“Haaakt!”
With a resounding yell, Anne’s colossal greatsword came crashing down straight at me.
In the split second, I debated whether to dodge or counterattack, quickly made my decision, and sprang into action.
Kagak-gak
As the greatsword descended with impeccable accuracy, I lightly struck its side and charged toward Anne.
However, the weight of the greatsword was immense, and the sheer power behind Anne’s strength was terrifying; even a slight deflect felt like a formidable counterforce.
Kung!
The slightly altered trajectory of the greatsword, along with Anne’s body.
Normally, I would have retaliated using my sword, but Anne’s attack was heavier than anticipated, causing my sword to drag behind me.
It seemed better to make a physical move rather than to be a beat late with a sword attack, potentially giving Anne the chance to react.
Puhk!
It might sound sophisticated, but I just barreled into her with brute force.
Despite the shock, it was natural for her to stagger backward, yet with the heavy sword still firmly held, Anne remained steadfast.
But with this close proximity, I actually held the advantage.
Though it’s inconvenient to wield my sword at this range, it’s impossible for Anne to swing her greatsword effectively at this distance.
A beat late, my sword finally reached, swiftly swinging toward Anne.
Blocking the attack with her greatsword isn’t possible, and she lacks the time to evade entirely with her body.
But that thought was my miscalculation.
It’s a basic tenet to keep the sword grip secure, but Anne had cleverly released the greatsword that was firmly planted into the training ground and threw a punch directly at me, skipping even the fundamental wind-up.
Even the basic act of pulling her arm back to add force was skipped entirely.
Though my sword had moved first, the direct punch at this range couldn’t be outrun.
Puheuk!
Anne’s punch landed squarely on my abdomen. Even without preparation, the impact was significant.
Though I thought it was in part jest, given the casual punches Anne sometimes threw during rough play, it was clear that her punches carried a serious sting.
Stunned by the unexpected blow, I couldn’t dissipate the impact and instead absorbed the full brunt of the hit as I went flying back.
Not very far, but enough distance for Anne to pick her greatsword back up and settle into position.
“What’s with the sudden change? You never used hand-to-hand combat during our matches!”
I knew brute force from Anne’s small frame would make physical combat difficult, but I hadn’t considered this since she never showed it in our previous bouts, and so I was hit with her attack.
“Heheh, everyone needs their ace up their sleeve! I was supposed to keep this hidden until the Celestial Festival competition, but since El won’t be participating, hiding it became unnecessary.”
It may seem like just a punch, but with Anne’s strength, it’s a formidable ace indeed.
Even with just one punch, it was clear this wasn’t something achieved through a day or two of practice.
“Alright, let’s start second round!”
Without delay, Anne charged at me once again.
In the end, my bout against Anne ended in victory.
Anne’s hand-to-hand combat was indeed powerful, but since it was none other than her, someone I’ve duelled with plenty, I simply needed to avoid the close-quarters engagement.
“Oof! I really thought I had it this time!”
“Even so, it was pretty close.”
I wasn’t just saying that — it was tough going with her most vulnerable area effectively covered.
“Well, then…”
“Got a minute?”
A male voice interrupted Anne mid-sentence.
Anne’s face scrunched, not primarily because her sentence was interrupted, but due to the owner of the voice.
“Uh-huh. What is it, Ian?”
Ian Clein.
Ian, towering well over most not just peers but even adults, was ironically the twin brother of Anne, who was even shorter than younger girls.
“Any chance of a practice duel?”
Thinking about it, though I’m friendly with Ian, we’d rarely dueled, not even once since the start of the second semester.
“Heh! If you can’t even beat me, how do you think you’ll beat El? Big dreams!”
“…Yeah, but the record’s 67 battles, 34 wins, 33 losses. Just because I’m leading by one, don’t get too complacent.”
“Arghh…”
And just like that, twin rivalries unfolded — to the point that they track each yearly duel’s record meticulously.
