To Surpass a Knight

“Impossible...” Viviane’s eyes widened, her mouth hanging agape.

The spectating knights were speechless. Even Krista stood stunned, staring at her opponent who stood across from her, gracefully poised and with another arrow already laid upon her bowstring.

It was no secret that everyone in the room had been expecting the match to end immediately after Krista’s first shot. Yet, something so incredibly logic-defying had occurred instead.

What just happened...? Did she really...? Krista’s brow furrowed as she replayed the sequence of events that had occurred just seconds prior.

She had brought her bow up and to full draw in one smooth motion. Its arrowhead had been squarely centered on Sakura’s head. That much she had been sure of.

But then it happened. Krista wasn’t even sure she had actually seen it happen, but she knew for a fact that it had. Sakura’s arms had moved in a blur even as Krista loosed her arrow, and that pitifully small bow had spat an arrow in reply.

Krista’s gaze shifted downward to the floor now, confirming once and for all that what she had seen hadn’t been an illusion. Sure enough, two arrows laid lifeless on the ground, their shafts splintered.

This moment of stunned silence held for a few seconds longer before it was broken by an eruption of cheers. The knights were indeed proud of their hard-earned skills, and none of them appreciated an overconfident noble who swaggered in believing that they could even begin to match that skill.

But Sakura was not the overconfident noble they once believed her to be. In fact, she had not been overconfident at all. She had merely been stating the truth.

Even now, she did not gloat. She merely maintained that serene smile on her face, all while waiting for Krista to recover from that moment of shock.

Sakura’s skill was beyond impressive, and the knights knew when to recognize someone’s achievements, regardless of whether they were nobles or not. At last, the tension in the room eased as the knights now cheered for both archers who were clearly masters of their craft.

“I would like to apologize,” Krista said as she nocked an arrow to her bow.

“There is no need for words. Show me your sincerity through action.”

“That’s exactly what I was planning to do!” A wide grin spread across Krista’s lips as she loosed three arrows in rapid succession, her movements so quick that each arrow sailed through the air nearly parallel to one another.

Kssh!

The sound repeated thrice within the span of a single second as Sakura’s own arrows streaked through the air, intercepting those of her opponent’s with ridiculous accuracy. Six arrows clattered to the ground.

And impossibly, one still flew through the air, speeding toward Krista unerringly.

Krista grit her teeth, the thrill of battle coursing through her body. This was the very first time she’d actually been challenged as an archer. While bows were not uncommon in the empire, they were viewed as tools meant for hunting and for the militia. Knights who wielded it as a weapon existed, but they were few in number.

After becoming established as the best archer in Avalyne Academy, Krista had grown complacent, and she knew it. Though she still practiced daily, she had stopped seeking greater heights, thinking that she had already achieved the peak of archery. After all, there were few who could compare to her, and she had been taught by some of the best archers in the empire.

But as she gazed upon the arrow that was about to strike the center of her breastplate, she understood that the world she knew had been no more than a droplet of water in a vast ocean.

There was still so much more to learn. So much further she could go. And she relished that feeling.

I can’t let it end so quickly! I won’t! Krista’s lips contorted into a fierce smile, and the passion in her eyes burned with a thirst for knowledge so great that she transformed into a completely different person in that very moment.

With supreme effort, she twisted her body to the side at the last possible second, causing the arrow to only graze the side of her breastplate and skate off its curved metal surface.

Recovering quickly, Krista’s bow sang its deep-throated song yet again, snapping off two arrows at Sakura. The noblewoman parried them easily with her own and then shot two more.

Four so quickly!? But this time, just barely... I can see them! The flame in Krista’s eyes only burned fiercer as she strove to emulate Sakura’s technique, firing two shots at the arrows flying toward her.

Miraculously, one of them hit their mark, causing both arrows to fall to the ground useless and shattered. The other one missed narrowly, but its fletching brushed against the opposing arrow’s shaft, causing it to veer off course just enough to miss Krista.

If Sakura had been surprised by her opponent’s adaptation and quick learning, it didn’t show on her face. Instead, she merely upped the ante. Her hand moved in a blur and her small bow spat out six arrows in a fan.

Those who were watching could barely believe what they were witnessing. The disparity between Sakura and Krista’s skill was like night and day, but even so, the blue-haired knight did not despair. Instead, she only felt a hunger the likes of which she’d never felt before.

Further! I can go further! Krista dove under the fan of arrows, rolling to recover into a kneeling position that she fired three shots from. Her hand moved faster than ever, but as she prepared to loose a fourth shot...

THWANG!

“N-No...!”

