Chapter 20: Victory and Defeat (Part 1)
The setting sun, half-hidden behind the deep, ink-green mountains in the distance, cast a dazzling golden light.
Yedi and Qingruo stood ten paces apart.
If this were the Yedi of the past, he would have accepted her challenge without hesitation. Therefore, he had to accept it now as well.
These two Imperial geniuses, both with a passion for swordsmanship, saw sparring as a form of higher communication.
But now, Yedi felt a sense of unease.
It was dusk, and night was approaching.
He didn’t have much time left.
He had to finish this match before the sun completely set, leaving enough time to return to his room. Otherwise, if the Night Ring’s effect wore off, the consequences would be unimaginable.
In front of Qingruo, the teacher she revered, trusted, and genuinely admired, transforming into a girl, a girl who looked even younger than her?
That would truly break Yedi.
The other consequences were equally unthinkable.
“Senior Sister Qingruo, here.” A younger student handed Qingruo her diamond-shaped platinum shield. Many lower-year students, hearing of Yedi’s return, had come to observe the third-year swordsmanship class after their own lessons ended.
Of course, many were also there to see Qingruo.
Undoubtedly, calling her the school beauty, a peerless genius, the future leader of the Temple Knights, and the daughter of the Reid** family, one of the three ancient adjudicator families of the Asgard Empire, didn’t do her justice.
Qingruo was incredibly popular at the academy, both among male and female students. She was like a beacon of hope, inspiring the souls of everyone at the academy.
Qingruo took the shield. “Teacher, what weapon will you be using?”
Yedi, of course, understood his most outstanding student. When she used a shield in her left hand, it meant she was going all out. Qingruo’s fighting style differed from Yedi’s. Although a woman, she was tall, athletic, and powerful, yet with a perfect feminine figure, the epitome of physical grace and unwavering willpower.
With a platinum longsword in one hand and a slender shield in the other, she resembled a Valkyrie from the twilight of the gods.
“I’ll use this.” Instead of his usual teaching sword, Yedi extended his hand, and a student brought him a two-handed longsword from the side of the training grounds.
Clang!
With a flash of golden light in the setting sun, Yedi drew the longsword with one hand.
“It’s starting… It’s been so long, finally we have the honor of witnessing a match between Teacher Yedi and Senior Sister Qingruo again. Perhaps this is the highest level of swordsmanship in the entire Empire,” a bespectacled lower-year student said excitedly, holding a notebook. He was a die-hard fan of Qingruo, able to recite all her achievements and statistics.
“Besides Teacher Yedi, Senior Sister Qingruo has never been defeated in the academy!” The boy’s glasses gleamed.
“But, President… she has never won against Teacher Yedi,” a muscular, third-year student with brown skin and dark red, vertically styled short hair said solemnly. His face looked like he was in his thirties.
Yedi, the strongest in the Empire. Many students in the academy knew this seemingly dubious rumor. Qingruo was only seventeen; it was normal for her to lose.
“That being said, Senior Sister almost won every time. Although Teacher Yedi was slightly better, the difference was truly minuscule!” A red-haired, second-year girl said, her fists clenched. She would vehemently defend Qingruo against any slight, but what she said was true.
The crowd of onlookers grew, along with the students from Class One, now at least the size of two classes.
“Qingruo, since this is a swordsmanship match, I think we should refrain from using holy power. That way, we can better focus on and address the issues of swordsmanship itself,” Yedi suggested.
“Of course,” Qingruo’s expression changed, radiating an unusual pressure.
Just this change in demeanor, after only a few months, made Yedi realize how quickly she had grown.
“This woman, perhaps one day she truly will surpass me. The me of the past…” Thinking of this, Yedi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
“Teacher Yedi, then, may I begin my attack?” Qingruo’s voice, like an invisible blade, arrived first.
Fighting spirit, such intense fighting spirit from a girl, it was truly incredible.
“Begin,” Yedi replied, without hesitation, facing the true sword duel.
Even if his opponent was his student, the person he had once admired.
