There are many ways to increase the power of Sword Skills in Aincrad. Setting aside bonuses from stats and equipment, what truly matters is how a player manipulates the skill itself.
At first, this wasn't something he fully understood. It only became clear during the Kobold Lord raid on the First Floor, when he witnessed that female rapier user's thrust firsthand. Her level and gear were clearly inferior to his, yet the speed she achieved surpassed the system's assistance.
Most likely, even without realizing it, she had been subconsciously adjusting her Sword Skills. Instead of letting the system guide her body, she was overriding it—executing the skill through her own ability.
The system's guidance operates on fixed timing. Human reaction does not. That gap is where the difference is made.
Talent. The kind you're born with.
For someone like him to catch up through effort alone, how many times would he have to swing his blade at a wall or a training dummy?
That realization resurfaced now.
Because he never expected to encounter another person with that kind of talent again.
The light on Sheeta's blade surged, her own speed overtaking the dazzling blue effect. Even though she activated her skill later than he did, she reached him first.
He snapped his curved sword to the right, slipping past the edge of her one-handed blade. But the dash-type Sword Skill didn't carry him fully off the attack line. The instant he deflected, his body ran straight into her strike, taking the hit head-on.
Sheeta froze for a split second, clearly unable to understand why he would trade HP like that.
But he knew exactly what he was doing.
If his Reaver collided directly with her left-to-right Crescent Slash, the outcome would be unfavorable. A one-handed sword striking the thin side of a curved blade could stagger him—or even break the weapon outright.
Fortunately, this wasn't a one-hit match. The loser would be whoever dropped into the yellow HP zone first.
She had taken the opening. That meant the next move had to be his.
His curved sword swept out in a rightward horizontal arc—not just avoiding disadvantage, but building momentum.
The instant the deflection registered, an orange-red glow burst between them, followed by three lightning-fast crimson slashes.
Sheeta's HP dropped instantly.
Her sword was still embedded in his left shoulder. She hadn't even had time to pull it free before being caught in post-skill delay, and the damage she took was slightly greater than his.
She had claimed the advantage in the opening exchange, only to lose it in the blink of an eye. Disbelief flickered in her eyes.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
At the end of Flash Triple Slash, the curved blade naturally settled at his waist, as if about to be sheathed. With a slight adjustment, that finishing motion became the starting point of his next skill.
Assault Blade.
Like a seasoned swordsman executing a flawless iaido strike, the blade at his left hip flashed out in a vicious, near-unreactable slash. It cut from left to right, then rose in a reverse kesa trajectory, leaving only a faint crimson arc in the air before fading.
Aside from its frustrating range, everything about this skill, its speed and damage, was excellent.
Clang!!
A sharp tearing sound rang out, followed by a crisp metallic impact.
Sheeta raised her one-handed blade in haste, using it like a shield to block the incoming strike. Sparks burst on contact, and her weapon's durability took a clear hit.
It looked messy, but the fact that she reacted at all impressed him.
These players truly possessed a level of talent he couldn't reach.
A stubborn expression surfaced on her face. If he hadn't seen it himself, he wouldn't have believed she could look like that. Judging by her stance, she was about to retaliate immediately.
But…
You'll have to survive the combo first.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
His curved blade completed its arc, stopping above his right side. With a sharp flick, he adjusted it slightly to the left, raising it overhead. The fading orange-red light flared up again, as if reignited.
Falling Leaf Slash.
A heavy downward strike followed immediately.
Before the crimson arc from Assault Blade had fully faded, a straight red line came crashing down.
Sheeta's HP dropped by another tenth.
Not over yet.
The tip of the blade dipped toward his feet. He flipped it, lowered his center of gravity, and leaned forward.
Rising Moon.
Another vertical crimson slash tore through the air.
Each Sword Skill consisted of only one or two hits on its own, but in his hands, they chained into a rapid, high-frequency combo. The transitions were nearly seamless, the ending motion of one flowing directly into the start of the next, compressing every gap to its limit.
It looked like a single continuous skill.
Smooth and fluid, without a trace of stiffness.
Lately, all his farming had followed this exact pattern, every monster treated like a sparring partner.
"So fast…"
Voices of admiration rose from the crowd, some of them curved sword users.
But their speed still relied on system assistance.
He let out a quiet breath.
The one who's truly fast isn't me. It's the girl in front of me.
After Rising Moon, there were no suitable follow-up skills, and his offense stalled for a brief moment.
Sheeta caught it instantly, giving him no chance to start another seamless combo.
In the blink of an eye, she moved, as if acting purely on instinct and completely ignoring the usual Sword Skill startup motion. Or perhaps she was simply so fast that, even at point-blank range, he couldn't catch the start of it.
