Chapter: 63
Frey’s eyes, gazing at me while holding a sword in one hand, are indifferent.
[You're imagining fighting with me, huh?]
‘How do you know that?’
[Your body is flinching, isn't it? You can guess that just by looking at it.]
So, you mean to say you’re shadowboxing before the fight?
The grandpa predicted it just from my body flinching.
Just how great was grandpa back in the day?
I guess he was so amazing that they called him a hero, but I can’t even imagine it with who I am now.
Thinking about that, I raised my shield and mace.
Sure, I can make a shield with divine magic, but holding a real shield just feels more comforting.
“Both sides. Are you ready?”
‘Yes.’
“Okay. Shoddy Professor.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Using such rude vocabulary towards a professor, Anton just laughed it off.
“Then, let’s begin.”
Just as Anton announced it, Frey moved her feet.
The first thought that struck me upon seeing him was how fast he was.
There was quite some distance between us, yet the moment Frey took a step forward, she closed the gap.
If it had been an ordinary person, they probably wouldn’t have even reacted to that speed!
But not me!
I can certainly respond at this speed.
He may be a budding Sword Saint and all, but in the end, he’s just a first-year at the academy!
From my stance, sparring against Possell and Karl, this is pretty insignificant!
I moved my shield to deflect the sword, yet it wasn’t the right time to swing my mace.
I can’t bare my teeth when the prey out of water is moving so vigorously.
“Pfft♡ Shoddy Swordsman♡ Do you think you can scratch my shield with such shoddy attacks?♡”
As soon as I provoked him, Frey lifted her lips in a grin.
What’s up with her smiling?
Is she some kind of masochist? She doesn’t seem emotionally crippled or anything.
Just as that question flooded my mind, the ecstasy of Mesugaki Skill answered me.
She’s just pretending to be smiling but is actually angry.
What the heck. That surprised me.
Upon seeing the increasingly aggressive attack, I raised my shield with a grin.
Come on, come closer. The moment you dip your feet in the water is when you’ll be caught in my jaws.
*
Frey felt something burning inside her chest.
What the heck is this?
She had never felt anything like this before.
So she didn’t even realize she was angry.
She didn’t even recognize her lips were turning up.
She simply thought the burning sensation was interesting.
“Shoddy Swordsman♡ You seem so at ease!♡”
Frey hurriedly swatted away the mace flying toward her and stepped back.
“Hey.”
“What? Shoddy Swordsman♡ Are you about to declare defeat?♡”
“Every time I hear you, my chest feels like it’s burning. What’s that about?”
When Frey cocked her head and asked, Lucy widened her eyes for a moment, then sighed as she brushed her face.
She then laughed lightly and answered Frey’s question.
“You’re angry. Shoddy Swordsman.”
“Angry?”
“Yeah.”
Am I angry?
Frey blinked, then closed her eyes, focusing on the emotions swirling within her.
Blood was rushing to her head.
Her heart was racing.
A hot sensation was rising up her spine.
So this is the emotion called anger.
Frey had never felt any emotions since her birth.
She didn’t understand why her older brother laughed at her.
She didn’t get why her little sibling cried when their pet hamster died.
She couldn’t comprehend why her parents raised their voices at her.
She also couldn’t see the reason they hugged her afterward, apologizing and shedding tears.
To her, the world was colorless.
Frey merely stared blankly at the world.
The first time she felt an emotion was when she was five years old.
She had been attacked by a monster while walking down the street.
Fortunately, the guards subdued the monster before it could hurt her, but had they been a moment later, Frey might have lost her life to its jaws.
At that moment, standing face-to-face with death…
Frey felt it.
The world turning completely black.
The feeling of her heart stopping.
A chilling sensation crawling up her spine that made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.
As the blackened world reverted to its original colors and she could feel her heart beating intensely again, Frey gained a sense of life.
She didn’t know that was fear.
She merely thought it was an emotion that surfaced because she was facing a monster.
So, she asked her parents how to fight monsters.
