The sharp clack-clack of wooden swords clashing echoed across the training ground.
The dry sounds of impact overlapped again and again. Clouds of dust kicked up with every parry and every desperate evasion.
"—Hah, raaah!"
My sparring partner’s lunging step gouged the earth. Yuu closed the distance in a single breath, unleashing a heavy overhead strike. As I caught the blow—which seemed to slice through the very air—with my own wooden sword, a shock traveled through my arms that left them numb.
"Not done yet!"
Without a moment's pause, Yuu followed up with a horizontal sweep.
I avoided it with a backstep, but Yuu pressed in, refusing to let me slip away. His fierce onslaught resumed, every strike fast, heavy, and—above all—devoid of hesitation.
His movements—stepping in, swinging through, and recovering his stance—were connected in a seamless, fluid flow.
He used no feints and no tactical maneuvering. I couldn't help but let a wry smile slip at a fighting style that sought only to crush the opponent from the front.
(No matter how you look at it, he’s way too straightforward... Even Lene weaves a few more feints into her style.)
Lene was the type to trample her opponents with the overwhelming mass of her greatsword, but even so, her technical skill as a swordsman was quite high. Because her weapon was a greatsword and she usually faced monsters, her fighting style could seem unrefined at a glance, but it was a different story when she faced a human opponent.
She measured the distance, baited the eyes, and broke the opponent's balance. Despite her weapon of choice, she put proper thought into every swing.
In comparison—
"Oraah!"
Yuu's step caused the sand to explode again.
It wasn't that he wasn't thinking. As proof, whenever I tried to counterattack, he would leap out of range, or if he couldn't make it in time, he would block with his wooden sword. He was capable of at least the minimum level of defense and situational judgment.
Whether that came from his intuition or his experience as an adventurer was unclear. Or perhaps it was the benefit of Protagonist Correction. Despite his all-out offensive style, he kept his damage to a minimum.
He seemed reckless, yet he never stood in a fatal spot.
That was exactly why he was strong. As expected of the game's protagonist.
"I'll end it with this!"
With those words, Yuu closed the distance.
His step was different from before. His center of gravity was low, and his gaze was steady. It was as if he were showing absolute confidence in the upcoming technique.
(Here it comes.)
The first strike was a swift diagonal downward slash, followed immediately by a rising upward cut from a low position.
Starting with those, a barrage of high-speed Consecutive Strikes poured down on me from every angle. I parried some with my wooden sword and evaded others with room to spare.
"—Wha!?"
Yuu's expression was dyed with shock, and a massive opening appeared in his guard.
I wasn't about to miss the opportunity. I slid quickly into his personal space.
I knocked away the wooden sword he swung down—a desperate "stay back" move—tripped the defenseless Yuu, and broke his stance. As he collapsed helplessly to the ground, I pointed the tip of my sword at his throat. After staring blankly for a moment, Yuu gave a wry smile.
"I give up. It’s my loss."
He raised both hands in surrender.
"You really are amazing, Rai," Yuu muttered as he stood up and brushed the dirt from his waist.
Even though his Signature Move had been broken, there was no trace of frustration on his face. He looked almost refreshed.
"I was pretty confident in that just now. I really thought I could push through."
"Yeah. To be honest, if it weren't for me, you probably would have won."
"What's that, are you trying to flatter me?"
"I'm just stating the facts. That technique is truly strong."
In truth, those Consecutive Strikes were powerful—exactly what you'd expect from a Signature Move learned by a protagonist. Against an average monster, it would shave off most of its health, and even against a tanky opponent, it would break through their guard in an instant. From the early game to the endgame, those strikes were always useful, making them incredibly troublesome to deal with when turned against you.
I only managed to handle it because the startup and the sword's trajectory were identical to the game; if anything had been different, I would have been pushed back helplessly like a common mob character.
While I was thinking about that, Yuu pointed at the wooden sword in my hand.
"Anyway, Rai, I didn't know you were so good at swordsmanship."
