[Trantor - Pot]


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    Chapter 59: Big Sister, You''re the Best


    I walked forward slowly. A chilling frost emanated from the icy barrier that Ulbhild had conjured. A cold that seemed to forget the seasons.


    Was my body stiff because of the cold, or was it the fear of the opponent standing before me? Either way, it didn’t matter. Facing fear, my oldpanion, was something I’d grown ustomed to.


    Fixing my gaze on Ulbhild, who was studying me with icy, focused eyes—


    I abandoned all thoughts of Karzan''s myriad techniques, those arts designed to confuse an enemy''s perception of distance and rhythm.


    Scarlet Cloud Ghost Path.


    Today, I focused only on the movement technique I’d just learned. I mentally reyed its flow over and over. Even without a formal chant, I had already grasped its essence. Savoring its profound nature, I muttered to myself:


    ‘This... is just the beginner’s level? You''ve gotta be kidding me.’


    This was a supreme technique, one that even those in the underworld couldn’t buy with a fortune.


    “Wow, look at his movements.”


    “They’re wless.”


    Ignoring the admiration from the Special Operations Division, I began executing the footwork.


    Shwick, shwshwick, shwshwick.


    I found my own rhythm. The twisting of my ankles, the upright posture of my torso, the spring in my knees. And then—


    Whoosh!


    The moment I stepped into range, Ulbhild’s sword shed toward my brow. But I had already pulled back by the time her shoulder moved.


    “Your reflexes are impressive.”


    This time, Ulbhild closed in on me.


    I retreated, keeping our distance. She maneuvered to my blind spot, but I sidestepped again, turning our bout into an borate game of cat and mouse. Though, the mouse was far too quick.


    ‘She’s closing in.’


    ng!


    Ulbhild shattered my spacing as effortlessly as someone pulling an object from their pocket.


    To attack so effectively without relying on sheer speed or strength—her skill was undeniable.


    ck, ck!


    Even so, I countered her strikes with minimal effort. Since our mana reserves were roughly equal, the recoil from her de was manageable.


    However—


    ‘It feels like shing a cheap iron sword against a well-forged steel sword.’


    The firmness and precision of her strikes were far beyond my current capabilities. Her mastery of foundational techniques was leagues ahead.


    This was a gap that even Karzan’s experience couldn’t easily bridge.


    "If I face her head-on, my sword will shatter in no time."


    Fighting under such constraints was stifling. Yet, even in this restricted state, I knew how to fight with unparalleled freedom. My advantage came from quickly identifying and exploiting favorable positions.


    ‘Fortunately, Ulbhild is honest. She doesn’t seem the type to break her own self-imposed rules.’


    That worked to my advantage.


    ‘Equal strength and speed, but with inferior weapon quality.’


    In short, this was the state of our battle.


    For now, I focused on adapting to her movement techniques and analyzing their applications.


    ‘I’ll start by stealing her footwork.’


    At some point, the sound of our feet striking the ground began to outnumber the shes of our swords. I could discern when Ulbhild intended to close the distance.


    “You’re dodging well so far, Allen.”


    I continued to fight, maintaining the gap between us.


    The frequency of our des meeting steadily decreased. Using footwork to control the spacing and twisting my body to avoid critical strikes, I evaded Ulbhild’s attacks.


    Somewhere along the way, our fight began to resemble a dance performed by two swordsmen.


    ‘A sword dance. How nostalgic.’


    My philosophy had always been that even a dance performed with a de could be a martial art.


    However, evading Ulbhild for an extended period proved to be no easy feat.


    ‘Danger!’


    Cornering me against a dead end, Ulbhild swung her sword. I barely managed to dodge and rolled away.


    Crack!


    Ulbhild extended the ice barrier she had summoned earlier, carving a long trail, and unleashed sword energy in my direction. It was an unavoidable attack.


    Whooooosh!


    Blocking the sword energy head-on disrupted the flow of my footwork. In that momentary opening, Ulbhild’s next attack came perilously close, forcing me to narrowly evade again.


    ‘Wow, that was close.’


    Yet, Ulbhild didn’t press the attack to chase me down.


    ng!


    Instead, another wave of sword energy shot through the air, forcing me to block again. I staggered two steps back before she asked,


    “How will you handle this situation?”


    “Well, I think I’d need to see it one more time to get a feel for it.”


    True to my words, Ulbhild repeated the attack.


    Whoooosh!


    This time, I evaded the sword energy using only my movement technique.


