A curved saber's thrust was treacherous because of the blade's arc, and defending against it required split-second judgment.
As a weapon designed for thrusting, the rapier had always been renowned for its elegance and precision.
Thanks to its long, slender, and resilient blade, it was nearly unbeatable in aristocratic duels.
Tang Qi's unsteady footwork and crude straight thrust left openings everywhere. Hus didn't even need to parry with his blade and counterattack.
All he had to do was measure the distance between them through his lenses, then step aside and thrust into Tang Qi's wide-open chest—
A duel was often decided in a single moment like that.
The resistance at the sword tip traveled to his wrist. Hus knew that another inch would be enough to pierce Tang Qi's heart.
Then this rabble-rousing poet would never sing another noisy tune.
But he soon realized that his sword seemed to have struck an iron plate, bringing his arm to a halt—
Was Tang Qi wearing a studded leather vest!?
Hus understood at once. That glaring opening had clearly been offered deliberately!
There was no time to think further. Relying almost entirely on his combat instincts, Hus drew the slender short sword at his waist with his left hand, which had been kept behind his back.
It was his backup option if a thrust from mid-range failed and an opponent got too close.
He could use it to block a crude slash in the next exchange...
"Pfft!"
A sudden stab of pain struck the back of his neck!
Warm blood sprayed violently from the side of his throat—
"Impossible!?"
Hus realized Tang Qi had never intended to slash!
He had merely paused when the curved blade swept past Hus's neck.
With a twist of his wrist, he had hooked Hus's neck with