Chapter 68

It's quite long.

"Ha!"

"――――"

As soon as the curtain rose, Noel launched a spirited offensive with high morale. While dodging the rain of slashes, various strategies were running through my mind.

If the goal was just to secure victory, the best course would be to run until the effects of the Tempered Swordsmanship wore off. However, I had no intention of winning by such a cheap trick. What was important to me now wasn't just that.

(With the skills of a former world-ranked number one, I will crush this kin head-on!)

With that resolve, as our swords clashed fiercely, I whispered quietly.

"Parry"

"――What!?"

Noel, caught off guard by the unexpected skill, looked bewildered. Seeing his sword deflected and the shock in his eyes, I smiled inwardly.

"What happened!?"

"The No Emblem holder deflected Noel's sword!"

Surprised voices rose from the audience. They probably didn't understand what had just happened. Parry, when seen from a distance, can't be distinguished as a skill or just a lucky occurrence, making it perfect for this strategy.

And one more thing—

"I'll keep it up"

"Wh-What!?"

Hearing my declaration, Noel instinctively lowered his sword into a defensive stance. Seeing this, I swung my sword powerfully. Just before the blades made contact, I whispered.

"Slash"

"!!!"

---

【Slash】Lv.2

- Sword Skill

- By consuming MP, you can launch a slash.

- By pouring all your magic power into the slash within 0.2 seconds before it occurs, a critical hit is triggered, increasing the damage by 33%.

---

Slash can unleash a critical hit by pouring all magic power into the slash just 0.2 seconds before it occurs. The enhanced slash hit Noel's sword and sent him flying backward.

(Success.)

Slash is typically a skill for launching a slash into the air. If used in a public setting, it would be immediately noticed. However, there was a way to avoid this. By minimizing the time between the slash's occurrence and its impact, it would only appear as a powerful attack to the audience.

While the difficulty increases and the long-range attack advantage of Slash is lost, in this situation, the increased attack power alone was enough.

"Damn... You..."

Noel, brushing off the dust from his clothes and standing up in confusion, heard me say calmly,

"That was a greeting strike."

If I had won by surprise without Noel knowing I could use skills, it would have been meaningless. Therefore, this series of actions was intended to reveal my abilities to Noel while expecting him to defend.

If someone were to claim that I, a No Emblem holder, was using such a cheap trick, it would cause trouble—but—

"…Interesting!"

Noel's eyes shone brightly, as if to say that such concerns were unnecessary. He must have clearly understood that I could use skills. Naturally, he would have questions, but the excitement and joy driving him were evident.

Noel, with his sword at the ready, smiled more broadly than ever.

"Again—I declare here that I will break through your full strength, Zeros Sylphid."

"Aye. Come at me, Noel Fanatis."

The battle had already lasted 100 seconds. Despite the effects of Tempered Swordsmanship reaching their peak, our sword speeds continued to increase—

◇◆◇

While Zeros and Noel were engrossed in their battle—

"...Zeros"

In the audience, the red-haired girl, Shuna, was holding her breath, watching the fight. Zeros was maintaining the upper hand, blocking all of Noel's attacks and countering accurately.

Yet, Noel didn't give up and kept launching new moves. The accelerating swordplay and the clashing of metal were changing the atmosphere of the entire venue.

"What's happening?"

"Noel is suddenly being overwhelmed!?"

"Amazing..."

"Could it be... Could the No Emblem holder win!?"

At first, the audience was skeptical and rebellious towards Zeros. But before they knew it, they were captivated by his skills. It's no wonder; even Shuna, who knew Zeros' background, was impressed by his performance. Meanwhile, Reina, sitting next to her, was smiling throughout.

"Zeros is amazing...!"

The intense back-and-forth was mesmerizing, but no battle lasts forever. The two's mock battle was about to reach its conclusion—

(Strong—this is the true strength of Zeros Sylphid...!)

Amid the intense exchanges, Noel's heart was filled with joy.

I've seen knights and adventurers stronger in level and raw power. But—this is different. Zeros exudes something unique, a gap beyond mere skill. It's like a seasoned warrior's presence, built over years of experience.

"Parry"

"Damn!"

