Chapter 13 Are You Satisfied With Defeating A Weary Me?
"Yeah! Let's do it!!"
I ended up fighting ≪Sword Saint≫ Logan Abrams.
Right after that, Logan drew his longsword from its scabbard at his waist, wearing a fierce grin.
When I glanced at him, I saw that his current equipment didn't seem out of place, and the iron sword he held was nothing special.
"Wait a minute."
I stopped Logan, who was about to start fighting, by holding out my palm.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"I said I'd fight, but I didn't say I'd fight normally."
"What do you mean by that?"
Logan asked in a low voice, looking displeased, as if I had poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
Ugh, this is why I hate fighting maniacs. Can't they just wait for a second, like Fiona?
"You guys just want to see my real power, don't you?"
I thought that was the only reason they'd want to fight me again after watching my mock battle with Fiona.
Do they want to know my true nature?
That's just something Logan would say, and it's already decided. If they want to know my true nature, they can just investigate me. ...Or maybe they already have, who knows?
"Logan, are you satisfied with defeating a weary me?"
"Hmm... that's..."
I'm not actually tired, but I'll say that anyway.
My opponent is a living legend among explorers. Why do I have to fight him seriously? If I mess up and get killed, what then?
I don't want to fight normally at all. So I'll propose a different method.
"One hit. I'll use all my power to land one hit."
Well, that's a lie.
"If you can dodge or block that one hit, you win, Logan. You can judge my real power from that, right?"
"Hmm... I suppose not, but..."
"Good, then it's settled."
I declared, trying not to get into a pointless argument.
"But, isn't that a bit... I don't know, can't we have a more serious fight?"
However, I responded confidently, saying, "No way, it's already decided."
It seems Logan is the same type of person as Fiona. He usually wears a gentleman's mask, but if you provoke him, he'll easily get riled up.
"Don't worry. I won't let you get bored. Instead, if you die from my one hit, I'll become a murderer. I don't know if I can do it, but please don't die, okay?"
"...Huh? That sounds pretty interesting...!!"
Logan suddenly flashes a fierce, beast-like grin.
Sorry to expect this, but for me, winning or losing doesn't matter.
* * *
In the underground training ground, Logan and I are facing each other.
However, the distance between us is about 30 meters (≈ 98.4 feet).
If we use movement skills, we can close the gap in an instant, but for a one-on-one match, this distance is too far.
But that's okay.
The one-hit attack I'm planning to use is a long-range attack, and this distance is necessary. If we're too close, it'll be too advantageous for me, and it won't be fair.
"――So, shall I give the signal? When this copper coin hits the ground, it'll be the start signal...is that okay?"
Fiona, standing between Logan and me ―― not in a place that would get in the way ―― confirms with both of us.
"Yeah, that's fine."
"I'm good with that too."
Logan and I nodded almost simultaneously.
There are still some people in the training ground who had bet on our mock battle. However, most of them left after the battle ended, so only a few remain.
I push aside the onlookers who are watching us with interest and take a deep, slow breath, focusing.
My opponent is a sword saint.
If I don't take this seriously, I'll definitely get caught off guard. And if I'm careless, I'll get scolded later, so I need to take this seriously.
――I prepare myself.
I take a half-body stance, with my right foot forward, left foot back, and my waist lowered deeply.
And I hold the black-tinged sword in my right hand, placing it beside my left hip.
To put it simply, the sword is not in its scabbard. It's in a drawn state.
I grip the area near the sword's tip with my left hand. From a traditional sword technique perspective, this stance is quite unusual.
In the island nations of the East, there exists a slashing weapon called a "katana," and a sword technique that utilizes it, known as "Battōjutsu (Sword Drawing Technique)."
Fundamentally, it's a technique for quickly drawing the sword from its scabbard, but by starting a battle from a sheathed state, it's difficult for the enemy to sense the distance between them.
And within Battōjutsu, there's a technique called "Iai-nuki (Sword Drawing Technique from the Seated Position)."
When drawing the sword, by running the blade through the scabbard, it increases the speed of the slash, allowing you to cut down the enemy in an instant.
This is an imitation of that... But a little different.
The stance itself is similar, but fundamentally, Black Radiance is a straight sword. A katana has a curved blade, and without that curve, Iai-nuki is impossible. So this isn't Iai-nuki.
If I had to say, it's more like a "decoy."
Against the right hand that's trying to swing the sword, the left hand presses down on the tip of the blade. By doing so, I store up power, and when I release the blade from my left hand, I can quickly swing it.
Of course, it's not just that.
As I take my stance, I pour magical energy into the sword, converting it into an aura that's tempered like a forged blade.
Just the aura on the blade is enough to easily cut through a living left hand. So I also wrap aura around my left hand that's pressing down.
――Creak, crreak, creak...
A sound like the drawing of a strong bowstring resonates through the training grounds, a sound that's like something's creaking.
The backlash of the aura between the sword and my left hand is producing an ominous, unsettling cry.
In this state, I further pour in and temper the aura.
――Creak, crreak, creak, creak...!
I'm ready. I can start anytime now.
I glance over at Fiona, and she nods, sensing that I'm ready. Then, she turns to Logan, checking if he's ready as well.
Far away, Logan is also taking his stance, holding his longsword high and surrounding himself and his sword with a massive aura. It seems he's not going to dodge, but rather face me head-on.
Logan also nods strongly, as if to say he's ready――and Fiona holds out her right hand, with a copper coin on top of her thumb.
"Let's begin, then."
――Right after that.
With a cool "snap" sound, the coin flew up, dancing in the air――and fell to the ground.
――In an instant.
I kicked the ground with my left foot, using the recoil to propel my body upward. As I did, I channeled the force through my waist and spine, transmitting it to my shoulder and arm. I released the tension I had built up between my left hand and the sword's body, letting it burst forth with a "ding" sound.
――A flash of light.
I swung my sword in a horizontal arc.
As I did, the aura blade etched in the air flew at incredible speed, like a flash of light.
Close-range weapon skills that attack from a distance lose their power as the distance increases. This technique defies that rule, maintaining the power of a close-range skill even at a distance.
My unique sword technique, [Flying Blade], [Flash Blade]――combined technique, [Flying Flash Blade].
So, what will happen now?
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