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Duel With Bram
In order to have a duel with Bram, I returned to my room and picked up the bokuto hanging on the wall. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Mu? Isn’t that the bokuto? Don’t tell me, you’re going to use that?」
And just as I thought, feeling something out of place, Eric asked a reasonable question.
Even back when we stayed at the Sylford’s mansion, I only used Western swords. Of course, he thought I would also use the same type of sword.
「Un, that’s right」
I’m thinking of using a bokuto instead of the normal Western sword in my duel with Bram.
「Can you handle it?」
「No, not at all. I can’t even handle a regular sword properly there’s no way I can use the katana」
If it were Eleonora-neesan or Nord-tousan, then they might be able to intuitively wield them but unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of talent.
I’ll just do what I can with the smattering of knowledge of swinging it in Kendo and the swordplay with Torr.
「So, why do you choose that bokuto?」
「It’s for my strategy」
After saying that, I pick up another short bokuto hanging on the wall.
I push out the short bokuto in my right hand forward, the long bokuto in my left hand is pulled back and held here, and then I lowered my waist. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「My serious mode is to dual wield bokutos so I’ll face him accordingly」
「……I really don’t understand what you’re saying」
Eric sighed as if his head hurt when I asserted my determination while making a stance with the bokutos.
「By they way, what do you think? Did I look good dual-wielding bokutos?」
「You look ridiculous」
Offended by what he’s saying lunged at him, but I guess it’s because I’m not familiar with dual-wielding that I was easily knocked down even though he’s empty-handed.
◆
With two bokutos with me, I - along with Eric - came out from the mansion to the meeting place.
Bram is already standing there as if waiting for us with a wooden sword in his hand.
As soon as he saw me, Bram smiled in satisfaction.
「Kukuku, looks like you didn’t run away this time」
That’s cause it seems like you’re gonna persistently chase after me if I were to run away.
「Now then, shall we go for a walk」
「Oi」
And when I said something like that, Bram made an unhappy voice as though he took it seriously.
「It’s a figure of speech. I just want to ask if we can move to a place easier for us to fight 」
「Isn’t there a suitable courtyard we can use over there?」
「It will be troublesome if my family or other people were to come there and interrupt us」
「……you’re right. Then, hurry up and guide me there」
He probably imagined the scene where Alicia and Ra-chan interrupted us. After making a pained expression, he obediently asked me to guide him.
Even I don’t want Ra-chan to watch me have a duel. Of course, I don’t plan on doing something brutal or dangerous you imagined in a duel, but I just want Ra-chan to see the beautiful world around her.
For now, we move toward the plain near the mansion if we’re talking to a wider place that is not too far from here.
Of course, I’m the one guiding to that place, so I start walking at the front to lead the way.
We exit the courier and go to the side gate to the outside of the mansion. From there, the road stretches continuously until Koryatt village, and mountains and forests can be seen in the distance.
The sky is perfectly clear and blue, and the temperature is also just right for autumn. It is exactly the perfect weather to take a walk. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
For me, it would be fine to just walk and chat like this, but Bram won’t be satisfied with that.
Bram is indifferent to the naturally abundant nature around us, he only stares ahead concentrating before our duel.
I asked Eric to be responsible for becoming the referee, but I guess he doesn’t want to get involved with the annoying Bram as much as possible since he kept silent.
Ignoring the idyllic scenery spreading around us, the atmosphere around us is very heavy.
Somehow just walking alone makes it feel depressing so I increased my pace and headed to the plains.
「Around here?」
「Yeah, there will not be any problem with this much space 」
With such a suitable distance from the mansion, it is likely that no one will notice and come to disturb us.
And as if he wants to start immediately, Bram takes the wooden sword affixed to his hip and takes a stance.
On the other hand, I pull out the two bokutos hanging from my waist.
「Wait a minute. When I look closely, aren’t they single-edged swords!? You, what are those!?」
I guess he noticed that my weapon was not the regular wooden sword, Bram pressed me with his question.
That’s good, thanks for properly noticing these. There wouldn’t be any meaning to me bringing these if he didn’t notice them.
「These are wooden swords that imitated the single-edged weapon from the country of Kagura」
「I know those are weapons from a foreign country, but can you handle two of them?」
Having two weapons might seem like you will have more reach and more moves, but the increasing number of simple movements will increase which makes it even more difficult to handle.
If you imagine moving around while always moving your right and left hand with different movements, then anyone will be able to imagine it. I know very well that I can even handle a single sword satisfactorily.
However, I can’t say that here.
「Of course. Using these is a sign of my seriousness. Right, Eric?」
「Yeah, that’s right. Even back when we were training in my place, he used those in his critical moments」
「I, is that so!?」
Hearing Eric’s words, Bram - who was half in doubt - looks like he believed it.
My stance is something that has no intensity to it so it looks like I succeed in my strategy of using a third person’s opinion to add to my credibility.
Just that, Eric - who’s keeping watch over our duel - has eyes that look like he can see through scammer. Even though he usually lied with a nonchalant face pretending not to know anything. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Don’t tell me, Bram-sama is not going to say that you can’t approve of the use of foreign weapons since you’re scared of them, right?」
「No way I will say something like that! I’ll allow the use of those two bokutos or whatever!」
That Bram is so simple, he gets upset as soon as you incite him a little.
