“To create something new, it is right to reference the existing, but you must not be consumed by it.”
Upon hearing these words, I felt a strange, subtle emotion, as if I was on the verge of understanding something but couldn’t quite grasp it. It was like standing at the edge of a downhill slope, feeling the urge to rush forward, yet the effort to take that one more step felt impossibly difficult, and my legs froze in frustration. I frowned, feeling trapped, when I suddenly heard my grandfather’s shout.
“Nonsense! You’re telling me I’m trapped by concepts!? I’ve discarded that stubbornness long ago! And still, I’m hearing this nonsense!?”
My grandfather’s intense emotions were rare, so I briefly pushed aside my thoughts and focused on his voice.
“Lucy! Ask that guy! What the hell is this ‘concept’ you’re talking about!?”
‘Are you sure about this? If it comes out of my mouth, it’ll probably be distorted beyond recognition, right?’
“Even if it gets distorted, good! I want to see him get heated and flail about! How dare he babble nonsense about things he knows nothing about!?”
‘But... if something goes wrong, we’ll be the ones who have to handle it, right?’
Well, I guess it would be fun, so I’ll go ahead and do it.
“Old man stuck in his little room, sweating over his own drawn magic circle, telling me what he knows? What do you know about it?”
“What do I know!? I know more than you, who suddenly disappeared! Even after you died, I stayed on the surface for a long time! You useless brat!”
“Then tell me what you know! If you’re so confident, then speak up!”
The argument between my grandfather and the skeleton grew heated.
At first, it was about who was right or wrong, but it quickly turned into a debate over every little movement I made. I had to act as a mediator, relaying my grandfather’s words while being used as their test subject, trying different movements along the way.
“No! This little brat’s approach needs to be more fluid! Like a dancer!”
“Lucy wants to become a dancer on stage!? If you take out the strength from her movements, she won’t be able to attack or defend! You fool!”
What was strange was that despite their seemingly opposing arguments, their differences were gradually narrowing.
At first, my grandfather dismissed the skeleton’s words as irrelevant, but now, he agreed that perhaps the end goal should be changed, as the skeleton had suggested.
The skeleton, who had been dismissing my grandfather as a stubborn old man, was now nodding in agreement that continuing down the same path wasn’t the right choice.
Their voices grew louder, but it was clear that they were having a healthy debate.
If they hadn’t gotten along, they wouldn’t have been able to survive the battle against the evil gods.
And my grandfather’s miraculous deeds wouldn’t have included Erginus’ name.
“That’s not it! This way...”
“That’s wrong! You can’t do it like that...!”
Listening to the heated exchange between the two, I suddenly had an idea that made me tilt my head.
Dance.
In the world of Soul Academy, that wasn’t something we used, but in other works I knew, there were many people who used dance as part of their martial arts.
There were those who hid the principles of martial arts within dance to avoid oppression, martial arts that pursued both beauty and strength, or martial arts that captivated the opponent with movement.
Isn’t that something I could do too?
Actually, it feels like I could do it precisely because it’s me, right?
No matter what, outwardly, I’m pretty enough to make even a perverted crow drool.
Hmm. Let’s give it a try.
Taking a deep breath, I spread holy power across my body and took my stance.
This starting position was something I had found a long time ago.
With some aesthetic sense and my grandfather’s help, I had painstakingly created it.
The following movements were similar. Though still imperfect, I had some idea of the direction. After all this time, I had spent countless hours doing this and could not have made no progress.
Though there were some issues, that’s why it’s difficult to use them in actual combat.
I needed to take out some of the force and be more fluid in my usual movements.
No. Wait. This is too limp. I want to handle martial arts like a dance. If it’s like this, the movements are all wrong.
This doesn’t feel right. This one is odd too.
Ah. I almost have it. Just a little more, and I’ll understand.
Ah, yes. Add this. Hey, can you give me advice? What should I do here!?
[Remember the fairy’s fluttering wings.]
Fairy? When I think of fairies, I immediately remember the chicken coop... no, it’s not the fairy queen and the rotting fairies I’m thinking of. That’s not what I’m supposed to remember.
Then, before that...
The fairies’ dance I saw through the monitor.
Maybe it’s to contrast with the hellish scenes that will come later, but the cutscene they put so much effort into crafting was too strange.
I try to recall their movements from the faded memory of long ago.
The fairies hopping and dancing through the flowers.
Following that memory, I lightly moved my body, and a smile spread across my face.
This is it! This is the movement I’ve been searching for!
Feeling as if all my past struggles were finally rewarded, I became excited and forgot about everything around me, focusing entirely on my movements.
Following the fairies in my memories, I stretched out my arm.
The skeleton, aware that he was getting unusually heated, realized that something was stirring his emotions.
It wasn’t the bratty little girl’s attitude or his friend spouting nonsensical words—those things were annoying but didn’t push him to lose control.
Even before and after becoming a hero, even after saving the world, the skeleton had heard countless stories from people all over. He rarely found himself in a situation where he couldn’t control his emotions.
But now, he was sure that something was stirring his emotions—something he couldn’t even recognize.
In the past, the skeleton would have analyzed the situation first, but this time, he didn’t. Instead, he let his emotions take over.
What could the fake version of the great mage, Erginus, do but become obsessed with curiosity?
Instead, it was better to offer a bit more help to the child who would suffer from their incompetence.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
While he was mulling this over, the girl, whom he had been controlling, suddenly started to move on her own.
At first, the skeleton thought it was Luell talking to her, but it didn’t take long for him to realize it wasn’t.
Her movements were not something Luell could have thought of.
The girl moved her arms.
A powerful yet playful motion. If someone were scared by it, they’d be a coward, as if she’d laugh at them.
The girl moved her feet.
Light, bouncy steps. Watching it, you’d be inclined to follow her without even realizing it.
The girl, who seemed to fly through the air, suddenly planted her feet firmly on the ground.
Her shield raised above her head seemed fragile enough to be broken by anyone, but would anyone really dare to break it?
Playful, beautiful, and magnificent—but with roots deeply planted in the earth.
The skeleton,
Erginus,
had seen this scene before.
It was a memory he could never forget, a memory of his greatest sin.
The dance of the fairies.
The girl’s dance, which seemed like it might end at any moment, suddenly stopped.
Standing still, the girl tilted her head, as if something didn’t sit right with her.
As the dance ended and reality returned, the skeleton forgot what he had been doing, and without thinking, he moved forward, standing in front of the girl.
And with his bony hand, he placed it gently on her shoulder.
“What are you doing? Finally letting your filthy desires show?”
“How do you know the dance of the fairies?”
The skeleton’s voice was laced with intense heat.