Chapter 88: Jend’s Sword Master
We were at the Flowtier’s Army’s training grounds. Today, the army wasn’t training there, and there were only a few people in the spacious training area.
In the middle of the spacious training grounds, I face an opponent using a single-handed sword. His stance is using the [Single Blade of the Fire God] Style. Instead of Jend’s favored stance that focuses on aggressive attacks, this stance is more defensive, and I can’t find any openings at my skill level.
My opponent is the Flowtier’s Head of Military and the Sword Master of the Single Blade of the Fire God. He distinguished himself by meticulously arranging his hair, and his name is Ricardo. He’s Jend’s teacher.
I knew him by face, and I have spoken to him before, but today is the first time we’re actually having a practice match fighting one another.
I hear Mr. Ricardo’s foot as it drags on the ground, and I also match him by sliding my feet as we move together.
But before I let my impatience take over and make the first move……
Mr. Ricardo raises his sword, and flames envelop the blade.
I was cautiously observing at a safe distance since neither sword nor spear could bridge the distance between us but……….
Ricardo: “[Soaring Flame Strike!]”
Mr. Ricardo brings his sword down from where he stood. His blade did not reach me…….but the fire that blew forth from his sword arched towards me through the air.
Henry: “WHAー？！”
I froze in shock, and it delayed my reaction for a moment…...but I jumped to the side and managed to barely dodge it.
The flaming arc flies past me and strikes the ground behind me. I hear a small explosion, and a dust cloud billows upwards.
……..how does that blade of fire have such a physical impacts?
Ricardo: “Here I come！”
Henry: “Tsch！”
As I was frozen in place after I dodge the Soaring Flame Strike, Mr. Ricardo instantly covered the ground between us. I parry the sword coming down to strike me with my spear and I strike back meagerly with my balance slightly broken. ……..and my half-hearted counter was easily parried aside.
Ricardo: “There there there there！”
Henry: “URGHーー！”
I change the Nyoiten Spear into a more flexible single-handed sword and continue blocking the flurry of attacks.
This is getting difficult. Mr. Ricardo’s sword is blurring a bit, and it’s making it hard to read the sword’s path.
I heard this from Sir Ezeal once. By emitting heat with the sword, you can warp the air around it, and you can force the opponent to start misjudging the sword’s striking distance ー this is one of the Ultimate Techniques of the Single Blade of the Fire God Style.
If I remember correctly, I need to look at the opponent’s sword hand and not the sword itself to read their next moves.
Predict…….predict………..oh c’mon! If it was that easy, I wouldn’t be struggling so much right now！
Henry: “.........FUH！” (sfx exhale)
Ricardo: “Oh…”
I decided to give up on a proper defense, and I extended the Nyoiten Spear’s length and swung wildly. This was to force Mr. Ricardo to go on the defensive.
Of course, Mr. Ricardo is able to parry these attacks, but he shouldn’t have that much experience fighting against a weapon that can lengthen and shorten so quickly. I manage to get him to step back and open the distance between us.
Henry: “[Strengthen] {Hazac} + [Restrain] {Katerno} + [Launch] {Veros}！”
I released the Magecraft Arrow. With amazing footwork, he completely avoids it, but now the distance between us is even greater.
Henry: “ORAAHH！”
I throw my spear.
Mr. Ricardo easily escapes from the spear’s single flying path but……...it won’t be that simple！
Henry: “Split up！”
Ricardo: “What？！”
Mr. Ricardo panics a little as he parries the Nyoiten Spears that split into 3 right before his eyes.
……….even at that timing, he was still able to respond defensively. If I delayed the cloning just a tiny bit later, it might have worked, but from this distance, I don’t know if I could catch that timing ー in short, I would need to train some more.
I return the spear back to my hands as I confirm my shortcomings.
Ricardo: “...........I see. I have not heard about that ability of yours.” Henry: “It’s not something I absolutely have to keep secret…..but I don’t get to use it that often, and it’s more or less a trump card I keep tucked away.”
