[Narrator POV]
Clang!
The swords clashed with each other, the metallic ring echoing in the training ground. After the momentary deadlock, Rudeus conjured a swirling fireball between his palms, the heat radiating from it distorting the air as he unleashed it toward his opponent.
Sla~sh
With a single fluid motion, Claude's blade cut through the air, splitting the fireball into two smoldering halves that dissipated on either side of him.
Using the momentum of his swing and the cover of the dissolving flames, he lunged forward.
Bam!
Claude moved with lightning speed toward Rudeus and, before the young mage could react, struck him squarely in the head with the pommel of his sword.
Thuck!
"Argh... my head feels like it's going to split open!" Rudeus cried out, collapsing and rolling on the ground, clutching his throbbing skull.
"I'm disappointed, Rudy," Claude said, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.
"What the heck... my head is killing me. Can't you just stop your bull—" Rudeus's complaint died in his throat as he glanced up and caught sight of Claude's expression. Something in those eyes made Rudeus's heart clench with unease.
It was rare for Claude to speak with such gravity since they'd known each other. This was one of those rare occasions when the usual playfulness vanished from his demeanor.
It had been two days since Claude arrived in Roa. He had come with his friend Mike, who had mentioned something about helping Claude overcome a "bottleneck" in his training.
Claude had been struggling with this obstacle for some time now, his progress stagnating where once he had advanced steadily.
Usually, Claude could feel the improvement in his skills daily. No matter how small, he could sense it—whether in his production techniques or his combat abilities.
But lately, that feeling of growth had disappeared, leaving only frustration in its wake.
When Claude learned that Mike would be traveling to Roa to accompany his teacher, he decided to tag along after a brief, teasing exchange with his father.
"Hey! If you're bored, help me!" Claude's father had called out, hammering diligently at a trinket in his workshop, sweat beading on his brow.
"No way, my time is too precious to spend tempering and hitting some iron ore! See ya, dad!" Claude had replied with a casual wave, before setting off toward the Boreas estate.
He'd spent his first day in Roa gathering information, then used the second day to meet with Rudeus and test his abilities.
"You're nine this year, right?" Claude asked after counting briefly on his fingers, his brow furrowed in thought.
"Yeah," Rudeus replied with a hint of defensiveness. "It's already impressive for me to do this at my age, you know. I mean, it's not like I can use Saint-class spells here in the estate..."
Claude shook his head, unconvinced by Rudeus's excuses. He could see the younger boy was trying to rationalize his own lack of progress compared to what Claude had accomplished despite starting later.
"Of course, I know that," Claude responded, "but you need to use more of your imagination. Combat isn't just about attacking the other person and waiting for your turn. This isn't a card game where you need to wait for your enemy to finish his attack first!" His voice grew more animated as he continued. "Even while creating your spell, you need to think ahead about what your enemy will do next."
As Claude attempted to impart his battle wisdom, he could see that Rudeus wasn't truly absorbing his concern. The boy's eyes betrayed a mixture of frustration and bruised pride.
Ghislaine stood nearby, arms crossed over her chest in her characteristic pose, watching the exchange with keen interest. Beside her, Eris mimicked the swordswoman's stance, looking smugly important.
Chronologically, Claude and Eris were the same age. However, Claude appeared much older and more robust due to his rigorous training regimen.
Though Eris trained with swords regularly, she still maintained her petite, childlike appearance.
She observed silently, not fully comprehending the deeper nuances of the conversation. In many ways, she was the only true child present, as neither Claude nor Rudeus could genuinely be considered children in mind and spirit.
Though Rudeus often acted childishly, both he and Claude carried older souls within them.
Ghislaine nodded approvingly at Claude's words of wisdom.
"Sigh... I'm stuck, but you're worse than me in development," Claude lamented, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment as he regarded Rudeus. "What can I do, huh?"
"What do you mean, 'stuck'?" Rudeus protested. "You're already this strong, and you're still not satisfied? You're only eleven years old!"
Claude ignored Rudeus's comment, lost in contemplation about how to reach the advanced stage in all aspects of his sword mastery.
His mana capacity was still insufficient to cast advanced spells, having developed his magical abilities later than Rudeus. As he grew older, his mana capacity growth had slowed considerably.
Currently, his mana reserves were merely a third of what Rudeus possessed. While Claude could create upper intermediate spells, he couldn't gather enough magical power to release advanced ones.
Because of this limitation, he had focused on honing his close-quarter combat abilities, hoping that facing strong opponents like Rudeus would enhance his understanding of swordsmanship.
"Sigh..." Claude exhaled deeply before turning to the sword master. "Miss Ghislaine, could I have a spar with you?"
Ghislaine, as though anticipating this request, simply nodded and stepped forward.
"I won't hold back," she warned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't die."
"Please," Claude responded simply, the single word serving as both acceptance and gratitude.
His utterance acted as the signal to begin. Without warning, Ghislaine materialized before him, her movement so swift it seemed like teleportation.
Swish!
Bam!
