A Martial Artist Speaks with the Sword (7)
"...Still no progress, huh."
Frustrated, I downed the cool water I'd left beside me in one gulp.
The awful taste jolted my mind awake in an instant.
Water here tastes like garbage.
Anyway, reaching master rank requires some intense realization or equivalent experience, but no such opportunity has come my way yet.
I've grasped the principles of the Shadowless Divine Steps manual to some degree, but it's still at the level where I need to rewrite the mnemonic verses, so I can't use it properly. Even so, the various pieces of advice written in the manual have been quite helpful.
How to maintain your center of gravity, how to run in a way that conserves stamina, how to move without making a sound...
Still, it's hard to put into practice.
That's why I needed another opportunity.
I wasn't sure if this martial tournament could serve as that catalyst... but it would be good if I could at least grasp a clue.
I'm not quite at the threshold of the first-class realm yet, but I'm close enough that a single trigger could push me into master rank.
"...I should just eat."
Stuck in a corner of the training hall won't solve anything. I'll think about the main tournament while I eat.
...Even if my opponent is supposedly weaker than me, complacency is forbidden.
In battle, even a speck of arrogance the size of a grain of rice can cost you your life, so I must approach this duel with the same mindset.
I exhaled deeply to steady my scattered thoughts and left the training hall.
"Mister, do your best!"
"Benefactor. I hope you return after a fine duel."
Being cheered on by the protagonist feels... strange. Normally our positions should be reversed. Me getting encouragement makes me feel like I'm the protagonist or something.
"Should I say I'll behead him before this tea gets cold?"
"Will you take the crescent blade and grow a beard before you go?"
"No. It was just a passing thought."
"You seem quite knowledgeable, Benefactor. Even though you came from the Western Regions, you know a great deal about Lord Guan."
Honestly, I learned that before possessing this body, so calling it broad knowledge pricks my conscience a little. Since I can't tell the truth, I'll just accept the compliment from these people.
"There are times in life when a bit of culture is necessary, so I studied up."
"Culture... but where did you learn that, Mister?"
"Books from the Central Plains have made their way to the Western Regions as well. I've read some."
I answered the lie without batting an eye, then sheathed the sword I'd been maintaining. It was almost time for the duel to begin.
"It's been a while since I fought someone who uses a spear."
For a knight who wields a sword, an opponent skilled with a spear is always troublesome. Unless there's a significant gap in skill, bridging the difference in reach is extremely difficult.
"Does anyone know about the Yang clan?"
"I don't know!"
"The Yang clan's spearmanship is famous under the name Pear Blossom Spear. I've heard they're skilled at various variations and thrusts that utilize long reach."
"Thanks."
"Not at all, Benefactor. This is nothing compared to the grace you've shown me..."
"Don't treat me so formally."
...Why is this kid still here? Main tournament participants are supposed to wait, but in the original story he was always alone in the early parts, so having him stick around feels odd.
Whatever. No time to worry about that—time to prepare for the stage—
"Yang Seo-yu! William! Come to the dueling stage!"
"Looks like it's starting."
"Have a good match!" "We're looking forward to a great duel."
Now it's really beginning. I walked toward the dueling stage.
"Starting now! The duel between William, the martial artist from the Western Regions, and Yang Seo-yu, heir of the Yang clan~!"
'Long.'
Nearly seven cheok in length. Spears are already among the longest weapons, but Yang Seo-yu's spear looked even longer, so William thought this fight wouldn't be easy.
Spears are called the king of all weapons. Aside from bows and crossbows, nothing can match their reach, and their power is also formidable. Most swordsmen find spears extremely troublesome.
Receiving and dodging attacks from a distance your own sword can't reach consumes a considerable amount of stamina. William, having used a spear himself, understood this problem better than anyone.
'I'll have to drag it out with probing attacks and look for an opening.'
Though he could simply overpower his opponent due to the difference in realms, William planned to take his time dismantling him. He wanted to see Central Plains spearmanship, and revealing his full strength in a duel that still had two more matches afterward wasn't a wise choice.
