The sound of bells ringing above the field of seven-colored flowers.
　Me and Rowen strike our swords and swords, trampling the jeweled flowers and illuminating the dimly lit stalactite cave with the light of sparks.

　The swords of both of us pass back and forth at a speed that would be unnoticeable to an ordinary person.
　At first glance, the battle looks like a killing match, but for me and Rowen, it's different. This speed, which would be difficult for an ordinary person to even see, is the speed at which you can stop your hand at any time.

　That terrifying sword fight ended when Rowen's sword was placed against my left wrist.

''Haha, haha, kuso....... I can't even put a single sword in Rowen's hand......'

　I nodded, using my sword as a support stick, while catching my erratic breath.

'No, if you can beat me with a sword after just a little practice, I'm in no position to do so ......'

　Rowen scratches her head with a bitter smile.
　However, the coolness of the situation takes away my confidence.

''But this one even uses Dimension Decisive Arithmetic (Gradiate), but ......!

　I'm consuming my magic power and deploying dimensional magic, whereas Rowen is not using magic. Even with that handicap, it's shameful that this is the result.

　Seeing me, Rowen tilts her head curiously.

''You seem quite frustrated that you can't beat me, but ....... Could it be that Kanami has never lost before ......?
............

　That's not true.
　I've lost a lot.
　Many times, but that was in the original world.

　It's different since I visited this other world. Thanks to his favored status, he was undefeated in battle. However, that record is about to be stopped by Rowen in front of me.
　In its own way ...... no, it's quite frustrating.

'It's like a figurehead ....... But it's a training exercise. It's not that Kanami is inferior to me. ...... If this were a real battle, you wouldn't be competing against me with a sword, would you?
'Hmm ......, well, I probably won't ......'

　Rowen's weaknesses are obvious.
　It's that little magic power that is obvious at a glance.

''If they use icy magic at a thorough distance or only attack me with bows and arrows or traps, I have no way to counter them. So there's no need to be in such a hurry. There's nothing good about being in a hurry.

　Hence, he is unable to build magic that can reach far.
　That's why he's put his life on the sword and learned so much skill.

　But that's why - against such a Lowen, he wants to win with the sword.
　Childish selfishness cannot stop overflowing from his heart.

''Still, I want to win against Rowen with the sword ......!
Heh. ......

　The words spilled out naturally.

　It's a child-like reason.
　I'm sure the position of the 'strongest swordsman' is dazzling to me.
　It's the most powerful swordsman.
　That word, the sound of it, has grabbed my heart.
　I longed for a swordsman who stood in front of everyone else, not a wizard who fought from a distance.

　Anyway, if you just want to challenge me, it's free.

''--Okay. That's the only way it can be fun!

　Rowen senses my desire for such a thing on her skin and the corners of her mouth twist up.
　She seems to be thrilled by the unexpected appearance of her sword rival.

　Then, as if to say that practice is back on, she attacks me again with her sword.

　As usual, his sword flashes were artistic.
　Loewen's 'swordsmanship' is just so lean.
　Logically, he swings his sword in the fastest possible procedure at the point where the enemy would have the most trouble. That's the basics.

　And the tricky part is that he controls every action of his body at will.
　Hence, countless feints are mixed in with the smallest details.
　Its eyes move suddenly, its weight shifts unexpectedly, and it puts its strength in odd places. Just like that, I, who was grasping the situation with Dimension, got lost.

　If I get caught in that feint and swing a sub-optimal sword, I'm done.
　In the next moment, Rowen's sword touches me.

　Rowen coolly puts in countless such feints in a split second. And that's in the flesh, not even using "Dimension".

　It's a feint that can be used by me, who is using the "Dimension Decisive Operation (Graduation)". The depth of his tactics is extraordinary.

　Both physically and mentally, Rowen has reached an extraordinary height.

　I can't stop my heart from pounding in my chest as I observe it all.
　My heart is pounding and bouncing, pumping a tremendous amount of blood throughout my body. My body as well as my head knows that I can't keep up with the man in front of me unless I put all my strength into it.

　Each and every one of Rowen's techniques, I thought, was a work of art that should go down in history.
　I feel like I'm walking through a renowned and sprawling museum as I do the barbaric act of matching sword to sword.

