Is it wrong for slimes to be in dungeons? (revised)

Chapter 45: Skillful Escape

(Aiz POV)

It was a sudden shift. Something that I didn't quite understand the gravity of until we crossed our wooden swords once more.

I had thought I was used to fighting Sophia by now. That I could end it at any moment if I put in just a bit more effort.

And yet...This wasn't at all the same person I had been fighting just a few moments ago.

It was as if just as I was beginning to have a conversation, just as I was beginning to get acquainted with Sophia and her way of fighting—her way of living—she quietly took a step back into the shadows.

A place where she could quietly observe without being seen.  Where she could hide.

I stepped in and let loose a flurry of slashes and each one was parried or dodged with a level of swordsmanship that was absent moments before.

She made it seem effortless. She made no attempts to retreat or advance, she merely allowed me to swing my sword and responded in kind. Deflecting and parrying all of my blows. If before she was untouchable, now she'd be more of an impassable wall.

She felt significantly slower before but she made up for that with each small movement.

What is this? It almost feels like...Dainsleif...

Hegni, a dark elf of Freya familia, had the alias Dainsleif named after a spell of his that changed his personality. This caused his fighting style to change completely, but there was one thing I couldn't wrap my head around.

She feels...slower? Dainsleif, the spell, didn't affect one's status, only their mind. For her to have slowed down made no sense unless she suddenly decided to start holding back.

Not only that, but Dainself was a spell. Which meant, even if it was really short, that a chant to activate it would be necessary. Yet, no such chant had been spoken by Ms. Sophia as far as I could tell. She merely closed her eyes and the next moment her skill with the blade increased significantly at the cost of her speed.

Well that way I framed that made it seem simple, but given skill wasn't a stat that could be raised or changed by Falna it truly was an absurd thing to witness. And it wasn't just her skill, but rather her entire fighting style.

I tried to adapt by changing how I was fighting however...

"?!" The moment I tried to change my own pattern her own blade had found its way toward my face in an upward slash, almost as if it had been waiting for me to get impatient.

"Ngh!"

I dodged back, retreating for the first time since this exchange began.

But I felt a sudden jolt as I tried to pull away. Her free hand had grabbed the wrist of my sword hand as she stepped, in decreasing our distance.

I quickly broke the hold her hand had on me, I was level 6 after all.

In terms of status I held the advantage. Something that simple wouldn't hold me for anything more than a second.

No–under normal circumstances doing such a thing recklessly would just grant control to the one with a higher level.

But she had only done it for a moment.

In order to halt my complete retreat. I shook her off but the strength behind her grip had already dissipated, having served its purpose.

?!

It was at this moment that I understood the true purpose of the grab.

Her wooden sword was now inches away from my face.