tbate | The Storm Gods Chosen [Dropped]

Ch 126 Day at the Wall

A/N late upload I know but I didn't want this date to be the same as the one in the novel and writers block and school have been kicking my ass.

Thank you to SleepyWalkerYN, VIIIhmmmm, Dark_Descendant, and Absaarali for helping plot, and beata read this chapter, and make sure my grammar isn't worse than Dicathen-Slanderer like they normally do.

(P.S chill me and him know each other so dont report me for roasting him lmao)

Arthur Leywin Pov:

"Your movements are too stiff," I reprimanded as I thrust the pommel of my sword into my opponent's wrist. "You need to loosen your shoulders and wrists until the last moments of your swing. If you can't do that, the sword you're using is too big for you."

The sharpened longsword clattered on the ground as the young soldier shook his armoured hand with a grimace. "Thank you for the advice."

"Next!" I called out to the few dozen soldiers standing in line a few yards in front of me.

A burly woman clad fully in plate armour, holding a buckler in one hand and a shortsword in the other, walked up and dipped her head before getting into a stance.

A dense layer of mana enveloped her body while tendrils of wind swirled around her blade.

"Same rules apply," I said, raising Dawn's Ballad at the woman, the lighter colours snaking across the reforged blade glinting in the sunlight. "Attack me with the intent to kill."

Any sort of hesitation had been wiped clean on the armour-clad brunette's face, after watching her predecessors fail in even touching a hair on the fur-lined mantle that I hadn't bothered to remove.

With a determined nod, she dashed forth with a tremendous amount of speed for someone weighed down by a full set of armour, excluding Alexander. She attacked with a simple horizontal swing, the reach of her blade extended by the wind magic imbued within the weapon.

Rather than dodging, I parried, deflecting her sword upwards which opened up her defence enough for me to fit an open palm into her chest.

The woman was quick enough to raise her buckler in time to block my strike, but she still ended up stumbling back a few steps.

I let out a sigh. "If you're already hesitating, this match is over."

"I'm not sure what you mean, General. I was able to block your counter successfully!" the woman responded, her brows scrunched together.

"It doesn't matter. Even if you had landed that initial slash on me, it would've barely made a scratch on an augmenter or a mana beast."

Anticipating her question, I went on. "Why? Because your weight was already on your back leg before you even swung."

"Again."

She approached me once more, this time with careful steps. With a sudden stamp of her feet, she advanced with a lunge, extending her blade's reach once again.

I dodged with a simple sway of my head but by that time, the armour-clad soldier had already reeled back her sword. The stab I had expected was a feint to bash me with her buckler.

Letting the full force of her buckler hit my arm and lift me off my feet, I tried to see what she'd do but rather than continue her assault, she stepped back and raised her guard.

"Why did you stop?" I asked, dusting off my mantle. "You had me in the air where I'd be more vulnerable. You have your armour and buckler to make up for small mistakes."