After all the lectures, the training ground located in the corner of the training ground.
“I never thought there would be so many onlookers… … .”
There were so many spectators wandering around the arena that Iris was genuinely surprised.
Everyone is buzzing about other topics or desperately avoiding my gaze, trying hard to create an atmosphere that they came by accident, but their true intentions are clearly visible.
And in the midst of the crowd,
“This is truly the fight of the century. What will happen? Whoop whoop… … .”
Fromm was laughing very happily. I asked for rumors to be released, but I think this was overstated. There must have been a lot of personal malice.
“… … Are you really going to do it? duel. Whether you win or lose, isn’t it just a disadvantage for the crown prince?”
Iris asked with a genuine concern. I looked around at the onlookers.
Most of the gazes toward me were scary or excessive, while the gazes toward Iris were concerns, concerns, and sympathy.
I am the villain and Iris is the victim. It seems that everyone feels that way. Iris must have grasped this atmosphere and asked again.
“That’s for me to figure out.”
But this is all my intention. Iris frowned slightly as if she couldn’t understand my answer, then shook her head and sighed.
“You are here.”
Proud found us in the middle of the arena and greeted us politely.
“okay. Are you a little late?”
“it’s okay. So, let’s sort this out as quickly as possible. duel… … No, how do you decide the rules for the mock sparring?”
Proud tried to proceed with the duel as quickly as possible, as if he did not want the situation to escalate. Do you want to get rid of annoying things as soon as possible? understanding goes.
“With no use of magic, a confrontation only with force.”
“… … All right.”
Proud was momentarily taken aback by my answer, which did not match the story he had said in the morning, ‘You can find magic’, but he soon understood as if he had thought about something. It’s commendable that he seems to be slowly learning how to treat me.
“I will use the prepared wooden sword as a weapon.”
“It doesn’t matter if I’m a real sword.”
“… … I hope you leave room for excuses when the professor visits.”
I received a wooden sword from Proud, who asked me to endure that much. It was a wooden sword of moderate weight for training.
“How did this happen? Proud, do you think this situation will be okay?”
“… … I just want it to be okay.”
Proud answered while avoiding Iris’ interrogative gaze. Iris sighed and received the wooden sword from Proud. The rugged wooden sword for training did not suit Iris very well.
“Iris.”
I slightly distanced myself from Iris.
“Really don’t let me kill you.”
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As he spoke, he raised the wooden sword to a level where he could stab it——.
“What is that… … ?!”
I kicked off the ground and threw a wooden sword at Iris at the fastest speed I could get without using a boost.
The target is the neck.
No matter how much it was a wooden sword, if it stabbed his neck with all his might——the carotid artery would be torn apart along with the fragile flesh, and he would die.
The tip of my sword, determined to kill for sure, was——.
“Keugh… … !”
It was blocked with a heavy crackling sound.
“… … you.”
Iris was blocking the tip of my sword with the handle of her wooden sword.
“Are you sure you want to kill me?”
I retracted my sword and opened the distance again. And I looked around.
“… … .”
“What, did you just stop?”
“I didn’t see it at all. I heard something loud.”
“Iris-sama, are you actually strong?”
Proud, Fromm, and countless other onlookers were greatly surprised.
“Good job.”
“… … .”
Iris was impressed with my praise. It was a face that didn’t have the soft impression it had until now.
“You can do it. I have the ability.”
“It’s just a coincidence. Appeared to be life threatening.”
“Aren’t you in the right posture for that?”
As per my inquiry, Iris was standing sideways with her non-holding sword behind her back, taking a somewhat unique posture with her sword hanging down.
“It’s a pretty unique posture. Did you learn from your older brother?”
It was the same as the posture of Alexei, the corps commander described in the original work.
“… … !”
“You look like you don’t know what to do.”
When I pointed it out, Iris panicked and hurriedly tried to change her stance, but I aimed my sword right at that gap. I have no intention of making you pretend to be weak.
“You can do whatever you want. Because your damn brother is not here.”
At my words, Iris returned to her stance after a moment of silence. In an atmosphere as if something was about to begin in earnest, cheers from onlookers echoed throughout the arena.
“… … Even so, the fact that there is no odds for me doesn’t change.”
“Let’s do our best. Haven’t had a chance to do that until now… … !”
I answered and closed the distance with Iris and slashed the wooden sword vertically.
Iris dodged my wooden sword with minimal movement.
‘also!’
My hair fluttered lightly from the wind pressure of the wooden sword, and before it could settle down, Iris’s wooden sword flew in a curved trajectory following my evasion direction. I quickly raised my wooden sword, which had strayed, and pointed the tip downward to block Iris’s wooden sword.
f*ck!
It was the sum of less than two seconds.
“You’re breaking the rules, Iris.”
“… … It’s not like that.”
In that moment, I was certain of one thing.
“I know. Well, don’t worry, I don’t intend to spread any rumors.”
