Back in the present time, Shirley saw Freon returning to the restaurant alone. She asked, "Where's your sister?"
"She went home," he answered sadly. This was the first real disagreement he had with his sister. She was normally well-behaved, so this was quite a shock for him. He could not figure out what possessed her.
"What did she say?"
"She said that she wants to train and get stronger like us. And that she won't stop, unless I stop."
"It wouldn't hurt to let her train a little. She'll be able to protect herself better. I tried to convince my brothers before, but they wouldn't listen."
Freon shook his head. "That's the problem though… I don't want her to fight, and she shouldn't need to. I'll do everything instead."
Shirley nodded slowly. "I can see why your sister isn't happy."
"Huh? Why?"
She smiled. "She doesn't want to see her big brother hurt. The pain of seeing you hurt must be far greater than the pain of fighting herself."
"How ridiculous. She might have the Core Level, but she doesn't know how to fight. She has zero combat experience. Not to mention, she's too soft. The battle with the emperor traumatized her for more than a year. It would be a death sentence to have her fight again."
"People aren't logical, Freon. You should try to see her side of things."
"I'll try. What's happening here?" The dinner table was removed, leaving a large open space where Benedict and Lady Kalasena stood face-to-face. Elizabeth, Lord Fredrick, and the other guards were off to the side spectating. Freon was mystified.
Shirley shrugged. "They wanted to spar."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"I don't get it either."
"Lady Kalasena was interested in experiencing Sir Benedict's famous strength herself," Lord Fredrick said. "Rest assured, she doesn't have an ulterior motive. Her pursuit of power is genuine."
"What a weird person," Shirley commented, to which Lord Fredrick had no reply, though Lady Kalasena's two maids were upset.
"We don't have any wooden swords here. Should we get some?" Benedict asked his opponent.
The girl shook her head in refusal.
He scratched his head. "Then… let's use our sheathed swords?"
She nodded.
Benedict did not know whether to laugh or cry. A simple yes or no could have sufficed!
Elizabeth looked at the two of them. "No killing or permanent harm is allowed. The match will be over, if anyone lands a potentially fatal hit. I will be the judge. If that's fine with the both of you, then I will count down from three. Three, two, one, go!"
Lady Kalasena stomped down and accelerated, shooting forth with incredible speed. She crossed the distance between her and Benedict in the blink of an eye! However, she was not fast enough to the point of 'vanishing', nor was she using Martial Energy. It was still within the realm of 'normal'. Even without his Martial Perception, Benedict could predict her movements due to her limited combat experience. Her attack was too conventional! He even had the leisure to think about how unbelievable the current situation was. He was sparring against Lady Kalasena Dewshard, one of the three most famous Grand Nobles of their generation, famed for her resplendent beauty, frigid personality, and prodigal strength! His brother, Sir Lorenzo, someone who he looked up to, was a Half-Perception Realm. Meanwhile, Lady Kalasena was a full-fledged Perception Realm Novice! Benedict never would have had the chance to meet this girl in the past. She was far above him, both in power and status. Now though… They were exchanging blows! The massive contrast made him feel like it was a dream.
Clang! Benedict blocked the overhead strike with a basic guard. To respect Lady Kalasena's wishes, he did not use Martial Energy or Martial Techniques. A spar was an exchange of insights between two people. Using Martial Energy would sully that meaning. She would not learn anything from his display, nor would she last long once he did. Therefore, he exercised pure swordsmanship and nothing more. It would be a battle of skill! Besides, he was curious about Lady Kalasena's sword style. He currently had Major Sword Form attainment, and a tiny push was all he needed to reach Perfect Sword Form! He hoped this spar could allow him to step through that final barrier!
