All Who Insulted My Master, Step Forward
“Sparring is the measure of skill! Everyone, take up a weapon! Cowards have no place in my lecture! Show me your martial arts and prove yourselves!”
Vande's voice boomed across the vast training grounds.
The students each picked a weapon they were confident with from the prepared racks.
“A live sparring match in the very first lecture? How serious. What weapon should I try?”
Yuri perked her ears up as she browsed the racks, while Lucas grabbed one without a moment's hesitation.
“This one looks fun.”
What Lucas held was a weapon of two short rods connected by a metal chain.
“A blunt weapon? What is that?”
“Oh, you chose the nunchaku! A difficult weapon from the East, used only by the ancient masters!”
Xuehua, listening to the same lecture, explained from beside her.
“Nuncha...? How do you use it?”
At Yuri's question, Xuehua picked up a nunchaku and gave a demonstration.
Gripping the rod with confidence, she spun it in a flourish, whirling it gracefully around her shoulder, behind her back, and through the gap at her waist.
The display was so dazzling that even Lucas and Yuri stared, momentarily transfixed.
“Hah-yah!”
Xuehua struck an equally stylish finishing pose, but Yuri tilted her head. No matter how she looked at it, the rods of the nunchaku had been merrily beating Xuehua's own body the entire time.
“Doesn't that hurt?”
“I-it does hurt a little...”
“I'll cast healing for you.”
“Looks fun.”
Apparently taken with it, Lucas picked up a nunchaku in each hand and began whirling them around like propellers.
“Hmm... then I suppose I'll use this one.”
Yuri selected a rapier with a thin blade.
“They're all enchanted. There shouldn't be much risk of serious injury.”
“Even the practice weapons are meticulously maintained with enchantments. As expected of Caesus Academy! Ahem, then I shall take the gauntlets—”
It was the very moment Xuehua reached for a pair of gloves. Thwack! Someone barreled past her, slamming hard into her shoulder. Staggered by the impact, Xuehua nearly went down.
“Xuehua! Are you all right?”
“Haha, of course.”
Yuri shot the culprit a withering glare. A handsome male student had sprawled himself across a generous stretch of the rack and was now picking out a spear.
Three female students clustered around him, and instead of apologizing, they began berating Yuri and Xuehua.
“What's taking you two so long? If you've picked your weapons, hurry up and move. Kulan needs to choose his spear.”
<Dragon Knight Kulan>
That was the male student's nametag.
“Hold on. You're the one who bumped into us just now. The apology should be coming from your side.”
Yuri protested, but the girls only laughed at her as if she were hopeless.
“You've got both arms and you're still dawdling. That's your own fault.”
“Ah-ha, right. A single glove is all Kulan needs anyway. What could possibly take so long?”
“Who even are these two? Their outfits are hilarious. Is that Eastern cosplay?”
Yuri's eyes blazed at the giggling girls. Sensing trouble, Xuehua moved to calm her down.
“Lady Yuri, it's quite all right! Now that I finally confess it, my arm is actually—”
“All of you, come out.”
The one who cut in among them was Lucas. Her expression didn't change, but cold killing intent radiated off her.
Kulan glanced back at her, then dismissively raised his left hand and channeled mana into it.
An intricate pattern lit up on the back of his hand. It was a form Lucas and Yuri knew all too well.
“Whoa, it's the Hero's Crest!”
“So cool...”
“That means he's qualified to become the Hero, right?”
Kulan — he was the sole bearer of the Hero's Crest in this entire class, a freshman who commanded everyone's attention. At only twenty years old, he had already attained the three-star rank of Dragon Knight — talent that fit the Academy to a tee.
“Lady Lucas, Lady Yuri. Let us withdraw for now.”
Xuehua tried to hold them back, but neither of them showed the slightest sign of shrinking or backing down.
“I said come out.”
At Lucas's words, Kulan gave a snort of laughter, took up his spear, and planted himself in front of her.
The difference in height and build was considerable.
“Think you can handle it?”
“Watch closely.”
Whoosh— crack!
