Chujitsuna Hito immediately raised her hand. “Me! Pick me! Me!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANATFk9JJP1Vr
“Very well. Choose your opponent.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAyMTEmJnllF
“I don’t care, anyone will do! That guy, for example, or the one next to him! Or both at the same time!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANACLl44TKaUN
“The fights are one against one, girl. You then, come close.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANATJ1rs534Hb
A short and muscular boy with dark hair took one step forward and pulled his sword from his sheath. Chujitsuna calmly slithered in front, holding only a dagger.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAX2ZRMxAuFl
The Teacher raised his right eyebrow and questioned, “Are you sure you want to use a dagger against his sword? He will have a longer reach, you know?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAwtxm2H6SBv
“Of course, I am sure! But he doesn’t have a longer reach than me, you will see!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANASIXeDjRvvn
At the Teacher’s command, they got ready. The moment he ordered them to start, Chujitsuna threw a stone from the ground with the tip of her tail and hit the boy’s head. He blinked, surprised by what had just happened, and cleaned the blood that was falling from the wound to his eyes. Chujitsuna raised both arms and shouted, “I won! I broke some sort of record, right? One second fight!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANA9tOjB9TgVD
“You were supposed to fight him with your dagger so that we could evaluate your fighting skills!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANA7V3SKQZHni
“No, Teacher Muse said we could put an opponent unconscious, make him quit, or make him bleed. He is bleeding, so I won. No changing the rules now! It’s not my fault if he didn’t avoid the tiny stone I threw! It was meant to be a distraction so that I could attack with my pretty dagger! How would I know he is slow to react?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAB9fNScomYv
Teacher Muse Sirel muffled her laughter as the Cat-kind Teacher rubbed his face with both hands. He then sighed and declared, “Okay, you won! Next pair...”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAaJH7nOiHyh
Another fight began, and another. Robert Keskula sparred longer than everyone else before him because he was enjoying showing off. Every time he defended an attack, he would wink at Taisetsuna or send her a kiss.
He finally ended the combat by disarming his opponent and touching his opponent’s neck with the sword.
When the Teacher told them to stop and another pair went to the middle of the circle, he went to meet Taisetsuna and the others, receiving a deserved scold from the frowning Cat-girl because of his excessive theatricality.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAWy3QW2jeS7
Then, Teacher Egar Gage looked at Tresuria, who was hiding behind Nozomu and Taisetsuna, and he called for her. “I can see you back there. Come on, your turn.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAEW4UEox6oz
Tresuria peeked from between Nozomu and Taisetsuna and said, “This one doesn’t fight with weapons. Draiky fights, and he is very good at it.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAy3ltDHjz6V
The Teacher looked at Tresuria’s feet and saw the weird pet plant with its big, round head, which was opening and closing its mouth, clacking its teeth. He asked, sounding puzzled, “You mean, him? That little guy there? Are you sure?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANADXzp1UPUT7
“Yes. He uses two short swords and, if necessary, four.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAyImF8ZJxrM
“Four would be too much. I suppose two short swords would be enough. Alright, send him forward. At least explain to him what he is supposed to do.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAv4dwSou7AF
“He knows because he has been watching everything. He knows what to do.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANA5dFxA1Tquo
The moment the Teacher called one student to face the clacking short plant, the Dog-kind boy mocked, “I am supposed to fight that little thing? For real? This will be easy!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAAJ1Xj4NaLA
From above them, Hinotsume said, “You think it is easy to defeat the pet plant of a Gailie? Really? Most Dragons avoid fighting them, but what do I know? Good luck, meat sac, you are going to need it! Try to keep your head above your shoulders, will you? Because normally, those pet plants don’t stop attacking until their opponent is dead!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANATtoDpWInL5
The Dog-kind student looked up and gulped when he saw the menacing Dragon putting another Goblin in his mouth, and munching while staring at him. It was as if he was watching a show, at ease and relaxed. And that was a frightening view.
He looked at Draiky, who was receiving two short swords that Tresuria took from inside her bag. He was puzzled by the strange-looking plant, bumping the swords against each other as he walked forward as if he was testing the steel.
The student went to the middle of the circle as well, and raised his sword a bit, still watching the approaching weird plant.
Then, he gulped, in complete disbelief, as he saw Draiky slashing the air in continuous movements, as the root legs made him change position, and he jumped, rolled on the floor, and did an amazing choreography as if he was fighting while being surrounded by enemies.
