Along with the signal to begin the match, the one who started moving was Doug.
With a light tap, he kicked at the ground once.
With just that, his body accelerated to a tremendous speed.
"So fast!"
"What in the world was that!?"
The knights who came to watch opened their eyes wide.
They had also been surprised by the speed of Luca's attack, but Doug is clearly on another level altogether. Their surprise at Luca and the others had been because they were fast for the level of apprentice knights, but the speed that Doug was showing was a phenomenal speed as a human being.
Also, the distance traveled was also not common.
Usually, from a distance outside the range of the sword, one would close in the distance step by step in one breath and attack.
An attack with terrifying speed and power assaulted Percil.
Percil handled it sideways. If he had received it from right in front, he would have probably ended up being blown away due to its momentum.
It was an attack that most apprentice knights would be unable to defend against it and be done in with only just that.
However, Doug's magnificence wasn't over with just this.
If it were really over with just this, then Gorms and Luca, and all the famous youths most likely wouldn't have been defeated so easily.
After the first attack was deflected, Doug kicked at the ground with his left foot, and with just that, he similarly accelerated to the left with a great speed. And then, stepping on the ground with his right foot this time, he easily took in the inertia in the right direction, and further stepping on the ground, he accelerated in the complete opposite direction with a speed that was faster than before.
With lightning-like movements, Doug approached Percil from diagonally across.
Usually, one can rarely approach from a side in a one on one fight. That would be because the opponent would also turn their body to face that way. But, Doug had managed to do it. Using the acceleration from the tremendous momentum.
And so, a strike concealing the unbelievable speed and power drawn forth from it assaulted Percil once more.
Even the people viewing from afar, could see just how incredible those movements of Doug were.
However, Percil looked at Doug with only a calm expression still on his face behind his glasses, and deflected that attack once more.
Nonetheless, Doug's attacks didn't stop. He again accelerated in a different direction and attacked once more.
Without stopping.
Powerful, fast, and yet continuous orbiting like a beast that would end up shaking off his opponent's gaze. And the terrifying sword attacks that were as if all that speed had been placed onto the sword.
Those were Doug's weapons.
Their powers were really tremendous.
Attacks that had always turned into one hit K.O's continuously rained over. Moreover, rather than stopping and striking, those attacks came from circling to the sides or diagonally, and releasing them many times over. There was even the possibility that he would circle towards the back if he didn't manage to do it well. Normally, it wasn't something that could be defended against at all.
That's why even Gorms and Luca weren't able to deal with it and ended up being defeated.
The strength he had shown when he had transferred to the Northern Dormitory was no more than a small fragment.
There were probably no knights capable of such attacks. At least the apprentices weren't.
Most likely, if it was only attacking, then he was the best among the apprentice knights. And it was being said that even for the regular knights, the ones able to beat him in attacking were only the ones considerably higher up.
"A-as I thought, Doug is really amazing, isn't he……?"
Doug's real abilities had been demonstrated to them all over again.
Even his comrades in the Northern Dormitory gulped as they were overwhelmed by his movements.
"But, Percil is also amazing. Blocking those like that……"
It was exactly that.
From just before, Percil had been deflecting Doug's attacks. Skillfully striking the sword, repelling the knockout blows to the right or to the left, moving his body well even if it looked like he would be circled, and splendidly handling the attacks that came from all and every direction.
From the time he had appeared in the Swordsmanship Competition, he had been famous as a competitor who was excellent at defense.
And even now, with how he had been defending against Doug's continuous attacks, it had made apparent that those abilities of his were for real.
"It's alright! It's true that he's just barely defending against them, but he's so desperately defending that he can't attack! Even that Percil is finding it difficult to defend against Doug's attacks! If it goes on like this, it'll turn into a warning, and we'll get closer to winning!"
The expressions of the youths were bright.
It's true that it was surprising that he was defending against the attacks of that Doug. Honestly speaking, they thought that those were some incredible defensive skills.
However, unless he turned it to go on the offensive from here on out, Doug didn't seem as if he would lose.
If he was given a warning, then when the time comes, it will become Doug's win. To prevent that from happening, Percil also needs to attack. When that happens, a gap in his defenses will open, and in contrast, Doug's chances will increase.
Percil, who was concentrating wholly on defense was just barely managing to deal with Doug's attacks. Such a scene unfolded before the spectators all the while. The time continued to tick away.
The decision of giving the warning varied depending on the referee, but another minute had already passed, and as expected the time period for the first warning to be given arrived.
Expectations for winning blossomed on the faces of the boys of the Northern Dormitory.
Among them, Gorms muttered with an unprecedented expression.
"This is…… not good……"
Next chapter(3/3) posted.