“In other words, you drop your weapon on purpose.”
What is this guy talking about? That had been my first reaction.
It was the first night I managed to keep my eyes open during the browplate-striking training, and I had just asked Waine to teach me something I could actually use in a fight.
He said he would show me a secret technique, and this was how he explained it.
“Don’t make that face. Listen up, kiddo. When I say ‘secret technique,’ I don’t mean some amazing move that can take down any monster in a single hit. I’m talking about a last-ditch trick, something you only use when you’ve got nothing left to rely on. A desperate gamble. A garbage move that’s useless in any fight you can win.”
“A garbage move?” The more he explained, the more skeptical I felt. Couldn’t this guy at least consider how bad all of this sounded from my point of view?
“But it’s also a move that lets you beat someone stronger than you.” Waine twirled a little twig between his fingers. Something about the moonlight shining down from above made him seem different. “Kiddo, you’re still a total weakling. If you ever get into a fight, chances are the enemy is gonna be stronger than you. Wouldn’t it be smart to have at least one trick up your sleeve for when you’re outmatched? Sounds about right, doesn’t it? I’d say so.” He crossed his arms and nodded like he was agreeing with himself.
What is this? Why does it feel like he just blurted something out, then came up with a bunch of stuff on the spot to justify it after?
Maybe this was just the usual Waine after all.
“Well, just humor me and think about it. If you drop your weapon, what do you think your opponent would do? Or, if your opponent drops their weapon, what would you do?” he asked.
“If I drop my spear, or if my opponent drops their weapon?” I frowned, thinking it over. Well, if he was going to teach me something, I might as well hear him out. I could decide whether to use it afterward. I probably won’t, I thought, but I answered him anyway. “I guess I’d kick their weapon away so they can’t pick it up?”
“Not bad. That’s one right answer,” said Waine.
Well, it does feel good not to be wrong.
“Other options include keeping them in check so they can’t grab their weapon, picking it up and using it yourself, or just straight up taking the opportunity to punch them in the face.”
So there are actually a bunch of right answers. That feels a little less good, somehow.
“In other words, no one’s gonna see an opponent drop their weapon and think, ‘Oh no, I should be careful and defend myself.’”
A thin layer of clouds drifted over the moon. Even with my eyes fully adjusted to the dark, there was barely enough light to make anything out. But, for some reason, I could tell Waine was grinning—a twisted, ruthless grin.
“In that moment, they’re wide open. Am I wrong?” he asked.
A creeping dread ran down my spine. This was insane. It was a technique with a single purpose: to create a brief opening by letting go of your own weapon as a way to manipulate your opponent.
No, this wasn’t even a technique. It was just dropping your weapon on purpose. I could do it right now if I wanted to. This was no technique, because it didn’t require any skill.
“But... But if I don’t have a weapon, I won’t be able to take my enemy down,” I said.
“Just use your backup weapon.”
“I don’t have one, though.”
Waine let out an extra-long sigh and shrugged his shoulders. Everything about the way he was acting told me that he could see right through me, and he knew I was afraid.
“If you don’t have a spare weapon, then punch them. Or kick them. Hell, grab them and slam them into the ground. Don’t get caught up in the how. Whether you put them in a choke hold and snap their neck, stab them full of holes with a knife, or smash their skull in with a rock lying around...”
The clouds drifted away, and moonlight threw Waine’s features into stark relief. He smirked. And then, with a smug look on his face, he stated the most obvious thing in the world.
“If you kill them, they die.”