Chapter 99

"Listen well. Under no circumstances are you to take action against that man."

In a room of the Mix family's villa on the outskirts of the capital, Ernte, the Oni-Piercer, seemed to have completely forgotten the humiliation of the dogeza that had taken place just an hour ago, and spoke to the sisters before him.

Upon hearing his words, Dee Mix shuddered, and Jay Mix raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Why, Master? That man, in his anger, revealed his hand. He doesn't seem like our enemy."

"Fool. Do you think that's all he has?"

"…But…"

"Think about it. Dee completely caught Sylvia off guard."

Jay fell silent at Ernte's words.

Reflecting calmly, Second had defended against an unexpected attack on his neighbor during a time when one is most relaxed—during a meal. Not only did he defend, but he parried with a plate. This was not something that could be dismissed as mere "quick reflexes."

"Dee. Jay. Focus on the Oni-Piercer battle. Never think of revenge."

"But we can't just back down like this!"

Jay pushed back, her anger evident. She had performed dogeza for the first time in her life. It was undoubtedly the greatest humiliation of her not-so-short life. The same was true for Dee, but the selfish sense of victimhood that her sister's mistake had brought shame upon her, even though she had no responsibility, fueled her anger even more.

"…That woman in black and the mysterious spirit. I still can't grasp them. And that man changed his appearance in an instant. I have no idea what skill he used or what its effects are. Do you think you can win?"

"Then let's ambush him. With three of us, we shouldn't lose."

"That's out of the question. Jay, abandon the idea that you are superior. Always be the challenger. Complacency and overconfidence are the gaps in your confidence. Strict self-discipline is the path to becoming an Oni-Piercer."

Ernte spoke unilaterally and then stood up, signaling the end of the conversation. As he left, he added one last thing.

"That Sylvia woman, her reaction was incredibly slow. If you can hit her, overwhelm her with a 'quick battle.'"

In exchange for the dogeza, Dee and Jay replied, "Yes!" Ernte nodded in satisfaction and left the room.

…The sisters had no idea that a twisted smile was on his face as he left.

* * *

The day after shopping.

I called Sylvia and Eco to the courtyard early in the morning. It was the start of our sparring training.

"Let's each go one round with me. Then we'll decide on the future plan."

"Alright, I'll do my best."

"Okay!"

For this sparring, we'll use the "duel" system instead of the "match" system. One party can request a duel, and if the other party accepts, it's on. The duel rules are the same as the title match: if you take a fatal hit, your HP will drop to 1 and you'll be stunned.

"Sylvia, you first."

"…Alright."

She seemed a bit nervous.

I couldn't help but smile and say, "Relax, relax." Sylvia laughed awkwardly, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks, and said, "Come on!" as she drew her bow. No, she doesn't understand anything at all.

Well, let's get started…

* * *

The gentle face of Lord Second.

I entered a combat stance, feeling a sense of borrowed courage.

In the next instant—Lord Second's expression changed from gentle to cold in an instant.

…Right after that.

"!"

Before I knew it, an arrow had flown just a few centimeters from my face.

When did he shoot? What is this? Is it *Infantry Archery*? *Rook Archery*? I don't know.

But one thing is clear. I must not be hit—my instincts told me that. I instinctively crouched, barely avoiding it.

"Ugh"

In the next instant, an incredible impact hit my head.

Did I fail to avoid it? No, it was a follow-up attack.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh"

Two, three, four… I couldn't avoid the arrows, and I was hit one after another. All of them hit my head, as if being drawn in.

My brain shook. The pain wasn't as bad as I thought, but I couldn't focus on Lord Second's figure.

And just like that, I lost consciousness without being able to do anything.

"!"

When I came to, I understood. I lost. Completely.

"I have a good idea now."

Lying on my back, I saw Lord Second, my beloved, standing next to me, with his usual expression. For the first time, I felt "scared."

He could kill me whenever he wanted, as easily as twisting a baby's hand.

…For some reason, I felt a strange excitement along with the fear.

He has everything in his hands. The thought of never resisting that fear and surrendering to it felt like an incredible pleasure.

I want to learn more. I want to be loved more. The emotions that welled up inside me. I savored this strange sense of elation as I watched Lord Second walk away.

Then, the duel with Eco began.

It was similar to my experience.

While Eco was holding her shield firmly, she seemed hesitant. Lord Second approached her as if he were going for a walk, but with a steady pace.

"Kyaa!"

