Chapter 94 – Mock Battle (2)

「Well then, the mock battle will commence! Bow to each other!」

It’s my first battle not using Skills, though it’s a mock battle.
Probably because of nervousness, I could feel the insides of my mouth becoming strangely dry.

My opponent is the hopeful young member of the knight order, Carl-san.
Because it’s my first time seeing him, I have absolutely no idea how he fights.

By the way, the use of 【Appraisal・Complete】 was prohibited by Brother-in-law-san.

That’s why I’ll have to judge with the information I have and fight.

Carl-san’s weapon is the spear, and on top of that, he readied a long spear in his right hand and a short one on his left.
……It’s probably the 【Dual Wield】 Skill.

However, the use of Skills are prohibited in this battle.
That doesn’t only apply to me, but also Carl-san, so it’s not a Skill, but…….

Unconcerned with my confusion, the signal to start the battle came from Knight Leader-san.

「Battle, start!!!」

Carl-san slowly closed the distance between us along with shouts.

「Fufu, Myne-dono, you seem to be perplexed? The battle’s already started, you know」

……Aah, that’s certainly true.
I don’t have tim to be confused.

If I were to be careless, I will suffer like when I fought with the caterpillar previously. (TLN: Waaaaay back in the first 10 chapters.)
Not to mention the fact taht I will have a family from now on.

I can’t die and leave my family because of my negligence.

I also held my daggers in both of my hands, and squared off with Carl-san.
Even without Skills, the sensation when using Skills certainly remains in my body.

Because of that, this dual wielding is absolutely not some borrowed plumes.
……Perhaps, Carl-san’s also the same.

「……I see, that stance…… it looks splendid now.
Does that mean you weren’t looking at my stance and imitating it?」(TLN: I have no idea. Tried my best)

Saying that, Carl-san started charging towards me with the long spear projected in front of him.

F, fast!

……However, compared to when Brother-in-law-san suddenly appearing in front of me……!

I’ll predict Carl-san’s movements as he’s appraoching me, and avoid it with a back step.
After that, I’ll approach his bust and get a hit in!

As I decided that in a moment, I jumped backwards until the range where the spear just barely misses.

「Yosh! I avoided it!!」

Thinking that, and in the moment I tried to leap in in order to counterattack, the spear which I avoided…… extended!

「Eh!?」

Understanding the situation, and I made movements to avoid it but…… it was too late…….
In the instant I aimed to counterattack, Carl-san’s long spear hit my side like a counter.

「Guha!!」

Although it’s a wooden spear, it’s power is tremendous.
I staggered and reflexively collapseed.

……If this was serious, I would have died.

What in the world happened?
There’s no doubt I avoided Carl-san’s attack.

！！！！！

This isn’t the time to think, Carl-san thursted towards me in order to deal the finishing blow.

……This time he swung his short spear downwards.

「Kuh!! As if I’ll let you!」

I endured the pain in my flank and stacked my two daggers in the 十 shape, and stopped the short spear’s blow.
Then I aimed at Carl-san and threw the dagger I was holding on my right hand.

He probably didn’t think that I would let go of my weapon, Carl-san avoided it with a surprised expression…… but, with his surprise, his movements became large, and a moment of chance was presented.

I won’t miss this chance!!

I gripped my right hand which threw out the dagger tightly, aimed at Carl-san’s solar plexus and swung it at full strength.

……He probably never thought that the hand which isn’t using a dagger would come hitting him.
My fist accurately hit Carl-san’s solar plexus.

This isn’t my first time attacking with my fist without using any Skills.
Although I staggered a little, I think I’ve delivered damage which isn’t something to be trifled with.

「Guh!」

Carl-san’s body bent into a く shape.

I’ll have to quickly take some distance and recover even a little……!

Carl-san was probably thinking the same thing as well.
Like me, he back stepped and separated from me.

「Kuh, I never thought that you would throw away your weapon and hit me……」

Now then, I’ve somehow got away with a clever scheme, but there’s no doubt that the situation’s unfavourable to me.
If I don’t see through the true identity of that extending spear, Carl-san’s first hit, I feel like I won’t have a chance of winning.

What in the world was that?
I certainly avoided it, but…….

Did I possibly made a mistake in estimating the distance?

……No, that isn’t it.

Although it was just barely, it’s a fact that I avoided it.
However, after that, the spearhead extended.

……Yosh, let’s test it out.

I wear the dagger I had been holding in my left hand on my waist and became unarmed.
I then relaxed, and took a relaxed stance.

Looking at my state, Carl-san frowned for a moment but immediately reset his expression and called out to me.

「……It doesn’t seem like…… you’ve given up on this match, right?
Now, now, what are you thinking, I wonder」

Don’t mind it, he’s only agitating me to read my thoughts.
What I have to do right now is to concentrate all my effort on evading and to know Carl-san’s attack’s secret.

What I learnt during the training, from the breath of the opponent and the movement of his muscles…… to predict his movements from such things.

Probably not really understanding the meaning of my movements, Carl-san carefully wait and see.
As expected, it seems like he isn’t carelessly jumping in.

Yosh, now then…….

「……What’s wrong? Carl-san, are you afraid of this unarmed me?」

I tried to provoke him, which is unlike me, but how is it?

「A direct provocation…….
I understand that, but alright. I’ll take the bait!」

Ahaha…… I seem to have been found out.

However, result-wise, it seems to be good!

While smiling, he fiercely started charging towards me.

「I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’ll end this now!」

What Carl-san chose was the long spear’s attack, like the first one.
Yes! That’s exactly what I had been waiting for.

A blow from the spear was unleashed against me.
Un, up until now, it was a completely normal attack.

There isn’t anything particularly…… Mn? What’s that? The movement of his shoulder muscles…… something feels out of place?
Huh? What’s this, it’s not just his shoulders, this strange sense of discomfort is?

The attack this time was different from before, and he doesn’t plan to counterattack.
I didn’t avoid it barely, but backstepped greatly.

Then, even while avoiding the spear, I concentrated on Carl-san’s right shoulder which I felt was out of place and observed it closely.

As I did that, Carl-san pulled his shoulder back and pushed it out in front of him.
Moreover, his right pivot foot made a step forward.

I see, that’s what I felt was out of place.
He changed his pivot foot and approached, huh.

By advancing his pivot foot, and pushing his spear in front after pulling back his shoulder, to the opponent, it looks like the spear had extended.
I see, certainly, this is a “technique”.

Devoting myself to avoiding, I had some room, and could completely avoid this attack.
As took a glance at Carl-san, I could see that he had quite the vexed expression.

It was probably a blow he was confident in.
In reality, thanks to this attack, I was driven until I was just one step short of losing.

However, if I know the trick behind it, this match is mine!

From now on, I’ll start my counterattack!

---

AN:

Thank you very much for always reading.
Please take care of me from now on as well.

TL: Izzy

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