Sparring with the Monster - 2

Finally.

After getting hit countless times, I could finally see it. The possibilities.

I could see her trajectory. Her sword path, visible by devouring her narrative.

I could see how she swung and where it was headed.

Thwack thwack thwack!

But that was a lie. Even after perfectly copying Olivier-style Swordsmanship, it didn't mean I suddenly had the power to break her down.

Her sword path wasn't crystal clear to me.

All I could see was...

...just the possibilities.

Was she really a monster? Even after copying her swordsmanship and every narrative behind it, out of a thousand possibilities, only one sword path could reach her.

Insight Eye doesn't just copy skills. Since it copies the narrative of using the skill itself, it steals the owner's proficiency and understanding too.

In other words, it wasn't just copying Olivier-style Swordsmanship—it was copying Angelica'sOlivier-style Swordsmanship.

If I limited myself to Olivier-style Swordsmanship, I could swing it just like her.

And knowing her understanding and proficiency meant I could predict how she swung it.

Even so, after copying her swordsmanship, understanding, proficiency—everything... even knowing exactly how she'd swing, I still only had one possibility out of a thousand.

Just one that could reach her amid a thousand predictions.

But still... zero and one are different.

In a way, by mimicking her narrative, I'd gone from zero to one.

Even if victory wasn't visible yet, there was now a path that could reach her.

Predicting her copied sword path. Toward that one possibility out of a thousand.

Clang!

I blocked her sword once.

It touched. Just a graze, but my blade definitely reached her body.

Seeing that fierce face flinch in surprise was pretty satisfying.

"Still, I've gotten somewhat used to it now."

Her sword path came again. I deployed Eye of One Who Has Seen the End once more.

Spinning my brain nonstop, predicting her attack routes through the swordsmanship I'd copied from her.

And...

I followed that possibility and blocked her sword.

Her blade didn't reach me this time either.

Another flicker of emotion in her eyes. Bewilderment.

"How?"

How? It's what you get from combining cheats.

But even with all that bullshit, all I could manage was blocking one attack—no counterattack. Pathetic.

Still, the first one touched. So there's no law saying the second won't.

Fine. I'll keep touching until I break through.

I can touch her. If it were just some swordsman using Olivier-style Swordsmanship, maybe not. But Angelica using it? I can reach her.

I regripped my sword.

Like that... one exchange. Two. Three.

I matched her wooden sword.

From getting unilaterally pummeled to barely matching a few exchanges. Not much, but hey.

I didn't care about that. What mattered was matching exchanges with the sword aura of someone who'd crushed a swordmaster.

And though my body was covered in bruises from all the hits, Dragon Power's regeneration made that nothing.

After about thirty exchanges...

A change came over her expressionless face. A subtle, unmistakable upturn of her lips.

She was enjoying this duel.

Lucky her. I was grinding my teeth, desperate to win somehow.

But... had I entered the zone too? Or did Insight Eye have emotional assimilation?

Either way, the more exchanges I traded with her, the more I found myself enjoying this duel.

Guess I'm a battle maniac deep down too.

After fifty exchanges, with my sword touching her about ten times...

She pulled back.

"This feeling... it's been a while."

"First time for me."

For the first time, she created distance first.

"You know. How I'll swing."

She lightly swung her sword and reset her stance.

"You didn't prepare just for today. You didn't copy everything of mine, did you?"

My hand was already revealed.

I reset my stance too.

"To catch a monster, I had to become one myself."

"...Monster."

"So I copied you."

To break a swordsmanship I couldn't touch. By copying the person wielding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an untouchable swordsmanship.

If it were just any swordsman using Olivier-style Swordsmanship, I'd lose.

But...

"Not just anyone—you. That's why I can reach you."

Because the one using Olivier-style Swordsmanship is Angelica, no one else. Because I'd copied everything of hers, I knew everything of hers.

Even if victory still wasn't in sight, there was ample reason I could touch her.

Maybe that's why.

"...I see. Even so."

Her stance was changing.

"You're not alone."

A pattern I'd never faced before. That wasn't Olivier-style Swordsmanship.

I swallowed dryly.

