Kelvin suddenly called out to Adel, leaving her confused.
She had only just managed to remember his face and name.
When she noticed, the boy was staring intently at her.
She thought, "Did he fall for me?" but something seemed off.
It was more like the stern gaze of a rival.
Adel thought, if he was going to treat her as a rival, it would be better to choose someone more talented than an ordinary girl like herself. Still, she thought it might be fun, like a sports anime, though she never imagined it would turn out this way.
"Um, please go easy on me..."
Adel, holding a wooden sword, said this, but Kelvin only silently readied his sword.
(Oh, he looks serious... Even with a wooden sword, if he hits me with all his might, it will hurt with just leather armor...)
Adel made up her mind.
If she fought at her pre-awakening level as an ordinary girl, she would be killed in one hit. If that happened, she would have to pretend to be at that level for future practice, which would not be a proper training. That would be a problem.
No matter how much strength and speed she had, Adel needed to train seriously to prepare for graduation. For that, she needed to show some strength, engage in mock battles with somewhat strong boys, and receive proper guidance from the instructor.
Besides, if she was hit properly, it would hurt.
In any case, she decided to avoid being hit, block or dodge with her sword.
She would show her skills to a certain extent, then at an appropriate moment, have her sword knocked away or receive a hit that wouldn't hurt too much to end the match.
With this in mind, Adel approached the mock battle.
"Begin!"
At the signal from Instructor Burgess, Kelvin ran towards Adel.
There was no concept of sliding or advancing steps like in Japanese kendo. It was probably because the main focus was on running around and fighting multiple enemies on the battlefield.
In an instant, Kelvin closed the distance and, before Adel could react, swung his sword from above. He refrained from aiming at her face or head, instead cutting down from her shoulder, which was protected by armor, similar to a diagonal cut in kendo.
(I won!)
At the moment Kelvin thought this,
Whoosh!
"Huh..."
His confident swing was easily dodged, leaving him momentarily stunned.
However, he was not so inexperienced as to show an opening at that level. He quickly raised his sword and swung it horizontally at Adel's torso, who had dodged to the left.
Thud!
It was blocked.
The quick horizontal cut from the left, aimed at her off-balance position after dodging the diagonal cut, was easily blocked.
Kelvin continued to attack, and Adel continued to block.
(Damn it! Why? Despite his amateur stance and movements, why is he so fast? Why can he block all my attacks?)
Kelvin's frustration grew, just as Adel's did.
(Ah! The hits are getting stronger! I can't find a moment to lose without getting hurt!)
Finally, the frustrated Kelvin decided to take a chance.
(If he's going to block everything with his sword, I'll aim for his sword and knock it away with force!)
He aimed for the part just above the hilt of Adel's sword.
From Kelvin's side, the part of the sword where the most force could be applied, about a third of the way from the tip. On Adel's side, the base of the stationary sword.
(It will be knocked away!)
Adel tensed up in anticipation.
Thud!
The wooden sword flew out of her numb hand and clattered to the ground.
"Huh..."
Kelvin stared blankly at his empty hands.
(Ah...)
Adel realized she had made a mistake, but it was too late.
Adel's strength, like her magic, was affected by some misunderstanding, mistake, or deliberate action by God. However, in daily life, she unconsciously restrained herself, using the strength of an ordinary girl without any inconvenience. This was why she didn't notice anything unusual in the days after her awakening.
However, when Adel consciously tried to use her strength or, even unconsciously, used it to the fullest, the range of strength she could use changed.
It was like shifting gears in an automatic car.
In this case, since the original power was vastly different, there was no worry about torque.
When she hit the wooden sword with the superhuman strength she possessed,
Normally, when swords clash, the opponent's sword moves from the impact, and the force is dispersed. But if the opponent doesn't move even a millimeter and all the force is returned as a recoil to one's own arm, it's like hitting a block of iron, and the arm is likely to go numb and the sword to fall. As it did this time.
"That's enough!"
"No, no, it was just a slip of the hand!"
Kelvin argued with Burgess, who had declared the end of the match.
However, Burgess said in a disappointed tone,
"Well, will you say the same thing when you drop your sword on the battlefield? Will you ask the enemy to wait until you pick it up because it was just a slip of the hand?"
"Ugh..."
(Oh no! This is bad!)
Even the tactless Adel realized the situation was not good.
She had defeated a boy who seemed quite strong from the start, despite claiming to be a beginner.
This was not good. As an ordinary girl, this was not good.
"Um, I can continue if you want..."
"Huh?"
Burgess looked intrigued.
"What will you do?"
Kelvin, who had been addressed, silently picked up his sword and readied himself.
(What should I do? It looks too obvious if I drop the sword, so I guess I have to endure the pain and get hit...)
Adel steeled herself and prepared for the next clash.
The swordplay resumed and continued for a while...
(Now!)
The slash from Kelvin was aimed at a part of the armor where the leather was thick. If she pretended that her defense didn't come in time and let him hit her there, it would work. Adel slowed her sword and closed her eyes, bracing for the pain.
(...Huh?)
When the impact didn't come after a while, Adel opened her eyes.
There, Kelvin was standing with a red face, trembling, and Burgess had a "Oops" look on his face.
"Are you kidding me!"
Kelvin shouted, threw his wooden sword to the ground, and walked away.
Adel was left bewildered.
"You know... You should consider a boy's pride a bit more..."
Burgess's words were echoed by the classmates, who nodded in agreement.
(Huh? Did I do something wrong?)
"Alright, it's understandable that he's angry, so there will be no punishment for Kelvin for abandoning the class. Now, pair up and have a light sparring match."
Due to Kelvin's departure, the number of students was odd, and no one wanted to pair up with Adel, not even Marcela, who avoided making eye contact with her.