I reply to Mr. Ricardo’s comment.
Henry: “Would you like to continue?”
When my Nyoiten Spear split in three, he was able to deflect two of them, but one grazed his ribs. The chest plate in that area was dented, and I’m sure he felt the impact. Mr. Ricardo seemed to regard the injury, and his stance was protecting that region now.
I made sure to go for non-vital areas just in case they hit, but I didn’t hold back much power behind the throws themselves.
Ricardo: “Without a doubt.”
We could call the match here, but Mr. Ricardo decided to proceed with the fight.
Now, it’s my turn to attack.
I begin a flurry of strikes against Mr. Ricardo who’s now injured. Although he’s able to parry my strikes in clever, graceful ways, his injuries are taking effect and his defense is not perfect. And right now, Mr. Ricardo doesn’t have the physical strength to match me and stop the oncoming blows directly.
Realizing his disadvantage, Mr. Ricardo tried to jump back to reset the fight…...but I was expecting it.
Henry: “Hah！” (sfx exhale)
I got the general timing down, so I matched his jump, raised my spear, and threw it.
I aimed……..not directly at his stomach, and made the spear stick to the ground beside him as he landed.
Ricardo: “........haha, I should have resigned back then. It is my loss.”
Henry: “Yes, it is my win.” And with a slow exhale, I let all the strength leave my body as Mr. Ricardo raises his hands in a gesture of defeat.
Ricardo: “Thank you for the match.” Henry: “Thank you for the match.” The practice match was over. We bowed to one another.
Seeing our match end, Jend, who was observing from the sidelines, starts walking towards us.
Today, we held a no holds barred practice match not just for training, but it was especially for Jend to see this fight.
We wanted him to see the pure, refined skills of a Single Blade of the Fire God Style user like Mr. Ricardo going at his fullest power. …….and there’s no one in this territory that can really bring out all of his strength except me.
Jend: “Good work, master, and Henry too.”
I raise a fist in the air in reply with a “yeah”.
Jend: “But really……..you’re so strong, Henry. I didn’t think you would beat my master this easily.” Henry: “No, if it was just about technique and skill, I completely lost. I forced a win with my weapon’s ability and brute strength. That’s about it.”
Although he’s not on Sir Ezeal’s level, Mr. Ricardo is also a master of the sword. His skills and techniques will be high above where any 20 year old could reach.
Ricardo: “No, no. All of those things are still part of your strength, Mr. Henry. ……..but I can’t help but think that if I was 15 years younger, we could have had a better match though.”
Mr. Ricardo shrugs with his comment.
It’s true. From what I heard, Mr. Ricardo is 53. He’s definitely reached the elderly age…..and typically, you would have retired long ago as a combat fighter. And it’s surprising that he can move so well nowadays, so he must have been much stronger during his youth.
Ricardo: “No matter how much I refine my techniques, my muscles are quicker to decline. For people like me, there is very little to be done about that.”
Henry: “Yeahー that is true. ……..but there are some exceptions that continue to improve both strength and skills after 50. Such as that Great Hero.”
Ricardo: “Please don’t compare me to the greatest anomaly of our times.”
Apparently, Mr. Ricardo trained with Sir Ezeal at the same Dojo at one point.
One of the Alvenia Kingdom's greatest Martial Art’s city ー Eastfarea. That is Mr. Ricardo’s birth place, and when Sir Ezeal was 10 years old, it was the first location where he started training.
Ricardo: “When I was a child, we swung the sword together for only a few months, and we barely spoke to one another……...but I don’t doubt that those significant talents of his reached the realms of a Hero of Legend.”
In only a few months, Sir Ezeal mastered all the Ultimate Techniques of the Single Blade of the Fire God, and moved onto the next Dojo. But he soon mastered all the Martial Arts in that area, and went on to the next place.
