Chapter 3 The Spar begins.

After having lunch, Suzal decided to spend some time studying his books with a carefree attitude. He was engrossed in a book about magic and sword arts, but at the moment, his focus was on perfecting his swordsmanship. He was determined to win tomorrow's match.

After a substantial study session, he chose to take a leisurely stroll through the village to refresh himself. However, just as he closed the book, a knock at the door interrupted his plans. He wore a puzzled expression and said, "Please, come in."

Entering the room were a few familiar faces: his mother, Oliver, Oscar, Rachel, and Alden. Suzal couldn't help but wonder about their unexpected visit as he inquired, "Well, Mom, and all of you, including Oliver and Alden, is there something you need?" He pretended not to grasp their intentions fully.

His mother's voice trembled with concern as she asked, "We've discussed this before, but do you truly want to become an Adventurer? With your talents, you could pursue any profession."

Suzal responded confidently, "You don't need to worry. I've been strong since the age of three; imagine my capabilities as an adult."

"But..." his mother trailed off, struggling to accept her son's choice of becoming an Adventurer.

"Wait, Lily-san. Before you have a spar with your dad, let me test something. If my intuition is correct, everything will be fine," interjected Oliver, Oscar's father, who was responsible for the village's security. Suzal's mother voiced her concern, "He's just a child, Oliver. Are you really planning to test this on him?"

Oliver replied, "Yes, but don't worry. Your son possesses remarkable strength. I can sense it, and I'm sure you can too, Lily-san."

"Well, that's true. Fine, you may proceed with your test. But first, you three, please leave. You might not be able to handle this," she warned them.

Rachel, despite the tension in the room, asked, "If it's something my dad can't handle, how can he?"

Alden, responsible for the village's agricultural activities, explained, "Rachel, it's because this young lad has chosen a very dangerous profession for his future. He needs to confront it and show the resolve required. Come on, let's go; we're in the way."

Oscar added, "Good luck, Suzal," before leaving with the others. Finally, in his room, there remained only Suzal, Oliver, and his mother.

"So, what exactly is this 'that' you were talking about?" Suzal asked with curiosity.

"But first, tell me, are you prepared for anything? Do you have the resolve? Can you still motivate yourself to become an adventurer?" Oliver pressed him.

"Yes, I am," Suzal replied in a casual tone, surprising Oliver. He was sure that what he was about to do would test Suzal's determination and possibly make him reconsider his path.

"I see. You're quite determined, but you might not fully understand the world's ways," Oliver thought to himself as he decided to demonstrate why he was entrusted with the village's security and known as the second strongest person in the village. He intended to release a bit of his killer intent.

"Alright, you asked for it. Don't blame me if you get scared," he warned Suzal before releasing his killer intent. It was a skill obtained through a grim path-by taking someone's life. It involved holding the blood of a victim on one's hands, something Oliver had experienced due to his troubled past.

As he released his killer intent, he initially thought he had used too little of it, so he attempted to increase the intensity. However, Suzal remained unfazed. Oliver pushed harder, unwittingly releasing his killer intent to the maximum.

"H-Hey, Oliver... Stop it right now," Lily spoke, trembling in fear under the pressure of Oliver's intent. It took a moment for Oliver to realize that he couldn't increase it further, meaning Suzal had not been affected.

"Hey, Suzal. Did you really not feel anything when I did that?" Oliver asked, utterly astonished.

"Well, it's not entirely accurate to say I felt nothing. I did experience fear, but it wasn't overwhelming," Suzal replied, his mental fortitude impressively strong. They both left his room.

"Oliver, how much did you release?" Lily asked, her question carrying a subtle hint that Oliver easily understood.

"I released all of it. I pushed my killer intent to the maximum, thinking that the average amount wasn't working. But he managed to withstand it, which is quite amazing," Oliver explained.

"I see," Lily replied, her concern evident, despite her son's ability to withstand the killer intent.

"Regardless, what I'm sure of is that this kid is going to make one heck of an adventurer," Oliver said. Lily retorted that it didn't ease her worries and reminded him of the true horrors of choosing such a profession.

Afterwards, Suzal had dinner, but his father was notably absent. His mother once again urged him to reconsider his career choice, but he firmly declined, stating that he wouldn't change and was determined to win tomorrow's spar in his own way.

