Second Ranking Match # 3
Second Ranking Match # 3
"Originally, battōjutsu was used to strike when feigning conversation with a target, or to respond to an ambush. It was never meant as a combat skill."
"Wait, really?"
So it wasn't about waiting with the sword in the sheath and then, shing, slashing?
"Quite a few people misunderstand it, like Scream Man. Media tends to depict it that way. But think about it logically—it's simply better to just swing than to try and cut while drawing from the sheath."
He's got a point.
"But that has zero swagger."
—Shing.
I said that while taking up the same battōjutsu stance as Ken. Though Ken's using a Japanese sword style and I'm using a Western longsword, so I'm really just mimicking him.
"Hahaha! Style is certainly important, but I'm afraid my style prioritizes practicality over flair! I can't show you much else!"
—Whoooom.
Ken said this while releasing his energy with a dead-serious expression. I couldn't even see his eyes because of the light reflecting off his glasses. This bastard... he definitely feels like a master.
—Shing.
I drew my sword and took my own trained stance. From this point on, I'm treating Ken as an opponent stronger than Mun Min.
"It's not perfect, since I had to learn it in secret under the Neo Daimyo's rule, but I've refined it here through training. I heard that you, Scream Man, learned swordsmanship from Woo Yu-ri, who runs a swordsmanship dojo."
"Exactly."
"Then let us test that skill!"
"Fine by me!"
I'll 'Mun-Min' you too!
"Then begin."
The moment Instructor Lee So-ra struck the bell, the battle started.
—Slither, slither.
Instead of charging, Ken kept his stance and slowly approached me. It looked like a turtle walking, but just like a real turtle, he had no openings.
A cautious style, huh?
The second I thought that and took a step forward.
—Boom!
Ken exploded off the ground and thrust his katana at me!
"Tsuuuaaaaaap!"
His speed was considerable.
Is his style speed-oriented?
But that doesn't make him faster than Yu-ri!
"Not happening!"
I let out a battle cry as I brought my sword against his katana and wound around it. Just as I tried to slip inside his guard—
"Not bad!"
Ken blocked my attack and stepped back. Once swords are locked, words are unnecessary. Just as Yu-ri taught me. I pressed forward aggressively, manipulating my blade solely to make my attack succeed.
—Screeeech!
My sword and Ken's katana ground together as we moved back and forth. I tried to land a hit by stomping his instep or driving a knee up.
"Hap!"
Ken evaded it all, simply slipping away to the side.
"You bastard!"
He's dodging everything.
He's definitely stronger than Mun Min, at least.
"Kraaaaaaah!"
The moment I took another step and wound my sword upward—
—Flash!
Ken suddenly bent his knees and dropped his stance low, then spun a full circle from a seated position to slice at my legs—
"Kuhahk!"
I jumped high instantly to evade that unorthodox low attack.
"I've got you now, Scream Man!"
Ken's glasses flashed as his shaggy hair flew wild. He abandoned the leg sweep mid-motion and rose, transitioning into an upward slash—
"You're the one who's caught!"
"What?! Impossible!"
—Whoosh!
I'd jumped higher than Ken expected. Specifically, I jumped all the way to the ceiling. Mid-air, I twisted my body halfway as if throwing a kick, and planted my feet right on the ceiling.
From that position.
—Boom!
"Mana Shield!"
I kicked off the ceiling with immense force, crossed my arms in an X-shape, and wrapped my forearms in a mana shield before rocketing at Ken like a meteor!
"Uwaaaaaagh!"
Ken startled and thrust his sword, but my mana shield had grown strong enough to stop bullets from monsterkin.
—Crash!
Ken's katana slammed into my mana shield but couldn't break it, and I plowed straight into Ken, crushing him down.
"Gahk!"
He toppled backward, unable to take the impact. I got on top of him, pinned the wrist gripping his katana with one hand, and poked his flank repeatedly with my sword.
"I win."
"Kuh, kuhahk! I lose! It's my defeat, Scream Man! Stop poking my side!"
"Yeah. Confirming the kill."
"Uwahahahahahk!"
I let go of my sword and tickled his side, making him burst into laughter. I left it at that and stood up. A light, one-round victory.
"Khuu...! You're strong! I never imagined you'd use the ceiling to attack...!"
Ken stood up, rubbing his side.
"I didn't expect you to suddenly throw out a low attack."
"It was excellently set up until that point. But Scream Man. You didn't seem this skilled at the start of the semester. Could it be you were hiding your strength?"
"Just call it my talent, you bastard. What do you mean, hiding strength? Hehehe."
"I see. In any case, it was a good match!"
"Yeah, sure."
I immediately shook hands with Ken and came down from the ring.
"Kim Geun-cheol. Your skill is improving remarkably fast. I can still vividly picture how you were at the start of the semester."
"A man's supposed to grow in leaps and bounds, ma'am."
"Your way of talking hasn't changed. Anyway, perfect."
Instructor Lee So-ra said, sounding satisfied.
"You've trained your skills very well. No specific feedback is needed. And Ken. You probably feel the same way I do—it seems you didn't anticipate Kim Geun-cheol's growth."
"Rather than that, it was simply my best move at the time. I certainly launched the attack expecting it to work, but it was blocked too easily."
"Strive harder for improvement. Still, the motion was snappy. It's a usable technique. Is it a Japanese swordsmanship style?"
"It belongs to a specific school."
Having finished her rapid feedback, the instructor went to observe the other rings. Looking around, my friends were still fighting.
As I took my seat.