Finally, he stopped and faced the student.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAtnV70Rf6Sb
Egar Gage asked Tresuria, and he sounded genuinely surprised. “You taught all those movements?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANA62LDdOe5x2
“No… This one’s father did. For years, Draiky had been this one’s father’s sparring companion, and he is also a fast learner.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAYooPMZpKv6
“It’s just… some movements he made, I know them. I saw one or two that I know for sure only one man in my youth did, and he was unbeatable… What is your father’s name?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAXUSay4ywlb
“Tanel Janes... He used to be an Adventurer…”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAOqOAeRjMIk
The Teacher stuttered and pointed at Draiky, who was lowering his body and pointing one sword at his opponent, and the other was protecting his body, and said, “A-are you telling me... t-that pet plant learned how to use a sword with Tanel Janes, one of the greatest swordsmen that this country ever had? For real? I know he married a Gailie years ago and was leaving a peaceful life in the Kingdom of Garam!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAKKhE72Havn
Tresuria nodded, her face dark green with embarrassment, and she answered in a low tone. “Yes… This one grew up with this one’s father telling her about his adventures in the service of this country and when he was an Adventurer. This one always dreamed of becoming an Adventurer…”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAwB9mY7PFGm
Egar Gage slowly shook his head, completely astonished. “What are the odds… I was in your father’s Party when we were both Adventurers. We met in this Academy, and after graduating, we travelled all over the World…”
39Please respect copyright.PENANA6hT46unb24
Tresuria widely opened her eyes and pointed her right index finger at the Cat-kind Teacher. “Oh! You are Gage, the Death Bringer! Is that you, for real? This one’s father told her that until this day, you were the only one that would always tie with him in sparring! That you both used to pass out from exhaustion, despite neither of you ever defeating the other! Draiky learned from this one’s father some movements you used against him several times! Amazing! This one heard about all your adventures! You were an amazing Adventurer! You once single-handedly defeated four Orcs, only using two daggers! And they were armed with big wooden maces!”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAEC1JYdBGH1
Teacher Egar Gage rubbed his chin and nodded with a slight frown. “Yes, I had to do it like that because I lost a bet with your father. I could swear he cheated, only because he wanted to laugh at my expense. That crazy bastard. So... you are Tresuria... When I first heard your name, I thought you could be his daughter, but I wasn’t sure. We still exchange letters every month, you know? But life always gets in the way, and we are not together as often as we used to be.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANASulTVbJMHq
Tresuria made a shy smile and said, with her face even more dark green than before, “This one knows that you often meet this one’s father when he pretends to come to this country to buy supplies. This one’s mother doesn’t suspect it, but this one knows, because this one once followed him… You were both at some distance, so this one was not sure if it was you that was with him or not…”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAy1u68vwSnW
“Ahahah! You are Tanel’s daughter, all right! It is true that he sometimes visits me, other times I visit him, but always in secret so that your mother doesn’t get worried he might want to return to his dangerous former work. I also saw you a few times from a distance, so I wasn’t sure if it was you or not.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAfv6QlzNp99
Then, the noise of Draiky bumping his two swords together drew everyone’s attention, and Teacher Egar Gage looked at the two fighters, who were still waiting for him to tell them to start.
He winked at Tresuria and told them to begin, and his jaw dropped at what happened next.
The student was still in his spot, and Draiky was already in the air, pushed by his strong, short legs. One downward slash with one sword and a side slash with the other was enough to disarm the student, who stared at Draiky that landed on his chest, making him fall back to the ground because of the powerful clash. Draiky pointed one sword at the student’s neck, and another at his heart, and clacked his mouth. He then rolled back on the floor and made a deep bow at the student, going to Tresuria’s side.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAPdSkSlml5Q
But then Egar Gage called for him. “Draiky, come here again! The purpose of this exercise was for me to evaluate the knowledge of the students! You defeated him in one second! I couldn’t judge squat! That girl already did one weird thing, and one is enough! Do it again, but try to only defend so that he can show what he knows, okay?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAd41yoZZ1Mw
The pet plant went to the student again, bumping the swords. He lowered his body and waited for his opponent to get ready.
When the Teacher gave the signal for them to start, Draiky stood still, waiting. In the next few minutes, the student kept on attacking, and Draiky would rather defend with one sword, or take one step to the side to avoid the blow.
After nearly five minutes, the student was panting with one knee on the ground, trying to recover his breath, and Draiky was in his initial stance again, waiting.
Egar Gage told them it was enough, and while Draiky went to Tresuria to deliver the swords, the student was dragging his tired body to get near his Party members.
The only one that was left to fight was Hinen Sukemoru.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAAILskBs47Z
He raised his hand and said, “Teacher, it’s me next, but I don’t have an opponent on another Party that hasn’t fought yet, and I have no idea how that happened. Can I still choose someone? Because if I can, I want to fight against Nozomu.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAMmkgtXUQHp
“I don’t see a problem with that. What do you say, Nozomu?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAgppLxqTuIs
“Sure. I am not tired at all.”
39Please respect copyright.PENANANCAz8FQobv
Hinen disguised a weird grin and went to the middle of the circle. Nozomu joined him, and held his sword breaker with one hand, facing forward and diagonally. His buckler was on his left hand, ready to defend as well.
With the sword in that position, like the Guild Master taught him, he could defend and change into an attack in a split second.
When the Teacher gave the signal, Hinen ran at an incredible speed, making Nozomu have a hard time defending himself from the continuous attacks aimed at his head and body.
At least for the first blows, because then, he did what Taisetsuna always told him to do: stop thinking and let his body react.
Three powerful blows happened split seconds apart. The sword breaker stopped Hinen’s sword and with a twist of the wrist broke the sword; Nozomu bumped his shoulder against Hinen’s chest, making him lose balance; an upward strike with the buckler hit him straight in the face, sending blood and teeth to the students around them and knocking out the surprised Cat-kind boy.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAaO5Lq67Wo4
Nozomu blinked when he realised what he had done, and mumbled, “Shit… I didn’t mean to do all this...”
39Please respect copyright.PENANADEiLrTQXGB
Egar Gage asked in a loud voice, “Can anyone use Healing Magic?”
39Please respect copyright.PENANAErzuSVTUC2
Taisetsuna immediately went to the fainted boy and poured her Magic on him. When Hinen was getting up, Teacher Egar Gage approached and gave him such a punch that Hinen was sent flying and fell over the students behind him that were at the edge of the circle. The Teacher signalled the surprised Taisetsuna, and she healed Hinen again.
39Please respect copyright.PENANAAd30uh17EI
When he was getting up, wondering why the Teacher punched him, his powerful voice echoed on the wall of the Academy. “This exercise was a test, you ‘yuuuing’ moron! The next time you or any of you try to kill another student during one of my classes, I will detach your ‘yuuuing’ heads off! Understood?”
ns 172.70.131.173da2