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Chapter 16: The Order of Knights (2)
The knights began making space by moving the villagers gathered at the plaza. Such that Kurena and the vice-commander had plenty space for their battle.
“I beg of you, please reconsider!!” Gelda pleaded frantically.
However, even Gelda as he was like that was moved away by the knights.
“You’re still on about that? Master swordsman Dobelg-sama has defeated a red dragon at the age of 10. That girl is already 5 years old, is she not?”
The commander finished, implying that Kurena was more than able to fight already. After moving Gelda to the edge of the plaza, the knight stood by there. Rodan and Allen both rushed to Gelda.
(Are you serious? This is getting out of hand.)
Allen was at his wit’s end as well. Not only was his level and summon level insufficient, he did not know what he could do against the Order of Knights. He probably would not even stand a chance.
Kurena and the vice-commander Reivland stood still at the center of the plaza. The vice-commander is actually going to take her on.
The two took their stance. In contrast to Kurena, who was slightly above a meter tall, Reivland was double her size and was fully armed with armor as well. Kurena had nothing but an old rag on her body. The villagers, driven to the corner of the plaza, watched in anxiety.
However, even in such a dire situation, Kurena was the only person there who showed no signs of nervousness. She took her stance eagerly. As if this was another make-belief game. And, as always, she introduced herself.
“I am knight Kurena!! Let’s have a fair duel!!!”
The same speech Allen had heard over a thousand times already. And so it began.
“…I am knight Reivland. Come at me.”
Reivland also introduced himself similarly.
There was no judge. The battle was already on its way. Just like her duels with Allen, Kurena was the first to move. Wielding an actual sword which is several times heavier than an wooden one as if it was nothing, Kurena leaped towards Reivland.
There blades clashed. And although it was Kurena’s first time with a real sword, she swung without any hesitation. And so their swings continued.
(Since my swordsmanship is at level 3, Kurena’s one is probably at 5, I think.)
Allen is the only one living the hellmode. Judging from his verification from the results of throwing stones, Kurena’s swordsmanship skill level probably increased like—100, 100, 1000, 10000, 100000. If she progressed 100 times as much as Allen from their make-belief games, she should be about 2 levels up on him.
Allen’s analysis aside, the two’s sword fight continued, where even one strike could lead to death. The metallic clanks reverberated throughout the plaza.
Villagers who had assumed that the fight would soon end with Kurena’s death were probably more in number. However, 3 years worth of knight make-belief games were enough experience for her to cross swords against an actual knight.
The commander just watched over their fight in silence with a serious expression.
Who knows how many minutes it had been as they crossed swords dozens and dozens of times over. The fight, which appeared to be even, began to change.
“Aaff!!””
Reivland’s kick landed on Kurena’s stomach. It was not just a battle with swords. The well-timed kick sent Kurena flying.
“Kurena!!!” Allen screamed.
Kurena crashed into a building and fell silent. The impact of it alone developed a huge crack on the wooden wall.
The knights seized Allen and the others who immediately tried to rush over to her. They were pressed down onto the ground.
(As I thought, it is not possible. Kurena’s level is still only 1. I don’t know how many years this guy has been a knight but there’s no doubt that both his level and skill level are high. W-what do I do?)
He struggled, trying to shake off the knight holding him down.
“Wha?! Just be obedient!!”
“Get your hands off, you bastard!!”
Allen’s body was also held down by a knight who was way stronger than him. He tried standing up but he could not even budge. It did not seem like he could make it through.
Reivland did not pursue—he just stood still. Being watched by everyone present there, Kurena just completely hung her head and remained silent.
She was sent flying by a kick from a fully armed knight. The villagers there were also getting noisy, wondering if she had died from that blow.
The commander closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“So it was impossible, eh? Hmm?”
The very moment they all thought it was over—Kurena slowly stood up, still looking down. Even when she was flung through the plaza and crashed into the wall, she had not let go of her sword. She just quietly took her stance yet again. Allen also watched over her do so.
Kurena, who was now silently in position, and Reivland, who was still only just waiting for her to attack.
Kurena looked up and closely examined Reivland. The villagers just silently watched over the fight, worried if they are still going to continue. Amongst all that, Kurena screamed.