"Hoo, a barrier," Ghislaine remarked, a note of approval in her voice. "That's actually quite impressive."
"Guuh," Claude grunted, looking down at his shattered magical tool. "My barrier broke from your opening attack... as expected of the Sword King."
"Now," Ghislaine said, readying her blade, "here I go."
Swi~ng
Her sword sliced through the air with a resonant ring as Claude prepared to evade. In that moment, he realized with a sinking feeling that evasion was impossible against her speed.
Receiving the full force of her attack would mean immediate defeat. His only option was to redirect it.
"Whoa! I succeeded!" Claude exclaimed as he managed to deflect her strike, surprise and triumph mingling in his voice.
"Good decision," Ghislaine acknowledged. "Now try this one."
Another blow came toward Claude, fast yet heavy with power. Though he could see it coming and contemplated his response, the reality of Ghislaine's overwhelming skill soon became apparent.
Claude couldn't redirect each attack in the relentless barrage that followed. The continuous assault from Ghislaine left more and more wounds on his body.
With each evasive maneuver, his stamina dwindled further, and his injuries continued to bleed.
"Amazing..." Eris whispered from the sidelines, her eyes wide with wonder. She could hardly believe that the person battling Ghislaine—holding his own, however precariously—was the same age as herself.
Even Rudeus stood flabbergasted as he witnessed Claude's improvements. He clenched his fists tightly, watching the progress Claude had made while he himself remained stagnant.
Unlike in the canonical timeline, where Rudeus lacked motivation to increase his strength beyond necessity, his competitive relationship with Claude had kindled a deeper hunger for power. Claude was simultaneously his friend and his rival. Seeing his rival's back growing more distant spurred Rudeus's desire to improve himself.
Meanwhile, Claude struggled to withstand Ghislaine's onslaught, his movements becoming increasingly desperate.
Damn it, damn it, damn it! his mind screamed. I'm this weak? This can't continue, or I'll be utterly defeated!
"Why are you holding back?" Ghislaine challenged, her sword a blur of motion. "Use every means possible to attack me! All kinds of attacks are permitted in real battle! This isn't training—it's life and death!"
Every means possible! The words echoed in Claude's mind. That's right!
An epiphany struck him like lightning. In that moment, he stopped overthinking and surrendered to his instincts, allowing his body to move naturally.
"Hoo," Ghislaine murmured, adopting a defensive stance as she prepared to receive his attack.
Bang!
A sudden magical blast erupted from Claude's hand, aimed not at Ghislaine's front but at her side. The force of the explosion sent her flying through the air.
Yet even this surprise attack couldn't truly catch the Sword King unprepared. She had already raised her blade to block, reducing the impact of Claude's spell.
"Combination magic," Claude announced, his voice steady despite his ragged breathing, "Flash Blade."
Ghislaine landed gracefully several paces away, her eyes narrowing with analytical interest. She had seen Claude wield the Longsword of Light before, but this technique was markedly different from the ultimate technique of the Sword God style—a different application altogether.
As she studied his stance, Ghislaine realized that the first time Claude had demonstrated such an ability, it wasn't through the usage of Touki as traditional swordsmen did, but through manipulation of mana. This subtle distinction spoke volumes about Claude's unique development path.
"It's cool, right?" Claude asked, a hint of pride breaking through his exhaustion. "Using the concept of the Longsword of Light that you once showed me, I can create a sword beam by harnessing the ambient mana in my surroundings." His eyes lit up with enthusiasm as he continued. "Although it uses ambient mana, I still need to link my own mana to control it... huh, right..."
Claude trailed off upon noticing Ghislaine's puzzled expression. Rather than explain further, he decided to demonstrate.
Adjusting his grip on the blade, he channeled his power differently. Light shimmered along the edge of his sword, gathering intensity until it seemed to vibrate with barely contained energy.
With a single, precise slash, Claude released a beam of concentrated light that shot toward Ghislaine.
"I can do this now without depleting my mana reserves or Touki!" he exclaimed, his achievement evident in his voice.
Even so, Ghislaine merely glanced at the incoming attack before raising her blade with casual precision.
The beam shattered against her sword, dispersing into motes of light that faded into nothingness.
"Although it is an impressive technique," she acknowledged, "I don't think it would be effective against others of my rank."
Claude tilted his head, a contemplative gleam in his eyes. "But if you're aware of its limitations against individuals... imagine if there were ten or hundreds of people attacking with this simultaneously? Wouldn't even warriors above your rank be overwhelmed?"
Though Ghislaine lacked the strategic imagination to fully envision such a coordinated assault, her instincts as a master swordswoman informed her of the technique's terrible potential.
A subtle shift in her expression betrayed her recognition of just how dangerous such an application could be in warfare.
Rudeus, watching from his position on the ground, felt a chill run down his spine. Once again, Claude had demonstrated thinking that went beyond conventional magical theory or swordsmanship—the kind of lateral thinking that made him both a fascinating ally and a potentially terrifying opponent.
"Alright, enough of the chitchat… let's have the 2nd round ready!"
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