Lucas swung the nunchaku in a clumsy imitation of Xuehua's technique. Charitably speaking, she could not be called skilled with it.
Even so, Lucas refused to be cowed. She glared at Kulan and declared:
“Spar with me.”
“Famous people are such a bother.”
With a smirk, Kulan walked out to the open ground. The arrogance of a man famous as the next Hero, willing to concede her this much of the spotlight.
“Already picked your sparring partner? Love the enthusiasm! We'll begin with the ready pairs!”
Lion beastman though he was, Vande was so hopelessly oblivious that he registered nothing of the situation and gave the signal.
Lucas was still flailing her nunchaku, whacking herself with it. Kulan sneered at the sight.
I've been riding wyverns and adventuring across the continent since I was born. I'm destined to be the Hero. I've even been chosen by the Hero's Crest — if only the Demon King were still alive for the sake of my achievements.
Kulan was brimming with conceit. In his mind, the road to glory was already as good as paved.
First, I'll become the Hero. Starting with conquering this Academy. My opening performance — this girl looks awfully frail, but whatever, it won't matter once I knock everyone down.
He was a man deeply intoxicated by a single purpose: growing stronger. The other students differed only in the order they would fall; to him, they were all just instruments for proving his own might.
First one — here I come.
Without any warning, Kulan charged at Lucas and thrust his spear. The keen point aimed precisely at her solar plexus.
“Yap.”
Thunk!
But the next instant, Kulan found himself flustered as his spear sailed beautifully into empty air.
Small mercy that his weapon's reach was far longer. Even with the attack missed, he had a brief window to assess.
He chose to retreat first. An immediate step carried his body backward as he rebuilt his stance.
My trajectory twisted?
Kulan tilted his head, studying Lucas. The way she still idly twirled her nunchaku without a care was, somehow, galling.
Lucas spoke.
“Good reaction speed. Built like a bear, though.”
Kulan cautiously prepared a second charge. Bending low, he lowered his spear point a little further — he planned to increase his momentum and break through.
“Hngh!”
CLANG!
Mid-charge, a bizarre impact again traveled up his spear point, and Kulan stopped dead, barely managing to roll his feet and bleed off his speed.
She's riddled with openings — why did I stop?
The woman before him still stood in a completely unguarded pose, toying with the nunchaku. At one point she'd been swinging so vigorously that she'd smacked her own body again and again — she even looked like she was in pain.
He had the advantage of reach with a spear. She didn't even know how to properly wield that hideous-looking weapon of hers.
So what was this unease?
...No. If he closed the distance again, he'd be skewered in return.
Was I just tense because it's an artificial arena instead of the wild?
Tense? Me?
Kulan's grip tightened on his spear. The ordinary practice weapon was on the verge of shattering under his crushing strength.
There's no way I can't pierce her while she's standing there like that! This time I'm going all in!
Kulan slammed his foot into the ground. This time, full power. Forgetting entirely that this was a sparring match during a lecture, he lunged like a beast of the battlefield.
“UWOOOOOH!!”
At the sight, Lucas hurled the nunchaku in her hand straight at him.
Whoosh— CRACK!
The nunchaku caught Kulan square in the forehead. His posture collapsed, his stance utterly broken by a blow he had never seen coming.
Seizing that opening, Lucas sprinted at him in a straight line, ignoring the spear that had already lost its target.
“Hah-yah.”
WHAM!!
Lucas stomped on Kulan's left knee to launch herself into the air, then smashed her right knee into his jaw with every ounce of force she had.
“Ughaa—”
Kulan's skull rocked. BOOM! The massive frame hit the earth with a tremor.
“Wha...?”
“K-Kulan?!”
“KYAAAAH!!”
The girls who had been watching swarmed over him, shaking his body. But a mild concussion had evidently taken hold — he didn't come to.
“Oho. A clean [Radiant Spellcaster].”
“Huh? Did Lucas just use magic?”
“Ah — she means the technique's name.”
Xuehua explained to Yuri.
Lucas paid not a shred of attention to the sprawled-out Kulan. Shrugging her shoulders, she gazed at the nunchaku with a look of disappointment.
