Reincarnated into Two Bodies

Chapter 251: Matches

As soon as Lechter left Carine’s orbit, I felt like I could finally breathe. I slowly got up from the floor as Feyt and Villius returned to their positions in the ring.I finally had my focus back, and though I was annoyed by Lechter’s distraction, it was also a good lesson. I couldn’t afford to lose focus in a one-on-one fight if someone were to distract my other self. 

Several ideas on how to train that part of me began to brew, but there was no time to let them simmer. I had an opponent in front of me.

I slowly closed Carine’s eyes again, feigning a standing nap, as I refocused as Feyt.

The third and final round began.

Villius didn't hesitate at all. He believed he had the momentum after that win, and he was looking to seize that chance while he could.

I took a step back, ready to react to any of his attacks, whatever they may be.

He lunged forward with his blade aimed at my shoulder. But I knew it was a feint. I could hear the wooden blade whistling in the air as he shifted his weight mid strike, turning his attack into a low-angled one, probably betting on the chance that I was still shaken up from falling down.

If he believed that I was slow, I just needed to do the opposite. So, instead of dodging or blocking… I stepped into the strike, closing the gap in a single quick step. His eyes widened for a moment.

He immediately halted his attack to push me off, but it was too late for him. I swung my blade down, using the momentum of the step, to create a quick, short strike aimed at his forehead.

I stopped my blade just shy of the tips of his hair. Everything, from my blade, his blade, both of us… froze in place.

Silence stretched between us before it was broken.

"Point… and match," Instructor Liz called out. "The victor is Feyt, well done," she said, almost nonchalantly.

I lowered my sword and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Villius stood there for a second, staring at the spot where my blade had been. Then, the tension drained from his face, replaced by that familiar, polite smile.

"A spectacular finish," he said with a light chuckle. "I thought I had you after the second round, but your recovery is truly something I must strive for."

I took his hand and shook it firmly. "That was a fun duel, Villius! We should spar some more in the future."

“We should,” he replied.

As we exchanged a bit of mutual respect, Instructor Liz called out the next match.

The moment Villius and I let go of each other’s hands, the air in the room seemed to lighten. He made his way back to his circle, but before I could do the same, I was grabbed by the shoulders by a rather firm grip.

I turned to find Instructor Liz, looking at me with a smile on her face.

She pulled me aside as the next two students began their warmup in the ring. Near the door leading out of the classroom, she had a “private” discussion with me.

“Good job on the duel. It’s good to see you doing well without your partner by your side. But you really should sharpen your consistency. That second round was a mess,” she said, frowning slightly.

I let out a tired laugh. “I just… got distracted for a second.” 

“Distracted, huh?” She tilted her head, her eyes flicking momentarily toward the corner of the room where Carine was currently.

Liz shook her head slightly as she sighed. She turned back to me.

“Well, at least you got good bones. But next time, don’t lose focus just because someone is talking to your girl, alright?”

“My gi—?!” I blurted out lout. “Instructor, you have the wrong idea about—”

“—Sheesh, I was just teasing you,” she chuckled slightly, her naturally sly smile returning. “But, it’s true that you get distracted the moment someone spoke to Carine. Coincidence or not, you should learn to keep your focus in check, got it?”

My mouth opened and closed in rapid succession. But, eventually, I let out a defeated sigh and let out a tired:

“Understood… Instructor.”

Before turning back to the crowd.

—

Carine’s turn to spar wouldn’t come up until later. We watched a few other spars. Some of them were decent, such as Attila’s.

The moment she got a sword in her hand, it was as if she took twelve shots of espresso. Gone was the sleep-deprived girl from a few minutes ago, replaced by a giddy beast with a sword. 

She was as gutsy and quick as I remembered. As I watched her fight, I took note of her moves, her habits, her preferences. I needed a foundation, a mental blueprint of her habits and preferences, just in case our paths were ever crossed in the ring, be it in class or in the arena. 

She, too, relies on overwhelming her opponent. Unlike my own style, which relies on inducing sensory overload and disorientation through two-bodied coordination, Attila relied on the fact that every swing she threw had some heft into it, basically… a method of pure, physical pressure.

