When I woke the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky.
「Fwaaah〜 It’s already this late…」
Careful not to wake Amilia, who was still sleeping peacefully in the next bed, I slipped out of the tent.
Last night, I’d stayed up late performing resurrections and treatments on the soldiers.
「Hmm… I really couldn’t restore the ones that were damaged beyond recognition when multiple people got mixed together… I did apply restoration magic, though…」
I managed to revive over three hundred, but around a hundred were impossible to resurrect.
「I really wanted to save everyone…」
At least the king and the old man had worked things out so the families of the fallen would receive substantial support.
That was the only silver lining.
I gazed up at the sky, cruelly, infuriatingly beautiful and clear, and muttered to myself.
Then, a soft weight settled against my back.
「Yuuki…」
The familiar sensation told me it was Amilia before I even turned.
「What’s wrong, Amilia?」
「You looked lonely… What’s the matter?」
「Ah… I was just thinking about the people I couldn’t save.」
「I see… Yuuki really is kind.」
Her arms tightened around me from behind.
「You’re kind too, aren’t you? Sensing how I felt and coming to comfort me like this.」
「Uuu!!」
「Ow ow ow ow ow!!」
She pinched my side hard, classic embarrassment response, but still painful.
「Geez… If you already knew, you didn’t have to say it out loud…」
「Sorry, sorry.」
「Honestly… this guy…」
She pressed her face firmly against my back, cheeks hot against my shirt.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
「Today we’re heading out to eliminate the large enemies around the first fortress.」
「「「「「!?」」」」」
「Wait, Yuuki!?」
「That giant thing…?」
「But if it’s the Holy Knight-sama…」
「Still! It’s far larger than anything we’ve faced!」
「Ah, sorry, but I won’t be the one defeating it.」
「「「「「Huh?」」」」」
「The one who’s going to take it down… is the Saintess.」
「「「「「Ehhhhhhhhhh!?」」」」」
Even Amilia stared at me in total disbelief.
「Hey, I explained this at breakfast this morning…」
「Because I thought you were joking!!」
「It’ll be fine, it’ll be fine. You can do it, Amilia.」
「No no no!! How am I supposed to defeat something ‘that’ huge!?」
「Easy. The core is in the heart area. Just cut it out or smash straight through.」
「That’s easy for ‘you’, maybe!!」
Hmm… From yesterday’s fight, your physical reinforcement has improved dramatically, so I really think you can do it.
「It’s fine, it’s fine! We’ll just practice a little first!」
「Ehhh…」
Amilia stared at me with an expression that screamed disbelief.
「Alright then, let’s go, Amilia.」
「Uuu… Be gentle with me…」
She took the hand I offered firmly.
Together we stepped out of the tent.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
「Okay, from fighting yesterday I could tell, your physical abilities have skyrocketed, Amilia.」
「You’re right. My sword moved faster than during training, and moving around felt way easier too.」
「That’s why what I’m about to show you is a modified version of a technique used by my swordsmanship master… um, Haruka and Touka’s dad.」
I set up some scrap lumber from house construction about twenty meters away.
「Haa… 『Takanashi Style Swordsmanship——Devour Pierce!!』」
I exploded forward using every ounce of spring in my body, pierced straight through the wood, sliced upward, then brought the blade crashing back down in a fluid arc.
――――Bakibakibakibaki!!
「Whoa…」
The lumber now bore deep slash marks extending about a meter up and down from the point of penetration.
「Well, I did that without channeling magic power, so it didn’t split completely in two.」
「No, that’s already plenty powerful… Splitting it in half would be insane…」
「Now, when you add magic power!!」
I channeled magic power into the same technique and struck again.
The wood parted cleanly in two.
「Whoa…」
Amilia backed away another step, eyes wide.
「I want you to learn this, Amilia.」
「Impossible!」
She threw up both hands in an X.
「I figured you’d say that. So we’ll simplify it, just pierce and slice upward while channeling magic power.」
「If that’s all… maybe I can manage?」
「Alright! Let’s start with thrusting through while holding magic power in your sword!」
「Fine! I’ll do it!!」
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
「Okay, here we go! I’ll clear the way!」
After lunch break and plenty of rest, I scooped Amilia up in my arms and set off.
「Hey, Yuuki!! What about the enemies on the way!?」
A swarm of monsters was rushing straight toward us.
「Easy! Like this!!」
「Eh!? Kyaaah!?」
With magic power-charged leaps and kicks, I blasted straight through the enemy ranks.
「Gyaaaaah!?」
「Giiiieee!?」
I trampled, kicked apart, shattered weapons, carving a path until our target finally came into view.
「Here we go!」
「Ehh!? Leave it to me!!」
With a powerful toss, I hurled Amilia upward from my right hand.
In that instant, she activated wind magic beneath her feet and soared into the open sky.
「Gyaaaaaaaahhh!!」
「Here I come!! 『Sky Eater!!』」
Amilia plunged straight toward the heart of the roaring behemoth.
Her sword pierced the core with flawless precision, then sliced upward in a single, explosive motion.
A surge of excess magic power erupted outward like a shockwave, blasting the creature’s upper body clean off in a violent spray of ash and fragments.
「I did it!!」
As she began to fall, I caught her mid-air in a gentle princess carry.
「Thanks, Yuuki!」
「That was incredible!」
「Hehe! Falling for me all over again?」
「Of course! How could I not after something ‘that’ cool?」
「Gyafu!?」
「Gugyaa!!」
We trampled the smaller enemies underfoot as we dashed toward the next massive foe in the distance.
「Alright! Let’s keep this momentum going!!」
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Author desu!
Here’s Amilia’s newly updated status after her power-up!!
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【Amilia Filresia】 Gender: Female Age: 17 Race: Human
Job: Summoned Saintess Level: 432
Possessed Skills: 【Body Arts】【Takanashi Style Swordsmanship (Yuuki Custom Arrangement)】【Recovery Magic】【Swordsmanship】【Latent Enhancement Lv.8】【Holy Magic】【Space Magic】【Elemental Magic】
Titles: King’s Orphan・Saintess・Girl in Love with Yuuki・Hero of the Orphanage・Hikari’s Disciple・Aerith’s Disciple・Haruka’s Disciple・The Summoned Saintess・Yuuki’s Wife (Tentative)・Holy Sword Saintess・Yuuki’s Disciple
Notes:
・Latent Enhancement, once fully awakened, will manifest as body reinforcement, magic power reinforcement, and similar abilities.
・She has physically memorized Yuuki’s custom version of Takanashi Style Swordsmanship (though she doesn’t know the technique names).
・The holy sword was forged by Yuuki and contains traces of divine blood, so its magic power carries a holy quality.
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