Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Harvest Festival (7)
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Defeat.
Even now, hailed as an undefeated genius general, it was a concept he couldn't help but be all too familiar with.
Because he was the sort who had endured countless defeats for the sake of just one victory.
At least back then, he could struggle with everything he had. But the opponent before him now was different.
'Damn it... I can't use my full power, so of course I'm getting utterly crushed.'
Full power was a dangerous force. It was one thing if he had to kill the enemy, but it had no place in a spar.
Besides, with no killing intent toward his opponent, using lethal force was out of the question.
In the end, it meant clashing purely with swordsmanship—and at minimum, not losing. And against a master in perfect condition, no less.
Boom!!
The wooden swords collided, letting out a thunderous roar. It was clearly just wooden swords, yet his hands went numb as if striking a lump of iron.
They said that when swordsmanship reached its peak, even a tree branch could cleave through foes... Was this the kind of feat a master could pull off?
'We've clashed about fifty exchanges now, right? For a light spar, shouldn't it be wrapping up around here?'
In the end, Cain's choice was mindless endurance. It was the bare minimum to avoid defeat.
In a way, it was only natural. Against a master, and without even using full strength.
So, if he wanted to at least avoid losing, all he could do was hold on.
But the real problem was that Cain's opponent, Chris, was gradually revealing his true unfiltered madness.
A spar. A light spar, even. But what exactly defined it precisely?
Therein lay the trap. Naturally, Chris was the one who had proposed the spar.
Which meant the benchmark for a "light spar" was set entirely by Chris's own standards.
And what did that imply?
'This is fun. So much fun it's driving me insane! Make me enjoy it just a bit more!!'
It meant the madman had started revving up. And true to his words, Chris was reveling in this situation right now.
It was only natural, in a sense. A master received due respect, but they had duties to match.
And the primary duty of masters these days was protecting the imperial family. It was an honorable task, no doubt.
But it was also far removed from any real enjoyment. Then, out of nowhere, a chance to cross swords with a strong opponent.
Of course, objectively speaking, the guy had his flaws. Gaps everywhere, rough around the edges, even.
Yet he was still holding out. It felt like facing solid steel.
This was the first opponent of this type that Chris had ever clashed with since picking up the sword.
That was why the spar wasn't ending. Thanks to that, Cain was screaming internally.
'Just end the damn spar already! Please!!'
He forced his vision—nearly stolen by the dazzling flashes—back to the foe before him.
Power, speed, technique. Nothing could even compare. Yet the reason he could barely keep up with the sword aura...
It was possible only because he knew his opponent's sword through countless defeats.
Yes. He was barely bridging an overwhelming gap with overwhelming experience. But even that had its limits.
No matter how much experience let him anticipate and respond, defense was all he could manage.
In other words, he couldn't shift to offense.
'I thought a light spar would end after a little back-and-forth... No choice, I'll have to make it happen somehow.'
At first, he'd figured enduring would see it wrap up quickly, but his opponent showed no such intent.
Which meant, to end this fight, he'd have to win.
A half-hearted resolve to just not lose wouldn't cut it. He had to win. Absolutely.
That steel-like determination immediately translated to action. For the first time, Cain went on the offensive.
"Not bad. But your positioning is too predictable."
"......"
Of course, abandoning defense for offense sped up his defeats dramatically.
Before, focusing on defense had at least kept him from losing. But pure defense meant the spar dragged on forever.
He'd end this spar, no matter what. Nothing would stand in his way.
"Care to elaborate?"
"Very well, then..."
Cain eagerly sought instruction from Chris. He'd absorb the master's advice, regress, and apply it repeatedly.
Of course, Cain wasn't a genius, so instant mastery was impossible. But that didn't matter.
Even if it was as slow as a turtle.
He pressed on without giving up.
Until he finally reached victory's finish line someday.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Suddenly, a dragon appeared in Renheim. That flashy, sharp, yet weighty black blade was a dragon's sword incarnate.
Yet a mere human wasn't yielding an inch to this dragon. They were locked in a fierce, near-even battle.
Kaboom! Boom! The wooden swords roared as if about to shatter, imprinting their existence on each other.
But not a single member of the Dragon Knight Order budged from their spots, all witnessing this epic clash.
'That right shoulder's been showing slight openings for a while now.'
But what the knights couldn't see, Chris detected with precision.
Right shoulder. It was wide open. Not just in defense—gaps appeared every time he dodged.
It wasn't all that surprising, really. Minor slips from habits were commonplace.
Even so, the reason Chris dragged it out instead of ending it was simple.
'Regrettable, but it's time to wrap this up. A spar should leave both sides with gains.'
He'd simply been enjoying himself purely. A move befitting his moniker, Sword Maniac.
No matter how sword-obsessed, even Sword Maniac wouldn't ignore an obvious weakness out of sheer spite.
And so, his blade fell like a flash, targeting the right shoulder precisely.
"Ah!"
Not just Chris himself—even the Dragon Knights watching let out sighs at that strike.
A perfect exploitation of the gap. It was over. Everyone thought so. Except one.
A chilling sensation, like a razor against his back, raced down Chris's spine.
In that instant, their eyes met. Cain's blazing, fiery gaze locked with his.
It had been a trap from the start! Chris's instincts screamed danger, ringing alarm bells.
The first such warning amid repeated spars. Of course, Cain had no way of knowing that.
[What should you do when facing an unbreakable foe?]
[Luring them into a gap isn't a bad tactic. If you can read their sword path, countering isn't hard...]
[Thank you.]
Chris didn't know, but this was all fruit born from Cain directly seeking his advice.
He'd gained experience dueling the Sea King, then solved lingering issues by getting answers from Chris and applying them.
Of course, mastering it instantly would make him a genius... but alas, Cain was no such thing.
But it didn't matter. He knew the method now—all that remained was repetition. Until when? Until it stuck.
'Took damn long enough. You talentless freak, just end it already!!'
It wasn't easy. At first, his feigned gaps were too obvious, and Chris saw through the feint.
Finding a subtle enough bait to trap Chris took countless regressions.
But without giving up, through endless repetition, he'd finally lured him in.
"Impressive. But that alone won't beat me!!"
In that split second, he twisted his sword path, turning the gap into an attack. A counter to the counter.
But his foe was a master. One trap wouldn't suffice.
And no one knew that better than Cain himself.
'I've been waiting for this exact moment.'
Reading and responding to Chris's strikes in normal conditions was near impossible.
Which was why he needed to restrict his sword paths to the extreme. Just like now...
Each repeated spar had varied the paths, but this time, it was clear. In that moment, Cain's sword moved.
Here, he unveiled the pinnacle he'd seized after a life-or-death bloodbath with the Sea King.
A counter to the counter. A sword path possible only at the technique's zenith, thrown right back.
Chris's balance finally crumbled under the proper retaliation.
Just one second. But in that brief span, victory and defeat were decided.
"Looks like that's the match."
Before he knew it, Cain's wooden sword rested against Chris's throat. The blade bore countless nicks and chips.