Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World
Chapter 128

Chapter 128.1. The Third Year at the Academy - Martial Arts Tournament's Main Event (1)

After a period of rest, the main event of the demonstration match begins.

From March, upperclassmen's sword preliminaries also commence, and a boy who was utterly defeated by Harvis two years ago has entered.

I didn't watch last year's demonstration match out of disinterest, but apparently, as a fourth-year, he defeated an upperclassman and won the overall championship.

He'll likely win again this year and have an exhibition match with the third-year champion.

To participate in the first match of the main event, I headed to the arena on foot with Ted and the others who had come to get me.

It wasn't just out of inconvenience that we didn't take the carriage; it was because of, or rather due to, the heavy snowfall.

The roads were buried under snow so deep that walking was exhausting, and the paths were barely visible.

If we traveled by carriage, it could take hours to reach Luruct Academy.

When we reached the main street, a carriage accident had occurred.

It seemed the wheels had slipped on the icy cobblestones.

I couldn't help but find it amusing that traffic accidents exist in this world, too.

Passing by the shouting coachmen and the guards attempting to mediate, we trudged through the snow and arrived at Luruct Academy.

The area around the arena was also a snowy landscape, with numerous dirty mounds of snow piling up.

The creators of these snow mountains appeared to be the underclassmen of Luruct.

Amidst the cold wind, they were sweating as they carried snow out of the arena to pile it up outside.

I doubt they ever imagined, in their three years at the academy, that they'd be roped into shoveling snow.

Silently thanking them in my heart, I parted ways with Ted and the others at the entrance.

When I headed to the waiting room, I found that, from the main event onward, participants were assigned private rooms.

I placed my belongings down and gazed around the empty waiting room.

Lambert had declared he wouldn't socialize until the matches were over, and Felix and Talvit probably shared similar feelings.

Since I couldn't wait in the audience seating either, I had nothing to do but stay in the room.

Finally, well past the scheduled time, a staff member came to call for me.

When I stepped into the match venue, applause erupted from the stands.

The audience seats were almost full, with only the VIP section left vacant.

It was impressive that so many people had gathered despite the cold weather.

Amidst the applause and cheers, a familiar voice reached my ears.

Scanning the crowd, I spotted Ted and the others in one section of the stands.

Elliot and the others who had been eliminated in the preliminaries, along with Katie and Nalvano, were nearby, enthusiastically waving and shouting.

As I responded with a wry smile, a sudden surge of cheers erupted.

The opponent's entrance, perhaps.

As expected, they're quite popular.

Turning my gaze toward the entrance, I saw a girl with long black hair tied behind her head walk in.

Bowing gracefully in response to the cheers, she entered.

This was Harriet, my first opponent in the main event.

She wasn't from one of the three major academies but from the mid-tier Vassett Academy.

Among the few female participants, she was the only one to make it to the main event.

Although there are strong women in this world—Valerie, Sarma the Silent Sword, and many others—the environment of academies, and especially the demonstration matches, often results in fewer female participants.

In most academies, the majority of female students are daughters of nobles or merchants, attending for social connections and education.

Thus, it's rare for a female student to enter the demonstration matches, let alone make it to the main event.

What's more, she's a commoner, not from one of the three elite academies filled with wealthy students.

Thanks to her judge-favored performance and good looks, she's been in the spotlight since the preliminaries—or so I've heard.

This was information I picked up from Nails and Elliot after the main event lineup was finalized.

Since I was busy, I didn't watch any matches except my own.

After finishing her response to the cheers, Harriet bowed deeply to me.

"Pleased to meet you today."

"Likewise. Go easy on me, please."

As I casually replied, she suddenly fixed her gaze on me.

There was no hostility or fighting spirit—just a probing look, perhaps.

Had we met somewhere before?

Even someone as faintly familiar as Carlos left an impression, so I should have remembered someone as striking as her.

The referee introduced Harriet and me, delivered the usual formalities, and instructed us to take our positions.

Well, I'll leave the pondering for later.

At the signal to start, I raised my short sword, and Harriet readied her dagger.

She wore ordinary civilian clothes.

Her weapon, a dagger, suggested she wasn't particularly strong.

"Then, I'll begin."

Politely announcing her move, Harriet started circling counterclockwise, stepping lightly as if dancing.

Her movements were agile.

More like a scout than a light-footed warrior.

When she was about to complete a full circle around me, she abruptly shifted her movement.

She leaped in, slashing with her dagger.

As I blocked it with my short sword, she quickly withdrew out of range, nullifying my chance to counterattack, only to dart in again.

Her speed was remarkable.

In terms of pure sharpness and speed, she might rival Valerie when we first met.

Elliot or Nails wouldn't be able to keep up with her.

With her bound hair swaying, Harriet launched attack after attack in rapid succession.

As we continued our exchange, I started noticing a pattern.

While her speed was impressive, her attacks were limited to basic slashes and thrusts.

Moreover, her body movements seemed somewhat awkward.

For stationary combat, [One-Handed Sword] techniques would suffice, but to capitalize on mobility, proficiency in [Martial Arts] was essential.

Her skill level was likely around [Martial Arts 1] or just short of achieving it.

The audience cheered at Harriet's relentless assault, but an observant eye would notice the inefficiencies in her movements.

Lambert or Felix wouldn't fall for this.

They'd spot her awkwardness and are accustomed to my speed in sparring.

Talvit—he's probably out of the question too.

With his massive frame, light attacks wouldn't faze him.

While she could win by decision if she focused on evasion, she'd likely be cornered and overwhelmed first.

A few minutes into the match, Harriet suddenly jumped back,

and, while keeping an eye out for my pursuit, began to catch her breath.

With all that movement, she must be exhausted.

The audience, undeterred by the cold, was thoroughly enjoying the match, so I decided to feign a bit of fatigue myself.

When I started breathing heavily, Harriet gave a small, wry smile.

It seemed my act wasn't fooling her.

After a short pause, she gave a slight nod.

"Thanks for waiting."

"It's fine. By the way, have you ever faced someone faster than you?"

"Today's my first time."

"Then you should experience it a bit more. In real combat, you'll be in trouble if your strengths don't hold up."

Harriet nodded seriously, raising her dagger.

I dropped my short sword and charged forward suddenly.

It was a straightforward rush.

Even with such a simple move, Harriet panicked.

She hastily raised her dagger and barely managed to block.

I followed up with consecutive strikes, forcing her into a defensive stance, just barely dodging.

She tried to create distance using her footwork, but I anticipated her moves, denying her any breathing room.

To the audience, the match must now appear completely reversed.

Though I could press the attack and end it here, it seemed she was still strategizing.

Might as well see what she's got.

I transitioned and unleashed a [Heavy Strike].

Most students wouldn't be able to dodge, but she should react in time.

Sure enough, Harriet leaped backward, evading the [Heavy Strike].

At the same time, she threw her dagger and drew another from her sleeve, charging forward.

Ah, nostalgic.

I used to do something similar with magic when I was eight, under Markant's tutelage.

I leaned back, dodging the flying dagger, and parried her follow-up thrust.

Looking back, I saw her rolling away to create distance, immediately rising to her feet.

Her movements showed caution, prepared to fend off a counterattack.

She had anticipated that her surprise attack wouldn't land.

Interesting.

Contrary to her outward appearance and demeanor, she paid no mind to elegant swordplay or fighting fair.

Her tactics were utterly pragmatic, focused on utility and speed.

Never thought I'd meet someone with a style like mine.

With a frustrated smile, Harriet pulled out yet another dagger, holding one in each hand.

"I have nothing left, but I'll give it my all until the end."

"I'll gladly take you on."