Ch.8327. Opening My Eyes Again (3)

Para.

Grate.

Fortes.

Betita.

The beginning is the stance, and the three are postures of contrast and response for each situation, as well as connecting movements.

From Para, raising the sword or swinging it behind the shoulder, behind the head, or behind the back is generally defined as Grate.

Conversely, pulling the sword down so that the tip faces forward, whether diagonal or vertical, is defined as Fortes.

And then Betita.

Both hands holding the sword rise high as if unaware of the sky’s limit, yet the blade itself points downward, whether vertical or diagonal, ultimately pointing to the ground.

All movements are performed with the arm joints bent at right angles as a prerequisite.

In some cases, even the knee joints.

In more detail, even the wrist and ankle joints.

When handling swords and weapons, striking and cutting weapons generally focus on the upper and middle sections when divided into upper, middle, and lower.

Of course, targeting the lower body as an exception or variation is also effective.

But what if the opponent ignores their lower body and directly aims for your upper body?

The opponent might end up injured, but you would suffer a fatal wound.

Any hit above the shoulder is invariably fatal, without exception.

That’s why, especially in sword-to-sword combat, with some exceptions, each weapon emphasizes downward strikes and teaches defense against them, because this inherently encompasses both the art of attack and the risk of defense.

Striking and hitting the head is itself a way to seize and control the initiative in upper body combat.

The first attacker always has the advantage, and the one who hesitates is forced to take damage unless they block, evade, or respond appropriately.

Proper defense.

The counterattack that follows.

When you think about it, it’s a tactic only possible after yielding initiative to the opponent and being able to withstand their capabilities to some extent.

However, with irregular techniques or overwhelming power and capability.

There was a high chance of being helplessly subdued or overwhelmed.

From the beginning.

Unless one has a certain level of skill and ability, in battles between beginners and novices, the attacker always has the advantage.

The tension and stiffness from combat.

Excitement and composure, fear and dread, timidity and recklessness—only by controlling and managing these different psychological and emotional states.

Also, dealing with the opponent’s deception, psychological warfare.

Effectively responding to the opponent’s momentum, killing intent, hostility, pressure, and intentional or unintentional carelessness.

Historically, countless promising recruits and talented individuals who performed well in practice and training died in actual combat, paralyzed by the intense atmosphere and unable to even move their hands properly.

However, if one has accumulated countless experiences, moved beyond those stages, gained sufficient real combat experience, and developed their own unwavering spirit (fudōshin) that remains steady in any situation.

Or if one has simply been strong and powerful at every moment, overwhelming and crushing enemies with mighty force.

From here, we enter another phase.

“How pathetic!”

The opponent visibly swings down his sword held in both hands.

But I.

Kaang!

Rather than blocking, I deflect the sword with the concept of parrying.

And then I press forward.

I’m not striking down or thrusting with the sword.

I counter with Betita and drive in with my body.

“Where do you think—!”

The opponent’s response was more skillful than expected.

He preemptively raised his shoulder to somewhat mitigate the impact point.

Just before that, I swung my hands holding the sword, my raised hands, as if striking, but using my lower body and waist to pull, I struck his face with the pommel.

He dodged his head while simultaneously retreating his body, and in the midst of withdrawing, immediately swung his sword down.

Karang!

I immediately twist my waist, leading my upper body to block the blade again with the same movement.

At the same time, the opponent’s sword slides down along my blade.

In an instant, the tip of his sword slides down my blade and thrusts into the air.

The sharp sword.

Its tip bears an ominous momentum, swooping down like an eagle’s beak.

Toward my neck.

If I respond even slightly clumsily while trying to block this, he intends to pierce right through.

Even if he misses the neck, he’ll drive the sword into whatever’s below—the collarbone, solar plexus, chest, upper or lower abdomen, or worse, some point on the pelvis or lower body.

I didn’t read his intention specifically.

My body and instincts responded ahead of conscious thought.

Switching to Para, I deflect the tip with the flat of my blade.

Then another left-right transition.

Having raised both hands to the right, I now switch to the left for another Patita.

And again, I drive my body in deeply.

“Tch!”

Earlier it was just one step.

But this time, a full three steps.

As I advanced almost past the opponent’s body, he had anticipated this and retreated.

Unlike before, he stepped back one more pace than last time, effectively backing up two steps.

In terms of technique, this is essentially my victory.

“?!”

Yet precisely because of this, an effective downward cutting trajectory and distance has formed.

My hands are already raised high as if unaware of the sky’s limit.

My sword has already been raised almost horizontally to lift the opponent’s sword.

A downward cut would finish everything.

However.

I don’t cut downward.

My instinct warned that it was a trap, a bait.

Suppressing my desire.

Here I switch to Fortes.

