Chapter 89: CH 92

Slad lost.

Here is the Eastern Dormitory.

Although Carneggs missed the opportunity to happy when Luca won, he let out a loud laughter at Jerid’s victory.

“Hahaha! Well done! The first fight turned into something weird somehow, but now one more victory and it’ll be our win! As expected, these members that I have chosen are the best!

Alright! Go, Kerio! Go and finish them off!

However, at this rate, it’ll end up being over before it is the turn for Rizil and Percil, whom I’ve carefully chosen, huh. Did I choose too well, perhaps? Well, whatever. Hahaha!”

Kerio stood up silently.

In his heart, ever since he became an apprentice knight, there has always been a small storm blowing violently.

(Everyone’s always only speaking about Percil, Rizil, or Luca. I’m also one of the champions. And yet, I’ve always been a reserve, and at the end was only finally selected as a member after Doug left the Eastern Dorm……)

He applied force to the hand grasping the wooden sword.

(Certainly, I’m no match for those guys. But, I also was a champion of the Youth Swordsmanship Competition. I’m going to win this match, and make everyone recall that fact!)

While having this soliloquy, Kerio went down to the stadium.

In the Northern Dormitory, Remie was getting ready.

Wrapping a cloth around his hand to stop slipping due to sweat, he held the wooden sword he always used.

“Kerio is a master of counterattacks. Be careful.”

Doug once again confirmed the opponents’ information, and Remie nodded to that.

“Go at it with the intention to win!”

“That’s of course.”

Receiving Geromes’ words of encouragement, Remie turned to face the match arena.

2 losses already. The fate of the Northern Dormitory was entrusted to the small form of the narrow back of Remie.

That back was descending towards the stadium. His steps, were slowly making their way to the center of the match arena.

Kerio was already waiting in the arena.

They both silently gazed at each other, and readied their wooden swords.

“Begin!”

After the referee had confirmed them both, he declared so in a loud voice.

The match began.

Right after the match began, Kerio started observing his opponent.

Several times, the opponents shortened the distance between them and exchanged blows, but they weren’t serious.

While exchanging blows, they were probing for the nature of their opponent.

The swordsmanship battle of the Northern Dormitory and the Eastern Dormitory. To Kerio and his group, it was an easy battle.

Percil, Luca, Rizil. Strong people who make the name of their own generation shine brightly. There should be no way that such overwhelming battle prowess assembled wouldn’t win.

Even if Kerio were to lose because of some factor, most likely, Rizil would probably end up deciding this match soon enough.

(That’s precisely why I can’t lose!)

This was true for the team as well, but for Kerio himself, he couldn’t afford to lose this match.

If he lost, he will end up getting rapidly further away from those three, who already had a difference in fame and skills as it was.

To Kerio, it was probably a match which he definitely couldn’t lose, this one.

His opponent was a competitor whose name he hasn’t even heard of during the Youth Swordsmanship Competition. Still, to guard against the one in a million chance, Kerio first started from carefully probing.

(He said he was Remie, huh. His sword arm is decent. Not bad. His movements are also kind of fast. However, his steps are long and rough, I see.)

His opponent in the match, Remie’s sword arm wasn’t bad.

At the very least, he probably wouldn’t lose even against the average members of the Eastern Dormitory. Nevertheless, he understood that he himself was better.

His slender and light-seeming body had considerable agility.

However, it wasn’t the monster-class agility like Luca and the others. He can cope up with it well enough.

Also, on occasion, his steps were excessively large. He was moving with strides longer than one would use while normally walking. That’s why, by moving even one step, his position changed drastically.

When it came to steps, fundamentally it was that the finer the better. Fine adjusting of distances, ease of maneuverability, small steps were crucial in order to maintain an advantageous distance to oneself from the opponent.

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However, using only that alone exhausts the stamina and makes one lose speed, so alternating them with steps with long strides is a must. The main point was whether one was able to accurately alternate between both types of steps or not, but this was a matter of sense.

Yet his opponent, whether he was getting closer or moving away, was using only excessively large steps, and nothing else.

(It seems he has quite the rough personality, huh. In that case……)

Kerio closed the distance towards his opponent, and after clashing swords, he deliberately left a big opening.

(If he has a rough personality, he will rush in here. And if it’s with that rough step, countering it would be a piece of cake)

Thinking of that, he waited for Remie to rush in.

However, Remie moved in a completely different way to what Kerio had predicted. Seeing Kerio’s opening, he quickly pulled back and opened up the distance between them once more.

(What!? Did he read that I was aiming for a counter……?)

Kerio was perplexed by his opponent’s movements.

However, resuming his stance, his opponent came rushing in with large movements.

His opponent, Remie, while crossing swords with him with his unique large steps, he pressed in when he had an advantage, and as soon as it turned disadvantageous, he pulled back, then rushed in with his sword.

Kerio once more, this time in the middle of crossing swords, created a slight but visible opening, and exposed it to his opponent. The movements were more natural than the ones from before. To his opponent, it probably looked like an opening created by the opponent’s own attack. While doing so, he firmly prepared to counter.

However, once Remie saw that, he fell back with a large step.

(Again……!?)

He knew that he was wary of counters.

Kerio was famous as an expert in counterattacks. The other side should also have members who have participated in the same tournament, and there was also Doug who had been in the same dormitory as him.

No, there was also the possibility that this Remie guy had also participated in the same tournament.

It was an obvious thing that information would be passed around……

Nonetheless, when it came to openings, not stepping in to them was an impossible thing during a match.

To throw the opponent off balance, and to drive in the sword from there. These were the basics for victory. To throw away these actions amounted to throwing away victory.

That’s precisely why, the opponents who faced against Kerio, even if they knew that the opening that Kerio showed them was a bait, couldn’t help but step in. And then lose due to the counterattack.

The opponents who won against Kerio were only people like Luca and Rizil, who could attack into the opening more strongly than the counterattack, and people like Percil, who could easily ascertain real openings from fake ones.

(Does this mean that my movements are being assessed by this guy……? No……, this can’t be……)

The first time indeed might have seemed a bit like it was on purpose, but the second time was done considerably naturally. If he didn’t step into such an opening, he wouldn’t be able to grasp victory.

Even while the inside of his head was being dominated by questions, as soon as his movements stopped, his opponent would immediately come at him, so he crossed swords with him.

(Agai——

 

——Huh!?)

Something flashed inside of Kerio’s head.

At that moment, when Remie was trying to back away, Kerio stepped on the ground with all his might and struck a single blow towards his opponent.

That blow was immediately received by his opponent.

The moment his opponent was trying to open up the distance between them, Kerio changed his gears to full throttle and swiftly attacked.

To his opponent, it should have come in the form of a sudden change in speed that took him by surprise. Yet, it was easily received.

In other words, it was the proof that his opponent was has always been on guard.

Yes, this opponent has always been on guard.

Even while crossing swords with Kerio, always……

“I see……!”

Kerio understood.

Although he was making it appear that he was crossing swords in order not to get a warning, in fact, he only thought about defense. When shown an opening he wouldn’t attack, but rather he would back away and act in a way as if throwing away winning.

That’s why, he didn’t fall for the bait for the counterattack.

In other words, this guy……!

“So this means you’re aiming for draw, I see!”

To Kerio, who yelled this while fiercely clashing swords that they creaked, Remie’s face broke into a wide grin.

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