episode_0147

Do they say that most people who come face to face with a wild tiger have their legs frozen, unable to run properly and end up being eaten?

I finally understood them.

Right now, I feel just like that.

My legs weren’t frozen in fear, but rather, it was more of an unconscious stumbling that took me a few steps back.

A high-ranking knight.

The aura emanating from the overpowering figure who had crossed the wall was so intense that it felt like a sword was being pressed against my throat just by looking at him.

Despite being nothing special compared to the sealed Valphreya, the high-ranking knight was the most formidable presence I had encountered so far.

…Well, Valphreya couldn’t even fully unleash his aura while he was sealed.

If that woman could unleash her full power without holding back, back then, we probably wouldn’t have been able to breathe, let alone stand our ground.

“It doesn’t matter if both of you attack at once. Understanding the level of coordination is also meaningful.”

Belloren said to me, looking cold and devoid of humanity, unlike yesterday.

Is there a world of difference between when one wields a sword and when one doesn’t?

It felt similar to revealing an extremely aggressive stance towards a confirmed opponent, much like what Nana and Friede would do when facing enemies.

“What are you waiting for? Time is ticking.”

As I maintained a defensive posture and stayed still, Belloren urged me on impatiently, furrowing her brow slightly as if feeling frustrated.

“Counting down from five. Five, four, three—”

“Haaah!”

I immediately charged forward. Instinctively fearing that my head might roll if I waited for the countdown to finish.

Having improved through the battle with Valkyria, my Enzenvolt swordsmanship now aimed to thrust towards the opponent’s chest as the slightly curved tip of the blade surged upward.

– Clang!

However, the longsword effortlessly blocked my attack, as if it was expected. Despite being an attack fueled by Kangwan’s strength.

Belloren deftly parried my sword, rotating to deflect it sideways, and in the next moment, she struck at my shoulder with the end of her hilt.

“Ugh…!”

I quickly twisted my shoulder to avoid the strike. If I had been wearing shoulder armor, I might have been able to block it, but I was currently unprotected. There was a risk of my shoulder bone breaking with a single blow.

– Swish!

Anticipating a dodge, the following strike came immediately. The longsword, leaving a trail behind, aimed for my waist.

“Haah!”

I wielded my sword more forcefully, enhancing Kangwan’s characteristics. The clash of swords rang out with a clear metallic sound, and the grip vibrated slightly.

“…Hm.”

Belloren glanced briefly at her sword that had been pushed away by the impact, then swiftly swung it again with an indiscernible grunt.

– Aaargh!

This time, it sounded different.

The subsequent strike, heavier than before due to the resistance from Kangwan’s power, was almost as strong as mine. Was it an intention to match my strength?

One thing was certain; relying solely on Kangwan and pushing through with strength wouldn’t guarantee victory.

“Is this the end?”

“Not yet…!”

Therefore, I unleashed the Iceheart’s characteristics to their fullest, wielding my sword with all my might.

Emotions cooling down chillingly.

Intense power mixed with icy vigor contrasting against it.

Mind and body, everything about me transformed into a mechanism solely for killing the enemy.

This state was where I could unleash the full extent of my power. It was a level of prowess equal to the original Brunhilde.

– Aaargh! Clang, thud!

The swords clashed fiercely, emitting flashes and sparks.

A missed thrust pierced through the air, while the meeting of the blades scattered shards of broken metal. The sharp metallic sound resonated continuously like a morning bell tolling.

“I can tolerate your thrusts.”

In the midst of this, the enemy spoke to me.

“But that’s all. The depth of your swordplay lacks. You barely scratch the surface of the blade.”

Stepping back just two paces was enough to evade my sword aimed at her waist.

“A subtle foundation in the flawed Pajibop. A stark contrast between thrusting and slashing. It seems like someone wielding a spear is forcing themselves to use a sword,” she remarked.

Evading the subsequent thrust with a twist of her body, Beloren swiftly deflected the broadsword swung at her and pressed the blade against my neck.

“Hence, the flaw that emerges when a thrust transitions into a slash.”

Merely by exchanging blows with me a few times, she had accurately identified the essence and weaknesses of the Zenvalt swordsmanship.

Though somewhat improved through clashes with Valquiria, there still remained inherent flaws in the swordsmanship itself.

“The idea of filling that gap with brute force isn’t bad, but it’s a tactic effective only when holding the upper hand in strength. When facing someone of equal strength…”

“Haah!”

I swiftly turned my body to continue my fierce attack, but…

“…it tends to be easily thwarted like this.”

With just four clashes of our swords, I found myself once again at the mercy of her blade at my throat.

“Do you understand?”

The dry click of the blade moving away. Her demeanor cool as ice, mechanically analyzing my predicament to seek answers for victory.

Without much deliberation, the conclusion was clear.

