Published at 11th of November 2020 05:00:00 PM
Chapter 183
Ardis who had closed the distance rapidly made his move first . Drawing back his sword with both hands, twisting his waist, he stabbed along with his running momentum .
It was a straight forward attack from an outside perspective . Moore easily dodged it by twisting his upper body in an angle .
But in the next moment, Moore would immediately realize that his opponent is not that straight forward but a shrewd bastard .
Ardis’s thrusting trajectory changed, and then moved inwards to Moore’s right arm .
「Ot―to! 」
Moore panicked at the unexpected feint from Ardis . But Moore is not an average swordsman as well .
Immediately turning his arm away and avoiding his sword being deflected by Ardis, he tried to strike against Ardis’s sword with the blunt of his shield .
Ardis immediately released one grip off his sword, with one hand now free, he directly grabbed at the edge of the shield and stopped its movement .
「Oi oi, what the heck was that . What kind of reflex do you have . 」
「Nope, it was really close . 」
Just as Ardis said so, he tried to pull the shield towards himself in hopes of making Moore stumble .
「Not that easy――! 」
Moore didn’t go against that force, but instead used it to his advantage and got closer to Ardis in one go . At the same time, from behind the shield, he tried to attack from Ardis’s blind spot .
「I thought so! 」
Ardis who had expected there will be something coming in advance easily released his grip on the shield without hesitation and retreated . This time, it’s Moore’s turn to pursue Ardis as he retreats .
As if shovelling, Moore’s attack came from below and aimed at Ardis’s head . But Ardis deflected it easily by swinging his own sword downwards .
The sword exchanges continued between the two who had stopped moving again . At first glance, the spectators probably wouldn’t be able to determine who has the upper hand .
But Moore who was already known for his swordsmanship in the first place might be seen advantageous . Ardis’s true forte is swordsmanship imbued with mana .
Needless to say, body strengthening, making footholds and jumping in the air limitlessly, and using flying swords enables more attacking methods for him .
In that sense, Ardis not being able to use magic right now would certainly mean a disadvantage . Ardis’s current swordsmanship is probably only seventy percent of what he can do when he can enhance himself with mana .
But even without using mana, Ardis’s swordsmanship that was trained through many battlefields is topnotch . He can easily defend against Moore’s sword and even counterattack .
Rather, it’s Moore who should be praised . Even if Ardis cannot fully unleash his true strength, the match had gone for longer than three minutes .
Moore struggled against Nedulos in the other world but, it’s not like his experience with a sword is a show . If he was born in the other world, no doubt he would’ve become a famous swordsman . But of course, that’s only if he―― .
「Can survive . 」
Ardis’s unintentionally spilled some words while crossing swords .
「What survive? 」
「It’s nothing . 」
Moore asked more clearly regarding Ardis’s words that had no context . But Ardis just dismissed it along with a sword aiming for his leg .
But Moore’s sword would intercept and block its trajectory . As if dancing with blades, the two repeated movements of attacking, dodging, defending and counterattacking .
The show of the two not willing to let even one step filled the arena with cheers .
For a while now, Moore had been continuing hacking at Ardis without stopping . It meant that Moore’s swordsmanship is just that good but, Moore also revealed that it isn’t the only factor .
「By the way, your original appearance is that right? 」
Idle chattering while their swords didn’t stop . Moore’s words caused Ardis’s eyes to narrow .
「If you’re different from your original appearance――」
A strong blow from Moore shook Ardis’s sword slightly .
「There should be some misalignment between your body and your swordsmanship . 」
It is a clever inference . Just as Moore said, Ardis’s current body is much different in age than his original’s . His stride, his arm length, his body weight, and even the height of his vision .
Ardis’s swordsmanship that was tempered through the years was not with his current body as a baseline .
The movements imprinted in his mind will cause a discomfort because of the incompatibility, and that would be a gap in a fight . But that’s if there’s a change to his body suddenly .
「I mean, I’ve been in this form for quite long already . 」
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Ardis had been in his younger form for quite a while already . It’s not strange that he would be more used to it after more than seven years .
Although there’s still some slight discomfort, he didn’t intend to let it be a flaw when he’s fighting, and it hadn’t affected any of his battles so far .
Despite so, Moore still aimed for that insignificant disparity, of course with the ability to make it happen .
With an angle and timing that Ardis considers obscene, Moore struck at a position where misalignment between his reach and viewpoint would likely happen .
「Sorry for 『Fighting with Handicap-san』 but, I can’t see a way to win if not for this . 」
Moore continued striking while aiming for the cracks where Ardis would even have the slightest discrepancy .
「I shall take this one! 」
「Don’t worry, I don’t think it as a handicap! 」
「Why thank you! 」
Moore swung hard at Ardis, holding Ardis’s sword down . Ardis albeit slowly, his body is certainly growing, and he now looks like sixteen or seventeen on the outside .
