I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy [On Hold]

Chapter 14: Angry (3)

Not long after, Theo's duel with Irene came to an end.

Of course, Theo had lost.

Theo gripped his thighs with both hands, supporting his nearly collapsing body as he took in ragged breaths.

'What a hopeless case.'

Just ten minutes ago, he thought he had a chance, but that was only his own delusion.

His wooden sword didn't even graze Irene's clothing. More despairing was the fact that she only went on the defense.

"Huuu..."

Irene probably didn't use even 10% of her true strength.

Stats and traits are important, but they're not everything. Irene's swordsmanship was that outstanding.

While it didn't feel as explosively forceful as Noctar wielding an axe, she easily deflected all of his critical attacks.

He truly felt the presence of an insurmountable wall.

******

Irene sneaked a peek at Theo.

Drenched in sweat, he hung his head, catching his breath.

His soaked training clothes clung to his body, revealing his lean and toned physique.

'Ah, ugh...'

Irene felt her face heat up and quickly looked at the ground.

'But apart from his naivety, he's actually quite decent.'

Though she didn't show it on the surface, Irene was quite surprised. Theo was stronger than she had imagined.

If someone were to name the two most important aspects of close combat, most would choose physicality and technique.

Theo's physicality was exceptional. The force he conveyed with his wooden sword was not to be underestimated.

At that level, he would definitely be in the upper ranks of the knight department. In the hero department, filled with geniuses, he would at least be in the middle.

'His momentum was impressive, and he knew how to use a few techniques.'

Although crude, he knew how to execute the techniques.

Irene's family, the Aslans, was a prestigious knight family. She had grown up watching and learning from renowned knights.

She knew there were many people at Elinia Academy stronger than herself, but in terms of swordsmanship alone, she was confident she wouldn't lose to anyone.

After all, she was the top of her class. Not only was she skilled in practical combat, but she also excelled in theory, so it didn't take long for her to identify Theo's weaknesses.

'Then what he needs now is...'

To increase the proficiency of the few techniques he could currently use, albeit crudely. If he could improve in this area, his skills would rapidly rise.

Expanding his repertoire of techniques would also be important, but that could come later.

Theo was not a genius. He needed to take things step by step, starting with what he could do and what was easy.

With her thoughts organized, Irene spoke.

"I'll be honest."

"I appreciate that."

"To be frank, you're better than I expected. Your body is almost fully trained. You just need to keep learning and practicing techniques. Of course, it would be more efficient to master the techniques you can already use."