Yes, had once.
The current Yedi was essentially Diye. Whether he accepted it or not, his biological sex was now female.
How could he still admire a woman?
Sensing Yedi’s momentary hesitation, though puzzled, Qingruo wouldn’t let the opportunity slip once the duel began.
“Teacher, this is what you once taught me…”
Qingruo suddenly lunged forward, her boots striking the ground, her figure charging towards Yedi like a flash of white light.
In an instant, she was before him, shield raised, her longsword drawn back high.
“So fast!” Even Yedi was surprised by her speed. Qingruo had become faster, and he hadn’t faced an opponent of this caliber in a while.
Clang!
Qingruo’s longsword traced a bright, dragon-like arc, striking Yedi’s sword with a heavy blow that sent him sliding back several steps, kicking up dust.
“Such power!” Yedi’s eyes narrowed. His hand was numb, almost losing feeling. If he hadn’t switched to a two-handed grip at the last moment, he might not have been able to block that blow.
How could she be so strong!?
No, her strength had indeed increased, but more importantly, my… my strength had greatly diminished!
Yedi, though back in his male form, was just a shell. His strength was still that of a woman’s body, not increased at all, and he was even slightly unaccustomed to his transformed state.
This level of strength was more than enough against ordinary opponents, but against a master like Qingruo, it was a huge disadvantage.
In a duel between top-level experts, the slightest difference could be decisive, let alone such a significant gap.
“Teacher Yedi?” With that one strike, Qingruo sensed that Yedi’s swordsmanship wasn’t as powerful as before.
She had intended to follow up with a second attack, but Yedi had been pushed back further than she anticipated. However, her opponent was Yedi, and she couldn’t afford to be careless. Qingruo quickly closed the distance, sliding forward with a thrust.
Qingruo’s sword wasn’t much shorter than Yedi’s two-handed sword. She employed true armored Temple Knight combat techniques, incredibly devout and disciplined, with explosive power.
Clang!
The thrust was straight, fast, and ruthless.
Yedi, aware of his lack of strength, didn’t parry but used his sword as a shield, blocking Qingruo’s blade directly. This move required exceptional judgment and reaction speed. Probably only Yedi in the entire Empire would dare to do this. But he was still forced to retreat repeatedly.
Such a beautiful and daring move drew gasps from the students.
Yedi’s technique was still impeccable.
This fueled Qingruo’s fighting spirit. She had never thought she could defeat Yedi, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to win.
Whoosh!
With strength that seemed to surpass her beautiful frame, Qingruo instantly retracted her sword and raised her shield.
As expected, Yedi abruptly stopped his retreat, then used the momentum to leap forward, slashing downwards with his longsword, using a one-handed grip for a wider attack range.
Thud!
Before the sword even reached her, Qingruo’s shield was already raised.
She knew Yedi too well, and because of that, she knew better than anyone that an opponent like Yedi couldn’t be judged based on past experience.
She had to maintain the highest level of vigilance.
As Qingruo blocked Yedi’s attack, she pushed outwards with her left hand. The unexpected advantage in strength allowed her to push Yedi’s longsword aside.
She couldn’t believe it, thinking it must be a trap, but she remained cautious, stepping forward with her long leg and slashing downwards with her right hand.
Yedi’s longsword had been deflected, his disadvantage in strength clearly evident. In the past, Qingruo’s strength was only slightly inferior to Yedi’s at his peak, her swordsmanship only slightly less refined. Now, with the shift in power, the difference was enough to overcome the gap in skill.
Moreover, Yedi was currently focused on adapting his swordsmanship to his female body. Having transformed back into a man, he hadn’t yet mastered the best way to utilize his new physical characteristics and strength. It was uncertain whether there was still a true gap in their swordsmanship.
Facing this attack, Yedi could only rely on his exceptional reflexes, dodging by a hair’s breadth!
However, although he narrowly avoided the blade, he was struck squarely by Qingruo’s shield.
The shield was heading straight for Yedi’s face!
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