Her one-handed blade rang sharply as a brilliant horizontal slash tore through his guard, followed immediately by a downward strike from above.
He dropped every trace of underestimation.
Her combo was almost identical to his. She pushed skill chaining to its limit just like he did, but with faster reactions, what she created was a flawless, flowing sword dance.
Another wave of gasps rose from the crowd.
Yurnero's HP bar plummeted rapidly.
Faster and smoother, like an endless pursuit with no break.
He was forced to retreat.
It was too natural. Unbelievably so.
Her one-handed sword and Sword Skills felt like extensions of her body, as if a single thought alone could trigger movement. Even factoring in beta experience, could someone really refine a girl to this level in just over a month?
Compared to his curved blade, which relied on step-by-step calculation, hers felt like it had a mind of its own, guiding her, advising her, even moving ahead of her when it couldn't wait.
The flow of battle flipped again.
Forced into hurried defense, he looked completely battered, the composed fighter who had been chaining combos moments ago nowhere to be seen.
For the next several dozen seconds, he was fully suppressed.
Meanwhile, more spectators gathered, cheering enthusiastically. Without exception, every cheer was for the girl dancing across the field. Her pale golden hair fluttered as she moved with light, almost elven steps. Compared to her, he looked painfully ordinary.
He blocked another fast strike. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
At last, his curved blade ignited red again. The blue-green flash of her one-handed sword crossed his vision.
"Your next skill… Slanted."
He spoke softly, but with certainty.
Sheeta froze for an instant, confusion flickering openly in her bright blue eyes.
Her next move proved him right.
Clang!!
Her Sword Skill activated, only to be knocked aside.
"Huh?"
She let out a small, puzzled sound.
"I've memorized the one-handed sword's skills. I know exactly which stance triggers which Sword Skill. At first, your speed made it hard to read… but the longer you kept attacking, the fewer options you had left. That made them easier to narrow down."
The curved sword swept outward.
What he didn't say was this:
Against normal opponents, that logic was enough. Against someone who wielded a blade as naturally as breathing, it wasn't. To keep up, he had to go further, recalling the previous skill, deducing its ending stance, then matching it to every possible follow-up.
Twice the processing.
A method that completely abandoned any attempt to compete in raw control.
His style had never been about speed or instinct. It was about dismantling choices, one by one, like stripping cards from an opponent's hand. He didn't chase endless variation, only steady, calculated progress, advancing step by step like setting a formation.
A method suited to someone with no natural talent.
His only trick.
His only trump card.
"Next… Resonant Slash."
"Reverse Assault."
"Triple Lock."
"Cold Strike."
…
He called out each one-handed sword skill with precise clarity as his HP continued to drop, yet it didn't shake him in the slightest. Like an old machine, he kept reading and analyzing—slow, maybe outdated, but enough.
Gradually, the orange-red glow of the curved blade began to overpower the deep blue of hers.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?! You're actually hitting such a cute NPC?!"
"So what quest is this, bro? Share it after you're done!"
The crowd started chattering again, but it was completely ignored. A quick glance at both HP bars was enough to ease the tension in his chest.
Sheeta was running out of skills.
It was as if her skill list were laid bare. Once reduced to normal attacks, there was no way she could outdamage someone who still had Sword Skills available.
A quiet sense of relief settled in.
This was all he had. If even this broke apart, then what did he have left?
Without hesitation, the curved blade came down.
That unrestrained strike sent the crowd's criticism skyrocketing.
"You really went through with it?!"
"Hah, a guy like that is probably just a miserable loner in real life."
"I can feel pure resentment toward society in that swing!"
You're the ones acting like NPCs, spouting lines like that.
But this should have been the end.
With victory already secured, he struck with confidence.
Their eyes met.
And once again, she surprised him.
Those clear, shining eyes held no frustration or discouragement—only childlike excitement.
Falling Leaf Slash… missed.
He froze.
"She's… predicting my skills too?"
Had she always been capable of that, or had she learned it from watching?
Then—
A sharp slicing sound cut through the air.
Instinctively, he tried to track her opening motion and counter.
But he hesitated.
Because what she used wasn't a Sword Skill at all—it was a normal attack.
And just like that, the chessboard in his mind collapsed. There was no pattern, no framework, no way to predict.
His formation-based style was dragged into a completely different rhythm, a free-flowing, instinct-driven storm of blades.
The tempo broke.
A bitter smile crossed his lips.
This girl…
She was like a heroine chosen by the sword itself. A Sword Princess.
Both committed to a final, all-or-nothing strike at the same time.
Their blades collided!