………...is how one Martial Artist who was training in Eastfarea at the time remembers in vivid details about Sir Ezeal’s activities.
Ricardo: “However, I never would have thought that my own disciple would receive instructions from him. And to add insult to injury, his teaching was spot on. …….(sigh)......I sometimes wonder if my teachings these last 8 years were wasted.”
Jend: “Ugh, wーwait, I didn’t mean to devalue Master’s teachings…..he offered to teach me so, I just took him up andー hey, I already apologized about this before, Master!”
Ricardo: “Haha. Sorry, sorry. I am only teasing, Jend.” Jend looks at him sullenly as he retorts back to Mr. Ricardo……..and Mr. Ricardo apologized with mischief still in his eyes.
These two get along so well.
Henry: “So Jend, did you get something out of that?” Jend: “Yeah, I got to see my Master’s moves, and I’d like to try it out but…….” Jend glances briefly at Mr. Ricardo. Oh yeah, Mr. Ricardo’s still injured.
Henry: “That’s right. We haven’t treated your injuries. Here, I can help you with that.” Ricardo: “Ah, well, well. Could you please?” The ribs where the spear grazed didn’t pierce the armor, so it’s probably a bad bruise. This is something that I can heal if given enough time.
I cast my [Heal] {Teol} and heal Mr. Ricardo’s injury.
And after his injuries were healed, Jend trained with Mr. Ricardo. Of course, I was thrown into the mix, and we all trained to our hearts content.
<<<<>>>>
After we spent the half-day training….
Jend wanted to go out drinking, but we were both soaked in sweat, and it was hard justifying going to a tavern like this.
So before we hit the taverns, Jend and I went to the public bath together.
Jend: “Fwew……...mmmmm～～～”
Henry: “AHHHHHーー feels like my body’s melting～.....”
As we were both exhausted from the training, submerging shoulder deep into slightly hot bath water, and I can’t help but groan lazily. I don’t think there’s anything more amazing in life than this.
Jend: “(sigh)........it’s my first time at the Flowtier’s Public Bath, but it’s spacious, clean, and very well maintained. It’s nice.”
Henry: “Yeah, I just come here every once in a while. I like the bath at home, but sometimes, it’s nice to come here.”
Jend: “There’s also flowers floating in the water to give off a nice scent…….sheesh, it’s like a Royalty’s bath.”
It’s a bath suitable and symbolic of the City of Flower and Water.
Jends: “It’s one way of using the flowers that were not suitable for decoration….”
Henry: “Makes senseー’
I agree nonchalantly to Jend’s explanation as I enjoy the hot water.
Fwew～ it feels good.
Henry: “Ohー Jend. I forgot to tell you. That move, the one Mr. Ricardo was using, Soaring Flame Strike? You should learn that. It’s important to have [long reaches].”
After we’ve been in the tub for a while, I remember that all of a sudden and suggest it to Jend.
Jend: “Oh thatー that’s my Master’s Original move. It’s a mix between Martial Arts and Magecraft, and you can’t do it without engraving a special Spell Inscription on your sword. It’s a Spell that initiates with the movement of the sword, so it shouldn’t be that complicated of an inscription though……..”
Jend’s weapon is a large broadsword that is a godly equipment. ……….the only people who can modify that would be limited to the super top echelon of smiths. Yeah, that’s impossible.
Henry: “Got it.”
Jend: “Yeah, I thought about buying a normal sword and learning it, but the Blaze Blade is a great godly equipment so…….”
Jend has drawn several Rare weapons, but none of them exceeded the [Flame Envelopment] ability of the Blaze Blade. The sword is just way too compatible with the Single Blade of the Fire God Style.
Henry: “Well, I guess we can’t just take any short cuts then.”
Jend: “Yeah…...well…...I’ll just take it one step at a time.”
And though I don’t know how much help I’ll be, I’ll do the best I can to help him move up.
We were thinking of these things as we got out of the bath.
