The sun was high in the sky, and the white sand of the courtyard training grounds shone whitely. Berganda stood in the center of it with a long club in hand.
“This is not a fight to the death. It is a bout. I will hold back, so you can come at me with everything you have.”
The general said in an amused voice. But Sheto felt hopeless as he looked at the row of weapons on the shelf.
Spears, long swords, clubs, short swords. There were also shields, helmets and armor. But none of them were suitable for him.
“…What should I do, Salia?”
‘If I were like my brother or the god of combat, I would be able to give good advice. Unfortunately, I only learned strategy, not the art of combat…’
She hadn’t sounded so weak in a while. Sheto smiled wryly. Now that he thought about it, he had been avoiding close quarters combat up until now.
‘It cannot be helped, Sheto. Pick up that spear. And try to keep your distance from the general.’
‘Pick the shortsword. No, pick two of them.’
Said the dragon god suddenly, and Sheto paused as he was about to reach for the spear.
“Why?”
‘I have an idea. I’ll explain it to you later. Just do as I say.’
“But, sword is short. I, will be hit before striking.”
‘It’s not a matter of being able to hit him. If anything, it’ll be more troublesome for him if you use that weapon.’
As they were made of wood, the short swords were heavy. They probably had metal cores to make them weigh the same as real swords.
‘You must choose something that you can pick up lightly with one hand. If it’s too heavy, it will be difficult to wield, if it is too light, the blow will be weak.’
“You, know how to wield, swords?”
‘A little. I only did a little research as a hobby. But that’s better than nothing.’
And so Sheto obeyed him and picked two swords and then walked up to face Berganda.
“What? Dual-wielding?”
“He probably thinks he’ll be able to hit something if he swings them both wildly.”
“Hey, little doggie! Be careful so that you don’t let go of them!”
As the other monsters mocked him, the demon general glared down at Sheto.
“It is good for you to use your speed. However, dual-wielding is very difficult.”
“You, here to test me. Not to worry.”
“Confident, eh?”
The minotaur put his left knee forward and lowered his right foot. His hips lowered and he pointed the club at Sheto’s head.
‘Sheto, from here, move as I say. Got it?’
“Aye.”
‘Move back three and a half feet. If you stay there, he’ll hit you hard.’
When he quickly stepped back, Berdanda’s smile broadened. It was likely a move that he approved of.
“He’s even scarier, now.”
‘Don’t worry about it. As for your next move. Drop both arms to the side so that the tips point to the ground.’
When he followed the order, the minotaur flashed his teeth. Even the spectators had stopped jeering.
“He-hey. Are you, sure about this!?”
‘Don’t lose your head. From here, it’s a battle of sight. Don’t lose sight of his movements for even a moment.’
“Well, let’s begin then.”
The minotaur said happily.
In the next instant, the tip of the club filled his vision, and his world shook.
“Gah!?”
Both pain and numbness racked his body.
Something hot welled up on his forehead and began to drip down his face.
“Ah…aahhh…!”
“What’s the matter? Are you just going to wait there until you get hit again?”
The tip of the club spread out in his vision again, and this time he desperately moved his head to dodge it. He felt as if he were hit by burning tongs, and could smell the stench of the burning fur and skin on his cheek.
‘He is horribly fast. Though, he held back a little with the second attack.’
“Wh-what is that… How, can I…”
‘I told you to not lose your head. First, move to his right, which will be to the left from your point of view.’
He somehow managed to move his legs and take one step.
But just as he was about to take another…
“Wah!”
The club scratched his nose and blocked his path. Suddenly, Berganda was back to his original stance, looking at him head on.
‘Dragon God! Sheto will…’
‘Please stay quiet. Sheto, you are too stiff. It is slowing your movements.’
“Bu…but he is…”
‘Jump back.’
The dragon god’s words were merciless. The club continued to move as if to show off the blood covering the tip.