Two days after the conquest of the Dragon's Maw.
They moved their base to the vicinity of Mirskronia in the south, and reorganized the army----for a little rest there.
The Christand army, which still had spare strength, quickly finished accepting prisoners, and Selene and the others, which had prepared in advance, had no problems at all.
By the morning of the second day, most of the work was done, and with departure scheduled for tomorrow, the soldiers were given half a day off.
While there were many people playing in Mirskronia, and the market was showing more energy than usual, there were also a fair number of people resting in the military camp----
"Okay, I'm ready, General."
"Is that so? Anytime is fine."
Some of them were standing in a circle watching the event taking place in the corner.
The young general, Selene Christand, with her elegant golden hair tied back and swaying.
In contrast, Kalua Belyus, a woman with black hair that swayed like a horse's tail.
Both of them were holding wooden swords.
Selene wore her usual cross armor and her baggy trousers and gauntlets, while Kahlua wore only her black-painted gauntlets and leg armor.
What was about to begin was a spar between the Black Century's----Its schock corps leader, who has become famous for her achievement, and the General of Christand herself.
Selene who looked somewhat happy.
Krische, who sat in the seat of honor that had been prepared before she knew it, stared at her and loosened her cheeks.
Next to her, Anne was offering tea and sweets, making it a very comfortable seat.
Among those gathered around, bets were made on who would win, with many of the younger soldiers and Black Century betting on Kalua, and the older soldiers betting on Selene.
Those who have known Selene since she was a child know her ability well.
Her swordsmanship, which she had practiced with Krische and Bogan on a daily basis, was sophisticated, your average skilled warrior wouldn't even be her match.
Some of the veterans, however, valued real combat experience more and bet on Kalua the Black Century, who had racked up countless achievements on the front lines.
At present, it was impossible to say which side would win----the bet rate was fairly balanced, with Selene having a slight advantage in terms of name recognition.
"Krische-sama, who do you think will win?"
Arne asked, intrigued by the betting.
"Hm...Selene, I guess?"
Krische, who was watching from the special seat, was not interested in who would win or lose, and was in a good mood, saying that it was good that Selene seemed to be having fun.
However, when asked which one, Krische replied.
Sparring, practice.
They're for the purpose of improving one's technique.
Without getting hurt, and without hurting.
Putting aside if it's killing each other seriously, Selene would have the upper hand in this spar.
Kalua's sword was self-taught.
It is a sword technique that excels at killing opponents rather than forms (in martial arts, sports), it has a rough edge.
Although the rules were that anything goes, the roughness of the sword is fatal to the match, as they were fighting while trying to avoid injuring their opponents.
This was because Selene had put a lot of effort into eliminating waste, and used the swordsmanship and body techniques she had honed.
Bogan's specialty, Lorka style.
The exact opposite of the Lorka method, which focuses on counterattack----The Zain style, which specializes in attacking.
In addition, having learned the main points of Krische's acrobatic and Selene's sword that freely combined them, was already beyond the ability of ordinary people to discern.
Kalua would be able to figure it out, but it will be an uphill battle.
Even considering Kalua's excellent physical ability and sense, Selene was still slightly superior in the current situation.
"But Krische thinks it will be a good match. It's just right between the unskilled (noob)."
"C-corps Commander..."
Mia, who was listening next to her, scratched her cheek at the frankness of the remark.
Even if she was her older sister, she was still supreme commander, the General.
"... Krische, I can hear you."
Selene said, exasperated, as she held her stance in Lorka style, and glared at Krische.
----It was at that moment that Kalua moved.
A momentary lapse of guard, a declaration of commencement.
The battle has already started.
A momentary gap in the midst of a stand off------Kalua, who had become just a single warrior, did not miss it.
She leaned forward as if she was kicking the earth with all four feet.
The beast's speed, which eliminates waste, instantly closed the gap that existed between the two.
The wooden sword that scrapes the ground was swung like a whip from the lower right, aiming at Selene's armpit.
It was a cut up from a rush, which is Kalua's forte.
