The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Adolf's expression gradually hardened as he faced the two.

It was none other than Dier who sent chills down his spine.

'This bastard...'

Whoosh!

Kaboom!

His orbs remained powerful, with nothing to criticize in terms of both power and speed.

However, the distance between him and Dier was slowly closing.

It wasn't that Dier was surpassing the speed of the orbs. Nor had he become able to deflect them.

Yet, Dier was gradually getting closer. Moreover, as if to provoke him, he stood before him with his sword drawn in a combat stance, as if it was time to attack.

Of course, the reason Dier could approach him was simple.

His eyesight and judgment surpassed what Adolf had anticipated.

Adolf believed Dier was simply dodging the incoming orbs with his dynamic vision while simultaneously approaching.

But as a devil, and with orbs being his greatest strength, Adolf couldn't comprehend it. To simply see and dodge, while also approaching him? Such a human shouldn't exist. It was impossible.

He was the fifth rank of Satan. He wasn't in that position just because he could throw orbs that could be dodged with the naked eye.

However, that impossible situation was actually happening, and his mind was reeling.

He couldn't accept the fact that his orbs could be dodged by a human with the naked eye, allowing him to approach.

In reality, Adolf was right.

Dier wasn't simply approaching while dodging the orbs with his eyesight.

'This devil has a strange habit.'

Dier wasn't relying solely on dynamic vision to dodge.

Adolf used his aura like a switch to conceal his orbs. Initially, it wasn't noticeable, but as time passed and his aura depleted, Adolf developed a peculiar habit.

'The moment he throws the orb, his rotation speed slows down. His body stiffens to throw it harder. So, contrary to his intention, the rotational force decreases, reducing the power, and to compensate for that, he throws it even harder. He's exposing his own weakness.'

As his opponent continued to evade, he became impatient.

Impatience manifested as a desire to attack faster and stronger.

That desire caused his muscles to contract excessively, ultimately slowing down the force of his rotation.

To compensate for the lack of power, his movements became larger, making it increasingly easier to distinguish between when he was attacking and when he wasn't.

Once it became that obvious, Dier's eyes could capture it all.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!!!

The sound of the orbs colliding with the ground gradually disappeared. Adolf was retrieving them before they even touched the floor.

It was a sign of his desperation. The faster he tried to throw, the more he tried to end it in one go, the easier it became for Dier.

And above all, this fight right now.

It was the perfect fight for Dier to recall the memories of his past when his entire body ached.

─You thought I was getting impatient, right? That's why you showed an opening.

He was hearing that voice again, the one he had grown tired of.

Back then, Dier, sprawled on the floor after being beaten, cried out to his black-haired senior in frustration.

"Your movements got bigger! I clearly saw it with my eyes!"

"You can't judge based on that. How can you tell if the movements got bigger or if I made them bigger on purpose?"

"Then how do I know if the opponent is getting impatient? I've always fought by targeting that."

Dier, whose physical abilities were ordinary except for his eyesight, was the type to focus on breaking down his opponent, using psychology, bluffing, or whatever it took.

In fact, during the test, it even worked on Frondier, allowing him to advance to the next stage.

Frondier approached him with a smile.

"You think the weapons you possess are lacking, so you try to drag things into your head and use psychology. That's why you're sensitive to your opponent's reactions. Your good eyesight accelerates that even more. It might have worked so far, but it will be difficult in the future. The more you encounter opponents like me who create intentional openings, the more confused you'll become."

"Wh, what should I do?"

"You need to look at your own heart, not the enemy's."

...My heart?

Was he suddenly telling him to meditate or something?

Looking at Dier's contemplative face, Frondier said,

"See if you're getting impatient, not the enemy."

"...!"

"If the opponent gets impatient, you'll inevitably become relaxed. You need to realize that. If the opponent is truly falling for your bluff, if it's working, your mind will be clearer than ever. You're a smart guy. You'll figure it out quickly."

Those words plunged Dier into deep thought.

Afterward, Frondier shouted at the equally sprawled-out Pielott to get up, and Pielott protested that it was unfair and discriminatory that he was being treated that way, but Dier's ears barely registered it.

Adolf's two orbs and Frondier's Obsidian.

There was no training more familiar to Dier and Pielott in terms of closing the distance.

And now.

"Pielott! He's slowing down! Just hold on a little longer!"

Dier shouted.

His words were directed at Pielott, but they were meant for Adolf to hear.

"...!"

As intended, Adolf exerted even more force. The speed increased slightly, but the timing became easier to read, and above all, the attacks became increasingly linear.

'Now, is he making his movements bigger, or is he intentionally showing an opening?'

What is my heart like now?

Impatient? Relaxed?

──I can confidently say it's as calm as still water.

As Adolf's attacks became simpler, Dier's movements became smaller.

Dodging with a 1-meter gap became 50 centimeters, 30 centimeters, 10 centimeters.

The thickness of a sheet of paper.

"This bastard!"

And Adolf's next attack.

When the rotation stopped, the aura disappeared, and it shot towards Dier.

Dier predicted it all, and it all came true.

He watched the orb approaching him,

Watched it with his head tilted back,

Watched it cut through the empty air behind him.

In that moment, a long trajectory of light flashed across Dier's eyes.

─There's one more condition to win at rock-paper-scissors.

Just as Adolf's attacks became familiar to him,

Adolf also became accustomed to Dier's small movements.

Dier knew that familiarity.

Thump.

Aura surged and settled at the tips of Dier's feet.

Adolf retrieved the thrown orb,

Clack!

"Ugh!"

Dier was right in front of Adolf.

At the exact same speed that he retrieved the orb, Dier reached him.

Dier, who had never moved at such a speed before. A charge that Adolf couldn't even anticipate.

Objectively speaking, it wasn't a speed that couldn't be tracked with the eyes. Adolf could move even faster than this.

All the cards Dier possessed were weaker than Adolf's weakest card.

However, right now.

─It's when the opponent doesn't throw anything at all.

Adolf wasn't in a situation where he could play rock-paper-scissors.

Imperial Swordsmanship Basics

Dier-style Conditional Activation, Perfect Stance

Condition Successful

Horizontal Slash, Masterpiece

The single step taken during the charge.

The force that reached the ground traveled up his legs, combining with the rotation of his waist and torso into Dier's blade.

The aura-infused blade executed a textbook horizontal slash.

"Haa!"

Clang!

However, even though Dier had made such a prediction,

His horizontal slash was barely blocked by Adolf's thread.

Adolf had desperately converted his aura to manipulate the thread and block his attack.

But.

'...What is this.'

Adolf's insides twisted from the recoil of abruptly changing his aura.

But a situation that twisted his insides even more occurred.

Dier's attack wasn't powerful at all. It was weak enough that he could have taken it with his bare body.

'...Ah!'

By the time Adolf realized and looked up,

Slash-!

A single, long trajectory that grazed his neck.

Pielott, who had flown in with his sword still sheathed.

He had cut Adolf's neck, yet mysteriously, his sword remained sheathed.

Meanwhile, he clicked his tongue and spoke to Dier, who was claiming credit for himself.

"You're crazy, Dier."

Dier grinned.

"That's a compliment, right?"