74 Hand-to-hand combat
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/SMACK!/
'The seemingly equal fight suddenly took a sharp turn as Ais deflected Silver's sword and sent a flying kick towards his face!'
'It was a perfect strike, sending Silver spinning in the air for several seconds until he crashed against a bush outside of the arena.'
"..."
'Ais slowly retracted her leg, her expression was that of slight surprise.'
'But she also seemed a bit bothered…'
/Silence…/
'Everyone watched in silence, Loki even smiled a bit, thinking the boy got what he deserved for being rude to her…'
'Ais quickly recovered from her surprise as she made her way to the bush Silver was in.'
"..."
'But Silver was out cold…'
"Looks like it's over." Said Finn as he watched the scene
"Yeah, the boy is out cold." Replied Gareth
"He did well though, that kick Ais did, in the end, was just as fast as when she was Level 4. Although... She did break the rules by jumping from Level 3 to 4 so suddenly…" Said Riveria
'Ais obviously heard them and she couldn't help but be surprised in herself.'
"I lost control of myself…" She mumbled
But why?...
'Was it the fight? Was it the frustration of having her sparring partner not fight back?'
'It was the same emotion… The same emotion she felt before she Leveled up to level 4 when she found herself stuck.'
'Ais was simply frustrated…'
'For many reasons, for one, she did not learn anything at all from this.'
'That's not exactly true though since she learned a lot about Silver himself…'
'But she wasn't particularly interested in those details… Or was she?'
'She couldn't tell.'
…
'Without much difficulty, Ais removed Silver from the bush and carried him back to the arena.'
"Lefiya, can you heal him?" Asked Riveria on the side
"Y-Yes!" She said as she stuttered
'However, Lefiya's focus was elsewhere…'
Why is Lady Ais giving him a lap pillow… Again?
C-C-Could there be something happening between them?!
'Of course not, they only met twice in the two months since Silver became an adventurer.'
'Nevertheless, Lefiya was a teen and inexperienced girl, but most importantly, she was not enlightened and hence, could not hear the magnificent voice of the narrator.'
'Overthinking the situation as always, Lefiya made her way to where Silver currently laid… Ais comfortable tights…'
'How envious…'
'But by the time she kneeled on the ground and started to cast her spell…'
"HAAA!" Said Silver out loud as he breathed a large amount of air
"..."
"..."
'He opened his eyes, once again meeting with the beautiful golden eyes of the Sword Princess.'
"Sigh… Was I knocked out?" Said Silver with an awkward smile
'Ais simply nodded, giving him space to get up.'
"..."
/CRACK!/
'Lefiya had her concentration broken with Silver sudden movements, frowned in annoyance.'
'The green magic square floating above her hands suddenly broke apart and turned into countless specks of magical light…'
'Silver obviously noticed that and said:'
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break your concentration."
"Ah-AH-I…" Stuttered Lefiya
'Embarrassed and confused by the sudden politeness, Lefiya's anger greatly diminished.'
"Thank you for the act of kindness, but apart from a sore face, I am fine." Said Silver as he rubbed his face
'He also got up in the meantime, taking out his sword from the ground with telekineses:'
"Mind a second-round Ais?"
"!"
'This surprised both Lefiya and Ais, but they weren't the only two surprised.'
"So that's the prized telekinesis… I did not hear anything at all." Said Gareth as he brushed his thick beard
"It's as if he just willed it and the magic activated…" Said Finn
"Indeed… If I were to classify this magic I would deem it as a 'No-sound' magic instead of 'No-chant'..." Said Riveria as she thought
But that would be…
It's safe to say that all magic has a chant… No, a keyword associated with it.
Without it, magic can't be cast… Or at least that was what I thought.
'There are mainly two types of magic:'
'Chant and no chant.'
'Even if a magic were to be classified as 'short-chant', it would still consist of a single line of words that need to be said before the magic can take effect.'
'While 'No-Chant' refers to magic Like firebolt where a single word needs to be said as a trigger for the magic to activate.'
'There is even the term, 'Super Short-Chant'.'
'However… What Riveria was witnessing for the second time… Completely broke her understanding of magic.'
'Despite magic being classified in 'No-chant' and 'Chant', there is a lot going on during the casting of the magic.'
'The magic theories and formulas, they all exist for a reason…'
'It's normal for many magics to not have a conclusive explanation, be it due to their origin or due to the individuality of their user…'
'But this didn't make sense at all to her.'
'How can you cast magic without sound? Where is the trigger? The process?'
'In fact… When did he cast it?'
'A magician whose chant cannot be heard nor identified...'
'Isn't that a scary thing?'
'Such thoughts were passing through the heads of both Riveria and Lefiya.'
"Eh?" Said Lefiya
'It was then that Lefiya woke up from her endless stream of thoughts and looked in front of her.'
'Silver was currently holding his training sword while Ais was holding her Sword sheath.'
"This time, try to attack me." Said Ais as she looked straight at Silver's eyes
"Heh… So you noticed…"
It makes sense now… Why I got kicked in the face so suddenly…
"To be honest, I am impressed." Said Ais with a thin smile
"?!"
