The Extra Who Stole the Hero's System
Chapter 53: Duel Before Dawn

Chapter 53: Duel Before Dawn

The sun hadn’t come up yet.

A light mist clung to the grass outside Sapphire Manor, covering everything in a thin, silvery fog. Out back, past the stables, the training field sat quietly, old and a little forgotten. The wooden dummies were covered in moss, and the fencing posts leaned like they were tired of standing. Even the birds weren’t up yet. It was like the whole world was just waiting.

And so was I.

I stood with my arms crossed, the blunt training sword tucked under one elbow, my breath showing in the cold morning air. I’d been up for a while, tossing and turning all night. I couldn’t stop thinking about Cassie, about what she did last night. The way she moved... it wasn’t just skill. It was something else. Sharp. Controlled. Confident. She didn’t just swing a sword—she made it look like it was part of her.

A supposed maid did that.

And she was better than me.

I didn’t want that to bother me—but it did. Not out of ego. Out of reality. If I was going to survive at the Sword Knight Academy, if I was going to survive as the character I’d become, I needed to get stronger. I can’t always rely on the system, there is always a risk when I deviated from canon. I started with figuring out how Cassie had gotten so good.

So I did the unthinkable — I asked her to duel with me, and she agreed without hesitation. There wasn’t a moment of doubt in her eyes, just a flicker of surprise followed by a faint smile. In fact, she seemed almost happy that I asked, like she’d been waiting for it. Maybe it was the thrill of a challenge, or maybe she saw it as a sign that I was finally taking things seriously. Either way, the moment I spoke the words, I was determined not to lose.

Later, I heard footsteps crunch through the wet grass.

Cassie walked toward me, quiet as ever. No maid uniform today, just a simple tunic and pants. Her long silver hair was tied back in a messy bun. A wooden sword hung at her hip. She moved in that same way I’d seen before, usually casual but precise. Like she didn’t waste a single movement.

"You actually showed up," she said, stopping a few feet away.

"I said I would, didn’t I?"

She smiled a little."I thought you were just joking. I thought you only said that because... you wanted me to leave your room."

I shrugged. "Not after what I saw last night."

She continued. "You sure you want to do this, Young Master? I’d rather not hurt you."

She wasn’t being smug. She really meant it. Which somehow made it feel worse.

"You won’t," I said, pulling my sword free and letting it hang at my side. "Well... not too badly."

She laughed—not the quiet, polite kind she usually gave around the manor, but a real laugh. Quick. Honest. It surprised me.

"Alright then," she said, stepping into the field. She drew her sword in one smooth motion. "Let’s see what you’ve got."

We started slow.

Our swords tapped gently at first, both of us feeling things out. She was watching me carefully, reading my posture. I kept my stance solid, exactly the way I was taught. But standing still didn’t matter if everything else was stiff.

Cassie, on the other hand, moved like it was second nature. No wasted steps. No hesitation. She didn’t force anything, she just flowed.

I tried to keep up. I really did. But she seems so gifted.

She feinted left, spun under my swing, and tapped my side with her blade.

"Point," she said, eyes twinkling.

I adjusted my grip, my cheeks blushed ever red, surprisingly. "Lucky shot."

She gave a soft hum. "If you say so."

We went again. I took the lead with bigger swings, more aggressive. I tried a wide slash but she easily blocked it. Came down from above, she easily redirected. Every move I made, she had a perfect answer. Her footwork was too good, her timing sharp. It didn’t take long for me to start feeling winded.

Meanwhile, Cassie looked completely relaxed. Not even breathing hard.

"You’re holding back," she said, spinning away from another swing and knocking my knee with her foot. I stumbled, hit the ground, and quickly rolled back up.

"Am not."

"You are," she said, smiling like we were just doing a morning warm-up. "You’re stuck in your drills. You’re not reacting, you’re just repeating."

I clenched my jaw. She wasn’t wrong. And I hated that.

This time, I went in with less thought, more instinct. I tried to trust my gut.

And for a second... it worked. I pushed forward with tighter strikes. Got her to step back. Our blades locked and we stared at each other, just a few inches apart. I saw something in her eyes, she was calm and controlled.

Then she twisted her wrist. My sword went flying. She stepped in, pressing the tip of her blade gently against my chest.

"Yield?"

I looked at her.

Not the sword. Not the tip at my chest.

Her.

She was stunning right then, she was beautiful.

Not like the noble girls back at court. Not powdered faces or tight curls. But she was filled with immense natural beauty. Like a storm right before it breaks. Strong. Honest. Alive.

"...Yield," I muttered, barely holding on to what was left of my pride.

She lowered her sword and held out a hand. I took it.

Her fingers lingered in mine just a little longer than they needed to.

"You’re good," I said.

"You’re not bad," she answered.

Later, we sat on the low stone wall at the edge of the field. A jug of water and two tin cups sat between us, sweating in the morning air.

I drank deep and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"So," I said, "you’ve been hiding this from me?"

"I wasn’t hiding anything," she said, swinging her legs. "You just never asked."

"Fair."

The quiet stretched for a bit.

Then she asked, "Do you think less of me? For being a maid? For knowing how to fight?"

"No," I said right away.

She turned to me.

"Honestly? I think more of you now than I did yesterday. You’re braver than half the nobles I’ve met."

She looked away, her face a little pink. Her eyes were fixed on the trees just beyond the field.

"You’re planning to apply to the Academy?"

"Yeah."

"You think they’ll let you in?" I asked.

"I don’t know," she said. "But I’ve got to try. For my family. For myself."

I looked at her. At the way her shoulders squared when she said that. At the way her eyes lit up, even when she was talking softly.

"You’ll make it," I said. "With that kind of skill? They’d be idiots to say no."

She smiled.

Then, after a beat, I grinned. "Still can’t believe I lost to Swordie-chan."

She blinked. "Swordie-chan?"

"Yeah. That’s your new nickname. You earned it."

She stared at me.

Then she snorted. Actually snorted. Tried to hide it with her hand, but the giggles slipped out.

"That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard." She said.

"Exactly. That’s why it’s perfect."

"You’re unbelievable," she muttered, still laughing.

We sat there a while longer. No pressure to talk. No need to fill the silence. It just felt right. Like we understood each other now. And for the first time since I landed in this world... I didn’t feel completely alone.

Maybe I had someone in my corner after all.

****

Later that morning, as we walked back toward the manor, Cassie stopped at the servant entrance.

"Young Master Kai," she said.

"Yeah?"

She didn’t look up. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword. "Thanks. For taking me seriously. Most people wouldn’t."

"You don’t need my permission to be great, Cassie," I said. "But I’m glad I got to see it."

She looked up then, and something softened in her expression. There was something she wanted to say, I could tell—but she didn’t. She held it back.

Instead, she nodded. "Good luck with your training. And... thanks again." She later departed to her quarters.

I stayed there a second longer, the memory of her swordplay still playing in my head.

Swordie-chan.