Swordsmanship is centered on upper and middle stances.
This was because the power will be stronger that way, and it will always be a fatal blow to the opponent.
Naturally, the opponent also develops a counterattack for it------which was why she prefers to attack from the bottom.
Almost no one can handle a sword that is swung from almost directly below.
Selene caught it at the edge of her vision, but didn't panic.
She did not consider Kahlua's surprise attack to be cowardly.
It was Selene who intentionally created an opening and invited Kalua.
Pivoting her left half body------she pulled her left leg back to dodge the opponent's sword that passed through right in front of her.
"!"
It didn't end there.
Kahlua's wooden sword slashed in front of her------and she slammed it into the air with her own sword.
With the added force of inertia, Kalua's wooden sword was raised high above her head, and her stance collapsed.
An opportunity------but instead of taking advantage of it, Selene frowned and jumped backward.
Kahlua's heel passed in front of Selene's eyes as if splitting the wind.
Though she lost her balance, she didn't care about it.
She used her momentum for a backward roundhouse kick.
"Hey, that's scary."
Kahlua, who was supposed to have lost her balance, held up her sword as if nothing had happened and laughed.
"Good."
It was a beastly smile that lifted her cheeks.
A natural sense of balance and athleticism.
Kahlua's wild, self-styled sword is supported by her ingenuity------the physical technique that goes one step beyond the reach of ordinary people was reminiscent of Krische's.
The men around them gasped at the sight of this momentary exchange.
The battle started in a relatively friendly mood, but when the lid was opened, it turned out to be a serious affair with no gaps for words.
The sharpness and skill of the two's sword skills, unimaginable from their appearance, left all but one in awe.
"Anne, honey..."
"Y-yes"
She had poured tea and milk, but not honey.
Anne, who had been absorbed in watching the game with a pot of honey in her hand, hurriedly poured the honey.
Mia was amazed at Krische, who seemed completely uninterested in the evenly contested battle.
Nevertheless, the two there were serious.
Both of them looked at their opponents with serious eyes and calmly considered their next move.
What was in Kalua's mind was admiration.
The response to the cut up from a low position------not to receive, but to avoid it easily, and on top of that, Selene launched Kalua's sword.
Even though she avoided it, it would be better to describe it as a dodge to finish Kalua off, rather than a dodge to gain distance.
This young lady was a similar type of person to herself------she looked defensive, but in reality, she was aggressive.
This young general named Selene was definitely the type who liked to forcibly create openings in her opponents and push in.
Kalua was glad that she was able to discern it here.
Misreading was fatal in this battle.
In any case, as Krische said, Selene had the same level of strength as Kalua, and on top of that, her skillful swordsmanship----the one at a disadvantage was probably Kalua.
If Selene had taken the blow, Kalua would have been able to follow it up, and if she had avoided it by jumping backward, she would have been able to finish her off with her next move.
If she didn't launch the sword, she could be pushed in with a series of attacks.
However, Kalua, who had lost her balance there, had no such technique, and that is why she twisted her waist and kicked backward.
Even so, she would still receive a painful blow----that was what Kalua thought but Selene was calm.
She gracefully withdrew and the match went back to square one.
----To handle that surprise attack so easily.
She understood that she had been invited to attack from the beginning.
Nonetheless, she had approached at a speed that seemed to be enough, and she swung up with her full power.
Kalua wondered why she could do so so skillfully, but then she remembered that Selene was Krische's older sister.
Krische's swordsmanship, which was also based on a lowered stance, was also centered on attacks from the bottom.
Her blade swung as if scraping the ground from further below Kalua's.
Selene was able to easily respond to this because of her experience with the Krische sword.
Selene must have seen and spar more than Kalua did with Krische's sword, which was apt to be called infinite variety (innumerable change).
In other words, she would not be surprised by Kalua's sword, which she has learned from Krishce.
'Now, how to attack'----Selene squinted at Kalua who was thinking that.
"It's my turn next."
Saying that, Selene lightly stepped in.
She stepped forward and lowered her posture.