Once an opponent felt a block that nearly numbed their arms, they’d instinctively hesitate before trying it again. That split-second of fear was all she needed to put pressure on. The thing was, almost every attack she dishes out had that bone-shaking power put into it. 

I didn’t know yet if she had an [Enhanced Strength] Talent or if she truly was powerful in a natural way. But all I knew was that strength, combined with her sword Mastery Talent, would be a handful to deal with.

I assumed her only counter was someone who was swift enough to dodge all, or at least, her initial attacks to escape the pressure. Or perhaps someone with [Enhanced Endurance] that could tank those hits. Unfortunately for me, I had none of those. Relying on my ears and eyes should hopefully be enough, though.

As the match continued, her series of strikes was so rapid yet powerful that her opponent barely had the strength to block her. Before long, she won two-to-zero in the blink of an eye.

She helped her opponent back up before returning to my side, her smile energetic and cheerful as always. 

“Whoo! That was fun!” she blurted out as she dropped down to sit.

“So, you finally woke up,” I teased her. 

“Woke up? What do you mean?” she said, her eyes blinking innocently.

—

The next few matches unfolded before me at a rapid pace. As per last week, most of the performances here were… sub-optimal at best. As much as I love sparring, seeing the level of competence these other students had… it was a bit sad.

Then came Lionne’s match. It seemed she paired up with a friend of hers from another class, and the duel started in earnest.

The first round was… a bit of a mess. Lionne and her opponent charged in blindly, and without any sort of cohesion... somehow... Lionne won. Well, "won" is a strong word. Her sword was just the first one that touched the other's body.

The second round was just as chaotic, with Lionne losing without any fanfare.

The third round, though…

As soon as Instructor Liz signaled the start, Lionne didn't raise her sword. Instead, she threw her free hand into the air.

“I surrender!” she declared.

The room went dead silent. You could practically hear the gears grinding in the other students' heads, with most of them whispering to each other, ‘You can do that?’

Her opponent blinked, her sword lowering in confusion. “A-Are you sure, Lionne?” 

“Yeah, well… my arm’s a bit tired, so…” Lionne chuckled, looking sheepish as she rubbed her shoulder. 

Well, Instructor Liz wasn’t saying anything, so it wasn’t against the rules.

Lionne walked forward, her hand extended for a polite shake. “Good spar!” 

“You too,” the girl replied, reaching out. 

But before their hands could meet, Lionne swiftly moved her blade up, the blade whistling in the air. Her opponent could barely react as she tapped it lightly against the other girl’s sides. 

The room froze again. 

“Point, and match. Lionne wins,” Instructor Liz announced.

“Wait, what?!” The opponent squawked, looking between her hand and the blade still touching her ribs. “How? She surrendered!” 

“Did I say surrendering was an option?” Liz asked, her tone deceptively light. “I believe I said the conditions to win were to land a solid hit, put them on their back, or make them drop their stick. You kids really need to learn how to listen to your elders, you know?” 

The girl stood there, mouth agape.

Lionne, for her part, didn't look the least bit ashamed. She retracted her sword and gave a small, graceful bow.

“Sorry about that,” Lionne said, offering a wink. “I really need that extra score to stay in Honors, you know?”

Her opponent stared at her for a beat, then let out a chuckle.

“You’re a handful. Really,” the girl said, finally taking Lionne’s hand and shaking it properly. “Fine, fine. I’ll take the loss. But I’m making you reserve some of the best cakes in the cafeteria later on, got it?” 

“Deal!” Lionne chirped.

“Hey, hey. No bribing in front of me, you hear?” Instructor Liz announced, waving a dismissive hand as the two girls returned to the crowd of students. 

Lionne was more crafty than I thought. Though she wouldn’t be able to gather this much control over reservations if she hadn’t been...

Instructor Liz let the murmurs die down before her gaze swept across the room, lingering just a little bit longer on the corner where Carine was leaning. I heard her let out a small chuckle before she announced the next match.

“Carine and Lechter. Please take your positions.”