A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat

Chapter 15.1: She Broke Down in Tears Part 1

Mass release 15/15. Access 5 advance chapters with the 'Blink' Tier ($10) on Ko-fiShe Broke Down in Tears

Sword and spear.

If these two weapons were to fight, which one would win?

Most people would bet on the spear.

The spear’s long reach gives it an absolute advantage in a ranged battle.

In reality, when a sword and spear clash, the spear wins nine times out of ten.

The weapon matchup.

It’s like an insurmountable wall.

To put it into perspective… no matter how big and ferocious a cat is, it can’t defeat a tiger.

Anyway, for a sword to defeat a spear, there needs to be an overwhelming difference in skill.

And fortunately,

I had the skills to crush Lucy.

-Clang!! Crack…! Thud!!!

Every time our blades clashed, loud sounds reverberated throughout the training ground.

I controlled my breathing and widened my sweat-drenched eyes, focusing.

In my cold vision, only the sharp slashes cutting through the air were visible.

-Whoosh!!!

The spear’s elaborate movements converged into a single point.

It transformed into a swift thrust, aimed at my right shoulder.

I blocked it with a powerful upward swing of my sword.

-Clang!!!

The loudest sound yet pierced my eardrums.

For a moment, I almost lost my grip,

but I immediately regained my stance and swung horizontally with all my might.

I feinted a strike while stepping back quickly to create distance.

“Huff… Huff…”

Rough breaths escaped my lips.

Damn it, I’m already exhausted after moving this much?

I had moved as if I still had my previous body, and my stamina was depleted in an instant.

It felt like my technique execution was a bit off too.

‘But I don’t think I’ll lose.’

Still, I felt a strange sense of unease.

In my previous life, I could have subdued an opponent like this within three moves.

Of course, that was abnormal; I wasn’t weak now.

I was still overwhelming Lucy, who had superior stamina and strength, with just my technique alone.

-…

The noisy chatter from the surroundings had died down.

Everyone was staring at Lucy and me, their eyes wide with shock.

Why are they so surprised…?

I’m holding my own, but I wouldn’t say I’m doing anything spectacular.

Poor stamina management, weak strength, clumsy footwork.

There wasn’t a single thing I was satisfied with in this spar.

If my father were watching this, he would probably beat the crap out of me in the name of teaching me a lesson.

“Gasp… Huff… How… How are you…?”

Lucy muttered.

How am I what?

You’re practically telling me where you’re going to attack with your eyes.

If I couldn’t even block that, I’d have wasted the last ten years of my life.

I adjusted my grip on the sword and glanced at the clock.

‘It’s been a while.’

Over ten minutes had already passed.

Considering my stamina, I needed to finish this in the next exchange.

I might have sounded confident, but I was starting to struggle.

I stepped forward once again, charging towards the blonde girl.

Lucy swung her spear as if to intercept my approach.

I dodged it by twisting my body or deflected it with my sword, closing the distance between us.

-Whoosh! Crack…!!

Every time I moved my head or body,

the sound of the spear blade narrowly missing me grazed my ears.

I had abandoned all defense, focusing solely on offense.

If my footwork faltered even slightly, I would be vulnerable to a counterattack.

“Ugh…!!”

The precarious situation sent my brain into overdrive,

and the pounding of my heart made my senses numb.

The sensations from my previous life were slowly returning.

They were etched into my soul like indelible pencil marks.

-Clang!! Crack! Thud!!!

I could see it.

More and more clearly.

Every single movement the girl in front of me made.

Her gaze, her breathing, her preparatory movements, her steps, her expression.

Everything.

I had already grasped her completely.

‘She’s focusing all her energy on defense.’

Did she notice that I was nearing my limit?

It seemed she was trying to stall for time.

I could force my way through, but the difference in our basic stats was too great, and my stamina was running low.

So how could I create an opening in her defense?

A moment of contemplation.

Then, I smirked slightly and spoke.

“My liege.”

As expected,

this kind of thing works wonders on kids.

“Didn’t you swear to protect me?”

“......!!”

A heavy blow of trash talk, momentarily shaking her composure.

A flicker of agitation crossed the girl’s face.

At the same time, her solid defense wavered, creating an opening, and I seized it.

“No…!!”

Lucy came to her senses belatedly and swung her spear,

but it only grazed my forehead, failing to land a solid hit.

I felt a burning pain where the spear tip had scraped past,

but I didn’t care.

After all, this was all part of the plan.

-Clang!!!

My sword, swung with all my might, knocked the spear away,

and her hand, loosened in surprise, lost its grip on the weapon.

“Ugh…?!”

Not yet.

As soon as I confirmed that Lucy had been disarmed,

I swept her legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground.

Then, I thrust my sword into the floor, aiming it just past her face.

-Thud!!!

The blade narrowly missed.

I was panting heavily, half-straddling the fallen girl.

Before me, I saw the beautiful blonde frozen in shock.

“Huff… Huff…”

“…”

Drip, drip.

Drops of blood from my forehead fell onto Lucy’s cheek.

It was a wound from Lucy’s attack earlier.

I had intentionally adjusted my angle so that the blood would drip onto her cheek.

-Crazy…

-…

-…

The spectators were frozen in place as well.

Overwhelmed by the excessively intense atmosphere, no doubt.

This was exactly what I had intended.

Shocked gazes, bewildered expressions, a chilling silence.

‘Success.’

I let out a long breath, satisfied that things had gone according to plan.

Like it or not, I was going to attend this Academy for the next two years.

But I couldn’t afford to be treated like the delinquent Raiden of the past during my time here.

My mental fortitude wasn’t that strong.

So I needed a definite turnaround.

A shocking reversal, something unforgettable, something that would be etched into everyone’s minds.

This spar was a performance to mark the beginning of that reversal.

It was also a warning to those who looked at me with disdain.

I’m a crazy bastard.

Don’t even think about messing with me.

‘Of course, I didn’t plan for Lucy to be my sparring partner…’

Even if it was just a spar, it would cause trouble if I beat up the Empire’s princess.

So I tried to subdue her without causing any serious injuries.

It took quite a bit of effort.

“…Haha, hahaha!!”

A refreshing laugh burst out of me, a mixture of satisfaction and exhilaration.

It had been a bit fun.

There was no father glaring at me,

no masters relentlessly trying to beat me down.

And my opponent wasn’t someone overwhelmingly strong, someone I couldn’t possibly defeat, like in the world finals.

“Ahaha… Haha!!”

It was the first time in my life I had swung a sword so freely.

Perhaps because the tension had finally broken, I was laughing like a madman.

Unaware of how my actions would be perceived by those around me.

“…Hic.”

It started from somewhere nearby.

A strange sound reached my ears, and I lowered my head to look.

There,

“Sniff… Sob…”

Were teary blue eyes.

Her trembling eyebrows and pale face told me that she was terrified.

Only then did I realize how strange I must have looked.

I quickly got up, trying to calm Lucy down…

“Sob… Waaahhhh!!!”

But the blonde girl burst into tears.

Ah.

I’m screwed.

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