Chapter 07 Testing My Capabilities

Alitia finally admitted defeat, acknowledging that she couldn't surpass Lumi's ultimate move. With a gentle laugh, she shifted her attention toward me and playfully asked, "Well then, it seems like Lumi isn't in the mood for cuddling. How about you, Kazuki?" She teased me with a mischievous grin, "You should be feeling the effects in your body by now, with all that absorbed mana strengthening you. How about a friendly duel to put it to the test?"

As she mentioned it, I did feel a newfound strength. Being the competitive type and yearning for a challenge, her offer thrilled me. "I'd love to have a friendly match with you, Alitia. I want to gauge my strength in this world and see just how far I can go in my current state."

Lumi rushed towards me, hugging my arm tightly, and with concern in her voice, she said, "K-Kazuki, I strongly advise you to reconsider. Big sister tends to get carried away in fights, just like she does with her cuddling. And she's incredibly strong, like, really strong. She's one of the strongest fighters in Luminecia. You might get hurt."

I was well aware of the vast difference in strength between Alitia and myself. I knew she was far beyond my reach at the moment, but that only fueled my desire for a challenge. Knowing she stood at the pinnacle of difficulty, I yearned, even more, to test my mettle against the best fighter in this world. With a trembling voice filled with excitement, I replied, "Don't worry, Lumi. Even if she doesn't hold back and knocks me out, it'll serve as a valuable learning experience and help me improve. Besides, if I do get knocked out, you can always give me your healing kiss that saved my life. I don't mind."

Lumi's face flushed red with embarrassment, remembering how she had kissed me to administer the contents of the vial. She turned to Alitia and blurted out bashfully, "Big sister, you baka! You told him about the kiss, didn't you? How could you? I asked not to tell! Baka sister, now I will tell Helen that you touched Olivia in a lewd way!" 

With that, Lumi hastily turned and ran off, leaving her adorable pet, Rabi-kun, comfortably nestled on top of Alitia's head.

Alitia was startled by the accusation, "What!? Hey! Stop making things up! We did nothing of such! I and Olivia are rivals, not lovers!"

Slightly concerned, I asked, "Um, will she be alright? Should I go after her?" 

Alitia responded with a charming chuckle, putting my worries to rest. "Oh, Kazuki, don't you worry. She'll be back in a few minutes. She's just feeling shy and embarrassed. After all, you did steal her first kiss." Her words caused a blush to creep onto my cheeks.

Alitia continued, her tone playful, "Let's head to the practice room. I bet by the time we get there, Lumi will be peeking her cute little head from the corner, waiting for a chance to make up." I nodded in agreement, and together we made our way to the training rooms.

Upon entering, we were greeted by the sight of people lifting weights, swinging swords, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. The room was filled with the scent of hard work and dedication, a reminder of the effort I had put into my own training days.

As Alitia entered the room, the first person to notice her immediately issued a loud command, "Attention! The commanding officer is present!" 

In an instant, all activity ceased, and everyone in the room swiftly halted their tasks, bowing in a display of respect. Alitia, with a firm and authoritative tone, issued the order, "At ease! This is an unofficial matter. Resume your activities." 

Alitia and I made our way to an empty sparring ring, ready to engage in a friendly duel. With a playful smile, Alitia asked, "Well then, tell me, what combat style do you excel in the most?"

 I glanced at the neatly arranged mock weapons on the rack and replied, "I've versed in various sports. I've achieved first places in the national archery, mixed martial arts, fencing, swordplay, traditional kendo, as well as hand-to-hand combat like muay thai, judo, jiu-jitsu, aikido, and boxing."

Alitia's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she listened to my list of skills. "Hmmm, I don't recognize most of those names, but how about we start with swords? I know a thing or two about them."

 I nodded in agreement, picking up a wooden sword from the rack. "Sounds good to me. So, what are the rules?" 

Alitia chuckled with a hint of excitement in her voice. "The rules are simple: the first one to give up loses. However, I won't be using my magic box powers on you, so you don't have to worry about that. This will be a test of pure skill and swordsmanship."

The mention of magic piqued my curiosity, and I couldn't help but inquire further. "Magic box power? What is that? I witnessed you summoning a gust of wind with just a swipe of your hand. Was that it?"

 Alitia stepped into the sparring ring, ready to engage. "Ah, yes, that was indeed a display of my magic box power. It seems Lumi hasn't told you much about it. But let's set that aside for now and focus on our friendly duel. You should ask Lumi about it later; she'd be delighted to fill your mind with her stories and theories about magic boxes."

