Thwack!
A painful blow to the face.
"Oof!"
Sir Neumann's world just turned upside down. What just happened? He was dazed at that moment, but it didn't last long. Sir Neumann quickly recovered himself and immediately figured out the predicament he was in.
Okay. He blocked my attack. And not only that, he struck back at me! Is this for real?
Time seemed to have slowed down. He saw drops of blood flying slowly through the air. It was his blood, from his mouth. That's when he noticed the numbness. The strike must have busted up his mouth. That punk did this to me?
Crack! Sir Neumann found himself gritting his teeth again. He moved quickly, spreading his legs wide to get a stable footing. He lowered his back just in time to avoid falling to the ground.
"Ah-h-h!!" he shouted out loud as soon as he regained balance. Then, he drew out mana from his manaheart. It spread all over his body. Feeling the energy coming back to him, he pulled his sword out and wielded it high.
His counterattack was immediately blocked again.
Kerrang!
"Oh, would you look at that? You attack right away. I did the same to Sir Ulrich, and it completely knocked him out."
"Grrr…!"
The wide shovel head blocked the long sword. But Sir Neumann wasn't going to give up. He shifted his approach with the sword when he saw that the attack didn't work. He took a step forward and gave his sword a twist.
Brangg! The sword and shovel slammed together with a loud metallic crash.
Time to lose your shovel! Sir Neumann quickly devised a plan. He would press his sword hard against the shovel. Next, he'd rotate it twice and give a strong jerk to disarm Lloyd. Then, he would trip Lloyd and knock him to the ground. He thought it was a surefire method to neutralize Lloyd.
But he failed to realize one important truth in life: everyone had a brilliant plan until they were destroyed.
"Tsk. Are you trying to disarm me? Nice try," Lloyd said defiantly.
Clatter! Just as soon as Lloyd finished speaking, the sword and shovel froze in midair. Technically, it was Lloyd who willed the shovel to stop, which made the sword halt too. Then something else happened. The power in Sir Neumann's manaheart started to get sucked out like the tide.
Neumann's power flowed out from his manaheart, through his arms, and into his sword. It streamed from the sword into the shovel just like soda pops up a drinking straw. Lloyd sucked up all that power like a dry sponge.
"What is this?!" Terrified, Sir Neumann attempted to pull his sword back quickly. But he couldn't separate it. Now drained of mana, he found himself moving slower than usual. It was as if he had become an ordinary person at that moment.
As Sir Neumann was suffering, Lloyd pressed forward with speed and skill that would normally be displayed only by a far more advanced fighter.
"I am so relieved," Lloyd muttered under his breath.
Zoom! With that, Lloyd easily narrowed his distance from Sir Neumann.
"You!!" Sir Neumann attempted to brandish his sword with the scabbard still on.
But Lloyd was faster.
Swoosh!
Sir Neumann caught a glimpse of the shovel handle heading straight for his face. A second later, he felt a searing pain in his nose.
Crack!
"Ack! Is my nose broken?!" he wondered. He couldn't open his eyes because of the searing pain. He staggered back three steps.
Lloyd didn't stop there. He charged forth. The fire was in him now.
"Twas a bit worried, actually," Lloyd said nonchalantly. "I've never tested whether a single circle can take the mana of a swordsman at your level."
"Arggh!" Sir Neumann shrieked and frantically swung his sword down to counterattack. He felt a small portion of his mana restored at that second. But Lloyd defended the attack with his shovel in a breeze, and despair clouded over Sir Neumann's face again.
The tiny bit of mana left in the sword got sucked into the shovel once more!
This is nuts!
Wham! Lloyd swung his mana-charged shovel and slapped Sir Neumann in the face. It blinded him as his head jerked to one side. Such a thing had never happened before. Sir Neumann had never imagined that this was even possible in real life.
That punk is… absorbing my mana…
Sir Neumann was starting to understand what was happening. But that pitched him into much further dismay. How can he absorb another person's mana? And how can he use it as his own…? How???
He felt cheated. This was unfair. But he was no quitter. Sir Neumann struggled to get back on his feet to continue the attack. But it was all in vain. The more he struggled, the more he became ensnared.
Must be confused, eh? I'm sure you can't wrap your head around this. That's why you're losing. You spent the last month goofing around, simply being overly confident that you were going to win. But I didn't! Lloyd thought to himself.
