Volume 6 Chapter 25 Rules Made By The Strongest
The Blood Duel Cup had begun.
A shadow moved across the sky.
It wasn't a bird. It wasn't a plane.
It was a giant boomerang, wide enough to block the sun.
Among all the fighters gathered, only one had brought a boomerang—Zachariah, the "Hundred-Heaven Blade," and one of the Royal Sorcerers of Azette.
So it had to be his.
But before anyone could admire it—
CRACK!
The huge boomerang shattered mid-air, falling apart like broken glass.
Zachariah blinked.
His eyes drifted to the man standing calmly nearby—Sumeragi. A faint smile played on Sumeragi's lips as bits of metal sparkled and fell from the sky like rain.
"...Hey," Zachariah said, voice dry.
Sumeragi turned. "Hmm?"
"I don't really enjoy doing everything by myself," Zachariah muttered. "You could've let it hit, at least once. That was a nice throw."
"Ah, I see. Sorry about that."
"If you destroy it with one hit, no one knows who broke it. It just looks like I dropped junk from the sky."
"Is that a problem?"
Zachariah gave a small shrug. "Not really."
He looked up again, watching the pieces fall.
"My boomerang had a blade made of iron, a leather wrap, and some plants for decoration. Only the iron broke. That your doing?"
"Yes."
Zachariah frowned. "It was flying higher than this entire stage is wide. You're not limited by distance. That's... annoying."
The weapon had mixed materials on purpose. That way, if someone stopped it, Zachariah could tell what type of attack or defense they used. But now\...
Now he knew one thing for sure: against Sumeragi, metal weapons were useless.
A soft laugh came from nearby.
"Oh?"
Tokohime, a dual-wielding swordswoman in a flowing kimono, charged forward. Her blades gleamed.
Steel clashed with steel as her 'Legendary Sword — Muso Kojin' met Sumeragi's 'Iron Cutter Sword Kamiuchi.'
Bright sparks jumped into the air.
"You're the general of Shirogane," Sumeragi said calmly. "Your swordplay is solid."
"You didn't even flinch when I rushed in," Tokohime said, eyes sharp. "The info I got didn't say much, but your skill... It's better than I expected."
"You came at me just to check, huh?"
She had just seen what his power could do to metal.
Still, she attacked with a sword.
That took nerve.
"My blade's still whole," Tokohime said, stepping back. "And in this place... that matters."
Sumeragi nodded once. "I used to avoid fighting here. Didn't want to break something important by mistake."
"That sword—does it mean something to you?"
Sumeragi gave a small smile. Then, in a whisper no one else could hear, he said, "It used to be a sacred relic. Now\... it's just a treasured sword."
Tokohime raised an eyebrow. "Can't it still be targeted?"
"Once something isn't treated as iron anymore, it stays that way," Sumeragi said. "And I can't just think of it as iron again. It's not that kind of power."
A strange, quiet kind of strength.
Not the power to move iron.
The power to deny it.
Permanently.
That's what made it terrifying.
Because even if Sumeragi didn't want to break something, he might still do it... if he hadn't prepared.
"Good to know," said a deep voice.
Cain, commander of the Diamante Kingdom's knights, jumped into the fray. His magic sword swung at Sumeragi.
Sumeragi blocked it—clean.
Cain's sword, which was clearly metal, didn't break.
"So," Cain said, eyes narrowing, "you decide ahead of time what your power can't break. You 'exclude' dangerous things, don't you?"
"No doubt about it," Sumeragi replied. "That sword boosts the power from earlier. If I hadn't set it aside already, it would've shattered."
"What would you have done then?"
"I would've dodged it. That's why it didn't break."
Cain grunted. "You're what, fourteen? Doesn't feel like it."
Sumeragi gave a long sigh. "Haa..."
Their blades locked again. Sparks flew.
"Nice weapon," Sumeragi said.
"I found it in a treasure chest."
"There were two swords in that chest, right? They're better when used together."
"Heh... you know your stuff."
"Well, yeah."
Sumeragi smiled slightly as he moved to counter.
"I'm interested in you," he said. "Let's fight for a bit."
Tokohime raised her sword again. "Do as you like."
Their weapons sang in the air as they clashed again and again.
Clang!
Suddenly, Tokohime turned, sensing something. A boomerang spun toward her from above. She deflected it with her blade. It spun again, returning to Zachariah.
"That won't work on me," she said.
"Hm... What now?" Zachariah replied, voice unreadable. "I'm not very interested in you. But just standing here's boring. Let's play."
Tokohime gave a small smile.
A portal opened beside Zachariah. Dozens—no, hundreds—of boomerangs poured out, flying straight toward Tokohime like arrows.
"Isn't this kind of match fun?" Zachariah asked. "The general of Shirogane, and a sorcerer from Azette?"
Tokohime laughed softly as she dodged and struck.
"Ah, with history too? That was a hundred years ago. I'm not even from Azette."
"Shame..." Zachariah said. "There are 27 royal sorcerers in Azette, each linked to a different letter. Which one are you?"
"Hm? Oh... I guess I can tell you."
He pulled a small medal from his coat.
"I'm Division D. 'D' for Division."
"Division... split, then?"
Boomerangs kept flying at her. She kept knocking them aside.
"With most people, those would've hit," she said. "They're strong enough to break someone apart."
"Exactly."
They were still testing each other. Still learning.
But...
When someone is too strong—too far above—
Their strength itself starts writing the rules.
And most people never even notice it.
No one yet understood what was really happening in that place.
No one.
Except, perhaps...
...the gods.
Notes:
• Zachariah - Known as the Hundred-Heaven Blade. Court sorcerer of the Azette Kingdom. His appearance is not described. He congratulated Horace on his promotion, suggesting a respectful relationship.
• Sumeragi - One of the Five Divine Gods, known as the 'God of Iron-Slicing.' He introduces himself with a pleasant smile and seems to have a purpose in meeting Horace.
• Tokohime - From 'the Sword Nation Shirogane', known as 'Unarmed Two-Hander'. Her appearance is not described. She asks about Horace's baby, suggesting a friendly or familiar relationship.
• Cain - A 14-year-old beautiful boy with short, light purple hair. Newly appointed Commander of the Diamante Kingdom Knight Order. Highly talented and efficient, tasked with managing the 'Forest of Souls' dungeon and participating in the Blood Duel Cup. Twin brother of Abel.
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