SWNOVELXO Chapter 164 - Divine Cat Mii-chan is Moved by the Strength of Perro and Sera.
164 Divine Cat Mii-chan is Moved by the Strength of Perro and Sera.
We are at the training grounds behind the guild.
They’re currently in an intense session. Ru is covered in mud and bruises, but he keeps charging at Zekken without hesitation, determined not to waste this precious time.
Next to them, Sieg is sparring with Perro and Sera.
“Nya-haha! How about this, nya!”
“Nya!”
“Tch!”
Before I knew it, Perro and Sera had formed a perfect combination. They’ve been taking on requests together, so it makes sense, but their teamwork is incredible. They’re totally toying with Sieg. Even though they’re clearly not going all out, you can see their skill.
“Alright, alright! Let’s have some fun!”
Jin joins in to face Perro and Sera, and tension rises between them. Jin, who usually wields a greatsword, now picks up two training swords.
“I’m tagging in!”
“S-Sorry…”
“Come on, you two. If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you!”
Jin’s using both swords to deflect, attack, and counterattack. Even though these are training swords, his power and skill with two swords at once are on a whole other level. The tide of the battle has completely shifted.
“Jin, that’s unfair, nya! You should only use one sword, nya!”
“Who made that rule? It’s two of you against me, so two swords is just fair!”
“Nyaa… Alright, Sera-nyan, let’s do the Jet Stream Attack, nya!”
“Nya!”
Jet Stream Attack? Really?
Perro stands in front of Jin while Sera, in her black panther form, positions herself behind him.
“Jet Stream Attack, nya!”
“Nya!”
Perro charges at Jin, mixing in dashes, steps, and feints. The moment Perro’s blade clashes with Jin’s, Sera splits into two. A clone? One Sera leaps into the air, aiming at Jin from above, while the other Sera lunges at Jin’s feet from Perro’s side—a perfect three-part attack, living up to the name of the Black Tiger Tri-Star.
But Jin skillfully blocks Perro’s strike with his right sword, parries Sera’s aerial attack with his left sword, and stomps down on the Sera at his feet with his right foot.
“Hmph.”
Jin blocks everything and grins. But in that moment, a tiny sliver of overconfidence creeps in. If this were a real fight, he would never have let his guard down like that.
“Sera-nyan! Now, nya!”
But Perro and Sera had anticipated everything. Perro drops his sword and draws a dagger, going for another attack.
Jin reacts immediately, dropping his own right-hand sword and pulling out a dagger from his waist to block Perro’s strike. He grins again—his second mistake.
Everything had gone exactly according to Perro and Sera’s plan. Suddenly, Jin’s left-hand sword feels lighter, and before he realizes it, his vision is blocked by something dark—Sera, in her cat form, has latched onto his face.
“It’s over!”
Perro’s second dagger is at Jin’s throat, while Sera clings to his face.
“Fugah fugah fugaaa!”
Jin finally pulls Sera off his face, breathing heavily.
“I-I thought I was gonna die…”
“Jin-chan, you just died twice!”
“Yeah… no excuses, I lost fair and square. You two are amazing… no, I’m sorry, I completely lost.”
“We’ll let you off this time, nya!”
“Nya!”
“Haha, you two are something else!”
Jin ruffles Perro and Sera’s heads affectionately. Mii-chan, deeply moved, leaps onto Perro and Sera, licking them to celebrate their victory.
But still… overconfidence is terrifying. Even someone as strong as Jin can end up like this if they lower their guard. If it were me, I’d be done for in an instant. I need to get stronger… no, I must get stronger.
“Th-Thank you very much.”
“Your swordsmanship isn’t bad. Your boldness at times is a strength. However, always thinking of the next move isn’t good. Against weaker opponents, it might work, but against equals or stronger foes, it’s a bad habit. After a few exchanges, they’ll catch on. Since your first strike lacks power, it becomes easy to counter. Be mindful of that.”
“Thank you for the guidance.”
Looks like Ru’s training session is over as well. He’s a mess, but his face is glowing with satisfaction.
“What’s your weapon?”
“I’m a rear guard, so I rarely use a sword.”
“If you mess with Nero, you’ll regret it, Zekken.”
“Oh? You’re saying even Jin acknowledges him?”
“I’d advise against it. Nero’s a pure skill user. If he gets serious, I can’t even win.”
“Could I spar with you, Nero?”
“I apologize, but my weapon is too lethal to hold back. I can fight differently, but I’ll need to prepare.”
“What do you plan to do in an emergency, then?”
“I always carry my weapon with me. If I’m unarmed, I rely on my skills.”
“Can you show us the power of your weapon and skills?”
“I’m curious too~”
Jin hands me a wooden plate, motioning for me to toss it. I switch on the laser pointer, keeping a natural stance, feeling like a gunman preparing for a duel.
“Are you sure about this?”
I nod at Jin’s question.
Whoosh! Crack!
Wooden splinters fly into the dimming sky.
“W-What was that?”
“Incredible…”
“Unbelievable…”
As Glennhardt walks toward me, I use a small earth skill to create a tiny divot in the ground. He stumbles slightly as his foot catches in it. That’s enough. In the moment of imbalance, I trap him in a circle of stone pillars using another earth skill, immobilizing him.
“Teacher!”
“Don’t worry. He’s just stuck.”
I release the pillars back into the earth, freeing Glennhardt.
“I told you to leave him alone.”
“Did Nero-kun do all that by himself? How many skills did you use?”
“Just two. Air skill and earth skill.”
“I get the last part. That’s Serion’s technique. But I’ve never seen anything like the air skill.”
“You’re right about the earth skill. I practiced it after hearing the stories of Guildmaster Serion. As for the air skill, you can find a report on it at the guild. Zest, the guildmaster, can show it to you.”
“Nero, when did you learn the earth skill, nya?”
“Recently.”
“I didn’t know, nya.”
I practiced secretly with Mii-chan so I could surprise everyone.
“Mii~”