Setsuna’s left arm snapped up, his shield catching the blow. A sharp metallic clang rang out as the shin guard struck the shield. Setsuna didn’t even flinch, but he was blown back several meters across the yard.
Even after that, he maintained his stance. Ragi seemed satisfied and didn’t press the attack.
“That was just a greeting,” he said calmly. “How’d you like it?”
“Honestly, I’m impressed. Is that the power of your protection?” Setsuna asked.
“No. Any first-rate beastfolk warrior can do that. I haven’t even begun to show you my true strength.”
“I see. I may have underestimated the unique abilities of beastfolk.”
The two of them smiled at each other, chatting as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Gramps was moving so fast, but how’d he stop like that?” Alto whispered beside me.
He was probably just talking to himself, but I remembered what Setsuna had said before and realized what had happened. I pointed to the ground where Ragi had stopped.
“See how there’s a divot in the dirt there? Ragi turned his foot sideways and drove it into the ground to cut his speed.”
“Oh, so that’s why there’s a hole…”
It sounded simple in theory, but I knew it was a lot more difficult than that.
I could probably do it, since my body’s guarded by the dragon’s protection, but a normal human’s bones would snap. Even a beastfolk child like Alto wouldn’t be able to.
That was how fast Ragi’s movements were. I gave Alto a stern look. “Don’t try to copy him.”
His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Setsuna will scold you,” I warned, and finally he nodded reluctantly.
As we spoke, Ragi closed the gap again. This time, things were different; the first strike had been a surprise, and Setsuna wouldn’t let him get away with the same thing twice.
Every time Ragi moved in, Setsuna shifted back, keeping a sword’s length between them. And since Ragi was barehanded, he couldn’t force his way inside. A sword’s reach was greater than a person’s fighting with bare hands, so if Setsuna kept that distance, he could keep attacking indefinitely. Setsuna also had his shield, so even the blows Ragi did manage to land were easily deflected.
Regardless, every strike Ragi threw was as sharp as a honed blade. He didn’t waver or let up, even when Setsuna blocked or turned them aside. His attacks came from all directions, relentless as a whirlwind. All it would take was a single blow to end the fight.
I knew that because every clash of bluesilver bracers against shield and every ricochet of sword against armor cracked the air like thunder.
“This isn’t going very well,” Ragi muttered with resignation.
He leapt back, resetting the distance between them.
“Who’s winning, Cyrus?” Alto asked quietly.
It looked like an even match. Neither of them had landed a clean hit yet. Still, I could tell who had the upper hand.
“Well, if you look at things at face value, Ragi’s more aggressive, and he’s attacking more than Setsuna. So, in terms of stamina, Setsuna has the advantage.”
Partway through my explanation, however, I heard Ragi begin to speak and stopped talking so I could listen.
“It seems like I won’t be landing any real hits unless I take this seriously.”
“You weren’t serious before?” Setsuna asked.
“I’ve only been using the power granted by the dragon’s protection up until now. Not my innate beastfolk power.”
“I see. I’m very sorry.”
“Hmm?”
“Like I said earlier, I still don’t know exactly what the protection my wife gave me actually does. Whenever I focus on mana control, it seems to activate on its own, but I’ve never felt like it made me stronger in any discernible way.”
“Intriguing,” Ragi said.
“My brother-in-law said the protection functions when I’m controlling my mana, and even though he knows what it does, he refuses to tell me.”
“Family should be more open with each other,” Ragi said with a wry smile.
“I agree,” Setsuna said.
They were both smiling, but it was obvious their thoughts were worlds apart. Ragi was referring to the two of them, while Setsuna was clearly blaming Revale. It was easy to read from the look on his face.
“When I found out you also had the dragon’s protection, I thought we’d be able to fight on equal terms. Forgive me for disappointing you,” Setsuna said.
Ragi laughed out loud. “Oh, there’s nothing to apologize for. If your protection’s working without you knowing, then you’re hardly using it properly. It’s only fair I spar with an untested youngster like you.”
“That’s quite a thing to say. In that case, I won’t hold anything back.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
As I listened to them, I finally understood the point of this match.
The strength of an adult beastfolk and the enhanced power of the dragon’s protection. Someday, he’ll have both…
I looked down at the young boy beside me.
This battle is all to act as a demonstration for Alto.
Even so, I doubted Alto could imitate any of this, or even truly comprehend it yet. That was probably why Setsuna had asked me to explain the match as it happened, so the experience wouldn’t be wasted on him.
Still, isn’t it too soon to show him something like this?
That thought was just starting to root itself in my mind when Ragi shifted his stance, and I forced myself to set it aside and focus on the fight.
His new stance was something I’d never seen before. It was so strange that even Setsuna looked taken aback. He spoke as if giving voice to my own doubt.
“Are you really able to move with that posture?”
“Of course,” Ragi said, his voice overflowing with confidence. He lifted his chin. “I’m going to show you a fighting style only I am capable of.”
“Can Gramps really move like that, Cyrus?” Alto asked, looking up at me.
“I imagine so,” I said.
“But it looks so hard to move in.”
Ragi had sunk low to the ground, almost like he was crawling, with his left leg stretched out far behind him as he balanced on his right.
Assuming he can move like that, how would I deal with it if I were fighting him?
While I was still thinking up an answer, I turned to Alto. “Let’s say Ragi keeps moving as fast as before. How would you attack him?”
“I’d swing my sword down?”
“That’s one way, yeah. The basic sword strokes are down, up, horizontal sweep, and thrust. But no matter which you choose, it isn’t easy to hit someone who’s crouched so low to the ground.”
“How come?”
“Because of your striking range. It’s like a sphere, with your arm at the center.”
“You mean he’s staying close to the ground instead of standing straight in front because it’s outside that range?” Alto asked.