Ending Maker

Terms used in this episode:

Taijutsu – refers to the techniques of unarmed combat in Japanese martial arts, and is an umbrella term including strikes, kicks, throws, joint locks, chokes, and passive defensive combat relevant movement.

Although it was often described as ‘a thousand years ago,’ the collapse of the Iron Kingdom built by the ancient dwarves, and the destruction of Magellan, the magic kingdom built by the high elves, did not occur at the same time.

Since the Iron Kingdom was a union of seven city-states in the first place, not all seven city-states were destroyed by the overlords of hell. Magellan was also the most powerful country on the continent at that time, so even their remaining forces was a power that couldn’t be ignored.

‘Anyway.’

The ancient dwarves and high elves suffered a fatal blow in the fight against the overlords of hell, but their true end was hundreds of years after they defeated the overlords when their countries naturally weakened and eventually disappeared.

‘Of course, a lot of historical events happened in those hundreds of years.’

Valencia, the Elf Sword, was an elven swordsman in the era after the battle against the overlords ended.

Inheriting the blood of the high elf royal family of Magellan, the magic kingdom, she actively walked around the world and helped those in need, and it was a time when the scars left by the overlords were still fresh, so humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and many others from various races received her help.

‘A strong, kind, and beautiful great swordmaster.’

She was like an idol of that time and everyone only said good things about her.

So it was not surprising that the artisans of Sword Seeker went to her to ask about the ultimate sword.

Even if an orc artisan came to her instead of a dwarven artisan, the Elf Sword Valencia would still meet them and seriously think about the ultimate sword together.

‘It was natural for her.’

With the help of Valencia, the ancient dwarves created Ultimate One and dedicated the ultimate sword to her, the strongest swordsman of that time since they could not even use it.

And it was at that moment.

A scene from history played in Jude’s mind.

“We will give you the ultimate sword that we have made.”

“Is it really okay for me to accept it?”

Valencia asked as she hesitated at the proposal of Eitri, the Black Horn’s Guild Master, and Eitri stroked his white beard with his rough and skilled fingers that was typical of a dwarf artisan as he cheerfully answered.

“It’s something we can’t even use anyway.”

Because dwarves had short arms and legs.

But Valencia, who did not know the truth of Ultimate One – Sword Origin, took his words differently.

“I know well that dwarves prefer axes over swords…”

“Hahaha, that’s not what I meant. What I mean is, aren’t you the strongest swordsman in this day and age? Now that we’ve made the ultimate sword, isn’t it natural to give it to the strongest swordsman?”

“Being called the strongest in this day and age… is embarrassing.”

When Valencia’s cheeks reddened as she was really embarrassed, Eitri also blushed at her transcending beauty.

“A-anyway! Please accept it! It’s our masterpiece that we created based on your advice!”

Eitri urged her again, and Valencia twitched her lips before she carefully touched the sheath of Sword Origin.

She was a swordsman after all.

She couldn’t help but be lured by the words ‘ultimate sword.’

“It’s embarrassing…”

“Hahaha, please receive it comfortably. I’m telling you this now, but the Black Horn Guild and I had made this with the thought of dedicating it to you in the first place. It would be nice if it could be your own sword.”

“Oh my…”

Valencia’s face turned redder.

But she could not hide the smile in her face.

It was a sword that the best artisans of her time had made for her, so how could she not be happy as a swordsman?

“Then…I’ll gratefully receive it.”

“Please do so. Heuk heuk.”

The moment Eitri let out a strange laugh as he stared at Valencia happily receiving the sword, the scene playing in Jude’s head ended.

Jude came back to reality and unconsciously had a bitter smile.

“You…received it.”

They had talked back and forth, but Valencia received it in the end.

Valencia had a bright smile, but her eyes slightly twitched.

“I-I had to take it.”

It was the ultimate sword.

It was also a sword made with Valencia in mind.

How could she heartlessly reject it?

And at that moment, a new scene began to play in Jude’s mind.

It was the scene of a young girl swinging her sword with a big smile even though sweat was pouring down all over her body.

“I love the sword.”

I love it so much.

The sword is the best.

It was the very vivid thoughts and intense emotions of a young girl.

And Jude immediately understood that the young girl in front of him was Valencia in her childhood.

A girl who loved the sword.

She was a woman who loved swordsmanship.

And the scene in his head changed.

Valencia equipped Ultimate One – Sword Origin for the first time and blinked her eyes with a blank face.

“B-become one with the sword?”

The sword and her would become one.

Her words were correct.

One could say that her dreams came true in a sense.

But Jude soon felt her despair.

Because she was a swordsman and a woman who loved swordsmanship.

“Eitri! W-what’s going on?!”