But not with full force. She closed the gap with a relaxed movement, and right before she slide into Kalua's blade range----she sank her body deeply.
The same cut from the below to above as Kalua's.
Kalua brushed it off, as payback for before, and when the sword stopped at the last moment, she twisted her waist.
The sword, which seemed to be cut up, changed its trajectory in the middle and changed into a thrust.
Kalua dodged the thrust aimed at her heart.
But it didn't end there.
Selene didn't stop her momentum and slammed Kalua's body with her shoulder.
"Hh!?"
The distance between the two slightly opened.
----The distance between the two was just enough to swing the sword.
Selene swung the blade that was drawn at the same time as slamming the shoulder, and the next thing was a lower left slash.
Unable to defend it, Kalua had no choice but to jump backward.
And Selene followed suit.
The wooden sword aimed at the neck in a horizontal sweep.
If she dodge, she will be hit by a blow from the sword's handle. If she drew her sword, it would strike her in the neck again.
Torso, robe, neck, arms, legs.
The speed of the sword drove Kalua backward without allowing her to counterattack.
Selene unleashed a countless number of blades as she calmly interspersed feints within her consecutive attacks.
The returning blades piled up, leaving countless afterimages in Kalua's eyes and confusing her.
Selene imprisoned her opponent in a cage of swords.
By engaging in feints, her sword and posture will have some spare strength, which can be used for the next strategy.
Continuously gain a slight advantage, then achieve a decisive victory.
Krische who always avoided Selene's full-body blows.
----It was a sword that was created to capture her.
Selene, who saw Kahlua's blow earlier, realized that she was an opponent that should never be allowed to move freely.
She had the physical strength to keep on avoiding without running out of breath, and her dynamic vision. Her movement was without waste.
They were equal in ability----a formidable opponent.
But once she took the initiative, she knew the limits of Kalua's push.
The opponent was not Krische.
That alone was enough to relax Selene's mind.
While wielding her blade, Selene constructed the future within her head.
Just as Krische would do, she would drag her opponent into her own pace, restricting and guiding his movements with her blade.
----Three more slashes.
She hunted Kalua as if enjoying a game board----
"Huh?"
At that moment Kalua bent her upper body in sync with Selene's horizontal sweep.
The gap was too big. She would not regain her posture from here.
That thought only lasted a moment------a shock ran through Selene's chest.
"Ugh!?"
The blow came from Kalua's leg.
Kahlua, who had turned her upper body, thrust her hands into the ground and used the recoil to release them------blowing away
Serene's body with both feet.
Kalua stood up skillfully while kicking Serene away.
She did not miss the opportunity.
She attacked furiously and swung her wooden sword from the top.
"It's my - Ueh!?"
But it was Serene's wooden sword that was thrown in front of her.
Her body with the momentum------naturally Kahlua had no choice but to parry it, and it was a fatal opening.
Grabbing Kalua's arm, Selene pulled her over her shoulder and slammed her to the ground.
She then sealed her right arm, which held the sword, with her knee.
Kalua put her left hand on the back of her head, giving up and relaxed her strength.
"That hurts..."
"Phew...Guess it's my win for the time being?"
Although Kalua could have fought from that position, of course, this was only a training, a mere spar.
It was not intended to be a violent life-and-death fight against each other.
"Uu... it's my loss, General."
"That's so, thank you."
Serene smiled as she pulled Kalua's body up.
If you look at the situational advantage, Selene won, but you could also see Kalua's physical ability.
The game was not clear even from this situation, but as far as the victory or defeat of the game is concerned, it is enough if both parties are satisfied with the result.
The two shook hands amidst the cheers from the soldiers who were watching the match.
It was a good distraction for Selene as she had a lot of clerical work recently.
She didn't have many opponents of equal skill, and she didn't have many opportunities to fight, so she genuinely enjoyed the opportunity given to her by Krische.
Besides, the soldiers would also be happy to have a little entertainment like this.
As far as Serene was concerned, she didn't really care if she won or lost as long as she didn't suffer a miserable defeat, but regardless felt good to win on a spar like this.