    “Look at you, fluttering like a g in the wind!”


    My flexibility had improved considerablypared to not long ago, though it still left room for growth.


    “Here Ie.”


    This time, five consecutive shes flew at me. But after seeing her use the same method four times already—


    ‘It’s not going to work on me.’


    I used my de to produce arge burst of energy, disrupting her sword energy. Then, with careful timing, I tapped at her attacks with the tip of my sword.


    “!!!”


    The trajectory of the shes began to veer off course slightly, grazing past me instead ofnding.


    Boom!


    The sword energy des carved deep scars into the ice barrier behind me before dissipating. Watching this, I couldn’t help but smirk.


    “How was that, big sister?”


    “Impressive.”


    “Feeling warmed up now?”


    “Yes.”


    “Then let’s move to the next stage.”


    Her swordsmanship, which had thus far relied on basic thrusts and shes, suddenly underwent a dramatic transformation.


    “!”


    I was nearly finished right then and there.


    I barely avoided her strike, backpedaling and blocking desperately as her de pursued me with the precision of a snake.


    ‘Wow, that was terrifying.’


    The level of her technique had risen several notches. The thought that I’d nearly been taken out so easily sent chills down my spine.


    ‘It was so clever that I didn’t even realize it was a feint until thest second.’


    Some attacks only be apparent after you’ve survived them. This was one of those moments.


    ‘How much of Grunewald’s swordsmanship was woven into that strike?’


    I recalled what Ludan had once told me about the nature of Grunewald’s martial arts.


    “Stability and versatility aren’t concepts limited to internal techniques. Grunewald’s swordsmanship seeks a perfect bnce between offense and defense.”


    “So, it leans heavily toward defense?”


    “Exactly. Charging in blindly without understanding your opponent’s skill or strategy is inherently risky.”


    This bnce of offense and defense essentially meant prioritizing solid defense while delivering precise counterattacks.


    Then, it meant that Ulbhild’s sword intent had already evolved beyond her family’s traditional style.


    ‘That’s the same for me.’


    I had once considered mixing Grunewald’s martial arts with Karzan’s,bining defense and exploration to find ways to counter, then blending counterattacks, deception, and surprise.


    ‘Now’s the time to test that.’


    I adjusted my footwork and responded to Ulbhild’s techniques, maintaining the distance. Her speed wasn’t beyond my reach; with focus, I could still endure.


    ‘She’s trying to train me while making sure I’m not overwhelmed.’


    I asionally let her de slip by and counterattacked, hoping to please my teacher.


    “That was excellent.”


    Ulbhild praised, growing more energized as she spoke. I felt the same excitement building in me.


    ‘This is troublesome.’


    Perhaps it was the rare feeling of exhration, but I made a mental note to hide my strength.


    ‘Anyway, the gap between us is like the sky and the earth.’


    I was but an ant challenging a lioness Ulbhild. But how effective would Karzan’s sword be against such a powerful foe?


    To find out, I had to let go of any pretenses.


    ‘Blindly relying on brute force is not the answer.’


    “Be careful, big sister.”


    I barely dodged Ulbhild’s strike by a hair’s breadth and closed in.


    Recovering her sword, Ulbhild swung it diagonally at me. I blocked it head-on, using the force to rotate my body and redirect the strike.


    “!”


    This was clearly an unexpected move. It wasn’t something I could repeat often, but using an unexpected technique at the right moment can always throw the opponent off bnce.


    ng!


    Ulbhild’s sword narrowly grazed my neck, but she stepped back.


    My well-timed move had been thwarted, but it didn’t matter.


    “Big sister.”


    I caught the strands of her brown hair falling lightly, like delicate feathers, with my palm.


    “Almost there.”


    As I felt the slight thrill from her hairnding softly, I reflected on the moment.


    From being born in the back alleys and honing Karzan’s martial arts in the underworld, I had now touched the very pinnacle of martial arts—Grunewald’s style.


    * * *


    “Wow...”


    While Peter marveled at the fight before him with youthful wonder.


    Olivier, Harold, and Barva each watched the battle from their own perspectives.


    ‘Truly, the young master’s talent is genuine.’


    Olivier thought that, even if he were in that very spot, he couldn’t have fought as well under the same conditions.


    ‘That’s just insane.’


    Harold was more blunt.


    ‘He just fights like a monster. That’s beyond the limits of martial techniques or mana. It’s a whole different realm.’