'This deeply surprised everyone watching.'
'Even Silver.'
"Your swordsmanship is incredible, I can see you put a lot of effort into it."
'Her words carried a lot of emotion and meaning...'
'She then looked at her sword sheath.'
"I can see that your swordsmanship is flexible, it can be used against monsters and other people while mine is a bit…" She said with a serious expression
'She didn't know what word to use to identify her own swordsmanship.'
"Dull?... Hard?..."
'She kept moving her head as she thought, it was cute.'
"..."
That's a lot of words Ais…
She is truly a different person when she talks about swordsmanship…
Her father must've left an immense impression on her…
The Sword Champion Albert…
"But, I don't understand." She said as she shook her head
"What is it that you don't understand?" Asked Silver
"Why weren't you attacking me?" She asked bluntly
"That's…" Said Silver as he scratched his chin
'But Ais stayed there, looking at his face, waiting for his answer.'
'It was a bit awkward…'
"Well… I am sorry if it sounds offensive but that wasn't my intention at all." He said
"I just wanted to see how I fared against you, that was all." He said as he looked at Ais
'She opened her eyes in surprise.'
"Against me?" She asked
"I was not afraid of attacking you due to the difference between us, that is clear to me, what I wanted to see was: "how skilled I am compared to her?" And that sort of thing…"
"Please, don't take it the bad way…"
'Ais suddenly turned her head to the side as she contemplated deeply.'
'Loki's face cringed as she thought of how arrogant Silver was!'
'Gareth smiled widely! He liked this young man's courage! It's not everyone that has the guts to say something like that so openly after all.'
'Even more when it's a Level 2 trying to compare himself to a Level 5 elite adventurer.'
'The others also had their own unique reactions…'
"But you're much stronger than me already?" She said
"In order to face you, I had to use my strength when I was Level 3."
If I were to measure it precisely… He is about… Just as strong as I was when I was Mid-way through Level 3? Not in status but in overall combat ability...
'As she thought about that, Ais head kept moving from left to right once more...'
"And also, your skill with the sword, your use of tactics and martial arts is in no way inferior to mine." She said
"Is that so?" Asked Silver as he scratched his head
I had my predictions since I know her stats, but what she said is pretty accurate if we base our calculation on stats alone.
The sum of her highest stat until the end of Level 3 would be around 2500, an average of around 800+ per level.
On average, my stats have just breached the 1900 mark…
So I never had any doubts that stat-wise, I would always be stronger than her as long as I kept this pace.
What I wanted to test was my combat proficiency.
My emotions in regard to my sword skills are mixed.
In a sense, I have pride in my years of training… In my multiple lives.
Mostly from this one, although I did have some training on my second one.
On the other hand, I can't help but give her credit for what she accomplished despite not even being 20…
It also leaves a strange feeling in my mouth to see people praise me for something I wouldn't be able to accomplish if it wasn't for the fact I reincarnated…
I simply don't have the enthusiasm to brag about it.
'After thinking for a second, Silver said to Ais.'
"I won't hold back anymore then, it would be disrespectful to do so." He said as he grasped his sword
I still won't use magic though since this is a spar…
'Ais also grasped her sword tight, her eyes sharpened as she looked at Silver.'
/Fwush!/
'In one swift motion, Silver dashed as swung his sword in a horizontal line across Ais' chest!'
/CLANG!/
'Even though she was limiting herself to when she was Level 3, Ais' senses are still those of a Level 5.'
'Even if she put on a blindfold she would still be able to react to any move from Silver.'
'In fact, blindfold training is a rather common form of training, especially for Humans who pales in comparison to the other species that can see well in the dark.'
/Swush!/
'But that swing was just a distraction!'
'The moment Ais parried his sword, Silver took a step forward as he launched his fist at her shoulder!'
"!"
'She tried to take a step back but she realized Silver had her locked in place since his left foot was on top of her right foot!'
'Without panicking, she lifted her sword sheath with pinpoint accuracy blocking his fist…'
"..."
It's light?
'Indeed, Silver's fist lacked strength…'
'This means…'
/Ploft!/
"..."
'When Ais realized what happened, she was already on the ground.'
"Wow…" Said Tione with a surprised expression as she watched the fallen Ais
It makes me remember…
"What did he do?" Asked Lefiya in confusion
I got distracted and missed…
"He made a feint… This was what made Ais fall on the ground." Said Tiona
"Ais changed her center of balance since her foot was tied on the ground and in order to cope with the impact of the fist."
"But it was a feint, and when Ais realized something was wrong, Silver moved his feet and repositioned his hand, one pulled and the other pushed, making Ais fall on the ground."
"I… See." Said Lefiya in surprise
"It's been a while since I saw something like this." Said Gareth
"I did not expect this, it makes me remember the times when Tiona challenged Ais for hand-to-hand training…" Said Finn
Unfortunately, those times did not last long since Ais soon got fed up with being thrown to the ground by Tiona. She has refused her invites ever since…
"..."