Lady Kalasena pulled back, tensed, and shifted to the side. Benedict saw everything with his senses, and pre-emptively struck where she would be, except… his sword swung through air. He missed! Or rather, she was not where she was supposed to be. Instead of moving to his left, she mysteriously appeared at his right! He was startled. She quickly attacked with a low sweep, aiming for his unguarded torso. It was a flawless strike! Bang! Although she expected this trick would not be enough, the way Benedict blocked it surprised her. He skillfully parried with the pommel of his sword! The precision and confidence required was immense! Benedict retreated and simultaneously assumed the Hawken Style's stance. He wanted to see how Lady Kalasena fooled his senses.
She accepted the challenge. Taking a deep breath, she performed the same frontal charge. But like before, when she should have been closer, she was actually one step behind! Her speed was somehow slower than expected! This time, Benedict unleashed his Martial Perception. The entire room… No, the entire restaurant and more was revealed to him in an instant! It was overwhelming! He could not process everything! This was the main characteristic of a Perception Realm Novice: the control over their Martial Perception was too imprecise and untamed. It could not be maintained for long, nor could it be focused on a specific direction or target. He could alleviate some of those problems with his Martial Energy, but it could not replace his inexperience. To fully master his Martial Perception, he would need to be a Perception Realm Master! Despite that, the brief moment using his Martial Perception sufficed. He caught her movements! Bang! They clashed again as Benedict matched her blow.
Lady Kalasena was astonished, though she did not reveal it on her face. Only one other person managed to catch her blow before, and it was her master, the lone swordswoman Bewitching Step. Bewitching Step had trained in the sword for over thirty years, attaining both Perception Realm Adept and Major Sword Form, a feat that few could accomplish. It was enough to trounce the majority of swordsman in the world! The Dewshard Household spent a considerable amount of time and money to convince Bewitching Step to train Lady Kalasena. Even a Grand Nobility Household had to act amicably before her. It was not easy. While there were other factors involved, it showed how great a status a Perception Realm Adept with Major Sword Form could be. And Benedict showed an ability that matched her master, Bewitching Step… How could she not be astonished?
A competitive spirit ignited inside her. Her master was one thing, since the woman had over thirty years of experience. Benedict, on the other hand, was someone from her generation! The Sword King's disciple… His status was well-deserved! She decided to stop testing him and unleashed her trump card. Using a bizarre footwork technique, she appeared to execute five lightning-quick slashes. An upward slash, a straight thrust, a diagonal chop… Every attack came at a different angle, making it nigh impossible to defend against everything at once. Five-fold Bewitching Light! Although she could not replicate her master's Eight-fold Bewitching Light, she felt her victory was within sight.
Benedict's eyes flashed. The Hawken Style's first stance! He abruptly dashed forward and entered the range of the five slashes. It was true that he could not block all five strikes, unless he used Martial Energy; however, that would constitute a loss in his mind. Instead, he ignored four slashes and focused on the very last one! It was suicide! Bang! A sword flew and clattered on the floor. It was Lady Kalasena's sword! Elizabeth was perplexed, as was Freon and Lord Fredrick. They did not see what happened. Shirley, the Half-Perception Realm maids, and the Perception Realm guard were surprised. Lady Kalasena raised her hands, a sign of concession. She lost!
Benedict exhaled and smiled. A bead of sweat rolled down his face. He only had an idea about how Lady Kalasena's technique worked in their second exchange. It was in their third exchange, when he finally grasped how it worked and broke through! That was why, despite getting 'hit' by four of the five attacks, it did not count as his loss. Lady Kalasena's Bewitching Sword Style utilized misdirection as its core. For example, before moving to the left, a person would first look in that direction, their torso would twist, and their legs would shift. Anyone seeing them would instinctively recognize these signs and realize 'they were moving left'. This prediction was even more exaggerated in a fight, where the slightest mistake could equal death. The Bewitching Sword Style abused this by creating complex feints. Therefore, Five-fold Bewitching Light was not five simultaneous strikes, but four fake, and one real melded together. Benedict had identified the four fake attacks and countered the last real one, hence her defeat!