1238 -1223- Attracting his subconscious?

"Whoo!"

The wind whistled once again, bringing with it numerous leaves fluttering through the air, sweeping across the open space between the first-year student dormitories.

However, this time, these leaves were not sliced apart, but floated past two male students, exceptionally elegant.

Rozen and Ikki faced each other.

And upon closer inspection, both of them were holding weapons in their hands.

These were not Devices, just ordinary wooden swords.

It seemed like Ikki carried it around for daily practice.

However...

"You can use a sword too?"

Seeing Rozen holding a sword, Ikki was somewhat surprised.

"Well, I can use a little."

Rozen lazily responded, although his sword-holding posture was quite casual, neither assuming a stance nor displaying any expertise, just holding the sword in his hand, hanging towards the ground, appearing completely amateurish, nothing like someone who knew how to use a sword.

At first, Ikki was puzzled by Rozen's actions.

But gradually, perhaps sensing something, Ikki's expression began to grow serious.

"...It's really incredible."

Ikki assumed an attacking stance, his gaze locked tightly on Rozen.

"Although I can see countless flaws in you, for some reason, the more I want to attack, my intuition tells me it's futile, as if no matter how I attack, it'll be evaded or blocked, as if every move will be anticipated. It's unbelievable."

Following his intuition, Ikki made such a comment.

This made Rozen raise an eyebrow, feeling somewhat admiring.

Although his talent in magic was terrible, Ikki's intuition in practical combat was astonishing.

Coupled with the swordsmanship he just witnessed and the strength to defeat the chief examiner...

(If his talent in magic were just a bit better, not needing much improvement, just reaching E-rank, then he would undoubtedly be the strongest student knight in Hagun Academy.)

Rozen made this judgment and sighed silently.

As someone who had never had any worries about talent, Rozen was extremely talented in mysteries and unparalleled in summoning. Therefore, he couldn't quite understand the feeling of having low talent.

But Rozen's talent didn't come out of thin air; he paid a considerable price in life for it. Plus, if he ever thought about it, someone who pursued mysteries and miracles wholeheartedly like himself, if he were doomed to fail on this path due to low talent, he would definitely go crazy.

So...

(So, is this why I care so much about Kurogane?)

Seeing Ikki, Rozen had always had this inexplicable interest, as if something on him was attracting his subconscious.

It was precisely because of this inexplicable interest that Rozen made such a request to Ikki to spar.

Otherwise, Rozen wasn't someone who liked to compete or win, nor did he care about taking the spotlight. Instead, after ten years of wandering, he just wanted to spend some time in peace and quiet, indulge in some serious meditation, and avoid getting involved in any trouble. Moreover, he was lazy by nature, so normally, he would never think of actively sparring with others.

Thinking of this, Rozen raised the wooden sword in his hand.

"I haven't practiced swordsmanship much, but I can use some sword techniques. I'll trouble you to teach me, Kurogane."

Rozen said so, giving Ikki a smile.

To this...

"Heheh..."

Ikki actually smiled, and it was a very happy kind of smile.

"That should be my line." Ikki said happily, "In the past year, no one in this academy has been willing to spar with me like this, and because of my inadequate ability values, I couldn't participate in practical combat courses. I've always trained alone. Today, having this opportunity, someone willing to invite me, I should say, thank you for sparring with me, Rozen."

Ikki's smile was genuine.

And it was precisely because of this that Ikki immediately agreed to Rozen's request to practice together, right?

But...

"Inadequate ability values prevent you from participating in practical combat courses?"

Rozen was slightly puzzled.

Is there a rule in Hagun Academy that if your ability values were too low, you couldn't participate in practical combat courses?

How come he hadn't heard of it?

But Ikki didn't explain further.

"So..."

Ikki raised the wooden sword slightly, pointing the tip towards Rozen's direction.

"---!"

In that instant, Rozen felt his breath being locked, and the sharp sword aura seemed to pierce through his body as if to penetrate him, making the surrounding air tense up.

Then, Ikki moved.

"I'm coming!"

Ikki seemed to have completely transformed into a different person, no longer gentle and innocent like before, but like a genuine master of swordsmanship, becoming calm and sharp!

Then...

"Boom!"

With a sound like an explosion, Ikki's whole body shot forward like a bullet at astonishing speed.

And as he closed in on Rozen, his wooden sword was already sweeping through the air like a gust of wind.

The speed was incredibly fast.

"Thud!"

A crisp clash immediately resounded.

Faced with the sweeping wooden sword, Rozen's hastily thrown strike followed the shortest, fastest, and most precise trajectory, deflecting the incoming wooden sword.

"As expected."

Ikki confirmed his feeling from just now.

Even though Rozen's sword movements looked like those of an amateur, he indeed possessed the ability to see through his swordsmanship.

In that case...

"I'll continue to attack!"

Ikki immediately made this judgment, no longer holding back. His wooden sword, transformed from a swift wind into a raging storm, continuously swung out like flashes of light, fiercely attacking Rozen.

"Good, bring it on!"

Rozen then smirked, retreating while keeping a distance from Ikki, simultaneously starting to counterattack.

"Thud thud thud thud!"

The sound of wooden swords clashing against each other kept ringing out from the open space next to the first-year student dormitory.

Rozen and Ikki, one defending and the other attacking, one retreating and the other advancing, continuously brandished their wooden swords at each other, causing the swords to clash in the air repeatedly, stirring up a continuous series of crisp sounds.

In terms of strength, speed, and the precision of their techniques, Ikki undoubtedly had the upper hand and advantage. His swordsmanship was indeed that of a master, much stronger than Rozen in every aspect.

And Rozen, whether in strength, speed, or technique, was extremely inferior to Ikki.

After all, in terms of physical ability, Rozen's physical ability was only at D-rank, while Ikki's physical ability was the highest at A-rank. Naturally, he couldn't surpass Ikki in terms of strength and speed, not to mention that Rozen didn't understand swordsmanship and only knew sword techniques learned from SAO, so it was impossible for him to surpass Ikki no matter how he thought about it.

However, Rozen's Mind's Eye, which had reached the realm of the Divine, had already seen through all of Ikki's attack trajectories.

Even the vibrations in the air when the wooden sword cut through, the muscle movements, changes in footsteps, and the opponent's pulse during the attack were all clearly visible to him. Therefore, he could follow the shortest, fastest, and most accurate trajectory to deflect Ikki's attacks.

So, although it seemed like Rozen was being suppressed, the reality was just the opposite.

Ikki could feel that Rozen was calmly countering his attacks while eagerly waiting for something.

What was he waiting for?

(He's waiting for the moment when my attack stops!)

At that moment, following the shortest, fastest, and most accurate trajectory and timing, Rozen would surely counterattack instantly, striking his wooden sword against Ikki's body.

Therefore, the one in danger was not Rozen, but Ikki.

And that moment was quickly approaching.