Chapter 223: Frustration is What Makes a Man! (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 223: Frustration is What Makes a Man! (3)
Satomi must have come prepared, as she had already arranged a place for us to spar.
She’s thorough, I’ll give her that.
Was me using a sword really that much of a shock to her?
I’d never seen a facility like this before. Because of the Dungeon Impact, only a few administrators were in the building, but inside, a sparring arena was fully prepared.
It didn't look like it belonged to a clan; it seemed to be an Association building. Just how much does this country love fighting that they have separate sparring facilities in every district?
Looking at it another way, I was jealous of how much support their Association provided.
Given how the Japan Association usually acted, they were probably just as bad as ours, but couldn't the Korean Hero Association show at least a little bit of effort in spending money like this?
I’d rather deal with a piece of shit who spends money than just a regular piece of shit.
I entered the reserved arena and looked around.
A-4 Reinforcement Material? They really poured money into this. Unless someone intentionally attacked the walls, this material wouldn't even crack from the shockwaves generated by A-ranks clashing.
Satomi stood in the center, her eyes filled with a determination that said she would win no matter what.
Unlike Hornet, she wasn't feral, but her presence—honed like a sharp blade—sent a prickling sensation across my skin.
... ...
Not yet, stay down.
She was radiating a threatening aura, but it was so sexy that my cock started to perk up before I forced it to settle down.
She wore knee-length leggings and a somewhat loose white hoodie. It didn't seem like it would go well with the sword at her waist, but surprisingly, it worked.
As I picked up a practice sword and swung it around to test its balance, Satomi watched me intently.
"What school of swordsmanship does the Captain use?"
"... ..."
There it was. The question about my style.
Well, you see, it's called the Korean Sword, and it's... no, not Haedong Kumdo, it's... something only special forces can learn... Oh, was I in the military? No, no. Not in this world...
I couldn't think of a decent excuse.
"K..."
"K?"
"It's a single-successor style, so it's not very famous."
I gave a clumsy excuse, but Satomi nodded in understanding.
"There are many excellent styles that maintain their lineage without making their names known. It is an honor to experience such swordsmanship. What is the name of the style?"
Excellent... Well, it is excellent.
Since it was made by ripping off all the best techniques from other countries.
"K..."
"K?"
"K-S...?"
"... ... Is the name of the style... K-S?"
Satomi tilted her head and asked back.
Should I just be honest and call it the Korean Sword? I hated it because it sounded too nationalistic.
But I had already said "K."
To think I would utter the name "K-Sword," a name coined by Colonel Park and the higher-ups I despised so much.
I had fought against that name until I was foaming at the mouth, but it was the only name that came to mind right now. Besides, if I just made something up and it turned out to be a real style, I'd be in trouble.
"Yes... K-Sword... that's right..."
"K-Sword... A unique name. It doesn't sound like a style passed down in Korea... Ah, is the 'K' perhaps for 'Korea'?"
Aaaaaaaagh!!!
Don't be quick-witted only at times like this!!!
When Satomi hit the nail on the head, I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment.
When I remained silent, Satomi studied my expression for a moment before nodding solemnly.
"It must be a name that shouldn't be revealed lightly. My apologies, I asked an unnecessary question."
Mmm—it definitely shouldn't be revealed.
Mainly because it doesn't exist in this world yet.
Having misunderstood and satisfied herself, Satomi nodded.
"Is Satomi-san's style Niten Ichi-ryu? Musashi's swordsmanship?"
"It is Niten Ichi-ryu... but the founder of our sect is the First Ancestor, Mutsume."
Ah... so Musashi-san was gender-swapped here.
I offer my apologies on behalf of the game developers.
"To receive the name of your sect as your Hero name, you must be highly trusted."
"For someone like me who still needs to focus on training, it is an undeserved title. It was likely given to me because of my bloodline."
Oh, right. She was royalty.
Satomi spoke calmly and placed her hand on her sword.
"If you are ready, may I have a lesson?"
"Sure, let's do it. Are we sparring with just swordsmanship? Or should I crush you with everything I've got?"
At my provocative words, Satomi's eyes gleamed.
"I would like to ask for... 'everything,' but what I want to see right now is the Captain holding a sword. Besides, if you went all out, I wouldn't even be a match for you."
Satomi gave a bitter smile.
Just as Hornet said, the wound to the members' pride seemed to be more than just a scratch.
I’ll have to comfort the other members when we get back.
But first, I have to deal with Satomi.
I took my stance and slowly drew my sword.
My current stats were pathetic compared to Satomi's. Even then, my mana was three times higher than my other stats, so in terms of pure physical stats, there was probably a twofold difference between us.
A head-on collision would mean certain defeat.
However, her basics were too solid to rely solely on technique.