　One technique after another is mesmerizing.
　If I respond by imitating it, I can get a new artistic technique to be performed.
　And then I would imitate them again. Then, without pause, I can see more art.

　It's too beautiful and too much fun.

　I kept walking around the museum named Rowen, losing track of time.
　It was like a small child's eyes shining in front of the unknown.

　As a child.
　Memories of longing and yearning.

　The protagonist (the hero) wielding a sword on the other side of the LCD screen.
　The sight of them fighting with their swords while bleeding and putting everything on the line for each other.
　I thought it was more than frightening, I thought it was cool as a child.
　It's a contradiction of being barbaric and immoral, but above all, it's dazzling and lovable.

　That is the "Sword" for me.
　And the dream of that "sword" is coming true now.

　There is no doubt that my opponent is the best swordsman in the world.
　And I am able to keep up with that sword.
　I'm allowed to dance on stage with him.
　Just like that, my body is filled with satisfaction.

　More than any sport, more than any sport, more than any game, more than any pleasure, more time passes.

　I have no idea how much time has passed, and finally I reach the limit of my exhaustion.

'Hah, hah, hah!

　Out of breath, I fall to my knees.
　My body is heavy, as if I've run for miles without oxygen.　

'Hah, hah ......'

　Even the quintessential Rowen is sweating.
　While wiping that sweat off, Rowen asks curiously, "Do you think Kanami has a very good memory?

...... Could it be that Kanami has a very good memory?

　It's a question that doesn't seem to have anything to do with 'swordsmanship'.
　I nod my head and answer it while tilting my head.

'Huh?　Well, I'm confident in my memory: ......

　Even in his original world, he was confident in his ability to memorize.
　And that memorization ability has stepped into the realm of the inhuman due to the rise in levels in the other world.

''No, I was surprised to see that the technique I learned an hour or so ago was performed without an inch of difference. ......
Just in case, once I learn it, I'm pretty sure I'll never forget it again.
'Normally, you have to practice it over and over again to get your body used to the movement. ...... With Kanami, you don't even have to do that. Well, 'predisposition' is really scary .......

　Rowen was dripping cold sweat that was different from the sweat generated by the exercise.

　Her eyes were like looking at a 'monster'. However, those eyes also make sense.
　I'm beginning to feel that I'm an 'outsider' as well, and I'm beginning to feel it faintly.

But now that we've taught you the basics of 'swordsmanship', we'll have to wait and see. The next step is to learn more and more about the inner workings at this rate.
What's the secret to that?
'No, if you're mastered at such a speed, you don't have a foundation to teach anymore: ....... And if you believe Kanami's words, you don't have to teach it twice. So, try to copy this. I think it's a little different from what you're used to.

　At last, the practice reached the depths of the practice.
　Probably the kind of thing that would take decades to pass down to a single child in a few hours. Rowen smiles bitterly as she controls her magic power.

　Apparently, the deepest techniques of the Alais style use magic power.
　It also seems to be a reasonable one that can be activated even with Rowen's little magic power.

　Rowen's magic power is transferred to the sword in her hand and covers its surface.
　Then the covered magic power hardened and took shape as an actual substance. That hard magic power expands and contracts at Rowen's will.

　-- It was a familiar technology.

''...... This, I believe, is the skill 'magic power materialization'?'''
You know what that is?
'Yeah, yeah. I know, like I know, ....... Oh, I don't know where I heard that. Um, .......
'Well, if you know what I'm talking about, that's fast. You know that this will expand your swordsmanship, right?
I can see that.

　At the same time I nodded, Rowen lightly swung her sword.
　Then the flower that was blooming where the sword in her hand could never reach was slashed and slid down.

　With 'Magic Power Materialization', the tip of the sword was slightly extended.

''Well then, I'm going to take 'magical materialization' slowly to the limit ...... and you can take your time to analyze the process of fixing the magic power .......''

　Rowen lays the sword to the side and stretches and contracts the magic again.
　This time it's very late, to make me understand how it works.

　I observe the expansion and contraction in detail with Dimension Multiple Expansion (Multiple).

　--The attribute of magic power is close to 'nothingness'.

