Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 100 (Part 2):
“You’re better than I thought.”
Helmut said to Asuka, who was sprawled on the ground. Asuka, who had dropped his wooden sword, quickly raised his upper body and grumbled.
“Are you gloating now?”
He seemed annoyed.
Helmut checked the time without any excitement. 8 minutes, he held on for a long time.
The initial attack was so fast that it sent a chill down his spine.
Elastic and explosive movements, sword strikes that seemed to bounce like a ball. Not many would be able to react to those movements.
It was an unpredictable and irregular swordsmanship that seemed to give way rather than being refined and perfect.
His sense of dodging attacks or parrying them was also unique. His reflexes were the best among those Helmut had faced.
If he had to describe it by feeling, it would be…
“You really…”
Helmut swallowed his words that were about to say he was like an animal. Because it felt like an insult.
“Ai, why are you so strong? I thought I would win.”
Asuka complained. He thought he would lose, but he didn’t feel good after actually losing.
It was the first time he had encountered such a stable and flawless opponent. It felt like shivers down his spine when facing him head-on.
He was ready to counterattack when he allowed an opening. He charged in, feeling like his chest was opening up, but he immediately lowered his stance to counterattack.
He missed a strike precisely on the wrist. Unless the lower body muscles were properly trained, one couldn’t exhibit such swift movements.
Helmut was strong to the point that it felt distant. It made his teeth clench.
‘When was the last time I lost?’
And to a peer at that. It’s a difference that can’t be caught up in a short time. He knew it instinctively, but when it became reality, he just got angry.
Even to peers. This is a difference that cannot be overtaken in a short period of time. He instinctively realized it, but when it became reality, he lost my temper.
“Aaaah!”
Whether Asuka was furious or not, Helmut started analyzing.
‘His movements have slowed down. Maybe because his stamina is dropping?’
Asuka is not the type to work hard on physical training.
He has a good sense and knows how to win.
He trains, but not in a detailed way, like strengthening his lower body or increasing his lung capacity.
‘The explosive movements at the beginning were definitely beyond my skill.’
But it didn’t last long.
If that couldn’t be maintained consistently, his average skill level would probably be as Helmut thought.
But it’s also true that having variables is more threatening than having evenly distributed skills.
“Is he more of an assassin type than a mercenary?”
There probably weren’t many who could withstand his surprise first attack. Even if his movements noticeably declined afterward, it was based on Helmut’s standards.
He’s flexible but has many openings. If Helmut were an instructor, he wouldn’t give him full marks.
But looking at the overall movements of other swordsmanship students, Asuka wasn’t sloppy either.
“Get up.”
As the duels of the other guys seemed to be ending slowly, Helmut reached out his hand.
Asuka, who was sitting on the floor and sulking, looked up at him with a strange look.
“Why, what. You’re going to let go if I hold your hand.”
“…Am I you?”
He frowned, then quickly grabbed his hand, got up, and dusted off his buttocks.
“Ugh, irritating.”
“You can lose too.”
Helmut, who would have been very upset if he had lost, spoke as if it was someone else’s business now that he had won.
“You can lose too, but you didn’t!”
Helmut looked at him with a blank face.
“The other guys will probably gossip and mock me. ‘Oh, that guy lost to him too!’ ”
“It might not necessarily happen.”
Of course, there might be guys who think that way. But that wasn’t all.
It wasn’t too one-sided. Helmut had ended the duel with one stroke in the entrance exam.
They were busy dueling, but some of the guys who finished early saw Helmut and Asuka face off.
The focus shifted more to the high-level duel than to the fact that Asuka lost.
“Wow, did you see them face off?”
“How was it?”
“It was no joke, I thought it was like upperclassmen fighting each other. The level is just different!”
“Are those kids in the second grade?”
“Especially that guy Helmut, he gave me the chills.”
Asuka’s sword strikes were so fast and continuous that they were hard to follow with the eyes.
Helmut calmly parried them. He maintained his balance and gave an opening to counterattack.
His movements were as smooth as flowing water. It was even an elegant movement.
“Did they use Vis?”
“I don’t think so, probably.”
“But why are they so fast?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Vis use is prohibited in duels. The wooden sword may not be able to withstand the enhanced strength by Vis.
And the anticipation for Helmut and Asuka’s dueling wasn’t limited to students alone. Instructor Patricia observed with interest.
From an instructor’s perspective, the opportunity to witness sparring between students of this level was rare.
‘At this rate, both of them could face off against sixth-year students without any problems.’
She had expected Helmut’s skills to be extraordinary, but this confirmed it.
Sixth-year students are students with adult bodies. It’s a match between men and boys.
There’s a difference in everything from physique to experience.
Of course, in the history of Greta Academy, there were really genius guys who, as first graders, beat sixth graders. But she had never seen it herself.
Instructor Patricia regretted that it would have been better to pair them with third-year students, not first-year students.
‘I want to see them duel with real swords.’
Real sword duels are not allowed in lower grades.
But both of them seemed to be able to handle Vis properly.
The use or non-use of Vis often determines the outcome, so it would be more exciting if they entered a real sword duel.
It was different from a battle based simply on the body. When you use Vis, the function of the body changes.
Stronger muscles, faster movements. Depending on how you discharge and concentrate Vis, even if your basics are a bit lacking, there are guys who make up for it. Especially those who are particularly good at using Vis.
Asuka, who is intuitive, is likely to become stronger when he uses Vis.
She was also looking forward to how Helmut would use Vis.
But for now, the midterm exam is right in front of her. That’s something she can worry about later.
“Everyone stop! Even those who haven’t finished yet, stop the duel.”
Instructor Patricia, who was timing, raised her voice.
After a brief rest, the duel started again.
The duel between Helmut and Asuka, the clash that everyone was looking forward to, ended with Helmut’s complete victory.