Rino's eyes became bloodshot. Then he raised his two swords upright. There was no need to cross the blades. What he needed now was momentum.
He formed momentum through his stance. He transformed the intimidation he possessed into a tangible form. A single sharp sword stabbed at a fortress wall. Awl-like pressure burrowed through the cracks in the solid wall and pierced it.
"...What the hell is this."
And Rino faced a second layer of intimidation. There wasn't just one fortress wall.
'Dual layering of materialized intimidation?'
It was surprising. Even for Rino, this was his first time seeing such a technique.
Enkrid had anticipated that his opponent wouldn't easily surpass the walls while being crushed by the formless pressure the Balrog displayed, like Rino was. In any case, he couldn't kill his opponent with intimidation alone.
Well, there was another purpose, but for now it was also a simple form of experiment.
"I didn't make this to face you, Teacher."
Enkrid spoke kindly. The words contained both sincerity and consideration.
"Bullshit!"
Rino shouted out abruptly. The feeling of being pushed back by the momentum the opponent displayed stoked his anger.
"Take it easy."
Enkrid showed consideration for his opponent once more. Rino's eyes swelled as if the bloodshot veins would burst.
'Son of a bitch.'
Rino focused his mind again. The reddened blood vessels on the backs of his hands gripping the two blades bulged out like wriggling snakes.
Enkrid acted like a spectator. He only pressed down with momentum and did nothing else. In a way, it was exactly what the Balrog did.
It wasn't much different from the way he just stared even when gaps appeared.
One side was calm while the other's mood and condition were represented by the veins rising on his eyes and the backs of his hands.
Still, intimidation was just intimidation. Someone at the knight level would overcome it all eventually, though it would take time. That was natural.
Rino did the same. The fortress walls he crossed numbered three.
"Uoooh!"
He burst out a battle cry. Naturally, this was part of his deception. In truth, from the middle onward, Teacher Rino had been killing time, waiting for the right moment to cross the walls.
It was also part of his effort to maintain his condition at its best, and to counterattack if Enkrid rushed at him, aiming for an opening.
However, Enkrid only watched that process, and after hearing Rino's battle cry, merely drew Dawnforge.
Even that motion wasn't particularly fast. It was merely natural and smooth, like a hand gesture inviting and guiding a guest.
That's what made it more terrifying. It was a fact Rino also knew by instinct.
Krrrrrrring.
The blade, spewing out a sky-blue light, thrust toward the solar plexus of Rino, who had somehow drawn two swords.
The drawing and thrusting motions seemed to become one. Breaking down the process, there were three motions—draw, pull, thrust—but the fluid movement made them all appear as one.
Clang!
It was just before he could cross and clash the blades that had been creating flashes of light. The two swords couldn't meet, blocked by Dawnforge.
Like frustrated lovers, a sky-blue barrier blocked between the two blades.
"...You're quick to catch on!"
Rino shouted once more. The excited-sounding cry was still for the sake of deception.
Naturally, it didn't work. He'd long since grown familiar with Teacher Rino's methods. Moreover, he'd been calmly watching each of his movements one by one, blocking them even using the Sword of Chance. In other words, he cut off the starting point of every motion.
All of Teacher Rino's subsequent attacks were blocked in this way.
When a motion started with his left foot extended forward, Enkrid kicked that left foot, and when Rino tried to cross his two swords again, he pushed Dawnforge between them.
Then Rino drew out a dagger whose blade seemed to curve and bend as if twisted. The blade was also peculiar. Like a beast's fangs, it had five serrated teeth. He used that dagger to grab onto Dawnforge.
Then he tried to break the blade of the sword Enkrid held. Kragagagagagang! The dagger meshed with Dawnforge spat out vicious sparks as the scream of metal rang out.
Enkrid didn't even check the sword's condition.
He didn't need to. Only the teeth the dagger possessed had broken.
"My Imprinted Weapon won't break."
When connected to his Will, its hardness could withstand even the Balrog's sword strokes. He'd already tested it.
This was utilizing all his weapon's capabilities. Dawnforge's hardness was a weapon in itself.
Failing to break the blade, Rino tried to pull his body back while Enkrid kindly explained. Chasing after Rino as he leaped backward, Enkrid drew Penna upward and slashed.
