Chapter 994: The Second Sacred Beast Festival 15
“Last year I fought using a two-wooden-spear stance, but is it okay to use a standard stance this time, Naris-dono?”
“Unconventional tactics won’t work more than once! It’s better to play it straight than do something weird, that way, we’re less likely to rub people the wrong way!”
Naris, taking her stance facing Gorkus, wields a single wooden sword of standard length. It seems she’s putting aside surprise attacks involving dual-wielding or unconventional weapons this time. Since Gorkus has been going head-to-head with Diel, he should be strong in this kind of match, so, if anything, Naris is at a disadvantage. Given her lack of exercise right up until the last minute, Naris seems to have given up on defending her title from the start; she may be thinking along the lines of, if I can beat Gorkus this time, it’s a bonus; even if I lose, I’ll have a decent excuse…….
“Alright then……begin!”
As Irina brought her hand down, the two dashed toward each other and clashed swords. A crisp clang, echoed as the wooden swords struck and they immediately sidestepped to create distance between them.
“Nu……!”
“That’s heavy……but!”
It seemed both sensed something unexpected in the impact and they appeared slightly taken aback, but rather than slowly and cautiously sizing each other up……that didn’t happen. Instead, they locked blades again almost simultaneously, and their all-out sword strikes exploded against one another. Clack-clack-clack, clack, clang! Clang-clang-clang! The wooden swords screeched in rhythm, sometimes in sync, sometimes erratically, their heavy and light clashes echoing through the air. Naris parried and countered the storm of rapid strikes unleashed from Gorkus’s stable core, all while maintaining her fluid, ever-changing stances. Although one might think Gorkus has the physical advantage in terms of power, Naris shows no sign of being overpowered. Rather, while Gorkus relies primarily on a two-handed stance, Naris’s dynamic slashes, delivered from both hands, seem to generate a solid recoil even when struck with one hand; this unexpected strength, which belies his appearance, is likely what surprised Gorkus.
“……Naris is really in top form”
Dianne murmurs with amusement.
“She doesn’t seem out of practice, does she?”
“I suppose she was just a bit timid at first. Thanks to Emma, she’s warmed up sufficiently. ……More than anything, the interesting thing about Naris is that even as we’re doing this, she’s unconsciously coming up with new techniques”
“Is that so?”
“I’ve already seen at least six striking and defensive techniques during this sword fight that I’ve never seen before. She doesn’t seem to think they’re new, though”
“…..She really is an enigma”
“It’s not that she has no weaknesses, but when it comes to making full use of her weapon, she truly seems to have a natural talent. The more you push her, the more she might unconsciously come up with new techniques. She’s an interesting girl”
Naris instantly understands the potential of the weapon she holds and is almost always able to maximize that potential. It sounds simple, but it’s actually very difficult. Even if walking and running come naturally, not many people can dance based on instinct alone. Naris seems to have taken that skill to a level many times more difficult and still kept it within the realm of just a hunch. It’s probably not a matter of learning, but purely reflex and reaction. That’s why Naris, who doesn’t essentially enjoy combat, tends to forget that muscle memory after a short while. If she were to start consciously remembering and accumulating it, perhaps…….
“Surprisingly, depending on how she’s trained, that girl might actually have tremendous room for growth”
“Given her personality, though, she doesn’t seem to be aiming for high-level combat ability. ……But if it ever became absolutely necessary, she might suddenly transform”
Dianne summed it up as she watched Naris and Gorkus’s fierce battle with evident enjoyment. ……Well, if you ask whether he really wants to reach the level of a Great Sword Saint, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. And if you ask whether he’d accept the burden that comes with being more than a Red Arm, he’d absolutely refuse. Considering that he instinctively understands the level of strength appropriate for his personality and is content once his abilities have grown to match that, I’m not sure if that makes him resourceful or just a bit odd.