Chapter 88: Jend’s Sword Master
We were at the Flowtier’s Army’s training grounds. Today, the army wasn’t training there, and there were only a few people in the spacious training area.
In the middle of the spacious training grounds, I face an opponent using a single-handed sword. His stance is using the [Single Blade of the Fire God] Style. Instead of Jend’s favored stance that focuses on aggressive attacks, this stance is more defensive, and I can’t find any openings at my skill level.
My opponent is the Flowtier’s Head of Military and the Sword Master of the Single Blade of the Fire God. He distinguished himself by meticulously arranging his hair, and his name is Ricardo. He’s Jend’s teacher.
I knew him by face, and I have spoken to him before, but today is the first time we’re actually having a practice match fighting one another.
I hear Mr. Ricardo’s foot as it drags on the ground, and I also match him by sliding my feet as we move together.
But before I let my impatience take over and make the first move……
Mr. Ricardo raises his sword, and flames envelop the blade.
I was cautiously observing at a safe distance since neither sword nor spear could bridge the distance between us but……….
Ricardo: “[Soaring Flame Strike!]”
Mr. Ricardo brings his sword down from where he stood. His blade did not reach me…….but the fire that blew forth from his sword arched towards me through the air.
Henry: “WHAー？！”
I froze in shock, and it delayed my reaction for a moment…...but I jumped to the side and managed to barely dodge it.
The flaming arc flies past me and strikes the ground behind me. I hear a small explosion, and a dust cloud billows upwards.
……..how does that blade of fire have such a physical impacts?
Ricardo: “Here I come！”
Henry: “Tsch！”
As I was frozen in place after I dodge the Soaring Flame Strike, Mr. Ricardo instantly covered the ground between us. I parry the sword coming down to strike me with my spear and I strike back meagerly with my balance slightly broken. ……..and my half-hearted counter was easily parried aside.
Ricardo: “There there there there！”
Henry: “URGHーー！”
I change the Nyoiten Spear into a more flexible single-handed sword and continue blocking the flurry of attacks.
This is getting difficult. Mr. Ricardo’s sword is blurring a bit, and it’s making it hard to read the sword’s path.
I heard this from Sir Ezeal once. By emitting heat with the sword, you can warp the air around it, and you can force the opponent to start misjudging the sword’s striking distance ー this is one of the Ultimate Techniques of the Single Blade of the Fire God Style.
If I remember correctly, I need to look at the opponent’s sword hand and not the sword itself to read their next moves.
Predict…….predict………..oh c’mon! If it was that easy, I wouldn’t be struggling so much right now！
Henry: “.........FUH！” (sfx exhale)
Ricardo: “Oh…”
I decided to give up on a proper defense, and I extended the Nyoiten Spear’s length and swung wildly. This was to force Mr. Ricardo to go on the defensive.
Of course, Mr. Ricardo is able to parry these attacks, but he shouldn’t have that much experience fighting against a weapon that can lengthen and shorten so quickly. I manage to get him to step back and open the distance between us.
Henry: “[Strengthen] {Hazac} + [Restrain] {Katerno} + [Launch] {Veros}！”
I released the Magecraft Arrow. With amazing footwork, he completely avoids it, but now the distance between us is even greater.
Henry: “ORAAHH！”
I throw my spear.
Mr. Ricardo easily escapes from the spear’s single flying path but……...it won’t be that simple！
Henry: “Split up！”
Ricardo: “What？！”
Mr. Ricardo panics a little as he parries the Nyoiten Spears that split into 3 right before his eyes.
……….even at that timing, he was still able to respond defensively. If I delayed the cloning just a tiny bit later, it might have worked, but from this distance, I don’t know if I could catch that timing ー in short, I would need to train some more.
I return the spear back to my hands as I confirm my shortcomings.
Ricardo: “...........I see. I have not heard about that ability of yours.” Henry: “It’s not something I absolutely have to keep secret…..but I don’t get to use it that often, and it’s more or less a trump card I keep tucked away.”