Over the past month, Lloyd carefully analyzed the opponent he was going up against. He predicted all the possibilities in the duel. He covered everything—from A to Z—to ensure that he would win. Now he was reaping the fruits of his labor.
Clang! Thwack! The shovel danced in his hands as he stood his ground at the edge of striking distance. He barely had to move to defend against the incoming blows from Sir Neumann's sword. Moving his left foot forward, Lloyd extended the shovel head. With a simple jerk of his wrist, he slapped Sir Neumann in the face with the back of the shovel.
Lloyd's heart pounded like it had never pounded before. Could this be from the mana circle forming around his heart?
Ziting!
The first weapon Lloyd was equipped with for the duel was the mana circle, which he formed using the Asrahan Core Technique. The mana circle furiously rotated around his heart, fueled by his opponent's mana. The orbiting mana around his heart caused it to pump more violently, rushing fresh blood to all of his organs in an explosive manner. The blood combined with the mana that emanated from the circle.
So, this is the power of the single circle. It was truly amazing. Lloyd hadn't expected it to be this powerful. He imagined Sir Neumann would only be slightly weakened after absorbing his mana. But it did more than that. The power in his body far exceeded his expectations. It allowed Lloyd to use Sir Neumann's power without any difficulty.
Sword experts are amazing.
Lloyd felt like he had become superhuman. He realized how powerful knights like Sir Neumann are.
Clang! Clatter!
The second weapon Lloyd prepared was the steel shovel. His shovel looked like a shield attached to a javelin. People may laugh at the weapon, but shovels are amazing tools.
Anybody who used a shovel in the military knew how useful the tool was. It was more than useful. If you found roots while digging, you just simply had to hold the shovel straight and scoop them up. One swing was enough to pluck small bushes and roots. It was like an ax in that sense.
There's more. Lloyd was aware that shovels were historically useful weapons in war. They were used in the gruesome trench warfare on the Western Front of World War I. Shovels were even widely used in the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. They came in handy during hand-to-hand combat. One powerful swing was enough to slice a helmet in half and crack your opponent's skull.
Apart from these examples, shovels have a variety of other uses. The shovel head can be used as a shield because of its width. You can lock the opponent's weapon with the base and pull it hard. The sharp point of the head can be used as a spear. And you know what happens if you hold it facing down and stand on the top of the shovel head? You can make it into a pogo stick!
The shovel was a truly versatile tool, and Lloyd was a master at handling one. It was his trustworthy companion as a junior enlisted soldier in the military. It was always there for him, even when he worked construction to pay for his tuition. That was how familiar he was with it.
And on top of that, he created new skills with the RP he recently amassed. That was his third weapon.
The Tool Apprenticeship Skill: (Shovel), which he had spent a grand total of 40 RP to gain.
Ding dong!
Tool Artisanship Skill: (Shovel) has been activated.
The tool and I are one! Today is all about shoveling!
'Skill Level: 1'
You use 10% less strength when using the shovel.
Shovel speed has increased by 5%.
Shovel power has increased by 5%.
Your chances of losing your grip on the shovel have decreased by 20%.
The shovel was his go-to tool, and the skill he purchased with RP enabled him to use it more efficiently. This weapon was perfect for him.
And my fourth and last weapon is this.
Clang! Clatter!
Lloyd brandished his shovel again, impeccably parrying the thrusts of his opponent. The shovel never needed to move beyond Lloyd's center line. Each movement was simple, brief, and measured. It couldn't get any more efficient and practical.
Unbeknownst to everyone present at the scene, Lloyd was using a skill that went perfectly with the shovel. It was the bayonet exercises any military men and women would be familiar with.
Whoosh! Clang! Thwack! Crack!
Lloyd moved aside and stabbed toward the right. Sir Neumann retreated as he brandished his sword. Lloyd defended his lower half, and he engaged. When Sir Neumann stepped back, Lloyd easily stepped forward. He swiveled to the left and held his shovel straight in defense. At the same time, he kicked Sir Neumann in the crotch. When he saw his opponent get flustered, he knocked him in the temple with the shovel handle.
Bam!
"Argh!" Sir Neumann staggered back.
