VS Eris

Chapter 12 - VS Eris

"E-Emily!?"

"Who's this guy?"

Rudeus looked surprised after seeing me and Young lady made a dubious expression.

I mean, wasn't Rudeus informed I was coming?

Maybe Master felt mischievous and asked not to tell him?

"Eris, she's my childhood friend. And she's an oni... devil... I mean, a super strong swordsman."

"...is that so? In that case, you, fight me!"

As soon as she heard a weird explanation from Rudeus, the wild young lady whose name is Eris suddenly challenged me to a match.

No, I mean, she's a young lady so it's impossible to be wild.

But her act of challenging just with our eyes meeting is equal to that of a pokemon in the wild challenging a trainer.

I looked toward Ghislaine with some bewilderment.

Even I know that beating up a noble lady without permission is a bad idea.

"I don't mind. Originally, I had the idea that letting you meet Eris would give her good stimulation."

"Understood. Let's, spar..."

"Gaaaaaaaa!!"

"...!"

Before I finished speaking, before taking out my sword, Young lady used Charge!

A surprise attack!?

That's not how young ladies fight!

But well, honestly, I won't lose with that level.

Recalling the countermeasure against surprise attacks that Master taught me to avoid ruffians that would catch me off guard, I quickly calmed down and calmly drew the wooden sword I brought with me, and parried Young lady's swinging sword using a Water God Style technique.

"...!? Uraaaaaaaaa!!"

Although she almost lost her balance after the weighted attack was smoothly parried, Young lady quickly recovered and launched her next attack.

Continuous slashes faster than the blink of an eye.

It's the first technique I learned(copied) from Master, Sword God Style [Gale].

I started thinking while parrying that head-on.

I see.

As expected from someone who has learned from Ghislaine. She feels stronger compared to the impression I had when she was fighting Rudeus.

Specifically, each of her blows is heavier than I thought.

Also, the rhythm of her attack is unique, and a little hard to deal with.

It's the exact opposite of Rudeus whose attack is light and slow as a result of thinking a lot before attacking.

Her attack is deep, so deep that I would believe it if I was told she doesn't think about the consequences of receiving a counterattack, so it felt strange and I was almost pushed back.

With this, I should take back my words about Elder sister might win against her without using magic.

On top of that, unlike Master and Ghislaine, she is very immature when it comes to controlling battle aura, so it made it difficult for my demon eye to read her movements instead.

Well, it's not a good idea to completely rely on my demon eye, so it's a meaningful practice for me in preparation for enemies I couldn't use my demon eye against.

Come on, let's continue!

"You! Why! Can't! I! Hit you!?"

However, the difference between our ranks couldn't be overcome so easily, and Young lady's sword was unable to touch me.

Young lady is probably a Sword God Style Intermediate who's about to reach Advanced after a while.

Compared to that, even just the Water God Style I am using against Young lady is Advanced.

On top of that, the offensive Sword God Style and defensive Water God Style are as incompatible as rock-paper-scissors's rock and paper.

Of course, the Sword God Style is rock, and the Water God Style is paper.

If there is no large enough difference in skill, Water God Style wins most of the time.

In other words, Young lady is badly matched against me.

"Yo."

"Ah...!?"

And after judging that I had seen through most of her moves, I swept away Young lady's sword with a counter, just like how Ghislaine did to me back then.

It's over... or not.

"Uraaa!!"

Young lady, who had lost her sword, clenched her fist as if to say, "I have a fist without a sword!" and punched at me.

Really, that's not how a young lady should fight!

"Uu...!?"

I evaded that fist and pointed my wooden sword at Young lady's throat.

But even this didn't stop Young lady.

Showing an expression akin to a mad beast, she grabbed my wooden sword and tried to continue to attack...

"Stop."

Until she was stopped by Ghislaine's word.

She's still groaning with dissatisfaction though.

This, wouldn't I get attacked if I looked away?

Is she a mad dog?

"It's Eris' loss."

"I haven't lost yet...!"

"No, you've lost since you can't even make your opponent serious. Also, Emily, was it?"

"Yes."

"There's no need to hold back just because she's a noble lady. After all, you can't learn swordsmanship without pain. I allow you to do so."

"Under, stood."

Hearing my conversation with Ghislaine, did Young lady realize I was holding back against her? Her face became redder than her hair color and exploded in anger.

"Don't look down on me! I'll absolutely make you pay...! Rudeus! Lend me your strength!"

"Ehh~..."

Rudeus, who was suddenly asked for cooperation, made a reluctant face.

Well, although Rudeus is actively learning magic and swordsmanship, he doesn't seem to like fighting itself.

Anyone wouldn't like being partners with an angry, mad dog.

But,

"I don't, mind. A swordsman, and, magician. The two, of you, attack, together."

That would be a better experience for me.

I know the difficulty of dealing with a combination of a swordsman and a magician with good teamwork, even just with my fighting experience against my elder sister, who can do the job of the two with one.

On top of that, leaving their overall strength aside, Rudeus and Young lady in front of me are better in terms of their individual abilities as a magician and a swordsman, respectively, compared with my elder sister.

And there are two of them, so they should be far stronger than my elder sister, who does two things with one mind.

It's a good warm-up before challenging Ghislaine.

I might lose against her, but that made me even more excited.

While thinking of that, I provoked them with a beckoning gesture.

"Don't, look, down, on, meーーー!!!!"

"Eris...!? Ahh, whatever, I don't care anymore!"

Young lady was enraged and charged forward with an infuriated momentum, while Rudeus gave up convincing her otherwise and decided to fight.

The second round of fights in the Boreas Family began.