I reply to Mr. Ricardo’s comment.
Henry: “Would you like to continue?”
When my Nyoiten Spear split in three, he was able to deflect two of them, but one grazed his ribs. The chest plate in that area was dented, and I’m sure he felt the impact. Mr. Ricardo seemed to regard the injury, and his stance was protecting that region now.
I made sure to go for non-vital areas just in case they hit, but I didn’t hold back much power behind the throws themselves.
Ricardo: “Without a doubt.”
We could call the match here, but Mr. Ricardo decided to proceed with the fight.
Now, it’s my turn to attack.
I begin a flurry of strikes against Mr. Ricardo who’s now injured. Although he’s able to parry my strikes in clever, graceful ways, his injuries are taking effect and his defense is not perfect. And right now, Mr. Ricardo doesn’t have the physical strength to match me and stop the oncoming blows directly.
Realizing his disadvantage, Mr. Ricardo tried to jump back to reset the fight…...but I was expecting it.
Henry: “Hah！” (sfx exhale)
I got the general timing down, so I matched his jump, raised my spear, and threw it.
I aimed……..not directly at his stomach, and made the spear stick to the ground beside him as he landed.
Ricardo: “........haha, I should have resigned back then. It is my loss.”
Henry: “Yes, it is my win.” And with a slow exhale, I let all the strength leave my body as Mr. Ricardo raises his hands in a gesture of defeat.
Ricardo: “Thank you for the match.” Henry: “Thank you for the match.” The practice match was over. We bowed to one another.
Seeing our match end, Jend, who was observing from the sidelines, starts walking towards us.
Today, we held a no holds barred practice match not just for training, but it was especially for Jend to see this fight.
We wanted him to see the pure, refined skills of a Single Blade of the Fire God Style user like Mr. Ricardo going at his fullest power. …….and there’s no one in this territory that can really bring out all of his strength except me.
Jend: “Good work, master, and Henry too.”
I raise a fist in the air in reply with a “yeah”.
Jend: “But really……..you’re so strong, Henry. I didn’t think you would beat my master this easily.” Henry: “No, if it was just about technique and skill, I completely lost. I forced a win with my weapon’s ability and brute strength. That’s about it.”
Although he’s not on Sir Ezeal’s level, Mr. Ricardo is also a master of the sword. His skills and techniques will be high above where any 20 year old could reach.
Ricardo: “No, no. All of those things are still part of your strength, Mr. Henry. ……..but I can’t help but think that if I was 15 years younger, we could have had a better match though.”
Mr. Ricardo shrugs with his comment.
It’s true. From what I heard, Mr. Ricardo is 53. He’s definitely reached the elderly age…..and typically, you would have retired long ago as a combat fighter. And it’s surprising that he can move so well nowadays, so he must have been much stronger during his youth.
Ricardo: “No matter how much I refine my techniques, my muscles are quicker to decline. For people like me, there is very little to be done about that.”
Henry: “Yeahー that is true. ……..but there are some exceptions that continue to improve both strength and skills after 50. Such as that Great Hero.”
Ricardo: “Please don’t compare me to the greatest anomaly of our times.”
Apparently, Mr. Ricardo trained with Sir Ezeal at the same Dojo at one point.
One of the Alvenia Kingdom's greatest Martial Art’s city ー Eastfarea. That is Mr. Ricardo’s birth place, and when Sir Ezeal was 10 years old, it was the first location where he started training.
Ricardo: “When I was a child, we swung the sword together for only a few months, and we barely spoke to one another……...but I don’t doubt that those significant talents of his reached the realms of a Hero of Legend.”
In only a few months, Sir Ezeal mastered all the Ultimate Techniques of the Single Blade of the Fire God, and moved onto the next Dojo. But he soon mastered all the Martial Arts in that area, and went on to the next place.
