Once again, Adam leaped toward me. I dodged to the side and blocked his sword with mine. A loud sound rang in the training ground.
Clang!
Even if what we held was wood, it was mixed with steel on edge. The edge of the blade was also sharp, and it was no different from a normal sword.
However, as it was used for training, it was lighter than the normal one to fit students who were below Level 5 and couldn't use a normal sword yet.
His hand was shaking, trying to overpower me, as he gritted his teeth. On the other hand, I stood calmly without moving while holding my sword with my right hand.
The difference was as clear as day and night, but he didn't seem to give up.
Stepping back, he attacked me once again with the training sword. "Arrgh!" A loud, desperate shout escaped his mouth.
I stood with my sword at the ready, watching as Adam approached. I knew I was far stronger than him and could easily beat him, but I decided to take it easy and play with him a bit.
Adam swung his sword at me, but I easily parried his blow and gave him a small grin. I could see the frustration on his face as he tried to land a hit on me, but I effortlessly dodged his attacks.
"Your swing is too wide. It's easy to dodge like this."
"You! Stop dodging!"
With a sudden burst of energy, Adam lunged toward me. I blocked his attack and swiftly countered with a blow that knocked his sword out of his hand.
"Aah!"
"Use your hips too! Don't just attack like that. Take your sword and come to me once again."
I could see the defeat in his eyes, but I decided to give him one more chance.
"Come on, Adam, don't give up so easily," I taunted him with a smile. "Let's see what else you've got."
Adam picked up his sword and charged at me once again, but I could tell that his heart wasn't really in it. I easily dodged his attacks, but this time I decided to let him land a hit on me.
As his sword struck my chest, I pretended to stagger backward as if his hit had knocked me off balance.
Adam's eyes lit up with excitement, thinking he had finally landed a hit on me and began attacking relentlessly. But little did he know that I was simply toying with him.
"Left, right. No, your legs stopped moving!"
A simple creature with one brain cell like him was really easy to toy with. Of course, all the advice I gave him was something he could learn in this self-defense class.
I also needed to make it look like he was the one who was bad in this because he nominated me when I didn't do anything more than tell him to fuck off at that café. And I even forgave him and gave him some pointers.
His attack became sharper now thanks to my advice. Just… a little bit sharper.
But he was still simple. I could dodge this with my eyes closed all the time if I wanted to.
No skill, no technique, no style. Just a plain swinging sword at me.
It felt like he underestimated me even though I knew that he was doing his best. But that was a good enough reason for me to kick him in his stomach after I dodged his wide swing. I didn't like being underestimated. I had pride as the strongest player in Horizon Online.
"Argh."
He rolled down the ground and rolled around, stopping only after his back hit the barrier. His body was battered, but he tried to pick himself up.
"Are you underestimating me?" I asked in a low tone as I looked at him.
"You think I am a pushover who you can defeat with that skill of yours? Think about it a little. The fact that I am able to enter the Royal Academy means I at least have this much skill. You can just surrender now and learn more before asking me for a duel again."
Indeed. At the game's start, Adam was weaker even than the students who loved literature. Well, mainly because those students were low-ranked nobles that gained some training from the knight in their fief, but even so, Adam was just that weak.
This protagonist could only enter the Academy because of his helper's help, enhancing his body capability when he took the test.
"Shut up!" He shouted at me as he leaped once again.
"Sigh… You don't even listen to me."
'This guy never learned, did he?' A wry smile appeared on my face as I glanced at the audience. They looked excited, and even Eliza started to chant my name, causing the other students to follow her. 'I guess this is enough.'
My image had been built as a forgiving student who taught the arrogant one, in this case Adam, a lesson not to underestimate a student of the Royal Academy and even gave him pointers. Rania's gaze, which I felt, was also a bit different from before.
"Well then, if that's your choice."
As Adam advanced toward me, I decided to end the game and show him a part of my true strength. With a single powerful blow, I disarmed him and sent his sword flying out of his hand. He stumbled back, completely taken by surprise.
I watched him carefully as he attempted to regain his footing. But before he could even take his sword, I took one swift step forward and plunged my sword into his chest. He fell to the ground, his body convulsing as he gasped for air.
Blood spurted from his wound as I pulled my sword. Even though he could revive, getting stabbed by a sword in his chest must've hurt. I knew that because I was stabbed many times when I was betrayed.
I stood over him, feeling a mix of emotions.
On the one hand, I was disappointed that the fight had ended so quickly. On the other hand, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having shown Adam just how powerful I truly was and increased my reputation among the students.
As Adam lay dying on the ground, I knelt beside him and whispered, "Do you understand? You were no match for me from the start."
With those words, Adam breathed his last breath, and his body disappeared in a mote of light. Oh, how great his expression was. He scowled hard that his brows furrowed together as if saying 'fuck you' to me.
"The winner is Arthur!" Rania declared my win as she raised her hand. A smile was on her face.
I smiled back and walked toward the exit after returning the training sword. Adam's blood was gone as his body disappeared earlier, so it wasn't stained.
As I walked out, I thought of what I should do next.
'Now, I just need to sit and wait for the church. Oh, right. I need to meet Rania after the class to get my punishment. Well, I don't think it will be a harsh punishment, considering that I feel like she's seeing me in a different light now.'
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