CH 73

Chapter 73 - Resolve

“Yes, this is getting to get interesting! Is this your real face?”

Lou did not respond to Zeimon’s words, which could be taken as a provocation.

Instead, he curled the corner of his mouth and licked his dry lips.

“… Come on, hit me harder. It’s not enough.”

A line that was way out of Lou’s style leaked out of his lips.

When Zeimon heard Lou’s invite, he smiled devilishly and pounced with several sharp thrusts, like a rapid-fire cannon.

Between the eyebrows, the eyeballs, the midriff, and the groin.

All his attacks were relentless and aimed at Lou’s vital points.

However!

Lou dodged all of them by the skin of his teeth.

This time, he seemed to have worked out the pattern of Zeimon’s attacks and was dodging them with minimal movement.

“As expected! You’ve seen through me after only one try!”

Zeimon exclaimed in admiration.

However, Lou crooked his fingers and challenged Zeimon to go at him more.

“Those have been gruesome attacks, but you’ve still got a few more things up your sleeves, don’t you?”

“Ha! You say the nicest things.”

Lou’s point was apparently spot on.

Zeimon grinned from ear to ear and began to breathe and move in small increments to get a rhythm.

Soon…

His movements turned light, akin to a tap dance.

Here he comes!

Lou thought.

Zeimon let out all the breath he had been holding in at once.

That was the cue for his attack.

Zeimon jumped into the distance where Lou was, with lightning speed.

The eerie sound of air being cut off echoed as a hand sword was swung down on Lou’s head, another vital point.

Lou stepped back slightly and avoided the attack.

Zeimon then grabbed Lou’s head with his huge hands.

At the same time, a sharp kick to the right leg struck Lou in the side of his head from a high angle.

Zeimon’s fingertips grazed his head as he tried to hold him down, and several strands of his severed black hair flew through the air.

Nonetheless, after shifting his body, Lou quickly slipped out of Zeimon’s grasp.

“Whoa, you’re good! You actually escaped a series of head-cracking attacks!”

Zeimon shouted loudly, but then his true feelings came out.

“But! It would be boring if you just keep evading them.”

Zeimon wanted to experience Lou’s techniques, not just attack on his own.

“A-Awesome! That’s ferociously amazing!” 

A short distance away…

Giselle was watching the battle between Lou and Zeimon with a ‘throbbing’ heart.

How exciting!

Her body… began to heat up.

But Giselle, whose motto was ‘fair and square,’ seemed dissatisfied with Zeimon’s fighting style.

“Father, that house steward seems to be using only forbidden methods… I think it’s a bit unfair!”

Giselle accused, but Leonard merely shook his head.

“No, there’s nothing unfair about it at all.”

“I-Isn’t there?”

“Because, unlike a proud knight like me, he is a servant and a genuine warrior. In order to protect his master, he doesn’t care what it takes to make sure the enemy is defeated.”

Even ‘forbidden methods’ were ‘practical battlefield techniques’.

Leonard explained.

“To use an analogy from a knight’s game… it’s jousting, one-on-one combat.”

“Joust?”

“T-That’s not a real battle. The way knights fight on the battlefield is basically a group warfare.”

“…”

“Jousting is largely a tournament to show a fair and square way of life of a knight in the public eye.”

As she listened to her father’s words…

Giselle fell into contemplation while watching the battle. 

It appeared that what she had experienced was nothing more than child’s play.

――― Then, let’s get serious from here on! 

Lou gave Zeimon an eye signal.

He stepped into an opening without warning and punched Zeimon in the stomach with his right fist.

It was a deep, penetrating blow to the gut.

However, Lou’s fist was unceremoniously bounced off Zeimon’s body.

“Hahaha, Lou! I accidentally let my guard down last time, but those soft fists won’t work on me.”

Lou rubbed his balled fist with his left hand.

It was numb from the impact.

However, Lou’s expression remained relaxed.

He also saw through Zeimon’s defensive methods.

I see!

The moment my fist went in, he used his breathing technique to armor up his muscles and fend me off.

Interesting!

This is how you fight against an opponent who’s skills are unknown and incorporate those techniques into your own…

His grandpa and his Sowell predecessors as well as the others went on to make this technique stronger.

But it was time to settle this!

Lou took a stance as his magic power increased.

Then he moved his body flexibly.

The fluidity of his movements was like an exotic dance.

Meanwhile, Zeimon was also poised, watching Lou’s movements.

He was ready to defend against his opponent’s attack and to counterattack immediately.

Suddenly, Lou leaped!

When Zeimon reacted, Lou was already right in front of him.

Before the startled Zeimon could react, his defensive stance was pried open, and Lou’s thrust entered his throat.

The shock was so great that Zeimon’s neck bent unnaturally.

And at an even greater speed, Lou landed several punches and kicks until Zeimon’s arms were bent out of shape as he fell.

“Hmm!”

In a blink!

Lou uttered in a spirited voice.

Soon after, Zeimon’s huge frame flew into the air and slammed into the ground.

Zeimon on the ground was…

He was dazed and unable to get up…

“Mmm! The game is over. And the young man took it much easier on him.”

Leonard muttered in a groan.

And then.

“My God! Awesome! That was awesome! A-And! So strong and beautiful!!!”

Giselle, who had been watching the serious battle with bated breath…

She was overwhelmed by the strength and beauty of Lou’s fight and fell in love with him.

There was another father and daughter pair who also witnessed the outcome of the match…

――― T-That’s ridiculous!　

No way!　

That’s impossible!?

Nadia’s father, Viscount Ernesto Charlois, was stunned by the unexpected result.

The young wizard had won, and while the burly steward he placed his bet on lost. 

And just as his daughter had said, it was a one-sided game in the end.

“See, I was right. I won the bet, Father.”

Ernesto took a deep breath and managed to keep up appearances as Nadia smiled. “I’ll do you a favor.”

Well, great.

It was totally unexpected… it’s nothing more than a request.

Is she going to ask me to buy her a new dress or a new piece of jewelry?

No…

We’re talking about this young girl, a mage…

It may be some new grimoire or a magic tool.

Ernesto chuckled at the thought.

Nadia smiled at her father.

“Father, I want you to come with me later to meet the Chairman… the Countess of Dumer.”

“Countess Dumer?”

“Un! That’s when I’ll tell you my ‘request’. Okay? That’s our deal.”

Ernesto was reminded by her daughter…

He could only reluctantly agree, “Okay, I get it.”

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ 

“… Looks like I lost again.”

Lou defeated Zeimon…

His injuries had been instantly healed by magic, and he had managed to regain consciousness.

Zeimon smiled bitterly, and Lou responded with a calm smile.

“Yeah, but it was a meaningful fight for me.”

“Huh? With just that? You… you’ve held back a lot, haven’t you?”

“…”

“Y-You could have easily killed me.”

“…”

Lou left Zeimon’s question unanswered.

“No, Zeimon-san’s Taijutsu has made me even stronger.”

“…W-What?!”

“Thank you!”

“Hmmm, the punch you gave me… You were just testing my physical skills, weren’t you?”

Zeimon muttered, flabbergasted, as Lou silently reached out his hand to him.

He stood up, grabbing Lou’s hand that was stretched out in front of him, and smiled, showing his white teeth.

The smile on his face showed that he had fought with all his strength and skill and that he had no regrets.