Chapter 19
"Are you trying to negotiate like in the past?" (Soma)
Lina nodded at Soma's inquiry without hesitation.
She was thinking to tell the truth, but it was more convenient of the other side explained it.
The girl was introduced with a name of Aina, but Lina's mouth was loosened a little while looking at a place within walking distance.
With this, there would be no interference.
"Well then, is this alright?" (Soma)
"Yes, it's alright." (Lina)
Just to be sure, she checked her hand while nodding at Soma's words.
She grasped a wooden stick found in the surrounding area.
Similar object was held in Soma's hand. When looking at his figure from the side, it seem like he was playing with a stick.
Nah, he really looked that.
What Lina had seen in the past seemed to be such a thing.
Rather than picking up a new one, Soma brought the stick that he had prepared. Seeing Soma's appearance like that, Lina judged he was still doing it even until now.
Aina probably saw it too… and, Lina couldn't stop thinking the reason why.
If anyone was watching him, they would notice it.
The stick he held was truly a playing stick.
However, Lina couldn't notice it at that time because she got involved with various elements.
That girl should be different. Above all, they seemed to be close to each other. Hence, they might have met many times.
Even if she didn't notice in the beginning, it would not be unnecessary to notice that it was a playing stick.
So if Soma was pointing it out, it was necessary for Lina to do the same–
"…No, that was just me venting anger." (Lina)
Lina has decided to teach Soma the reality by completely beating him down.
There was no other holding that kind of responsibility here.
Even if it was caused by a grudge… Lina still decided to hold the responsibility.
Besides, there was no other person who had the right to condemn him.
It would be better for Lina to honestly tell the reality.
It was useless to do anything because he had no skills.
And the stick was nothing but a playing stick.
She felt that she should be pointing out the reality of having no skills.
However, the regret she had would be until today only.
In order to confirm that, she tightly grasped the stick in hand and focusing her thought.
"Well, then… I'm going." (Lina)
"Hmm, you can come." (Soma)
The stance of Soma who calmly nodded was something that can't be called as a stance.
Unlike Soma, Lina, who had learned martial arts, understood that well.
Because Lina didn't want to see Soma in that way anymore, she decided to immediately end it.
Her stance was to leap into Soma's chest with only a step forward.
Maybe this would end before Soma understood anything.
But, that was fine.
She wanted to end that unsightly behavior by letting him know the reality and the overwhelming strength.
With such thought, she unleashed a discretion blow.
— Special Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p - Spiritual Concentration – Discretion: Slas.h.i.+ng Attack – Intentional Negligence (TLN: The name in raw is 剣術特級・精神集中・手加減：斬撃・手抜き。)
That technique wasn't to make fun of Soma.
No, it wasn't wrong in a sense, but… she was thinking of Soma.
Special Rank was higher than Advanced Rank.
It was a special skill that only a few in the world had it. Even genius among so called genius could have it.
Using such techniques were no less than a disaster.
Even using a wooden stick, people's body and other parts could easily fall apart.
And if the opponent didn't have any skills, the effect would be worse.
Therefore, Lina was fully concentrating with all her mind to put Soma on the verge of death and not killing him–
"–Eh?" (Lina)
— Consequently, as a matter of course, she was rolling on the ground and facing up.
She didn't know what had happened.
No, that was wrong.
She didn't want to understand.
What had happened was simple.
When Lina made a slas.h.i.+ng attack after getting into his bosom, she was obviously warded off by Soma like it was a joke. He made a counter with a blow on her head.
Because that was too unexpected, her legs got entangled and she faced up while lying on her back.
But for Lina, that was impossible.
No matter how she went easy on him, even if she was playing around, she shouldn't lose to Advanced Rank skill when she had Special Rank skill.
Regarding the Special Rank–
"Hmm… even if you said that this is a match, no matter how much I looked, it seems to me that you are playing around, am I right? (Soma)
"–!?" (Lina)
At that moment, he made her felt like she was a fool.
It felt like that when she was told 'Is this the degree of your capability?'
Honestly speaking, it was Lina who was really a fool.
No matter how she tried to gloss over this situation, it was absurd when her attack was repelled even when she was trying hard to go easy on him.
However, it was Lina who was defeated here.
…No. Maybe that was the reason.
That composition was something that Lina had wanted.
"…!" (Lina)
Denying the fact, she stood up, kicked the ground as soon as
This time was not comparable to the previous attack, but it was too late to remove the common sense from her mind.
— Special Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p - Spiritual Concentration – Discretion: Slas.h.i.+ng Attack
'Fuh', immediately after hearing that sigh, she felt an impact on her head.
Nevertheless, Soma didn't display a strange appearance probably because he had predicted her movement somewhere on the head.
Lina was calm, or possibly that was a part of her ideals, but she was still whispering even now.
'The result was obvious. If it is Nii-sama, it is probably not impossible for him to do so.'
But the other ideal that occupied most of her brain was loudly screaming.
'There is no such a thing. Such a thing shouldn't be possible. But… It is strange if it doesn't happen this way. It would be a lie if he can't do that.'
The brother who had no skills was really… really not incompetent.
Why the brother of her was treated like that?
The reasons didn't match with the situation.
She had to disagree.
He was rejected because of incompetence, and he was treated as if he didn't exist… There were no reasons to see her brother in that way!
