__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The wind howled through the desolate little town, carrying with it a suffocating chill.
The air reeked of killing intent.
Taeko lowered her stance slightly, blade raised at an angle, her voice calm and absolute."In this generation, no one is stronger than me."
"Then let's test that," Cornelia replied, her tone heavy and steady.
Under different circumstances, they might have become good friends.
If things had been different, Cornelia would never have wanted to cross blades with Taeko.
But they stood on opposite sides. And that meant one day, inevitably, they would try to kill each other.
That day had simply arrived sooner than expected.
"Lose focus in a fight," Taeko said coldly, "and you die."
She moved first.
Steel flashed as she lunged forward, long blade cutting through the air.
Crack.
Bones shifted.
Cornelia activated her joint-extension ability, lengthening her legs slightly to compensate. Taeko's weapon gave her a clear advantage in reach. Without some kind of trick, she had no chance.
"Ha!"
Cornelia let out a sharp cry and drove her right fist forward, the gauntlet-type Teigu [Crushing King] slamming toward Taeko.
Clang!
Taeko's blade scraped across the surface of [Crushing King], sparks bursting between steel and metal. The sword slid off and angled straight for Cornelia's pale throat.
At the last second—
Cornelia swept out a kick, forcing Taeko back and buying herself space.
That reach is a nightmare, she thought, exhaling slowly. I need a plan.
Anyone else would have been dead from that strike.
Taeko held her blade in one hand, eyes cold as ice. "You're strong. But you're not my opponent. Today, you die."
They drew in breath again, tension coiling tight—ready for another explosion of violence.
High above, in the empty sky—
Alex sat leisurely, eating breakfast.
He made no move to intervene.
Not yet.
There was no need to rush. He could step in after one of them fell.
"Taeko's swordsmanship really is impressive," he muttered to himself. "Once she joins the Familia and learns the breathing techniques, she'll be even stronger."
"Who knows—maybe one day she'll even forge a Sword God's divinity."
When his personal pantheon was fully formed, perhaps he could aim for higher worlds beyond this one.
The DanMachi world had a high ceiling. So did many others.
But there were always realms beyond them.
That, however, was a matter for the future.
Below him, the battle reignited.
Metal clashed again and again. Sparks flew in showers.
Even with her Teigu, Cornelia was slowly being forced back.
"You're strong," Taeko said, flipping her blade with controlled ease. "And your weapon's impressive. But your weaknesses are too obvious."
"If this continues, I'll kill you here."
Ordinarily, Taeko wouldn't waste words mid-fight.
But recently… she had genuinely thought of Cornelia as a friend.
"Enough talk!"
Cornelia lunged forward, lowering her center of gravity as she rushed in.
She had to close the distance. Only at close range could she unleash her full strength.
Taeko saw through her instantly and shook her head—but attacked anyway.
As a swordswoman, Taeko's speed far outstripped Cornelia's. Every slash landed precisely against the [Crushing King] on Cornelia's wrist.
Still, Cornelia seized what openings she could, counterattacking whenever possible.
But only a handful of her blows connected.
Taeko's speed. Her reach.
Both were lethal disadvantages.
Then—
Just as Cornelia prepared to strike again, her body jolted violently.
Her pupils widened.
"Poison…? I've been poisoned?!"
She clutched her chest. There was no mistaking the sensation.
"I told you not to space out during a fight."
Taeko darted forward, twisting her body as her blade swept in a vicious horizontal arc.
The wind screamed.
Caught off guard, Cornelia could only raise [Crushing King] to block.
Clang!
The impact forced her back step after step.
Strike while she's weak—finish it.
Taeko advanced relentlessly, blade flashing in a relentless storm of slashes, like unending rain.
No room to breathe. No time to recover.
I can't keep this up.I'll die!
Cornelia's eyes flared wide. She twisted aside to dodge a cut, then suddenly slammed her fist into the stone pavement beside her.
Boom!
The slab shattered.
Dust and debris erupted upward in a thick cloud.
The sudden disruption slowed Taeko's movements for just a heartbeat—
And that was all Cornelia needed.
She surged forward, closing the distance in two quick strides and driving her fist out with everything she had.
This time—
It landed.
Her punch smashed squarely into Taeko's chest.
"—!"
Taeko spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering backward.
Now the battle had entered its final, blazing stage.
Both of them understood.
It had to end—fast.
Inside the chat group:
Yotsuya Miko: "@Alex Aren't you going to step in? Cold-blooded, aren't you?"
Yue: "I'm sure Alex has his reasons."
Shinobu Kocho: "Those two girls are strong. Especially the swordswoman."
Hestia: "Looks like my Familia's about to get stronger again~"
Mikoto Misaka: "Alex's about to be happy again."
Esdeath: "@Alex After you finish the mission, come see me."
Shinobu Kocho: "Why not come see me first?"
Yotsuya Miko: "Tsk tsk. Commander, aren't you going to say something? @Alex."
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________