Lloyd smiled, panting for air. It's working. The bayonet exercises. Contrary to popular belief, these exercises weren't useless. They were believed to be useless because they had become so common in the military. But their origins date back to European short sword techniques from the 18th century. With that foundation, the old techniques were mixed with boxing steps. Eventually, after the two World Wars and the Korean War, the exercises were reborn with much more finesse.
So, in short, it actually was a practical combat exercise. And you see, it goes perfectly with the shovel!
Lloyd had seen whole battalions exercise with shovels. He was right there with them. He combined the basics of sword fighting he'd learned from Javier with it. The result was devastating.
The mana circle of the Asrahan Core Technique.
The ever-versatile steel shovel.
Construction site shoveling experience.
The practical bayonet exercises, mixed with Javier's sword teaching.
These four powerful weapons Lloyd had prepared for the duel created a dynamic synergy. He wielded them in combination to unilaterally dominate and crush Sir Neumann, who had walked into the duel unprepared.
"Arggh!"
Thwack! Sir Neumann staggered when the handle hit him in the temple. But he wasn't spared a second to fall down.
Lloyd leaped forward and…
Thwack! He smacked Sir Neumann's side with the flat surface of the shovel. Then he struck down at his feet with the pointed tip.
Smack!
"Ack…"
Sir Neumann staggered back, only to lose his mana again. The unpredictable attacks were unrelenting. Lloyd's maneuvers with the shovel felt too easy in his eyes. Each of his movements was clear-cut and precise, never giving time for a counterattack.
This is not happening! Anger surged in his heart. He blew a fuse. He was getting beaten by a rookie. And what's worse, he was getting crushed by someone who was using a shovel. Most of the people in the fiefdom were gathered around to watch the fight.
I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him!!! Sir Neumann's eyes gleamed with dark bloodlust. He didn't give a damn whether this was a duel. This rookie who humiliated him in front of everyone had to be punished. He needed to end this son of a bitch by all means necessary.
Accidents happen during duels all the time! A simple thrust of the sword might pierce his heart. A random brandishing of the sword might slice his throat. It happened all the time. And even if such a thing were to happen in this duel, Sir Neumann was confident that he would be exonerated.
This fiefdom is going to go under soon anyway. I'm just going to leave this rathole earlier than scheduled! A new master, and I'll be living in riches! Who cares about a little dueling accident? What could I do? It's a duel, for pity's sake!
His mind was set. After the duel, he'd disappear. He would leave and go find a new master. With the plan all set, Sir Neumann tightened his hand on the sword grip. Then, he placed his other hand on the scabbard. He pulled the sword out of its sheath.
Swish! The sharp blade of the long sword stood revealed. Without a second's hesitation, he charged toward Lloyd. The point of the sword aimed straight at his heart.
"Abbh!!"
This attack was more menacing than the others, and it was intended to kill. The audience shrieked in surprise. Baron Frontera sprang to his feet.
But Lloyd stood calm.
Ha! So what if you pull your sword out?
He did feel the murderous vibe Sir Neumann gave off. But no matter, he thought to himself. His attack was laughably slow. And the many blows prior to this moment had sapped him of much energy. He may be carrying an extraordinary sword, but Lloyd was way too strong and agile to let this pathetic attack get him.
Lloyd had already anticipated that Sir Neumann would turn vicious.
I've been waiting for you to do this.
Clatter! The steel shovel casually parried the attack. And the weapons were in a bind, just like Sir Neumann tried to do previously. Clang! Clang! The two weapons hit and pressed against each other. Lloyd suddenly tugged at and took the sword. He wrenched it away.
Swish! The long sword was hurled into the air. It dug into the ground ten steps away from them. Silence fell over the training center. Hundreds of people gazed at the sight in shock. Sir Neumann had lost his sword, and Lloyd was pointing the shovel at his face. It was clear as day who won, though the outcome was unbelievable.
Lloyd, however, wasn't done here.
"You think the battle is over just because you're beaten? Hmmm?"
Everyone's eyes slowly traced the shovel as it was lifted high in the air, and then descended at lightning speed to strike the face of Sir Neumann.
Thwack!
Was Lloyd attacking him again just to blow off some steam?
No, he wasn't.
I'm just getting started now.
Lloyd was bent on removing the spoiled apple from the barrel. He was going to sever this problem at its roots. First, I need this traitor to confess.
Lloyd's eyes flashed with anger as he stared at Sir Neumann.
Translator: https://bettertranslation9.wordpress.com