— Swordsmans.h.i.+p Special Rank - Spiritual Concentration - Unconventional Heaven: Single Strike (TLN: The name in raw is 剣術特級・精神集中・一念通天：一刀両断。Not sure how to translate 一念通天)
"Hmm… not bad, but you still have long way to go." (Soma)
The blow was instinctively unleashed with full power with a single thought but it was easily repelled way too soon.
Her head was briskly beaten, but there was no way she would stop at this point.
Indeed, she couldn't agree.
— Special Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p - Spiritual Concentration – Unconventional Heaven – Wild Dance: Cherry Blossom – Flowers Profusion (TLN: The name in raw is 剣術特級・精神集中・一念通天・乱舞：桜花・百花繚乱。Not sure how to translate 百花繚乱)
She alternately stepped in and swung, but… her head was..h.i.t every time.
It felt like she was a musical instrument.
And the incidents she had experienced one year ago went through her head at the same time.
As for Lina, the most impression remained during the past year was how often she was praised.
She attended a party as the next successor of her household. At her age, she was praised because she was told to study as someone suitable to be the next successor.
Turning back the story of her skills, it was told that the country was safe since she had a Special Rank swordsmans.h.i.+p skill.
That wasn't the story from the outside, but same goes on the inside of her.
She understood what she studied and she was praised when she made a progress.
As expected, the tutors were also proud, and they praised her like every day.
Among them, her mother was probably the one who bestowed such words.
Sofia constantly praised her even on small things which like nothing at all. There was probably not a single day when words of praise not given.
No matter what she did, no matter what she said, Sofia would praise her.
It was completely like praising someone that couldn't be praised anymore.
Lina was praised a lot during that year.
Either from those who know her or from unknown people.
She was greatly admired.
And people were willing when they did that.
However, she wasn't happy at all deep inside her heart.
— Special Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p – Spiritual Concentration – Unconventional Heaven – Unrivaled Strength: Flas.h.i.+ng of Secret Technique (TLN: The name in raw is 剣術特級・精神集中・一念通天・怪力無双：奥義一閃)
"Hmm… it's not really bad, but there is something missing. Perhaps, you haven't train much with other people?" (Soma)
That was probably the truth.
Only those who had Special Rank skill could only go against people with similar rank.
Even for Advanced Rank, they couldn't match with those who had Special Rank skills.
To begin with, a person with Advanced Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p was known as a first cla.s.s swordsman.
Such a partner couldn't work as a tutor. Besides, it was a mistake to hope for that.
As a matter of course, people who taught swordsmans.h.i.+p were people with Intermediate Rank skill.
Well, actually, it was luxury enough even with that position, and that was the reason Lina practiced by herself during swordsmans.h.i.+p lesson.
That person only taught her by words, but she was properly taught.
She started with the foundation of holding sword, how to swing and footwork.
She was also taught how to put her heart into swordsmans.h.i.+p and many other things.
Lina was doing her best even when she was seen in awe.
So…
Today, the first thought she had when seeing the appearance of those two was probably a jealousy.
— Special Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p – Spiritual Concentration – Unconventional Heaven – Unrivaled Strength – Intermediate Rank Presence Blocking: Absolute – Dark Sword Killing. (TLN: The name in raw is 剣術特級・精神集中・一念通天・怪力無双・気配遮断中級：絶・暗剣殺. Not so sure about 暗剣殺 – Dark Sword Killing)
She wonder if the jealousy thought pushed her to this situation.
In the next moment, Lina was unleas.h.i.+ng the culmination of knowledge gained after receiving a year of swordsmans.h.i.+p lesson.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't that complicated.
Lina simply combined everything that she could do now.
However, the effect was enormous because of its simplicity.
Starting from the time when a sword was swung, its trajectory couldn't be read.
Rather than a sword technique, it was closer to a.s.sa.s.sination techniques.
"Ooh, now it wasn't bad. However, you should have thought about the movement before now a little more. From that point, your movement is obvious." (Soma)
However, the attack was naturally warded off, and her head was..h.i.t.
However, she insisted that there was no way for her to stop when she already came to this point.
Lina devotedly moved in order to give a blow at all costs.
Yes, she wasn't convinced after all.
The reason was outsiders who praised her didn't know about Soma.
To make matters worse, the household tutors also didn't know about Soma.
When those people praised Lina, they were comparing her to that someone.
For those who knew Soma, when they praised her, it seemed that they wanted to say something about him even a bit.
That was also the att.i.tude of her mother.
Lina was told that she shouldn't care at all about Soma.
However, above all, Lina wasn't convinced.
Everything that she came up with seemed to be meaningless.
Everything that she learned so far…
That one year when she was trying her best…
With the sword techniques she polished alone…
Everything…
But, it wasn't recognized.
Lina couldn't accept it.
Well, of course.
After all, she had no other options besides 'that'.
She didn't plan to use anything else but 'that'.
If 'that' was denied–
"… I… I–!" (Lina)
— Sword of Heaven – Special Rank Swordsmans.h.i.+p – Limit Break – Ruler of Mankind: Sword of Star (TLN: The name in raw is 天の剣・剣術特級・限界突破・人類の裁定者：星の剣)
The only thing Lina remembered was how she swung her arms with full power.
—
TLN: