Drip! Drip!

The Sword God opened his eyes at the insistent sound. The lion mask that always covered his face was gone. Where was this place? The Sword God wanted to speak but only a whimper escaped from his lips. He’d been mute since birth, and because of that, he’d been bullied his entire life. A disabled person could only survive the Tower by being strong, and so he’d worked extra hard.  

Then, the Martial King noticed him, and he became his disciple. He reached a high point in his life and earned a skill called Open Speaking. At that moment, he had been moved to tears—the first and only time he’d ever cried. After that, he used Open Speaking all the time, and he no longer felt any discomfort.

Now, he could feel that his body was severely injured and his magic power was damaged. He couldn’t use Open Speaking, and it was extremely distressing not to be able to speak. He barely managed to push down his confusion and pain, and with an extreme effort, he opened up Open Speaking and said with difficulty, 『Is…anyone…there?』

There was no answer, and his Open Speaking evaporated futilely in the air. Did no one hear? The Sword God forced out his Open Speaking again. 『Anyone there?』

But there was still no response. He grimaced....