The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 159: Interlude – Try Calling Me "Sister"?

Swish!

A silver flash, resembling moonlight, sliced through the air.

A flash so fast, it was hard to follow with the eyes.

What began as a single silver streak split into two, then four, and continued dividing until it numbered in the dozens in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t just an illusion meant to trick the eyes.

Each strike carried enough force to shred steel as if it were paper.

‘This is a technique I’ve never seen before.’

Watching the dazzling whirlwind of silver, I couldn’t help but click my tongue in astonishment.

I wasn’t sure what kind of change of heart Yurina had undergone, but ever since she confessed her true identity to her companions during last summer’s break, her swordsmanship had surged.

To the point where even I struggled to keep up.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The ash-gray blade and the silver flashes intertwined in mid-air.

Blocking dozens of strikes simultaneously was no easy feat, but—

‘I haven’t been just idly standing by myself.’

Ashen Sword First Form Variation.

Dissolution - Chain.

The sword, enveloped in ash-like flame, unleashed a fierce series of blows that deflected the dozens of silver flashes.

The intense impact shook the entire training hall.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

I looked back at Yurina and praised her after deflecting all her attacks.

“It’s not over yet!”

Yurina, gripping her sword again, raised it high and swung it.

“Haap!”

With a confident cry, the Stigma engraved on her left chest began to glow.

A silver aura wrapped around her sword and burst forth fiercely.

Vrrrrrrm!

Her sword sliced through the air, unleashing a silver flash.

It started as a single streak but kept splitting and, in an instant, multiplied to dozens again.

Thinking it was the same technique as before, I raised my sword to block—

Schaaa-schaa-schaa-schaa!

“No way…”

The dozens of strikes expanded to hundreds.

The training hall, already vast enough to feel oversized for one person, was suddenly filled with a sea of silver sword energy.

Hundreds of silver strikes glided through the air in a circular formation, like staring up at a moonlit night sky.

‘What is this?’

This, too, was a technique I had never seen, not even in the ancient ruins or during her past life as Yuren.

“Ugh…”

Yurina’s expression twisted as if the technique still burdened her.

Biting her lip, she raised her sword high.

“Sun Sword Form Eight…”

Form Eight?

Form Eight??

I let out a hollow laugh at the number spilling from Yurina’s lips.

Forms beyond Form Eight of the Sun Sword were techniques even Yuren had only mastered after joining my party in my previous life.

That was after graduating school and fighting together for about ten years.

In other words—

Right now, Yurina was trying to surpass ten… no, even more years in one leap.

And she was doing it with—

“Moon… Glow!”

A technique that was completely different from the “Sun Sword Form Eight” I knew.

Vrrrrrrm!

The hundreds of gliding silver strikes all turned toward me at once.

They didn’t just shoot straight like arrows; each contained the finesse and mastery of the Sun Sword.

For a moment, I felt as if I were facing hundreds of Yurinas at once, sending chills down my spine.

‘This is…’

Impossible to block.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble!

The hundreds of strikes surged like a storm.

It was a small mercy, perhaps, that each individual strike wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful.

But—

“Gah… cough!”

Though it might have seemed “weaker,” the sheer force of the combined attacks wasn’t something to dismiss.

Swept up in the storm of sword energy, I was flung away violently.

Beep! Beep!

The entire training hall flashed with red emergency lights, and the alarm blared.

“D-Dale! Are you okay?”

Yurina ran toward me, breathless with worry.

“Ugh… I’m fine.”

It was a lie.

To be honest, for a moment, I thought the “Blessing of Revival” might have to activate.

“I’m so sorry. I thought you could handle it easily, Dale…”

Yurina stomped her feet in distress, not knowing what to do.

“Wait a moment! I’ll go get Iris right away!”

“No, don’t… call her.”

If Iris saw this, she’d be horrified and scold me for ages.

“Are you really okay?”

“Ngh, yeah. Just need a little rest.”

I staggered to a bench in the corner of the training room and sat down.

“So when did you learn that technique?”

I asked while leaning back against the wall to catch my breath.

Yurina responded with an embarrassed smile.

“Ah… I’ve been practicing the Eighth Form of the Sun Sword recently.”

“…Really?”

But it was nothing like the Eighth Form I knew.

“The original Sun Sword Form Eight is called ‘Solar Veil,’ but I reinterpreted it and created a new version.”

“…….”

I see.

No wonder it was so different; Yurina had created her own version.

“And you named it ‘Moon Glow’?”

“Y-yeah. It felt more fitting to associate it with the moon, so I changed the name.”

Yurina bowed her head, looking unsure.

“Is it… arrogant of me?”

“Huh? Why would it be?”

“Well, I mean… I altered the swordsmanship that the great Lord Reynald, the ‘Sword of the Sun,’ created.”

“Well…”

True.

To Yurina, who grew up in the house of ‘Helios,’ Reynald’s swordsmanship was almost sacred.

Modifying it at will would be like a clergyman rewriting scripture to match their interpretation—something heretical.

But—

“I don’t think that’s a problem at all.”

“R-really?”

