Chapter 83

"Sure, but... it all depends on the wind, doesn't it?"

Alyushia is indeed the captain and instructor of the knight squadron, but first and foremost, she is a knight. It's only natural that she would want to receive training. However, the slight doubt still lingers as to why now.

"No, the Sphendyard Bania delegation's visit is also approaching, and I thought I should practice my sword skills."

"I see."

Her attitude remains unshaken in a good way. Her well-defined features, as if a statue had come to life, are adorned with a gentle smile.

For a beauty like her to be one of the best knights in the Reberis Kingdom, it seems the heavens have bestowed not just one but multiple gifts. One might even feel a bit out of place with such thoughts.

"Shall we start then?"

"Yes, if you're ready, sir."

As she says this, she hands me a wooden training sword.

It's been years since I last faced Alyushia, back when she used to visit my dojo. She was excellent and strong even then, but quite some time has passed since then. Her skills must have improved even further. After all, if she were weak, she wouldn't be the captain of the Reberio Knight Squadron.

"Hembritz, please give the signal to start."

"Y-Yes!"

We take our positions in the center of the training ground, maintaining a distance and holding our wooden swords.

The knights around us have paused their training, their gazes focused on us. It's understandable; a sparring match between two instructors is something they'd want to see.

I'm feeling a mix of excitement and tension.

I'm genuinely curious about Alyushia's growth, but I'm also afraid of showing a poor performance in front of her. It's hard to judge how much she has improved since then. I need to concentrate more than usual.

"Are both of you ready?"

"No problem."

"Sure, no problem."

Hembritz gives the final confirmation. We both nod and fix our gazes straight ahead.

Coincidentally, we both adopt the middle guard, a basic stance that can easily transition into both offense and defense.

"Then—"

The training ground, which was just filled with the sounds of practice, falls silent except for Hembritz's voice.

This unique tension is great. Even though it's just a training session, the air is so intense and cold. This alone is a testament to Alyushia's skill.

"Begin!"

"Ah!"

The signal to start is given by Hembritz.

Alyushia doesn't move immediately. She holds her wooden sword in the middle guard, seemingly waiting for my move—

—before I realize it, her wooden sword is right in front of my face.

"Whoa!?"

I hastily deflect her sword.

Hold on, hold on, just a moment.

How did she move just now?

A cold sweat runs down my back.

Seriously? I barely saw anything. One moment she was in the middle guard, and the next, her sword was right in front of my face.

"Excellent. I was hoping to score a point, but—"

"No, I couldn't let that happen so easily!"

I manage to respond, but my heart is pounding.

This isn't some magic or trick. But even so, this is unexpected. I have no idea where her sword came from. It just suddenly appeared in front of me, and I instinctively deflected it. That's all I did.

"Ah!"

—Again. This time, it's the middle guard.

Once again, her wooden sword seems to fly out from where she was just standing.

I deflect the sword aimed at my side and quickly step back.

"Phew..."

This is strange.

There's almost no tell when she attacks. It's as if the sword materialized out of nowhere. What's going on?

"Hehe. Being defended twice is a first for me."

"It's an honor to receive such praise..."

No, no, this isn't funny.

This can't go on. I have no confidence in dodging those unpredictable attacks. Defending twice was almost a miracle.

"Shh!"

"Ha!"

If so, I have no choice but to attack.

I raise my sword from the middle guard and launch a series of strikes.

The dry sound of wooden swords clashing echoes through the training ground. Alyushia deftly knocks my sword away with minimal movement.

"Hmm!"

I follow up with a horizontal slash and a thrust, but the former is blocked, and the latter is dodged as she steps back.

Damn, it feels like I'm the one forcing the attack a lot lately.

"Hehe... Sir, do you know what I'm called in the streets?"

"...No, I don't."

As we open up some distance, Alyushia speaks.

I remember Srena being called the "Dragon Dual Swords." Perhaps Alyushia has a similar nickname.

"'Divine Speed.' It's a generous title, but—"

"...At the very least, you live up to the name... Ah!"

Here, the roles switch, and Alyushia's sword, living up to her title, strikes again.

This time, there was a bit more distance, so I managed to deflect it. However, to attack her with my wooden sword, I would need to close the distance by at least two steps.

She closes the gap as naturally as breathing, leaving me no room to breathe and delivering her sword with precision. She's truly remarkable.

"Phew!"

I counter with a diagonal slash, but Alyushia is already out of range.

Her sword speed is incredibly fast, but her overall agility is even better.

And most importantly, her eyes are sharp.

I see.

