Ch.84Chapter 84: I Lost

I can endure it.

Withstanding Shizu’s sword strikes that come like a raging tide, that is.

I thought I might hold out for a strike or two, but would eventually collapse.

But as I continued blocking and enduring without rest, determined to do my best…

I found myself easily deflecting Shizu’s sword paths that were difficult even to follow with my eyes.

What started as rough, reflexive defensive movements gradually became more structured according to my will, gaining elegance as a bonus.

The sword strike I just blocked was a thrust.

It was a move where, after I blocked her side slash aimed at my torso, she quickly withdrew her sword and attempted to strike my right shoulder or hand to make me drop my weapon.

It seemed Shizu was trying to end the match in one decisive move, seeing that I was enduring her continuous offensive without tiring.

Her movement of withdrawing her sword and transitioning into a thrust was still in the realm of superhuman speed, too fast for my eyes to follow.

Swoosh-!!

I could only detect Shizu’s movement through sound rather than visual information.

Fast. Truly fast.

It was a movement of such extreme speed that none of my other senses could even register it except for the sound of wind being cut.

But strangely, I felt confident I could block her sword rushing toward me this time too.

As soon as that confidence formed, my body began to act in accordance with my will to block her sword.

With concise footwork, moving my body minimally to ensure the tip of Shizu’s sword wouldn’t reach my shoulder.

Then I raised my practice sword, which had been pointing downward after blocking the side slash, exposing its flat side.

No sooner had I raised my sword with its flat side exposed.

Clang-!!

A heavy sensation starting from my right wrist reverberated throughout my body.

It was evidence that her sword had been blocked by the sword in my right hand, not by any part of my body.

Jackpot.

I had successfully guided her thrusting sword to strike the center of my raised sword with its flat side exposed.

The elation I felt from blocking this thrust, which was sharper than any sword technique she had displayed so far, was immense.

The heaviness of the impact had transformed into pleasure, what could rightfully be called the satisfaction of a good parry.

Well, although her offensive was becoming more intense, there wasn’t much difference from our previous exchanges.

Once again, Shizu’s face showed a hint of disappointment at her failed attack.

But she quickly composed herself and was about to withdraw her sword to prepare for the next offensive.

Yes, “was about to.”

As you can tell from my use of past tense.

“…!!”

Right now, she can’t withdraw her sword that’s extended straight forward.

This happened because when she tried to pull her arm back to withdraw her sword, I pushed my right hand holding my sword forward, matching her movement.

Shizu must be bewildered now.

Despite trying to create distance by pulling back, I was sticking to her like a magnet, matching her movements exactly, preventing her from widening the gap.

I could easily see that her expression, which had only momentarily revealed surprise, was now showing cracks for quite some time.

And I had no intention of missing this opening created by her disturbed composure.

I instinctively knew that this was the thread-thin chance for reversal I had been tenaciously waiting for while enduring under pressure.

Creeak

As soon as I made this judgment, I lightly twisted my right wrist to turn my sword that had been held flat.

This was to confuse Shizu, who was desperately trying to create distance.

“…Ah!”

With a short cry escaping from Shizu’s lips, which had been silent since the beginning of the match except for when it first started.

Her body, which had remained steady even during intense movements, began to lose balance and tilt.

The opportunity had finally come.

I desperately suppressed my excitement, raised the sword in my right hand high, and then.

Without hesitation, I swung it down from top to bottom.

To strike down the practice sword in her right hand and make it fall to the ground.

With desperate determination to seize the advantage that had seemed so slim while I was on the defensive.

Whoosh

A fierce sound of cutting wind struck my ears.

Although I had felt my skills improving with each training session since my regression.

The sword path I drew this time traced a trajectory so clean it surprised even myself.

Got it.

I was so confident of victory as I swung down my sword that it felt like a perfect strike.

Shizu’s expression, showing she realized it was too late as she saw the path of my sword, only deepened my conviction.

A thrilling sense of achievement ran down my spine at having reversed the match in one move after being on the defensive the entire time.

Just a little more…

Victory in this practice match, which could be achieved by making the opponent drop their weapon, was right before my eyes.

Crack

“…Huh?”

And just as victory approached, the most discordant sound I had heard during our entire match reached my ears.

“…What’s that?”

Feeling puzzled, I reflexively turned my head toward the source of the sound.

“Ah….”

A sigh of disappointment escaped my lips.

Because I realized that the identity of this discordant sound was related to snatching away the moment of victory I was about to grasp.

It was the sound of my practice sword cracking, announcing that it could no longer fulfill its role as a sword.

