After using about 20 days creating everyone’s equipment, I transitioned to persuading dad on allowing us to freelance as Adventurers with the League of Adventurers. After much effort, he agreed to allow us to join only in the case of me beating him in a bout. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to use my recently made equipment nor magic outside of an elemental shroud on my sword. He will also lower his Grand Blademaster fighting power to the peak Knight stage and only wear his unenchanted military uniform. With no room to argue, we agreed on having our match after dinner tonight in the training field.
…
When reaching the training ground, I thought he was trying to make the fight hard given most warriors couldn’t see in the dark, but I discarded that thought once I took notice of our surroundings. I noticed the gargoyles were on stand-by as mom, Ivy, Katya, and Saphire sat atop the stone walls surrounding the open-air bath like an audience watching a boxing match. Additionally, monsters suddenly began pouring out of the woods as dad issued a loud shout which agitated the creatures. (I see, he wants to have us fight each other and a mini monster wave when ambient magoi was at its highest at night, truly a brilliant stage for our father-son bonding.)
From what I gather, our little contest is not about whether or not I can defeat him in simple coat of arms. The real objective is whether or not I can adapt to chaotic situations and still complete my goal. At face value, the objective seemed impossible; however, the best Adventurers in the League complete the impossible on a daily basis. My aim was to be the best, thus I needed to at least pass this test.
Excited for the challenge, I evoked the pyrosaber spell over my blade, illuminating the darkness. Dad also drew his falchion. The cross guard was arrayed and fashioned similarly to a Spanish rapier’s cross guard. The blade was made of a metal I have yet seen, but that’s beside the point.
“Yuriy, come at me as though your life depends on it. Know that I will not kill you, but will me you harm.”
Dad said. I nodded and readied myself for our battle. Before I could even decide to make a move, dad shouted with aura infused into his voice,
“HYAAAA!!”
His shout drew monsters directly to us. Thus I began killing monsters while keeping an eye on dad…
Our battle lasted for 30 minutes. In the initial conflict, dad posed the most danger to me given all his illusive hiding. The man’s one sneaky bastard, I gotta give it to him. He would mask his killing intent so I wouldn’t be able to notice him amid the monsters. Although he was not using Aura, his attacks were still deadly enough to kill monsters and pose enough of a threat to me. After the first 20 minutes, the monsters had either fled or were dead. In the latter 10 minutes, my battle with dad reached its anticipated climax.
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After I killed the last monster he used to hide, dad shifted his tactics as his attacks became much more straightforward with frequent feints and other bait and switch methods. As we fought down to the last few minutes, I felt a rush of adrenalin wash away my weariness as excitement overtook me. This would be the first time I really fought dad. Before it was simple sparring matches and swordplay lessons. Now it was a match with tame bloodlust, and was just as cruel as a deathmatch.
His swordplay was magnificent to behold, always lithe while looking for the slightest weak point and displaying false weak points and openings to lure opponents in. Nonetheless, the match was decided in a single moment. I relaxed my guard and drew a breath. Lowered my stance and sheathed my sword. When dad saw this, he knew the fateful moment had come. As a fencer. He too lowered his stance but pointed his sword forward with the single edge facing the sky in a reverse grip.
We stood facing each other, deathly silent as we gazed. You could hear the sound of sweat hitting the ground. I don’t know about dad, but I was relaxing every muscle, letting go of my thought of everything else but this moment, completely emptying myself. For a moment, I felt nothing but the sword awaiting to be released, and in my sight the many ways I could strike.
I’ve read about this back on Earth regarding Japanese swordsmen who devoted their all to the blade. When fighting they would let go of everything else; nothing else mattered but the blade, not even the outcome. I believe the psychological state was called nothingness, or one with the sword. Either way, I understood the feeling.
Once the last bit of distraction faded, time seemed to slow down. At this moment, dad charged at me. His steps assaulted the ground like beating war drums out for blood. I too began to make my move, slowly inching closer and closer until I could sense he had entered my striking range. Swish!! Like a flash of lightning, we both struck out. Now standing with our backs to each other, we stood in silence until,
“You truly have impressed me, son. I now have enough faith you will protect yourself and others with this.” As dad spoke this much, his sword split in half from the tip to the cross-guard, only the hilt remained. I let out a sigh of relief as my body became heavy and all I could do was kneel. Dad continued,
“To think, my youngest son, not only bested me in swordplay, but also is one step away from awakening Aura, as a mage no less! I really regret not having you inherit the Engelberg lineage…sigh. When you next see Geoffrey, look after him. But don’t tell him of what happened today.”
Finishing all he needed to say, dad walked into the house in complete silence. His praise was more than enough for me to feel extremely confident in myself, as if confirming I am doing the right thing. Slowly getting up, I headed towards the open-air bath to wash the fatigue away. Afterwards, I slept soundly.
-End of Chapter