Unlike our first exchange, this time there was a bit more distance, so I could see a bit of the trick.

In terms of the weight of a single strike, Hembritz is far superior.

And in terms of pure speed, Srena is probably better.

However, Alyushia's attacks are different from both. They are almost alien.

She controls her body's movements to the extreme, accelerating from a stationary position. Her ability to reach peak speed is better than anyone else's.

This is made possible by her well-trained legs, especially her knees. Her knees are incredibly flexible.

Her knee movements are so skilled that there's almost no noticeable stepping motion. That's why it feels like she moves suddenly.

Moreover, her defense is also excellent, making her difficult to handle. Her good eyesight and core strength allow her to choose the optimal defense against any attack.

I'm in a bind; I can't find any openings. And her style is particularly difficult for me to counter.

From a swordsman's perspective, she is almost perfect.

If this were just a sparring match between the two of us, I could afford to lose. But there are other knights watching.

Most importantly, I'm seen as the special instructor Alyushia brought. If I appear weaker than her, it could put both of us in a difficult position. This is not a desirable outcome for either of us.

...Alright, I've decided. Let's go with this.

"Ha!"

I close the distance quickly, striking from above and thrusting. I grip the hilt with one hand, aiming for close combat.

Alyushia skillfully counters my attacks, deflecting them all. The sound of wooden swords clashing echoes again.

She's excellent; half-hearted attacks won't even touch her, let alone hit her.

"Alright"

"Wha—"

However.

Mastering the textbook is all well and good, but it's not the same as real combat.

My free left hand grabs the edge of Alyushia's clothing.

Seizing the moment of tension, I pull her with my left hand. Caught off guard, Alyushia stumbles a few steps.

"One point"

"Ow!"

I tap the top of her head with the hilt of my wooden sword, scoring a point.

This makes me the winner.

"...I lost"

"Sometimes, this kind of fighting is necessary. Remember that."

Alyushia lets out a reluctant smile, but there's no trace of cheating or unfairness in her expression.

As someone who has been on the battlefield, she understands the importance of such tactics. It's a good mindset to have.

There's no one here who would look down on unarmed combat. While it might be fine for just a match, a knight's motto is to be prepared for any situation. Even Srena, who isn't a knight, used kicks extensively in our sparring matches.

"The captain... lost...!?"

"Seriously? Beryl is really something..."

The knights' murmurs reach my ears.

Indeed, the captain is the top of the organization. Even in a mock battle, Alyushia's loss is quite shocking.

"...I've never seen the captain lose a point before."

"Hehe. Hembritz, you should also learn to use your body like this. It might not be elegant, but it's effective."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I add a bit of advice to Hembritz's comment.

Of course, being able to use your body as a weapon makes you stronger. Hembritz has good potential, and I hope he can absorb various techniques and become even stronger.

"Ugh. Has your style gotten worse since we last met?"

"That's a harsh comment. Alyushia, your sword skills are very clean, but perhaps a bit too clean."

I dodge her mild scolding.

There's no guarantee that your opponent will always fight honorably.

They might use any dirty tactics. While her sword skills can overwhelm most opponents, the world is vast, and not everyone will be that easy to handle.

Conversely, if I hadn't used such tactics, my chances of winning would have been slim. Defeating her with a straightforward approach would be very difficult for most swordsmen. Who trained her to be this strong? It doesn't count when she was at my dojo, as she wasn't this good then.

But that's only in a straightforward fight.

With various strategies, there are a few more ways I could have won, including some really dirty tactics.

This is probably inevitable in an organization like the knight squadron. She seems to have become too accustomed to clean fights, and I hope she continues to grow and can handle both clean and dirty situations.

"I believe strength can be found in many places, not just in sword skills."

"Yes, that's true."

I say something that sounds appropriate, as a lesson for today.

But in truth, I also believe that one should have a broader and higher perspective, not just focusing on sword skills. If swinging a sword made everyone strong, no one would struggle, unfortunately.

"Please continue to guide me."

"Sure, I'll do my best."

Well, my heart is cold, but my body is warmed up. Let's continue with the training for everyone.

I hope to see the emergence of the second and third Alyushia from this group. But maybe just one is enough. Having too many like her would be overwhelming.

By the way, Hembritz also has a nickname, though it's unclear if it will appear in the future.

Nicknames are great. I'd like to be called something like "Divine Speed in Manuscript Handling."

On the 23rd (Tuesday), the 4th episode will be available on Doko Demo Young Champion, and the 3rd episode on Nico Nico Douga. Please look forward to them.