"Why did it have to come to this...?"

Could this be an unlucky day?

That’s the only explanation for how utterly pathetic and conspicuous I’ve been today. It all started with the sudden decision to spar with one of the nation's strongest knights—the so-called Seven Peerless Swords. The mere idea of an eight-year-old brat like me crossing swords with Gilflare was enough to draw attention. Somehow, word spread, and before I knew it, the training ground was overflowing with an absurd number of spectators.

"I should have just stayed home reading with Alice..."

I hadn’t even agreed to Gilflare’s invitation, yet thanks to that senile old man giving the green light, everything was set in motion without my consent. I just couldn’t comprehend how someone could be so presumptuous.

—Is it because he is my master? Does being his disciple mean I don’t get a say?

Maybe I made a colossal mistake in choosing him as my mentor. But it was far too late for regrets. Here I was, already facing off against the foremost knight in the center of the training ground.

"Hyuh..."

Even the crude, poorly-made wooden practice sword in Gilflare’s hands seemed terrifyingly sharp—like it could slice through anything.

—I want out.

If only I could, I would’ve walked away in a heartbeat. But surrounded by a crowd of spectators, escape wasn’t an option.

"Don’t be so tense. Just swing at me like you did during practice earlier."

"Y-yes, sir…"

Sensing my nervousness, Gilflare smiled gently as if to say it was a simple task. But no, it wasn’t that straightforward.

Even though I knew he wouldn’t kill me, just standing before him made my legs freeze up. What was the point of this anyway? I wanted to grow stronger, but I didn’t want to draw attention—good or bad. I could achieve my goals through steady, unnoticed effort. Sparring with him wasn’t necessary.

—If that’s the case, then why fight?

"Hey, Clay! What are you doing looking so spineless before the fight’s even started? I didn’t raise you to be such a weakling!"

"...Old man."

My trembling resolve was shaken by the loud encouragement shouted from behind me.

"Stupid old geezer!"

Instead of bolstering my morale, it fueled my anger.

Whose fault do you think this is, huh? If you hadn’t accepted Gilflare’s offer, I wouldn’t be in this predicament! The self-satisfied expression on his face was infuriating.

"I won’t forgive him..."

Yes, it all came back to that old man. Once this was over, I was going to punch that smug face of his to smithereens.

"I’m absolutely going to knock him out—"

Overwhelmed with anger, my focus veered into dangerous territory. My rising blood boiled hotter than ever, and strangely, I no longer cared.

"It seems you’ve finally found your spirit—shall we begin?"

Seeing my shift in attitude, Gilflare misunderstood, flashing a confident smile. I didn’t bother correcting him. Misunderstanding or not, the fight began abruptly. With everything I had, I launched myself forward.

"Here I come!"

Right from the start, I attacked with all my might, aiming for a decisive strike just like I’d done during training earlier.

—Blend in? Be modest? Play it safe?

Screw that. I was furious. It didn’t matter that my opponent was one of the Seven Peerless Swords.

I thrust sharply toward his throat—a blow that would have felled any of the other knights I’d trained with.

"Ah, impressive. You weren’t serious during the earlier drills, were you?"

Yet Gilflare effortlessly parried the strike, reading my intentions like an open book. His composure irritated me, and I immediately followed with another swing.

"And what of it?! Are you going to scold me for holding back?!"

Incoherent. I knew I was being irrational, but I couldn’t stop myself. My seething anger stripped me of any restraint. My mood was terrible, but strangely, my form was sharper than ever.

"Take this!"

I didn’t ease up, relentlessly pressing the attack with accelerated swings. My blood felt like it was boiling, the heat coursing through every vein.

In the past week, I’d learned that Blood Flow Manipulation had distinct stages. By aligning magic with my circulatory system, I could accelerate my blood flow, heightening my physical abilities explosively. But jumping straight to maximum speed without preparation would likely cause my body to rupture from within.

—I’m finally warmed up.

Now, my blood and magic were fully synchronized, ready to push me to the limit.

"Top gear—full speed ahead!"

In my optimal state, I shifted tactics. Feinting a frontal assault, I used my enhanced speed to slip behind him.

"!"

"Hah..."

The maneuver created an opening. With a confident grin, I swung at his unguarded back. Victory seemed assured.

—Got him!

But just as my strike was about to land, Gilflare countered with a blindingly fast move.

"Ungh!?"

I couldn’t dodge or block in time and took his blow head-on, landing unceremoniously on my rear.

"Is that all you’ve got?"

His mocking tone stung.

"Still not done!!"

Fueled by sheer frustration, I leapt back to my feet. Pumping even more magic through my veins, I pushed beyond my previous limits. My vision blurred as my heartbeat thundered in my ears.

—I can still go further.

This wasn’t the end. If I was capable of this much, then I could only imagine how much more strength lay dormant within me.

"Time for my trump card!"

"...What?"

Ignoring the injuries littering my body, I activated a forbidden technique.

"Iron Blood!"

Streams of blood erupted from my open wounds, coalescing into countless crimson blades under my command. An unavoidable storm of bloodthorns surged toward Gilflare.

"..."

Though visibly startled, he narrowly dismantled the barrage with a swing of his wooden sword. My control over the spell was severed, and the blood dissipated like mist.

"...You monster."

The gap between us was insurmountable. Even at my best, I’d barely managed to scratch his armor. Yet his shocked expression told me he hadn’t expected even that much.

"Impressive. I’ll retract my earlier remark."

"A knight retracting his words? Don’t make me laugh!"

"...You’re right. I’ll offer my apology through magic instead."

The air froze. A suffocating presence extinguished my bravado, leaving me trembling.

"Embers to ash."

"...!"

An overwhelming heat surged toward me, erasing everything in its path.

—The difference between us is... worlds apart.

That was my final thought as I sank into unconsciousness.