Maybe it was because Genichi had become an adventurer.
Or maybe it was the learning-ability boost brought by the skill "Apotheosis."
Either way, Genichi realized his ability to learn had become a lot stronger.
A lot, a lot stronger.
Under Alise's guidance, he quickly mastered the swordsmanship Astraea personally taught to her Familia.
It was swordsmanship the Goddess of Justice had brought down from Heaven, tempered and refined over countless years, the very pinnacle of what mortals could master.
Astraea had taught it to her followers.
And Alise taught it to Genichi.
Two short days.
Only two days.
Genichi went from the rookie Alise had been beating down without effort… to an opponent who could trade blows with her evenly.
Yes. Two days.
On the first day, he could barely hold on under Alise's blade, his body covered in bruises and red welts.
Every block looked clumsy and forced. Every counterattack was effortlessly dismantled.
On the second day, he could already read her attacks, respond correctly the instant she drew her sword, and find openings to strike back even while she was on the offensive.
By the third day…
Alise was the one getting pressed.
"Wait, wait, wait—!"
Alise panted hard, barely bracing Genichi's downward chop with her sword, her face full of disbelief.
"You… you're not some god's illegitimate kid or something, are you?!"
Genichi didn't answer. He simply put a bit more pressure in, forcing her blade down.
Alise stumbled back a few steps and regained her footing, those deep blue eyes locking onto him like she was staring at a monster.
"Two days! It's only been two days!"
Her voice had the edge of someone breaking down.
"From me pressing you into the ground, to you pressing me into the ground…"
"How is that even reasonable?!"
Genichi lowered his sword, watching her look like her worldview had shattered, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"It's reasonable."
"How is it reasonable?!"
"Because I'm a genius."
Alise: "…"
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
But those deep blue eyes were still filled with disbelief.
She was Level 4. Genichi was Level 3.
She was an Astraea Familia elite, and the longest-serving A-rank swordswoman from that place.
She had more than a decade of combat experience, countless fights where one mistake meant death.
And Genichi?
A rookie who hadn't even been an adventurer for a month. A beginner who, two days ago, had been getting beaten down by her.
And now he could press her back?
It completely overturned everything she'd believed for more than a decade.
"You're really not some god's reincarnation or something?"
Alise couldn't help asking again.
Genichi glanced at her and answered quietly.
He turned and walked to the corner of the room, picked up a water jug, and took a drink.
Alise followed behind him, her stare still glued to him.
"Hey, don't just go quiet! Explain it!"
"There's nothing to explain."
Genichi set the jug down and wiped the corner of his mouth.
"It's talent."
Alise: "…"
Talent?
You call this talent?
This was a monster.
"I'm nowhere near as good as Alfia. She can learn it just by watching once. It took me at least two days to go from learning it to pressing you."
Alise drew a slow breath, forcing herself to accept reality.
Whatever. This world had never lacked monsters.
There were people stronger than her. People more gifted than her.
Genichi was just one of them.
That was what she told herself.
But in truth, she still felt crushed.
She'd trained for more than ten years, and he caught up in two days… no, surpassed her.
That kind of blow was hard to swallow.
Genichi watched her slump, quiet for a moment, then suddenly spoke.
"Your swordsmanship is good."
Alise looked up at him.
"If you hadn't taught me, I wouldn't have improved like this."
Alise froze, and her expression turned complicated.
"…Are you trying to comfort me?"
"I'm stating facts."
Genichi's voice was steady, unreadable.
"Your swordsmanship really is good. I improved this fast because of talent, yes, but the most important reason is your guidance."
Alise went quiet, then laughed.
That smile carried relief, resignation, and something more complicated underneath.
"Alright, alright. You've got a way with words."
She stepped forward and patted Genichi on the shoulder.
"But don't think this means we're done."
"Swordsmanship has no ceiling. You can press me right now only because my own swordsmanship isn't truly top-tier. If you meet a real swordmaster, you'll still get crushed."
Genichi nodded.
"I know."
"So…"
That familiar, bright smile returned to Alise's face.
"Keep training."
"Until you become a real swordsman."
Genichi looked at her and nodded again.
"Okay."
Compared to summoning the Level 7 Arshin, summoning Alise, who was only Level 4, cost far less Mana. Genichi could keep her present for at least half a day.
So almost every day, she could spar with him.
Summoned in the morning, sent back at night.
During the day, the two of them stayed in the Demeter Familia training grounds, practicing swordsmanship again and again.
Chop, cut, thrust, sweep, lift, flick.
Each motion repeated hundreds, thousands of times.
Block, evade, counter.
Each response drilled until it became muscle memory.
Alise taught seriously.
Genichi learned even more seriously.
One taught, one learned, and their coordination grew smoother and smoother.
Of course, Genichi wasn't the kind of person who only took.
As payment for Alise sparring with him, he told her some things about Ryuu.
Where she was. What she was doing. How she was doing.
He couldn't say too much, but what he did say was enough to make Alise uneasy.
Every time she heard news about Ryuu, a complicated look would appear on Alise's face.
Longing. Worry. Relief.
Watching that expression, a thought would sometimes flicker through Genichi's mind.
If Ryuu knew her former comrade was fighting for him, how would she react?
He didn't know.
But he did know that as long as Alise still cared about Ryuu, their cooperation could continue.
And beyond swordsmanship, Genichi gained something else as well.
Growth in his abilities.
As long as you fought, your abilities rose. That was the basic rule for adventurers.
Alise's pressure on him was nowhere near what Ryuu had once brought.
Those battles on the razor's edge of death were the best path to earning a feat.
A normal spar could only raise ability values slowly.
But that growth was steady.
Every day, Genichi's ability values climbed at a stable pace.
Before, he had fought Ryuu, a Level 4, as a Level 2, and earned the feat that pushed him to Level 3.
Now, fighting Alise, a Level 4, as a Level 3, he gained ability increases but no feat.
It was obvious why.
The level gap wasn't enough.
A Level 2 fighting a Level 4, crossing two levels, could be a feat.
A Level 3 fighting a Level 4 crossed only one level, and the threat Alise posed was far less than Ryuu had.
So it didn't qualify.
Genichi filed that away quietly.
A feat wasn't something you got just by fighting once.
It had to be real, lethal combat. A battle that truly threatened your life. A breakthrough completed at the absolute limit.
A normal spar wouldn't do.
A normal fight wouldn't do either.
It had to be the kind of fight where you were one step from death.
Genichi drew a slow breath and pushed those thoughts back down.
Right now, he didn't need that kind of fight.
For now, he only needed to wait until the numbers filled.
Wait until his ability values were maxed.
Wait until his swordsmanship matured.
Wait until everything was ready.
Then he would go hunting for a true feat.
Outside the window, the sun sank lower.
On the training grounds, two figures continued swinging their swords.
One with red hair, one with black.
One bright as sunlight, one calm as the deep sea.
(End of Chapter)
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