A shattering crash rang through the forest, sending fragments of ceramic steel flying in every direction.
Nearby, the three guards jolted and turned as one to look at the tree beside them.
A blade fragment was embedded deep in the trunk. It had flown past so close that it had nearly grazed their heads.
They exchanged glances, their throats bobbing involuntarily.
Then, of their own accord, they backed away another five meters.
"Nausicaä, you..."
Yupa pulled his legs out of the ground and glanced at the "longsword" in his hand with a wry smile.
The supposedly indestructible weapon's tip had twisted into a spiral, and only two-thirds of its length remained.
He had expected Nausicaä to grow stronger, but he had not expected her improvement to be so tremendous. She had already surpassed him, even though he was far beyond ordinary people himself.
"Master, I did warn you just now." The girl's golden eyes were full of irrepressible amusement. "You were the one who underestimated me, so you can't blame me."
Yupa took a deep breath, trying to settle the blood and qi churning inside him.
Just then, a faint golden light swept over him, bringing a soothing sensation. The injuries to his legs from meeting Nausicaä head-on also healed rapidly.
He looked at Nausicaä in puzzlement.
"Mr. Tree said that as long as we fight beneath the tree, he can heal any injury, no matter how serious. You can spar without holding back."
"I see..." Yupa closed his eyes thoughtfully.
He gripped the broken sword tightly in both hands and raised it in front of him.
When he opened his eyes again, the swordsman's gaze had changed completely.
The composure he had shown while teaching his student was gone, replaced by the excitement and eagerness of a hawk that had spotted its prey.
"Good! We can finally fight each other with everything we have!"
Yupa was exceptionally gifted, yet he never slacked off, honing his skills day after day.
Such a person was usually called a "martial arts fanatic."
Years ago, he had agreed to his friend Jihl's request to put his travels on hold and stay in the Valley of the Wind to teach Nausicaä for several years.
Besides their friendship, he had also been tempted by the prospect.
He had long known of the potential hidden within Nausicaä and had always looked forward to fighting this outstanding student with all his strength.
That day had finally come.
"I've been looking forward to it just as much as you have, Master Yupa!"
Nausicaä put away her smile and assumed a fighting stance, her expression focused as she kept her eyes on him.
She decided to attack first.
Nausicaä knew full well how terrifying her master's strength would be once he got serious.
Even with the Erdtree's blessing, she could not be certain of victory. She had to seize the initiative.
It was a good idea, but her opponent reacted faster than she had anticipated.
Nausicaä had barely taken a step when Yupa vanished from her sight.
Almost at the same instant, his broad traveler's cloak appeared like a phantom at the right edge of her vision, as though it had teleported there.
On the right?
The instant her attention was drawn that way, she felt a faint current of air from the other side of her body.
No, the left!
Nausicaä hastily twisted around, trying to block or put some distance between herself and Yupa.
But she immediately realized she could not evade it!
The broken sword became countless sword shadows, enveloping every vital point on her body almost at once.
To Nausicaä, it felt as though she were fighting several enemies at the same time!
From that moment on, the battle between them had utterly surpassed the realm of ordinary humans.
Nausicaä could only rely on the extraordinary reflexes granted by the blessing, doing everything she could to block the broken sword with its twisted tip.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang-
A rapid series of collisions rang out as the two ceramic steel weapons clashed wildly at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, sending out a shower of sparks.
Yet no matter how she twisted and maneuvered, she could not escape Yupa's assault.
In fact, from the moment the fight began, she had never again gotten a clear look at him.
"What terrifying footwork."
Caught in the thick of it, the girl could not tell why she was being suppressed, but Mu En, watching from the sidelines, could see Yupa's movements clearly.
The swordsman demonstrated what it meant to have literally "ghostly" footwork.
Yupa had first burst forward with all his strength to Nausica's right. As the hem of his cloak drew her gaze, he had already flashed to the other side and launched his real attack.
If that were all, Nausicaä would have quickly caught on.
But every movement Yupa made kept him right in Nausicaä's blind spot.
As a result, even though they were practically within arm's reach of each other, Nausicaä could not clearly make out Yupa's position.
More frightening still, he had anticipated her every move. Whenever the girl tried to turn, strike with her sword, or move her feet, a blade was there waiting.
Even with extraordinary physical abilities, what use was all that strength if she could not see her opponent, and even swinging her sword would leave an opening?
Unable to put her strength to use, she could only remain on the defensive.
Clang!!
Only after an especially loud metallic clash, when their swords collided and knocked each other aside, did Nausicaä seize the chance to retreat several meters, escaping the storm of attacks.
Yupa's breathing remained steady and deep, and even his posture was no different from what it had been before he moved.
Nausicaä, by contrast, was breathing a little faster.
Although Yupa had held back somewhat, he had indeed used lethal moves capable of incapacitating an ordinary person.
The cuts in Nausicaä's clothing around her ankles, the backs of her knees, and her wrists were enough to reveal how dangerous it had been.
That was, of course, if she had still been an ordinary human.
Beneath the tears in the girl's clothing, there were only a few shallow bloody marks on her skin, and they were rapidly healing.
Without its tip, the ceramic steel sword could only chop and slash.
Although it could easily cut through leather clothing, it could not instantly slice through Nausicaä's muscles, which were as tough as steel wire.
Even when it did cause some damage, it quickly healed thanks to the Golden Folk's vigorous life force.
Yupa had noticed this problem, which was why he had stopped the futile onslaught of his own accord.
While using his exquisite footwork, he could not also unleash his full strength, or he would leave an opening.
In other words, in this state, he simply could not break through Nausicaä's defenses!
As Yupa considered how to change his tactics, Nausicaä thought of a way that might truly defeat her master.
Even if that method was something of a disservice to the exquisite sword techniques Yupa had painstakingly taught her.
But she still wanted to try it.
Her earlier caution gradually gave way to eagerness.
This time, she used no fancy sword technique, merely holding her longsword horizontally in front of her.
Then she channeled all the strength in her body into her legs and pushed hard off the ground!
Boom!
Leaves flew across the forest floor where she had stood, and a shallow crater burst open.
The girl shot forward like a cannonball, charging Yupa with the force to cut every obstacle in her path in two!