Impossible.

Indeed, there was no way for me to defeat her.

“Remember, what you hold is not a spear but a sword. While the techniques for both weapons may bear similarities, they can never be the same.”

Beloren advised, removing the broadsword from my neck. Instead of wasting time twisting spear techniques into swordplay, it would be wiser to learn proper swordsmanship separately.

There was no argument to counter her advice.

At least not from me in my current state.

Through numerous battles and her own genius, Brunhilde had finally perfected the Zenvalt swordsmanship into an independent style.

But could I achieve what even she couldn’t when she was at the level of an elite knight?

As Beloren suggested, it might be more efficient to master a fresh sword technique rather than trying to perfect the flawed Zenvalt swordsmanship.

And once the new sword technique reached maturity, it could serve as a foundation to enhance the Zenvalt swordsmanship.

What about Valquiria’s swordsmanship?

Yes, it could be emulated to some extent… but that alone wasn’t sufficient. Their techniques couldn’t perfectly supplement the flaws in Zenvalt swordsmanship.

Perhaps, Valquirias were originally spearmen rather than swordsmen.

Their swordsmanship, like Brunhilde’s, seemed to be a variation of spear techniques adapted for swords, sharing the same flaws.

“Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

Nodding with a collected resolve, I acknowledged the situation. Although being overpowered without putting up a proper fight was frustrating, realizing what needed to be done gave a sense of accomplishment.

“Alright. Then, let’s go again.”

…Again?

“Continue. You’ve only touched upon one critical flaw; I haven’t fully assessed your bottom line yet.”

Pointing her sword at me, Beloren clarified that my assumption of the sparring session ending was mistaken.

“This time, I’ll attack more aggressively. Give it your all in response.”

Wait, it wasn’t the end of the spar; the real challenge was just beginning.

Come to think of it, until now, she had merely evaded or parried my attacks, rarely launching a full-fledged assault on me…?

A chilling sensation ran down my spine. It wasn’t the power of the ice heart; it was just goosebumps.

“…How long will this go on?”

I adjusted my stance and asked in a trembling tone. Veloren responded with a face that seemed to say, “Are you asking such an obvious question?”

“Until I collapse from exhaustion. Isn’t it obvious?”

…Looks like I’m really going to faint.

Everything went dark before my eyes.

◆◆

I was truly beaten to a pulp.

“Thud…!”

“…Your evasion skills are lacking. Your habit of relying on armor to withstand attacks is ingrained in your body. How do you expect to fight against enemies who can break through your armor?”

A critique pointing out the habit of throwing oneself into attacks that couldn’t be blocked in time when the situation became urgent.

As I thrust my left arm towards the training sword, it felt as though it would shatter as the pain surged intensely.

– Crack!

“Ouch…!”

“You’ve almost neglected unarmed combat. It lacks structure. Will you beg for mercy once you miss your sword?”

A critique highlighting the lack of skill in unarmed combat due to excessive reliance on swordsmanship.

Her fist striking my cheek unexpectedly without a gauntlet felt like an iron fist.

“It doesn’t have to be like a brawl, but you should be able to complement your swordsmanship. In close quarters, that’s faster and more effective.”

“Ah…yes…I’ll keep that in mind…”

I grasped my cheek, staggering, promising not to underestimate unarmed combat again.

When a high-ranking knight unleashes unarmed combat, even armor seems insufficient to stop it. It was dizzying for a moment, wasn’t it?

Despite that, the sparring continued since I didn’t actually faint.

“…Are you momentarily amplifying your strength? Impressive and powerful, but overly relying on it is a mistake.”

“Gah…!”

It continued.

“Due to overconfidence in your increased strength, right after that, you’re full of openings. If your attack fails, you’ll be immediately counterattacked and killed. Like this.”

“Kahak…!”

It continued.

For a whole two hours.

◆◆

“Ughhh….”

“Is this your limit? Let’s end the morning spar here. Well done.”

That’s how, after being beaten for two hours straight, I could finally conclude the sparring. It felt like the curse of all those I had slain had manifested and haunted me during that time.

What was Freide doing all this while?

“Hieeek….”

Collapsed next to me, Freide lay sprawled out.

She had joined the fray midway, swinging her greatsword at Veloren, but she couldn’t hold out for long.

“Jumping through the air…? I must have looked quite easy to you.”

Veloren found Freide’s leaping greatsword strikes quite absurd, bursting into laughter and unleashing her longsword like a storm.

With a ferocity akin to punishing some heinous crime.

“Higak! Higyagyagak!”

Under that assault, Freide was stabbed eight times in mid-air and slammed onto the ground, half-conscious instantly.

“Don’t leap at human opponents. If you encounter foes above your level, you’ll die before landing.”

Veloren’s words to Freide were truly memorable as she looked down at her.