The Falchion was a broad one-sided blade slightly curved at the top. It was made of wood but was crafted and reinforced by talented craftsmen—the sword was indistinguishable from the real one.

Ken’s speed that humans back on Earth could barely hope to reach, his arms longer than the average person, and his familiarity with the weapons he had chosen, all of them created a perfect synergy that let him overpower Ier.

Every second, he unleashed a tempest of strikes on Prince Ier and his spear. Ier needed an opening to make distance and reassess, while Ken needed an opening to strike down Ier.

Ken continued to rain his attacks on Ier and pushed him back.

But Ier wasn’t without thought. He had stepped back in circles to lead Ken into a trap.

As Ken took another step forward, the magic circle on the ground manifested. A moving magic circle was difficult while being pushed back. Instead of using magic where Ken would step and risk an opening, Prince Ier patiently created a simple spell and lured Ken to the trap.

The magic circle gleamed a brown hue and the ground under Ken’s feet collapsed.

Ken tripped in the pitfall and lost his balance. Taking the chance, Prince Ier swung the spear in a circle and pushed both of Ken’s swords away.

“Wha!?”

“Got you!”

Prince Ier pulled the spear back and thrust it ahead. Ken brought the sword back, but even if he managed to hit the spear it wouldn’t stop the thrust. The spear was just too close to be stopped—Or so it should have been.

A magic circle formed over Ken’s fists, enveloping the falchions in his mana. Ken brought the blades back and struck the spear.

And in the next moment, Ier’s spear wobbled as his hands came to a stop. The sword and the spear were vibrating incessantly. The sudden vibrations completely shook Ier’s balance and made his hands freeze in their tracks.

Ken hopped away and created a wide distance between the two of them. The one cornering had to jump back.

Unprompted, Ken explained his skill to Ier. “We call it resonance. It’s sound magic… wind, actually, but it works…”

He was truly fighting to develop.

“Neat trick,” said Ier. He shook his hands to get a hold of his senses again. “That’s all it is, a trick. It won’t work again.”

“Everyone… says that…”

Ken spun both blades and took a stance.

Ier raised his hands and mana poured out of him. Magical circles formed in the sky, in the path between Ken and Ier, all of them gleaming with a blue hue.

“Come!”

Ken charged. He lowered his upper body and dashed toward Ier as he zigzagged his way ahead.

As Ken stepped out of a certain line to confuse Ier, an icicle flew down from the magic circles above them.

Ken summoned his magic spell again and broke the ice into shards with his vibrating sword. This ability that could make anything a chainsaw obliterated the icicle this time, but it wouldn’t keep happening.

At that moment, Ken decided to not step under the magic circles.

He dodged his way through toward Prince Ier, but unfortunately, the largest number of circles had formed in the space closest to Ier.

Now that Prince Ier had received an opening, he immediately sealed Ken’s movements.

The effects of the icicles were heavy on Ken, but that wasn’t all. Ken wasn’t stopped from using his speed and flexibility to strike the spear again. With his power alone he could neutralize a fighter for a long, expensive few seconds.

Ken had to get one hit in with the spell, and he did.

Prince Ier, though, had also thought of a counter for it.

As Ken’s sword struck Ier’s blade, Ier too moved in the same direction as Ier, and then with a simple trapping technique, he managed to get back on top.

It was a skill showing Ier’s expertise.

An expertise that brought a smile to Ken’s face.

The two of them struck each other without mercy. Every time their weapons met, loud bangs and crashes would fill the training building.

Ier was slowly cornering Ken and was making the disadvantages against a spear very clear.

That was when it happened.

Ken noticed Ier about to attack again, and instead of intercepting the spear, he tossed his blades.

One blade flew upward and another forward, aiming straight for Ier.

Ier was caught off guard.

Ken reached his hand out to grab the sword in the front. It was a follow-up from a diversion tactic, but Ier was not hindered.

He readjusted his aim and struck the sword that came hurtling at him from close range.

The sword flew off.

The spear was almost at Ken’s neck.

The battle was over…

But the spear only went past the sword and touched empty air.

Ken had already dashed away from the front as if he never cared about catching the sword and landing the hit.

Prince Ier blinked his eyes in surprise. That’s when the second blade spun down right in front of him, and a hand stretched from the side.

Ken grabbed the sword again and pointed it at Ier’s neck.

“It’s over…” Ken muttered.

Ier dropped his spear and raised his hands.

Ken had used the ingenuity he could only experience with a rational mind when he fought against real monsters.

It was technique versus experience, and this time experience had won.

***

“This was natural.”

“Ken’s agility stat is pretty good.”

“He’s also level 3, one of the very few at that level.”

I heard the other students as Ken pulled his sword back and stepped away. Prince Ier took in a sharp breath and lowered his head.

He had lost. Completely.

The other students slowly gathered around Ken to praise him. A few looked at Ier to check if he was good, and being the prince he was, Ier wiped away all gloom from his face and smiled at them.

The students hounded Ken and Ier stepped away to rack his weapons back.

I walked over to Ier and stood next to him.

“Student Ier.”

Startled, Ier looked at me and wore another fake smile.

“Professor… I think it wasn’t a great idea to make me fight, why not ask Ken—”

I clicked my tongue and interrupted him.

“Why do you think you lost?” I asked.

Prince Ier wryly looked at me.

“It’s because Ken was stronger.”

“Nope,” I rejected Ier’s notion. By all means, the one who expressed more mana here was Ier. The one who expressed more intellect and technique was also Ier.

“You did not lose because Student Ken was stronger. You lost because Student Ken was smarter.”

Ier looked at me.

“What do you think, student Ier?” I smiled. “How about I tell you the fastest way to get stronger?”

***