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Chapter 57: Sparring

 

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「Kuu….Stop…..Any further than this is and….」

「Nfufufu…You are so stiff aren’t cha Zeph-kun♪ It’s alrightt, you can leave it to big sis…..Here we go….Nn」

Bokibokibokibokiboki

「Nngaaahh〜〜!?」

「Ahhaha, what an amazing sound〜」

Both my feet were being stretched out, and my upper body was slowly descending towards the ground, a terrible sound of cracking bones resounded. Lydia was leaning on to my back as she was trying to help me stretch my legs. At first I was pleasantly surprised at the feeling of her soft breasts pressing against my back, but now, it wasn’t even about that anymore.

Nevertheless, this painful torture continued every single day for two weeks, and Lydia was persistently and forcibly “developing” my flexibility, as of now my body was a lot more supple than it was before.

「Nn〜 There is still plenty of stiff area’s around your body, isn’t there? The first thing you need to have when practicing martial arts is flexibility! This is because if your body is supple and flexible, you will be able to react to the opponents movements with a greater amount of speed!」

Whilst saying this, she lifts one of her own legs into the air, and she is able to make it touch her own nose. As expected, she has a really flexible body doesn’t she?………It would seem that I still have a long way to go.

「Now then, since we have finished the warm-up, should we lightly〜 begin some Sparring ?」

Half of the training time I have with Lydia is actually spent of warming up the body. She takes about 1 hour in order to deliberately perform calisthenics which has the purpose of loosening up the body whilst also intensifying concentration, only after this will the actual martial arts training begin.

「Start off slowly at first….Okay?」

Lydia was in a stance where, both of her hands and legs are in an open position, the body is turned sideways towards me, and her left hand was set up for defense and in a position to counter attack.

「Please come and attack whenever you feel like it. I will block all the attacks, so don’t worry」

I was trying to copy Lydia’s stance but compared to her it was completely obvious that my stance was that of an amateurs.

「—-Come」

Because injuring the other party is not the purpose of this exercise, none of us made any fists. Along with her words, I extended my open palm in a thrusting motion, but Lydia was able to use her left hand to easily block it. Twice, three times I struck out with my palm targeting her lower right and left but everything was nullified with her left hand.

「You are concentrating too much on where you are attacking」

Along with the sound of her words, her left hand flickers with lightning speed, and similar to a whip, it stopped right before my eyes, and…. Pechin! she suddenly flicked my forehead.

「Alright, first blow♪….Come now, let’s continue」

Laughing with a smile, Lydia rebuilds her fighting stance. I also reorganize my breath and retook my stance.

—Like this, we repeated this kind of exchange a few more times, and although I had become drenched in sweat, Lydia wasn’t even sweating one bit. Well I guess this is a natural thing, considering the fact that Lydia didn’t even have to use her right hand to nullify my attacks.

「Haah–Haah–……」

「Let’s end it here for today, shall we?」

I try to compose myself, as I looked up towards Lydia. Lydia seemed to be taking a playful stance whenever she spars with me, almost like she was having a little bit of fun. I could tell that compared to when she usually fights in real combat, I was not yet an adequate enough opponent to go up against her. Even though there was a clear difference in our martial abilities, and this was a natural thing, I didn’t like the fact that I was being underestimated.

「…….Umm, that is, could I ask you for one more round?」

「I don’t really mind it, but are you sure you aren’t overexerting yourself?」

「Well, Lydia seems to be taking a more easy going stance, I bet that you are going easy on me, right?」

「Muu…..Well, that is…..」

Lydia seemed to have a troubled expression, but I continued anyways.

「I want to go all out from here on out, do you mind it?」

As soon as I said this, Lydia’s expression changed a little, it kind of looked a little like when she was in actual combat.

「……….In that case, let’s see what you’ve got」

She immediately lowered her waist and her hands and feet are extended outwards. If you gave her the usual weapon she equipped which was the axe, then she would look like the Lydia in real combat. I guess this means that she is finally taking me seriously. I immediately chanted out Time Square, and black boots simultaneously.

