I Will Be Unrivaled With The Skill [Sewing]! They Said It Was A Bad Skill, But With Effort, I will Make It A Hit~ - Chapter 80

TLN: Keith -> Keith

Episode 80: Maior vs. Keith

The early stage of the battle was a cautious exchange.

Both fighters maintained a defensive stance, carefully observing each other’s movements.

Maior had intended to fight this way from the beginning, but she was surprised that Keith was not being more aggressive.

She had hoped for Keith to attack first—it would have been more convenient. Perhaps Keith had realized that Maior’s previous victories were not mere coincidences.

“The warrior is being unusually cautious.”
“Normally, he just forces his way through with sheer strength.”
“Is Maior-chan really that formidable an opponent?”

The students exchanged words as they watched.

Many believed that Keith’s strength lay in his bold advances and his skill in making reckless attacks succeed. Those cheering for him hoped for a swift conclusion.

Yet, some voiced a different perspective.

“No, the warrior often assesses his opponent when facing a strong enemy. He once said, ‘I don’t attack because I want to—I attack because I know I can.'”
“I see. So, he must think it’s not the right time yet.”
“That might be the case.”

As time passed, the spectators’ perception of Maior began to shift.

However, no matter how they looked at it, she still did not appear to possess the power to threaten Keith.

Maior was using 【Detection】 to observe Keith’s movements.

By tracking the flow of magic, she could see that Keith had mastered his skills. With overwhelming precision, Keith moved his magical energy to the right places, reinforcing his body. At times, the energy flowed into his halberd, indicating he could also enhance his weapon. No wonder he was so strong.

His ability to wield various weapons and his refined techniques made it clear why some students revered him.

Meanwhile, Maior was also using a body-enhancing technique.

He could still increase his output, but he held back, resisting the urge to attack hastily.

Recognizing her own lack of refinement, she reserved her maximum power for decisive moments—just one or two strikes. This often caught opponents off guard, causing them to falter, while to the audience, it appeared as if she had simply landed a lucky hit.

A few skilled fighters, including Keith, had noticed that Maior was executing her techniques deliberately.

However, they were not the kind of opponents who could be defeated by technique alone.

That was precisely why Keith remained wary.

He had heard that Maior’s skill was called 【Detection】—yet, something about it defied explanation.

Seneca, who was in the same party as Maior, had used her skill 【Sewing】 in an unexpected way to achieve results.

Fusus, who had lost to Plautia, was in the same party as Keith. Given these circumstances, it was only natural for Keith to be cautious of Maior.

As they inched closer, both warriors studied each other’s movements.

Though they had exchanged several blows, neither had gone all out.

Even so, Maior could feel the sheer weight of Keith’s attacks.

A single opening would allow Keith to overwhelm her completely. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

The audience grew restless watching the two fighters hold back from a full confrontation.

Keith remained indifferent, but Maior could feel the pressure mounting.

Keith’s presence alone was imposing enough. If Maior lost focus, fear would creep in, leading to weak, ineffective strikes.

The biggest factor behind Maior’s victories so far was the way she had cultivated a sense of entrusting herself to her skill.

Ever since her training with Teritia, she had noticed his instincts sharpening.

At first, she dismissed it as mere coincidence, but gradually, she began to experience it more frequently.

Looking back and analyzing it, she realized that these instincts always surfaced when she was using her skill.

It didn’t take long for her to conclude that this might also be part of the skill’s ability.

But even if it was, intuition was still just intuition.

Relying on an unfounded sense of direction was terrifying—especially in battles where her life was at stake.

Maior had been trying to master her skill as one would hone a blade.

【Detection】 was a good skill.

So whenever things didn’t go well, she always blamed herself for not using it properly.

She often reflected on her shortcomings.

Yet, a skill was both a tool and a personal ability.

When she realized this, it was as if a light had switched on in her mind.

When things went well, she credited the skill.

When things went wrong, she blamed herself.

That unconscious mindset had taken root within her without her even realizing it.

Believing in a skill—perhaps that is the same as believing in oneself.

What reason was there to hesitate in believing in oneself?

Once Maior became conscious of this idea, things changed quickly. With Seneca’s help, she gradually became accustomed to entrusting herself to her instincts.

Though her approach to her skill had changed, she had not stopped analyzing the flow of battle. