I kept attag Tsubaki, but she easily blocked every strike. However, she could no longer remain still. I ushing her a little more.

  We moved around the room as we exged blows. Well, I was the only oag—Tsubaki was only blog.

  Her lips curved into a smile. "This is great. Your movements are still awful, but your speed has improved signifitly. You could fight a strong monster using that sword."

  "Thanks for the pliment."

  "But even if you fight a monster, humans are different."

  "What?!" Tsubaki finally decided to attack! She moved quickly, swinging her sword toward my neck at high speed. I mao react, but just in the nick of time.

  If I had been even a sed slower, her sword would have sliced my neck.

  I looked at her sword, which I had barely blocked, the her gaze. Her eyes sparkled. "See how different it is? Even with your speed, you couldn't keep up with my movements. You ck experience."

  "I already khat. But seriously, you almost killed me." I pushed Tsubaki's sword away and sighed. "I think I should rest a bit." My legs and arms were trembling for some reason.

  Was I afraid of dying or something?

  No, I don't think that's it.

  "Don't worry, of course, I won't kill you. And no, we're not resti." Tsubaki said, swinging her sword like a child. Then, her lips curled into a sinister smile.

  "I'm going to attaow. Try to block this." Tsubaki attacked me. This time, I could follow her movements. My eyes tracked every motion she made.

  She didn't do anything overly plex, but every movement was graceful.

  I watched her sword, mesmerized.

  g!

  I swung my sword to block hers.

  But even after I blocked it, she didn't stop attag. She swung her swain. I focused on her movements. Tsubaki had told me before that I didn't pay enough attention to my oppo's as, and that was a big mistake.

  So now, I was trating on following her movements.

  And it really made things easier.

  If I weren't using this sword, I wouldn't be able to keep up with her movements, no matter how hard I tried. But since I was using it, I could block all her attacks, though with difficulty.

  As Tsubaki's strikes became faster and stronger, my hand started going numb, and my body began begging for relief. I was getting exhausted!

  I didn't even dare try to attack her. I only focused on blog her relentless strikes.

  Tsubaki kept smiling the eime, attag me without pause. She was having way too much fun…

  After a few minutes, I was on the verge of giving up, but Tsubaki didn't stop. That's when I lost my patiend decided to terattack. I followed the movement of her sword—a ssh toward my neck, just like her first attack.

  This time, I didn't block it. Instead, I ducked.

  And as I did, I swung my sword toward her stomach.

  My sword moved so fast that it created a fsh of light, like something out of an animation. Tsubaki stopped attag and looked down. I looked up, and our eyes met.

  Her expression ure terror.

  The look of someone who khey were about to die.

  Her sword slipped from her hands and hit the ground, and tears welled up in the ers of her eyes.

  Notig her expression and remembering the attack I had just made, my heart stopped for a moment. I had struck her directly iomach—with a legendary-rank sword.

  Cold sweat ran down my back as I gathered the ce to look at Tsubaki's stomach.

  My body trembled untrolbly.

  Then, I looked down at her stomach.

  Her stomach, which should have been cut, was pletely intact.

  "Pfft!"

  That was when Tsubaki finally gave up on her act. "Hahahaha, your face is priceless! Hahahaha, you really fell for it, I 't believe it! Hahaha!" Tsubaki burst into ughter, wipiears.

  I fell on my butt, silent, watg her as she kept ughing.

  'What a bitch.'

  ####

  *Tsubaki's POV*

  After trig Eryk, we left the dungeon, and I bought us a drink. We sat at a table outside a bar, and I asked, "So? Did you have fun?" I was expeg a ive answer, but to my surprise…

  "Yes, it retty fun. Though you were a bit over the top."

  I couldn't believe his words. He actually e?

  "What? Did you think I was mad? I only got irritated when you treated me like a kid—I felt challenged… But in the end, it was fun. We should do this more often."

  "I didn't expect to hear that from someone who tried to kill me."

  "I already told you—I only tried because I knew I wouldn't succeed."

  "But you did try to kill me."

  "..."

  "Pfft! I'm just kidding, hahaha. Now, finish your drink. I o talk to the goddess about your training. She was curious about your skills."

  "She already knows my skills. She's well aware that I have zero talent with a sword."

  "Either way, I have to report to her. You e along if you want."

  "No, it's fine. I'll head back to the training room and practice a bit more."

  "It's going to be dark soon. You should rest—you looked exhausted."

  "It's fine." Eryk replied fidently. I sighed, then stood up. I paid for the drinks a him at the bar. I headed back to the tower and climbed up to the goddess's private room.

  I knocked a few times, and she greeted me.

  "So, how did it go?" The goddess asked, clearly excited.

  "Your boyfriend is iing."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "He's hardw and fident, which makes him iing. He also learns quickly, so teag him won't be too difficult."

  "So you'll train him?"

  "Yes, I'll do it. But of course, it es at a price."

  "Fine, I'll let you keep that hammer. Now, tell me—how was it? I want all the details!" The goddess's eyes sparkled. She pletely fot about her work, eager to hear what had happened in the dungeon.

  I told her everything iail.

  By the time I finished, she looked quite satisfied.

  "I knew he'd get irritated, hahaha. And as for his learning ability, I had the pleasure of teag him before. He really picks things up fast. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun."

  "Yes, it'll be fun."

  "But be careful with your pranks. You went a little overboard."

  "Are you going to tell me it wasn't funny?"

  The goddess stared at me for a few seds before smiling.

  "I would've loved to see his face at that moment…"

  ParodyGirl