He went to sleep peacefully, woke up at his usual time the next morning, and did some workouts. He didn't need to do his usual daily chores today because it was a special day-one that would somewhat determine his future.

Suzal arrived at the venue he had been told about the previous day. It was a small stadium-like area in his village, and today, approximately 437 people had gathered to witness the spar between the village's strongest individual, who also happened to be their mayor-Seiryu Grafiel, Suzal's father.

Various murmurs filled the air:

"Do you think Suzal will be okay? Even if he's a genius, he's not even 4 years old."

"Yeah, there's no way he can win at his age."

"Haha! This kid is challenging Grafiel-san? He's a hundred years too early. He won't even put up a good fight."

These rumors only fueled Suzal's determination, angering him further. He firmly believed in the saying, "Before theorizing without information or data, it's a fundamental mistake," a concept he had read about in a book.

"Alright, everyone, it's a pleasure to have you all here as spectators for this exciting spar," the announcer declared, offering a warm welcome.

"So without further delay, let's begin this spar between father and son. The father is none other than Mayor Grafiel Seiryu himself, and the son is our friendly young master, Seiryu Suzal. Let's see what Suzal-kun has to offer. Referee Oliver-san, please start the match," the announcer instructed, turning to the referee.

Suzal and his father each held a wooden sword, designated for sparring within the village. They stood facing each other as Oliver, now the referee, set the ground rules, "Whenever I decide that one of you can't continue or gives up, the spar will end. Do both sides understand?"

Both Suzal and his father replied in agreement.

"Now then, begin."

In the first round, Suzal opted not to go on the offensive but instead assumed a defensive stance, taking a moment to assess his father's abilities. Several seconds passed without either of them making a move. Then, Grafiel began to advance toward his son.

The distance between them dwindled:

10 steps...

9 steps...

8 steps...

Suddenly, Grafiel dashed toward Suzal with astonishing speed, although it wasn't his full power, it was still comparable to the speed of professional athletes on Earth-just a level below superhuman. However, this speed posed no challenge for Suzal. At the last moment, he also dashed, gaining speed.

'What's this?' Grafiel wondered upon seeing his son's speed. He wanted to know the secret but had to focus on the match ahead. Grafiel initially aimed for Suzal's head with a straight slash but altered his sword's trajectory to target Suzal's leg.

Suzal anticipated this move, leaping to avoid the strike, and then swiftly directed his sword toward Grafiel's head. In a split second, Grafiel retreated swiftly, then dashed forward at nearly double the initial speed. Suzal, recognizing the dire situation, raced forward at a slightly faster pace than his father.

Both of them swung their swords from the right.

"Yaaaargh!"

Suzal screamed as he managed to deflect his father's sword with his own. Without any delay, he aimed for Grafiel's neck from that position, but Grafiel was much faster. He managed to block it. Nonetheless, due to the sheer power behind Grafiel's strike, Suzal was pushed back by a meter.

Suzal realized that his dad possessed strength far greater than his own, but Suzal didn't seem disappointed.

This time he dashed towards Grafiel and jumped and aimed for the head. But that was a feint. Then in the air he did a ridiculous thing. As his father tried to block the attack, he bended his body down in the air.

"Yaaaargh!!!"

Then he went for a stab in his Solar plexus with all strength he could muster. And it actually connected for a few time before Grafiel backed off while sensing the danger.

"Ugh." Grafiel felt a little pain due to the attack from his son.

As Suzal smirked, this annoyed his father. But that was just a way to distract him. Suzal swiftly stood from the ground and thrust his sword toward the joint of Grafiel's leg. Grafiel attempted to block it, but Suzal deftly slapped Grafiel's sword aside with his own, then launched a vertical strike. All Grafiel could do was block it.

Suzal continued his offensive with diagonal strikes, horizontal strikes, and vertical strikes. Grafiel found himself constantly on the defensive, and it was clear to onlookers that he was in a tight spot.

In this bout, Grafiel was undeniably stronger and faster than Suzal, but Suzal's technical skills were far superior. Additionally, Suzal's endurance levels were exceptional, even though he lacked in durability and raw strength.

This meant that despite Grafiel's advantages, he had been fighting without proper technique. Now, with Suzal's attacks becoming sharper, more precise, and heavier, both knew that the tide of the battle could shift. Suzal's victory depended on whether he could defeat his father with his techniques or if Grafiel could break Suzal's relentless assault and land a single decisive blow.