As expected, the only thing I could trust was my combat experience.
"Here I come."
As I stood still with my sword drawn, Satomi lowered her stance as if to perform a draw-sword technique, then suddenly began to walk toward me.
Her posture was high, and she walked quite normally for a combat situation, but her hand never left the hilt of her sword.
Ah, I know this.
Shing—
With a chilling sound, Satomi's sword, which had been approaching normally, was drawn in a near-straight line and flew toward me.
Since I already knew the technique, I took a step back before she even drew the blade, narrowly escaping the attack's range.
"... ... I did not expect it to be seen through so easily."
"I've been hit by a similar technique before."
Actually, I learned the exact same technique.
Hey, was Frost Strike originally a Niten Ichi-ryu move?
At least Furrow Poking was an improvement; this one was taken exactly as it was.
I knew the origins of several techniques included in the K-Sword, but that didn't mean I knew all of them.
If I had used it normally, I might have caused a misunderstanding with Satomi.
The sword, which sent a different kind of chill down my spine, changed its momentum in Satomi's violently moving hands.
The simple but powerful downward strike had a force that was difficult for me to block with my strength, so I raised the tip of my sword diagonally and thrust.
Whoosh—
With the sound of cutting through the air, Satomi's downward strike fell beside me.
Not realizing how I had deflected it, her eyes widened as she took a step back to avoid my counterattack.
K-Sword: Furrow Poking.
As the continuous thrusting technique, adapted from Spanish swordsmanship, lunged forward, Satomi calmly extended her sword and moved the tip in a large arc using only her wrist to parry my thrusts.
As soon as she blocked the flurry of attacks, Satomi immediately switched from defense to offense. She pushed me back with a clean mid-level slash, then stepped forward and drew her second sword with her empty left hand.
Revealing the true nature of Niten Ichi-ryu, which uses two swords, Satomi began to pressure me.
I thought the short sword was only for defense or feinting, but it was surprisingly used in offense quite often, making it tricky to deal with.
Still, I’ve more or less figured it out.
Retreating to avoid Satomi's sword strikes scattered with disciplined movements, I swung my sword behind my back as if drawing it.
The K-Sword, created by collecting swordsmanship from all over the world, was a mandatory style for Awakened operating on the front lines.
Though I cursed the name for being lame, the K-Sword wasn't just a style made by stitching together good techniques from various countries.
The reason it was mandatory was that by learning it, one naturally gained experience with the swordsmanship of other nations.
Unexpected techniques, unique characteristics of each country—learning the K-Sword developed the ability to analyze an opponent's blade.
This was one undeniable, massive advantage.
Honestly, the name is the only downside.
I stood the back of my blade upright and swung it, creating a Whirlwind.
As the wind rose around her, Satomi swung her sword sharply as if to cut through the wind itself.
Let's go, Furrow Poking.
I launched a series of thrusts, aiming for the sword Satomi was swinging.
Accurately stabbing the flat of a swinging blade required immense concentration and precision.
The moment the tip of my sword touched the back of her blade, I pulled back while flicking my sword upward.
Drawn by my sword, which moved as if stuck to her swinging blade, Satomi swung through empty air with all her might.
"... ... That is an amazing technique..."
"Yeah, even I admit it."
Sticking the tip of the sword to the back of a swinging blade to deflect it—when I first learned it, the instructor explaining it seemed like a madman.
'You can do it if you try.'
I had trained hard while cursing the instructor who insisted on a reckless "can-do" spirit.
But... it actually worked.
There was a condition that I had to completely understand the opponent's sword path, but once I actually succeeded, it was absurd.
When you're on the receiving end of this, it feels really strange.
I swung normally and felt no resistance, yet my sword was guided to a completely different place.
Satomi also seemed to find the sensation odd, as she stared down at the hand holding her sword before attacking again.
However, having already figured out her style, her attacks repeatedly cut through the air due to my deflections. Satomi began to grow increasingly impatient as her attacks failed helplessly.
I’ve waited a long time for this.
Even when I successfully deflected or defended, she had been recovering her posture so quickly that there were no openings. But now, the impatient Satomi finally entered my range.
Without missing the opportunity, I guided her sword to my opposite side and took a step forward.
Because I had been deflecting while retreating until now, Satomi's eyes widened, and she hurriedly swung the sword in her other hand.
Thud!
I pressed my elbow against hers as she tried to swing from the inside out, blocking her from using the sword and sticking close to her.
Shit, that hurts like hell.
Feeling my elbow throb from the stat difference I couldn't ignore, I pressed my body against Satomi's and tripped her.
Even as we were falling together, Satomi tried to stab me with her sword, but I wrapped my leg around hers in an inner-thigh trip and clung to her body like an octopus.