Iris has the same type of magic as Commander Alexei.
“… … I know.”
That is the magic of wisdom.
‘Compared to Alexei, his foresight and responsiveness are much inferior, but he still has the same powerful magical power.’
It was Alexei’s magical power that he always uses but no one notices.
‘I’ll check how far I can go!’
I approached Iris and swung my sword.
The horizontal slash attack was quickly avoided by widening the distance.
The attack that slashed from the bottom up while advancing was deflected.
After avoiding the thrust, he counterattacked with a quick attack. Turning around to avoid it, Iris ran behind me and increased the distance.
“You’re much more skilled than I thought, Iris.”
It was a skillful evasion and a proper attack. Although it could never reach the level of Eugene or Proud, it was a move that deserved a B rank. To be honest, compared to Mikhail right after I became possessed, this side is a landslide victory.
“… … Whoa, ha ha.”
Iris wiped away the sweat and returned to her stance. Isn’t your physical strength not that great?
‘Then I’ll keep pressing you!’
I took a step and cut diagonally from the top left. Iris twisted her body as if dancing to avoid it.
While praising inwardly that it was an elegant move, he twisted his sword and cut it to the other side. It deflects it with the tip of the sword and bounces it off.
Maintaining the momentum of the bounce, it turned around as if to cut it, but then walked. The distance was widened with light steps.
It was a series of movements like an action actor who had come together in advance, as if he already knew it would happen.
‘Does this feel like being read? It’s fresh.’
“hahahaha… … ! Keugh!”
However, there is a subtle clumsiness in that movement. At first glance, it looks elegant, but if you look closely, you can see that it moves hurriedly. It was a common move for beginners in swordsmanship.
With the sloppy movements of a clumsy beginner, he perfectly grasps my attacks. It is a very strange experience. It’s like meeting an opponent who handles weak characters very well in a fighting game.
‘Honestly, it’s pretty fun.’
The gaze of the onlookers looking at Iris slowly changed. At first, he was a pitiful person caught up in my tyranny, but now he looked at me as a strong man and a swordsman.
“You seem to be alive now, Iris.”
Iris was no different. Even though he was panting, his eyes were clearly shining. It wasn’t the cold, emotionless gaze he had been seeing until now.
“… … If my brother knew, what would he say to me?”
“It’s too late now. Let’s fight properly. Show everyone you.”
Iris seemed perplexed, but oddly amused.
I continued to attack Iris, and Iris evaded it with the magic of foreknowledge and countered it.
‘I hate to admit it, but I’m sure I’m not that human’s sister, so I have talent.’
Even if you foreknowledge, it is meaningless if the body does not respond to the foreknowledge. However, as soon as Iris foresaw my attack, she quickly chose the best option and evaded my attack.
That judgment and determination are never easy to obtain. Unless it’s innate talent and constant hard work.
‘Based on the reaction speed, the roughly predictable time is about 2 to 3 seconds.’
Compared to Alexei, who appeared in the original work, he is weak. The consumption of stamina also seems extreme.
Of course, it is strong enough and the potential for further development is endless. It was a pity that he did not play any role in the original work.
‘Well, even so, at this point, if I raise the boost and attack sincerely, even if I foresee it, I won’t be able to block it.’
Onlookers are already paying close attention to the fight between Iris and I, but most probably don’t realize how much of a difference there is in actual skill.
Delivering the image of ‘I don’t know, but it seems fierce’ was successful enough.
Then, all that remains is the finish.
“… … Whoa. How long are you going to bully me?”
“Try to attack even one. Then I’ll count you as the winner and finish it.”
I gave a short reply to Iris who asked in a very weary voice. Iris glared at me and closed the distance with me almost for the first time.
‘Even though they say they can’t block the blow of foreknowledge filled with confidence.’
I only slightly twisted my head and brushed Iris’s wooden sword flying straight at my face.
‘It’s possible to take it with very little damage.’
We do not know in detail how the ‘magic of wisdom’ works on the user. However, if you don’t show any gaps, if the difference in skill is huge, you can’t break through.
If that’s the case, you just have to intentionally show a slight gap and show the foreknowledge that your attack will succeed.
‘Now then, it’s time for the end.’
In exchange for the scratch on my cheek, I created a clear gap in Iris. In a short moment, Iris’ face contorted as I realized that I had made a mistake, and I slightly twisted my wrist holding the sword and threw it at Iris’ vital point.
baek!
“… … .”
Iris held her breath. And with a face that couldn’t hide his embarrassment, he looked at ‘that guy’ in front of him.
“Enough of this, Mikhail.”
The one who blocked my sword, which aimed at Iris’ vital point, was ‘that guy’, Eugene, who had sent Katyusha’s telegram.
“You showed up on time, Eugene.”
The face of Eugene, standing in front of me as if confronting me after saving Iris, was not visible from a distance, but it certainly had an expression that he would die of annoyance.