9 Honored Exercise

A leaf touched the ground, and as a signal, two bodies moved at a speed hardly human.

Sword met sword and the sound of metal reverberated. Locking their swords and trying to push and get the best out of the other, the two people couldn't help but feel the additional weight more sharply bearing down on their bodies.

'It is messing up my balance and coordination, and making my movements less fluid and awkward.' Noctis thought as he slightly backed away, and went down in the same motion trying to sweep his opponent off her feet.

'This will be mentally tiring as I have to recalibrate my body every time.' Mikoto thought as she jumped away, avoiding Noctis's incoming attack.

But not willing to let go of the occasion she presumed possessing, she hardly stepped on the ground launching herself forward the moment she touched the ground.

Going with a downward kick that had Noctis's head as the target, she found herself missing as he backflipped away, moving before her kicking motion was even completed.

'He once again predicted it.' She thought, this was one of the reasons winning against Noctis was so hard, he was seemingly able to predict your moves before from your body's minute movement.

Her thoughts, although reasonable, distracted her briefly. Taking advantage of that Noctis moved quickly, his sword slicing through the air vertically just above Mikoto's head.

Surprised, and caught off guard as she could only count on her reaction time as she awkwardly blocked his attack with her sword holder horizontally, and the other side of the sword being supported by her other hand.

'Argh' She groaned a bit, with a knee on the ground in response to the force she was defending against.

Althought her stats were superior to his, Noctis was already physically stronger than a normal person before becoming an adventurer, which put his current physical strength just a bit lower than hers.

The problem was the additional weight he was carrying with him which empowered his blows by a fair bit, and she also had to bear the additional weight she also carried. Althought it would help her in her attacks, it was counterproductive in defense.

Looking at her posture, and determining his next action, Noctis, suddenly retrieved his sword, making Mikoto suddenly feel amiss and messing up her center of gravity since she was pushing up his sword with all her might.

Fact was, that is exactly what Noctis was aiming for as he kicked her in the stomach, sending her rolling away on the ground.

"Is that all? or you can keep going?" Noctis asked as he put the sword in its sheath.

"I can still keep going, please don't worry about me Noctis-dono." Mikoto got up, and retrieved the sword she previously let go of. Not even dusting herself off.

"How about the weight?" He wondered how she was taking it.

"It's tiring, more so mentally than physically." She honestly answered.

"Good, that's also part of the training." Once she gets used to it, it wouldn't be difficult to operate under mental pressure and subsequent situations.

After saying that, Nocting, sword in hand started slowly walking toward Mikoto who also put on her guard in drawing position.

However, Noctis seeing this, abruptly stopped after thinking of something.

"Mikoto, I remember hearing that you learned Iaijutsu?" He inquired.

"... Yes, I learned it from Tamikazuchi-sama." She didn't quite understand what he was getting at.

"Then why don't you focus a little more on that? Show me what you got."

"Hm..." She carefully looked at his face before speaking. "Very well then, I shall entertain you."

She took a deep breath and focused on Noctis's figure, waiting for him to get into her range.

Seeing this Noctis smiled, and did just that, he unsheathed his sword and accelerated toward her having the idea to spear her.

But his eyes, slightly narrowed behind his blind eyes and he abruptly backed away, just in time to avoid the sword slash that almost sliced him two, it happened at a speed far superior to any attack Mikoto previously made.

'Fast!' He exclaimed in his head, although he knew it was coming, it was still faster than what he expected, almost catching him off guard.

Mikoto wasn't willing to let him rest, and as her sword was already back in its sheath, she sped forward once again and drew her sword with unnatural speed, precision, and technique, this time following a diagonal line.

Noctis was feeling the pressure a bit more this time but dodged to Mikoto's left since the attack was going right. After that, since he feared gravely injuring her if he used his sword, he intended a sidekick, but surprisingly she was able to evade it.

He looked at her hands and once again the sword was back in its sheath, he started understating how competent she was.

'Then I should stop holding back.' Well, he would still keep the blindfold though, that would be overkill.

So, stopping unnecessarily worrying he directly slashed at her with all he's got, which she deflected away with a quick-draw slash.

Thus the spar continued following similar patterns. With them exchanging sword for sword.

Mikoto's goal here was to minimize frontal confrontation since that would slow her down. Instead, she changed her fighting style to a more evasive and speed-based one so that she would be ready to strike more frequently and efficiently as possible.

The problem was that it asked a stupidly high amount of mental stamina and concentration since she could very well end up letting a bit of opening if she were to let her guard down for even a single second.

The more time passed the more mentally tired she got, and the more she felt the effect of the weight bracers on her body, also tiring her body.

So several minutes later, she ended up making an error that Noctis exploited and put her down, using a strange martial art she never saw, and one that made her face red in embarrassment.

What happened is that Noctis used a Jiujitsu Americana, or figure four arm lock if you will, it was a submission technique.

His body was above hers as he bent her arm and elbow upward while controlling his body and stopping her from moving with her arm. Essentially locking her in place, incapable of moving.

"Noctice-dono, if you would please let me go." Mikoto said acting as normal as she could but she could not head her blushing face looking the opposite way.

"What if I refuse?" She was shocked when she heard him say that, reddening her face even more.

"N-Noctis-dono, please do not joke like that... I... I-" She said a bit hesitantly, looking toward him without realizing it. Just to see that he already let go of her.

"Well, I guess that was enough to get a feel of them." Noctis dusted himself as he spoke.

"Them?" Mikoto's thoughts went ways she wouldn't previously expect.

"The weight evidently, what else?" She couldn't see his raised eyebrow since it was hidden.

"T-the weight, O-of course, the weight."