Satomi, unable to move her arms properly because my body was in the way, fell face-first onto the floor. I pinned her down, gripped my sword in a reverse hold, and slammed it down.
... ...
Satomi frowned as she looked at the sword embedded next to her face.
"I lost... You are strong, as expected."
"I just used a trick by forcing a brawl. If we fought formally, I'd lose."
I acted humble while enjoying the sensation of her breasts pressed against me, but Satomi didn't notice and looked at me with serious eyes.
"No. Dominating the battle is the ultimate state of 'Void' that the First Ancestor Mutsume spoke of."
I don't know what 'Void' is, but I think I have a good grasp of the sensation of the two plump 'voids' stuck to me like rice cakes.
After speaking with a serious gaze, Satomi finally seemed to become conscious of me as I continued to pin her down. She met my eyes from inches away before looking away.
"Um... since it's over now..."
Satomi was cute when she was embarrassed, and I wanted to tease her more, but I restrained myself and stepped back to sit on the floor.
Satomi stood up, straightened her disheveled clothes, and quietly pulled up her zipper to cover her chest.
After glancing at me for a moment, she asked cautiously.
"How was I?"
"You were soft."
"Pardon?"
"No, I mean your movements were disciplined and soft, so the flow was seamless."
"Ah... but I lost. I am a failure as an Attacker. I think I understand why the Captain excluded me from the battle yesterday."
Satomi looked down with a dark expression.
This is really serious.
But it can't be helped.
Those guys were A-ranks, and we only recently became B-ranks.
I want to avoid it, but if she continues being a Hero, she'll meet plenty of people stronger than her. She can't afford to fall into despair already.
"You haven't forgotten our promise, have you?"
"Yes... whether it is my sword or my body, everything is to be as the Captain wishes."
You promised.
I’m going to do whatever I want with those ultimate plump 'voids' that the female Musashi-san mentioned.
Suppressing the urge to let my eyes drift to the mounds bulging under her hoodie, I spoke to Satomi.
"Do you know the reason I left you out of the battle?"
"Because I am weak, I suppose."
"No. In close combat, you are the one I trust the most, Satomi-san. Your balance of offense and defense is well-tuned."
Satomi didn't change her expression at my praise and just stared at me. It was as if she was lamenting, Then why did you leave me out?
"Ye-jin is specialized in defense. Conversely, Anna is specialized in offense. A-young has good balance, but for close combat specifically, you are better, Satomi-san."
"... ..."
"But that's only for close combat."
As I spoke accusingly, a spark finally returned to Satomi's eyes.
"In the Unicorn Party, you are the only one without a long-range attack capability. That was the reason I left you out of the battle."
"... ... But I am a samurai. One who fights with a sword..."
"No, you are a Hero. Someone who exterminates monsters and arrests villains."
At my words, Satomi looked confused, her trembling eyes darting around before she countered.
"But Anna also..."
"Anna's ability is strictly physical reinforcement, so she has no innate long-range attacks. That's why she uses the JP-12 and learned long-range attack magic of every attribute, even if they're weak. But you have nothing."
"... ..."
Satomi fell silent, her head bowed as she found no words to respond.
"We aren't here to have a swordsmanship duel; we're here to kill monsters and catch villains. We use every method available."
"... ..."
"Hornet is a good example. She's weak in close combat, so she created her own techniques to compensate. She uses her skills to increase her mobility, and if necessary, she bursts compressed air all at once to push away everyone around her, including herself."
It wasn't that Hornet couldn't fight in close quarters at all. She needed refinement, but she was good with daggers and could defend herself in an emergency.
However, Satomi was obsessed with being a samurai and only attacked with her sword.
Sticking to only one method when you're capable of more might have been considered steadfast and honorable in the past, but in the modern era, it just makes you a fool whose weaknesses are easy to exploit.
"Your skill is Matter Transformation. But you aren't even utilizing it properly, are you?"
"Yes..."
"Is a Hero without skills truly strong? If you rely only on individual martial arts and work yourself to death, do you become a samurai... a Mutsume, a great swordsman?"
Satomi didn't answer.
I looked down at the back of Satomi's head as she sat with her head bowed like a child being scolded.
"You don't need to throw away the sword. If you walk the path of the sword and become a reliable frontline for me, I couldn't ask for anything more. But there's no need to intentionally limit your means of attack."
"Because we are... Heroes."
"Yes. We use everything necessary. To protect people and to protect the world."
Satomi raised her head and looked at me.
A light began to flicker deep within her dying eyes.
"From now on, I'll make you the strongest, whether at range or in close combat, so trust me and follow my lead. I'll carve your name right next to Mutsume's."
The flickering light turned into a flame, and Satomi nodded with a powerful gaze.