111. Senior Holy Knight and Sunny Land [2]

Instructor Don Gorg entered into combat position and glanced around at the darkness that covered the training hall.

「What’s this strange『darkness』?」

「It’s something like a『half soul dress』.」

I answered, still maintaining Seigan no Kamae.

「Fuu, I see… A『blockhead』like you does show up from time to time!」the instructor said, and started running with a loud war cry.「KAAAAAA! Mountain Breeze Style – Mountain Cut!」

An overhead slash filled with spirit.

I stopped it with my bare hands, clad in darkness.

「What… the hell?!」

The instructor’s eyes widened in surprise, but this was the natural outcome.

「Excuse me, can you please take it seriously?」

The attack was a『fake blow』.

A blow which stuns, and doesn’t seek to end the match right away – a fake blow that was unleashed just to cause pain.

It’s not the same as a『real blow』that you unleash to cut down your opponent – like those of Sid-san and Idol’s attacks.

「The match between swordsmen is a serious battle. I will cut you down without hesitation next time.」I told him, and let go of his sword.

「I-Impudent!」

The instructor’s face dyed red and he jumped back.

「Shitty brat… You have some nerve to make a mockery of me!」

And the next moment,

「Shave off -〈Hilly Wind〉!」

A brown long sword appeared out of empty space.

(…It’s finally out.)

Equipment that embodies a part of the spirit core – soul dress.

The power I am currently struggling to attain.

「Fuhaha…! How do you like it? You’re jealous, aren’t you? Even if you make an effort all your life, this is a power that you will never attain!」the instructor roared, and showed off his soul dress proudly.

I observed the soul dress without responding to his cheap provocation.

(Wind and… is that『sand』?)

Looking closely by straining my eyes, I saw grains of sand and wind swirling around the long sword.

It seems that the ability of his soul dress is to freely control two kinds of power – wind and earth.

(That is a good soul dress. As expected of an instructor of Senior Holy Knights.)

As I held such impression in my heart,

「Kukuku… Oi, bastard! I will teach you the『core weakness』of a dropout swordsman who can’t even use soul dress!」the instructor said, with a sadistic smile, and held up his long sword high.

「What would that be?」

「Fuu, that’s… long-range attack and the number of hits! Sand Blast!」

The moment he swung down his sword, more than twenty sand swords rushed at me.

The acceleration increased due to a sudden gust of wind, and each one cut through the air like an arrow which was released after being pulled back to the maximum.

「Certainly… you are right.」

Sid-san’s Freeze Lance.

Claude-san’s〈Avio Troops〉.

Dodriel’s Dark Shadow.

It’s their long-range attacks and overwhelming number of hits which is most troubling for swordsmen like me who don’t have a soul dress.

However, I already thought up a countermeasure against those.

「-Dark Shadow.」

The twenty impending sand swords – were cut down by darkness as sharp as a blade.

「Wha?!」

「Yoshi, that was a good response.」

The three Dark Shadow moved exactly as I pictured.

This is a new technique I devised inspired by Dodriel’s dark shadow.

With enough concentration, I can control up to four at a time.

(The effective range is a little short of two meters, but…)

It functions well as a defense against techniques with a lot of hits.

As I nodded to myself, confirming the success of the experiment of a new technique,

「W-What is up with the crazy application range of your ability…!?」the instructor said, pointing to my darkness, wide-eyed.

「Ahaha. I like this darkness because it’s very effective in its application.」

I cut the conversation short and assumed a forward-bent posture.

「-Then, I’ll go next?」

「I can cut down a bastard like you in a single stroke!」

As soon as I heard his answer, I invaded into the certain kill range in one step.

「-HA!」

「Fast!?」

A diagonal slash aimed at his right chest – he defended it by holding his sword horizontally

However,

「Nu-oh?!」

Unable to stop the impact of the swing, he was blown back a great distance.

「Guh, this kind of power… from that small frame!?」the instructor grumbled, performing ukemi with a smooth movement which did not match his large frame.

I identified the spot where he was about to land and shot a slash from a long distance.

「First Sword – Flying Shadow!」

「Fuh, an insignificant slash like that… won’t work!」

The instructor swung his sword powerfully and knocked down the Flying Shadow clad in darkness.

But that was within my calculation.

「Certainly.」

「Wha?!」

Hiding behind the large slash, I closed the distance without wasting any time.

In the first place, Flying Shadow is not a technique aimed at dealing damage.