………...is how one Martial Artist who was training in Eastfarea at the time remembers in vivid details about Sir Ezeal’s activities.
Ricardo: “However, I never would have thought that my own disciple would receive instructions from him. And to add insult to injury, his teaching was spot on. …….(sigh)......I sometimes wonder if my teachings these last 8 years were wasted.”
Jend: “Ugh, wーwait, I didn’t mean to devalue Master’s teachings…..he offered to teach me so, I just took him up andー hey, I already apologized about this before, Master!”
Ricardo: “Haha. Sorry, sorry. I am only teasing, Jend.” Jend looks at him sullenly as he retorts back to Mr. Ricardo……..and Mr. Ricardo apologized with mischief still in his eyes.
These two get along so well.
Henry: “So Jend, did you get something out of that?” Jend: “Yeah, I got to see my Master’s moves, and I’d like to try it out but…….” Jend glances briefly at Mr. Ricardo. Oh yeah, Mr. Ricardo’s still injured.
Henry: “That’s right. We haven’t treated your injuries. Here, I can help you with that.” Ricardo: “Ah, well, well. Could you please?” The ribs where the spear grazed didn’t pierce the armor, so it’s probably a bad bruise. This is something that I can heal if given enough time.
I cast my [Heal] {Teol} and heal Mr. Ricardo’s injury.
And after his injuries were healed, Jend trained with Mr. Ricardo. Of course, I was thrown into the mix, and we all trained to our hearts content.
<<<<>>>>
After we spent the half-day training….
Jend wanted to go out drinking, but we were both soaked in sweat, and it was hard justifying going to a tavern like this.
So before we hit the taverns, Jend and I went to the public bath together.
Jend: “Fwew……...mmmmm～～～”
Henry: “AHHHHHーー feels like my body’s melting～.....”
As we were both exhausted from the training, submerging shoulder deep into slightly hot bath water, and I can’t help but groan lazily. I don’t think there’s anything more amazing in life than this.
Jend: “(sigh)........it’s my first time at the Flowtier’s Public Bath, but it’s spacious, clean, and very well maintained. It’s nice.”
Henry: “Yeah, I just come here every once in a while. I like the bath at home, but sometimes, it’s nice to come here.”
Jend: “There’s also flowers floating in the water to give off a nice scent…….sheesh, it’s like a Royalty’s bath.”
It’s a bath suitable and symbolic of the City of Flower and Water.
Jends: “It’s one way of using the flowers that were not suitable for decoration….”
Henry: “Makes senseー’
I agree nonchalantly to Jend’s explanation as I enjoy the hot water.
Fwew～ it feels good.
Henry: “Ohー Jend. I forgot to tell you. That move, the one Mr. Ricardo was using, Soaring Flame Strike? You should learn that. It’s important to have [long reaches].”
After we’ve been in the tub for a while, I remember that all of a sudden and suggest it to Jend.
Jend: “Oh thatー that’s my Master’s Original move. It’s a mix between Martial Arts and Magecraft, and you can’t do it without engraving a special Spell Inscription on your sword. It’s a Spell that initiates with the movement of the sword, so it shouldn’t be that complicated of an inscription though……..”
Jend’s weapon is a large broadsword that is a godly equipment. ……….the only people who can modify that would be limited to the super top echelon of smiths. Yeah, that’s impossible.
Henry: “Got it.”
Jend: “Yeah, I thought about buying a normal sword and learning it, but the Blaze Blade is a great godly equipment so…….”
Jend has drawn several Rare weapons, but none of them exceeded the [Flame Envelopment] ability of the Blaze Blade. The sword is just way too compatible with the Single Blade of the Fire God Style.
Henry: “Well, I guess we can’t just take any short cuts then.”
Jend: “Yeah…...well…...I’ll just take it one step at a time.”
And though I don’t know how much help I’ll be, I’ll do the best I can to help him move up.
We were thinking of these things as we got out of the bath.
