Mushoku Tensei: The Sword, the Magic Hat, and the Love System

Roxy blinked.

"...He... does he know... magic?"

Upon hearing this, Rudeus's serious expression instantly relaxed, as if comforted. He let out a chuckle.

"Thankfully, he doesn't know anything about magic. If Allen had talent in magic too, wouldn't you have to be his teacher, Roxy? That would be way too dangerous for me!"

"Ah, I see..."

Roxy let out a sigh of relief, not grasping what kind of 'danger' Rudeus was referring to. She turned to look at the two figures in the courtyard, a faint smile curling on her lips.

Rudeus, watching Roxy's expression, felt that something was off, but couldn't quite tell what.

Beside them, Sylphy blinked and secretly glanced sideways at Roxy before fluttering her lashes and shifting her gaze toward Allen.

Out in the courtyard, Allen and Paul had finished warming up.

There were three meters between them. Unlike his relaxed stance when facing Rudeus, Allen now stood in full alert against Paul, another swordsman.

He spread his legs into a solid stance, firmly planted on the ground. With both hands on his sword, he held it behind his shoulder, the back of the blade resting close to his right shoulder.

Paul, meanwhile, casually lifted his sword, looking at Allen.

"Ready? I'm coming at you."

Allen took a deep breath. His pupils shrank, and the embryonic core of Ryuu Sei Douki (Dragon Saint Battle Aura) in his abdomen compressed and surged along with his innate Douki.

He 'sensed' the drifting dust in front of him and smiled.

"I'm ready. Let's begin."

The moment he finished speaking, Paul's sword had already swept toward his left shoulder—the side away from his blade.

Muon no Tachi! (Soundless Blade!)

In the next instant, the two passed each other.

Paul stumbled and turned his head in surprise.

Allen's feet remained rooted to the ground.

He didn't even turn around. With his back still facing Paul, he tilted his head slightly to meet his gaze. His previous posture, holding the blade behind his right shoulder, had only shifted slightly. Now, the sword handle rested neatly above his left shoulder.

"Did he miss?!" came Zenith's shocked voice.

Paul quickly composed himself and answered what everyone was wondering.

"...He didn't."

He squinted, looking at Allen's sword hilt positioned above his left shoulder. The sensation from earlier, the moment his blade had met something, was still vivid in his memory.

He had definitely hit.

But it had no effect.

Allen's response had been almost... too perfect.

He had 'just so happened' to change his stance.

He had 'just so happened' to shift his sword hilt.

And 'just so happened' to intercept Paul's strike.

Every motion executed with impossible precision.

No wasted movement.

Like a rock in a raging current—unmoving, solid, flawless.

Paul watched Allen for a moment, then asked:

"Not going to turn around?"

Allen, still slightly turned, replied with the sword resting on his right shoulder again.

"No need. This stance lets me handle attacks from all directions. Of course, that's only if I can 'sense' them. I got lucky just now, being able to sense your Muon no Tachi, old man."

Paul chuckled.

"A secret technique built on extreme perception and the Suijinryuu (Water God Style)—a fusion of Ryuu no Kougi (Flowing Secret Arts)? Then... what if I got a bit faster? Could I land a hit before your senses pick up my strike?"

Allen squinted and smiled.

"You're welcome to try, old man."

Paul let out a playful laugh that drifted in the wind—and in the next moment, he was at Allen's side.

His sword was only half a meter from Allen's forehead.

But Allen's hand had moved at the same time as Paul. His blade folded inward, meeting Paul's strike directly between his eyes.

Their gazes locked.

Clang! A crisp sound rang out as Paul's sword was deflected to the side, again 'just barely' diverted by Allen's Ryuu no Kougi.

Paul smiled.

He let go of his sword—a feint!

At the same moment the blade left his hand, his leg was already whipping toward Allen's chest.

It had all been a trick—his earlier question about speed was to make Allen expect a fast Kenshinryuu (Sword God Style) strike.

But Paul had planned from the beginning to discard his sword and use a surprise kick to determine victory.

Even so, Allen still responded in time.

He shifted his blade again. As Paul's kick neared his chest, Allen brushed the handle across Paul's foot, using the Ryuu no Kougi to divert the force and send it flying harmlessly past his ribs.

In that brief exchange, their eyes met once again, now shining with battle spirit.

Paul planted his other foot into the ground, used the force to twist his waist, caught his falling sword mid-air, and turned the failed kick into a sudden spin.

A new surge of force flowed from the ground to his core as he twisted and slashed toward Allen's back.

Another change-up after the whip kick!

Allen didn't even have time to turn around.

Paul saw the opportunity. His blade was almost touching Allen's back, a smile of victory forming.

This is the fastest Muon no Tachi I can manage. He hasn't even turned... I won—Wait, what?!

Allen's shoulder dropped.

A blade-like phantom danced back from over his shoulder and perfectly blocked Paul's sword mid-air.

A faint ringing sang through the air.

Paul's sword was deflected with a clang, spiraling past his ear, slicing the wind, and embedding itself in a nearby tree with a loud thunk, buzzing violently.

Everyone—Zenith and the rest—turned to look at the tree, then back at the two men.

They were stunned.

To them, who lacked battle aura-enhanced dynamic vision, the two had simply moved blindingly fast. One moment they were face to face, and the next, with flashes of steel, Paul's sword was somehow embedded in a tree.

Like some absurd show.

Paul blinked, stunned. He looked at his sword stuck in the tree, then at Allen's smug, sideways glance after lowering his shoulder.

For a moment, he couldn't find words.

Allen, seeing Paul dazed, straightened up, sheathed his blade, turned to him, and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Old man, you really like using Hokushinryuu (North God Style), huh."

Paul came back to his senses, looking at his hand as if unable to accept how, even after multiple tricks, Allen had still used Ryuu no Kougi to disarm him flawlessly.

Still, he remained stubborn.

"A-Anyway, it was strategy. Also... your secret technique is insane. It's like an impenetrable defense. No openings. Unless someone has overwhelming strength, I doubt they could land a hit."

Then, confused and slightly annoyed, he added:

"This is practically a perfect Suijinryuu technique! What more 'inspiration' do you need to 'awaken' something from it? What, do you want to deflect a sword and still manage to cut off my head too?!"

Allen blinked and replied immediately:

"Well, yeah."

Paul stared at him in disbelief.

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]

[Thank You For Your Support!]