Chapter 16. King of All Weapons – (2)

***

ー First Strike.

The first strike in a match or duel was extremely important.

Whether to attack first or not had such a significant impact on the outcome of the match, and broadly speaking, it was the same in many aspects.

Being able to act first, to do something first, often held great meaning in itself.

And for those wielding a spear, first strike…
It was a word with an even greater meaning.

…

“Okay. I’m grateful if you say so.”

Chunsung naturally accepted Leonhardt’s words offering the first strike.

And he immediately activated his mana.
ー!

A faint blue light circling his arms and legs.

Unlike showing the little mana he had in the entrance exam, Chunsung now enveloped his body with mana.

This was to accelerate his movements even more.

Thud!

The moment Chunsung took a step from his position like that. His body was shooting out like a beam of light.

“…”

Various objects and backgrounds entering his vision. And Leonhardt’s entire body rapidly expanding into view as the target.

Swoosh!

The fingertips thrusting the spear, as if becoming one with the spear, lightly cut through the air, and since it was a match, didn’t aim for vital points like the heart or head.

What I’m aiming for now is Leonhardt’s right shoulder.

I reached attack range after closing the distance in a single breath.

And I expected.

‘He’ll counter.’

The difference in Talents between Leonhardt and me was clear, and it was impossible for me to finish him in one exchange.

But this is the beginning. From this point when Talent levels are low, there wasn’t such a ridiculous difference that I absolutely couldn’t counter. Of course, later on, the difference will widen to the point where we can’t even be compared, but. Right now, it meant I had room to contend with the protagonist.

As expected, when Leonhardt met my blade with a surprised look at my unexpected speed.

Clang!

As a large spark flew from the clashing sword and spear tip, the spear blade bounced off greatly.

Leonhardt’s gesture seemed to lightly deflect, but in my grip that met it, I felt a huge force as if hitting a wall.

‘As expected of the protagonist.’

Superiority was felt from his basic stats.

But it doesn’t matter.

I already expected this. I wasn’t surprised by what I expected.

Whisk!

As the bounced spear shaft rotated once as if flowing out power, I quickly thrust the spear again.

Clang!

Following the first exchange, naturally, the second attack was also deflected by Leonhardt’s sword.

That too. It didn’t matter.

I expected it, and this situation itself had meaning.

As proof, Leonhardt now. He had taken a step back.

‘I absolutely must not stop.’

The hand wielding the recovered spear moves faster, swiftly thrusting the spear.

Clang!

As the weakly thrust spear bounced off greatly at first, using the force of retrieval, I slashed horizontally. The sharp metallic sound rang out almost continuously.

The clash of spear and sword that started like that.

The collision between weapons was like a kind of applause, if you were to compare it.

Just as you can’t clap with one hand, you need hands that can meet to make a proper clapping sound.

And now.

That sound was continuously ringing out.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spear thrusting again and again bounced off the sword endlessly, with sharp sounds and sparks bursting continuously.

Even though my offensive seemed to be blocked meaninglessly, my heart burned even more.

‘It’s okay.’

I’m taking the offensive now and it’s just being blocked. I’m not ‘being attacked’.

An offensive like slapping one hand against the other repeatedly as if clapping alone.

Of course, it was natural.

While Leonhardt was at a distance where he couldn’t reach me even if he thrust his sword, I was taking advantage of the reach to launch a fierce offensive against Leonhardt.

Moreover, the more strongly Leonhardt deflected my spear mid-way. I used that force to thrust the spear even more strongly, making it so Leonhardt couldn’t do anything else.

A chain of endlessly thrusting the spear and deflecting that spear had been completed.

And I intended to maintain this offensive until the end of the match.

The reason I came to think I could win. Leonhardt is not used to spears.

No, no one would be used to this.

Only a spear could maintain such an exquisite advantage in reach and launch an endless offensive.

As I gradually met his gaze, I could see.

“……”

Leonhardt’s eyes, which had shown apologetic looks until he yielded the first strike to me. Anyone could see they were now completely hardened.

A reality different from his expectations.

It would be hard to know that a Talent that had to be looked down upon as Common actually had strangely strong aspects.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Before I knew it, I was thrusting the spear almost in a trance-like state.

Thrust the spear, have it bounce off, and retrieve it while thrusting again simultaneously.

It continues as naturally as breathing.

Not the gesture of thrusting and slashing thousands of times into the air for two months. The feeling of the spear ringing out while clashing weapons like this was special to me too.

And…
Even I couldn’t understand myself.

That I could thrust the spear so familiarly in this first match.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Even now, Leonhardt seemed to have no chance to counterattack as he deflected my spear.

That was even more clearly visible to my eyes thrusting the spear.

Shoulder, thigh, side, arm, etc… My spear aiming for virtually every part except vital points was aiming for areas difficult for Leonhardt to defend in between retrievals.