Krista’s bow clattered to the ground even as the three arrows she’d shot fell from the air. Its bowstring had snapped, and it now served no more purpose as a weapon.

Her gaze was fixed on it, disbelief muddying her eyes. She had almost been there. Her limit had always been three arrows, yet seeing Sakura shoot four, and even six so effortlessly made her believe that she could reach those heights as well.

Was I just being conceited...? Was I the one who—Krista stared up at Sakura. She had looked up to prepare for the final blow, but what she saw instead had shocked her.

The noblewoman was waiting for her.

Instead of shooting at Krista who knelt on the ground unarmed and defenseless, Sakura had waited with a single arrow on her bowstring.

And those fierce eyes of hers... Krista shook her head, inwardly berating herself for her moment of weakness. The moment her eyes met Sakura’s, Krista knew exactly what the foreign noblewoman was asking for.

Indeed, Sakura’s gaze that had been saying ‘Come face me with all you’ve got!’ ever since the start of the match hadn’t changed at all.

With a roar, Krista shook herself free from her stupor and charged forward, drawing her dagger from its sheath. She dashed forward even as Sakura raised her bow.

The paint-tipped arrowhead pointed straight toward the center of Krista’s head.

Sakura released the bowstring. The arrow flew straight and true.

A perfect shot.

“Graaah!” Krista flicked her head to the side at the last moment, the arrow speeding past and smearing her blue hair crimson. Her dagger swung upwards in an arc toward Sakura’s neck, but the noblewoman leapt backwards and up.

It was a strange and awkward movement to say the least.

Sakura’s attempt to dodge had not provided any significant evasive benefits, nor did it allow her to escape the line of attack or gain any meaningful distance.

What the hell...? Krista’s other hand had shot out instinctively even before she completed the thought, grabbing Sakura and pulling the noblewoman toward her.

“You lose.” Krista’s breathing came deep and heavy as she rested the blunt edge of her dagger against Sakura’s throat.

“Indeed. I yield, Dame Krista.” Sakura raised her hands in defeat, dropping the bow to the ground.

Krista heaved one last heavy breath before she stepped backward and plonked herself on the floor of the training hall with a resounding thud. She laid down, inspecting her paint-stained hair as Sakura knelt next to her with a smile.

The two exchanged a few words before a blonde-haired noblewoman had cut in.

Ah... That’s right. She was there too. Krista frowned, having forgotten about Viviane’s existence. She was the only noble who managed to resonate with Dame Medrauta, wasn’t she? What was her name again...?

“I thank you for the match again, Dame Krista. I must be going now, but perhaps we shall meet again during my stay here. Let us depart, Viviane.” Sakura stood, offering a hand to Krista.

Ah. That’s right. It was Viviane. Krista nodded as she took Sakura’s hand, standing to face the two noblewomen. As she looked at the two of them standing side by side, she came to a realization. “I wish you the best of luck, Lady Viviane.”

“E-Eh!? W-What for!?”

Krista smiled. “In getting your beloved Medrauta back, obviously. That’s why Lady Sakura had you tag along, right? To show you that it was possible.”

“A-Ah! Er... Um...! T-That’s not—”

“Oh my,” Sakura giggled, covering for Viviane who suddenly felt the compulsion to be overcome by a fit of embarrassment. “How observant.”

“I only wish my lord were that devoted to me. It feels like he’s looking for a replacement every other day,” Krista joked.

“Of course not. He would be a fool to let go of someone as talented as you.”

“You flatter me, Lady Sakura.” Krista bowed.

The three said their farewells, but as the two noblewomen prepared to leave, Krista was struck by a sudden thought.

“Lady Sakura! Before you go, may I ask you something?”

Sakura turned. “Hm?”

“That movement near the end...” Krista began. “It was... It was almost like you expected that something would block me, and you leapt upwards as if you were attempting to get a clear shot.”

“Hm... Is that so?” Sakura replied, her voice innocent and demure. “I can’t seem to remember at all.”

“Yes.” Krista was certain now. The strange way that Sakura had moved wasn’t just a failed attempt at dodging. “Even if you couldn’t match my speed, it was undoubtedly an unnatural movement, like something that’s been rehearsed until it became instinct.”

“I wonder.”

“...” Krista cleared her throat. It was now or never. “C-Could you possibly tell me the reason behind such a movement?”

It was obvious that Krista was fishing for ways to improve her skills, and given how exemplary Sakura’s archery had been, it would have been foolish for Krista to not ask.

Unfortunately, Sakura didn’t bite. After all, she was certain that Krista would manage to improve even without her help.

Besides, a technique like that is solely for a noble like me. A knight would have no use for it.

The foreign noblewoman grinned mischievously.

“It’s a secret~!”