Chapter 13

"Is that person a girl...?"

I was surprised to learn the truth after five years.

"Sorry, I thought they were completely a guy."

"Y-Yeah, I did have short hair back then, and I was often mistaken for a boy...!"

But now, the person standing before me is a rather grown-up and beautiful girl.

It’s no wonder she doesn’t look the same.

"Wait a minute, Rina...!"

Lilia interjected.

"You, a Swordsman, lost to this Unemployed boy...? You must be joking, right?"

Rina shook her head.

"I can understand your surprise, but it’s the truth."

"But, wasn’t it before he was given a job? That makes sense."

"No, that’s not it. I became a Swordsman a year before him and had already learned the Intermediate Sword Skill. Even so, I was defeated by this mere Unemployed person."

"That’s... impossible, right...?"

Under normal circumstances, Rina responded quietly,

"But I can’t do that anymore. I’ve become much stronger in these five years."

The same goes for me.

"This is a good opportunity. It’s foolish to fight an Unemployed person like you now, but I must avenge my defeat. If you’re still pretending to be a swordsman, then face me now."

After that, we headed to the training ground in the basement of the base.

I faced Rina.

Rina confirmed the rules.

"Are the rules the same as last time?"

"Yeah, no problem."

The match would continue until our blessings were reduced to half.

The training ground, which had a spectator area, had only one spectator.

Lilia watched us with a face that said, "Are you really going to fight an Unemployed person...?"

"Let’s go."

"Sure, whenever you’re ready."

"Hmph, enjoy your confidence while it lasts."

Rina kicked off the ground.

"Can you still defend against this? Twin Blade Slash!"

Twin Blade Slash.

Despite being perfectly countered last time, she chose to use this.

...Is she being careless, or does she have some intention?

I also responded with "Twin Blade Slash."

"Hm?"

I thought I had perfectly deflected Rina’s blades from both sides.

But her blades barely budged.

It felt like striking a block of steel.

I jumped back in a hurry but couldn’t avoid it completely, and my shoulders were cleanly slashed.

I lost nearly a third of my blessings in an instant.

"Didn’t I say it? I’ve become much stronger in these five years."

Rina said triumphantly.

"I’m not just a Swordsman anymore. I’m an Advanced Class, a Steel Swordsman."

A Steel Swordsman.

A class known for its overwhelming power, capable of learning skills like "Super Strength."

For some reason, Rina let go of her sword’s hilt.

It hit the ground with a heavy thud.

I see.

That sword isn’t of ordinary weight.

"This sword is made of a special metal and weighs about five times as much as a regular sword. Only someone with the 'Super Strength' skill can wield it at this speed."

What would happen if I clashed with a sword five times heavier?

The answer is what just happened.

I would definitely lose.

"So, you can’t use the same tactics as last time?"

"That’s right."

"But is it good? To reveal your secret so easily."

"No problem. In fact, this handicap is necessary. Just to be clear, as you saw, this doesn’t mean my sword speed has decreased. If anything, it’s much faster than a Basic Class Swordsman."

Rina attacked again.

I couldn’t block her strikes.

If I did, I would lose like before, or worse, my sword might break.

"Hmm. But at this speed, I don’t need to block."

"Ha! Take this!"

Rina’s sword slashed at me.

But I was already gone.

"What!?"

"Behind you."

My sword struck Rina’s back.

"Ugh... When did you get behind me...!? I was sure my sword had caught you...!"

"That was a 'residual image.'"

I used the skill "residual image," which I had also used against the King Oak. It’s a mimicry of the Sword Maiden’s skill "residual image," which can only be used if you have the "teleport" skill, making it an advanced skill of "teleport."

One of the strengths of a Sword Maiden is speed.

Even compared to the fastest class of swordsmen, the Fencer, a Sword Maiden is no less swift.

"Wh-What nonsense...! How can you mimic that, you...!?"

"To put it simply, you just need to move incredibly fast."

"...Huh? That’s impossible..."

I left another "residual image" and attacked Rina from a blind spot.

"Same trick, twice!?"

But this time, she wasn’t fooled and reacted to me, countering.

"That’s also a 'residual image.'"

"What!?"

The real me slashed her shoulder.

"Hmm? My blessings haven’t decreased much, have they?"

"...G-Got it, a Steel Swordsman has the 'Toughness' skill! Your slashes don’t do much damage!"

Blessings are consumed based on the depth of the wound you would have received without them.

Thus, with the "Toughness" skill protecting her, Rina’s blessings don’t decrease easily.

If I attack normally, I might need to hit her about ten more times.

"But if I land a solid hit, I win!"

Rina attacked again without hesitation.

I blocked her sword—

"Idiot! I’ll tear you apart with my sword—!?"

The counter skill "Obtain Counter."

I didn’t resist her slash but absorbed its power.

Then, I spun my body to add centrifugal force and delivered the strongest and fastest counterattack.

"Ugh!?"

Even a Steel Swordsman couldn’t withstand this, and her blessings dropped below half.