**Chapter 72: Yuri vs. The Strongest of the Year**
“Next match… Knight Department Lyubase. Magic Department Yuri Cattleya! Step forward!”
Oddman announced the next match with a hint of tension in his voice. Stepping forward with a wooden sword in hand was Yuri, one of the few female students present and a classmate of the boys. On the other side stood her opponent, a man with dull gray hair tied back. Unlike most Knight Department students who sport short hair, his long bangs fell over his eyes.
“Lyubase… Could it be Wilhelm Lyubase?!”
“Do you know him, Ruid?”
Rest turned to Ruid, who had suddenly raised his voice. Ruid stared wide-eyed at Yuri’s opponent, explaining with a hint of awe.
“Yeah… He’s the top scorer of this year’s Knight Department. He even gave a speech at the entrance ceremony, remember?”
“Now that you mention it… I do recall seeing him there.”
Thanks to the mud-throwing incident, Rest had almost forgotten, but it was true that he had been one of the students standing on the stage during the entrance ceremony.
“Rumor has it that Lyubase defeated a current knight who was supervising the practical exam with his sword to pass. He may look disheveled with his long hair, but he’s undoubtedly the strongest man in this year’s Knight Department.”
“To think someone like that is Yuri’s opponent… They must be intent on taking her down here…”
From their earlier conversation, it was clear that Oddman, a teacher from the Knight Department, had received some sort of instruction and was determined to prevent Yuri from wielding her sword. It seemed he intended to defeat her in this match and exclude her from the ‘Swordsmanship’ class for the semester.
(Be careful… Yuri!)
As Rest silently prayed for his friend’s victory, Yuri faced her opponent with a cheerful demeanor.
“Wow, I’m so happy! I never thought I’d get to spar with the top scorer of the Knight Department!”
“……”
“I haven’t been able to properly learn swordsmanship due to my father’s educational policies. So, I would like to borrow your strength in this match!”
“Borrow my strength…?”
“Yes. I have no complaints about facing you. I look forward to it!”
“……”
Yuri spoke in her usual laid-back tone, but her opponent, Lyubase, remained mostly silent. He had a stoic demeanor, his unreadable expression betraying nothing.
“Then… let the match begin!”
“Yah!”
The moment the match started, Yuri kicked off the ground and leaped forward. She raised her sword high, aiming to strike down her opponent with a powerful swing.
“No way…!”
Rest couldn’t help but groan. Attacking with such a wide swing against a superior opponent was a rookie mistake. In close combat, one should observe the opponent’s movements, deliver smaller strikes, and wait for an opening to unleash a powerful attack.
“……”
Just as expected. Lyubase effortlessly sidestepped Yuri’s attack. In the aftermath of her swing, he could have delivered a counterattack…
“……”
But he didn’t. Instead, Lyubase silently leaped backward.
“Don’t let him escape!”
Yuri pursued the retreating Lyubase, her slender figure moving like a young sweetfish leaping over a river, swinging her sword as she chased after him.
“Yah! Hah! Toh!”
“……”
“Come on, hit him!”
“……”
“Hey! Hey! I’ve got an opening!”
Despite her shouts, there was no opening to be found. Lyubase dodged her attacks with graceful steps, as if he could see the future.
“……?”
“Hey! What’s going on? Who’s winning here?! Is Yuri in the lead?!”
Ruid squinted in confusion, seeking clarification from Rest, who was equally puzzled.
“Um… As you can see, Yuri is the one attacking. But she’s not in a favorable position at all. In fact, she could be hit at any moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“I… I don’t understand. Why isn’t that Lyubase guy counterattacking?”
That had been Rest’s lingering question. Lyubase had at least ten opportunities to strike back at Yuri, yet he had let every chance slip by. He would stare at Yuri with his bangs partially obscuring his eyes, then suddenly look away, only to glance back again… While dodging Yuri’s attacks with ample ease, he had yet to swing his sword even once.
“Hey, what are you doing?! Lyubase!”
Oddman, acting as the referee, was growing impatient.
“Finish her off already! What are you playing at…!”
It seemed there was a pressing reason for him to defeat Yuri, as he forgot his role as a neutral referee and raised his voice.
“Tch…”
Responding to Oddman’s command, Lyubase finally made a move to swing his sword.
“Is he coming?!”
Yuri hurriedly gripped her sword with both hands and raised it above her head to defend herself. That was a poor choice. She would likely fall for a feint and be struck from another direction.
“……”
However, Lyubase did not attack. He halted his sword just in time and leaped backward.
“Huh? Not coming?”
Yuri tilted her head, realizing that something was off about Lyubase’s behavior. Stopping his attack, she stared intently at her opponent’s face…
“……I concede. I surrender.”
For some reason, it was Lyubase who declared his defeat. He tossed aside his wooden sword and began to walk off the field.
“Wait… I won?”
“Did Cattleya-san really win? Against that Wilhelm Lyubase?!”
“No way! How could Lyubase lose?!”
The unexpected outcome left the students from the Magic Department bewildered, while the Knight Department students were equally confused and shouting.
“Hey, Lyubase! What’s going on?!”
And the one most shaken by the situation was Oddman.
“I told you to win against Cattleya! I won’t accept a surrender?!”
“……The match has been decided. I lost.”
“You haven’t even taken a hit yet! I won’t allow a surrender! Do you want to spend the rest of the semester just running laps?!”
Oddman threatened, but Lyubase seemed uninterested, casually saying, “I don’t care, that’s fine,” as he tried to leave.
“Wait! I’m not satisfied either!”
Even Yuri, who was supposed to be the victor, approached Lyubase.
“If it were a loss after a fair fight, I would gladly accept it, but there’s no reason for me to be handed a victory without a fight! Please, let’s spar again!”
“I don’t care… I’m not fighting you again.”
“Wait!”
Yuri grabbed Lyubase’s arm as he attempted to brush her off. Suddenly, he jerked away, jumping back in surprise.
“Huh…?”
“D-Don’t touch me!”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I said don’t touch me… Ugh, come on!”
Lyubase vigorously wiped his hand on his pants, as if he had touched something filthy. His reaction was exaggerated, as if he had encountered a piece of trash.
“Um… I’m sorry. Was I sweaty?”
“That’s not the point! You… you pervert!”
“P-pervert?”
“Because you were shaking your… your assets around during the match, I couldn’t concentrate at all! Ugh, this is why I hate women!”
“……”
The boy, supposedly the strongest of the first-year Knight Department, shouted with a voice full of tears. Everyone present was left dumbfounded, bewildered by the scene.
(Could it be… that he’s really weak against women?)
Whether he truly hated women or was just shy and inexperienced, it was unclear, but he might have been incredibly uncomfortable around them. Perhaps witnessing Yuri’s chest bouncing in her gym clothes during the match had left him unable to counterattack and forced him into a defensive position.
“I lost! That’s final! I’m never fighting you again!”
With a childlike shout, Lyubase fled the scene. Yuri, unable to chase after him, watched in wide-eyed surprise as her opponent ran away.