At this point, beyond Olivier-style Swordsmanship, Angelica had two family secret techniques. No sword aura in a duel, so excluding that, only one left.

One of Angelica's secret techniques. The complete opposite of Olivier-style Swordsmanship, which read moves and controlled the field.

A storm sword that started as an anchor and became swordsmanship—unleashed only in madness.

Frenzy of Orlando.

Shit. Was she pulling out an ultimate here?

Damn it.

The thousand possibilities vanished before my eyes.

I couldn't use Eye of One Who Has Seen the End anymore. Mana depleted from overuse.

So... I'd have to do this alone.

Reach that star in the mad storm.

Damn, this was insane.

I changed my stance. No head-on against the secret technique—I'd use my strongest now. And something fast enough to slash through.

Logres Swordsmanship, Quick Sword Style.

No idea if I'd survive eating that, but...

I poured all remaining mana into my legs via Orlando-style Muscle Training.

If I could take it in... I'd be able to use that secret technique too.

Think positive.

It was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠certain. Ian could definitely use Olivier-style Swordsmanship.

Though Logres Swordsmanship was mixed in, most of the techniques matching mine were Olivier-style.

And the sword paths were identical.

Even with the same swordsmanship, judgment, proficiency, and understanding differ by person.

But Ian's Olivier-style Swordsmanship matched my sword paths perfectly.

It felt like fighting my mirror image.

To copy my everything in that split-second clash. Not just the swordsmanship, but habits, understanding—all of it.

After fifty exchanges, his sword touched me about ten times.

Far more strikes landed on Ian, incomparable...

But still. It's been a while. Or maybe a first.

A rival matching me this closely.

Someone reaching this far.

There must be one. In your era, on your horizon... someone who can understand you.

Someone who could understand me.

"You didn't prepare just for today. You didn't copy everything of mine, did you?"

But was that my illusion?

"To catch a monster..."

Ian didn't see me as a rival.

Monster. Hearing that stung for some reason.

I thought you'd understand. But you see me that way too, huh.

Was Father's words wrong after all?

I thought that until his next words.

"I had to become that monster myself."

"So I copied you."

Become a monster to reach one. Mimic a monster to stand on the same horizon.

Not pounding the wall thinking of me as a monster.

But struggling to become the same monster just to reach me.

Really. Since coming to the academy, today was full of experiences like Father's words—unprecedented.

Had anyone else reached this far ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in my world?

Holding my sword, meeting his eyes.

Will you do that? Not pounding the wall to face the monster like those who looked at me.

I lacked courage for an answer, so I tossed my heart's words inward.

Will you become a monster like me?

"Not just anyone—you. That's why I can reach you."

I see. That's the answer.

Even if not to my question.

At least...

"You're not alone."

No more loneliness.

I reset my stance. Her wooden sword, Ian's condition—this was probably the last.

So I drew my strongest known technique. Not Father's icy swordsmanship.

Mother's scorching secret art.

I wondered. How far could Ian fight? How close could he come to me?

Please... reach me.

Harboring that small wish, I unfolded my sword domain.

The pinnacle of Carl Kingdom, the Frank Knights' captain's secret art and combat style, bloomed in my hands.

Frenzy of Orlando.

It transcended the weapon in hand, wielding surroundings, environment, even foes' swordsmanship to maximize every variable.

A sword Father, ever cautious, couldn't use. A storm dance for the truly mad.

I poured that essence into this single blade.

Like an ancestor's anchor, surrendering to frenzy, I slashed passionately ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at Ian's body.

Even with wooden swords, wounds multiplied on Ian.

But he didn't attack. Aiming for something, he held back on counters.

As if...

And through the passionate frenzy dance, something pierced.

A swift diagonal strike.

'Wondering how I tied with your mom?'

Logres Swordsmanship, Quick Sword Style.

'How'd I block that crazy bitch's secret art? I just aimed for it.'

The all-or-nothing lethal strike clashed with one frenzied sword swing.

!!!!!

Two wooden swords snapping with a crack, unable to withstand the force.

'You only have one weapon to swing, right?'

From the start. He'd aimed for this.

Both weapons destroyed, the duel could go no further.

Cleaving through the frenzied waves.

Ian's sword definitely reached me.