“Hehehe, didn’t it go as you said? Become one with the sword! The sword and your body become one, turning you into like a sword!”

“Eh?!”

No, why did you interpret ‘become one with the sword’ that way?

But it had already happened.

Moreover, Valencia was kind and nice, and people always said good things about her personality, so she didn’t say anything more to Eitri.

“D-do you…not like it?”

“Eh? Uh…uh… t-that’s not it. It’s great. I-I think my dream came true.”

She forced herself to smile and hold back her tears, and Eitri sighed in relief.

The scene ended again, and Jude was able to face Valencia who had a tearful face now just like the scene he saw.

“That… wait. Don’t tell me, you have not lifted a sword after that?”

The Sword Origin was a sword that made its user to be like a sword, but it did not mean that the user’s appearance would change into a sword.

The user still had had their hands and fingers, so they could still hold another sword despite having Sword Origin.

‘That’s what I’m planning to do.’

He was thinking of using Ultimate Three – The Dragon Sword, Ascalon, in their fight against Malekith once they found the sword.

But Valencia had a different idea from Jude.

When Jude asked her if she had another sword, she replied with a confused look.

“Eh? Another sword?”

“Yes, another sword.”

“H-how could I do that!”

“Eh?”

“Y-you know! If you’re already holding a sword and you pick up another sword… i-it’s like having an affair! Ch-ch-cheating! It’s being impolite to the sword!”

What is she talking about?

Jude pondered for a moment and glanced at Valencia again.

She had a tearful face after she said those words.

‘She’s serious.’

She was really serious.

She really thought that holding two swords was like cheating.

‘A woman who loves the sword and swordsmanship.’

Jude tried to understand her for now.

And after some time, when she finally calmed down a little, he slowly opened his mouth and said.

“Um… but you know about…dual wielding, right?”

There was a swordsmanship style that wielded two swords at the same time.

But Valencia was adamant.

“Can my successor love two people at the same time? Dual wielding is blasphemy! You can’t be two-timing!”

“O-okay…”

If she insists, then so be it.

And a scene began to play in his mind again.

The bare-handed Valencia was dancing beautifully.

As expected of someone beautiful like Valencia.

Jude was unconsciously mesmerized by the dance of a beautiful woman who was second to Cordelia, but he soon realized.

Valencia wasn’t really dancing now.

Her movements were based on martial arts.

“So I started to hone my new swordsmanship.”

The scene in his head disappeared and he saw Valencia in reality again.

She continued to speak with a very serious face.

“It’s my own swordsmanship style while using Sword Origin.”

A scene played in Jude’s mind again.

Valencia’s graceful but fiery movements were truly beautiful yet overwhelming at the same time.

“Sword Origin and I are already one. That is why I could create a new swordsmanship style.”

Jude seemed to understand to a certain extent.

Sword Origin wasn’t just a sword that strengthened his limbs.

In fact, the roundhouse kick that sent Gamorr Khan flying was more like a crushing blow rather than a strike.

‘However…’

In the end, isn’t this just Taijutsu?

Is there any swordsmanship in this world that uses punches?

And it was at that moment.

The Valencia in front of him suddenly inflated her cheeks and vehemently shouted.

“It’s swordsmanship! Swordsmanship! I’m telling you, it’s swordsmanship! Uwaaah…”

Valencia finally burst into tears.

Apparently, she had heard words like ‘In the end, isn’t this just Taijutsu?’ a lot of times during her lifetime.

“I-it’s swordsmanship! Swordsmanship. Yes, it’s swordsmanship. Just because you don’t use a sword doesn’t mean it’s not swordsmanship.”

“T-that’s right. It is swordsmanship, right? It really is swordsmanship, right?”

“Of course, it is. You’re not wrong.”

“Huhuhu.”

Valencia shed tears of joy, and Jude thought to himself.

‘She’s lost her mind…’

She was so kind and pretty, but also pitiful.

But in any case, her Taijutsu – no, her unique swordsmanship seemed to be very useful.

‘It enhances the power of Sword Origin.’

When he thought about his fight against Gamorr Khan, it was seriously like an amateur’s movements.

If he could fight like Valencia, it would be possible for him to maximize the power of Sword Origin.

“That’s why I appeared.”

“I see. Please use this.”

“Oh? T-thank you. You are kind.”

Valencia smiled softly when she received the handkerchief that Jude had given, and Jude thought.

‘What a waste.’

Even though she was very pretty, she could only be second best because of Cordelia.

If Scarlet had heard his thoughts, she would call him out on his nonsense, or rather, she would wonder how Cordelia had brainwashed him. Jude then turned to Valencia again.

“Anyway, you can continue.”

“Yes, huhu. C-can I blow my nose with this?”

“Uh…yes. You can have it.”

After all, this wasn’t reality but some mental space.