Therefore, William drew his sword, assumed the Ox Guard stance, and stared at Yang Seo-yu. As he drew his blade, Yang Seo-yu stepped his left foot forward, leveled his spear, and spoke with eyes flickering like firelight.
"You shameless bastard..."
'What the hell is he talking about?'
William frowned slightly at the sudden nonsense and looked at Yang Seo-yu. He couldn't fathom what the man meant.
Calling him shameless out of nowhere—why?
William had no choice but to ask to resolve the unanswered question.
"Why am I a shameless bastard?"
"Instead of focusing on tempering yourself, you're flirting with a beautiful young lady..."
'...Is he that jealous? He looks like a decent young master from a good family. He could just court her properly.'
William let out a dumbfounded chuckle at Yang Seo-yu's jealousy-filled expression.
"Standing on the dueling stage spouting that kind of nonsense—stop acting pathetic and focus on the fight."
"Damn it... Don't regret this later!"
'Regret what?'
Before William could even feel exasperated, he focused on Yang Seo-yu's charging spear.
All martial variations begin from the tip of the weapon. If it were a flashy attack like the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Techniques, the spearhead would whip about mercilessly. If it were a strike as fast as lightning, it would leave afterimages as it flew in. If it were a powerful thrust, it would come straight and true, albeit slightly slower.
William dodged the barrage of spear strikes one by one, creating dozens of afterimages as if splitting himself into multiple bodies. The relentless chain of spear attacks missed William's body and continuously pierced empty air.
The spectators let out gasps of admiration at his movements, which were unbelievably agile for his massive frame.
"Impressive."
"I thought he was just some brute who relied on strength because he threw everything around, but I was wrong."
"This fight looks like that foreigner is going to win."
"No, it's a duel between sword and spear. How easy is it for the sword to gain the upper hand? Look, he can't even attempt to close the distance right now. That's why you're still second-class."
"Calling myself first-class is just..."
'The chain attacks are fast, but they're not perfect. He can't adjust the trajectory properly.'
One of the most important things in combat is adaptability. Sometimes you need to handle variables that deviate from the standard. To William, Yang Seo-yu's spearwork looked well-trained but relied too heavily on textbook movements.
'He's not a spearman who's seen much real combat.'
The spearmanship of Mamluks, forged through brutal real battles, could thrust from unpredictable angles, exploit even the tiniest openings in an instant, and sometimes strike from completely unexpected directions to catch opponents off guard.
Compared to those Mamluks, Yang Seo-yu's still-clumsy spearmanship couldn't reach William.
'At this rate, I'll tire out first! Before that happens...!'
Yang Seo-yu's chain attacks increased in speed. Though the movements strained his arms, all that mattered was catching his opponent. William confirmed the accelerating spear and, for the first time, used his sword to deflect it.
The spearhead slid along the flat of the blade and veered outward. Having been maintaining his fierce chain attacks, Yang Seo-yu failed to respond to the sudden deflection and his body tilted sideways.
'Now.'
William finally charged into Yang Seo-yu's range.
William's rush came while his opponent's stance was broken. Yang Seo-yu hurriedly withdrew his spear and spun his body around.
'So he's not completely useless.'
William saw the spear shaft coming around to strike him and accelerated even further, ramming into Yang Seo-yu.
"Aagh!"
"The attempt was decent, but swinging the shaft after giving up the distance is meaningless. You should've either bought time with close-quarters combat or shortened your grip on the spear to thrust."
'Or poured internal energy into the shaft to push me aside.'
But Yang Seo-yu was busy rolling across the ground and couldn't hear William's pointed advice.
'He looks like he's been dumped or something...!'
Feeling blood trickling from his nose, Yang Seo-yu wiped his philtrum with his sleeve.
Though his face and sleeve were covered in blood, he hadn't lost his fighting spirit. He gripped his spear again with a more serious look in his eyes than before.
'I can't be eliminated like this!'
He hadn't come here with his family's support just to show an unsightly display, even if he lost.
"...I'm coming."
"Come."
Yang Seo-yu's spear once again rushed toward William.