Her parents tried to dissuade her, but they couldn’t change Frey’s mind once she’d made a decision.
And that’s how she came to hold a sword.
Believing her father’s words that getting stronger would bring stronger opponents, she swung her sword recklessly.
However, since then, Frey hadn’t felt a similar emotion ever again.
No matter what monsters she fought.
No matter who she tussled with.
Her world remained colorless.
Because the talent she possessed was overwhelmingly strong.
She had yet to encounter anyone capable of posing a death threat to her, given how quickly she became strong.
The reason Frey confronted Lucy first was that, seeing Lucy among her peers, she seemed strong enough to gift her similar sensations.
Frey was certain that her choice was correct.
Every word Lucy spoke painted her world red.
If she pressed Lucy, would this red deepen?
Let’s find out.
Frey hesitated not at all.
She didn’t understand what hesitation was.
Opening her eyes again, Frey gripped her sword with both hands and glared at Lucy.
The overwhelming talent Frey possessed showed her various paths.
If it’s a contest of strength, she’d be pushed back.
If she tried to use tricks, she’d be caught immediately.
My sword can’t break that shield.
Lucy is tricky.
What would my father have said in this situation?
“Shoddy Swordsman♡ Are you too scared to move your feet?♡ Coward!♡”
The moment she heard those words, Frey saw the world turn completely red.
Okay. Let’s not think. Just attack.
Let’s break Lucy’s laughter.
That’s a perfect plan.
Frey recklessly swung her sword, following her instincts.
A relentless offensive without a single thought of defense.
But a turtle’s shell is hard.
Even amidst the barrage of strikes, Lucy didn’t show even a slight opening.
I still can’t break that shield.
“Is this all you got?♡ I’m yawning.♡ Are you trying to put me to sleep?♡”
Time to break it.
I can do this.
Frey raised her sword high.
The biggest movement she’d ever made in her sword strikes.
The Deadly Blow passed down from the Kent family.
A technique of great power, thanks to its large preparation motion.
However, just when Frey was preparing, Lucy moved her feet.
The moment Frey caught sight of those irritating eyes beyond the shield, she realized her mistake.
Lucy didn’t swing her mace.
She didn’t push her away with the shield.
Instead, she grabbed Frey around the waist, lifting her up before slamming her down onto the ground.
Thud!
Hearing that sound was enough to scrunch up my face at the sight, as Lucy immediately pinned Frey down, about to smack her tiny face with her shield.
The shield halted just before impact, but the conclusion was clear to anyone watching.
Lucy had won.
A perfect comeback!
A silence enveloped the students who had been watching, surprised by an outcome no one had predicted.
“Thank you both for such a wonderful fight! Let’s give them a round of applause!”
Just as Anton shouted, the silence broke, but one person still remained trapped in shock.
“No way. This is a scam.”
It was Harry. He kept banging his forehead against the desk, repeating it was unfair over and over.
One student had fallen into despair, but Anton didn’t care.
He seemed to find the sophisticated fight amusing as he constantly chuckled.
“So, everyone! What does that fight remind you of?!”
“Complete reversal!”
One of the students answered that way.
But Anton shook his head.
“It might seem that way, but it’s different. This was a perfectly orchestrated victory!”
Anton exclaimed, explaining how it was designed.
Lucy was slow in speed; rushing to attack would put her at a disadvantage.
So, she hardened her defense, inducing mistakes from her opponent.
When her opponent made a misjudgment, she seized the moment.
Hearing Anton’s explanation, Jacob could only be in awe.
Indeed, Lady Allen was the real deal. What she showed in the dungeon wasn’t fake.
Jacob gazed at Lucy, sitting in front, listening intently to Anton’s words with admiration.
*
Despite losing once, Frey showed no signs of defeat and came to me immediately after class ended, suggesting we spar.
I firmly declined.
Sparring with you might help me improve, but I’ve got things to do.
I told her we’d spar another time, and with a neutral expression, she headed somewhere.
Alright, I’ve shrugged off the annoyance, and since class is over, how about I take Karl on a quest?
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