Paul stared at Allen in astonishment for a long while before finally understanding what he was trying to realize.
"Your Self-created Arcanum required you to constantly maintain the Flow Arcana to deflect my attacks, and since the Flow Arcana itself was merely a technique for diverting an opponent's offense, you simply couldn't counterattack while deflecting attacks."
"And if you wanted to use another sword technique to counterattack midway through, you had to stop the Flow Arcana. But then, you might not be able to guard against my follow-up, and even if you managed to counterattack in the end, there was a good chance both sides would be injured, right?"
Allen rubbed his brow weakly.
"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head. The reason I didn't use this Arcana when sparring with you before was exactly that. There was no point in using it if I could only take hits without fighting back."
Paul was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Then you really were born to be a bodyguard! Those nobles in the Asura Royal Capital really lost a talent!"
Allen helplessly rubbed his face.
"That's why I wanted Uncle to give me some inspiration for improving this Arcana, so I could maintain the Flow Arcana while still effectively counterattacking my opponent."
Paul found himself at a loss as well. He turned, pulled his sword from the tree, and muttered while rubbing his chin.
"If you kept the Flow Arcana active, you couldn't use other techniques to counterattack. If you used other techniques to counterattack, the Flow Arcana would stop. Hiss... What should we do?"
After thinking for a while, Paul said with a frown.
"What if you used the Flow Arcana to completely rebound the opponent's attack back at them? No, that wouldn't work either. The Flow Arcana was fundamentally just about redirecting force like flowing water. There was no way to send their attack back exactly as it came."
"What if you maintained the Flow Arcana and struck back using only your physical strength? Would it work if you didn't use sword techniques from any other style?"
Allen shook his head.
"I thought of that too, but without sword techniques, the counterattack wouldn't be fast enough. Against an opponent at the same level or stronger, they could easily dodge it. But if the opponent was weaker, there'd be no need for this Arcana in the first place. I could just swing my sword and cut them down. Why bother defending with the Flow Arcana?"
Paul scratched his head, looking utterly dumbfounded.
"No wonder you kept thinking while practicing the Sword God Style before. You Water God Style people had way too much to consider. My head's about to explode."
Allen was equally helpless upon hearing that.
Just then, he felt something tickling the side of his face. He turned his head and found Lokkishi standing beside him, with the cowlick atop her head poking his cheek.
Allen blinked at her and was about to say something, but Lokkishi spoke first.
"Could you use that move from when we first met? I remember you said it put a great burden on your body. Does that mean those high-speed slashes mainly relied on physical ability rather than sword techniques?"
Allen smiled and answered instinctively.
"Twenty Slashes... I considered that too. It really was a rapid Iai Slash built up over years of training, using physical conditioning to establish several fixed sword-swinging paths. It was closer to a physical reflex than a sword technique."
"But my physical condition could only support a few swings. If I encountered a powerful enemy and got dragged into an intense battle of attrition, I'd probably be the first one to collapse if I kept using Twenty Slashes. In that case, I might as well..."
Allen's voice grew softer and softer until it vanished completely. He stared wide-eyed at Lokkishi in a daze for a long time, then revealed an enlightened expression.
Then, with an excited look on his face, he grabbed Lokkishi by both sides of her waist and lifted her like a child, spinning her around twice on the spot.
"I've got it! Thank you! You're a god! You've helped me so much in every possible way!!"
Then, beneath everyone's stunned gazes, Allen casually tossed the wide-eyed, flustered, struggling Lokkishi onto the ground. He spun around, grabbed his sword, and began practicing Twenty Slashes from every conceivable starting posture.
He was incredibly focused.
Lokkishi landed on her backside and sat on the ground. Watching that scumbag swing his sword, she looked embarrassed, angry, and confused, unable to say anything for a long while.
She really wasn't feeling well at all.
On the hillside, beneath a large tree.
"So Sylphy's overall magic level was only intermediate at present?"
"Yes. More precisely, her overall level was currently between beginner and intermediate."
Lokkishi wiped at the nonexistent sweat on her forehead and said with lingering fear.
"Her magic control, mana capacity, and proficiency with Silent Casting all still needed improvement."
If another genius showed up, I really wouldn't be able to stay in this village for another moment.
Rudy rested his chin on his hand and watched Lokkishi scratch her face, her faintly panicked expression making him want to laugh.
Lokkishi was still the same as ever, careless and lacking confidence. Yet she only made people like her more. As expected...
This was a god!
He said aloud, "Sylphy had only been learning magic for two months, after all. She was still far behind you in every respect, Teacher. That was probably why Allen wanted him to study magic under you."
Speak of the devil.
Allen flashed over, blood spraying from his nose. Panting with a pale face, he spoke to Rudy while looking thoroughly miserable.
"Sorry to interrupt. C-Cast a Healing Spell."
Rudy shot him an annoyed look.
"I'm saying, Allen, you were the one who kept our guest here, and now you were the one leaving her alone. What exactly were you thinking?"
Before he could finish complaining, the neglected guest had already acted.
"O goddess of motherly love, please heal this person's wounds and restore him to health. Healing Spell!"
Allen shuddered in comfort, gave Lokkishi a thumbs-up, then turned around and resumed swinging his sword nearby.
Sylphy hurriedly chased after him, speaking weakly.
"A-Allen, I know Healing Spell too."
"Your mana was limited, and you'd been focusing on offensive magic lately, so you still weren't very proficient with the chant, right? Uh... I didn't mean I disliked you. It was just more efficient this way. Once you could use Silent Casting for Healing Spell, I'd come to you instead, okay?"
"W-Well... okay."
Sylphy glanced mournfully at Lokkishi while counting the slashes Allen swung outward from all sorts of angles. His movements were slow, but each one still stirred gusts of wind, making Sylphy's hair flutter up and fall again.
"121, 122, 123..."
Rudy sighed and turned to look at Lokkishi. She was curiously watching Allen practice his empty swings. With her personality, of course she had calmed down before long. Allen's complete obsession with sword practice and refusal to pay attention to anyone was simply too indiscriminate.
Rudy's gaze shifted from Lokkishi to Allen, then back to Lokkishi.
Allen was so rude. He didn't even say thank you. And I couldn't even use Silent Casting for Healing Spell, so how could Sylphy? Wait, maybe this was a good thing! If Lokkishi was only back for a few days, and Allen kept obsessing over swordsmanship, didn't that mean all of Lokkishi's remaining time would be mine alone?!
Hahaha, Allen, oh Allen. Lokkishi was bound to be mine. This time, I definitely wouldn't give you any chance...
Rudy could not help flashing his signature lecherous grin, only to hear Lokkishi's hesitant voice.
". . . Rudy, Sylphy, the condition for being allowed into Allen's territory was to kowtow to Sylphy three times? Rudy, did that mean I had to kowtow to Sylphy now?"
Rudy's expression froze. He turned around in shock and found Lokkishi staring at the writing on the large tree nearby, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
"Allen carved it! Go ask him! It has nothing to do with me!"
Before you continue