The moonlight reflected in Yurina’s eyes, pushing away her shadows.

“No matter how great a sword technique may be, it isn’t the best for everyone.”

Just as I had forged my own path with the Ashen Sword, she was creating a new path that suited her.

“Though, if you’re changing it, why not rename it entirely? Instead of the Sun Sword, call it the Moon Sword or something.”

“No, I won’t go that far.”

Yurina softly shook her head.

“Whether I like it or not, my roots are with the Sun Sword. I don’t want to deny that.”

She smiled faintly, recalling the days when she first learned the Sun Sword from Yuren.

Though the story had ended in tragedy, there were moments of happiness she did not want to erase.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“By the way, Dale… You didn’t give your all just now, did you?”

“Huh? No, I did my best.”

“Liar. Your body didn’t emit smoke, and there weren’t any flames.”

“That’s...”

Was she talking about Ignition and Flare?

‘Well, it’s true that I didn’t use them.’

Still, excluding that, I had fought her with all the strength I could muster.

‘And I lost, fair and square.’

I swallowed a bitter smile and looked at Yurina.

It was true that Ignition and Flare were my strongest assets right now, but considering how long I had wielded a sword, it didn’t make sense that I was being outmatched in swordsmanship by Yurina.

‘I’ve spent thousands of years honing my sword skills, only to be caught up to in half a year.’

Lately, Yurina’s rate of growth was so astonishing that even I, who knew the previous ‘Yuren,’ was frequently surprised.

“Will there ever come a day when I can catch up to you?”

Even so, Yurina seemed to feel inadequate and asked in an anxious voice.

“It feels like you’ve already caught up.”

“But I’m still not at the level where I can protect you.”

Yurina stroked the hilt of her sword as she spoke.

“I want to be strong enough to protect you, Dale.”

“Well… there’s no need to be so impatient. You’re doing great already.”

“…Really? Am I doing well?”

“Yeah.”

“Then...”

With a faint blush on her cheeks, Yurina tugged at my collar.

I didn’t need her to say anything more to know what she wanted.

I reached out slowly and patted her on the head.

“Hehe.”

Yurina smiled bashfully.

A familiar chime interrupted as I continued the routine task of patting Yurina’s head.

Beep.

[Cadet Iris, entry authorization confirmed.]

The door to the training hall slid open with a clear, bell-like sound.

“…Doing that again, I see. Hmph, Yurina, your tastes are peculiar, I must say.”

Iris entered and glanced at me, still patting Yurina’s head, with a wry look.

“N-no! This is...!”

Yurina blushed and hastily took a step back.

Iris let out a small chuckle as she watched.

“It’s fine. It’s not like this is the first time.”

“……?”

Yurina tilted her head, puzzled at the relaxed confidence in Iris’s tone.

“I brought lunch. Make sure you eat before continuing.”

“Ah, thanks.”

“…You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

Iris frowned as she carefully examined me.

“It’s nothing. It’ll heal quickly on its own.”

“Still, you need treatment. Let me see your wound for a moment.”

Iris placed her hand on the wound from training and murmured a brief incantation.

A soft, silvery glow emanated from her hand and seeped into the cut.

In the blink of an eye, the bleeding stopped, and the wound closed up.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Iris smiled softly as she traced the newly healed skin with her fingers.

“……”

Yurina narrowed her eyes as she observed us.

“Did something happen between the two of you?”

Perhaps it was intuition, but she sensed that the air between us had subtly changed.

“Oh, it’s nothing special.”

Iris looked at Yurina and lifted the corners of her mouth in a sly grin.

“Dale and I started dating recently.”

“…What?”

“I’ve decided to accept everything about Dale. Something like that.”

“W-wait a minute!”

Yurina’s eyes widened as she demanded an explanation.

“Then what about me...?”

“Yurina, you haven’t given Dale an answer to his confession yet, have you?”

“Ugh! That’s so unfair...!”

Yurina bit her lip in frustration and walked briskly towards me.

“Dale! Are you really planning to leave me behind like this?!”

“Well, that’s...”

“You said you like me too!”

Yurina clutched my collar, her eyes welling up with tears.

It was a situation of my own making, but guilt surged within me, and all I could do was nod.

That seemed to be enough for her.

Yurina sighed in relief, looking more at ease.

“Does this make us even?”

“Hmph. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly the same.”

“What?”

“I was a little faster. And besides...”

Iris crossed her arms and looked at Yurina.

“You mentioned that you’re actually the younger sister of ‘Yuren,’ right?”

“…So what?”

“That means you’re technically younger than me, aren’t you?”

“……”

It was true.

Yurina’s actual age matched that of a first-year cadet at the Hero Academy.

“Bringing up age at a time like this?”

“Oh? Don’t you know how important age is in relationships? There’s even an old saying in the Republic: ‘Respect the order of seniority.’”

“Ugh...”

“Hmm. Well then, Yurina... or should I say, little Yurina.”

Iris smiled triumphantly and reached out to pat Yurina’s cheek.

“Won’t you call me ‘big sister’?”

“……”

Yurina’s face crumpled in frustration.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]