The blade split Rino's body in two.
"...This bastard, his method of handling the sword."
Not revealing his sword's hardness, then using the moment he revealed it as an opportunity to attack. That was how to utilize a weapon.
It was Rino's remark after seeing it in admiration, and Enkrid answered blandly.
"I learned it from you, Teacher."
"Fuck, what teacher, still, it was fun."
Those were the last words that came out as his split lips parted.
"...Well, isn't that enough then? Teacher."
Enkrid answered the empty air. The light of the torch flickered, making shadows sway.
He recognized that this fight had been the longest since meeting Rino and walked on. It was also intentional.
Passing through a passage where the torchlight didn't reach and facing the light again, he saw someone waiting.
"My name is Donapa!"
Enkrid raised his sword without answering. This one enjoyed conversing with weapons, not words.
Even after facing Donapa's axe strikes, the form of the fight was similar.
Block and block again.
Just as he'd received Rino's attacks, this was the same.
Defense based on the Wave-Blocking Sword simplified his thoughts, clearing away impurities, blocking and deflecting the falling axe.
'The Balrog's sword strokes.'
It was a similar form. In an instant, Donapa's Will condensed and remained on his axe. Though it wasn't a Point Explosion, it was an axe strike that fell right on his head, exceeding the momentum of deflection, without even raising a Point Explosion.
Sharper than a guillotine blade, the momentum pressing down on his body was an axe strike like having chains wrapped tightly around his body.
'Choosing simplicity over complexity.'
Materialized intimidation was entangled in the axe strikes based on the Heavy Blade style. If the Balrog's was chains and Enkrid's was fortress walls, then Donapa's axe strikes came with a net that ensnared the entire body.
'If I pulled out the Balrog's intimidation and converted it into axe strikes.'
It would be similar to what Donapa had now. He'd dug down to the very principles and source of the technique.
If Rino had focused on the Balrog's wing beats and the weapon's special qualities, Donapa had developed his own skills based on the Balrog's intimidation.
Of course, he couldn't be a threat to Enkrid.
The Will of Rejection automatically cut through and shook off the net. After that, moving his body was too easy.
Though the frighteningly fast axe strikes tore through the air with a whoosh as they came down, they were still slower than Rem's axe. At least, that's how it felt.
Enkrid dodged, struck aside, and deflected Donapa's axe even while watching it with his eyes. First-rate defense. The sword that blocked waves blocked the axe.
"Uwahp!"
When the single strike failed and no counterattack came, Donapa immediately gathered his strength and swung his axe down again.
Meanwhile, Enkrid had also grasped what Donapa's tactics were. In truth, having faced him over two hundred times, there was no way he wouldn't know. He'd even inwardly made him a teacher and learned his techniques.
'If an opponent dodging the axe's single strike has their stance disturbed even slightly.'
He could buy time for the next axe swing. That was Donapa's strategy. It was an interesting fighting method.
One attack bought time for the next attack.
The tactics he'd learned from Teacher Donapa were also one of the methods for surpassing today.
At least, that's how it became in Enkrid's mind.
Once more, a long fight continued. Donapa swung his axe eighty times. If it hadn't been a body transformed into a Dullahan, wouldn't his arm muscles have burst?
He could see pitch-black blood vessels darker than the blackened, charred-looking forearms bulging out in lumps.
Unless considerable strain was placed on the muscles, such a state wouldn't occur.
Each was a full-power axe swing. Donapa was the type who had difficulty cutting down a thousand men.
Instead, when facing a hundred warriors who could defeat a thousand men, he would fight far better.
Depending on the person and the way they trained, their fighting tactics differed. Donapa was someone who had pioneered his own path.
In that sense, Rino was the same.
That's why there was something to learn from them.
Not some half-assed idiots who thought training was just about putting in time. These were the real deal amidst the bastards who claimed their skills were outstanding without substance and craved pathetic fame.
Conclusively, Donapa's arm muscles wouldn't burst.
'He must have trained that much.'
This one was a knight too.
Even though his every attack was blocked, his mind didn't crumble. He swung his axe again just the same.
Enkrid deflected the eighty-second axe swing and slashed Donapa's waist diagonally.
His body spun with his left foot as the axis, and the power condensed through Vortex exploded. Will flowing through ankle, knee, waist, arm, and hand surged like a boulder rolling down a steep path and reached his sword.
