Elven Swordsmanship

Regardless of what others were thinking, Fran kept her eyes on the system notifications appearing on her panel while she continued her assault.

[You attempted to use Elven Swordsmanship in combat despite not knowing it, Elven Swordsmanship proficiency +2]

[You attacked using Elven Swordsmanship with minimal effect, Elven Swordsmanship proficiency +1]

Fran's thought was that she shouldn't waste the trip; since she was already in a match, she might as well grind some proficiency for Elven Swordsmanship.

Judging by those few exchanges, Aboyue's Iron Wall Swordsmanship was truly well-deserved; her strikes landed as if they had hit nothing at all.

She felt that if she were allowed to use Wind Blade, she could resolve this easily, but using only swordsmanship would require some effort, so she decided to practice her newly acquired skill first.

When Aboyue saw Fran suddenly leap into the air, he was somewhat bewildered, failing to grasp what kind of maneuver this was.

Almost all swordsmanship styles favored by humans relied on ground-based attacks, and the training he had received since childhood was focused on defending against attacks from the ground.

This had been the case his entire life, and his habits had never been challenged before.

He reacted quickly to block the first strike, and only after parrying Fran's subsequent attacks did he, like the spectators below, realize what Fran was doing.

Elven Swordsmanship? What on earth was she doing?

Aboyue could easily see that the sequence of movements Fran was performing was riddled with holes and flaws, only he hadn't reacted in time at the start.

Was she intentionally provoking him by using something she had just learned?

However, he was no longer the same person he had been off the stage, easily swayed by his emotions.

The Breathing Technique of his family had the effect of discarding extraneous emotions, leaving only fighting spirit and rationality—a method his family had painstakingly refined over a dozen generations.

Precisely because his family specialized in defensive tactics, this effect was extremely useful when facing an enemy.

Watching Fran leap again and bring her sword down from the air, Aboyue decided to transition into a defensive counterattack.

Just as he easily blocked the downward slash and Fran prepared to push off with her toes to retreat as she had done before, Aboyue suddenly struck.

He unleashed Triple Strike, his arm moving with such speed that he delivered three attacks in an instant.

This was his family's signature technique; he didn't know how many opponents had fallen to this sudden, rapid-fire combo after he had finished his defense.

However, the only response was the sound of three "bangs." Aboyue's pupils constricted; his pride-and-joy Triple Strike was rarely blocked, and he hadn't expected Fran to be one of the few who could.

He quickly reset his stance, refusing to give Fran an opening to attack.

Gasps erupted from the apprentices below; many had experienced Aboyue's defensive Triple Strike, and very few had managed to escape unscathed, let alone block it entirely.

Burnett was also stunned by the rapid block of the Triple Strike, but unlike the apprentices below, he saw the underlying truth.

"How can an apprentice who hasn't joined a school possess such physical capabilities?" he muttered to himself, unheard by anyone else.

He could see that the physical prowess Fran was currently displaying was far superior to Aboyue's. If it weren't for the fact that Aboyue specialized in defensive counterattacks, he might have been caught by a flaw and struck hard right then.

Although he knew that Aboyue's defensive tactics were one of the best ways to bridge a gap in physical constitution, judging by this clash, Fran was far ahead of Aboyue.

But Aboyue still had another way to win: using the unique art of the Sword Chant School—Sword Dance.

The perspective shifted to Fran, who retreated from Aboyue with a sense of thrill.

He is very good at defensive counterattacks, Fran thought.

She had reacted quickly just now; when the Triple Strike came, she had immediately activated her Breathing Technique and Mental Power, which was the only reason she had managed to block all the attacks.

Let's end this fight, Fran looked at her panel, where a notification had appeared.

[You nearly made a mistake using Elven Swordsmanship, but thanks to your quick eyes and fast hands, you turned danger into safety, Elven Swordsmanship proficiency +3]

[Elven Swordsmanship proficiency is full, Elven Swordsmanship level increased.]

At the same time, she gained a new trait.

[Elven Combat Style: Although you are a human, you have truly learned how elves fight while leaping.]

She felt a new sensation in her body, as if she had gained an extra organ that could perceive something beyond the ordinary, though she couldn't quite put it into words.

Aboyue also realized that Fran's strength was not to be underestimated and that he had to go all out.

He began to adjust his Breathing Technique, merging its frequency with his mental power. Finally, he opened his eyes, no longer holding a rigid stance, but letting his sword hang loosely.

This was the foundation of the Sword Chant School, capable of greatly enhancing one's focus, which would rise and then fall over time.

Under this focus, wielding a sword felt as easy as moving one's own arm.

As he watched Fran charge in as she had before, the effect of his Breathing Technique in suppressing emotions weakened as the Sword Dance began.

Seeing that Fran's posture hadn't changed, a hint of disdain arose in his heart.

How could someone who hasn't even joined a school know that the combination of school-taught arts and swordsmanship is far superior to those territorial nobles without fiefs?

This was one of the reasons he had given up his inheritance to come to the City of Apprentices—though, of course, the bigger reason was that he likely couldn't compete with his brothers.

Just as Aboyue prepared to block the attack and unleash his Triple Strike again, he saw Fran's figure, which had been charging toward him, suddenly veer to the side.

This was the essence of the Elven Combat Style: changing direction in mid-air. While speed was sacrificed, could one imagine the shock of an enemy leaping to attack you, only to suddenly shift to the right or left?

Aboyue felt exactly that; this elven way of fighting clearly defied the laws of motion. In his subconscious reaction, his block missed completely.

Fran shifted to Aboyue's flank and struck her sword against his other side.

This time, unlike the previous sneak attack, the force behind the blow was much greater, causing Aboyue to nearly lose his grip on his sword; he dropped into a half-crouch, his body tilting toward the point of impact.

Before he could even recover his senses, Fran delivered another slash, striking his hand and forcing him to lose his grip entirely, his fingers splaying open.

It was only after the wooden sword had clattered to the ground and a moment had passed that the crowd finally reacted, realizing the match was over and erupting into gasps of astonishment.

Aboyue, too, realized that his sword had been knocked away and that he had lost.

This is impossible. What was that just now?

Aboyue recalled how Fran had flown toward him and then performed a mid-air turn.

How could anyone change direction in mid-air, especially at such high speed?

Burnett's exclamation provided the answer to his confusion:

"That is Elven Swordsmanship! You actually managed to learn it!"