'Riveria watched Ais's stunned expression and couldn't help but remember the past a bit…
"Let's continue?" Asked Silver with a smile as he offered his hand to Ais
"..."
'Ais did not accept his hand, she got up on her own.'
'This time, her eyes seemed to shine with light as she looked at Silver.'
'But it wasn't from admiration…'
"Ahh… Ais is fired up." Said Tiona as she watched the scene
Things are going to get interesting!
"Ais seems excited, how do you think it'll go?" Asked Gareth to Finn
"Well… Considering his previous display, I think the boy has an advantage when it comes to proficiency and even experience, but Ais's reflexes as a Level 5 can't be ignored." Pointed out Finn
"Ais forte was always her swordsmanship and magic, she never liked training in hand-to-hand combat with us." Said Tione as she shrugged
Or should I say, she never had time since she was always training her sword by herself… But she did pick a lot from watching us and training with us every once in a while.
"But she seems committed to winning." Said Tiona
And she already fought with him a lot… At this rate, my turn will never come again…
Fighting him in hand-to-hand combat was very exciting!
"Ais is very stubborn when she sets her eyes on something, lets's see how things go." Said Riveria
Was her pride affected by this?
Ais is a girl who doesn't underestimate others no matter who they are, so losing like this so easily might've affected her...
"..."
'Loki continued to gaze at the two in silence.'
'Whenever her eyes glowed like that it meant she was determined about doing something…'
'It was as if she was trying to say that she wouldn't fall so easily anymore!'
'Without any warning, the two dashed at each other…'
…
/14 minutes later…/
/Ploft!/
'Ais once again fell on the ground as Silver body transformed into smoke, Ais also felt a pulling force on her body, and a leg that pulled her own, and the combination of these made her lose her footing…'
"Sigh…" Said Finn as he furrowed his brows
'The others also looked at the pitiful scene.'
'Wasn't it a bit too much to see a Level 2 taking out their Ace warrior so many times?'
'Loki seemed livid as she smiled… For some reason, she seemed to imagine a small girl in twin tails laughing...'
"There wasn't much she could've done without relying on her superior stats." Said Gareth
Normally, no matter how much better the boy is, Ais would win.
But since she set her sight on fighting him with her strength limited, it became more and more clear she wouldn't be able to win...
But I am still impressed the boy managed to win despite the superior reflexes of Ais...
I guess she is just not used to this form of fighting...
"The difference in proficiency and experience is a bit too big." Said Tione
It makes me remember the instructors...
'Her face suddenly darkened.'
"Hm? What is it, sister?" Asked Tiona
"Nothing, I just remember something unpleasant." Said Tione
"..."
She must be thinking of that place...
'Tione and Tiona grew up in Telskyura, the country of Amazoness.'
'It is a brutal place where men are either slaves or a tool for breeding.'
'A place that is known for its strength and brutality... A place where a child is said to learn how to kill a goblin before they learn how to speak.'
'Most of the rumors may seem exaggerated, but they are pretty close to the truth.'
'The twins' childhood is a clear representation of that.'
"..."
'Ais got up from the ground one more time.'
'Her face didn't seem as excited as before though...'
'But when she looked at her opponent's face and saw his focus, she shunned her thoughts aside and focused on the matter at hand.'
'The strange feeling she felt a few minutes earlier is getting stronger and stronger.'
'She felt as if nothing had changed.'
'But that's normal, how can you expect change within half an hour of training?'
'However, as they fought, Ais realized that her opponent had already figured out her fighting style.'
'This included her weaknesses and strengths... He had her already figured out.'
'She clenched her fist and took a step...'
"That's enough." Said Riveria as she intervened
"..."
'Ais and Silver both turned to the side.'
"It was a splendid fight, but the result is already clear." She said
It would be pointless to continue this... Even more so when our time is limited.
Tione definitely wants to fight, and I can see that Gareth and Finn want to have a go at him.
Even Tiona won't sit still until she can fight again...
And I... Also want to test his abilities.
'Riveria looked to the sky and instantly knew the time.'
I would say we have around an hour or two before...
Bete comes back from his mission.
It's best if our guests leave by then... I don't think Bete would be able to control himself if he was to see him otherwise...
'Ais closed and opened her fists as the familiar emotion spread around her body.'
'She eventually did a small nod and made her way back to the others.'
"It is in no way embarrassing to lose like this Ais." Said Riveria as she noticed the look of the girl
"...?"
'Ais looked at Riveria, turning her head to the side as she sat near her.'
'It was Ais classic expression for when she was thinking...'
"..."
It seems I misunderstood her...
She's fine.
I thought she would be shaken but she is just in deep thought.
"Alright... Who's next?" Said the previously silent Loki
'With the second spar over, who would be his next opponent?'
'Silver was also eager to know...'
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Notes
This chapter was a bit slow, but its main focus was on Silver x Ais relationship. Unfortunately, I had to cut a bit of the fight I had sketched between him and Ais since I though they were a bit meh.
Next chapter, next person, and also the end of this Arc of I am not mistaken...
Peace!
