"Again? I don't have any fingernails for you to cut!" Iri silently complained to herself. Although this guy didn't directly expose her identity, she could certainly breathe a sigh of relief. But…
Iri secretly glanced at her fingers. All her fingernails had been neatly trimmed by the maid sisters who took care of her. She had no nails, so how could she fight a nail clipper? Besides, there was no benefit in fighting Brian, and no need either, right? She had already put on enough of a 'show'.
"Um… Brother, I just fought with Lady Gaguran, and my magic power is pretty much exhausted." Iri intended to politely decline. Showing too much in front of Brian was still too dangerous.
However, no one present believed Iri's words. Her composed demeanor just now didn't look like someone whose magic power was exhausted. Even if it were, her powerful physical abilities would be enough to cope, right?
"Just one move! Only one move!" Brian, seeing Iri's clear unwillingness to participate, directly bowed and requested.
"Miss Iri, I beg you too!" Klem, who had followed, also bowed to Iri, mimicking Brian.
What are you doing?
Iri was quite helpless. Not to mention Klem, Brian was quite famous here, wasn't he? A warrior whose combat power rivaled Warrior Captain Gazef, bowing to an unknown little sister to request a fight—this was too strange, wasn't it? Forget it… she'd agreed to one move.
"Please raise your head. Just one move, okay!" Iri could only agree.
Again… the others cleared the area. This time, only Brian and Iri remained in the center of the training ground.
If it was just one move, then Brian would surely use the same move he used to trim Shalltear's fingernails against her.
There was no need to even think about it. So, how should she respond? Should she directly block with her ice sword? She wondered if the ice sword could withstand it?
Even if it was just one move, if the ice sword shattered… wouldn't that mean she lost? She had no intention of losing to a nail clipper. So, should she use her hammer directly?
He definitely couldn't cut through that thing. Taking out that hammer from her small satchel in front of so many people didn't feel right. She wasn't sure if a spatial storage bag counted as black technology in front of these natives, so it was best to be a bit reserved. So, this would be good…
"Brother said it would be just one move, so he must be using his strongest attack, right?" Iri asked, feigning seriousness.
"Iri-meimei, just call me Brian. Indeed… I do intend to use my strongest attack." Brian admitted directly.
"Is that so… then I must also go all out to respond." Iri said. This was just talk; if she really went all out, this place would be directly destroyed, alright?
"Thank you…" Brian nodded in acknowledgment to Iri, then gripped the katana at his waist with both hands, adopting an Iai stance.
Sure enough, it was that, wasn't it? Domain plus Four Light Slash. She just didn't know where he would aim. Since it was training, he certainly wouldn't aim for fatal spots. If she still used her ice sword, it was highly likely he would target the ice sword.
As she said before… if Brian could truly shatter the ice sword, it would mean she lost. So, to be safe, the ice sword was out. Iri decided to use something from her personal stash.
After seeing Brian get into position, Iri walked straight towards him, and once again plunged her ice sword into the floor, approaching him empty-handed.
Brian probably didn't expect Iri to directly discard her ice sword. His original plan was to aim for Iri's ice sword, but she wasn't even using a weapon. Brian was somewhat surprised.
"Iri-meimei, what is this?" Brian questioned.
"Don't worry, Brian-niisan, I said I'd go all out to respond." Iri replied with a smile.
"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease." Brian smiled knowingly. Those two ice swords were indeed not Iri-meimei's full power!
Ever since encountering those monsters, he had finally realized how vast this world was and how insignificant he was. Now, another opportunity to prove himself was before him, and he was naturally very excited.
That's right, this Iri-meimei must be related to Shalltear! Not to mention the strikingly similar face, her confident and arrogant smile when she stood on the field just now, the unconscious upward curve of her lips during her fight with Lady Gaguran, and finally, that aura that rivaled Sebas—all this was enough to confirm that this Iri-meimei was related to Shalltear. With such a similar appearance, were they relatives? Or was it Shalltear herself in disguise?
Brian initially thought so, but after witnessing Iri-meimei's combat, Brian noticed the differences between Iri-meimei and Shalltear.
In his two encounters with Shalltear, she gave him the feeling that she didn't regard her opponents as people at all; she was always nonchalant.
Although Iri's expression before the fight was similar to Shalltear's, confident and arrogant, once the battle began, she appeared to be enjoying the fight, especially after bringing out her ice sword. This was completely different from Shalltear.
Therefore, Brian's vigilance was not as strong. Before this, Brian had strongly wanted Klem to leave quickly.
