Chapter 21 : A Duel With the Future Hero

I rushed toward the black hair boy in front of me like he was rushing toward me. Let me get this straight. He does not have any openings in his stance and oh, here comes the first strike.

I guard his sword which is coming from the left side with my katana.

*Clang!*

Heavy! How much strength did he put in his sword?! I would get blown away if I didn't use the breathing technique to raise my physical prowess to its utmost limit. But even then, his strength pushed my body to the back a little.

"Wow, I haven't seen that kind of sword before," the grandson of the hero exclaimed while exerting his strength into his sword, pushing me further to the back.

"It is called katana," I replied while I pushed back his sword while using Body Enhancement Magic

"Oh! I have heard about that before. I think it is from the country further beyond the Demon Country at the east. I would like to travel there one day," he said while dodging the vertical slash from my side with a somersault.

"Beat him up, Bright!" I heard the sound of the bratty princess cheering on the boy in front of me.

I didn't give him any time to readjust himself after the somersault. I rushed quickly while using <Breath of the Sun>.

"Sun Breathing Sixth Form: Solar Heat Haze!" I rushed toward him and slash my katana horizontally. If others were to see it, they would think that my attack won't reach the target.

"Ha! What was he thinking about unleashing the flashy technique if the attack won't reach toward the grandson of the hero," I hear someone say that from the stand. I don't mind that statement. After all, only well-trained people can see the actual sword. Just look at the parents of Yubel. Both of them clearly saw where the actual sword was.

And of course, the boy in front of me also saw through the trick as he guarded the strike with his sword. Damn, what kind of monster did the hero raise? Even if it was one of the lesser-powered strikes from the <Breath of the Sun>, and the prowess of the strike nothing to be scoffed at. I guess using this breathing style instead of the <Breath of the Darkness> was the correct choice.

"Wow, that actually hit hard! As expected of a dragon slayer, the sword form is clearly one of a kind," he said while still guarding my katana with his sword. "Moreover, you are still holding back, aren't you?" he added.

"You are the one to talk like that. You are also holding back, aren't you? Why should I go all out while we are just having a duel? Using swords in the duel is enough," I replied.

"Hehe, you are correct. Why to use magic when we can fight with swords," the raven-haired boy in front of me said while parrying my strike. Wait… the way he said it sounded wrong.

While fighting the boy in front of me, I realized something. Levels are bullshit. My level is clearly higher than his but he is fighting toe to toe with me. And believe me, I don't mind it. I think… fighting him can break my current limit.

Training with my summons is one thing. They will never really harm me. For them, it was just them training me.

I parried the strike from above and sent out a slash of my own from the left to which the boy blocked. We traded blows after blows trying not to be overwhelmed by the other.

"First Form: Waltz!" I sent out a vertical slash toward him to which he guarded with both of his hands grasping the handle of the sword. And the sound of our sword clashing made the arena tremble a little. With him successfully guarding the strike, the flames appeared from my sword blasted through him, making the surrounding hotter than usual.

"Can you not use those sword skills? It is making the surroundings hot!" the boy in front of me whined

"I dunno. I can make it hotter though," I replied.

"Geeze, I guess dragging out a fight with you will be troublesome with all of that heat surrounding us," he looks around.

"Thank you," I nodded at the compliment.

"That is not a compliment!" I heard the sound of the bratty princess shouting. Wait… how did she read my mind!

"I didn't read your mind! It was showing on your face!" she continued.

I looked at the boy in front of me but all I saw was the raven hair boy turning his face to the side and chuckling.

"Wait… was it that obvious?" I asked.

"It was," he nodded.

The two of us distanced from each other and stared at one another. I relaxed my breathing and readjust my stance. Right when I was preparing myself, I got a notification from the System.

[Warning! Host's opponent had used a Legend-rank skill "Blessing of the Goddess of Light" unconsciously]

[Opponent's stats will be doubled for five minutes]

Oh boy. I looked at the grandson of the hero and saw him taking his stance with a serious face. I think he broke through his limit before I could do it. I guess him going to become a hero is not a joke after all. And what the hell is wrong with that skill?! I am having a hard time with his normal stats. I will die if I get hit by his double stats!

He disappeared from in front of me within a blink and appeared in front of me. A slash from the right!

*Clang!*

I had successfully guarded the strike but my feet rose off of the ground and flew to the side. What a strength?! No, I can't use my other skills aside from the sword skills and body enchantment skills unless I am to be seen as a coward.

