Tower of Paradise

Chapter 73: training setup (2)

— I... I've been waiting for you. —She said, nervously licking her lips.

 

— What does that mean? —I narrowed my eyes, suspicious.

 

— As you know, each floor is difficult to overcome, so I didn't dare go alone... —KathyIn's face darkened. Then, she turned her gaze to the portal—. That's why I've been waiting for someone to come.

 

Mmm... It wasn't a far-fetched strategy. Having allies definitely provided an advantage over solitude. But that only applied if one could place trust in those people.

 

— Would you like to train together? It's always more fun to train with someone else. —She proposed, studying me with her gaze, as if trying to assess my abilities.

 

I thought about it for a few moments, weighing the pros and cons.

 

— Alright. What do you have in mind?

 

KathyIn brought her left hand to her chin, adopting a thoughtful posture.

 

— How about a little combat? —She suggested with a challenging smile.

 

I raised an eyebrow, undecided. After a moment of reflection, I nodded:

 

— Fine, I accept the challenge.

 

— Don't worry, I don't bite —she joked—. Well, maybe I do, but only those I appreciate.

 

She smiled and laughed at herself with a confidence that I found surprising, almost intimidating.

 

Suddenly, she extracted an elegant sword from her dimensional ring. I felt a momentary pang of envy. I had also wished to possess a dimensional ring, but my limited budget hadn't allowed it. I had invested all my resources in acquiring my new class.

 

We stepped back, strategically positioning ourselves in the spacious room.

 

She raised her left arm, showing the palm of her hand, and advanced her right leg. Her center of gravity was impeccable, denoting rigorous training. I gripped my spear in front of my waist, feeling the tension prior to a combat that I hadn't anticipated.

 

We stared at each other, evaluating one another, while the silence amplified each beat of my heart.

 

KathyIn was the first to break the immobility, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye. The impact of her sword against my spear reverberated throughout my body, shaking every fiber of my being.

 

I tried to counterattack with all the strength I could gather, but she dodged my thrust with disconcerting ease, almost supernatural. Our weapons danced in the air, intertwining again and again in a lethal choreography.

 

It was strange and frustrating. I was employing all my power, all my skill, making a superhuman effort to defeat a young woman who, although obviously older than me, I thought would not represent a significant challenge.

 

I couldn't... I couldn't connect a single hit. I felt clearly insufficient in all aspects. This girl in front of me possessed a talent that I found overwhelming, almost suffocating.

 

The confrontation was prolonged, and I still couldn't make any significant difference, trapped in a spiral of fruitless attacks.

 

In a desperate impulse, I raised my spear above my head and brought it down toward KathyIn with all the power I could gather in my tense muscles.

 

As was predictable in someone of her caliber, KathyIn rotated her body with hypnotic grace. I watched her grasp her sword with both hands, positioning it horizontally above her head to receive my blow. The impact resonated violently when our weapons collided, and I felt how she repelled my spear backward with a force that seemed incongruous with her delicate complexion.

 

I observed how KathyIn moved laterally to elude my next cut. Her movements possessed an almost preternatural fluidity, as if she could anticipate my intentions before I myself realized them. Before I could reformulate my strategy, KathyIn had already descended her sword to block my attack directed at her waist.

 

With an ascending movement that caught me completely off guard, KathyIn deflected my spear while trying to position herself at my back, seeking a vulnerable angle.

 

I wasn't willing to allow it so easily. I turned quickly to intercept her, but she was already prepared, raising her sword to neutralize my descending attack directed at her head.

 

I saw her slightly separate her legs to balance her posture while aiming her sword directly at my chest. Panic briefly invaded me when I barely managed to raise the spear to deflect her thrust, tilting it to one side in an urgent gesture.

 

We found ourselves in an intense struggle, each trying to impose over the other. This is my opportunity, I thought upon seeing her withdraw her sword, creating a small space between us.

 

Anticipating her next move, I immediately counterattacked with a cut toward her waist. However, my satisfaction was ephemeral when she blocked the attack with a speed that left me perplexed.

 

Taking advantage of the brief instant when I managed to make her step back, I swung the spear to direct a certain blow to her head. Frustration grew inside me as I observed how she systematically neutralized each of my attacks, regardless of the angle or speed with which I executed them.

 

In an imperceptible instant, I had to move my neck to dodge KathyIn's sword that passed grazing the place where my head had been a second before. But that moment of distraction was all she needed. Before I could react adequately, she rotated her body and delivered a tornado kick straight to my chest.

 

The pain was sharp and intense, forcing me to retreat several meters while struggling to catch my breath. When I looked up, I met her radiant smile. It wasn't a mocking or derisive expression; I knew that gesture well. It was the smile of someone who genuinely enjoyed combat, who found pleasure in the confrontation itself.

 

I watched her spin her sword in the air with a mastery that reminded me how much I had yet to learn, how far I was from reaching a truly formidable level. I sighed deeply as I adopted my combat position again, with the spear pointing to the ground in a sign of respect. We approached slowly, studying each other with renewed attention.

 

— Do you think you'll land a hit on me, right? —Her voice interrupted my concentration.

 

I hesitated to respond, and that was my fatal error. In the blink of an eye, KathyIn's sword was already descending upon me. I hastily raised the spear to block it, but the force of her attack forced me to step back several paces. It was like facing an unstoppable whirlwind.

 

I watched her swing her sword from left to right with a dexterity that seemed simply unattainable for me in my current state.

 

I found myself quickly retreating, struggling to keep pace and avoid her precise blows. In a fleeting instant, I perceived that KathyIn had her ribs exposed as she tilted her sword to one side. Without hesitation, I swung the spear horizontally toward that vulnerable point, feeling a spark of hope.

 

To my absolute amazement, KathyIn jumped with superhuman power, rising two meters in the air, almost grazing the ceiling of the room, while executing a backward somersault with perfect precision.

 

How the hell did she dodge it?! I wondered, completely stupefied by such a display of agility.

 

She's no longer on guard, I'll attack when she descends, I planned quickly.

 

Before her feet touched the ground, I launched a straight cut that I was convinced would connect with her body. However, I only cut empty air. In a movement that defied my basic understanding of physics, KathyIn slid her legs over the floor, forming a straight line with her body completely crouched, evading my attack by millimeters.

 

How is that possible?! My mind screamed, unable to process the sequence of events.

 

Before I could reorganize my thoughts, I felt KathyIn's right leg hooking onto my left leg. I completely lost my balance as she grasped my shirt firmly, and the next thing I registered was my body violently impacting against the hard floor.

 

 

 

Pain exploded in my head when KathyIn's wooden sword connected with it mercilessly. I felt tears threatening to escape from my eyes, but I contained them with all my strength. My masculine pride was already sufficiently battered to allow myself the luxury of crying in front of a girl who had just defeated me so easily.