Have you ever seen a glorious and impeccable western swordplay?
One that even amateurs could appreciate the beauty of such an art?
Yeah, that's what Nero feels right now.
And holy shit, was he not prepared for this absolute cinema he's currently watching.
*Swoooosh!*
Aurelia's blade cut through the air like it was slicing reality itself.
A thin layer of silver energy coated her sword, making it look like she was wielding starlight itself.
Her movements were clean, efficient, and so goddamn advanced that Nero's monkey brain couldn't keep up.
Each strike flowed into the next, like water finding its path.
Her footwork was perfect.
There was no wasted motion, no unnecessary movements.
Just pure, deadly precision that would make professional fencers weep in agony and have existential crisis.
*Slash! Thrust! Parry!*
She moved faster than before, way faster.
Her blade became a blur of silver, creating afterimages that danced in the air.
Nero watched with his mouth hanging open like a broken mailbox.
As someone learning the basics of Valkyria Swordsmanship, he somewhat recognized what he was seeing.
This wasn't just skill.
This was the very peak of what Valkyria Swordsmanship could achieve.
Every technique he'd struggled to learn for weeks, she executed flawlessly in seconds.
It was like watching a master pianist play a piece you'd been practicing with your feet.
*SLICE!*
The final strike cut through three imaginary opponents simultaneously.
"..."
Aurelia came to a stop, not even breathing hard.
The silver energy faded from her blade as she lowered it gracefully.
"Lord Nero."
"..."
Nero just stood there, completely stunlocked by what he'd witnessed.
"Lord Nero."
His brain was basically malfunctioning, trying to process the absolute artistry of what his eyes just saw.
"Lord Nero."
*Poke.*
A gentle finger tapped his shoulder.
"Lord Nero."
*Poke. Poke.*
"... Huh? What? Yeah, I'm alive!"
Nero snapped back to reality like someone had rebooted his system.
"What does Lord Nero think?"
"That was... fuck me sideways, that was godly."
"Did the demonstration meet Lord Nero's expectations?"
Aurelia tilted her head with that innocent soldier-like expression that just made her cuter.
"Met my expectations? Angel, that obliterated my expectations, buried them, and then danced on their grave."
Nero ran his hands through his hair like he was trying to process what he'd seen.
"I've been learning Valkyria Swordsmanship for a month now… and you just showed me techniques that were so advanced that I didn't even know they existed."
"Your foundation is solid, Lord Nero. You're approaching the appropriate physical condition to learn the advanced techniques of Valkyria Swordsmanship."
"Similar proficiency my ass. What I just watched was like... like comparing a crayon drawing to the Mona Lisa."
Nero shook his head in amazement.
"Just how the hell did your muscle memory retain all of that even after a massive memory loss?"
"It feels... natural. As if these movements were ingrained in my very essence."
Aurelia examined her blade thoughtfully.
"Each technique flows from the last without conscious thought… Especially so, after gaining back some of my strength."
"... Right, the whole 'unsealing past strength' thingy."
Nero glanced at the sky and noticed something weird.
"Speaking of things that don't make sense, check out that weird sunset."
The sun was hanging low on the horizon, but instead of the usual orange glow, it was a blonde-yellow-white color that looked completely surreal.
It gave off this ethereal, otherworldly feeling instead of the romantic mood you'd expect from a normal sunset.
It's like someone had replaced the sun with a giant glowing pearl.
"Almost makes you forget we're in some apocalyptic version of Earth, huh?"
Nero stared at the mesmerizing light.
"It's beautiful, in a 'this world has gone completely insane' kind of way."
"..."
Aurelia kept her silence as she studied the unusual sunset, and for a moment, something flickered in her golden eyes.
A vague recognition, like a memory trying to surface.
Her expression grew distant, almost melancholic.
She tilted her head slightly, as if listening to a sound only she could hear.
"The light spectrum appears... familiar, yet different."
She frowned, her golden eyes reflecting the strange sunset in a way that made them look almost ancient.
"It reminds me of..."
