Chapter 14 – First Duel [2]
It was an obvious attack—easy to block—but using the recoil, she spun her body and immediately aimed for my shoulder.
At that angle, with my sword positioned low, blocking it seemed impossible.
But my body reacted on its own.
I lifted my wrist and blocked it with the guard of my sword.
Sara's eyes widened in shock; clearly, she hadn't expected that strike to be stopped as well.
"What the—what kind of swordsmanship are you using?!"
"..."
After deflecting her blade, I reset my grip on my sword.
"It's nothing special."
"…Are you saying I can't even overcome that nothing special?"
"That's not what I—"
"Quiet."
With that, Sara began to move once more, her sword dancing toward me like flowing silk.
Again, I blocked her attacks effortlessly—but suddenly, she vanished from my sight.
"Huh?"
I'd been focused on her rapier, tracking her blade—and in that instant, she disappeared.
As I tried to assess the situation, a red dot appeared on my back.
I couldn't see it, but I could feel it instinctively.
So I reached my arm back, bringing my sword behind me—
Clang—!
—and blocked her strike.
I had stopped Sara's attack without even looking at it.
"How did you even—block that…?"
"I have… a few tricks up my sleeve."
"Ugh?"
I deflected her blade and spun my body around. Using the momentum of my rotation, I swung my sword at her, forcing Sara to quickly retreat and widen the distance.
'That technique just now… wasn't it one of the Isrinbloom Family's sword techniques?'
Momentarily leaving the opponent's sight and reappearing behind them—
I remembered seeing that move several times in the game.
And right now, it seemed like a very useful technique to keep in mind.
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'Why isn't it working? Why? Why?!'
Sara gritted her teeth as she swung her sword.
No matter how many times she attacked, Alex's defense refused to break.
'I can't let myself be humiliated here.'
Her frustration was rising.
She had planned to utterly overwhelm Alex in front of everyone.
To defeat him decisively—the man who had held his own against her in the garden—and at the same time, to showcase the swordsmanship of the Isrinbloom Ducal Family.
But that plan was falling apart before her eyes.
'What is with this guy?'
Sara's rapier curved elegantly through the air like a dancer's ribbon.
Then, twisting her wrist suddenly, she lunged for Alex's abdomen in a surprise thrust.
But Alex blocked it again.
Even that sudden strike—he blocked it as naturally as if he could see it coming, just like in the garden.
"What… what is this…?"
Sara stepped back and glanced around.
The stands on the second floor of the gymnasium were now filled with even more onlookers than before.
Second and third-year seniors who had chosen the swordsmanship track.
All of them, swordsmen like her.
But among them, one face caught her eye before anyone else's.
'…Even Eleanor's here.'
Eleanor Blackwell.
Like Cedric, she too was from a ducal family—just like Sara herself.
In other words, all three nobles who were said to represent the Empire's next generation of swordmasters were gathered here.
Losing here was something Sara's pride could never accept.
'Me? Lose to some no-name noble? Don't make me laugh.'
Sara began swinging her rapier faster—more fiercely.
The core of Isrinbloom swordsmanship was technique.
But driven by impatience, Sara abandoned technique for sheer speed and strength.
She wanted—no, needed—to break through Alex's defense by force.
However, his defense-based swordsmanship remained utterly unshaken.
As Sara's emotions clouded her focus, Alex actually found it easier to block her attacks.
'She's lost her composure.'
Watching closely, Lucas let out a quiet sigh.
'I told her again and again—not to lose her calm when she's desperate. Some things never change. Still…'
Lucas's eyes shifted to Alex.
He, too, was seeing Alex's swordsmanship for the first time.
'…I can't blame her. With defense like that, even I might start getting nervous.'
It wasn't that Lucas couldn't understand Sara's frustration.
Alex was just an unknown noble—a nobody.
He had nothing to lose here.
But Sara did.
For the heir of the Isrinbloom Ducal Family to be defeated by someone of similar age and rank—that carried serious weight.
'But could Sara actually lose?'
Lucas studied the duel intently.
Alex's swordsmanship was indeed impressive.
But it was too defensive—almost to an extreme.
He showed no intent to counterattack or strike first, focusing only on blocking.
'…Does he even know how to attack?'
Lucas had many questions, but for now, he could only watch.
If Alex truly didn't know how to attack, this match would likely end in a draw.
And even a draw would be a serious humiliation for Sara.
'With this many witnesses, word will spread fast—that Sara couldn't beat some nameless swordsman. Still… that swordsmanship of his…'
Lucas looked at Alex again.
Holding his sword close to his body, defending with absolute precision—
It was a sword style Lucas had never seen before.
'Is there even anyone on this continent who fights like that?'
As Lucas pondered this, his gaze returned to Sara.
She looked utterly exhausted.
Her reckless, emotion-driven attacks had drained her stamina.
'Maybe it's time to stop this. I doubt this fight will have a clear winner.'
Even from what he'd seen so far, Alex's defense didn't seem likely to break.
Any further would be meaningless, so Lucas decided to end the match.
But then, something unexpected happened.
"Haah… haah… haah…"
Sara, breathing heavily, swung her rapier wide toward Alex.
It was the kind of attack she would never normally use.
In a duel, a wide swing like that was practically an invitation for a counterattack.
But she was too desperate, too exhausted to think clearly.
She just wanted to break through his defense—no matter what.
In other words, she had dropped her guard.
'If it's Sara… then now's the time.'
And Alex didn't miss that opening.
After blocking her strike, he launched his first true attack of the match.
He swung his sword toward Sara's leg.
His body moved with instinctive understanding—knowing exactly how to attack.
"Uh?"
Caught off guard, Sara quickly tried to parry with her rapier, but—
"Urgh?!"
The sword aimed at her leg suddenly changed direction mid-swing.
Startled, she barely managed to deflect it—but in that instant, Alex vanished from her sight.
"W-what?!"
Alex had disappeared from her vision in an instant.
Panicked, Sara turned sharply to the side—
—but too late.
"Aah!"
Alex's sword slashed across her wrist.
"…Damn it!"
Her wrist cut, Sara instinctively dropped her rapier.
'That move just now…'
Sara's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had vanished from her sight—and she knew exactly what that technique was.
'That was… one of our family's techniques…'
Shocked, Sara tried to grab her rapier again with her other hand.
But—
"Sara."
"…Huh?"
"This duel…"
Alex calmly placed his blade against her neck.
"Can we agree it's my victory?"
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[To be Continue]
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