"Oh, no! Watashi has been made into a 'Mun-Min'! Mun Min is strong! Stronger than me!"
Brian came over, yanking at his own hair!
"Haha! Mun Min won!"
"Yes! He is winner! And I am just a makeruinu! I have been provided with a horrible feeling by losing to Mun Min!"
"What an absolutely unheard-of bullshit expression."
What the hell is 'provided with a horrible feeling'?
Soon, Mun Min came over after receiving his feedback and declared.
"Kim Geun-cheol! You're next! Get up there!"
"Hehehe, hey, Brian. Watch closely. This is what a real 'Mun-Min' is all about."
"I'll be looking forward to it, The Screamer Man!"
Well then, shall I?
I loosened up lightly and climbed onto the ring.
* * *
When I got up, Mun Min was wearing a weirdly shaped headgear. That's not standard-issue equipment.
"Hey. Mun Min. You fuck, what's with that headgear?"
"..."
"Why aren't you answering?"
"..."
Can't he hear me?
Ah! No way!
"You bastard! Covering your ears!"
"Wha, what! Why!"
Mun Min only reacted when I walked up, tapped the headgear, and spoke. And then, he took it off.
"You bastard... Don't tell me you brought headgear like this to prepare for my War Cry?"
"N-no, I, wh-what are you talking about? Stop spouting nonsense and go to your spot. I don't know what kind of excuse you're thinking up, but it won't work."
"Instructor! Is that equipment even authorized?!"
"It's an older model, but it's still equipment used by the academy. No problem."
"Then let's fight! Mun Min!"
You pulled a cheeky stunt, but it won't be enough against me!
"Kim Geun-cheol, you just hurry up and get to your spot!"
"Fine!"
I immediately went to a suitable spot, took my position, and drew my sword.
"Kim Geun-cheol. Today, I'll finally 'Geun-cheol' you and reclaim my pride."
"Huhahaha! You think you can? You can't beat me!"
"I'll take you on in a standard match. A guy like you who only relies on dirty tricks can never win."
"Give it your best shot!"
I don't know where you're getting this confidence, but you're no match for me.
"Do it, and you'll real-ize! That the weak existence known as Mun Min is several levels below this Kim Geun-cheol! Realize it clearly and fall into despair!"
When I yelled, pointing a finger right at him, Mun Min rubbed his ear.
"You're such an all-talk bastard... Instructor!"
"Alright. Begin."
—Ding!
The moment the bell rang.
—Boom!
He stomped hard and charged, intent on destroying me in the first second. This bastard's mindset is to annihilate me before any weird tricks land. But because of that.
"Your thinking's way too obvious."
This guy's just going to get pushed around by me from now on.
—Boom!
So I kicked off the ground the exact same way and charged right at him. Mun Min reacted like he was caught off guard, but quickly steadied himself and got dead serious with his sword—
—Whoosh!
And thrust it at me!
"You bastard!"
—Clang!
I lightly parried the blade and stepped inside his guard. I was aiming to stomp his instep. But as if he refused to give me that opening, he thrust his sword again to keep me in check.
"You're not my match in swordsmanship!"
"You're just not my match, period!"
"Kim Geun-cheol, you're so fucking obnoxious! Die!"
Yelling that, Mun Min poured in mana and brought his sword down with tremendous force. A huge motion. I instinctively knew that taking that hit would collapse my stance, so I made a quick call.
"You bastard!"
I have to counter. Just as I repositioned my sword as Yu-ri taught me and was about to hit the counter—
—Swish!
What the hell?
"Huh?"
Mun Min's body seemed to—swish—slide back about 20 centimeters—don't tell me! He infused the soles of his feet with mana and struck the ground to execute a backstep?
"Mun Min Somersault Kick!"
At the same time, no kidding, the bastard actually launched a somersault kick at me!
"You crazy motherfucker!"
This genuinely caught me off guard!
But this flashy kick isn't faster than my reaction speed. You're taking a huge motion like that, how could you be faster than me? The moment I calmly leaned back to dodge the somersault kick and swung my sword horizontally at the exposed bastard—
—Spin!
This time, he stopped his vertical rotation mid-air, suddenly twisted horizontally, and batted my sword away!
—Crash!
My sword went flying from the unexpected attack...!
Who even uses a move like that in this world!
"Got you! Kim Geun-cheol!"
"You're the one who's caught, you bastard!"
"What?! Ack!"
If the sword's gone, I just fight bare-handed. I immediately kicked off the ground with explosive force and flew toward Mun Min, who was still off-balance in mid-air.
—Grab!
Using my weight class advantage, I grabbed Mun Min in a crushing bear hug.
"Uwaaaaagh!"
Hugged like this, the bastard can't use his sword and can't even move. I poured in mana, put on the pressure to completely neutralize Mun Min, and spoke.
"New skill. Geun-cheol's Embrace."
"Y-you crazy psychopath homo-wha! Kuhahk! L-let go, quick!"
"I've got to hit the finisher! Here we go! Geun-cheol Suplex!"
The moment I shouted with all my might!
I lifted one leg, twisted my waist slightly to add centrifugal force, and drove Mun Min straight into the floor!
—Boom!
"Kuhahk!"
Pinned under me, Mun Min spat the air from his lungs.
"Th-this isn't a suplex... gaghhh."
And with that.
My victory.
"Uwooooooooh!"
I thrust my fist into the air and roared.
"I Mun-Minned Mun Minnnnn!!!"
At this very moment, I am the happiest man alive!
I dedicate this victory to Leona!
