I dashed quickly toward her.
However, as I got closer, I froze. Should I attack from the side? From above? Should I crouch and strike from below? I couldn't decide.
While I hesitated, Tiona's sword swung toward me at incredible speed.
I couldn't even see it! I screamed internally.
Before I knew it, her blade was right next to my neck. Even though her sword had no edge, I was sure I'd die if she hit me directly. A shiver ran down my spine.
"What are you doing?" Tiona asked. "Do you even think before you act?"
"Don't you think you're being a little too strict?"
"I'm training you, so I have to be strict. You can't do that again. You need to think before making your first move. You hesitated, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I did." Her sword pulled away from my neck, and I let out a relieved sigh. "I just ran toward you but didn't know what to do. While I was thinking, you attacked."
"It's normal to think about things like 'Where should I strike?' while fighting—but not like that. You left so many openings it scared me."
"Maybe it looked that way because you're much stronger than I am." I gave a weak laugh.
That was probably exactly it. She's so strong and fast that I must've looked like I was moving in slow motion to her. I'm sure it didn't take me more than three seconds before her sword was already swinging toward my neck.
"Maybe…" Tiona said thoughtfully. "Should I just let you move however you want while I defend? Alright, let's do that. Attack me with everything you've got." She jumped back, putting some distance between us.
I looked at her and started thinking about how to attack.
Should I just swing my sword randomly like I do against monsters? No, that won't work.
But maybe I'm overthinking it.
I'll just show her everything I've got.
What if I try to copy moves I've seen in anime or movies? That could work!
The corner of my lips curled into a grin. "I'm going to attack now! Please go easy on me!" I shouted.
"Alright! Come at me!" Tiona called back, sounding excited.
But even though she looked eager, she didn't take a proper battle stance like she usually did. She just stood there on the training field, sword in hand, looking relaxed—almost careless.
I have to catch her off guard!
####
POV: Tiona
What is he thinking now? Is he going to mess up again, or is he planning something?
I kept my eyes on Ethan, smiling, waiting for his move. But he was taking forever.
Minutes passed, and he was still standing there.
Should I say something?
I was just about to open my mouth when, all of a sudden, he rushed toward me.
I had created plenty of distance between us precisely for this kind of test.
He's definitely faster now. Much faster. He doesn't even look like the same person.
My smile widened as I focused on observing what he'd do next—then he surprised me.
I thought Ethan would attack from the front, but he dashed past me and tried to strike from behind.
"Whoa." I easily blocked his sword.
Then he began attacking from every angle, spinning around me and aiming for different parts of my body. Since I'm far stronger and much more experienced, I could see every one of his moves clearly.
Still, this was interesting—his movements had improved a lot.
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Our swords clashed repeatedly until Ethan finally stepped back, breathing heavily.
Unlike me, he was completely out of breath.
"How is that even possible!? You can see all of my movements!?"
"Of course. But that was interesting. You're finally trying something different. Your movements are lighter and more precise now. If you were fighting an adventurer at your level, you probably would've injured them."
"Really?"
"Yes." Ethan looked genuinely happy hearing that compliment. But I couldn't praise him too much. "Still, it's not enough. Your attacks are way too predictable for stronger adventurers."
"I don't really care about that. I'm going to fight monsters, right? They're not as smart as humans."
"You think you can just run circles around any monster and attack from all sides? They may not be as intelligent as humans, but their instincts are sharp. And besides, not all monsters can be hurt that easily. I'm sure you'd struggle a lot if you fought an Orc with that kind of fighting style."
"If I focus on its legs, couldn't I bring an Orc down?"
"Yes, that's possible—but by the time you manage that, it would've already hit you. Do you have any idea how strong an Orc is? If one lands a solid blow, you'd be lucky to survive with your current strength."
"Hmmm… then I'll just make sure not to get hit~~"
I sighed at that.
"You're probably thinking Orcs are too slow to hit you, huh? I wouldn't be so sure. And it's not just Orcs—there are plenty of other dangerous monsters out there. You'll need to think carefully before engaging them."
"Alright, alright, I get it. My attacks are predictable. But how do I fix that?"
"You need to predict your opponent's movements."
"Eh…" Ethan shrugged. "You really think I can do that?"
"Well… it's easier against monsters, you're right," I admitted.
"How about teaching me some moves then? You've got tons of experience, right?"
I stared at Ethan for a moment, thinking about what I could possibly teach him.
Honestly, I had no idea where to even start.
If I'd known teaching someone would be this hard, I wouldn't have agreed to it.
Although, to be honest, I only agreed to train Ethan because I wanted to get closer to him.
So why hasn't he made a single move yet?
####
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