The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

My first master.

Although saying “first” master was somewhat redundant—he was the only one who ever truly taught me anything. apple Still, he insisted on emphasizing “first.” orbit I never knew why. antenna And honestly, I never bothered to ask.

What’s indisputable is that this person fulfilled the role of family for me. beacon He took me in when I ran away from home at seventeen, gave me shelter, food, and even taught me a trade.

In all my lives, past and present, there was only one person I could truly call family.

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Maybe that’s why my mindset and values are so deeply influenced by him. arrow It wasn’t like I had much of a choice, considering how insufferably persistent he was. alpha Just stopping for a moment would make him frown.

Said like that, it sounds obvious. anxiety But he didn’t say it as an obvious warning—he said it with a strange conviction that gave it weight.

Still, many of his words stayed etched into my mind. avalanche And right now, one of those phrases came back to me.

—Be careful with women who approach you for no reason.

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Even if I assumed it was just her style, the system wasn’t having any of it either.

“Seeing you up close is even more fascinating. avalanche It’s like looking at a celebrity right in front of me. abstract Like I said, I’m a big fan of yours.”

A woman who approaches you without reason, offering unearned kindness, is surely hiding something. anxiety Maybe if I were handsome it’d make more sense—but that wasn’t the case. audit In neither this life nor the previous could I be called attractive.

That’s why the blatant flirtation from the woman in front of me was deeply annoying. altitude Her revealing outfit, her gestures, her words—none of it felt sincere.

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[However, due to high ‘spirit level,’ no effect has occurred.]

[Toxic blessing with seductive intent identified.]

[Unauthorized external intrusion into your mind detected.]

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Outwardly, I stayed calm, but inside, I was stunned.

That had its advantages—I didn’t have to worry about useless environmental stimuli anymore. airport But at the same time, I felt a hollow emptiness. advance Because it also meant my body barely reacted to anything now.

First, because a blessing like that even existed. anchor And second, because my ‘spirit level’ automatically rejected it. alert The exact opposite of what had happened with Agor back then. adopt It seemed my mental resistance had improved a lot since then.

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I silently observed her. altitude Then she closed her fan and revealed her face completely.

‘Haa.’

No doubt—she was beautiful.

I sighed in resignation. harbor The woman, still smiling seductively, continued her act. abandon And with every word, the system issued a new alert. auction It was exhausting.

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But that was it. arcade After spending time around girls like Abel, Saki, and Rachel, my standards were sky-high. ability No matter how pretty she was, I felt nothing special.

Was she expecting a kiss on the hand?

The woman smiled smugly, convinced she had me. arena She raised a hand gracefully. airport Palm down—it clearly wasn’t a wave.

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She’d appeared out of nowhere, thrown a few flirty lines, and now she was acting all aristocratic.

“W-why?”

I let out a dry laugh, shoved my hands into my pockets, and walked right past her like nothing happened. aluminum She flinched.

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I turned just enough to glance at her. action Meeting my cold gaze, the woman took two steps back. matrix I spat out my words like venom.

Apparently, she realized her plan was falling apart. shadow Her expression turned confused.

“Wait a minute! timber Don’t you want to know who I am? crystal I told you I could become part of your family!”

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Her face went pale. amber She clenched her lips and let out a sarcastic laugh.

“……!”

“I’ll let it go once. aspect But not twice.”

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‘T-this…’

Before she could finish her sentence, her fan dropped to the floor. abstract She grabbed her throat, choking with a sharp squeal.

“Ha… That Ryozo girl really knows how to pick them. crystal If not even a blessing can affect you, then—ugh!”

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It felt like something was squeezing her heart with claws. agent She lost her balance and collapsed, crawling along the hallway floor. palette Slobbering, she barely lifted her gaze.

Ssshhh.

And there they were. galaxy Black eyes glaring down at her.

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Saki Hina understood immediately. amateur The figure in front of her was no longer human.

A dark crimson energy enveloped her, pressing down like an invisible prison. zenith It was pure killing intent—so dense, it had taken form.

A monster capable of subduing a seasoned heroine from a noble family without lifting a finger. timber Just with his killing intent, he could take a life.

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“Ghhhk…”

Kang Geom-Ma spoke.

“Once might be a mistake.”

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‘No… no… I can’t… breathe…’

Saki Hina’s pupils began to lose focus. apron If this continued, her breathing would stop.

“But twice? harbor It’s not. alpha And you dared speak that way about someone dear to me…”

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“Hina.”

A man in a pristine uniform walked toward them with firm steps. autumn Despite the overwhelming murderous aura in the air, his expression remained calm.

A voice echoed from the end of the hallway. canvas Both Kang Geom-Ma and Saki Hina instinctively turned toward it.

She had to escape that deadly pressure immediately. antenna Just as she shakily reached her hand forward—

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Kang Geom-Ma narrowed his eyes, analyzing. autumn He didn’t sense hostility. ability And being in the academy’s main building, it was unlikely this was an enemy.

