"Please guide me."
Artoria's gaze swept seriously over Eiji.
The title of "God" at Type-Moon Academy was renowned. She had heard of it but had never interacted with him. Nor had she ever heard any rumors of him practicing kendo.
Seeing his previously casual stance, she assumed her opponent was an amateur.
But the moment he stood straight, she immediately sensed a different atmosphere.
His posture was flawless, without any excess movement, perfectly in tune with his entire body. There wasn't the slightest sign of instability—proof that he had trained in kendo for years and had already mastered it.
Looking at him, she couldn't spot any openings, giving her a feeling of having no way to attack.
If there are no openings, then she must create one.
This has always been the truth of battle.
Without unnecessary words, Artoria nodded in acknowledgment before launching herself at Eiji with all her strength, propelling forward from her legs and channeling all her power through her waist and hips—her control over the kinetic chain was flawless.
As a petite woman, her strength was naturally inferior to others. The only way she could stand against other swordsmen was by utilizing the kinetic chain more effectively than anyone else.
Clack!
In the blink of an eye, the two wooden swords clashed.
The force transmitted through the sword surprised Eiji. Artoria's strength was not at all inferior to a man's. It wasn't just a matter of technique making up for a lack of power—she was simply strong.
Artoria remained silent, holding her wooden sword in a deadlock against Eiji.
Her delicate appearance was indeed misleading. Anyone unaware of her true nature would assume she was weak based on her petite frame. But in reality, her physical abilities surpassed those of most men.
She was born this way.
Because of this, despite being a second daughter, she was chosen as the heir to her family's kendo tradition.
However, even with that advantage, the boy before her remained unmoved, like an unshakable mountain. No matter how hard she pressed her sword against his, he did not budge. Instead, he pushed back against her.
From his posture, it was clear he wasn't even using the strength of his legs, yet she still felt an overwhelming force she couldn't resist.
Without hesitation, she abandoned the deadlock. Her legs shifted subtly to the side.
By allowing the opponent's heavy strike to miss and counterattacking from the extreme limit of their reach, she executed a kendo technique known as sori-ashi.
Tap tap tap!
However, her opponent saw through her movements completely and shifted in sync with her.
A rapid flurry of footfalls followed, and Artoria grimaced under her mask. Her arms gave out, forcing her to retreat.
Thak!
Before she could react, a wooden sword struck her ribs.
"Ugh!"
Artoria let out a muffled groan, clutching her left ribs as she staggered backward.
At barely over 150 cm tall, she had short legs and small steps. Trying to retreat head-on against Eiji, who had long legs, was impossible—he caught up with her effortlessly.
"Valid strike! Eiji, one point!"
Scáthach's voice rang out from the side.
Her judgment was fair and impartial.
"When did this kid learn kendo?"
She looked at Eiji with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
She had been teaching at Type-Moon Academy for nearly ten years, secretly observing many students. Eiji was among them. But she had never seen him practice kendo.
Yet, here he was, not only demonstrating flawless form but also overwhelming the kendo club captain.
Although the heroic spirits at this school were living a "second life" and lacked their first-life experiences, meaning their combat skills were not as formidable as before, they still retained significant talents. Ordinary people couldn't hope to compete with them.
"Could it be him?"
Scáthach pondered silently.
While she remained calm, the spectators outside the arena erupted.
"No way! The captain actually lost the first point?"
"I never heard that God was this strong! He could totally represent Type-Moon Academy at the national championships!"
"As expected of God!"
Cheers from male fans and shrill screams from female admirers echoed outside the dojo.
Even Artoria felt momentarily disoriented.
Fortunately, she quickly calmed herself, taking several deep breaths before resetting her stance.
"Second round, begin!"
At Scáthach's signal, Artoria charged forward again.
Her eyes, visible through her mask, grew sharper as she scanned Eiji up and down multiple times.
Still no openings.
If that's the case—
She flicked her wrist and executed a rapid kesagiri slash toward his throat.
In kendo matches, the valid target areas are the head, throat, torso, and wrists. A clean hit earns one point, and the first to score two points wins.
Clack!
Her strike, aimed at his throat, was effortlessly blocked.
She wasn't surprised—this reaction was expected. Retracting her sword swiftly, she maintained a controlled distance and slashed again in the opposite direction, only to be blocked once more.
She lengthened her offensive sequence, increasing her attack speed.
She sought to pressure him into making a mistake, then land a decisive blow.
But what shocked her was that every single attack was neutralized. It was as if he had an impenetrable sword barrier around him.
"Damn!"
Suddenly, her movements faltered, and she knew she was in trouble.
During prolonged high-speed attacks, a swordsman risks losing control of their body. Excessive swings disrupt the kinetic chain, causing wrist strain and leading to inevitable openings.
Bang!
A dark shadow sliced through the air.
Her wooden sword was knocked from her hands, and pain shot through her wrist. Instinctively, she pulled back.
"Valid strike! Eiji, two points—victory!"
Even after Scáthach announced the result, Artoria remained stunned.
She hadn't even scored a single point—she had been cleanly defeated.
A trace of disbelief surfaced in her expression beneath the mask.
"...I lost."
After a long pause, she picked up her fallen sword.
Then, removing her mask, she smiled bitterly at Eiji and conceded.
"Thank you for the match."
Eiji withdrew his wooden sword, his expression calm as he bowed slightly in courtesy.
"OHHHH! As expected of God!"
"Spread the word! God won his first kendo match by defeating the kendo club captain!"
"Spread the word! God took the kendo club captain's first blood!"
"Spread the word—"
"Hmph."
Scáthach let out an almost imperceptible scoff.
If it were Heroic Spirit Artoria, things would be different. But this second-life version of her was far from her past strength. As an ordinary person, she couldn't keep up with that level of combat.
She still had a long way to go before she could reclaim herself.
***
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