On one hand, there’s the activeness of youth, but it also can’t be denied that he’s lacking the trained body of battlefields like Moore’s . Ardis normally would’ve been able to cover for it by using mana and raising his physical ability .
But now that using magic is forbidden, his body is no more than a young swordsman’s . Although he didn’t intend to lose in swordsmanship, Moore certainly have the upper hand when comparing raw strength .
Making use of the fact that Ardis’s body is still not at its prime, Moore continued formulating attacks basing on that . I see why he can be a commander, as Ardis felt impressed at his strength .
Ardis not being able to use mana is not a terrible inconvenience . If it’s a match when they first met, Ardis would’ve probably easily won against Moore .
However, among all participants of the Lotus Cup now, Moore is the one who understands Ardis’s abilities the most .
Exactly because that he has a good grasp of Ardis’s strength that he wouldn’t be taken by surprise . Exactly because that he knows Ardis’s original appearance, he could come up with the idea of aiming at the disparity between Ardis’s body and his swordsmanship .
Those two are the advantage that Moore had that no other participants had .
「I have made my preparations . Of course, I will have some chance! 」
「Just as I thought! 」
Moore continued attacking utilizing the information he knows and the rule of the Lotus Cup as his backing against the difference in strength that would be hard to fill normally .
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Moore’s sword style would be power if choosing from either power or flexibility . Of course, Ardis knows how to use a power sword style too . But his current body doesn’t have enough arm strength to fully utilize it .
If so, then Ardis’s best bet is to retaliate with a flexible sword style . Ardis quickly gave up trying to fight back with strength, but to use speed and swordsmanship to counterattack .
That would probably be the most intense and most beautiful counter that had happened so far in the Lotus Cup . But that wouldn’t continue for eternity as well .
Ardis retreated five steps behind after deflecting away Moore’s slash . Firming his grip and taking a small breath, he focused and dived deeper into his consciousness as he thought it is time to settle the match .
「Oi oi, why not take it easier . 」
He must’ve realized Ardis’s change in atmosphere . Moore tried to call out with an easy-going voice .
「It’s a rare grand stage . It’s wasteful to let it end just like that right? There’re not many chances to be fighting under so many cheers and gazes, you know . 」
Moore tried to prolong the match by convincing Ardis .
「I won’t fall for that . 」
But Ardis wouldn’t fall for it .
「……It’s obvious huh . 」
Moore clicked his tongue having his intentions seen through . Now that Ardis cannot use mana, it’s not just arm strength that Moore has an upper hand in, stamina would be the same .
It’s easy to imagine that the longer the match, the more advantageous Moore would become . But of course, even if Moore becomes more advantageous, the chances of winning only increases ever so slightly .
「But――」
Ardis sent his praise inwardly to Moore who stuck to it even though it is such a slim chance .
「――That’s exactly why! 」
Closing the distance in a blink of an eye, Ardis swung his sword from the side aiming for Moore’s thigh . Moore who barely managed to react to it slipped a shield between the sword and his leg .
A dull sound rang as the sword was blocked .
「That’s quick! 」
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Not giving a chance to Moore who was complaining to counterattack, Ardis already moved onto his next move . Weaving below his own sword by ducking, Ardis spun a half revolution clockwise and got through Moore .
In the midst of that, Ardis incorporated another attack at Moore’s left shoulder in the spinning motion .
「Uoo――! 」
Moore who had barely managed to avoid Ardis’s everchanging sword had his stance crumbled .
On the other hand, Ardis already went to his next move . After aiming for Moore’s shoulder, Ardis had already gotten a position diagonally behind Moore on the left .
On top of that, as Moore was still facing forward, it can be said that Ardis had taken his back completely .
「Shi―! 」
Moore’s panic in his face manifested in words as well . He must’ve realized that he wouldn’t make it in time even if he turned around .
He tossed himself wholeheartedly forwards while his back still facing Ardis . Exactly like diving, Moore tried to get away from Ardis at all cost but, of course that wasn’t allowed easily .
Ardis pursued not letting the chance slip . Ardis has his own share of agility even without physical strengthening with mana .
On the other hand, it doesn’t seem like Moore’s thoughts caught up with the sudden development . Rather than logic, he must’ve thrown himself forwards as a warrior’s instincts to save himself .
But the thoughts behind that movement is so simple that it’s impossible to shake off Ardis .
「It’s the end! 」
「Wai, sto――! 」
Disregarding Moore’s panic cries, Ardis sword approached . Managing to turn around halfway, Moore’s sword that was trying to deflect it hit nothing .
Ardis easily weaved through the uncertain parry and stopped his momentum just as his sword approached, before lightly hitting Moore in the neck .
「Kuh! 」
That would be a vital wound in an actual fight . Even if it’s a dulled blade, if Ardis swung at his full power, even Moore wouldn’t get by unscathed .
「That’s it! Match! 」
The judge’s voice that had announced the end of the match reverberated in the arena . The moment when Ardis’s victory was evident in everyone’s eyes, the entire spectating area was filled with cheers .