「Black Boots Double」

My body was instantly enveloped in the power of the wind, Although I took my normal stance, in Lydia’s eyes, it probably looked like I was moving in fast-forward speed, her eyes were a little shocked as she stared at me in amazement.

「Ahaha♪ That’s cheating you know〜?」

「Well I am after all a magician. When a mage uses magic, what’s so unfair about that?」

「I guess you’ve got a point. ……..Moreover, it’s true that if it’s like this, it will become much more fun!♪」

「Here I come」

I kicked the ground and my body flew behind Lydia, I thrust my palms out to Lydia’s seemingly defenseless back, however I only hit the empty air. In the next instant, her long white arm twines around my right hand like a snake, I immediately attempt to counter by grasping on to her left hand. However her arm which I was supposed to grab, suddenly bends and weaves away. I move back and take a little bit of distance in order to rebuild my stance, Lydia was loosening her shoulders whilst she laughed. Since a little while ago, Lydia has only been using her left hand.

—Is she planning on using just her left arm until the end of our sparring session?

As soon as she rebuilt her stance, this time around I immediately charged at her from the front. My leg muscles had been reinforced with magic, so I instantaneously appeared before her, in order to push me aside, she launches her left palm, I immediately head butted her with all my strength and I received the blow directly to my face.

「Iih!?」

「Guooh…..!?」

I received the blow to my face before she completely extended her arms, so the power was halved, but even so it hurt like hell. Nevertheless Lydia was probably surprised at my unexpected counter attack, she let out a small moan, and her body was shifted out of position.

She swayed backwards and her feet shot upwards. And yet, Lydia’s balance did not break, she appeared to float in midair doing a single revolution before landing on her feet as she tried to distance herself from me.

As expected of her excellent sense of balance, however, I also predicted this much would happen. I immediately followed up with a forward dash and extended my palm towards Lydia who had just barely landed.

She tried to avoid my blow, but considering the fact that I was aiming directly at the center of her body, in addition to targeting her from behind, even though it was Lydia we were talking about here, it was unlikely that she could avoid the blow from such an angle. Lydia who had just barely landed from her midair flip tried to turn around, but it was too slow!

——Punyonnn〜

And my palm felt an extremely soft sensation. My finishing blow which was supposed to win the match actually sinked into Lydia’s breasts.

「Wai……」

Both of our movements stopped. Her composed look that she usual had completely disappeared, her face began to blush, as her body stiffened, but my hand isn’t brushed away. For a few seconds, we both just stood there in a daze, the thing that broke the atmosphere was the sound of the door opening to the backyard.

「Mou〜 Zeph I noticed you were going out at the same time every day, and it turns out that you were always going to Lydia’s place weren’t you?」 (Milly Speaking)

「I also really wanted Lydia-san to teach me martial arts, but it seems that you secretly asked her to teach you, that’s not fair….You know……?」 (Claude Speaking)

The moment Milly’s and Claude’s voices were heard, I was able to regain my composure somewhat. I instantly let go of my hand from her chest and it bounced back perkily, however the two girls who saw this scene suddenly lost their voice as time stopped once again.

「No…..You two, this is all just a misunderstanding. When people are sparring these kinds of things might happen sometimes」

I was flustered as I quickly thought of an explanation, and Claude replies to me with a smile.

「Th…..That’s true. If you do sparring, that kind of thing might happen, I suppose」

Although Claude was smiling as she talked, I felt like her smiling face was really scary, as she began to grasp the new sword she bought the other day and brandished it with her right hand.

…..However, Milly was one step ahead as she raised her hands towards me, and a light of magical energy was crackling in her hands, Claude who saw this was startled.

「Wait…..Milly-san, I think that will be going a little too far! This is after all Lydia’s home!?」

「Let go of me Claude! I definitely won’t forgive himmm!」

Claude reacted immediately and tries to hold Milly back. I also hold her back and try to soothe her. Although it was a little late, Lydia who had previously blanked out, was also trying to stop Milly.

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