Aurelia paused, her hand unconsciously moving to her chest.
"... Of something important. But I cannot grasp what it is exactly."
"..."
They stood in comfortable silence for a while.
Nero didn't push or ask questions.
Sometimes people just needed space to work through their shit.
And that's especially so, for a tough maiden warrior in front of him.
Aurelia, who might've faced countless enemies and had probably beheaded them like a red rocket launcher, isn't the weak type of woman who would fall from a confused or forgotten identity.
She's a tough Valkyrie who most likely overcame countless adversaries in her past.
What she needs is some peaceful time to sort out her thoughts.
… Well, at least, he'd learned that from years of dealing with his own mental breakdowns in the past.
"What are you thinking right now?"
He asked casually with his usual laid-back tone.
"I... do not know."
Aurelia's voice was softer than usual, tinged with confusion.
"When I observe this sunset, fragments of... something... stir within my mind. But they slip away the moment I try to focus on them."
She closed her eyes, as if trying to concentrate.
"There are whispers in my mind. Voices calling my name, but not the name I could recognize nor remember."
"Sounds frustrating as hell."
Nero stretched and yawned.
He can't show his worry as the angel waifu before him didn't need that.
But…
"You know what humans do when we can't figure something out and it's pissing us off?"
What he can do is offer her ways to release those pent-up messy emotions from her chest.
Aurelia opened her eyes and looked at him curiously.
"We scream at the sky like lunatics."
"... What?"
"Seriously. It's therapeutic or some shit."
Nero grinned and gestured toward the weird sunset.
"Just pick a direction, preferably away from people, and yell all your frustrations at the universe."
"That seems... undignified."
"Angel, you're literally a warrior who cuts things in half for a living… Dignity is overrated when it comes to your own life."
He turned toward the horizon and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"FUCK YOU, APOCALYPSE! YOUR SUNSET IS WEIRD AND YOUR MONSTERS ARE UGLY!"
His voice echoed across the landscape like he was announcing the shit they were experiencing for the past month.
Aurelia stared at him with wide eyes, before blinking her eyes with a hint of disbelief.
"See? I feel better already."
Nero turned back to her with a satisfied expression.
"Your turn. Let those fragmented memories know what you think of them."
"I cannot simply... yell at my thoughts."
"Why not? They're being assholes by not letting you remember important stuff."
Nero crossed his arms before tapping her back, urging her to try it.
"Come on, just try it. What's the worst that could happen?"
Aurelia looked uncertain, but after a moment, she turned toward the sunset.
She opened her mouth…
"..."
Then closed it.
"..."
And opened it again, then looked back at Nero.
"I… do not know what to say."
"Just say whatever comes to your mind. Don't think about it. You can even curse the reason why you lost your memories."
"... Isn't this ridiculous?"
"I swear, it's the best therapy that's guaranteed to work since the caveman era."
Aurelia took a deep breath as faced the horizon…
"Memories, you are being... problematic."
And then spoke in her normal stiff voice.
Nero snorted with laughter.
"That wasn't yelling, that was asking them politely to stop being inconvenient."
"... I am not accustomed to raising my voice without purpose."
"The purpose is to make yourself feel better… Try again, but this time, pretend those memories just insulted your sword technique as trash or useless."
"..."
Aurelia's eyes flashed with something that might have been amusement.
She turned back toward the sunset, took another deep breath, and actually raised her voice.
"Fragmented memories, your timing is terrible and your clarity is insufficient!"
It wasn't quite a scream, but it's definitely louder than her usual speaking voice.
"Better! Now tell them how you really feel."
"Stop making me feel homesick for places I cannot remember!!!"
This one had some real feeling behind it.
"And stop whispering names I cannot hear properly!!!"
"There we go. Let it all out."
"I do not appreciate this emotional confusion!!!!"
Her voice was getting stronger, and more confident.
"IT IS HIGHLY INEFFICIENT AND SERVES NO TACTICAL PURPOSE!!!!"
