Ch.96Chapter 96: The Trials That Made Me Strong

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After more than 10 minutes of sparring, the match resumed following a brief one-minute break.

As soon as the sparring restarted, Excel unleashed a fierce attack on me, just like at the beginning.

Keraunos flew toward me in a trajectory almost too fast for the eye to follow, still as sharp as ever.

His eyes, revealing his fighting spirit against me who was unexpectedly holding out, remained intense.

However.

While there was no difference in my opponent’s approach…

Swoosh-!!

This spear coming at me with such ferocious speed…

Clang-!!

What had changed in me that I could now block it with relative ease?

[It seems you’re adapting.]

Watching me block with more finesse than when I first dodged his spear, Fafnir mentioned adaptation with interest.

Though he didn’t offer advice about the sparring, I didn’t want to keep hearing his distracting monologue that kept reaching my ears.

‘Just dodging and blocking is already killing me, so please don’t distract me with talk about adaptation.’

I objected to his comment, but…

‘Killing you? I’d say your friend over there is having a worse time.’

Fafnir responded to my lament with amusement, immediately offering a counterpoint.

His words came through my mind clearly, letter by letter.

But despite hearing them perfectly, I couldn’t understand what he meant.

Having a worse time?

Excel Burnstein?

The same Excel who was making my heart race by showing faster and sharper spear techniques each time I blocked or dodged, as if shifting to a higher gear?

I understand he might be getting impatient since the match wasn’t ending despite his intense offensive, but…

How could someone launching such a one-sided attack without showing any signs of fatigue be having a hard time?

Swoosh-!!

See?

As if to contradict Fafnir’s words, the moment I deflected his spear, Keraunos immediately rushed at me again without pause.

Even when I blocked or dodged, far from being discouraged, he responded with an even stronger strike, as if trying to negate my defense and deliver a finishing blow.

It was as if Excel’s stamina had no limits.

“Tch!”

As Excel’s overwhelming skill unfolded flawlessly before me, I naturally clicked my tongue and twisted my body with minimal movement.

“You aim for spots that are difficult to dodge and even harder to block.”

With a light sigh, I swung Fafnir to block Keraunos’s trajectory before it could engulf me.

Whoosh-!!

Each time I swung the sword, it produced a refreshing sound that surprised even me.

Clang-!!

The crisp metallic sound rang in my ears as I successfully parried the blade of Keraunos.

As if Fafnir’s words to me weren’t completely false…

Though blocking each attack was still grueling…

I was vaguely starting to feel that intercepting Excel’s attacks was becoming something my eyes could follow, compared to the first 10 minutes of our sparring.

[See? You’re blocking much more convincingly than before.]

Fafnir’s voice, observing my movements closely, supported this feeling.

Since I was already exceeding my initial goal of using everything from this sparring as a stepping stone for growth rather than just winning…

A slight sense of satisfaction seeped into my exhausted mind and body as the prolonged sparring continued.

But this alone was far from enough to guarantee the victory Fafnir had assured me of when the sparring resumed after our short break.

‘Just blocking won’t lead to victory.’

Exactly.

From the start of our match, the balance had been defined by Excel’s offense and my defense.

And this hadn’t changed even now in the second round.

There’s a reason they say attack is the best defense.

It’s not wrong to say that overwhelming your opponent to the point where they can’t counterattack, preventing them from even launching an attack, is the best defense.

But as if he had no intention of agreeing with my thoughts…

[You still lack faith in yourself.]

Fafnir’s voice was resolute as he denied my thoughts with words that were somehow both clear and cryptic.

Sigh… I should just stop arguing.

The outcome of this sparring is obvious—I’m going to lose one way or another.

All I can hope for is to lose as gracefully as possible without looking pathetic.

To do that, I shouldn’t react to Fafnir’s voice constantly echoing in my head.

Because if I get distracted…

Crackle-!!

I won’t be able to respond to Excel’s attacks that could come at any moment, like now.

This time it was lightning.

He had released the lightning that had been wrapped around his spear, sending it directly at me.

“Damn!”

As I tried to dodge the lightning that came too fast to deflect with my sword…

Whoosh-!!

I found myself leaping into the air without even realizing it.

This was an unavoidable choice to evade the lightning coming straight at me, but…

“I knew you’d do that!”

As Excel’s jubilant expression showed, seeing me suspended in the air…

For a master of lightning-fast spear techniques like him, jumping into the air without any preparation meant…

“This time I’ll make sure you wake up staring at the ceiling.”

Whoosh-!!

I had become a perfectly visible target.

Excel jumped in response to my leap.

Unlike my almost reflexive jump…

His leap, timed perfectly to intercept me as I reached the apex of my jump and started to descend, was full of power.

Crackle-!!

The lightning wrapped around his Keraunos was shining more brilliantly than at any other point in today’s sparring.

“Ah…”

Seeing that, a sigh of defeat was about to escape my lips as I prepared to accept my loss, but…

[For something like that, can’t you see his movements clearly enough to grasp them? This is your chance to counterattack.]

At Fafnir’s urging to counterattack, I focused my mind and…

Excel’s flash-like charge that had been overwhelming me until just moments ago…

Despite being at its climax…

Appeared strangely clear and distinct to my eyes.

It was like seeing a trajectory laid out before me…

Like a signpost showing me exactly how to effectively block this and subdue my opponent.

