Chapter 23
IN ORDER TO COME UP with a special technique, Mira first wanted to get an idea of Selestina’s fighting style again, and so the pair had gone outside into the garden. Standing in the mellow garden, which was dotted with flowers in full bloom, Mira summoned several holy knights that Selestina could practice against.
Selestina then demonstrated all sorts of techniques against these holy knights. She focused on exhibiting her prowess with different weapons, switching between them, and displaying her reactions to various combat scenarios.
“What did you think?!”
This wasn’t a regular training session; with her master watching, Selestina had likely shown off the full extent of her abilities. And so, her voice sounded quite confident.
“Hrm, that was brilliant. You chose which weapon to use based on the situation, as well as the enemies you were facing. Not only that, your skills with each of those weapons was a sight to behold,” Mira said, appraising Selestina’s skills now that she’d gotten another look at them.
One might very well call her a weapon prodigy. In terms of raw combat ability, her skills were such that she almost rivaled even Alfina.
When Mira told her as much, a look of relief washed over Selestina’s face. However, Mira’s next words turned this look to one of anxiety and distress.
“But I think that’s precisely why you can’t come up with a special technique.”
Having observed the way in which Selestina fought, Mira had picked up on something about the girl that perhaps she didn’t even realize herself. Or rather, she couldn’t pick up on it precisely because it was herself.
While special techniques are usually all lumped together, there are various different ways of understanding them. But, in this case, the definition was quite clear. This had all started with Christina’s special technique that she’d used with the sword of light. This meant that the kind of special technique that interested Selestina was a dramatic finishing move that’d turn the tide of battle in a single blow.
And yet, in order to pull off these types of special techniques, one needed skill, hard work, and a willingness to push themselves beyond their limits.
When it comes to special techniques used by mighty warriors, most people think of some powerful blow strong enough to split a boulder or the very ground itself. In other words, they used a power that transcended their normal limits.
So, what did this mean for Selestina? She certainly was no slouch when it came to skill and hard work. She’d gone through Alfina’s special training, so she certainly had a solid foundation. And so, all that remained was to discover what lay beyond her limits. But what exactly were those limits?
“What did I do wrong…?” Selestina implored. In response, Mira began explaining what she’d noticed during the girl’s mock battle with the holy knights.
Because she was so proficient with most weapons, Selestina could respond effectively to most combat situations. By switching up the weapon she was using, she could continue making the most of her skills during any combat situation and from any distance. This was her unique ability, and nobody else could hope to replicate it.
And yet, Mira explained, therein lay the problem.
“Let’s say, for instance, that there are enemies both close to you and far away…” she explained simply, using an example of a situation that occurred fairly regularly.
In such a situation, there was an enemy one needed to defeat in front of oneself, as well as another one farther away. And yet, one couldn’t leave the spot where they currently were. What would Alfina, the longsword master, do in this kind of situation? First, she’d likely cut down the foe in front of her before unleashing some extraordinary slicing attack that could even slay a faraway enemy.
She’d use a close-quarters weapon to fire off a long-range attack. At first glance, this seems a bit contradictory. But having wielded a longsword for so long, Alfina had become capable of using such attacks. Now, she had enough tools at her disposal using a single longsword that she could deal with just about any situation. In other words, she’d surpassed her limitations, realized the full potential of longswords, and achieved the impossible with them.
“I know I’ve said this before, but your big sister really is incredible.”
And, of course, this wasn’t all that Alfina was capable of. Thinking back on all the times she’d personally seen her tremendous courage, Mira smiled in awe.
Selestina knew this very well herself.
“I know, right…?” she responded, smiling bitterly.
“But Selestina, in your case…”
Having finished talking about Alfina, Mira moved on to the results of the mock battle she’d just witnessed and how it differed from the way Alfina fought.
When faced with the exact same situation, Selestina had first cut down the enemy immediately before her, just like Alfina had done. However, her next move was quite different. In order to take aim at the faraway foe, she’d switched to using her bow and, without moving a muscle, flawlessly loosed an arrow that struck her foe right through the head.
“The speed at which you switched from using a sword to quickly nocking an arrow before shooting was blindingly fast. I have nothing to say on that front. And yet, this made me notice that you tend to rely a little too much on your weapons.”
Mira went on to suggest that precisely because she could simply switch weapons in order to deal with just about any situation, there wasn’t much of a need for her to use special techniques. She then pointed out that this explained why she hadn’t managed to come up with any that she might want to use.
“Yes… You do have a point…” Selestina murmured after thinking to herself for a minute. It seemed that Mira’s reasoning made sense to her as well. Selestina’s style of fighting was to make use of every weapon in her arsenal. Therefore, when she found herself in a disadvantageous situation and wanted to turn the tables, she didn’t think of what technique or move to use, but what weapon to deploy.
“Well, I suppose you might say that being able to switch weapons is your special technique.”
And indeed, Selestina had pursued her strengths to become the warrior she now was, as Mira explained before adding that this had indeed been the right move. In fact, Selestina was plenty strong even without a special technique.
“That still doesn’t make me feel much better…”
“Hrm, me neither.”
That said, they’d only really been talking about the most conventional kind of special techniques. That is, the ones that were extremely powerful, flashy, reliable in a pinch, and that anybody watching would take for a special technique. This was how true special techniques were understood, and what the two of them were after.
And so, they returned to the beginning of their conversation. But this time, not only Mira but Selestina herself had a better idea of her capabilities, and so they could now decide on a direction to take when it came to coming up with a special technique for her.
When up against fast enemies, she used quick weapons such as a short sword or a rapier, and she switched to using a battle axe to smash heavily built foes. This was Selestina’s fighting style, and the battle strategy most often employed thus far.
And so, this time, she basically wanted to use a special attack in which she could strike a foe with a short sword, using the same kind of force she might deliver with a battle axe. That said, thanks to Selestina’s unique capabilities, there was no need to be quite so specific.
“Basically, we just need to create a situation where you can land a devastating battle-axe blow.”
Using each of her weapons, she’d create an opportunity to use her battle axe with the absolute maximum amount of power possible. Regardless of how her opponent moved or how they tried to strengthen their defenses, she’d get a hold of them, break through their defenses, and then utterly smash them. Having determined that this would likely be the most fitting special technique for Selestina, they discussed it at length and began special training.
Being not just skilled with weapons but with techniques using them, she could transition into using her battle axe in all kinds of situations and under various circumstances. Or at least this was the conclusion they reached after working further on her special technique notebook.
By keeping her foe occupied with her bow, she would close the distance between them before slashing at their legs to hinder their mobility. Then, seamlessly transitioning mid-attack, she would suddenly switch to using her battle axe and bring it crashing down on her foe. While the technique already made full use of her skill set, the two thought of other variations that also used her battle axe, as well as other similar techniques.
And so, shortly after they began their special training session in the garden…
“Is that Selestina and…Master?! I came to see what all the noise was, but to think…” Alfina said, coming down from the roof rather than her own room for some reason.