Chapter 156
Pacing
Translator : PolterGlast
Aoi stood
there, a dagger in one hand and her eyes sparkling. She looked just like a
child about to receive a new toy, I couldn't help but laugh.
" Why are
you laughing?! You're thinking something rude, aren't you!"
"...No, I wasn't thinking anything in particular. Let's
just get started."
"I know for a fact you were thinking something rude,
but since you’re going to train me, I’ll let it slide! So, what are you going
to teach me today?"
"I’ve already taught you the basics, so today I’ll teach you movements you can use in actual
combat."
Since Aoi was a dagger wielder, she needed to
prioritize technique over raw power. I decided to start by teaching her a few
skills applicable to real battles.
"You're going to teach me a technique? Is it going to
be a Special Move?"
"It's not that big of a deal. Just ready your weapon
for now."
Aoi and I
faced off, weapons at the ready. Time passed. When I failed to make a move, Aoi
tilted her head slightly in confusion.
And right at that moment—as she tilted her head—Aoi
blinked.
I synchronized my movement with that blink, instantly
dropping my stance and slipping inside her guard. Before her eyes could even
refocus, I tapped Aoi with my wooden sword.
"...Huh? Graham, you just vanished! You used
some kind of ability?!"
"Eh? No, he didn't use anything. From my perspective,
he just transitioned into an attack quite normally," Ginia, who had
been watching from the sidelines, replied to the flabbergasted Aoi.
"No way! He seriously disappeared from right in front
of me!"
Aoi didn't
seem convinced and continued to protest, but in this instance, Ginia was
correct.
"For the record, I didn't use any abilities. Ginia
is right."
"Ehh?! Then how did you vanish like that!"
"I simply moved in sync with your blinking. The moment
you blinked, I slipped into your blind spot and closed the distance. That’s why
it looked normal to Ginia, but to you, Aoi, it looked like I
disappeared."
"Timing it with a blink... that’s insane either
way!"
"True, moving exactly when someone blinks might be
difficult, but you can easily do something similar. For example... like
this."
As I spoke, I fired a spell at a spot slightly further away,
creating a small explosion.
Aiming for the exact moment Aoi looked toward the
source of the noise, I slipped inside her guard just as I had before. Since she
turned her entire head to look, it was even easier to close the distance than
when I had timed it with her blink.
"—And just like that. Getting inside someone’s guard is
surprisingly easy."
"I see! So it's all about where they're looking! I
think I'm starting to get it."
"Exactly. That’s why you have to observe your opponent
closely, not just focus on yourself. If you're up against a cautious enemy,
using Misdirection like I just did is very effective."
"Misdirection... huh! But I can't use magic,
remember?"
"It doesn't have to be magic. As long as you can divert
their gaze or attention even slightly, it works. There are plenty of ways to do
it, so I'll teach you those another time."
"Huh. So it's not just about brute strength; you
actually think about all sorts of things!"
"Well, I wasn't strong from the start. My enemies were
tough, so I think my strength developed while I was fighting purely with
technique."
When the Demon King's Army first attacked, I really
had to fight through trial and error. It felt nostalgic, but at the same time,
the battles had been so grueling that it wasn't an experience I particularly
wanted to relive.
"If you were fighting with technique, Graham,
then someone weaker like me definitely has to learn those skills!"
"True. That’s why I’m teaching you. Today, I want you
to master the movement for entering a blind spot that I showed you, as well as
a technique to increase your own speed."
"A technique to increase speed? You mean I can get
faster just through technique, without dashing around to build leg
muscles?"
"Of course. The key is Relaxation. Let me
demonstrate."
I faced Aoi once again. I started walking slowly, and
just before I entered striking range, I completely relaxed my body.
Then—kicking off the ground with explosive force—I lunged to
strike. Aoi couldn't react to my movement at all; she just stood there
frozen, blinking rapidly in confusion.
"—And, well, it’s something like that."
"Huh?! I don't get it! You were just incredibly
fast!"
"I couldn't track that movement with my eyes either! Is
that really a technique?"
"Yeah. The important part is the Change of Pace.
Ideally, you want to go from 0 to 100 instantly."
"Change of Pace? I don't understand what you
mean!"
"It’s hard to explain in words... Here, I'm going to
throw this stone. Ginia, I need your help too."
"Yes! I'd be happy to help!"
I picked up some stones from the garden and had Ginia
stand a short distance away. I told Aoi to stand behind me so she could
observe objectively.
"I'm going to throw these three stones at Ginia.
Aoi, I want you to focus only on the first and the third throw."
"...? I’m not sure I follow, but okay!"
First, the first throw. Being careful not to cause injury or
damage anything, I threw the stone at a reasonable speed that they could both
react to.
Then, the second throw. I had Aoi turn around, and I
tossed the stone slowly in a high arc. Ginia tilted her head in
confusion, but the preparations were now complete.
"Now I’m going to throw the third one. Aoi,
watch closely."
"Got it! I can't wait to see what happens!"
Contrary to Aoi's expectations, I threw the stone at
the exact same speed as the first one. Aoi tilted her head, unable to
grasp the meaning... but Ginia's reaction was different.
"Whoa, that scared me! I couldn't react at all!"
"Ginia says that, but how did it look to you, Aoi?"
"...Eh? I thought the first and third throws were the
same speed, though... What does this mean?!"
"This is Change of Pace. The actual speed is
exactly the same, but the perceived speed changes. By the way, a slow attack itself
is also effective."
I wasn't sure if I had explained it well enough, but if she could grasp this concept, Aoi would improve rapidly—or at least she should. However, seeing the look on her face—like a pigeon struck by a pea-shooter—it seemed I would need to instruct her a little more thoroughly.
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