“Sniff! Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Ahem, ahem. Anyway, let me continue.”

Valencia cleaned her face before she looked back at Jude and said.

“I saw your fight. And I thought that you need guidance.”

“Will you teach me your Taijutsu…no, I mean, your unique swordsmanship?”

“Yes, but I have no intention of teaching you pure swordsmanship. My successor, you already have strong martial art techniques.”

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors combined with Supreme Sun Divine Art.

“So I’m going to create a new swordsmanship style by combining your martial art skills and my swordsmanship.”

“Is that possible?”

“Yes, it’s possible.”

As expected of a great swordmaster.

Jude was in admiration as he unknowingly clapped his hands, and Valencia blushed in embarrassment before she spoke.

“Anyway, I’m going to start studying it from today. So please teach me about your martial art skills for a while.”

“Will we meet each other like this every day?”

“If it’s hard every day, let’s meet often then.”

And it was at that moment.

Jude suddenly raised his hand and asked.

“Um, Valencia-nim.”

“Yes, my successor.”

“You can call me Jude.”

“I want to call you my successor. I prefer that.”

“Uh… I understand.”

She was strangely stubborn at times, but that wasn’t what mattered now.

“Umm… what exactly is going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve been wondering why… you’re in front of me like this now.”

“That’s because I’m the sword spirit of Sword Origin.”

“Sword spirit? A spirit in the sword?”

“Yes, all the Ultimate Seven series have sword spirits.”

At Valencia’s calm explanation, Jude furrowed his brows and said.

“Wait, are you saying that all the users of this sword would become a sword spirit?”

“No, they won’t. I became a sword spirit because I wanted to. The other Ultimate series usually had a sword spirit from the time they were created. But Sword Origin was a sword whose goal was to unite with its user, so Eitri said that he didn’t intentionally put in a sword spirit.”

“Uh… I see.”

He could roughly guess on why Valencia became a sword spirit.

She was a woman who loved the sword so much that she wanted to be the sword itself.

In any case, it wasn’t what mattered now.

“Uh, Valencia-nim.”

“Yes, my successor? Or should I call you the 2nd generation?”

“You can call me whatever you want. Anyway, Grand Order will have a sword spirit too, right?”

“Yes, it has.”

“Is it a man?”

“No, it’s a cute girl.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Eh?”

Valencia tilted her head as she did not understood what was going on, but Jude was secretly delighted as he happily smiled.

“Then, is Cordelia meeting her sword spirit too now?”

“Probably not. Sword spirits are usually asleep unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“Is Valencia-nim an exception?”

“Well… maybe? After all, now is the moment that you really need me.”

She had to teach Jude her Taijutsu, or rather, her unique swordsmanship.

“I understand. Please teach me, Valencia-nim.”

“That’s a good mindset. Then, my successor, please teach me your martial arts skills first.”

“Okay, I’ll begin with the basics.”

After he got himself into position, Jude slowly began to demonstrate the techniques of Supreme Sun Divine Art and Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

***

Morning dawned.

Jude normally slept for at least 3 hours, but because of his training with Valencia, his sleeping time was forcibly extended, so he got up later than Cordelia.

“You’re actually a late riser, huh?”

“Hey, it’s just the first time I woke up later than you, okay?”

“No, I was the one who woke up first after the battle in the royal capital.”

“It’s my loss.”

“Hehe, I won.”

Cordelia had a big smile as she was really happy, but she suddenly sucked in her lips and gazed at Jude as she asked.

“Were you dreaming?”

“Eh? I did.”

Because his meeting with Valencia could be considered a dream.

But it was at that moment.

“Then. Did you dream about… me?”

Cordelia slightly turned her head and asked as her cheeks blushed.

She looked so cute that he wanted to bite her, but Jude unconsciously flinched when he thought that.

“Eh? Uh… yes.”

Jude seemed to be embarrassed about it and replied without realizing it, while Cordelia played with her fingers and said.

“I dreamed of you too.”

Cordelia spoke in a murmur and quickly sucked in her lips in her embarrassment. Jude placed his hand over his chest because of Cordelia’s cuteness and the sense of guilt that he felt.

And it was at that moment again.

“By the way, Jude.”

“Yes, Cordelia.”

“Do you think that I… forgot something?”

Cordelia asked as she felt that something was different, while Jude tilted his head.

“You forgot something?”

“Yes, I forgot something. I feel as if I forgot something, something really important but trivial… AH!”

That was it. Cordelia jumped from her seat and repeatedly stomped her feet as she was at a loss on what to do before she began to run like crazy.

Towards the eastern section of Black Town.

It was in the direction of the Aggro Generator.

***

[It’s alright. I was born to be forgotten anyway.]

“No, that’s not it!”