Rather than cutting, I pull back and aim the sword.

Because of this, I couldn’t cut his face or upper body.

But I cleanly etched a sword mark on his clothes.

Yet it was merely etched.

It was clear that his garment was no less formidable than the robe I wore.

…Was this what he was aiming for?

“You missed this?!”

Nevertheless, it was clearly an effective opportunity.

A fact both he and I knew.

But whether it would have truly worked out that way remains uncertain.

In reality.

The transition from Betita to Fortes.

Even the process of pulling both hands down to the waist to aim the sword can result in a deep cut in close-quarters combat.

However, if I had failed to subdue the opponent by cutting there.

The sword I had just lifted away would have fallen like a judgment, supposedly as an opportunity.

In other words, instead of sacrificing flesh to gain bone, we might both have ended up giving up bone.

In that sense, this response was correct.

Since I didn’t know the durability and condition of his protective equipment, just confirming that can be considered gaining the upper hand in this exchange.

But.

What if I had boldly subdued the opponent even at some risk? What if I could have inflicted a serious injury?

That would have been a good choice too.

But what meaning would it have if I were struck down afterward?

This battle doesn’t signify my end.

Perhaps even this is just a preliminary skirmish.

An arduous battlefield with endless, drawn-out battles might be waiting for me ahead.

So why throw myself in, overcome by emotion, caught up in excitement, giving in to desire for momentary pleasure?

Forget it.

In that accursed dream battlefield thrown at me by the Demon King, even if the opponent before me was incredibly powerful, he too was merely a component part in terms of legions and armies.

Killing him desperately, or rather, even before killing him, who knows what might jump out from the side, stab, cut, strike down, or swoop in?

After being hit, would I cry like the defeated, complaining foolishly that it was unfair, against the rules, too much?

I’d be already dead and fallen, unable to even squeeze out tears to shed.

“Ptui!”

He spat on the ground.

It was just a momentary exchange, but this alone was enough for us to gauge each other’s capabilities to some extent.

‘…He outmatches me in physical ability.’

As in the previous engagement, indeed.

His strength is absurdly disproportionate to his build.

And by strength, I don’t simply mean the power behind his clashes, cuts, and strikes.

His speed and reactions are also absurd.

Muscles typically have aptitudes for different directions—pushing, pulling, lifting, and so on.

But he shows no such distinctions.

If pushing is weak, target that.

If pulling strength is lacking, or if arm strength is solid but hand and finger grip is insufficient.

Similarly, targeting those weaknesses would suffice.

But he shows no weakness in any area.

There’s no way around it.

Normally, I should have the advantage if I initiate close combat or draw him in to grapple.

This is our specialty.

Both sides know this.

In the past, when mana was handled crudely, a barbaric fighting style of bodies pressing against each other, grabbing and pulling was quite effective, they say.

Such exercises and competitions were popular as games and training, they say.

But since mastering mana in depth, the crude method of entangling and binding has long been obsolete.

With the weak human body, attempting such things ambiguously would result in instant death in real combat—bodies breaking, being cut, shattered, and destroyed.

Instead, people focus on mana training, standing combat training, strengthening weapons, and studying how to handle them.

Some beast-folk, certain barbarian tribes, and a few with overwhelming physical abilities still consider this and continue physical training and mana cultivation for such purposes.

But at least in the Empire, the very act of entangling is considered barbaric.

Because.

While it might work in small-scale hand-to-hand combat or skirmishes.

In large-scale battles and wars, such things rarely apply.

Locking swords and waiting? In a battlefield? During combat?

Do you want to die? Do you want to be surrounded? Are you trying to get shot? Do you think the opponent will meekly accept this? Have you not considered that they might hold you to buy time?

In faction fights and group battles, this is suicidal behavior.

In other words.

If you don’t create opportunities to be grabbed or hindered by the opponent.

Dirty, obscene entanglement becomes impossible.

Even weapon-to-weapon entanglement can be overcome with overwhelming strength, skill, agility, and dexterity.

Can a sword get entangled and stuck on a stationary branch?

Even if it did.

Simply shake it off.

Cut through the whole thing to solve the problem.

In other words, just deal with it.

Can’t do that?

Then you are weak.

You are frail.

…So.

“You’re underestimating me, aren’t you?”

This peculiar swordsmanship of Grandeus, this strange art and technique.

It completely disrupts, reflects, and repels the opponent’s mana utilization ability and the enhancement effects manifested through it, rendering them useless.

“……”

The stronger they are, the deeper the trap they fall into.

Unless they are already familiar with this method.

Generally, at the moment of initial engagement.

Unless they have exceptionally good intuition and superior reactions.

They are bound to fall victim.

But simply neutralizing the opponent’s mana use? Making them suffer for it?