　Although Rowen said that it is 'the one that steals the reason of the earth', it does not seem that he is using the magic of the earth attribute as a profound effect.
　The pure, plain magic power clings to the sword, expanding and contracting as it wriggles.

　The movement of the magic power is followed with the intention of observing its molecular motion.
　How the particles of magic move and how they work - the laws of the magic are slowly figured out and imprinted on my brain.

　The concentration increases at an accelerated pace, and a second is subdivided into tenths of a second, which are then further subdivided into hundredths of a second. At the end of it all, I understand the laws that intertwine in the world of less than a hundredths of a second in my own way.

　Then, he assumes an element that does not exist in the laws of physics called 'magic' and guesses at magic as a chemical reaction.
　The deduced formula is transformed into a certain one to fill in the substitution formula.

　And when all the numbers are in place, I understand how the magic works.

...... Yeah, I got the gist of it.
'Ho, you really can get the gist of it in one go: ......'

　Leaving the astonished Rowen behind, I began to recreate the "magical materialization".

　I pass my magic power through the magic construction formula inscribed in my brain - the so-called 'magic formula'. I manipulate the magic that overflows from my body, crawl on the sword in my hand, cover it up, and solidify it.

　However, the magic power did not solidify well.
　The cause was known. It was the difference in the quality of the magic power.

　Rowen's magic power is as quiet as a clear stream. It's a plain magic that doesn't get dyed in any way.
　On the other hand, my magic power is as restless as a torrent. And it's far from plain. No matter how hard I try, the colors of the dimensional attributes get mixed in.

　The condition (trick) for this 'magic materialization' is to quietly solidify the magic power of 'nothingness'.
　I know this, but I just can't do it.

　Only the magical power of the dimensional attribute leaks from my body.

It's hard ....... Mu, it's difficult ......

　I wrinkle my brow and wring my hands at the magic that won't harden.

It's a good thing that you're able to have a good time with your friends. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you're able to get your hands on it.

　Seeing me falter, Rowen realizes my failure.
　However, I didn't hear any last words of follow-up to that failure, so I gave up on the magic that never hardened and tried the next technique.

　It's not a technique that imitates Rowen, but a technique for reproducing 'magic materialization' with my hand.

　If the magic power to be used doesn't become 'nothing', then you can try a magic formula that gives the same answer with another magic power.

''Hard, then!　You can do this--!

　I don't create the magic of "nothingness" but the magic of "ice" that I am accustomed to.
　I make the sword wear that magic.
　So far, it's just the "Ice Flamberge".

　Furthermore, it absorbs the moisture in the air and freezes it to create a substitute for the "solidified magic power". He repeats this over and over again, extending his sword. Sometimes he stops the molecular motion and makes the ice melt and shrink.

　It's forced, but this completes the substitute skill of 'Magical Materialization'.　
　I swing my sword in the same way as Rowen, and use the ice blade to slash a flower that should be impossible to reach.

　This skill.
　If I had to name it--.

Is that what you call the 'magic freeze' skill?
'Oh no ......, isn't that a completely different skill now ......?　It's more like magic: ......

　Rowen is right.
　This 'Magic Freezing' technique includes 'Ice' and 'Freeze'. It's a substitute that's more like magic than a skill.

　But that's fine.
　There's no reason to care about skills.

But it's the same thing, you know?
Well, yeah, I guess so: ......

　Probably, in terms of sharpness and hardness, it would not be able to match Rowen's 'Magic Power Materialization'.
　This 'Magic Power Freezing' has that many gaps. It's freshly made.

''But it really looks like you're going to master everything in a day. ...... The only thing I can teach you anymore is the Final Profoundness .......

　Rowen decides that I've acquired something worthy of 'magical materialization' and moves on to the next technique.

'The Final Depth ......, sounds good ......'
Sorry to get your hopes up, but it's not exactly a great swordfight.
What, isn't it a sword fight?　Even though it's the final profound effect of the 'Sword Art'?
Yeah, .......

　Rowen closes her eyes in affirmation.
　Then, the quiet magic of her body is quenched further.

　It appears to be just standing there, along with the slightest bit of magical power.

''This is the final depth ......?''
'Yeah, it's a skill that doesn't really have a name, but ....... Some people have called it the skill 'sensitivity' ....... This is the secret of my strength.