“I can't take the graduation exam with this weapon. Not a good fit for me.”
The other students who had witnessed the whole scene had their souls flee their bodies.
“What was that?”
“Dragon Knight Kulan lost...?”
“Wasn't he a Hero candidate?”
“Who even is she?”
“Isn't she from the Hall of Earth?”
“A H-Hero Slayer has appeared...!”
“It's the Hero Slayer!”
As the students buzzed, Professor Vande let out a hearty laugh.
“A throw, eh? A splendid way to use it! Truly a student of Professor Pidia. Now, was it Lucas the student? Come here, come. For thrown weapons, I'd recommend the javelin or the hammer throw!”
Lucas approached the giddy, overexcited Vande and asked:
“I won, so can I go?”
“Hmm?”
“I have to go help Profes... Professor Pidia with his private lessons.”
“Professor's business, is it? Can't be helped! You showed a fine spar, so off you go!”
Without even waiting to hear the rest of Vande's answer, Lucas turned and marched off the training grounds.
Lucas, that was impressive — but you stood out way too much!
Yuri shouted at her inwardly. Then she caught the voices of Kulan's clique of girls.
“She must've used some trick!”
“Right. That's why she's running away!”
“There's no way Kulan loses to the Hall of Earth. Their professor is nothing but a lowly slave merchant!”
The foul word lodged itself in Yuri's ears.
Vande stepped in front of the girls and folded his arms.
“I watched that spar with my own two eyes. It was a decisive victory for the swordswoman Lucas! And Professor Pidia is far more of a man of character than you—”
A hand cut Vande's words short. Yuri shoved past him and stepped forward.
“My next sparring partner. Come out.”
Yuri's red eyes were not smiling.
“Hrr-yah! And... hoo, what's this...?”
<Sword Master Jukmak> carved a spirited arc through the air and struck the scarecrow. I was in the middle of his one-on-one private lesson.
“Excellent. You handle sword aura with real fluency — I have little advice left to give on swordsmanship itself.”
“Heh heh heh, you flatter me, sir...!”
True to his aged appearance, Jukmak spoke slowly. Yet his actual age was twenty — the very flower of youth.
“From now on, you'd best learn the sword from student Lucas. It will surely help you take the next step.”
“Hmm. Professor, let me speak frankly. I have not a shred of talent for the sword. I have merely piled up more experience than most.”
“Because you've aged, you mean.”
“Just so. But in all that time, I never even learned any great wisdom of living. I came here because I wanted an Academy diploma, though I hardly know whether I'll be of any help to you, Professor.”
Jukmak wore a kindly smile — the face of a grandfather gazing down at his grandchild.
“You mean your remaining time is short.”
“You are a remarkable man, Professor. You always see past what is visible to the eye. Oof.”
Jukmak's gaze turned toward a single spot. I looked there too.
Far across the courtyard stood a great silver-leaf tree.
And in its branches, a kitten that had climbed up and couldn't get down.
One of the female students was climbing the tree to rescue it — but unfamiliar with climbing, her posture looked awfully unstable. Sure enough, the moment of ah-oh arrived: she lost her balance and fell.
Pat.
The next instant, a faint breeze stirred at my side.
By the time I blinked, the girl stood safely on the ground with the kitten cradled in her arms, and Jukmak's stance had shifted ever so slightly.
“Spending your time like that — no wonder you're running short.”
“Heh heh heh. It was more rewarding than you'd think.”
“What's your maximum possible stop time?”
“As long as I can hold my breath, sir. And the strength fades a little more each day.”
“Hmm. While time is stopped, your own time doesn't flow — so we simply need to build up your weakened lung capacity. As it happens, a fitting solution just came to mind.”
“Hooh, really, sir?”
I answered Jukmak with a smile.
“Odd artifacts have a way of tumbling out of dungeons, you see.”
“Oho, dungeons...!”
Anticipation lit Jukmak's face.
“Just don't skip my lectures.”
“Heh heh, saying it twice would make it a nag, sir.”
“Ah — your sword instructor has arrived.”
In the distance, I could see Lucas hurrying toward us at a run. I welcomed her gladly.