If that were all, it wouldn’t be this vicious.

For this technique, that process is neither the foundation nor a prerequisite.

It’s just one stage.

A passing phase.

If mana utilization is inevitable, eventually a transition to another approach would be possible.

But it suppresses even that transition.

As a result, not only attack but also defense and response capabilities are neutralized.

Therefore.

Even if one were to be wrapped in armor and protective gear.

This swordsmanship was made to include methods and specialties to counter those as well.

Why separate regular swordsmanship from armored swordsmanship?

In other words, this is a technique that neutralizes superhumans who utilize mana, their weapon techniques, and combat abilities.

And at the same time, a swordsmanship.

It’s designed to counter those with strong defensive armaments—a specialized swordsmanship created to defeat knights.

When facing giant monsters or common magical beasts, there’s no need for this approach and the countermeasures are ambiguous.

…There are separate methods for dealing with those.

Wind and water.

Rock and tree, plant growth.

Hot and cold—all these things have been the enemies and natural predators of everything that has taken form and shape since the beginning of time.

This is why understanding this essence becomes crucial here.

“……”

Venus.

He was still indignant, but despite his seething, his attitude and stance for response had completely changed from before.

Having recognized his physical superiority, he still holds the initiative in attack.

But realizing that my responses and counterattacks are formidable, and that giving me time would only reveal his own limitations.

In the end. He will try to maximize his advantages.

My full capabilities remain largely unknown to him.

The fact that he can respond at all means he’s already proficient in our fighting style.

Normally, at that initial point, he should have either dropped his sword, been knocked down, or had his chest cut.

But what made this impossible was his incredible reaction speed and response ability, regardless of skill level.

No, it’s definitely not a lack of skill.

If it were, he would have been caught by me long ago.

He must have trained with the sword more desperately than I have.

The duration is beyond comparison.

He must have gone through countless real battles.

While I faced all kinds of trials in dream form thanks to the Demon King, he must have desperately struggled in his own way.

…With that terrible personality and temperament, he would need to be extraordinarily capable just to survive in this world.

“You saw an opening but held back? Why? Afraid you might get hurt if you cut me?”

“……”

I twirl the sword once to adjust my grip.

Taking advantage of the increased distance, I rest the sword on my right shoulder.

Grate.

“You’re quite something.”

“Because our objectives differ.”

I must fight while protecting myself and win.

Even an injury could be fatal to me.

If I could throw away my life without consideration, what an excessive happiness, what an excessive condition that would be.

I’m incredibly envious.

Is it enough to kill the opponent even if you die?

“You really have it easy.”

“What are you muttering about?”

If you could strike down your opponent according to your emotions.

You don’t care if you die or break?

No, that’s not it.

Is it because you yourself would be unharmed regardless?

…I’m dying of envy.

The fact that you’ve survived this long despite your temperament proves it, doesn’t it?

Those born with strong bodies recover quickly from fatigue, heal rapidly from injuries, and promptly return to health—these damn people…

To them, the meticulous response methods of weak ones like me must seem frustrating and crude.

And as if to prove this.

He grits his teeth.

“Let’s see how well you talk after your limbs are crushed.”

Despite his words, his approach is incredibly calm.

Half of half a step.

Even more minutely.

But his upper body and gaze exaggerate, moving dramatically as if performing.

If I had relied on vision, if I had been psychologically unstable.

That alone would have made me flinch or tense my shoulders, trembling and voluntarily creating an opening.

Not knowing that this would be like offering my neck defenseless to the opponent.

“—!!”

He pounces with a force that could split space.

He opened his mouth as if about to shout a battle cry, but what emerged was instead the sound of inhaling.

This means there’s still more to come.

Inhaling is typically the stage of storing power.

Conversely, when exhaling.

Power is unleashed, exploded.

Some twist or distort this pattern.

…I wonder how he’ll proceed.

No matter how keen his reactions may be.

Even this is relative.

So I used the advantage of distance to be able to respond.

Even if my response is slightly delayed, to ensure I can respond as much as possible.

Kwang!

An incredible collision sound for metal meeting metal.

At that point, the recoil or repulsion should have caused our swords to bounce apart.

But they stick together as if adhered.

Then, the pressing pressure intensifies.

However.

There was still one more thing.

“KRAAAGH—!”

A roar erupts right in front of me.

An explosive momentum and fierce energy bursting forth all at once.

Though it creates the illusion of being surrounded by dozens of fierce beasts.

‘Even that is familiar.’

Not just beasts but giant monsters and swarms large and small, layered and stacked dozens deep, being buried under them, bitten, torn, crushed, dragged, and ground away.

If I had died cheaply like that.

Even if I wanted to be shaken, the will to do so doesn’t even arise.