　With that, Rowen beckons me to join him.
　Then she raises her sword against me and urges me to fight.

'You'll know it when you fight ......?'

　In response to my question, Rowen nodded quietly.

　But I was troubled.
　Right now, Rowen is still meditating. Furthermore, she didn't use even the slightest bit of magic power, and was really just standing there. She really can't see anything.
　If I were to slash at him, he would take that sword in his body.

　However, after a slight hesitation, I trust Rowen and step out of the way.
　If I'm as skilled as Rowen, I might be able to defend myself with the sound of footsteps and the flow of air.

　In anticipation, I strike my sword with reasonable speed - which is successfully blocked by Rowen's sword.
　Then, having paid off my sword, Rowen swings his sword at me with his momentum.

　There is no hesitation in that movement at all.

　Rowen's sword extends to my vital point.　
　I manage to block it, but Rowen's onslaught continues.

　It's as if she can see, or rather - her movements are more precise than if she had her eyes open.

　After a few sword fights, Rowen's sword flicked my sword away.

''Why are you meditating ...... when you have your eyes open?

　If this is how Rowen is using her magic power, then I can understand the story.
　However, Rowen didn't use even the slightest bit of magic.
　She fought completely single-handedly and defeated me.

　I couldn't believe it.
　It's because I'm using the 《Dimension》 that I can understand this abnormality better than anyone else.

''--This is the skill 'Sensitivity. The ability to sense all things in this world, such as air and magic, apparently.

　Then, Rowen declares that it's all about the power of the skill 'sensitivity'.

''This is the final depth of ......!

　With the strength of that skill in front of me, I smile thinly.
　If it's as described, it's an ability very similar to the 《Dimension》. In other words, Rowen is activating that foul power without consuming any MP.
　That's the skill 'Sensitivity'.

'Now, Kanami might have thought it was similar to her own magic, but ....... Strictly speaking, it's not. Compared to Kanami's dimensional magic, which grasps everything rationally, this one is much more instinctive. It's a technique to understand the 'reason' and 'flow' of this world in a sensory way.
Instinctively ......?

　Until now, most of the "swordsmanship" was a rational technique based on precise calculations. However, I was puzzled by the fact that the innermost part of it was based on a very vague power.

''With this, I can deal with that Reaper in any situation, even when I don't have any magic power. If combined with Kanami's dimensional magic, it should be elevated to a much more accurate grasping ability. Hmmm, I'm looking forward to it.

　My power relies a lot on MP.
　So I welcome powerful moves that can be used with 0 MP.

'I'll try to imitate it for a moment: ......

　He meditates, suppresses his magic, and stands in a calm state of mind.
　Then, as per the information I observed earlier, I reproduce Rowen's technique.

　But it's no longer just standing there--

　I hear Jari and Rowen's footsteps and I brace myself.

''-- ouch!''

　In the next moment, he was pinning his forehead with his forehead.

　There was no way I could prevent it without a 《Dimension》.
　I opened my eyes and saw Rowen in front of me, shaking her head.

''Yes, no.''
What, no, what?　Wait, I'm going to try again.
It's good to be challenged.

　I'm in the same state again.
　This time with no effort at all.

　I mimic every detail of the information I've memorized.

　My heartbeat, my sweat rate, my breathing, everything is the same.
　Not just the body posture, but also the amount of force put into it, perfectly.
　And then he sharpened his senses to see Loewen's impending fist bump - and he could see it.

Ouch!

　--I couldn't prevent it.

　I hold my head and squat down.

'Oh, I'm suddenly having trouble remembering that: ......
No, no!　How can you meditate and figure out your surroundings without magic or anything else!
'I can do it. In fact, I'm using those skills to fend off attacks from the Reaper's blind spot.
How can this be possible?　Nothing, nothing at all: ......!

　That's right.
　This skill, I haven't done anything with it.

　We don't know what we're doing because we didn't do anything. It's a natural consequence.

'Yeah, I know because I haven't done anything with it. It's more of a mental technique than a physical one. Kanami may be able to mimic the outside well, but he can't seem to mimic the inside, either. ...... The bottom line is that it's probably not the best way to have a good mind.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's not just a matter of being open-minded--!

　I couldn't understand what Rowen was saying.