Although the members of Blue Rose were present, given Shalltear's strength, it would be difficult for everyone to escape unharmed!
Now, he judged that this Iri-meimei should be related to Shalltear in some way, but she seemed to bear no ill will towards anyone, or perhaps she just happened to look similar?
Putting those thoughts aside, just the fact that this Iri-meimei before him was such a powerful individual was reason enough to challenge her!
Although Iri-meimei only reluctantly agreed to one move, she said she would go all out. Would Iri-meimei's full power, so similar to Shalltear, be the same as Shalltear's full power? Being able to witness Shalltear's full power—how could this not excite Brian?
Watching Iri-meimei slowly walk towards him, empty-handed, at this moment, in Brian's eyes, it was no longer Iri-meimei walking towards him, but Shalltear… the woman who had destroyed him, yet simultaneously granted him rebirth.
"Domain…" Seeing the "Shalltear" in front of him about to enter his range, Brian silently recited the name of his martial art.
Last time he cut her fingernails, so where should he cut this time? Brian's gaze fell on the fingers of the "Shalltear" in front of him. Hmm? No fingernails? How could he cut without fingernails?
Ah… "Shalltear's" finger wore a ring. Then he would engrave a mark on that ring! Brian decided on his target and just waited for "Shalltear" to step into his domain.
One step… two steps… just one more step!
Brian's thumb had already pushed open his katana, just waiting for the "Shalltear" in front of him to take the next step into his domain.
At this moment, everyone in the training ground held their breath. In such a tense atmosphere… everyone eagerly awaited what would happen next. Brian… a warrior who rivaled the Warrior Captain of the Kingdom, and Iri… a new member of the Steel Rank Adventurer team Blue Rose. What kind of clash would their full powers create?
"Martial Art! Four Light Slash!"
"Martial Art! Justice Descends!"
Brian and Iri shouted simultaneously…
Afterward, everyone only heard a very clear sound of metal clashing. Almost no one saw what happened during the process; they only saw the result…
In the center of the training ground, Brian's katana was firmly grasped by Iri with one hand. And Iri's arm, which held Brian's katana… had, at some point, been equipped with a pure white gauntlet. The clear metallic clang just now had also come from it.
"Excuse me." Iri was the first to release Brian's katana, then leisurely said, and the white gauntlet on her hand instantly vanished.
"…" Brian stood frozen, still not reacting. What was that just now?
Summoning magic?
No? "Shalltear" just now shouted a martial art, didn't she?
A magic caster using a martial art??
And it was a martial art he had never seen before?
As expected of a monster… something so beyond common sense… His katana was caught again, so he lost again.
Brian looked up and only then realized… he wasn't facing "Shalltear," but Iri-meimei.
"My apologies, I was a bit distracted. Thank you, Iri-meimei, for the instruction." Brian sheathed his katana and bowed to Iri once more.
"No, no, Brian-niisan, I'm the one who should be thanking you." Iri-meimei also smiled very humbly.
Only then did Brian realize he had indeed mistaken her for someone else. Shalltear would never show such a bright, sunny smile; it was completely different from the rampant smile he first encountered from Shalltear. It seemed she just happened to look similar.
Phew… did she pass the test? Looking at Brian's grinning expression, he must be satisfied, right?
That guy just now was aiming for her fingers, wasn't he! Seeing she had no fingernails, he aimed for her fingers! You're truly vicious, you bastard!
And that indescribable aura just now was aimed directly at her. Did Brian not intend to hold back and play for real?
Seriously… so the men of this other world are strange. They fight for their lives even in training… Luckily, she directly used the Champion Armor to block. If she had used the ice sword, it definitely wouldn't have withstood his Four Light Slash just now!
The technique of four nearly simultaneous attacks hitting the same point was quite remarkable! Iri only saw the trajectory of the katana and grasped it on the third swing.
In other words… if Four Light Slash targeted Iri herself, Iri would have to withstand two blows before she could block the third. She was completely unharmed just now thanks to the Champion Armor's defensive properties.
Iri was still quite unconvinced about this. If she had time, she needed to go home and train properly with Cocytus!
If it had been a real battle and she didn't have the Champion Armor's protection, she would definitely have been injured just now.
Although she didn't know how much damage her current body would sustain from two blows, Ainz Ooal Gown knows no defeat, so Elizabeth Ooal Gown will also know no defeat!
-----------------------
To read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can follow and support me on Patreon.
I'll be posting early chapters there so you can always stay ahead and never miss any new content.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"