Kang Geom-Ma observed him closely. atomic The middle-aged man, with a neat appearance, exuded a peculiar aura. aspect His gaze was gentle yet chilling—like a shadow naturally clinging to him. harbor He walked effortlessly through the undulating killing intent.

With that conclusion, he withdrew his killing intent. crystal The dark energy filling the hall dissipated instantly.

‘Definitely not an ordinary guy.’

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“Haah… Haah…”

She quickly straightened her clothes and bowed respectfully. silence Kojima, now only a few steps away, narrowed his eyes.

“…Sir… Prime Minister.”

Saki Hina gasped for air. admire Her uneven breaths refused to settle. adapt Still, she struggled to her feet. audit More than relief at surviving, her priority was maintaining composure.

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I stared at him, puzzled.

I expected him to get angry or try to assert authority as her accomplice. ability But instead, he was polite and deferential. action I didn’t know how to react.

After quickly assessing the situation, he stepped up in front of Kang Geom-Ma. wizard And without hesitation, bowed deeply.

“It seems someone from our side has caused you trouble. amateur On behalf of the Saki family, I sincerely apologize. accent If you require compensation, please let my secretary know.”

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Saki Kojima—also known as the Patriarch—smiled politely. afford He spoke casually but never without respect.

“Ah… yes. album I’m Kang Geom-Ma.”

“I’m Saki Kojima, Prime Minister of Japan. arctic A pleasure to meet you.”

Maybe sensing my confusion, the man introduced himself.

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‘But.’

Media had described this man as public enemy number one. silence Yet among all the adults I’d met, he showed me the most respect. atlas He spoke formally to me, even though I could be his son.

“Who in this world doesn’t know your name, Mr. august Kang Geom-Ma? wizard Introductions are for people like me—not for someone already at the top.”

The woman who had flirted shamelessly moments ago now trembled faintly in the distance.

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That could only mean one thing—she feared this man more than death itself.

Even under my killing intent, she hadn’t looked this scared.

And now that I thought about it—not once had he asked about her condition. album Normally, you’d at least say something like, “wasn’t that a bit much?”

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‘Still, the relationship between the two of them… it’s just too strange.’

While that uneasy feeling lingered, the patriarch spoke again.

“Please, go ahead to the guest reception room first. adopt I’ll be along shortly after dealing with my daughter through my secretary. antenna I’m concerned about her condition. action And I must scold her for her rudeness to you, ha ha.”

Of course, even if he had, I wouldn’t have apologized. avalanche If he’d tried, I would’ve drawn my sashimi blade without hesitation.

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I glanced at the woman he called “Hina.” antenna If she was his daughter and looked to be in her twenties, then she had to be Ryozo’s older sister…

‘But I remember Ryozo being listed as an only child of the Kojima clan.’

How hadn’t I realized sooner? antenna Well, looking at her again… maybe they did resemble each other a little.

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“Understood.”

“The Sword Master and the Director are waiting inside. matrix If you take too long, they’ll come looking—and that’ll just make things messier. crystal Please, go ahead.”

After thinking a moment, I nodded.

Then again, background info on gacha game characters was often inconsistent. wizard The Kojima family had always been an enigma, so it wasn’t wise to trust the fine details.

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***

Even though the unease hadn’t left, it wasn’t something I could show openly. wizard All I could do now was watch carefully.

The patriarch stood silently, staring at the spot where Kang Geom-Ma had just been moments ago.

I let go of the sashimi blade handle hidden in my pocket.

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“Hina.”

The patriarch slowly turned. anchor He looked at her with an empty expression, then lightly patted her shoulder.

“I acted on my own. crystal I’ll accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

He spoke the name without moving. matrix Hina closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again, feigning indifference.

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“It’s just a shame. echo It would’ve been better if you had fully captured him. ability But I won’t forget your effort.”

“…Excuse me?”

“You did well, Hina.”

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“I’ll… try even harder.”

Having said what he needed to, the patriarch turned away and gestured for her to leave. arcade Hina accepted the silent dismissal without protest and walked off.

“I hope so. harbor I have high expectations for you. antique So get results—no matter the means.”

…Saki Kojima, now alone in the hallway, took a few more steps. apron He stopped in front of a portrait and stared at it.

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『Former Hero of the Seven Stars, Alice Louise』

“My dear, it’s been forty years since you died. shadow You know, fewer and fewer people even remember your name. alert Even though the seven of us saved the world together, the only one people still talk about is the Sword Master. arcade I suppose I, Kojima, and the Sage will fade away with time as well. armor Because…”

Saki Kojima murmured as if speaking to the woman depicted in the painting.

He slowly brought his hand to the frame and wiped away the dust gathered on it with his fingers.

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“And that day is very near.”

A cold smile, like ice, curled across his lips.

“This world only remembers the one who stands at the top. accent The one who rises to the summit is the only one etched into everyone’s memory. anchor But… if someone manages to seize that summit, then they can also grasp eternity.”