    Having umted countless experiences as a deputymander of the Special Operations Division, Harold saw Allenvert’s talent from a different angle.


    ‘Abat prowess honed in real-world battles, or perhaps a natural-born gift for fighting... It’s like what you see in the high-level fighters of the underworld.’


    But how could a nobleman’s son, who had been reclusive for seven years, fight like that? Even Harold, who had seen it all, found it hard to believe.


    ‘To think he can coordinate so well with Sister.’


    Barva couldn’t believe how much stronger Allenvert had be in just a few days. When they fought before, Allenvert had simply toyed with him, using agile movements like a bullfighter.


    But now?


    ‘I wouldn’t even stand a chance.’


    At 15 years old, Barva was still in thete stages of the 3rd-tier. However, even though their martial levels were somewhat simr, He stood no chance against the current Allenvert. It was an unimaginable scene.


    ‘People can change if they want to.’


    Watching this living proof was aplicated experience in many ways.


    ‘Then, can I change too?’


    At this point, Barva nced at Peter. Allenvert had been right.


    ‘I couldn’t even apologize properly for my own mistakes.’


    ...What could possibly change about me now?


    “Peter.”


    “Yes, yes, Young Master?”


    “I’m sorry about back then.”


    “...!”


    Peter was momentarily stunned but quickly broke into a smile.


    “It’s all right, Young Master.”


    “...I see.”


    Peter was shy boy, and could only manage those few words, but strangely, Barva didn’t feel bad about it at all.


    Therefore, Barva realized that apologizing might not always be about crushing one''s own pride.


    ***


    “You twisted your wrist at thest moment, didn’t you?”


    Ulbhild smiled softly as she recalled my move.


    “That’s correct.”


    “You’ve got some skill.”


    “It’s just a small trick.”


    “That trick, if given form and a name, would be a technique.”


    “!”


    There was a certain weight to Ulbhild’s words. It made sense—after all, that’s how every martial art began.


    “I too have many such nameless tricks.”


    “Would I be able to understand them?”


    “For example, something like this.”


    Ulbhild slowly brought her sword to mine. At chest height, our des met and shed with force.


    “!”


    In the next instant, I found myself rolling on the ground, caught by Ulbhild’s expert grappling technique.


    "Wow, this is…"


    It was an incredibly advanced move.


    “Impressive. I didn’t even see how I got caught.”


    “Even then, you instinctively tried to twist my ankle.”


    Ulbhildughed.


    “Well, it was a reflex, but thinking about it now, I realize I would’ve been finished in a real battle. Freeze, and it’s over.”


    Ulbhild shook her head.


    “You found the best move within the rules. No need to think about alternatives.”


    I couldn’t help but admire her sharp judgment. She was right.


    “Allenvert, do you know the real reason why internal mana cultivation is so crucial in a fight between martial artists beside expanding mana reserves?”


    “I’m not sure.”


    "It''s because things like this be possible."


    Ulbhild closed her eyes.


    "Let''s say I got injured on the battlefield, specifically, I lost my sight. In such an urgent situation, I would still have to continue the fight."


    "That''s true."


    I had experienced simr situations many times before.


    "In that case, how would you handle it?"


    "I''d have to rely as much as possible on my hearing."


    "Actually, you wouldn''t need to do that."


    Ulbhild let her sword droop and turned her back to me.


    "Even in this state, I could block all your attacks."


    What kind of extraordinary level is this?


    "In that case, I’ll give it a try."


    I circled around, attempting to disrupt Ulbhild''s hearing.


    Swoosh!


    I had some proficiency in stealth and throwing techniques. In fact, they had saved Karzan''s life on several asions.


    I threw a rock without a sound, and Ulbhild only tilted her head to avoid it.


    Whoosh!


    I deliberately dragged my foot to create noise and swung my sword. But Ulbhild didn’t react.


    What’s going on?


    Is she judging based on sound?


    As if reading my thoughts, Ulbhild spoke.


    "Trying to fool me with sound is useless, Allenvert."


    I made a loud noise on purpose and quietly thrust my sword. Of course, Ulbhild blocked it without hesitation.


    "How did you do that?"


    "You should be able to figure it out yourself."


    "I understand it’s rted to internal energy cultivation, but I don''t know the specific principle."


    Ulbhild smiled softly.


    "I’ll end today’s lesson by teaching you that principle."


    "Wow."


    I gasped in admiration.


    ‘She really is giving so much away.’


    Big sister, you''re the best.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Trantor - Pr?ks]


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