“But, well……if she’s fighting purely on instinct, then she’s leaning toward having the ability to strategize in battle”
Dianne said this, narrowing her eyes. The evenly matched exchange continued, but the battle was gradually shifting in Gorkus’s favor. You couldn’t tell that just by looking at the swords, but it was evident in both of their expressions. Gorkus maintained his defiant expression, as if he were still hiding his trump card. In contrast, Naris wore an expression mingling doubt and exhaustion.
“No matter how much he presses forward, he can’t break through; no matter how he tries to exploit an opening, he can’t fully capitalize on it. The initiative has been seized……that’s probably how Naris feels right now. No matter how adept Naris is at devising techniques on the fly, his effectiveness is limited if he’s being guided even before he strikes”
“Guided……”
“For example, a glance, a stance, or even a slight deviation in the direction of a step……Gorkus is gradually instilling these cues in Naris, preventing her attack patterns from expanding without limit. Even when Naris thinks she’s taking the initiative, Gorkus is calmly prepared. Geniuses like that are weak in this kind of tactical battle”
“……Being called a genius by Dianne seems like a heavy burden for Naris”
“Compared to that guy, I’m no genius at all. I can only use the martial techniques I’ve practiced”
……In a way, perhaps 「Genius」isn’t really a compliment for Dianne. Of course, there’s probably a part of her that envies having been born with that kind of natural talent, but the foundation of her unshakable confidence likely lies in the skills she’s built up without relying on it. ……Eventually, Gorkus gained the upper hand in his exchange with Naris and struck her wrist hard, sending her wooden sword flying far away. Naris quickly put some distance between them to avoid a follow-up attack, but after glancing back and forth between her own arm and the distant wooden sword, she raised her hands in surrender.
“……I lose”
“I accept your surrender”
Ooooh, the elves’ excitement soared. Since Diel and Marc, two of the forest’s top fighters, had lost early on, all eyes seemed to be on Gorkus. Naris looked pained, but since she’d managed to hold her own to some extent, she seemed somewhat relieved that she’d saved face. Then, timing her run toward us just as Gorkus stepped back after claiming victory, she came running over.
“This hurts like crazy!?”
“Get Breakcore to treat you right away. ……Please”
“Got it. ……This is cracked, I think”
“Didn’t that guy hold back at all!?”
“It’ll heal right away as long as I’m here, so it’s fine. Besides, I don’t think we could’ve settled this otherwise”
Naris receives healing light magic while being soothed by Breakcore. Well, her regenerative abilities are strong enough to heal even if she’s torn to shreds. There’s probably nothing to worry about.
In the second match that followed, the spotlight was on the battle between Fiona, fighting hard despite being a first-time participant and Gant. Fiona launched a swift attack with her straightforward sword, while Gant countered with unconventional movements. Like Naris, Gant also places more emphasis on instinct than on orthodox swordsmanship. However, since he lacks the accumulated experience that comes with years of training, Fiona still has a chance.
“Taaaaa!!”
“Uoooo!!”
Two swords still in the making clashed. In terms of momentum, Fiona had the clear advantage. But Gant’s sword carried weight, too. After a fierce exchange of over a dozen strikes, both of their wooden swords finally snapped and flew apart at the same time.
“What a match……”
At my muttered remark, Diel, who had changed out of his dirty clothes at home, gave a wry smile.
“You two really got carried away, didn’t you?”
Just as I was about to fetch replacement wooden swords, Gant raised his hand to concede defeat.
“My hands can’t take it anymore, so I’ll call it a day. You’re strong, young lady”
“No way……I’m not done yet!”
“I don’t think I’d be able to grip another sword even if one came my way. But you’re different, aren’t you? You win”
Gant laughed, buruburu, showing his trembling hands. Fiona looked unconvinced, but as applause erupted, she reluctantly accepted the result.
“She put up a surprisingly good fight”
“Well, for better or worse, it’s these kinds of surprises that make tournaments like this so fun”
Dianne nodded.