"I see that you are also done, how was it?" Noctis's head snapped toward a certain direction, from where came Ouka and Asuka, also all sweaty from their recent spar.

"It was less gruesome than I expected." Asuka was the one to answer.

"Indeed, although hard to be used to it, the main problem was that it was messing up with my movements and when I got a bit used to that, it became a little easier ." Ouka followed suit.

"I see, what about Chigusa?" He asked, they divided themself into pairs to spar.

Since he and Mikoto were currently the ones to use swords, they got to spar. Then Asuka and Ouka, which were more physically oriented, and finishing with Chigusa who was left to spar with Takemigazuchi.

"Since she has never been the one to have much stamina, and considering who she was sparing against, she tired herself too quickly and is now recuperating inside." Ouka explained.

"..." Noctis nodded before thinking a bit and voicing out his thoughts.

"It seems that those weights are still a bit too light for us, it shouldn't take that long to get used to them, next time we will increase it proportionally while also taking into account the status update."

"I should have shut up." Asuka spoke exasperated but that was all, she would still follow his lead.

"You are the boss." As he promised he won't question him any more.

"..." Mikoto was still in her thoughts.

Glancing at her for a brief moment with a rather unsettling gaze, Asuka remembered what position he saw them in while coming here, although she understood, that didn't make her less... jaundiced.

"Noctis, Why don't you spar with me next?" She proposed.

Ouka looked at her, not thinking much about it, but Mikoto who was just brought back from her thoughts... felt as if her life was menaced a moment ago.

"No." He flatly refused.

"Why?!" She complained.

"I refuse to spar against someone clothed as such." He found it simply distasteful.

"What's wrong with my clothes? and what does that have with it!"

Everyone looked at her strangely as she was in her adventurer clothes, a yellow single piece going from her neck to her leg, only covering her back and front with a belt that goes around her waist, her sides were clearly visible, and if in the right angle also part of her breasts. Did she really not realize how weird this was? They all never really talked to her about it but... yeah it was weird to go around half-naked.

"I am going inside." Noctis didn't answer and just ignored her.

The others followed without a word letting the single girl behind... yeah rather not act as if they didn't see anything.

But unbeknown to them, Asuka looked at Noctis walking away with an almost preserved look and a deeply blushing face. Her body somewhat slightly convulsing... and it was not from pain.

...

The next day, Noctis was strangely not wearing any blindfold but rather a pair of glasses, dark like few others. He was in his adventuring clothes as he made his way toward the adventurer guild.

Arriving inside, he checked if Rose was around, and seeing that such was the case, he approached her with even steps.

"Welcome, Mr. Caelum, how may I help you today?" Rose asked, not seeing him for a while already.

"I came to return this." He took something out of his pocket and Rose instinctively extended her hand.

It was only after seeing what it was that she smiled a little, but just for a moment as it disappear quickly after.

"I assume it was of good use to you?" She asked as she looked at the scarf in her hand.

"Indeed." He nodded, but now he had several others and even some glasses so he no longer need it.

"Then you can keep it." She wanted to hand it back to him as a gift.

"No need." He turned around and walked away letting a distraught and somewhat embarrassed fluffy red-haired werewolf behind.

"Who was that?" One of her coworkers asked as she witnessed the scene.

"Wait, Rose are you blushing?" Surprised she cried aloud.

Different gasps of disbelief were heard all throughout the guild as this, for one was a rare event to witness.

"Am I dreaming?"

"Is that the really cold-faced Rose?"

"Shhhh, she is going to hear you."

"This man... Is he the chosen one?"

"He is the man!"

"Luckiest guy ever."

"What a Baller."

"The boy who lived."

"Supercalifragilistic this be such a dope kid."

"Wait, where does that one come from?"

"Don't know man, it just popped into my head I couldn't not say it."

"Weirdo."

"Yeah, fuck you too."

...

End

[Non-canon Omake]

Title: Hubris Incarnate. (Part 1)

Noctis arrived in Danmachi after being isekaied and as a result, obtained a system and a multitude of perks to his name.

He directly started walking toward the adventurer guild planning to rejoin a familia. And once he arrived there he walked toward one of the random receptionists.

"Good morning, what can I help you with?" Eina Tulle asked with a welcoming smile.

"I do not have time to waste with you mongrel, Hurry and register me as an adventurer." Noctis having already decided his name spoke with annoyance.

"Pardon?" Eina was caught off guard and was growing furious.

"What? Do you also have a hearing quandary? Do as I say at once!"

"You- have you a problem with me?" She tried her best to stay collected, she was a professional after all.

"There is no such thing, but that risk to be the case if you keep wasting my time."

"F-..." She tried her best to not explode, keeping inside the words she was going to throw... that would not be good for the image of the guild.

"Are you still gonna make me wait?" He impatiently tapped his leg on the ground.

Looking at this Eina had no choice but to do as she was told, she had to quickly get this done with.

"Form on those files." She wanted to hand them to him but he didn't take them.

"This one won't do no such thing."

"Why?!" She almost shouted in anger and exasperation.

"I do not wish to, You should be happy to do it in my stead mongrel!"

"Son-" She once again restrained herself.

'Calm yourself down Eina, you can do this, perhaps he just doesn't know how to read and write.' She was trying to convince herself to make it easier.

"Fine."

"At least you know how to follow orders."

"..." She was not going to comment.

"What is your name."

"Rejoice Mongrel, as you will be the first in this city to hear my magnificent name: Noctis Caelum."

Pause, then she wrote that down.

"Age?"

"That does not concern you mongrel."

Seeing as that was not obliged to be answered she jumped to the next one.

"Where do you come from."

"A place inaccessible by mongrels like you."

'Ho Gods...' This was going to be a long and tiring day.

Eina felt like crying.