felt like three days had passed when I finally stepped out, it would probably barely be two.
That aside.
‘I still can’t defeat her.’
Of course, she was growing.
Seeing her swordsmanship through a third-party lens, I began to notice previously unseen shortcomings.
But the problem was, as much as she was growing, her counterpart was matching her growth.
‘How do I overcome that?’
It was a bit embarrassing to say to myself, but the opponent was too strong.
Her attacks could not be blocked unless one had equivalent strength, and if I failed to block, it would be instantly fatal.
Even the relics consumed due to overload seemed to be recovering due to the trial.
‘Is it even possible to win?’
The thought that I couldn’t win at all dominated her mind.
Still, I managed to endure thanks to Allen’s guidance, but that wouldn’t last long before her mental strength wore out.
‘Can I take a short break?’
Even though we had fought for several hours, perhaps due to the trial, it didn’t feel physically exhausting.
However, the mental fatigue was a different story.
Fighting another self for hours in an empty space was mentally draining.
‘I can’t keep going like this anymore.’
She had held out longer than most ordinary people.
The only ones who could likely endure longer here would be Elsie, who had an incomprehensible mental strength, or Allen, who loved training to an abnormal degree.
But she didn’t fall into either of those categories.
‘I…’
She gazed at the other self seated across from her, staring back.
Pitch-black hair and matching dark eyes.
Objectively, one could say she had a beautiful face.
But to her, it wasn’t satisfying.
Thinking about it, it had been a while since she last looked in a mirror, and seeing herself through a third-party perspective, she appeared slightly uglier than the last time she checked.
Furthermore…
‘I wonder what Allen thinks.’
Even Elsie appeared prettier to her eyes.
With hair like shining sunlight and skin as white as jade.
Her face was small, with large features that framed it nicely.
Though she didn’t have quite the same height, her well-proportioned figure had curves in all the right places.
‘If Allen wasn’t into her, that would be strange.’
She wasn’t particularly perceptive like Elsie.
But even so, she was aware of their relationship long before now.
There wasn’t clear evidence, but sometimes the distance between the two felt so close that she found it hard to squeeze in.
‘Maybe they were already lovers since the Hero Academy.’
Or perhaps even before.
She hadn’t been sure until now, but hearing it from Elsie herself had sealed that certainty.
They had been in that kind of relationship since then.
Betrayal?
She didn’t feel that way at all.
The fact that those two were dating felt like a natural thing, and keeping that from her was merely a consideration for the team.
But still…
She felt a bit envious.
…To be honest, it was more accurate to call it jealousy.
The feelings she had when she saw the two of them lying in the same bed that day were definitely jealousy.
Knowing about Elsie and Allen’s relationship but struggling to let go of her own feelings for Allen had suppressed those emotions for a long time.
Did she truly like Allen as a romantic interest?
If asked…
She could probably answer that she did.
Of course, she lacked the confidence to say she liked Allen more than Elsie did.
Unlike Elsie, who had grown purely under the Apostle, she didn’t know how to express her feelings towards the man she liked.
And thus, for Allen’s sake, she had to yield him to Elsie.
Yield.
Or was it truly yielding?
As mentioned before, Elsie was prettier and could love Allen far better than she could.
Perhaps she had simply lost to Elsie.
‘I’m so pathetic.’
She felt the need for self-reflection as she grappled with these thoughts.
In reality, Elsie was aware of her feelings and had even agreed to this arrangement for her sake.
She was the kindhearted one.
On the other hand, she always struggled in such matters.
Even when she was with Allen, she felt awkward, leading to conversations ending quickly.
And, crucially, she couldn’t give a beautiful smile like Elsie could.
All she could muster was a stiff, awkward grin.
‘That’s it.’
The smile the other me was wearing.
Could she fix that awkward, stiff smile?
She began moving her face this way and that, pondering.
‘Like this? Or maybe if I just…’
Still awkward.
But perhaps it seemed a bit better than before.
‘No.’
It was hard to tell from this distance.
Thinking that, she eventually stood up.
The other her did the same.
And they started to approach each other.
‘Walking like this isn’t right.’
Elsie had walked much more lightly.
But no matter how much she tried to emulate it, she couldn’t replicate that grace.
‘Maybe that’s not the main issue.’
From anyone’s perspective, she appeared lacking in confidence.
‘Confidence…’
Thinking back, Allen had emphasized that for a long time.
He told her that she lacked conviction.
Thanks to that, she had finally gained confidence whenever she performed the Sky Cleaving technique.
‘Sky Cleaving.’
Right, let’s think back to that time.
Whenever she swung her sword, she was overflowing with confidence.
Recalling that moment, she straightened her back and puffed out her chest.
‘And…’
Taking a confident posture made her expression look much more natural.
To her eyes, that image was strangely unfamiliar.
It was completely different from the reflection she used to see in a little mirror.
‘Is this me?’
Long arms and legs.
And features adorned with an expression of confidence.
Her appearance was prettier than she had thought.
At that moment, the other her voiced, “You’re pretty.”
“You’re pretty.”
The words slipped out before she realized it.
Surprised, she stumbled backward but thought about it.
She should have more confidence.
‘Whether I’m pretty or not, having confidence is definitely more appealing.’
She smiled.
Moving her mouth muscles to appear as natural as possible.
Before she knew it, she had forgotten about the sword, becoming engrossed in examining her own face.
*
‘Yusera is doing well, I hope.’
I thought as I took out the pocket watch to check the time.
It had just been three days since I entered the trial.
‘It’s about time to head out.’
Over the past three days, I hadn’t taken a moment of rest, pouring all my effort into battling myself.
Thanks to that, I managed to fill in some weaknesses in my swordsmanship.
But that didn’t mean I felt completely satisfied.
‘If only I had another 100 years… No, at least 50 years more…’
Perhaps my swordsmanship could have reached a new level.
But there was no such time for me now.
No matter the time scale here.
‘Moreover, Yusera’s time would be flowing at the same rate.’
I had promised her three days, so if she came out and I wasn’t there, it would be strange.
So, regrettably, it would be best to leave at this point.
Even if I wished to continue dueling with myself for a few more days, it wouldn’t make much difference.
With that in mind, I spoke into the void.
“I’ll end it here.”
This time, I didn’t hear a voice echoing back.
After all, I was already standing beneath the Great Tree.
*
