5th day of Bruma, Year 769.
"The tournament for today will be quite simple: a single bout between two cadets, and the victor advances to tomorrow's semi-finals."
The senior knight's voice projected across the square.
Maelle was the cadet absent yesterday. Because of that, Perci advanced by default, leaving them both with a single win at their disposal.
This bout would be the tie-breaker.
Clearing his throat, the senior knight gestured toward the right side of the square.
"Perci Stratton. Take your place."
Perci stepped forward.
Seven watched from his usual spot atop the stacked crates. He leaned back and narrowed his eyes. Something felt off about Perci today, specifically the absence of "what a pain" before stepping forward.
The senior knight's gaze shifted to the left.
"Maelle Corvainne. Take your place."
"At your word, sir!"
Maelle stepped into her position.
But instead of giving the signal to start the bout, the senior knight shifted his gaze between the two cadets back and forth, looking like a martinet.
"After discussing the matter with the vice commander, a new rule has been added. From this day on, I will personally oversee the bouts and will step in the moment I detect a threat to either of your lives."
The senior knight's hand then moved to the hilt of the sword that hung on his waist.
"If I am forced to intervene, the one I am defending against will be declared the victor. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Yes, sir!"
Both of the cadets were the only ones present today either. Lythian hadn't shown up, seeming apparently confident that no matter who wins between these two, none of that will be his concern.
Hands raised, the senior knight gave the signal.
"In your positions… begin!"
But…
For five long seconds neither cadet moved, and then they began to circle each other at a snail's pace.
Step, step.
It looked like the art of maintaining perfect equilibrium while constantly changing location, a hunt where the first cadet to make the first move would be the first to lose the fight.
For two minutes, the only sound only came from the scruffy snow beneath their feet.
Step.
Maelle adjusted his lead foot by a fraction of an inch, trying to feint a movement. But it didn't work. Perci only lowered the tip of his wooden blade by two degrees.
Seven smirked, watching the scene.
"Perci, that fudger… he's setting up a bait."
Seven may be a neophyte when it came to wielding the sword first-hand, but he had enough knowledge as a reader about this specific scene laid out before his eyes.
That move was an invitation, offering Maelle a path to his throat, provided she was fast enough to take it.
Maelle saw the opening, but she also saw the tension in Perci's rear calf. It was like a spring, loaded and ready. If she were to take the bait, she'd be paying a price worth of a rib.
But… guess what? Fudge it! Nothing would happen if none of them moved.
Dhush!
Maelle darted, zi crackled on her boots.
Perci moved his rear calf just as Maelle had expected, performing a perfect horizontal sweep. Maelle didn't retreat, as to retreat was to succumb to the physics of his reach.
Instead, she jammed her lead foot into the snow and her center of gravity dropped for less than half a second before she kicked the ground and sent her into a tight and inverted rotation upward.
Fwoosh!
Perci's wooden sword missed her torso, and the force of his swing pulled his shoulder forward and overextended his guard.
Maelle rotated in the air.
Using the centrifugal force of her flip, she whipped her sword downward while still upside down.
Thunk!
Perci barely blocked the strike with the hilt.
Maelle landed behind him in a crouching position. She used her one hand to stabilize her on the ground and the other to hold her sword in a reverse grip.
Perci stumbled, the kinetic energy of her mid-air strike pushing him further off-balance. He spun around, only to find a sword aiming straight toward his heart.
"...Shit—"
Tilting his body, Perci dodged the stab— not perfectly so. Even if they were only sparring with wooden swords, the sleeve of his shirt was cut through and a thin line of blood formed at his triceps.
Maelle rained down a succession of stab and thrust after that; Perci kept on getting pushed back, barely able to block and parry the attacks.
Maelle then leaped back to gather her breath, and so did Perci.
After regaining enough air, they darted forward and their swords met in the center of the square.
Thunk!
The sound of wood meeting wood rang out like a pistol shot.
Their swords didn't bounce off each other, but stayed crossed as the mid-points of their sword grinded against one another.
Perci applied a sudden, downward pressure. Maelle resisted and pushed back the force to maintain her guard but that was exactly what Perci wanted.
Perci pulled his sword back and spun low, aiming at Maelle's lead ankle.
Fwoosh!
Maelle withdrew her leg just in time, raising it into a behind arc and letting the sword pass through the empty air.
As Perci's momentum carried his sword in a low angle, Maelle brought her own blade down in a vertical overhead strike.
Everyone knew Perci couldn't bring his sword up in time, and parrying it was crossed out in the list either. However, there was also not enough clearance to dodge.
There was only one remaining option.
Perci threw his left shoulder forward, turning his body into the strike. Thus instead of the wooden sword crushing his skull, it slammed into his shoulder blade.
Thwap!
It was painful, but Perci grit his teeth and didn't stumble. He used the impact to stabilize his pivot, coming back up and drove the pommel of his sword toward Maelle's solar plexus.
"Gaahh!"
Maelle gasped as the blunt wood knocked the air from her lungs.
Her vision blurred for a split second, but instead of doubling over which would have ended the fight, she let her torso collapse around the pommel.
By not resisting the strike, she turned her body into a literal hinge.
Then, given that her sword was still locked on Perci's shoulder, she used his shoulder as the fulcrum and wrenched the hilt downward with both hands in a see-saw motion.
It hit Perci's chin, snapping his head back.
With no strength left for another strike, Maelle then made use of her downward motion to deliver a forceful headbut— a sword is not the only weapon of a knight.
Perci sprawled in the snow upon the impact.
Before he could stand up, Maelle was over him and the tip of her sword trembled just inches from the center of his throat.
"It… was a good bout, Perci Stratton. You really are thinking three steps ahead as usual."
Maelle extended a hand to help him up. Perci met her gaze then he looked away, clicking his tongue.
"Tch. What a pain…"
The senior knight then announced the winner, but Seven Seven jumped down from the crates. He did not bother to watch the rest.
Given that there would be no more bouts today, this was an opportunity to maximize his training, and it should be double of the usual intensity.
By the end of the day, he had managed Heinrich to remove his arms from his back, and that was a first step to the progress he had wanted.
Little did he expect…
"What did you say?"
"Yes, young lord. The finals will proceed on the 12th day of the month."
Though that should give him enough time to train, that also meant his fated death would take place first— and he'd miss the experience he would gain from the final stage.
Seven ran a hand through his hair.
"Damn it. I feel like nothing's going in my way."