Shaking off the sense of impending defeat from my mind…

I swung Fafnir toward Excel as he flew toward me.

Whoosh-!!

The sensation that surprised me every time I swung the sword unfolded without fail once again.

Moreover, this sword strike wasn’t desperately trying to block an attack meant to subdue me…

It was a movement executed to disrupt my opponent’s technique before it could be completed to subdue me.

In a sense, it was a monumental strike—the first time I had taken the offensive since the start of this sparring match.

The effect was tremendous.

As Excel saw my sword strike coming directly along his trajectory while he was mid-leap…

“Ah!”

A short cry escaped his lips as he extended Keraunos to block my sword.

Just as I had taken the offensive for the first time…

His spear, which had been on the offensive throughout our sparring, was now used defensively for the first time to break my attack.

Our sword and spear met and became entangled without separating.

If both our legs had been firmly planted on the ground, this would have led to a contest of strength to gain the upper hand.

But the force of my sword swing, carrying the full weight of my body after completing my jump…

“…!!”

Overwhelmed Excel’s force, which had been interrupted mid-leap and reduced to a defensive movement.

As I put more strength into my sword hand, Excel’s body visibly lost balance.

[Finish it.]

At Fafnir’s command, I applied even more unyielding force to my sword.

“Ah…”

With a brief sigh from Excel’s lips…

His Keraunos, which had been competing with Fafnir, slipped from his grasp and began free-falling toward the floor.

Boom-!!

Even as it fell, Keraunos, still charged with lightning energy, emitted a thunderous sound as it hit the ground.

After the sound faded, Excel stood dumbfounded without his weapon, while I maintained my composure with Fafnir still in hand as we both landed in sequence.

According to the rule that losing one’s weapon during a sparring match means defeat, unless one is an unarmed fighter…

“Winner! Cal Ranos!”

As my feet touched the ground, my sister, acting as referee, announced my name as the winner in a resounding voice that echoed throughout the indoor training hall.

“Phew…”

With a sigh of relief from Shizu, who had been watching the match with a very tense expression…

I was able to turn a one-sided defensive battle into victory by seizing just one opportunity.

This… actually worked?

I’m still dazed by this unexpected outcome.

[I told you. I said you would win this sparring match.]

Fafnir’s extremely triumphant voice echoed in my head, adding to my mental confusion, but…

“You did well.”

Thanks to Shizu, who approached me as soon as the match ended, patting my head and praising my efforts…

The warmth that entered my heart calmed the confusion I felt from this unexpected situation.

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Right after the sparring match ended…

Though he wore a dumbfounded expression for quite some time…

Excel, regaining his dignified composure, said:

“Hah… I thought I had my prey cornered, but it turns out I was the prey all along.”

He calmly acknowledged his defeat, then…

Thud

As if the tension he had maintained throughout the match had finally released, he plopped down on the training hall floor.

“Huff… huff…”

His rough breathing as he sat down…

Unlike what I had judged with my eyes during the match…

Was clear evidence that he too was extremely tired.

And seeing his exhausted state…

Thud

I had to admit that I was no less tired than he was.

“Huff… huff…”

My breathing was rough, and…

Thump thump

My heart continued to beat vigorously without calming down, busy supplying blood and oxygen throughout my body.

Still, Shizu’s hand didn’t stop patting my head when I sat down, which prevented my already chaotic mind from becoming even more complicated.

And despite my entire body crying out in fatigue, my mouth still had the energy to express what I wanted to say.

“Blocking your relentless attacks has completely worn me out.”

I could readily acknowledge the skill of Excel that had challenged me throughout our sparring.

“Heh…”

A bitter smile broke across his face as he exhaled roughly in response to my praise(?).

Though tired, he seemed to have enough presence of mind to understand my words, which was fortunate.

“Such modesty from the winner… Thanks to you effortlessly blocking my attacks, I went all out without managing my stamina and ended up like this.”

His words and voice came out quite harshly depending on how one heard them, but…

“Well… a loss is a loss. Congratulations. Next time I’ll crush you so thoroughly you won’t be able to say a word, so be prepared.”

The expression on his face as he congratulated me on my victory in a calm voice showed both lightness and relief.

Seeing Excel’s expression, I had to acknowledge that he was indeed my friend.

Despite fighting a desperate battle throughout the sparring, mercilessly exploiting each other’s weaknesses to claim the sweet fruit of victory…

As soon as the outcome was decided, we could calmly converse as if nothing had happened.

What else could you call a relationship where people praise each other’s strengths and promise not to lose next time, if not friendship?

Thus, I was able to use the various impressions from my first sparring match with a friend since my regression as nourishment for a better tomorrow.

This seemed to be true for Excel as well, despite his defeat…

His expression, showing unaffected dignity, revealed no trace of disappointment from his loss.

Of course, that dignified heir-like composure didn’t last long.

After finishing her role as referee and approaching him…

As soon as my sister patted his head and praised his efforts…

The handsome face of someone who usually receives nothing but praise wherever he goes contorted in an indescribable way…

Turning bright red with embarrassment.

Seeing this, I thought, ‘Now that’s my friend,’ but…

Squeeze

Perhaps stimulated by my sister patting Excel’s head, Shizu stopped patting my head and hugged me from behind, causing my face to burn as well.

In the category of becoming fools in front of the people we like, Excel and I ended in a draw.