Immediately after, Zeros deflected Noel's sword downward, creating a cloud of dust. Then,

"Slash"

He unleashed several Slashes into the ground, causing a massive dust cloud. To the audience, it looked like he was just slashing the ground. However, the dust cloud completely obscured both of them.

(Blind them? No, I can still see him clearly.)

"What are you planning—!?"

Noel saw Zeros, enveloped in a bluish-white light—

◇◆◇

(Here we go, the decisive moment.)

Before the final exchange, I was assessing the situation. I had revealed Parry and Slash, shifting the battle in my favor, but it wasn't enough to finish Noel during the Tempered Swordsmanship. I wanted to use Sword Boost as the finishing move, but the skill would make my body glow bluish-white, revealing it—

There was one way to counter this. Noel had used Charge Strike to create dust and escape my sight. I decided to do the same, but for the audience.

I parried Noel's attack into the ground and used Slash to create a dust cloud. Then, I activated Sword Boost. The dust cloud prevented the audience from seeing anything. Even if they saw a bluish-white light, they would assume it was Noel.

"――Let's go."

With a powerful step, I launched a high-speed sword flash, which cut into Noel's torso.

"Ugh...!"

Noel, writhing in pain, seemed to have avoided a fatal wound. But the real attack was just beginning. I aimed to deliver a torrent of strikes to the off-balance Noel.

Just as I was about to deliver the second and third strikes,

"No, not yet—Sword Boost!"

"!"

Noel's body was also enveloped in a bluish-white light. Realizing he would be overwhelmed, he decided to increase his speed. His strategy was correct. By a hair's breadth, he managed to avoid or deflect all my strikes.

Noel's lips curled into a smile.

"You moved too soon, Zeros Sylphid. The moment you finish that skill is the moment of decision!"

"――"

Noel was referring to the 0.2-second stun after Sword Boost. If I couldn't finish him off, he would have the advantage. Noel intended to deliver the final blow, and the light on my sword was intensifying, signaling the final strike.

When I swung my sword, and he deflected it, the battle would be decided. Noel was sure of this.

But—

"I told you, I'll show you what comes next."

This was all part of my plan from the start. As I swung my sword at Noel, I adjusted the force and angle, and whispered,

"Parry"

"――What!?"

My blade didn't just deflect Noel's sword; it was deflected back and stopped mid-air. I had intentionally failed the Parry, causing a 0.1-second stun. Noel, caught off guard, quickly adjusted and took advantage of the stun.

"An anticlimactic end, but this time, it's over!"

Noel's sword, slicing through the air, was about to hit me. I kicked the ground with all my might and jumped to the side.

"――What!? Impossible! Why can you move!?"

"Overwriting the stun time."

Noel, missing his target, swung his sword in frustration. I explained the system he didn't know.

"Sword Boost has a 0.2-second stun, but a failed Parry has a 0.1-second stun. By intentionally failing the Parry at the last moment, I can switch to the shorter stun time."

"――What!?"

The 0.1-second difference was enough to give me the time to react. This complex system is something only a seasoned gamer like me would know and execute. But I used it mercilessly, thinking it was what he wanted.

"Now, the tables are turned. It's my turn."

"Damn! No, not yet! I still have Charge Strike—"

One more strike, and Noel would also be stunned. To avoid this, he raised his sword high, likely planning to use Charge Strike again.

However,

"【Mist Fall】"

"!"

The slash deflected Noel's sword upward. Then, Charge Strike activated, releasing the magic power stored in the blade. The most powerful slash yet was launched into the sky, dispersing the dust cloud.

With the dust cleared, I saw Noel, stunned, and raised my sword high. In the frozen moment, Noel's deep red eyes glowed, and he spoke slowly.

"I see. This is your true strength...!"

I delivered a full-power strike at Noel. He fell to the ground, looking satisfied.

Silence enveloped the arena. I glanced at the referee, who nodded and announced,

"That's it! The winner is Zeros Sylphid!"

For a moment, the silence continued—

"「「「Wooooo!」」」"

The moment one person cheered, everyone else joined in. Thus, our mock battle, watched by all, ended with my victory.

Complete resolution!

The mock battle is over, but the main story of the Academy Admission Arc is just beginning.

Please look forward to the continuation!

Thank you all for reading this work!

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