【 March 7th nodded: "That's right, but what does this mean?" 】

【 Qingque explained: "It means that if you want to practice this sword technique, you must first harm your own body. Otherwise, learning this sword technique will also harm your body... In short, just like work, once you get involved, you're bound to get hurt one way or another." 】

【 Stelle: "I feel like the author of this sword manual has malicious intent..." 】

【 Qingque shook her head: "That's not necessarily true." 】

【 March 7th flipped out another one: "Then what about this one... 《Ninety-Nine Yang True Art》?" 】

【 "Ah... this one, I've heard of it. Just looking at the name, you can tell this martial art is extremely Yang and rigid. It can make the practitioner's muscles knot up, standing eight feet tall, with an eight-foot waist and eight-foot arms. No one can withstand a punch with this monstrous strength." 】

— — Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World.

"Eight feet tall, eight-foot waist, eight-foot arms... Is, is this still human?"

Emilia imagined it for a moment; wouldn't that just be a square-shaped block person?

If one were to keep practicing this martial art, whether it brings one closer to becoming a hero, she wasn't sure, but it was already drifting quite far from humanity.

"If this martial art could be passed over here, I think it wouldn't hurt to let Barusu learn it," said the pink-haired Ram while wiping a plate.

"Huh? Me? Why do I have to be the one to learn it?" Subaru pointed at himself, displeased.

"Because obviously, you're the most useless one here, Barusu, and you're the only one suited for learning such an extremely Yang and rigid martial art, right?" After finishing, Ram narrowed her eyes, not forgetting to add a venomous remark: "Although you can't compare to Lord Roswaal in terms of manliness, learning a bit of martial arts can serve as self-defense."

"Ah... being told by Ram that I'm not as manly as that guy is really hurtful." Subaru looked toward Roswaal, who was sitting in the main seat. That guy usually dressed like a court jester and inexplicably loved to drag out the ends of his sentences when he spoke; he really didn't know which part of him had anything to do with being "manly."

Although he really wished he could learn some special, powerful magic or martial arts, if he had to give up his human appearance for it, he would never agree to that.

Come to think of it, can a person really train themselves into a block? Only the Xianzhou people could probably manage that...

【 March 7th was a bit scared: "Eek... is that still human after training?" 】

【 "Martial arts... they only care about defeating the enemy; they don't care if you're still in human form after you've mastered them." 】

【 "Is there any safe, peerless sword manual?" Stelle asked. 】

【 "...But if it's safe and has no cost, it sounds cheap," Qingque said. "Most of the fragments kept in the library are failed products from the Cloud Knights' martial arts research. Not only might they require forbidden drugs like those of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to modify the body, but they also have to be used with various dangerous weapons..." 】

【 "Of course, the development of martial arts by our predecessors is constantly progressing. Take a look at this annotation—" Qingque wiped the dust off the side of the scroll, revealing a line of tiny, fly-head-sized characters: "'It is possible to master the Ninety-Nine Yang Divine Art while retaining a human form...'" 】

【 "Possible?! Let's see what this martial arts master has to say!" March 7th was immediately excited. 】

【 Qingque continued reading below: "'I am certain I have discovered a wonderful method, but unfortunately, the blank space here is too small to write it down.'" 】

【 Stelle curled her lips: "Sounds like that method would require a whole thesis!" 】

【 March 7th drooped her eyebrows and sighed deeply: "Sigh, it seems finding a peerless sword manual suitable for this young lady really isn't easy." 】

— — Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.

"If the cost isn't particularly high... like just hair turning white, or eyes changing color, then I might be able to accept the cost of a peerless martial art."

Glancing at the daydreaming Fujiwara-senpai, Ishigami sighed helplessly.

"Senpai," Ishigami asked, "do you want to practice martial arts to become number one, or to strengthen your body and keep fit?"

"Of course I want to become the best in the world!" Fujiwara Chika said matter-of-factly, hands on her hips. "Having a peerless secret manual but not aiming for number one? That's too lacking in ambition, right? It's as strange as participating in a competition and not wanting to win the championship!"

"Then here's the problem." Ishigami took off his headphones and leaned forward slightly. "Do you really think you can stick with practicing martial arts?"

"Eh?"

"What I mean is... it's not about 'whether you want to practice,' but 'whether you can persist.' The difficulty of practicing martial arts is far beyond doing radio calisthenics or yoga every day. But think carefully, Senpai, how long has it been since you practiced yoga to lose weight?"

"..."

Fujiwara Chika fell silent. Her face flushed red at a visible speed, and she huffed: "Why does practicing martial arts have to be linked to losing weight?"

"If you can't even persist in something like losing weight, which only requires controlling your weight and moderate exercise, then it's even more impossible when applied to martial arts."

Ishigami said expressionlessly and calmly: "Compared to severing your seven emotions and six desires to master a peerless martial art, it's clearly more worthwhile to live a life enjoying milk tea and ramen, right?"

【 Qingque said earnestly: "I can see it now. Miss March 7th wants to defeat enemies, but she's afraid of the risks of practicing martial arts... If you ask me, these risks aren't worth taking. After all, most people just want to win a fight; it's not worth paying such a huge price." 】

【 "Is it unrealistic?" 】

【 "Hatred, grievances, jealousy, shame... Humans have too many complex emotions. How could they be easily solved by 'you beat me, I beat you'? If 'fighting' could solve everything, reality wouldn't have so many troubles." 】

【 March 7th sighed: "...Reality is so complicated." 】

【 "After all, I am a Diviner. From the very beginning, I haven't believed that 'victory in sword fighting equals solving the problem.'" 】

【 As the three were chatting, someone suddenly arrived at the entrance of the library. It was actually Miss Lingsha from the Alchemy Commission. 】

【 "Oh? It seems these are the two helpers Little Sparrow found?" 】

【 March 7th: "Why is Lady Lingsha here too?" 】

【 "Previously, I learned from the Alchemist that many forbidden books were lost from the Alchemy Commission during the Ambrosial Arbor disaster, and it took quite a lot of effort to retrieve them. The Alchemy Commission is not an institution meant to house forbidden books, so the Master Diviner and I discussed it..." 】

【 Qingque hung her head in pain: "And then... the forbidden books became my job." 】

【 "What kind of books are the forbidden books of the Alchemy Commission?" Stelle asked. 】

【 Lingsha's expression was solemn as she said word by word: "Strange books that should not exist in this world, harboring both madness and fear, as well as grace and power." 】