Noah had already been thinking that he needed a sparring partner.
Practicing alone all the time was starting to feel incomplete.
“People want to challenge me during the general sparring session, but I don’t know most of their techniques.
Since the core dojo’s swordsmanship is mostly taught by the same senior instructors, there should be similarities in everyone’s moves.”
Noah wasn’t making that part up.
“If you spar with me for the next few days, I’ll get some familiarity with the techniques they might use.
You’d be helping me a lot.”
There was a psychological principle from his previous life called the Benjamin Franklin effect.
Sometimes asking someone for a favor actually made them like you more, because helping you let them feel needed and useful.
“Besides, didn’t you want to practice Tsubame Gaeshi too?
Perfect chance.
We can warm up before the general sparring session and get some practical experience.
Who knows?
We might even draw each other.”
Add something the other person wanted as well.
Mutual benefit.
Exactly the result Noah wanted.
‘Everything according to plan.jpg.’
Sure enough—
“Okay.”
Nina agreed immediately and turned to fetch a practice sword.
She returned a short while later.
Noah raised his own wooden sword and traced a casual line through the air by way of greeting.
Nina said nothing more.
Her rear foot pressed into the ground and she instantly assumed the Sword God Style’s standard aggressive posture.
Under Mind’s Eye, Noah felt her speed was noticeably slower than during their first duel.
Compared with Gal’s oppressive, relentless attacks, Nina’s movements almost seemed leisurely enough that Noah had spare attention to think about why.
Was her condition still poor after several days without training?
Or had Noah simply improved again?
Nina was already closing in.
A textbook vertical Sword God Style cut brought a gust of air with it.
Noah shifted half a step right, angled his wooden sword against hers, and guided the incoming force outward.
The attack slid away harmlessly.
Nina stepped back and immediately regrouped.
Her second attack followed.
A large forward step.
A horizontal slash—then a sudden lift before reaching him, transforming into a rising cut and forcing Noah backward.
After that, Nina used everything she knew.
Every technique Timothy and the main dojo had taught her came out one after another.
She was genuinely trying to show Noah as much as possible.
In Nina’s mind, she carried some responsibility for the other disciples deciding to target him.
Helping him practice against their techniques could serve as compensation.
Bang!
The wooden swords collided and both fighters separated under the rebound.
They returned to their starting positions.
Nina’s chest rose and fell slightly.
The continuous offense had left her breathing hard.
The person she had supposedly come to feed attacks to still looked annoyingly comfortable.
And honestly, he was.
If neither Nina’s speed nor strength posed enough threat, Mind’s Eye made it extremely difficult for her to land any meaningful hit.
Without pressure, Noah naturally dismantled each attack in whatever way saved the most effort.
What surprised him was how streamlined the swordsmanship taught in the main dojo really was.
Simple.
Clean.
Efficient.
Everything emphasized rapid offense and extreme speed.
Thinking about it, that made sense.
The Longsword of Light—the ultimate technique required for Sword Saint—was the culmination of exactly that philosophy.
Naturally, most disciples shaped their entire development around moving toward it.
A spar, however, needed give-and-take.
“Your turn’s done.
I’ll attack now.”
Noah waited for Nina’s breathing to stabilize before switching roles.
“Okay.”
Nina gripped her sword and nodded seriously, raising her guard.
“Then we’ll do another round.
Oh, right.
When I used Tsubame Gaeshi against you before, I used it as a counter.
That doesn’t mean it can only be used second.
It works perfectly well as a fast opening attack too…”
Noah assumed the Tsubame Gaeshi stance, settling the hilt into its familiar position and drawing one foot back to prepare his power.
At the same time, he explained the technique.
Nina’s eyes brightened.
Only after finishing the explanation did Noah execute the Longsword of Silence: Tsubame Gaeshi he’d repeated so many times it felt carved into his muscles.
Nina had been prepared.
Her wooden sword was still knocked from her hands.
Naturally, Noah stopped the follow-up strikes before they hit her body.
The general sparring session was only a few days away.
He couldn’t exactly put Nina back into bandages again.
After Noah deliberately slowed down, Nina gradually began seeing the sequence of force generation and direction changes more clearly.
The two continued feeding one another attacks across the courtyard.
Wood clacked against wood without pause.
They finally stopped when Nina was nearly exhausted.
“Let’s leave it there for today.
Going further won’t accomplish much.”
Noah looked at Nina’s flushed face, still red from strenuous movement.
He felt fine by comparison.
His physique helped, and he’d been shamelessly conserving energy whenever possible.
“…Hah.
Okay.”
Nina exhaled deeply and straightened herself.
She’d originally come to help Noah, yet somehow she had gained quite a lot from the session herself.
“…I’ll come again tomorrow.”
Before leaving, Nina hesitated for a while, then tossed those words over her shoulder.
“Oh?
Then I shall await Your Ladyship’s honored arrival.”
Noah smiled, not caring whether Nina understood the absurdly formal phrase he’d translated from his previous life.
After she left, he resumed the daily practice she’d interrupted.
Swing.
Longsword of Silence: Tsubame Gaeshi.
[Affection: Nina 35 → 45]
Noah smiled and returned his attention to the sword.
…
Several days passed quickly.
The monthly general sparring session arrived on schedule.
Holy Land of Swords, Space of the Present.
This was the central hall used for formal ceremonies, official duels, and the awarding of titles—the main ceremonial space of the Sword God Style dojo.
The hall was spacious, with a dueling area at its center and enough room around it for a large audience.
The Sword God Style disciples had arrived early.
Before Gal appeared, the atmosphere remained relatively relaxed.
Familiar students chatted quietly with one another.
Some meditated while waiting.
Others stretched and warmed up, adjusting body and mind to their best condition.
Noah appeared to be staring into space.
In reality…
He was staring into space.
The moment he’d entered the Space of the Present, he’d noticed one group repeatedly throwing unfriendly looks his way.
Noah ignored them and found himself a corner.
Looking around, he saw almost nobody as young as himself, Jino, or Nina.
He didn’t go over to greet Nina either.
She still had her own social circle, and several female disciples were gathered around her.
Noah had no interest in forcing himself into it.
While waiting for the session to begin, Noah glanced at the ability he’d finished charging.
[Killing Intent: Nascent (Charge: 100%)]
By international convention, every serious battle should begin with a blast of “Conqueror’s Haki” to the face.