“Yaa!!!”
Along with her scream, the cracked wooden wall behind her got completely pulverized—as if it had just taken an impact.
Like a wave of hot air, it felt like light started bending around her as Kurena’s silhouette swayed largely.
(Eh?)
With such a vigorous scream, she charged towards Reivland once more. She leaped into the sky, spun around as if to bring together all the centrifugal force and made a large swing from above. Kurena’s blade crashed into Reivland from above.
“Gggh!”
A shock wave ran through Reivland as he took on the blow with his sword, now with both hands. The impact was so huge that his leg caved into the hard concrete underneath.
“Haa!!!!”
Reivland also let out a determined shout and they crossed blades again. Even though it was only afternoon, one could clearly see the sparks every time their blades crossed.
However, it was evidently different from a while ago. Reivland’s sword was pushed back every single time. His sword was not succeeding in taking in the impact. He was pushed back as a whole.
The sound of impact reverberated throughout the village. It did not seem like an equal fight at all. Even an amateur could tell that Reivland was being pushed back. Swinging a sword as tall as herself as if it was a piece of stick, that too with absurd power.
(What? What is going on? Is this, perhaps, an extra skill?)
Allen searched for an answer within him. Before reincarnating in this world from the real world, Allen read the explanation for the normal mode. One could draw one extra skill by gacha in the normal mode. The same can be assumed for the inhabitants of this world.
(Swordsmanship is just a normal skill that even I can acquire. Kurena probably has some other skill from birth. A special skill, befitting the master swordsman.)
The difference in skill was so big that Allen had the leeway to ponder about it. Even watching them now, it did not feel like Kurena could lose. And before they realized, the knights who held back Allen and the others, loosened up as well. They were also watching the fight, completely dumbfounded.
“Taaaa!!!”
With such a yell, Kurena made a clean horizontal sweep.
*Cling*
“I-impossible!”
Reivland’s sword was cut in half. He unconsciously let out a scream seeing his blade in half. The other half revolved in the air a few times before landing and piercing the ground. Even then, Reivland took stance with his broken blade, prepared to deal with follow up attacks.
“That’ll be it!!!”
Right that moment, the commander shouted out loudly, announcing the end of the battle.
“Hohe? It’s over already?” Kurena answered, seeming unsatisfied.
“That’s right, that will be the end of this fight. Both parties withdraw your blades!”
Kurena went rushing in front of Reivland and gave a slight bow.
“Thank you very much! You’re pretty strong, old man!”
She also used to always say “Thank you very much” at the end of their make-belief games.
“I-I am not old enough to be an old man, though….”
He said, with a stiff expression, and kneeled down.
“Wha! Take away the vice-commander!!”
The commander gave out his order in a hurry, making the other knights pick up Reivland and take him away somewhere. Seeing how he needs a shoulder to support himself, it seems Reivland no longer has the strength to be standing.
He probably thought it would not look good for a knight to be on his knees in front of a whole village. More so if they had just lost to a 5 year old girl.
As Reivland passed by the commander, he pat his shoulders, probably saying that he fought well.
Kurena went to the commander with the sword in her hand. It felt as if the commander had suddenly gotten cold feet. He was on alert.
“Thank you very much!”
She returned the borrowed sword, which the commander received.
“!?”
The commander desperately tried to not let it show on his face. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the blade of the sword was squashed flat from that fight. It was on the verge of crumbling. What was more surprising was the handle. The handle, which was made with steel just like the sword’s blade, was like a wave—uneven all over. The steel handle looked as if it was clay that a little child played with. Exactly how much strength was put into each swing? He had cold sweats running down seeing the tattered blade.
The commander handed over the broken blade to another knight.
“S-she’s a master swordsman.”
“It was the truth! She defeated a knight!!”
“I couldn’t even see her blade!!”
As if they had just seen something shocking, the villagers could not help but let out their amazed reactions. The number of these villagers had already crossed a hundred, bringing in another 200 villagers from the uproar alone.
The sudden fight which had no logical reasoning had ended in Kurena’s victory.
Sorry for the long hiatus, guys. Weekly chapters from now on!