The sword that I had believed would follow my intended trajectory and lead me to victory if I had just gone a little further.

Crack-!!

After enduring Shizu’s relentless sword strikes, it finally reached its limit and split in two.

Ting-!!

The broken blade made a cold sound as it tumbled across the training ground floor.

The chance for a comeback victory that had been right in front of me had flown away along with my shattered sword.

“…”

Unable to process the sudden turn of events, I could only maintain silence.

“…”

Shizu, who had been prepared to accept her moment of defeat calmly, also refrained from speaking despite her expression of surprise.

Gulp

The training ground was so quiet that it felt desolate, with only the sound of dry swallowing from the knights watching our match with bated breath.

It was so quiet that I feared time might stop.

‘I lost….’

The thought that this match had ended in my defeat finally formed in my mind after about five seconds of continued silence.

According to the rules of practice matches, where the outcome is decided when one’s weapon is either lost or rendered unusable.

This match had ended in my defeat.

‘This is the real jackpot.’

I felt embarrassed about having celebrated blocking Shizu’s thrust with what I considered a rather elegant move as a “jackpot.”

A destroyed weapon essentially revealed that a swordsman, who should treat their sword as their life, had been too focused on the immediate situation and failed to properly care for their weapon.

Compared to the aura she had wrapped around herself, I had applied too thin a layer of aura to protect my sword, which was my fatal mistake.

“…”

As the cause became clear.

My head started to heat up.

The regret of having lost the chance to defeat her for the first time since Shizu’s awakening due to my carelessness, and.

The bitterness of not being able to fulfill the somewhat base satisfaction of victory that was about to be filled, served as fuel.

No, this won’t do.

“Haa….”

I exhaled lightly, releasing the heat that was about to rush to my head.

The silence that had fallen over the training ground broke with my sigh.

The knights, finally realizing the match was over, began to murmur about their impressions, and.

The momentary stillness disappeared without a trace.

I turned my head to examine each of the knights who had watched the match.

Murmur murmur

There were no cheers or sighs of disappointment.

The knights who had watched our match were busy expressing their own impressions and sharing them with their colleagues.

“Haa….”

I sighed again while taking a deep breath.

It wasn’t just to release the heat in my head.

It was an act intended to activate my mind, which worked better when faced with cold air, by breathing in the cold air that hadn’t been driven away by the heat of the knights filling the place.

As the sensation of cold air passing through my lungs finally got my sluggish mind working again.

‘A loss is a loss.’

I was finally able to honestly accept my defeat, which I had subconsciously been reluctant to acknowledge.

With a lightened head, I looked at the practice sword that had been split in two.

I hadn’t noticed during the intense match.

But now I could see the damage all over the blade, accumulated from blocking Shizu’s sword strikes.

I was certain that even the remaining half in my hand would shatter into pieces if I just tapped it with my finger.

‘I didn’t notice this.’

I lightly hit my head with my left hand, blaming my inexperience.

Despite experiencing two deaths and even the miracle of traveling back in time with my memories intact.

I had to face the bitter truth that in terms of total talent, I was still just a novice wandering on the boundary between first and second-rate.

And then I turned my head from the sword to another destination.

If there is a loser in a match, there must be a winner according to the laws of the world of competition.

My destination was where the winner should be, to fulfill my duty as the loser.

What expression would Shizu be wearing now?

Would she have a refreshed expression, savoring the feeling of victory?

Or would she have a composed expression, internalizing what she gained from this match and strengthening her inner self?

Various forms of curiosity were stimulating my interest.

But what entered my two eyes when I reached my destination was somewhat different from what I had imagined.

“I… lost.”

Shizu, who said she lost as soon as our eyes met, showed me the practice sword still in her right hand.

It was in better condition than my sword that had been split in two.

But even if my weapon hadn’t been destroyed and my sword strike had failed.

The damage to the practice sword in Shizu’s right hand was significant enough that it would have naturally broken if she had just swung it in the air.

Of course, since it was my sword that was destroyed first and became unusable.

“No, you won.”

I returned the result of the match to her, which she was trying to concede to me.

“It’s more due to my inexperience for not checking the condition of my weapon while just enjoying the offensive, so I lost.”

“My sword was damaged first from enduring your offensive, so I lost.”

“I lost.”

“No, I lost.”

Shizu and I, looking at each other, refused to back down from our claims of defeat, entering into a light argument… though it was too mild to be called a dispute, following our match.

-Ah…hem

-Ah…ahem.

-Cute…hehehe.

Warm voices containing curious impressions began to be heard from the knights who had been discussing the match results as our argument started.