"I gave you a sucker punch, so I will let you move first," Astre said, confident in winning this duel.
Colt didn't object. It was a great opportunity. So, he jumped forward, closing the distance in less than a second.
Astre seemed surprised, but not to the extent that he couldn't defend against the following swing.
Colt calculated the difference between them, but Astre was stronger than him in every aspect. Especially his physique... It had been forged far beyond Colt's current body..
How, though? Did he hide how he trained from me? Or was it so dangerous that he didn't want me to train like him?
But dwelling on that wouldn't help him survive. Colt had won against stronger opponents before. And there was still one thing he was better at, experience...
He had fought many more battles than the now 15-year-old Astre.
He adjusted instantly. Fighting raw strength required a different rhythm than fighting experience.
As Colt gauged the rhythm between them, their blades kept meeting.
Every time their swords touched each other, Colt felt a phantom pain. It was the pain he felt when he had clashed swords with his father before regressing.
The broken hand was fixed since his body also regressed. But the phantom pain was there.
It caused his grip to falter for a fraction after each time their swords met.
I need to get rid of it. He wasn't fighting against the Hero anymore. He was fighting against a much weaker boy.
And it was time to use some tactics. He went for the simplest feint he knew. After the next clash, Colt raised his sword and held half a beat longer before swinging it.
It was the simplest, but one of the most effective feints. And it worked—though only by a hair.
Astre swung his own sword to counter Colt's. But he immediately realized his sword fell early. So, instead of running back or trying to raise his sword back up for another swing, he performed a swing from down to top.
It wasn't as strong as his normal swing, but it saved his life.
Colt was flabbergasted by the speed at which he calculated the next attack after seeing a feint, presumably for the first time.
Also, a streak of phantom pain shot up his wrist again, sharp enough to blur his vision for half a heartbeat. His blade dipped, ruining his angle.
As if it wasn't enough, Astre even counterattacked with a sideways swing. Colt's instincts, which didn't seem to have atrophied, took over.
He stepped in for a counter, but his shorter reach betrayed him. The blade cut through empty air.
This was what he had realized after touching the sword before the fight.
And his weakened grip and slower swings made the truth unavoidable—he was far weaker than before.
This was obvious since, besides the system reset, his body had also regressed, losing 23 years of training.
Also, the body he was used to had changed. Colt was on the longer side at 1.86 meters. But he was obviously shorter at this age. This included his arm's reach and his center of gravity.
So, in return, he received a small cut on his shoulder. Though it wasn't serious, it was unnerving.
His hand tingled, almost buzzing, as if something under his skin wanted to react. But he ignored the sensation.
So much for feints. They don't do shit against him.
As if on cue, Astre also had something to say. "I see... You can trick stronger opponents with those kinds of moves, huh? Not that I will need them. My strength will be enough to beat my enemies. But we have a bigger issue here..."
Colt frowned. He didn't know what his father could deduce from just clashing swords. "What might that be?" he asked as if he didn't care.
Astre smiled. "You are in front of me. You are fighting against me. But it feels like you are fighting against someone else. Someone stronger."
His breath caught, and his grip on his sword stiffened, but his face showed no change. "I don't think I understand."
Astre's smile deepened. "You have fought against someone stronger, didn't you? But your moves aren't familiar to me. If you were located in a place where such strong opponents can be found, I would know your fighting style."
For all his childish arrogance, Astre's instincts in a fight were terrifyingly sharp. Still, Colt focused on the "your moves aren't familiar to me" part rather than the rest.
These are what you taught me. How could they be unfamiliar?
He was still questioning if this boy wasn't really his father. But surely he was. Then, how come he had a different style?
Colt had also realized that this Astre didn't fight like his father. Of course, the boy in front of him was more similar to the last time he saw and fought against his father.
But there was no way for Colt to know how his father fought. He was so strong that he didn't need such things as swordsmanship against Colt.
Also, it was really hard for a swordsman to change their swordsmanship after the age of 15. And even if they achieved, it would leave a trace. So, Astre should have known this was his swordsmanship.
Ahhh! I can't understand anymore. I will only focus on what is in front of me now.
"I don't know what you are trying to get at, but I think it is time we get serious," Colt said. This had obviously been a warm-up. They hadn't used their real powers yet.