One, two, three. The attacks kept coming.

Even as Eco tried to resist, all of her attacks were parried by *Silver General Shield Technique*, and the damage accumulated on her side.

Within 30 seconds, Eco fainted, and Lord Second won.

…It was too one-sided.

I thought I could at least land a hit. The conditions were supposed to be equal, even if there was a slight difference in stats. Eco was even more advantageous in *Shield Technique*.

But I couldn't do anything.

What's the difference? What's the gap? The gap between us and Lord Second is too great, and I can't understand it at all.

"I'll tell you the plan after breakfast."

Will that gap ever be closed? If so, what plan and what training will we do?

"…Alright!"

I'm very curious.

Something seemed to quietly ignite deep in my heart.

* * *

A problem before the match.

…That's my conclusion.

I couldn't sense any determination to win from Sylvia and Eco.

Are they afraid of death? Afraid of pain? Or do they not want to fight? I don't know.

Do they really want to win the title?

If their desire is half-hearted, it would be better to quit. Their battle was so bad that I had to reconsider.

"At this rate, you won't just lose the title, you'll lose in the first round."

There's no point in hiding it, so I told them straight.

They nodded, as if to say, "I knew it," and then slowly spoke.

"Dee and I have already made up our minds."

"I want to participate. I want to win. I want to make the village happy."

"Me too, I want to participate. Especially, I can't lose to Dee Mix."

Their resolve was unexpectedly strong.

I see… Then, let me tell you the plan.

"From now on, for the rest of the time, I'll teach you as many 'ambush tactics' as you can learn. Basics? Common sense? Screw that. Got it? You're weak. Hopelessly weak, but… become participants who can deliver a powerful blow by chance."

Initially, I planned to teach them thoroughly from the basics. I intended to make them memorize and engrave in their bodies all the interpersonal combat techniques I knew, including the intricate changes in battle formations called "opening moves," the effective skill combinations called "sequences," and the sharp finishing moves called "closures," so that their bodies would move on their own without conscious thought.

But with their current state, teaching them the basics in the remaining three weeks would guarantee a first-round loss. Even if they come back next season, I don't mind, but they probably won't be satisfied.

So, the only option is to use the "trick" called ambush tactics.

In PvP, ambush tactics are strictly "advantageous for the defender" if they are properly countered.

However, based on my experience, I don't think anyone in this world can perfectly counter ambush tactics on their first encounter. I doubt anyone in this world knows the correct response to ambush tactics.

With the right trick, there's a chance to land a hit even against a stronger opponent.

The opponent will surely be in a terrible state. Suddenly thrown into an unexpected and serious situation, they will be in a state of great confusion despite needing to remain calm. Just disrupting their rhythm is the goal.

It will be a bit unfortunate for the other title contenders, but I hope they will take it as a learning experience and come back next season.

"Ambush tactics, huh. Hmm, that's what I wanted."

"I'll ambush, I'll ambush!"

Sylvia and Eco are quite enthusiastic.

Good.

"Let's start the special training."

* * *

A man entered the capital of Winston.

Twice a year, when this season comes, the man always visits this city.

The man's name was Rossman.

In his mid-40s, with short black hair and a slightly receding hairline, a medium build, slightly wrinkled eyes, and an unnervingly sharp gaze, he was an unremarkable middle-aged man.

Everyone called him "Rossman the One-Flash."

"Rossman the One-Flash, we've been waiting for you."

The man who greeted him was a giant, standing at about two meters tall.

"Oh, it's been a while, Garam. Did you give up the greatsword?"

"Yes, for a reason."

Garam, a knight of the Second Knight Regiment, had stepped down from his position as deputy commander to take responsibility for the recent internal strife. He now serves the Castor Kingdom as a regular member, performing unpaid labor. His lenient punishment was due to his good character.

He is also one of the participants in the Winter One-Flash Tournament.

"I see. I wonder who gave you the idea."

"There's an interesting man."

"Oh, this is exciting…"

Garam's massive body shuddered with fear at Rossman's smug smile.

Rossman has held the title of One-Flash for over 20 years. His strength was well-known. And Garam, who had crossed swords with him in the past, knew it better than anyone.

"Will it be entertaining?"

He seemed quite excited.

However, Garam was also quite excited. It was undoubtedly because he was imagining the fierce battle with the man he would face against Rossman the One-Flash.

"This season might be quite chaotic."

Garam's heartfelt murmur made Rossman chuckle.

Thank you for reading.

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