Dawnforge's sky-blue light intensified and formed a blade edge. It was the best strike Enkrid could show.
Since the strength of the swinging axe had clearly diminished compared to the beginning, this was the finale to avoid dragging out more time.
If he only kept blocking until the end, Donapa would just die while scattering with anguished moans and curses.
He'd already done this before. Having gained learning, Enkrid maintained courtesy.
Of course, that courtesy meant cutting the opponent in half.
Black mist scattered and drifted backward.
"I lost."
That was what Donapa's head, which had rolled to one side, said. Donapa acknowledged defeat as usual, and today he spoke in a quite satisfied tone.
That head transformed into particles and disappeared. There seemed to be nothing more to say.
He'd recognized he'd lost long ago and knew the time had been dragged out intentionally, but that last strike alone was the weighty sword stroke Donapa had wanted.
Had he truly been satisfied? Apart from intuition, he couldn't read the inner feelings precisely.
Well, there was no way to hear that answer now.
He pressed through the darkness once more and advanced.
"Oh-ho, you can use a sword, I see?"
The third among the teachers he'd met recently, Single-Edge, lunged with her words. Enkrid set the stage for her to lunge. It was consideration to let her use everything she had. He dragged out time again in this way.
Focusing entirely on defense, he minimized his movement lines and kept his motions to exactly what was needed.
Though Single-Edge's excited Will and long breathing were excellent techniques, there was severe waste. He stole and learned the fundamentals she possessed while adding his own on top.
This wasn't intentional but flowed naturally.
It happened because Enkrid's skill, concepts, and will were all superior.
'Reducing waste.'
Controlling his mood right up to the point before being intoxicated with omnipotence.
He'd learned all the tricks.
Clang, clang, clang.
The blades occasionally clashed, but there wasn't a single scratch on either of their bodies. Enkrid blocked attacks in various ways.
Sometimes he even used the fairy cloak to deflect the blade.
Each time, Single-Edge's eyebrows rose little by little. Eventually, unable to contain her anger as her excitement cooled, she bet everything on a single strike with full power, like Donapa.
That too must have been one of her hidden secret techniques, but it was also a technique Enkrid had seen thirty-five times.
He stepped back to escape the range of the sword strike, then leaped in to completely tangle the opponent's attack timing.
'Even as a knight, combat itself is simple.'
As a knight, you could run fast enough to leave afterimages, swing a sword faster than sound, shatter boulders, and cut through fortress walls.
Still, the fundamentals didn't change.
Steal timing, read breathing, dodge and strike, deceive and strike, predict and cut. It was combat faithful to that process.
If Sagong saw this, it was a long fight to the point where he'd ask if enduring today this way was the method you spoke of.
"Tch."
Single-Edge also died while spitting out a curse.
It was understandable to be irritated if all your attacks were blocked and then you died in one stroke.
Still, she too had a roughly satisfied face.
Because after a long time, she'd fought by dragging out everything to her limits.
Not for amusement, but because the opponent had helped her draw out all her skills.
"Thanks."
Was that why? Single-Edge left unexpected words.
Before Enkrid could even answer, she scattered and disappeared. Advancing again and meeting the bonfire light, he reached today's destination.
"You came."
It was Oara.
"Yes."
Enkrid skillfully sat beside Oara, revealed in the bonfire light. Up to here was the same as any today. No, the fact that he'd dragged out time in a sluggish manner was definitely different.
Of course, all that time was also time dedicated to the three teachers.
Following various conversations, when Oara made a gesture to end her words.
"Ha, I both wanted and didn't want to see you here again. Actually, if it had been Roman, I was thinking of sending him back."
Oara spoke while placing her hand on her knee. Just as she was about to stand up with a hngh, Enkrid casually spat out words.
"It's been a while since we met, how about a sparring match?"
The way he spoke and blinked was exactly like the oblivious Ragna.
In truth, he'd imitated him while thinking of him.
Oara showed a flustered expression for a moment, though briefly. It seemed like she was wondering if this was allowed.
She blinked, then nodded.
"Good."
Then she drew her sword. Srrrrng— The Imprinted Weapon called Laughter wasn't there. Instead, an ordinary longsword was gripped in her hand.