"I have been wondering why you are so into swords," Vanessa asked.
"Hmm?" Sullivan raised his eyebrows. "Now that I think about it, I wonder why..."
"So, you don’t know about it as well?"
Sullivan looked up, contemplating. "It’s not about whether I know it or not. I just never have thought about it. But if I have to say it, it must be from the ti I first swung my sword."
Sullivan could still rember vividly his first swing. He had adored his father as well as other knights in his household. He thought they were cool, protecting the people from any threats with their swords.
He, too, wished to do the sa thing. When he saw them swinging their swords, it made them look like they were doing it effortlessly, which made them look gallant and brave.
That was why Sullivan picked up a sword. When he first swung it, it was nothing like his imagination.
The sword was heavy. The montum of the swing made it impossible for him to move his body any way he liked. He even embarrassedly fell down after being carried by the sword’s weight.
Yet, that mory was not sothing unpleasant. He indeed embarrassed himself, but he was able to understand the work that the soldiers and his father had done to be able to wield the sword.
When his father offered to change his sword to a short one to match his build, he refused. He was only 7 years old at that ti.
From that point on, he challenged himself. He wanted to beco a knight who looked brave and cool in front of people.
He swung the sword again and again, hoping that he could one day wield that kind of sword.
That training gradually shaped his build and foundation as a knight.
So, if he had to say what pulled him into the sword, he could confidently say, "My first swing. People say that you have no talent for sothing when the only thing they do is see what they achieve in their first try or maybe a couple of first tries.
"However, I know, for a fact, that you will improve. Let’s be honest here. Your first swing will be different from your second swing, right? Your one-thousandth swing should be much better than your first, right?
"If I use you as an example, reading the first book will be much slower than reading your one-thousandth book, right?"
Vanessa nodded. "Indeed."
"That’s how it is. And before I know it, I’m already in love with the sword." Sullivan smiled.
"But I guess you have fulfilled your goal."
"My goal?"
"Of course. You have managed to beco a man who can wield that sword gallantly. You look so cool." Vanessa smiled from ear to ear, not holding back her admiration.
Sullivan was taken aback by that statent and sincere emotion. It was so much that even for him, who was obsessed with the sword, felt embarrassed.
His face turned slightly red as he looked away while rubbing his cheek.
"Now that you have achieved your goal, do you still need to swing your sword?"
"Of course. Even if the goal is different, even if the intention is different... my sword won’t change. All these swings... they all originated from the first swing. If not for the first swing, I might not even wield a sword now."
"First swing, huh? But isn’t it true that your first swing also originates from sothing? When we learn about numbers, there is a number below one, right?"
"!!!" Sullivan widened his eyes in shock, not because he was surprised by her words, but because her words actually made him realize sothing.
He abruptly hugged Vanessa while shouting with a big smile on his face. "Vanessa. You’re a genius!"
"W-What?" Vanessa’s face was red, as she wasn’t prepared for the sudden assertiveness.
"Hahahaha!" He never told her about it, but it had beco the foundation of his sword.
...
"Jump. All of you. NOW!" Sullivan shouted.
All of them were confused about what was going on, but all of them suddenly sensed an overbearing power coming from his sword. It was so powerful that they could feel their lives were about to end if they didn’t follow his instruction.
"Second...rule?" Lilith gasped.
’10,000 swings every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, 3,650,000 swings a year. I have dedicated myself to the sword for 62 years. All of these swings I have made... all of it derives from that very first swing that pulls into the world of swords.
’However, the first sword itself also originated from sothing. And that is my zero swing...’
Sullivan knew what his zero swing was. It was what pulled him into this world in the first place.
His father, the knights, and all the people wielding the swords. There was a swing that started it all. The swing that started in his mind.
This was the essence of his sword.
"Noelle. Make sure to watch your grandfather’s sword well." Sullivan muttered.
The alien panicked. The power of the sword had surpassed even the power of two rules.
Lilith and Amphitrite couldn’t believe what they had seen.
’What is this? A mortal possesses this kind of power?’
’He is using his own life for the sword? No, his life is the sword itself...’
It was sothing that he had realized after Vanessa gave him a clue. He dedicated his life to the sword, but the other way around might also be true. The sword dedicated itself to his life.
Everything he had, including his life, was all about the sword. So, he dedicated this entire swing to that one sword.
Sullivan smiled as he swung his sword.
The swing was neither fast nor slow. It looked like a completely normal swing. Just like the swing he had done millions of tis every year.
The energy from the sword was another matter. It traveled so fast as if it sliced everything, including space itself.
The swing cut everything in front of it. Even the hill located not far from their location was also sent flying.
"This is my... Zeroth Sword."
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