Yosh, the first stage of the operation is now clear.
「Now then, show me that serious dual-wielding style!」
「Or so I said, but against Bram-sama there is no need to use two swords」
「What’d you say!?」
While Bram was showing his anger, I diagonally threw the short bokuto to the front.
It flew past Bram’s head and rolled on the ground.
「……pick it up now」
His face that went past bright red to a serious one looks really scary.
But, this is necessary in order to stop Bram from continuing to challenge me to a duel from now on.
Even while internally feeling afraid, I continue to pretend to be unperturbed.
「No, just a single blade is enough」
「Are you going to use that as a reason when you lost?」
「I won’t do that. I really think one is enough」
「Fine then. I will make you regret saying those words!」
Perhaps he’s not going to persuade me anymore, Bram shouts.
「The both of you, ready your weapons」
After the referee - Eric - said that, Bram held his sword with both hands and took up his stance while his eyes lit up with flames of anger.
That posture of his was very dignified. His determination has increased even more than when we briefly faced off in the royal capital.
I’m sure he didn’t miss his training in order to win against me and Eleonora-neesan.
I would definitely lose if I were to fight him directly.
Oh well, I already knew about it so I’m not going to fight him directly.
Facing him, I greatly lowered my waist and took a stance with the bokuto as though to store the bokuto around my waist.
It’s the so-called iai technique.
In its true form, iaido is a technique where you perform a lightning-fast strike where the sword is stored in the scabbard as you assume the stance and then you pull it out from the scabbard to deliver a blow in one swift motion.....or so I think. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
This is a bokuto and it also has no scabbard so I won’t be able to realize it in actuality, but Bram is not well-acquainted with Kagura’s culture, so there’s no need to worry about it.
I wonder if Kaguran like Kojirou and Kaede-san would be able to do it.
「I will say this first. The moment Bram-sama enters my range, then that is your end」
「――!?」
I said that with an uncharacteristically serious tone and atmosphere, I then took a stance and released the feeling as if the technique I will use next may be a deadly strike.
Bram’s wariness seemed to have jumped up upon seeing my different air from usual. He is looking at me with a serious expression on his face.
On the other hand, I stand while still waiting and holding my stance without being agitated.
Time continues to pass as we glare at each other for a while.
Even so, there is no advantage for me if I were to move so no matter how long time passes I have no plan of moving at all.
Since Bram is extremely cautious against my attack, I guess he’s trying to come up with tactics to deal with me?
It’s pointless no matter how much you think about it, but I want to finish this quickly so I suddenly smile to provoke Bram.
Then, Bram’s face turns bright red and,
「Fine then! Let me see that move of yours!」
Saying that, Bram approached.
His speed is not on the same level as Eleonora-neesan’s speed, but it’s more than enough.
Then, as Bram entered my bokuto’s range, I shouted as if unleashing an amazing counter move.
「――Inaba-style, First Form, Iai Slash 1」
At the same moment, I pull out the bokuto from my waist, I move the short bokuto I threw earlier that is still in my field of vision using Psychic and pull it toward me.
The moment Bram swung his sword at me, the pulled-short bokuto swiftly returned and hit the back of Bram’s head.
「Gobaa!?」
Bram then lost consciousness after getting hit by the bokuto.
To make sure he was not pretending to lose consciousness, I used Psychic and controlled the bokuto to poke him from afar.
There is no response and it doesn’t look like he’s starting to move. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Yosh, with this it’s my win」
This time operation was a success.
Looking at the result of our duel, Eric cautiously asks.
「Yo, you, aren’t you supposed to not use magic?」
「No, there is no such agreement and we didn’t make any decision to forbid the use of magic」
I think it’s strange to assume that I won’t use magic after seeing me wielding the bokuto.
Honestly though. I’m glad I managed to defeat him using magic.
However, it’d be annoying if he said that using magic in a duel is cowardly or something, so I made it so that Bram would feel like he was defeated head-on by my swordsmanship.
The plot this time was to defeat him not with a surprise attack using magic, but by being helplessly defeated by a foreign country's martial arts.
And as expected, being defeated quickly by the swordsmanship will make Bram not ask for a rematch, right? Even if such a situation were to occur, then I wouldn’t hesitate to use the tactic of ‘Defeat Sylvio-niisan first before challenging me’ just like Eleonora-neesan did.
「So all that crap you say about ‘sign of seriousness’ or whatnot was all just to trick your opponent then?」
While that’s true, calling it ‘to trick the opponent’ is harsh.
「Rather than that Eric. I didn’t use magic in this duel. I defeated Bram using a martial art from a different country. Right?」
「No matter what you’re trying to do that kind of sneak attack was……」
「……I’ll let you have some mayonnaise」
「Hmm, that was a good match where both sides went all out. The winner is Alfried」
When I whispered the magic words to the hesitant Eric, he changed his attitude easily and declared the result of the match.
They will definitely be troublesome if I were to do something like this with Eleonora-neesan or Nord-tousan, so I’m glad Eric is the referee. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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TL Note :
1. 壱ノ型・居合い斬り
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