Camouflage, Feint, Closing the distance – it’s an auxiliary-type technique.

And just like that, I easily stepped into his certain kill range, and unleashed a decisive attack.

「Eighth Sword – Yatagarasu!」

When the flash which contained my body weight cut through the air, eight slashes bared its fangs.

「NUOOOOH…」

He somehow managed to deal with five slashes, but…

「Gah!」

Three shots slipped past and caught his right hand and both legs.

The instructor, distorting his face in anguish, unleashed a crude, large swing on the spot.

I danced around it and avoided the attack with plenty of time to spare.

(The wound is deep.)

He can’t keep fighting with that leg.

Anymore than this won’t even be a『battle』.

I decided that and,

「-That decides the match. Please accept your loss.」

I thrusted the pseudo-black sword to his chest and declared.

And then,

「Don’t screw with me.」

The instructor, with his face down, trembled in small increments and muttered something.

「What was that?」

「-Don’t screw around! A shitty brat who hasn’t even lived half as long as I have… and you prattle around like a big-shot!」he shouted, and thrusted his soul dress into the floor of the training hall and stood up.

At that moment, a tornado-like storm blew, with the instructor at its core.

It’s not just a simple wind either.

It is a storm mixed with grains of sand and has high-killing potential.

(That’s a troublesome technique.)

I quietly observed the damage situation while repelling the whirling grains of sand with my sword.

The grains of sand flew around with tremendous speed in all directions. The glass windows were smashed and the floorboards of the training hall were twisted out.

That’s not all.

「It hurts…」

「H-Help me!」

Cries of pain went up one after another from the Junior Holy Knights who were intently watching this duel from the side.

It doesn’t seem possible for them to evade the grains of sand pouring down like rain.

「Fuhahaha! If you have a grudge, then hold it against the dropout swordsman over there for making me get serious! Let’s go then – Sandstorm!」

When the instructor swung down his fist to the hilt of the long sword that was still stuck to the floor – violent wind and sand filled the entire hall.

An omnidirectional attack that has no room for evasion.

The sand grains collide violently with each other, producing a terrible sound which stimulates fear.

(Seriously… what a troublesome thing he has done…)

I had no choice but to raise the output of darkness right away. Ria, Rose, and all the junior holy knights in the hall, were clad in『clothes of darkness』.

As a result,

「R-Ridiculous!」

Everyone in this place weathered through the sandstorm unscathed.

If the power is only to that degree, even a thin dark robe can defend against it.

「Judging by that reaction… Is that the strongest skill you have?」

Indiscriminate attack of storm and sand.

Certainly, in a group battle it will be a frightening ability, but… it is not an effective technique for an individual match.

「I-Impossible… Me, losing to a third-rate swordsman…」

He collapsed as though having given up.

「-That settles the match. Now, please apologize to Ria.」

And when I sheath my sword into it scabbard,

「An opening! Mountain Breeze Style Secret Technique – Collapsed Mountain!」

Suddenly, he stood up with great momentum, and unleashed a diagonal slash filled with killing intent.

I sighed involuntarily as I had seen the attack coming from a mile away.

(Haa… Returning the sword to its scabbard is not an『opening』by any means, though…)

And then,

「Seventh Sword – Instant Flash」

The sword accelerated from within the scabbard, and there was only a gleam of light – the instructor’s soul dress was hacked in two.

「Wha…!?」

This time he became speechless and silently fell on his knees.

At that moment, applause burst forth from the training hall.

「That power, there is no doubt anymore! You’re that Allen Rodore!」

「I saw you at the Sword King Festival! I-If you don’t mind, will you teach me the sword!?」

The junior holy knights gathered around, with sparkles in their eyes.

「A-Ahahaha… let’s talk about that later, for now…」

I gently turned down their wishes, and looked down at Instructor Don, who was on his knees, gritting his teeth.

「Instructor Don Gorg, will you accept the defeat?」

And when I asked again,

「……….S-Shit… I, I was wrong… Please forgive me…」

After a long silence, he expressed an honest apology.

Thus, I successfully defeated Don Gorg, the instructor of Senior Holy Knights, and heaved a sigh loudly.

(Haa… What should I do after this?)

Tattered training hall.

The instructor riddled with wounds

Myself unscathed.

(I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to the people of the association.)

I got involved in a big mess on the first day itself, and was worried about the『explanation to the association』and『consequences』.

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