I assumed my battle stance, ready to give it my all without holding anything back. The tension in the air grew thick as I faced off against her. Despite her seemingly open stance, she radiated immense pressure that made my heart race. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she twirled her sword in her hand, watching me intently. It was clear as day that she was waiting for me to make the first move, but I knew I couldn't afford to act rashly. If I made a wrong move, she would swiftly strike me down.

While her stance appeared wide open at first glance, I could sense that it concealed a tremendous counter, a trap waiting for any unsuspecting enemy foolish enough to take advantage of her supposed vulnerability. 

Taking a short step back, I widened my stance, allowing myself more room to evade in case she lunged at me. In the blink of an eye, she changed her posture into a more threatening one, firmly gripping her sword, and then she launched herself toward me.

To my surprise, she didn't move with an overwhelming speed that would leave me no time to react. Her strike came from above, aiming to bring her sword down upon me. I didn't dare test her brute strength head-on, so I positioned my sword at an angle, intending to deflect her strike to the side. As her sword passed by I seized the opportunity, swiftly executing a front slash to counter her attack. However, her agility proved formidable as she swiftly stepped back, evading my hit with ease.

Leaning her sword on her shoulder, she smiled and spoke, "Well? How did my speed feel? Just now, I attacked you with the same swiftness as the assassin who stabbed you. I bet it doesn't seem so fast anymore, right? That's the effect of mana on your senses. It has strengthened them, slightly."

I stood there in awe, genuinely amazed. The attack I had managed to block from the assassin felt like pure luck, a reflexive response. Yet now, I found myself moving with ease, mirroring Alitia's motions effortlessly. 

"You are right," I said, a hint of excitement in my voice. "Your movements feel natural to me, allowing me to react in time. So, this is the power of mana. Truly incredible."

However, Alitia wasn't done just yet. She increased her speed slightly, gracefully stepping forward as she unleashed a flurry of slashes, each one meticulously calculated, aimed with precision toward my vital points. Yet, to my surprise, I was able to handle the onslaught, finding moments of opportunity to swing my own sword in response. Our blades clashed with intense force, the clash of wood ringing through the air. Despite my efforts, Alitia remained unimpressed, her composure unshaken.

Ready to push myself past the limit, I decided to go all out, utilizing every sword technique I had ever learned. Our duel continued, a dance of blades that seemed to stretch on for hours, though in reality, mere minutes had passed. As the final moments of our clash drew near, my body was drenched in sweat, my breath coming in heavy gasps. It was a testament to the intensity and the sheer exertion that this encounter had demanded.

 As our fight come close to the conclusion I finally got used to her fighting style and started to anticipate her next attack combo. With the last spurt of my strength, I quickly struck her sword as she was mid-swing, disrupting her flow for just a second, and swung at her head while she was stunned. My attack was about to land but she simply caught it with her hand and smiled placing her sword next to my neck.

 Caught in her playful trap, I conceded with a hint of defeat in my voice, "You got me. I give up." Alitia couldn't contain her cheerful giggle and responded, "You did great! You almost had me there. You are much better than I anticipated!" Her words were filled with an encouraging tone that stung my heart. 

Trying to catch my breath, I playfully retorted, "Your compliment hurts more than the plain truth, you know. You didn't even try to take this fight seriously. You defeated me effortlessly, even with Lumi's pet sleeping on your head, my efforts didn't even manage to wake him up. You probably almost fell asleep while fighting me."

Alitia playfully responded, "Oh, Kazuki, there's no need to downplay yourself. You really did well!"

 Matching her playful tone, I continued, "Tell me then, if a monster attacked me, would I stand a chance?" 

Curiosity filled the air as Alitia placed her elegant finger on her lips, deep in thought. After a moment, she answered, "Considering your current abilities, I'd say you would have no problem dealing with wild goblins, gobliman, and orcs. I would classify you as an average adventurer, which is quite good!"

As Alitia's gaze shifted toward the door, I followed her line of sight and noticed Lumi poking her head through the gap. A playful chuckle escaped Alitia's lips, and she remarked, "I think it's about time we make amends with Lumi. It seems she's just as eager as we are." Despite feeling somewhat defeated, I couldn't help but feel a warm sense of happiness.

 I had experienced an exhilarating battle, facing one of the finest warriors this world had to offer. I nodded in agreement with Alitia's suggestion, saying, "Yeah, I think I'll join Lumi and head to the kitchen. I'm feeling really hungry. I haven't had anything to eat since I arrived here."

Alitia's expression quickly shifted to one of concern, and she exclaimed, "Oh dear, Kazuki! Why didn't you say so? This won't do. We must go at once!"

 However, before we could even take a step, the door burst open, and a man hurried into the room, making a straight line for Alitia. He spoke urgently, "Captain Alitia, I've come to report. There are some pressing matters that require your attention. One of the council members is causing trouble, and your assistance would be greatly appreciated."