“Not as a child, with blind faith in miracles, nor as an adult resigned to reality’s harshness. It is about recognizing the existence of death, sorrow, and despair, yet unwavering in the hope for a brighter tomorrow.”
Chapter Zero: Two Knights— Beautiful Days
(Attack sequence unsuccessful. Enable to predict enemy trajectory. Defense unachievable. Evasion unachievable.)
Yuuichi’s I-Brain declared in a flat, unvarying tone.
The realization came too late for him. His overhead strike, launched with full force, sliced emptily through the air as his surroundings whirled, accompanied by a fleeting sense of weightlessness. In the next instant, he found himself toppled to the ground, bereft of any chance to assume a defensive posture.
He almost choked from the impact.
Struggling with the pain, he barely had time to attempt standing up before a sword’s tip halted close to his throat.
“What about now? Feel like surrendering?” Her words were a bit harsh, but he felt a faint excitement in her voice. Then, as soon as he noticed the concern in her face, that last thread of tension finally snapped.
His body drained of all energy as he began to sweat profusely.
“… I… I give up… I’m done…” He managed to gasp out those words, breathing heavily, before collapsing onto the grass, sprawled out. Every muscle in his body ached as if it was screaming— it seemed impossible to get up.
The lingering March winter breeze wafted over him, soothingly whisking away the excess heat.
“You haven’t improved at all since last time, have you?” she said, her smile tinged with a hint of bitterness. He couldn’t refute her words. Embarrassing as it was, he never won a single one of their seventy-two battles. Each time, he exerted himself to the utmost limits of his physical and mental stamina, while she, in contrast, remained the picture of composure— her porcelain skin not betraying a single bead of sweat.
“… How… can you be so full of spirit… ?”
“Hm? You get tired because you depend too much on your body.” She sheathed her sword with practiced ease and leaned it against a large cherry tree. After a satisfying stretch, she pulled a large bottle of mineral water and a towel from her sports bag, then settled down beside him, close to his head.
“… Yuki? What are you… Hey!”
“Set still. Let me wipe your sweat away.”
“Woah, you! Not the knee-pillow thing!”
“Relax. No need to be shy.”
After a brief tussle, he managed to get her to give the knee-pillow. Still, the way they were sitting close to each other was still embarrassing to be seen by others.
He squirmed, trying to escape the tickling sensation of the towel on his neck, but her slender arm firmly held him in place, insisting he remain still.
“Gosh, how can you be drenched in sweat after only three hours of training? This is a sign you aren’t using your I-brain properly.”
A knight cannot wield a sword for three hours straight without breaking a single drop of sweat— no matter how good they are. In her case, she was just special. But whenever he pointed this out to her, she would blush, get angry, and retort, “You’re just not training hard enough!”
“You’re always like that, aren’t you? You’re unconsciously relying on your physical strength and stamina. You have to leave all your usual perceptions behind once you grasp a knight sword. First of all… ”
Her lecture begins— and once it does, it takes a long time for it to end. At the first half, he would just reply with “yes” or “got it,” however as it eventually becomes too boring, he would let slide everything she says.
Somewhere in the distance, a nameless bird chirped, high in the sky.
Gazing upwards through the latticework of tree branches, he was greeted by the vast expanse of a clear, blue sky.
It’s almost spring— a thought crossed his mind.
“… Are you even listening? I bet you’re not.”
“I’m listening.”
“Liar,” she sighed. “Why aren’t you taking this more seriously, Yuuichi? I’m sure you can get a whole lot stronger given your talent.”
“Why would I want to get any stronger? I’ve literally never lost to someone except you.”
“You absolutely have to become stronger than me!”
It was a mystery for him why it bothered her so much that he was weaker.
“I’m not sure about that, yeah… and by the way, why did we choose to become knights in the first place?” He posed the question partly to divert the conversation, though a trace of genuine curiosity lingered.
Her reaction was unexpected, marked by surprise. She looked directly at him and asked, “Yuuichi, could it be that you regret becoming a knight?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry… I…”
“No, No, that’s not it!” he interrupted her in a fluster. “I mean, the title ‘Knight’ is a bit… you know.” He struggled to find the right words.
Raising his knight sword in his right hand, he observed the crystalline embedded in the hilt, which emitted a dim glow, reminiscent of a child’s toy.
“This was shaped into a sword purely for technical reasons, right? Isn’t it a bit much to give it a grandiose name like ‘Knight Sword’?”
“I don’t know. I personally like that name.” Her slender fingers gently glide over the gray blade. “I mean, don’t you think that having the title of a knight makes it feel less awkward to do really cool things? You know, like you’re living by your chivalric code.”
He couldn’t help but burst out in laughter at the typical way she put it into words.
“Why do you laugh!?”
“Did you know? The concept of chivalry originally emerged because knights had no more battles to fight in times of peace? It was more about preserving their prestige.”
“That doesn’t matter right now, does it? We’re not in medieval Europe.”
“Oh, alright then, enlighten me— what kind of chivalry would a 22nd-century Japanese knight uphold?
“Hm… let’s see… what about…”
Suddenly, an exceptionally strong wind swept through, filling the space for a moment with a murmuring that resembled the noisy rustling of thousands, perhaps millions of leaves rubbing against each other.
And as if on cue, everything fell into deep silence.
In that serene tranquility, her voice resonated like a song, “The knight Yuki Nanase fights to protect everyone who’s important to her.” A bashful smile softened her earnest expression. “… How does it sound?”
“Quite embarrassing to hear.”
“What’s so embarrassing about it? Okay, now let me think of one for you.”
He tried to get up impulsively, but he was instantly pushed back down.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to think of one for myself!”
“Don’t be so stiff. I just came up with a really good one, okay?”
He was far from okay with this, but before he could object, she leaned in close, her face almost brushing against his nose.
Leaning over, she brought her lips close to his ear and whispered in a voice so hushed it was almost hoarse.
“…”
Her words were much more embarrassing than what he had anticipated. Yet, oddly enough, they resonated deeply within his heart.
“Hmm, can’t we go with something else?”
“You don’t like this type of stuff? Or you don’t think it’s a good line?”
It was indeed a good phrase, so he had no choice but to nod, albeit with some reluctance.
“Then it’s settled! You’re officially a knight now, Yuuichi. Feeling a bit more inspired?”
“Yeah, I do. So move out of the way, will you?” He could tell that his voice was strained. Her face was still only a few centimeters from his eyes.
“What’s the hurry? Let’s stay like this for a little longer.”
His heart was pounding like a rapid hell. Her breath lightly stirred his hair— a pleasant sensation. Her fingers gently traced along his jawline.
“Hurry up and become stronger than me, okay… ?”
He shut his eyes, his lips curling upward slightly, as her face inched closer. Then, suddenly…
Something passed between them.
She drew back abruptly, as if startled. Floating before their eyes was a small, pink cherry blossom petal, delicately swaying in the wind.
Their gazes lifted to the branches overhead, then met each other’s, triggering shared laughter.
Above them, a cherry tree branch was adorned with several budding flowers, strung together like a chain of bells.
One flower, tempted by the recent warmth, quivered in the brisk spring breeze.
The season of sprouting life was just around the corner.
“Let’s all go flower viewing when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom,” she suggested, her voice mixing with their laughter.
“… Yeah.”
It’s not a bad idea, he thought.
In the end, the promise they made that day was never fulfilled.
Spring never came again.
The blue sky and cherry trees were lost, forever.
And Yuki…
— She remained a true knight, steadfast until the very end.
Moon Rabbit Translations 