Leon found Fio’s inexplicable shyness making him look forward to what came next.

“Come on, Fio. What are you doing?”

The silver-haired girl stayed silent. Since she’d told him to, Leon had no choice but to wait with his eyes closed.

“Mmm… Fine. Here goes.”

At the sound of her determined voice, Leon felt something touch his mouth and jumped in surprise.

“Take it in…”

Fio was telling him what to do, but Leon still hesitated. What… what was he supposed to do?

He opened his eyes and saw something startling: Fio had placed her slender index and middle fingers against his lips, transferring magic to him.

“Don’t look…! I told you to do as I say. I’m not as shameless as you are…”

Fio’s face was burning red. In a fluster, she covered Leon’s eyes with her free hand.

“Hurry up and take it in! I’m not repeating myself a third time!”

Leon touched Fio’s fingertips with his tongue, and the magic began to flow into him. The sensation was gentle and surprisingly refreshing.

Fio trembled slightly as the magic passed between them, and Leon could feel her growing warmer.

He could tell that more than just her nervousness was part of the transfer. There was another current flowing into him…

“Swallow it…”

It was her saliva. Fio was far bolder than she seemed!

Leon’s heart began to pound. With Fio’s small hand covering his eyes and her faint fragrance in the air, his thoughts started to wander.

As his excitement mounted, the magic flowing into Leon’s body surged as well. It was the Dragon King’s power, after all—even this much was enough to…

Fio’s incredible—in every sense of the word. The magic’s about to make me burst!

“Are you done yet? Hurry up…!”

Fio urged Leon on in a near-tearful voice. That only made it harder for him to keep his impulses in check. In a daze, he hooked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, trying to keep the transfer going.

Fio was already on edge, and that startled her. She kicked him, and the blow cleared the haze from Leon’s mind, which had been clouded by the magic running wild inside him.

“Uh… um…”

Facing the girl who looked ready to burst into tears, Leon felt terribly awkward. After a long moment, he finally thought of a way to ease the tension.

“Why don’t I return the favor and transfer some magic to you? Then we’d be even.”

“You pervert! You jerk!”

Fio crossed her arms over her chest, backed away, and shouted at Leon.

The Sword Saint realized he’d said the wrong thing again. He’d acted too impulsively and done something that went against the gentlemanly spirit of the Alex family.

Still, the sensation had been surprisingly pleasant, and he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to experience it again. Lost in thought, Leon stared at Fio, then caught himself and smiled awkwardly.

Fio shuddered as if she’d become the target of a predator.

“Leon, don’t look at me like that…! Hurry up and deal with the iceberg.”

“Oh, right. We still have something important to do. We’ll talk about this later. Somehow, I don’t think we can just leave things here.”

Leon knew he’d gone too far with her. He’d have to apologize properly to Fio later.

“You’re still not done?!”

Leon drew the sword at his waist and the one on his back. The larger and smaller blades joined together, forming a greatsword meant to be wielded with both hands.

It was the spoils he’d won after defeating the Arbiter of Light and Darkness: the Twin Blades of Light and Darkness.

“Fio, stay back,” Leon said.

Fio nodded and ran off.

Leon lowered his center of gravity, steadied his breathing, and cleared his mind of distractions. He aimed at the enormous iceberg hanging overhead.

The immense magic inside him searched for an outlet. Through the channel Leon had opened, it surged out wildly. The Sword Saint brought it under control and channeled it into the greatsword of light and darkness.

The technique itself wasn’t complicated. It was simply an outward release of magic, a common countermeasure warriors used when they were being overwhelmed.

But through his mastery of weapons, Leon could precisely direct what would otherwise be an uncontrolled burst toward the target he wanted to hit.

“Sky-Piercing Dragon-Slaying Sword.”

The technique normally didn’t produce an effect like a beam of light. But with Fio’s magic replenishment and the time he’d spent charging it, this blast could wipe the whole field clean.

The bard’s exaggerated tale had become reality. Two torrents of light and darkness surged skyward, blasting the roof off the testing grounds.

The sword energy converged into a keen spear and pierced the enormous iceberg. It shattered the structure at its core, and the mountain began to split apart and collapse.

Though the iceberg had shattered, its enormous chunks came crashing down, still posing a serious threat to the royal capital.

But Leon was still riding the afterglow of the attack. He had plenty of magic left—enough to fire several more shots without a problem.

“Sky-Piercing Dragon-Slaying Sword.” “Sky-Piercing Dragon-Slaying Sword.” “Sky-Piercing Dragon-Slaying Sword.” “Sky-Piercing Dragon-Slaying Sword.” “Sky-Piercing Dragon-Slaying Sword.”

He fired five more beams in rapid succession, breaking the larger chunks of the iceberg into smaller pieces.

All that remained was the final step. Leon hoisted the greatsword onto his shoulder.

“Fio, get me up there!”

“Got it!”

Fio cast a spell, forming a staircase of ice that rose into the air. Leon took off running.

To the people of the royal capital, the legendary Sword Saint looked like a streak of black light as he raced up the stairway to the heavens and into the sky.

He swung the greatsword in a sweeping circle. Sword energy spread in every direction like a raging gale, pulverizing the iceberg’s remains.

On that day, snow fell in the height of summer over the royal capital. And another tale was added to the legend of Leon the Sword Saint—

An evil mage had unleashed a forbidden spell, seeking to destroy the royal capital. The Sword Saint Leon had answered the people’s hopes, becoming a hero of justice and saving the city.

But the hero in everyone’s eyes wasn’t thinking about the incredible feat he’d just accomplished. He was too busy wondering whether Fio’s magic had tasted like strawberry or cherry.

…

The Eastern Radiance Emperor had watched from the palace as Leon shattered the iceberg and saved the royal capital. Interest filled his keen, eagle-like eyes.

“Leon the Sword Saint… So he’s a man of such strength. I’d very much like to have him.”

The Eastern Radiance Emperor glanced at the man beside him: Jiedun, his most trusted aide.

“Your Majesty is the strongest warrior among humankind. Even the Great Sage now has to show you respect. Someone like Leon, known as the Heroic Sword Saint, surely can’t make much trouble for you.”

“Heh, you’re right,” said the Eastern Radiance Emperor. “Still, look into the powerful mage who summoned that iceberg. Keep it discreet. Once you’ve confirmed their identity, use whatever means necessary to bring them before me.”

“Leave it to me, Your Majesty. Everything will go just as you wish… You’ll inherit the ancient legacy of the Ice Dragon King, conquer the other races, and become the one true ruler of the continent.”