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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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These guys were clearly inexperienced fighting someone my size. Their lower center of gravity threw off their technique, a common mistake among freshmen. Insulting, but advantageous.
“Two Swordsmanship Club members down already…!”
“Are they even trying?”
“Push him! Surround him!”
“No! Stay back!”
The newspaper club members, panicked by the swift defeat of two of their guards, charged, disrupting the Swordsmanship Club’s flanking maneuver.
This just got easier.
Their encirclement crumbled.
-Slice!
“Agh!”
-Slice!
“Aagh! My leg!”
Chaos erupted. The untrained newspaper club members, rushing at me from all directions, were easy targets. One by one, they fell, their legs sliced as they entered my range. They became obstacles for their own comrades, making it even easier for me to harvest ankles.
The Swordsmanship Club members, caught in the melee, couldn’t swing their swords without hitting their own allies.
“You… you idiots! What are you doing?!”
One of them yelled, his face red with anger, but the newspaper club members were too focused on me to listen.
“Distracted, are we?”
-Slice!
“Agh!”
I seized the opportunity, taking down another Swordsmanship Club member. He was too careless, even in this chaotic situation.
“He’s… good. I understand why Lemnos lost.”
The last remaining Swordsmanship Club member, surveying the carnage, was sweating profusely.
“Better than your leader, wouldn’t you say?”
“What?! How dare you insult the leader!”
He lunged, aiming for my torso. Should I parry and riposte? No. I didn’t trust the crossguard of this borrowed sword. It might break.
I’ll push through.
-Clang!
Sparks flew as our blades collided. His downward swing was blocked. Our swords locked, a test of strength. A smirk spread across his face. He thought he had the advantage now, our blades locked, his larger frame towering over me. He probably thought he could simply overpower me with his weight…
Not this time.
“Ugh? He’s strong…!”
His expression contorted as I pushed back, refusing to yield. He was nearly twice my size, yet he couldn’t overpower me. I pushed harder, sending him flying backwards.
“Aagh!”
-Crash!
He crashed through the editor-in-chief’s door, splintering the wood. The editor-in-chief, whom they claimed was unavailable, sat calmly sipping tea.
That smug bastard…
“You publish this garbage and hire these weaklings as guards? You’ve got guts!”
“You… how dare you…!”
A guard, presumably, drew his sword, ready to attack.
“Put it down. I’ll take your arm if you raise it.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes. I am.”
I adjusted my grip on the longsword. I’d make good on my threat.
“Enough.”
The guard lowered his sword. The editor-in-chief had stopped him.
“My… the Swordsmanship Research Club members are all down… Hera will be furious.”
He continued sipping his tea, seemingly unfazed by the destruction of his office. Where did this calmness come from? His guard? His position? Or his title?
“Gah?!”
He flew backwards, my fist connecting with his face. His smugness irritated me.
“A rather… forceful greeting…”
I grabbed him by the collar, lifting him slightly. He gave a pained smile.
“You… you insolent…!”
The guard, having missed my attack, drew his sword again. His master was struggling to comprehend the situation, and this idiot was rushing in blindly.
-Slice!
His sword clattered to the floor, along with his hands.
“You…!”
Malcolm gasped. Blood spurted from the guard’s severed wrists. The guard, stunned, stared at his missing hands, unable to scream.
“I haven’t received an answer yet. I’ll ask again. Will you issue a retraction?”
A voice, trembling, called out from the doorway.
“I-is this the newspaper club…?”
We all turned, startled. A girl stood in the doorway, her eyes squeezed shut, her face flushed, shouting at the top of her lungs.
“What… what is the meaning of this…?! Atlas did not cheat! This… this false reporting is unacceptable… as a Five Pillar… I won’t tolerate it…!”
Her words, though slightly stuttered, were clear and firm.
“Russell?”
“Huh…?”
She opened her eyes, and our gazes met. Lucia Russell.
“Oh… uh… This is… the newspaper club… right…?”
She finally noticed the state of the office.
“How…?”
Malcolm’s face contorted again. One of the Five Pillars, Russell of the Rock, had come to my defense.
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