Volume 1 Chapter 43 Genderbend Female Knight, Fighting The Wandering Knight
"That's really great, Kamitafira."
"That knight named François, was he pretty strong?"
Gustavo and Clarissa, the couple, asked Eleonora and answered while shrugging their shoulders.
"He's the strongest of everyone I've fought so far. People who tried to defend against him got knocked down, but he uses magic in a smooth, flowing way and sends it back."
"It's probably better not to underestimate someone from a lower noble family, huh?"
"But since she beat such a strong opponent, isn't everything okay now?"
Gustavo answered Clarissa.
"No, that's not true. Next, Kamitafira will fight Albrecht zu Reionburg. He's a tough competitor who wins tournaments all over the place."
"If she beat him, her last opponent will be the leader of the Royal Guard Knight Order."
Clarissa covered her mouth with her hand after hearing that.
"Can you really win?"
Vittoria called out from the waiting room entrance, with Italy and Theodore beside her.
"I want the prize money, so I'll beat everyone."
"This is about honor, Kamitafira."
"I know! But three hundred gold coins! That's 50 years of taxes! I must win for the people in our area!"
"By the way, I heard there are warhorses too."
"I can't keep them, so I'll sell them."
When Eleonora firmly answered Italy's unsure question, she felt more determined and took a deep breath.
"Well, it's time. I'm going."
The five people watched Eleonora walk confidently, then muttered to themselves.
"Is she really a knight?"
* * *
"Everyone! Sorry for the wait. The semifinals feature the tournament troublemaker Albrecht zu Reionburg and the tournament's star, the proposer Eleonora di Kamitafira!"
Cheers rose, and those betting shouted loudly.
(He's lightly dressed, with chainmail and armor underneath. His weapons are two daggers...)
Watching Albrecht, it was clear he moved very quickly.
The weapons were a regular dagger and a stiletto, both made for stabbing, but they were blunt, and the stiletto was just a plain iron rod, not sharp.
(If it gets close, it'll be a problem.)
She held her longsword tightly and thought about what to do.
First, her sword is longer, so she need to keep her distance to use that advantage.
If he gets close, in a real fight, she'd drop the sword and use her fists, but in this tournament, letting go of the weapon means losing.
Still, two daggers can't stop a longsword.
Fight normally, win normally... If that were easy, no one would struggle, and he wouldn't be called a tournament wrecker.
(He focuses on stabbing, huh? After he swings, I'll dodge and rushes in.)
The plan is set; she'll adjust during the fight.
The bell rang, and Albrecht quickly tried to get close to Eleonora, but she kept him away with quick stabs.
Stopping to fight was risky, but she thought blocking was better than chasing someone faster than her.
(He's fast, as expected. Does he usually use speed and poisoned daggers?)
She thought about how to fight him and tried to guess his moves. Against someone tough like her, he'd probably use poison.
But the tournament gives fake items, so no need to worry. With that in mind, Eleonora's goal is clear.
(I need to stop his legs.)
With her plan decided, Eleonora moved to close the distance for the first time.
She might not be as powerful, but she had more stamina, so there was only one thing to do.
Keep chasing without stopping and strike when he gets tired.
After all, it's a simple fight, so trying complicated moves is pointless. If she lost a point before that, it would be wasted.
"Can you follow my speed?"
Albrecht muttered softly, then sped up, trying to get away from Eleonora.
But she didn't care; she wanted to tire him out, and if he got tired from running, the distance didn't matter.
She kept chasing, repeating the cycle of pursuit and retreat. She wondered how much time had passed.
At least by the time boos from the audience began to rise, the situation shifted.
Not missing the moment Albrecht's fleeing steps slowed, Eleonora powerfully kicked off the ground.
Albrecht dodged her horizontally swung longsword by lowering his head and countered with a roundhouse kick.
The kick landed on Eleonora's abdomen, protected by leather armor and hardened abs, leaving Albrecht confused by its hardness, unlike ordinary soil. He tried to use the recoil to create distance, but Eleonora's knee slammed into his extended leg.
It struck his left heel, and an unpleasant *crack* echoed inside Albrecht's boot.
"Guh!"
"Looks like I finally disabled your legs. I've been playing your style until now. From here on, you'll play mine."
Eleonora spun her longsword and held it vertically beside her face. Albrecht silently thrust his stiletto at her.
His rapid one-handed strikes were all intercepted before reaching Eleonora, and eventually, the stiletto was knocked from his hand, falling to the ground.
He still held a dagger in his other hand, so he wasn't disqualified, but it was primarily a defensive weapon.
Effectively, his combat capability was lost.
Thus, Albrecht chose to close the distance again.
Protecting his injured left side, he stepped in with his right foot and leaped forward, but Eleonora countered with a slash. Albrecht awkwardly dodged, tumbling to avoid it.
However, with his mobility completely compromised, Eleonora's stamp came flying toward him.
Aiming for his left leg, she completely crushed Albrecht's foot, which had exposed a momentary opening during his evasion.
"───!!"
Albrecht tried to sweep Eleonora's leg with his right foot while biting back a scream, but she caught it firmly, gripping his ankle.
"If you give up, I'll spare your right leg."
"..."
As Eleonora's left hand slowly tightened its grip, Albrecht spoke in a faint voice.
"...I forfeit. Call the priest."
"He's surrendering!"
With those words, Eleonora's advancement to the finals was confirmed, and Albrecht received healing miracles from the priest and deacon.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!