The dude in front of me didn't break the agreement because his new skill is technically a body enchantment skill.

As I flew in the air, I adjusted myself to land with my feet safely. I blocked the strike coming from above with instinct and that strike almost made me kneel. But no, I will not kneel! So, I reinforced my legs to the fullest.

Think, Urien. Think!

How can I defeat the overpowered Shounen MC wannabe? I don't know how to use katana aside from <Breath of the Sun>. I should have brought out <White Pride> from the start! But there is no use crying over the spilled milk.

"Make your katana's blade tilt to the side to make the opponent's sword slide," I heard a woman's voice.

No, I didn't hear it. It is a memory. A memory that I didn't know I had in me. Is this the legendary skill named 'Flashback During the Battle'?

The two of us distanced from each other again. I quickly reviewed the memory during this time.

"Listen here, Urien. It is done like this," I looked over the memory and I saw a pale pink-haired woman teaching a boy. Why can't I see the face of the woman?! Wait… is that me? And he is even younger than my current age! The guy from my memory looks like he is 7 to 8 years old.

"The name of the technique is called," she said.

"Shuryu Slash!" Both I and the woman in my memory called out as I dodged the strike coming from Bright while I made a Kasumi no Kamae stance with my katana. Some afterimages appear during my evasion and with multiple strikes faster than the light, I strike Bright with many slashes.

Was it muscle memories or me adapting the moves from my memory? I do not know.

"I did it ******-san!" the chibi me from the memory cheers.

"I am proud of you, Urien. And didn't I tell you to call me Okaa-sama?" the woman from my memory sighed and ruffled my hair with her hair.

Wait… she is my mother? How many mothers do I have?

"Seriously, you two! It is time for me to teach Urien our house technique!" Then I saw a silver-haired woman wailing.

Wait… isn't that the woman I saw during my date with Yumil? The one that appeared in my memory.

"Just one more technique, ******. I will let you have him after this," the pale pink-haired woman sighed again. She then turned toward me. "Okay, Urien. Take your stance and repeat what I am doing," she told the boy while taking a stance.

Bright in front of me got injured because of the slashed from before. Wow, he is weak against fast attacks. I should have used <Breath of the Darkness> from the start.

I rushed toward him while I tried to remember the technique the woman taught me.

"Look at this. This technique is called," she made a Kasumi no Kamae stance.

"Sakuraoti!" both of us shouted while making a series of swift 6-slashes sequences.

I slashed my katana to the left diagonally. And then slashed a full circle horizontally by spinning my body to the right. After that, slashed diagonally from left to right then vertically upward. I take a step forward and spin vertically like a wheel. As soon as my feet touch the ground again, I slash my katana downward vertically. I took a small time to prepare for my Iaijutsu, aka quick draw technique. As soon as I saw Bright stood up from the ground, I finished off with the final and sixth slash. I rushed toward him and finished him off with a quick draw technique.

"You did great, Urien. As expected of our child," it was the silver-haired woman that praised the chibi me instead of the katana user.

"Of course! I am going to be the head of two main houses! Wait… there will be three houses if we count the house of Okaa-sama, right?" the kid asked innocently.

"That's right! You are our pride and joy after all," both the woman hugged the little boy and the memory ended there.

I look at the boy standing shakingly in front of me. Five minutes had already passed and he was feeling the strain on his body according to System.

Heh, I am not too different from him. That six-slashes technique took a lot out of me. I turned off <Althea> before the duel because it would be problematic if people noticed my extraordinary healing.

I rushed toward him to finish off our duel. Sorry dude, I will be the winner between us. Just as I was about to reach near him, I found myself in the air. Only after a while did my mind catches on.

I tripped because of a rock! And…

*BAM!*

I found myself headbutting the raven-haired boy. Both of us fell down to the ground side by side.

"I will be counting to 10!" the referee shouted.

You know what? Do as you like. I didn't give a single shit as the count down reached 10. And looking beside me, I am sure Bright has the same thought.

"10!"

"The duel between Sir Bright Covan and Lord Urien Gregorios had ended in a draw!" the referee announced.

"It was a great match," I heard the voice of Bright from my side and I saw his fist in the air.

"Yes, it was," I replied and fist-bumped.

And both of us laughed loudly without a single shame as our bodies are covered in mud and dirt.