"Good skill. If this was a real sword on the battlefield, I might have died. I'm already out of breath."
"I am most honored by your words. I had heard about it from the Usa-ch...Corps Commander, but it truly had a great fight. I'm really glad that the General personally sparred with me."
"It was a great distraction for me too. I haven't played sparring for a while, so I feel refreshed. I hope you will continue to take care of Krische, Kalua."
"Yes ma'am."
Kalua saluted, and Selene bowed in reply.
Amidst the applause and whistling, the two went toward where Krische was.
Krische, who had been watching them while eating a cookie, looked at Selene and sighed.
"Selene is a bit out of shape. Being out of breath just from something like this. If you don't exercise a little more, you'll get fat you know."
"Shut up, I don't have much time for that."
Squish, Selene pinched Krische's cheeks and smiled.
Krische brought the cookie to Selene's mouth, somewhat happily.
"Nn, it's delicious. Anne, can you make tea for me too?"
"Ah, yes... erm, straight?"
"Yes"
Selene sat down on a chair that had been prepared by some soldier before anyone knew it.
The soldiers around them were excited, and one of them stood in the center and called for a match, and someone else went to the center in response.
Selene gazed happily at the soldiers who were having fun, and Krische looked up at Kalua with satisfaction on her face.
"Krische would have originally punished Kalua for losing despite being Krische's direct subordinate. But Krische's going to make a special exception for today."
"Ooh, as expected of Usa-chan."
"Selene is happy, so Krische will give a cookie as a reward."
"Yes~"
Kalua took the given cookie with her mouth, geez, Mia reproached her rude behavior with her eyes, but did not say anything.
Kalua jumped over the crowd, randomly brought out two chairs, and she nonchalantly sat next to Krische and invited Mia.
For the time record, this was a special seat made for the Corps Commander and the General going by the atmosphere.
Mia was reluctant, but she ended up being forced to sit next to her, as usual.
What was just a match between Selene and Kahlua turned into a festive occasion.
A tournament was held with participants, and some even brought chairs and desks to sit around Krische and the others.
Merchants who had taken advantage of the opportunity to visit the encampment began selling food and liquor, and before long, Krische and the others had piles of liquor and snacks on their desks.
As evening approached, some of the soldiers returning from the market joined in, and in the second tournament that began in the evening, Kolkis, the Second Corps Commander, who had heard the commotion, joined in.
After defeating Kalua, the favorite to win the tournament, he won the right to challenge Krische, who had somehow become the prize.
With Selene's instructions to read the atmosphere of the place, Krische didn't attack and continued to dodge the sword swung by Kolkis's strong arm for more than half a koku.
As a result, the battle was settled by Kolkis's declaration of defeat, but Krische, who was in a tipsy mood, gave Kolkis a sermon that lasted half a koku, telling him that this was not good and that this was not good and then gave a demonstration.
From there, it was a solo performance by the 'Dancer Krische'.
"Uum, this is also the case with Corps Commander Agrand, but everyone uses too much power on their bodies. You need to bend your body... um, whip, yes, like a whip..."
White shirt and black skirt.
Her white thighs peeked out from her skirt from time to time as she fluttered and danced.
Her shirt, slightly wet with sweat, showed a thin layer of skin in the bonfire and heat.
The audience was at its peak of excitement as Krische danced and wielded her sword as if she were dancing as usual.
If it was the usual, Selene would have naturally stopped it when she saw it, but Mia and Anne's useless care continued to pour liquor for her and she was already crushed, Kalua, who was also drunk, was swallowed by the surrounding heat.
One more time, one more time.
The call for the dancers never ceases.
Krische, who was supposed to be teaching swordsmanship, was also in a good mood because of the enthusiasm of the soldiers.
Puffing out her chest, she said, 'This is like this,' while explaining to the soldiers around her in a big sister-like tone, as she smiled.
She danced on and on until Terrius Melchikos, the Third Corps Commander, who was looking for Selene for some errand, showed up.
Their night, filled with the excitement of victory, went on.