“Alright… Since I just finished dueling Anne, let’s take a quick break and then start.”
“Alright. Want some water?”
“No, it’s fine. Just catching my breath is enough.”
Considering how my stamina improved after becoming a Hero, this wasn’t just polite words.
“…Why doesn’t our little brother offer water to his identical sister who’s sweating here?”
“What was that? Dirt-kicker.”
Even though Anne needed water more, sitting there resting, it seems that the destructive sibling rivalry dynamic made Ian casually brush off her taunts.
This kind of sibling dynamics was something I couldn’t quite comprehend!
Ultimately, Ian had to briefly grapple with Anne before we could start our duel, with her yelling “Kyaa!” and rushing at him.
“In any case, Ian has too little respect for his older sister!”
After all the dueling concluded, Anne and I headed out to the streets.
Selian and Yuli would normally accompany us, but they’d excused themselves earlier, citing an appointment, leaving it as just Anne and I.
“Haha… Come on, as an older sister, you should let it go.”
It might be tit-for-tat, but I consoled her a little.
By the way, my duel with Ian also ended in victory.
Though Ian’s great strength, derived from his large frame, was enough to swing a bastard sword one-handed, it didn’t quite reach Anne’s freakish power.
Although, it has to be noted that Anne herself is an unusual case, wielding immense strength from her compact body.
In comparison, Ian’s fighting style wasn’t radically different from the norm outside of his brute strength.
And since I’d become quite accustomed to straightforward combat through duels with Selian, it was much easier to defeat Ian than Anne.
“Ugh! I can’t deal with this! In times of stress, I need something sweet!”
Even though they’re always bickering, what kind of stress could she be feeling?
Though I knew it’s just an excuse to indulge in sweets, I didn’t feel the need to bring it up.
Eventually, Anne led me to our usual cafe, ordering her regular sweet drinks and cakes, as always.
It’s hard to recall a time when Anne stepped out without some form of sweets.
“Ah! I’ll go for an Americano!”
Even her attempt to order an immensely sweet drink for me had to be firmly intercepted.
“Anyway, with Anne in the upper tiers, that’s pretty good, right?”
Sitting at the outdoor table, I broached the topic as I felt the chill in the air intensify.
“Upper tiers? I’m going to win, obviously!”
Her confident demeanor was good, but couldn’t she at least show some awareness toward others’ eyes?
This being a popular cafe among Academy students, I could sense the glances our way from other students in Academy uniforms, drawn by Anne’s exuberant voice.
“Still, with seniors and students from other departments participating in this tournament, it would be hard to make definite predictions.”
Compared to me and Selian, sure, but Anne’s skills ranked amongst the top for first years.
Considering the Academy as a whole, though, it was hard to say where she stood.
There were already well-known seniors from the Department of Swordsmanship, and students of unknown abilities from the Magic Department.
There’s even rumored to be some kind of crazy aspirant paladin in the Department of Theology. Not crazy as in insane, just crazy skilled, I suppose.
“In any case, El is too much of a worrier. This kind of thing, half of it runs on sheer determination, you know?”
Anne stood confidently, slightly raising her head, arms crossed.
Her youthful appearance could easily come across as brashness, but with Anne’s aura, it feels surprisingly natural.
“Alright, alright, our Anne will definitely win. I believe in you.”
Well, technically, it isn’t a lie. Selian herself acknowledges Anne’s capabilities.
A smile formed, cheering her on, though Anne seemed flustered by my sudden attitude.
“U-Uh, our Anne…”
Regardless, while normally self-assured, bold, and full of energy, she’s also embarrassingly bashful at times, which is utterly adorable.
“Yaah!”
And while Anne was flustered, the last slice of chocolate cake found its way into my mouth.
“Aaah!”
From being flustered just moments before, Anne’s expression turned sorrowful at the sight of the chocolate cake disappearing. An unexpected dessert to my eyes.
