The Game Rune System

Tetsuya's Romantic Swordsmanship had already a few runes forged within.

Those runes were from the mistress behind him and all possessed high value that many servants would beg and sell their lives for. Now, it was time to properly utilize those to bring out Calm River Rune's might to this birthday!

It was surely what Milady Yuhi wanted the most right now.

Her red eyes calmly scanned over Tetsuya's sword, then she nodded inwardly to his approach.

Clang!

The first strike was not the heaviest one Tetsuya's sword could offer. It was a strike to test his opponent with his own sword and to also create the wrong impression.

Since Tetsuya's approach was already like that, Milady Yuhi melted into her chair and continued to look at the battle with a calm heart.

"I see…" Gnara Hiro let out an understanding exclamation, then his sword brightly lit up.

Despite the heavy feeling on his sword and arm, he still felt no threat from Tetsuya's sword. Such a sword couldn't break his flow!

He clenched the hilt tightly, then slashed upwards.

What seemed like a normal slash quickly turned into a blinding weapon. Hiro's sword uses rune related to lighting, but its purpose was not to blind its enemies. After all, if a swordsman had to rely on such petty tricks, then would one be able to call oneself swordsman?

A real swordsman wouldn't rely on one's eyes to inflict flawless slash!

Thus, this lightning had the purpose of increasing Hiro's speed. Since he reached the state where his sword rune could be used on both his body and the sword, Hiro's reactions were also faster.

He was like the sword itself and this was the reason why everyone from the younger generation fell to his sword!

However, Tetsuya surprisingly managed to parry off all his fast attacks.

"This is a servant?" Gnara Ren spoke with slight displeasure. One could see three lines on his forehead which exposed his irritation. His boot was also tapping the ground, so the closest old masters just chuckled unconsciously while watching the sword.

Though all of them could understand the reason for such feelings, Tetsuya's appearance will turn useful for Gnara Hiro in the future.

After all, this will be a valuable experience for both of them and that was what everyone from here wanted to gain in abundance.

So two of them slashing the swords was indeed a good thing.

But Tetsuya's status, which was the servant, added with his plain looks were not something that Gnara Ren could just accept.

If his third son were to lose, then how could he show up in other parties? For at least another fifty years, Gnara Hiro would have to just hide within the household and practice his sword yet again!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"It's already been more than ten minutes." One of the guests whispered.

"A servant who has Milady Yuhi's runes must be the next head butler! But to get such a promising servant, I can't help but get slightly jealous." Another one whispered.

It's said that the one who has the last laugh is the victor, so Gnara Ren clenched his arms and sent the message through his rune, "Just win. Even if it takes everything from you, you must win, Hiro! Even if it means you have to kill this servant!" It wasn't like Gnara Ren expected Tetsuya to die.

It was because Milady Yuhi was overlooking this spar with big eyes.

He has never seen such a side of hers.

Sitting with her back straight and red eyes widely open, Milady Yuhi was also clenching her little fists so much that her arms were trembling. One could tell that she was excited for this servant as if he was her own son.

No way she would let him die, so Gnara Ren just passed the message and waited for the show's end.

Inwardly, he was also feeling like Milady Yuhi was just too cute right now!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

'Hah… I am feeling this… This is Cold River's calmness and weightness coming out of me.' If Hiro could become the light sword himself, then Tetsuya also could become that boundless sea that stopped his opponents.

His opponent has reached this state and Tetsuya also began to learn this the more he fought with him.

In five minutes of this battle, Tetsuya was forced to let out his full power, but now it was him focusing more on this unique concept of becoming one with the rune and swordsmanship.

If one added the fuel from Romantic Swordsmanship, then Tetsuya was slowly building up considerable power that might overwhelm this man soon!

He also understood the reason why his romantic rune was fueling him this match, 'Milady Yuhi must be pretty excited, I get it. I am also… excited… This rewarding feeling is also not that bad.'

His training where he had to lower his head and accept every slash with his body. His training where he learned new stuff and runes that brought him up to this moment! All of this was feeling indeed good together with Milady Yuhi's excitement that was felt by Tetsuya per Romantic Swordsmanship Rune.

His opponent 's began to turn even brighter to the point where Tetsuya got forced to close his eyes.

A lot of light cuts spread on the game master's body, but he already expected those. WIth his vision sealed, Tetsuya solely relied on his senses that screamed about the incoming damage.

He also felt himself submerging more in the boundless sea that was calm and opposite to his screaming instincts, 'Since when I am that loud person?' Smirking inwardly, Tetsuya suddenly found the epiphany within his swordsmanship.

Fueled by all emotions and understanding, he abruptly let out thrust that broke Hiro's flow.

Hiro's whole lightning dispersed and the technique he was about to use got shattered just like that. The particles of light became like lifeless glass that scattered across the birthday party…

"How… can… this… be?" Hiro's voice was also slower as if Tetsuya's Calm River Rune permeated his senses. In fact, Tetsuya's eyes were now all open and he also saw Hiro's shock spreading in slow motion.

This man's leg taking a step back was likewise in the similar motion.

Everything seemed slower, but Tetsuya felt the usual flow and swordsmanship!

"That is my present." Tetsuya smiled faintly, his sword slashing through Hiro's chest. He cut open the noble robes, deeply tore through those muscles and scattered a lot of royal blood that left everyone speechless.

After the time returned to normal, Tetsuya raised his chin high.

His ego? Well, ego was still here, but that wasn't what Tetsuya had in mind. Instead, he just smiled with genuine happiness for his swordsmanship and Milady Yuhi's happiness that he also could feel from afar.

He felt really rewarded right now.

Boom!

As Hiro fell onto his bottom, Tetsuya bowed and respectfully said, "Thank you for sparing with me." He then turned around and approached Milady Yuhi who was already standing.

She looked over Tetsuya's wounds, then announced her departure from the birthday's party.

"The wounds of Light Sense Rune should be treated with utmost care and by professionals, so I have to accompany Narashi back to my mansion. I hope you all had a great time and if all of you have taken a liking to the food and my arena, then don't hold back and call out my servants for more. Thank you."

"..."

Since the celebrant left, the old masters continued with the arena until the moon hung itself on the sky, then one by one everyone left.

On the other hand, Tetsuya was within Milady Yuhi's room.

Her earlier words weren't an excuse nor used to please Gnara Ren whose son just lost the spar to the servant. He was really in pain and needed some care, otherwise, severe backlashes will haunt him for many years!

Though Tetsuya was in such a vulnerable state, he was stroked by Milady Yuhi and treated with utmost gentleness by her medicines, so he was feeling not bad at all. 

In every relationship, he was always being the 'better' one and him going with his ladies flow was not always because of genuine feelings. This man had hated responsibilities and this alone made him scum in many ways back on the earth.

But now, Tetsuya found what he was lacking all this time.

"So it was present for me?" Milady Yuhi's question just assured him.

"Yes, it was present. I am proud of this present. What about Milady Yuhi?" Tetsuya was feeling proud and Yuhi's feelings made it all worth it.

"I loved it." Her words and expression of bliss made Tetsuya already think of another birthday. Though he has seen a lot of similar expressions from his girlfriends, this one hit him differently because of the process that Tetsuya had gone through.

"That's enough for now." Tetsuya answered, then closed his eyes.

In the meantime, Milady Yuhi covered her lips and faintly giggled as he said 'for now' was too innocent for such an old woman like her.