At the end, she shouted the last thought with an emphasis like there was no tomorrow.
Nero was grinning like an idiot.
Only Aurelia would complain about emotions being tactically unsound.
"Furthermore..."
She paused, seeming to run out of steam.
"Furthermore?"
Nero questioned.
"Furthermore... I would like my memories back, please…"
The last part was said in her normal voice, almost politely.
"Well, that was adorable."
It's the first time Nero saw the usually stoic angel waifu lash out like that willingly.
As most of the time she breaks her serious expression are moments where she's caught off guard by something she didn't expect.
That's why it's definitely a refreshing sight to see and a memory to remember.
"Did it... work?"
Aurelia looked at Nero, genuinely curious about whether yelling at her problems had solved anything.
"Do you feel better?"
"..."
She considered this for a moment.
"I do, actually… Though I am unsure why."
"Because sometimes you need to tell your problems to go fuck themselves, even if they're inside your own head."
Nero stretched again with relief.
"It's an ancient human tradition called 'venting'. I told you it's therapeutic."
"I see… and is this… a normal behavior for your species?"
"Totally normal. Some people pay hundreds of dollars to scream in therapy sessions."
"Fascinating… Perhaps I should incorporate this into my daily routine."
The image of Aurelia having scheduled screaming sessions was too much.
Nero burst out laughing.
"Just maybe warn me first so I don't think we're under attack."
"Understood."
She nodded seriously, like this was important tactical information.
"Though I find it... pleasant."
She said finally, her voice returning to its usual steady tone, though something had changed.
Her tone was more light and her brows were more relaxed than before.
She definitely released a lot of pent-up emotions from those yells.
"Yeah, well, as much as I'd love to stand here and philosophize about alien sunsets, we should head back."
Nero, who's happy to be able to help his angel waifu, stretched and started walking toward their temporary base.
"Tomorrow's going to be a shitshow with the Verdant Tyrant, and I want to get some rest before we turn that plant into mulch."
"Agreed. Proper rest will be essential for optimal performance."
Aurelia sheathed her sword and followed beside him.
They walked in comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts about the upcoming battle.
The strange sunset cast long shadows across the landscape, making everything look like a fantasy painting.
But then,
*CRAAAACK!!!*
The ground beneath them suddenly split like someone had taken a sledgehammer to reality.
A massive fissure opened up, separating Nero and Aurelia by at least three meters.
"What the hell?!"
Nero stumbled backward as the crack widened.
But that wasn't the end of it.
*RUMBLE…! RUMBLE…!*
Thick stone walls began rising from the ground around them, creating an instant maze.
The walls shot up so fast that within seconds, Nero and Aurelia were completely separated by towering barriers.
"Aurelia!"
Nero reached out desperately, but she was already blocked from view by the newly formed stone walls.
"I'm here! Don't panic!"
Her voice echoed from somewhere beyond the barriers, but the sound bounced off the walls in confusing directions.
"This appears to be some form of spatial displacement! Find a way out!"
Nero looked around frantically.
The stone walls had created what looked like a single-path corridor with no way back.
The top of the maze was also blocked by some sort of thin transparent barrier, hindering Aurelia's ability to fly over the walls.
In the end, there's only one direction to go.
"... Fucking fantastic. Just when we thought things were going too well."
He started moving forward with caution, following the only path available.
The walls were too high to climb, and there were no other exits.
Just one way forward through the stone corridor.
*Step… step… step…*
Every step echoed ominously, and the strange sunset light created eerie shadows between the walls.
After what felt like forever, the corridor opened up into a small clearing.
… And that's when he saw him.
A figure standing with his back turned, silhouetted against the weird sunset light.
A tall build, confident and cocky posture, paired with that familiar arrogant stance.
It's definitely that bastard.
Marcus.
'Is this what I think it is?'
Nero narrowed his eyes, as his cliché senses were tingling once again.
If it is what he thinks it is, then it's definitely THAT part of the plot that he read from countless web novels before.
'Please, no…'
Nero internally begged the imaginary author.
***
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