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I was taught the basics at the Ducal House."
As the son of a high noble, there were many things I had to learn. Swordsmanship was one of them. Every day, I had swung a wooden sword in the mansion's garden under the watchful eye of a Tutor.
I wasn't glared at harshly, nor was I showered with shouts of anger. I was simply watched over quietly.
If my posture crumbled, they would calmly point out, "Watch your feet."
If my breathing became ragged, they would advise, "If you rush, your sword will rush too."
Rather than having techniques hammered into me, it felt like my attitude toward the sword was being refined. On the grass still wet with morning dew, I repeated my suburi over and over.
Swing, stop, steady the breath. Swing, stop, then swing again.
As a result of that constant repetition of the basics, the skin on my palms had thickened, and a slight hardness remained at the base of my fingers.
(How nostalgic.)
The memories weren't exactly painful, but they hadn't been easy either.
As I lost myself in thoughts of the past, Yuu looked at me with interest.
"Heh, so that's what they call a noble's etiquette?"
"Something like that. I had it drilled into me that a sword is for self-defense."
"Being able to fight at that level... doesn't that go way beyond the scope of self-defense? I think if you'd trained more, you could have mastered swordsmanship, Rai."
I gave a small shrug. "I have no intention of mastering it, so it's fine."
"Why? What a waste."
I smiled wryly at Yuu's point and turned my gaze toward Lene, who was watching the proceedings with Ciel a short distance away. When our eyes met, Lene's face broke into a radiant, flower-like smile, and she gave a small pump of her fist in front of her chest.
"As expected of you, Rai-sama...!"
Hearing her voice, full of pride as if my victory were her own, my lips inadvertently curled upward.
"Because the sword meant for me is already over there."
I want to be of use. I don't want to lose him. I knew the back of that girl who had swung her sword until she developed calluses on her soft palms. Through rain and wind, even while shedding tears of frustration at her own perceived inadequacy, she had continued to grip her wooden sword.
No matter how much I tried to persuade her that it was "enough," she would shake her head and say "it’s not enough yet." I didn't want to invalidate that determination or that effort. I had no intention of overwriting the time she had built up just for my own convenience.
And above all—I found the sight of her swinging her sword with everything she had to be uncontrollably adorable.
Whether he realized my inner thoughts or not, Yuu stared at me intently. After a few seconds of silence, he let out a breath and shrugged.
"Is there some rule that nobles have to say poetic things like that?"
Half of it was exasperation, but the other half had an envious ring to it.
"There's no such rule."
"You're doing it unconsciously then?"
Yuu smiled wryly at my answer.
After finishing the mock battle, the next person I sought out was the Knight Commander.
The man, who had survived countless battlefields, glanced my way while standing in the shade of a tree. He walked up quietly and was about to drop to one knee before me.
I reflexively raised my hand to stop him.
"You don't need to do that. We're inside the academy. I'm a student, and you're an instructor."
The Knight Commander paused for a moment, then slowly stood up.
"...I understand."
"No need for formalities. I've come to ask for your instruction today."
The Knight Commander straightened his posture and looked me in the eye once more.
"I have heard the details. You seek the technique passed down through the Order of Knights—the Art of Drawing Enemy Attention to Save Allies."
His tone was low, yet meticulously polite.
"Yes. I’ve only heard of it through rumors... but I was told such a way of fighting exists."
"It does," he answered immediately. "However, while it is an honor, it is also an extremely dangerous art. To steal the enemy's gaze means to be prepared to take every attack upon yourself."
"I know."
When I answered briefly, the Knight Commander narrowed his eyes.
"May I ask the reason why you seek this art?"
"...Because I need it right now."
I said no more. There was no need to speak of my reasons here.
After a few seconds of silence, the Knight Commander gave a deep nod.
"Understood. Then, let us begin with the basics. What is required is the control of mana. Imagine spreading it thick and strong... with that alone, the enemy will be unable to ignore you."
I took a step forward. Not to swing a sword.
I moved forward to obtain the power to be the target.