Chapter 26 - Training Session 2
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Lois.
For a farm girl.. or rather, a Farm Manager.. building techniques and planning several steps ahead seems quite natural from what I am seeing now..
But.. I am also a genius at building plans.. Yes, I am.
Damn you all, haha. Did you forget that I've written several novels characterized by the intelligence of their protagonists and the building of complex schemes?
If I could do it for one of my characters, why can't I do it for myself? Of course, it shouldn't be that hard..
But where is the paradox? Yes, the paradox is that now, after transitioning to this world.. it's not easy at all..
Designing plans and writing them is one thing, but applying that in combat and mastering it is something else entirely..
I might need time to get used to it and train.. maybe I can reach something close to what the heroes of my novels achieved.. but then again..
What I am seeing now from Lois???
It seems absolutely unnatural.. Suman's powerful strikes.. his movements which are not slow at all..
How can someone who was just a farmer a few days ago be able to dodge them, counter them, and have every single move calculated with such precision and zero errors??
She stepped forward with confidence.. one step, then another, and another. At the same time, it seemed as if Jo no longer wished to attack; instead, he chose to stand and wait for what was coming.
Filled with ecstasy, Lois raised her black glove.. she closed her fingers, then leapt toward Jo and delivered a strike.
Jo gripped his axe with both hands and countered the blow.
"What is this?" Jo whispered.
That strike.. was so much weaker than it could even be considered a strike.
Again.. Lois delivered another blow, and another..
"What are these poor strikes?" Monali muttered...
"Hahaha. It seems Lois possesses supreme defensive power but a very weak attack.." Suman whispered.
Well, just as I expected..
As for me... the riddle was solved since the very first strike. If Jo doesn't discover the trick quickly, he will be defeated without a doubt.
For several minutes, Lois continued to deliver strike after strike.. while Jo was content to simply counter them. He seemed to be enjoying countering those weak blows.. but..
"When will he realize..?" Monali said.
"Haha, you finally noticed.."
"What did you notice?" Suman muttered, wondering.
"Well, watch more and think."
Boom..
Boom..
Boom..
Boom..
Boom..
"Your strikes are getting stronger, then," Jo said as he raised his axe with one hand and countered the next strike again.
"Of course.." Lois muttered, "My glove possesses great power, but unfortunately, it needs time to release it."
"Hahaha," Jo laughed. Then he raised his hand.. and delivered a heavy strike.
Lois received it with a smile and countered it with her yellow glove with total ease. The powerful blow that used to throw her far away at the beginning of the battle had now become like a child's blow compared to her increasing defense.
"I thought you weren't lying," Jo added. Then he swung his axe again and struck.. after countering his blow again, he completed his sentence:
"Your black glove.. it accumulates power after every hit.. it possesses the same properties as the yellow glove."
"Hahaha. Have you discovered it now? Unfortunately, it's a late discovery."
Then she raised her hand again and struck once more.
BOOOOOM!
This time, the sound of the collision was intense, and Jo was thrown back several meters.
"Finally. It seems her glove has been saturated with enough power to push Jo back," Monali said.
"Of course. The question now is, what will Jo's response be?"
Facing a fighter who increases their defensive power every time you hit them is frustrating.. let alone that the same fighter possesses another ability specific to attack; the more they attack, the more their power increases.
It would be psychologically devastating.. but in Jo's case, it was different. He stood with his lips parted in a golden smile. Perhaps because the match was just a training session.. or perhaps for another reason.
"This is wonderful.." Jo muttered audibly, "Two great abilities. I am very happy that we faced each other.. it is the strongest training I could possibly get.. a defense that can counter any attack I have.. and an attack that can triumph over any defense I set up.. this is wonderful.. let's continue."
After more than 20 minutes.. I decided to stop the fight.
The match did not end as everyone expected.. despite Lois reaching the point of superiority a long time ago.. Jo's persistence and perseverance were a high dam against her powerful tactics. In the end, it was necessary to stop the match.
I stood with pride for my skilled fighters and praised them.
"What a battle! You both are truly wonderful."
"Lois, your weapon is truly suited to your way of thinking.. I believe you will perform wonders with it."
"Jo, every time you surprise me with your perseverance and strength.. what a massive power."
"Thank you, My Lord," the two answered and bowed their heads together.
After several minutes.. the second battle began.
Everyone wanted to see that strange ability Suman possessed.. and for the first time, I felt as if Monali had been placed in the corner, away from the spotlight.
For a proud princess, how will Monali handle this fight?
Especially since she is considered the weakest point here, facing a farmer who turned into a fighter only a few days ago..
Why is she the weakest in this fight?
Well, on the surface, she seems the most experienced. But I have previously witnessed her fight against her brother.
That fight held great lessons, and they must surely be ingrained in Suman's mind. The most important of those lessons:
Monali.. can only fire 10 light arrows..
Everyone heard her brother's statement when he declared that, and Suman was the most likely to take it to heart. On that day, he stood as a witness to
that battle and its every detail..
Yes, Monali's arrows may seem powerful and fast. But, in the face of those new abilities granted to Suman by the Waters..
I believe he is capable of handling them.
However.. the question is.. how will he deal with those 10 arrows? And more importantly..
How will Monali handle the fact that everyone knows her fatal weakness?
Well, let's see..
"Begin!"
I waved my hand, announcing the start.
"My Lady.. I apologize, but before the Lord, I will show everything I have," Suman muttered and offered a bow to his princess.
"I desire nothing but that, Suman. Give me a good fight,"
Monali muttered.
In that same instant, a glowing yellow arrow shot toward Suman.
Suman's eyes exploded in surprise.. and he was barely able to evade the arrow to the side.
"What is this!!! When did the Princess draw the arrow..?" Suman muttered.
His eyes turned toward Monali's hands.. she was already holding the arrow and had drawn a new one.
Suman raised his feet, pressed the ground, and leapt to the side. A large crater exploded in the place where he had been.
Another yellow arrow had dug its place harshly.
Even for thinking, there was no time for Suman.. another arrow launched toward him.
If not for the water weapon that surrounded him completely and made all his stats higher.. he wouldn't have been able to evade even a single arrow. But now, four arrows he had evaded quickly.
He raised his hand.. but the fifth arrow was already here.. he escaped at the last moment.
"The fifth arrow," Suman muttered.. his eyes were barely turning toward Monali. Another arrow was already close.. he leapt again and evaded.
The seventh arrow quickly arrived as well; he evaded it with total skill.
The eighth arrow came from behind.. Suman was barely fast enough to evade this time.
"Two left," Suman muttered.
Quickly came the ninth arrow.. from the side. Suman spun around himself and leapt.. the edges of the arrow's beam hit him. Light blood fell.. while he endured the pain, bit his lips harshly, and waited.
"The last arrow," Suman whispered.. while his gaze suddenly rose upward.
The tenth arrow came from above. Suman planted his foot in the ground and made it a center of pushing power with which he propelled himself to the side.
Craters deeper than any previous ones occupied the space. But...
Suman leaned, panting with difficulty at the side. The arrow did not hit him. For him, it was a terrible experience of absolute focus and strikes that if only one had hit him, he wouldn't have been able to continue at all.
His eyes turned toward the place of the crater where the dust was.. where Monali should have been after delivering the overhead strike.
"??? Where is she?"
Monali was not in that place.
"It's over.." Her words were like the frost that fell in Suman's heart.
A glowing yellow arrow.. was a hair's breadth away from the back of Suman's head.
She stood as a mass of pride and strength.. a true shadow princess.
She stood holding her powerful Ancient arrow, directing her strike toward Suman's head.