　It's impossible to shut down the sensory organs that humans have and get information from the outside world. Even if you can feel a certain amount of air from your touch, it's impossible to perform those high-speed sword fights.

　Impossible.
　That's right, no matter how you hold your mind, it's impossible - it should be.

'I thought this skill would be perfect for Kanami: ......

　I shake my head frantically, and Rowen looks disappointed.
　I don't want you to look at me like that.

　I can't do what I can't do.
　Surely, this is likely to be a unique skill that only Rowen can reproduce. No, it must be so. If that's the case, it makes sense.

　Skill 'sensitivity' is something I'm suited to--

It's kind of disjointed, Kanami's mind and body: ......

　Rowen moves closer and places her hand on my forehead.
　And then he meditates, as if he's searching my mind.

　I just put my hand on it.
　I don't feel any magic power there. Even if I deploy the 《Dimension》, I don't know what I'm doing.

On top of being disjointed, it's like multiple layers of chains are tangled together ....... Robust and crippled chains .......''

　And yet, Loewen captures the exact state of my mind and turns it into words.

　I don't understand that principle at all.
　It doesn't exist in my world. I could only assume that it was a law unique to this world.

''How can you know that much with your skill 'sensitivity'?'''
'In case you're wondering, this skill, it's the polar opposite of what one can reach. It's quite useful. It's a kind of enlightenment, so it's difficult to master. ......
'Eh ....... S-, I was trying to teach you that kind of polarity: ......
I knew Kanami could do it.
No, it's not so easy to realize: ......

　I swear at the difficulty of the ordeal Rowen has imposed on me.
　Enlightenment is a fairy tale in my world.

　A few great predecessors may or may not have reached this level. I am a foolish person, and there is no way I can be on a par with them.

　But Rowen denies it with a strong tone of voice.

''-- No, it's the opposite. If you're a Kanami, it's funny that you haven't reached that level easily. You have such a joke of a power ......

　A joking power.
　I didn't immediately know what it was referring to.

　I didn't think it was just about dimensional magic or 'qualities'. Something more fundamental than that.
　Everything given in this other world. I felt like I was referring to all of the 'preferences'.

　I receive Rowen's serious monologue and am at a loss for words.
　Loewen continues.

'I think that girl Rustyala Hoozeyers might have been right. I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure Kanami's mind isn't normal.
...... Loewen thinks so too.
'Yeah, I think. My skill 'sensitivity' has determined that Aikawa Kanami's mental state is not normal. ...... but I won't say anything more. Soon I'll be a vanishing entity. I'm going to leave them behind, but not help them.

　Rowen continues to offer his advice.
　It was not too cold, not too kind, but unmistakably a master's word.

　I chew on it and nod my head.
　Then Rowen's seriousness falters.

'Let's go back once. You're tired in your own way, right?
Tired in its own way: ......
''Well, it's a terrible thing to be able to almost master all of one school of thought with a fair amount of fatigue: ......
That's a strange thing to talk about, Rowen.
They can bite into it. That's how bad it is.

　Rowen and I lightly talk to each other as we aim for the upper level from the 30th level, because the 30th level is too dense with magic power to use the Connection.

　Then, as I walked beside Rowen, I noticed.

　I realize that Rowen's magic power is getting thin--

Lo, Rowen. Do you feel like your magic is getting weaker?

　It's not simply a matter of consuming magic power.
　It wasn't that the quantity had decreased, but the quality of the magic power had become thinner. It was most appropriate to describe it as 'weakened'.

''Ah, yeah, that might be true ....... I think I enjoyed teaching Kanami more than I thought I would: ......'

　Rowen doesn't deny it.

　He then replies that it was a time of contentment.
　He smiles thinly and moves forward without saying anything else.

　His back wavers weakly.

'Oh, I see. ......'

　I understand.
　I understand that in the last few hours, he has resolved some of Rowen's regrets.

　And I also understand that his 'deal to get rid of unresolved feelings' is too easy.

　Lowen's desire to be too hard.
　Perhaps a little bit of that will make him disappear from the world.

　But that's not a sad thing.
　That's what we want, and that's the end of our happiness.

　Hence, I could only reply with one word.

　All I could do was whisper a few words and follow his back.