Even if Leonhardt deflected all of that, that was the end.

Leonhardt had no way to take the offensive against me in return.

If he forcibly tried to create an opening to take the offensive. I intended to aim for Leonhardt’s exposed opening and choose mutual destruction.

“…”

Leonhardt, now meeting my gaze, must be intuiting that too.

That’s why Leonhardt was maintaining a hardened expression while defending.

Yet gradually, my body started to feel heavy.

The madly thrusting spear. No matter how much I flowed out the force and used it in reverse. Unable to completely flow it out, my body slowly started to creak.

Nevertheless, my heart was strangely joyful.

‘The winning move is already set.’

The moment he yielded the first strike, this reality was like a confirmed future. And I showed its realization.

The protagonist’s Talent that will gain ridiculous power to split the earth and seemingly split the sky with a single swing.

ー Sky-Splitting Blade.

That was a story for the far future.

The sword Leonhardt was swinging and deflecting now couldn’t contain such ridiculous power.

Clang!

As the suddenly thrust spear bounced off more strongly than before, my hand holding the spear also shook strongly.

Feeling that there was no answer if Leonhardt was pushed onto the defensive, he made a strong move.

Seeing a faint blue light dwelling in his sword, the smile on my lips deepened.

‘Even if you forcibly try to create an opening.’

Along with the spear raised high by the great force, I didn’t try to forcibly stay in that position.

Rather, using that force, I suddenly stomped the ground.

Thud.

Swoosh!

The moment I stomped the ground, I saw a sword enveloped in blue light crossing the space where I had been.

Watching that leisurely as I landed, I stomped the ground again.

Thud.

And I started thrusting the spear intensely again.

Clang!

I naturally tried to create the same situation as before.

I take a mad offensive thrusting the spear, and Leonhardt, forced onto the defensive, is busy just deflecting my spear – that situation is formed again.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the rhythm of the spear blade and sword clashing struck my ears again, I thought calmly.

‘…Like this until the end.’

The arm swinging the spear had already lost sensation.

In fact, I felt the spear I was holding become heavy not long after it started bouncing off.

But I ignored that.

Moving my legs to match the distance Leonhardt was pushed back or approached didn’t feel like the first time either.

With a mana stat of only 2, the mana enveloping my whole body had long disappeared, and I felt my movements become slower.

Before I knew it, my body was thrusting the spear with movements similar to when using mana, as if it had adapted.

Even though it was difficult, heavy, tiring, and my vision was blurring.

Yet I didn’t stop.

The clear blue light dwelling in Leonhardt’s sword.

Watching him use Sky-Splitting Blade, my heart settled like a calm lake.

‘It’s possible.’

I can conduct this match equally, no, rather pushing back against this world’s protagonist.

It wasn’t like a dream at all.

The worry and fear of defeat I first felt had long disappeared, and I thrust the spear even as my body creaked.

Even if he uses Sky-Splitting Blade, its reach doesn’t extend. So I had no reason to fear at all.

Why fear a sword that can’t reach me?

This world wasn’t one where the reach of swords could be freely adjusted like some novel’s aura.

Of course… later on, such crazy things become possible with protagonist buffs, but.

‘At least not now.’

Clang! Clang!

Unlike before, the sound of spear and sword clashing rang out more intensely and loudly.

I could clearly see with my eyes that Leonhardt was deflecting the spear with near-serious force.

Each time the spear blade bounced off greatly like that, I leisurely retrieved the spear and repeated thrusting it again.

My body was strained and my breathing became heavily labored.

Even as my vision blurred, it was okay.

Retrieving the spear again and thrusting it wasn’t impossible.

…Exchanging blows endlessly like this.

It was strangely enjoyable.

***

“…”
“…”

Clang! Clang!

Only the sharp metallic sound ringing out heated up the match arena.

There were no other sounds.

When the match started, everyone watching had expected.

From Grecia who arranged the match to Yumia who followed Leonhardt, and Instructor Avalanche observing their match. As well as the A class cadets who had gathered out of curiosity for the match.

They had envisioned Han Chunsung’s defeat in just a few minutes. No, in less than a few seconds.

Legendary and Common.

There was such a huge difference that comparing them was ridiculous.

But.

Quite some time had passed now.
Now, over 20 minutes into the match.

Clang! Clang!

The fierce sound of sword and spear blade interlocking rang out familiarly in people’s ears, and it didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon.

Now everyone was watching silently.
A match beyond expectations, completely unthinkable.
A match unfolding that couldn’t even be described as a struggle, beyond understanding.

“…Is it really Common grade?”

Then someone uttered a word.

As several people blankly agreed with those words at that moment.
Only ‘two people’ were watching the match with different thoughts.

Namely Instructor Avalanche observing the match and Grecia.

Only they were watching the match with a different gaze from the cadets blankly observing.