Develop 132

Chapter 132 The Pride of Being Second-rate


Edited by: Kanaa-senpai


 After a few minutes of training with Momoka, I felt embarrassed about my state before the training even began.

 ”Hmph!”

 My full-force thrust aimed at her torso was deftly evaded as if it were effortlessly scooped up.

 I had anticipated this outcome, so I used the momentum of my thrust to dive into Momoka’s embrace and swept my sword sideways, pressing my shoulder against hers.

 However, it had no effect on Momoka, and as we exchanged positions, she skillfully evaded my sword.

 Moreover, it wasn’t just a matter of her evading my sword. Since the training started, I had never felt any resistance when gripping the sword.

 When Momoka evaded my sword, she always used her own sword to deflect mine. However, there was no sharp metallic sound when our swords made contact, only a faint scraping sound that could barely be heard unless I listened carefully.

 In other words, the lack of such a small sound meant that my attacks were being perfectly redirected. The initial hesitation I had towards pointing my sword at Momoka had completely disappeared, thanks to the complete lack of response, making it feel as if I were just practicing.

 I felt embarrassed about my condescending thoughts of her getting injured. Momoka’s swordsmanship was clearly superior to mine, and there was almost no possibility of me inflicting any harm on her.

 While I found some relief in that fact, I also became slightly stubborn in the face of the impossible. The opponent was far superior, and I was nothing more than a mediocre swordsman. I knew very well that landing a decent strike was impossible.

 But I had received guidance from my swordsmanship master and had developed a certain level of skill. Even a mediocre swordsman had his pride. At the very least, I couldn’t just accept a complete defeat quietly. It wasn’t possible to land an attack, but I couldn’t be satisfied without delivering a strike that Momoka couldn’t completely evade, one that produced a clear metallic sound.

 Some might laugh and consider it a small goal, but there was something that only those who clashed swords directly would understand. This was by no means a small goal; I was convinced that it was more challenging than when I single-handedly confronted Heindahl, whom I had defeated with Diana’s cooperation.

 ”It seems you’re quite enthusiastic.”

 ”Huh? Niya-san?”

 I had been so focused on training with Momoka that I hadn’t noticed Niya-san observing us from a short distance away. Although I couldn’t tell the exact duration, due to swinging the sword continuously for quite some time without a break, as soon as Niya-san appeared, fatigue overwhelmed my entire body.

 ”Momoka, let’s take a break.”

 ”Okay, understood.”

 Contrasting with my fatigue-laden appearance, Momoka, while sweating, showed no signs of breathlessness and remained composed.

 It was natural for there to be a difference in fatigue levels between me, who had been swinging the sword with all my might, and Momoka, who had been conserving energy and handling things with minimal movement. However, Momoka’s composure only further disheartened me.

 ”How about it, what are your thoughts on sparring with Momoka?” Niya-san asked before I could answer, I turned my gaze towards Momoka. She was standing a little distance away, absentmindedly gazing up at the sky.

 ”To be honest, I underestimated Momoka’s combat abilities at first, thinking that she relied solely on her powers and weren’t that impressive without them.”

 ”Having powerful abilities is meaningless if you don’t have the skill to control them. When Momoka was still in her early stages, the initial V-Type clone, she struggled to harness her abilities. Swinging a sword would result in her arm being severed, and taking a step forward would cause her legs to burst. It was a situation where she would self-destruct before even dealing damage to her enemies.”

 ”I saw her with severely swollen legs before. Even then, she was doing much better than that.”

 ”Yes, through repeated training, Momoka learned to direct the explosive power she had internally towards the outside, successfully increasing her destructive force while suppressing the backlash of her abilities. That’s also why she excels at deflecting attacks. It’s all because of that.”

 I see, no wonder it feels like hitting a wall. Momoka’s deflection technique was mastered through countless deaths, and it’s an area that can’t be imitated with just raw talent or effort. The towering wall in front of me turned out to be higher than I had imagined, but my goal is not to overcome that wall entirely. It’s to leave a mark on it, no matter how small. Instead of feeling discouraged, my motivation only increases as the wall becomes more imposing. The more magnificent the wall, the greater the victory for me if I manage to leave even a single mark on it.

 ”All right!”

 Despite still feeling some fatigue, my determination outweighed it as I prepared to resume the training.

 ”Are you going to continue?” Niya-san asked.

 ”Yes, I can’t just let it end like this, being toyed with. I need to keep challenging myself,” I replied.

 ”In that case, I’ll let Ronim know that it might take a bit longer,” Niya-san said.

 ”Huh? Did Ronim-san have something to do with me? And why are you here, Niya-san?”

 During the day, Niya-san is supposed to accompany the slaves into the forest for hunting, so I was surprised to see her here. I asked her about it.

 ”Today, we were fortunate enough to encounter a herd in the morning, so I brought back some results. While taking a short break, Ronim asked if I knew Master Neil’s whereabouts. When I asked for the reason, he said your request he had been working on was completed and he wanted you to confirm it when you have time,” Niya-san explained.

 ”Oh, it’s completed then. Understood, that works out fine. Please tell him that I’ll spar once more and work up a sweat before going to check on it,” I replied.

 ”Understood,” Niya-san acknowledged and left. I watched her go and then turned back to Momoka. It was time to resume our sword training.




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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.

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