February Flashes By, Swordsmanship Must Be Faster Than Thought!

Around noon, Sylphy arrived.

She stood outside the perimeter, close to the wall, her body turned as she peered down at the wild grass at her feet. If not for her eyes occasionally flickering towards the courtyard, Allen would have thought she was just passing by.

Paul, who had declared he'd be training all day, saw this and couldn't help but sigh in relief. Then, clutching his forehead, he shooed the two children out to play.

After being pestered by the kids

"So, you two aren't going to cause trouble at the clinic again today, are you?"

Allen coughed awkwardly.

"No, definitely not. I know what I'm doing."

Zenith narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him, neither confirming nor denying.

"Um, last time's poisoning incident was an accident."

"Alright, I won't scare you anymore. Go on, and be careful."

"Okay."

Allen walked out of the house. Paul was already standing in the yard. He smiled at Allen, but then saw him walk over and stand in front of him, hand on his scabbard, silent.

Paul tilted his head, asking in confusion, "Is this… are we continuing our fencing practice this morning?"

"Yes."

"Oh? Aren't you supposed to have a match with Rudy?"

"He's still preparing, doing one last tactical run-through. We agreed I wouldn't watch. Sylphy will come get me when he's ready."

Paul looked down at the sword in his hand and smiled. "I see."

No sooner had he spoken than Paul's sword was out of its sheath, his body blurring into an afterimage as the tip of his blade aimed directly at Allen's neck!

Allen's pupils contracted sharply. The hand on his sword instantly gripped the hilt.

Twenty Slashes!

Sparks flew. Allen instantly swung his sword, deflecting Paul's blade, then immediately threw a kick towards Paul's face.

Thump!

The fabric of his pants vibrated in the air. Paul reached out and steadily blocked his lower leg, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the surprised Allen.

"No, you're still subconsciously using other styles. I'm not sure what technique you used for that slash, but it doesn't seem like Water God Style. Is it a North God Style technique I don't know about? The whip kick afterward is entirely a common defensive technique of North God Style."

Allen pulled his leg back, his expression grim, and stood, then leaped backward to create distance.

Paul twisted his neck and raised his blade above his head, adopting a highly aggressive overhead stance.

"If you keep using the styles you're good at, your Sword God Style will never improve. I've told you this countless times over the past two months, haven't I?"

"Sorry, old habits are hard to break…"

When facing Paul's high-speed thrusts, he subconsciously used his habitual combat methods to counter. This was already the result after he'd tried to restrain himself; before, he was using Water God Style completely.

Why?

At the same level of swordsmanship, Water God Style had a clear advantage over Sword God Style. This was a result of his subconscious tendency to seek advantage and avoid harm, a habit from his past life.

Allen let out a long breath.

Before learning Light Return, Sword God Style's main method of countering its own style is to be faster than the opponent. Whoever strikes first wins. That means you need to initiate the attack.

While his mind was still contemplating, Paul's sword suddenly struck. He slashed his sword against Allen's blade, and as the blades grated, Paul's words struck Allen's heart like a pendulum.

"The sword must be faster than thought, but why are you still thinking?!"

The blades vibrated and parted. The subsequent slash pierced the air right beside Allen's ear!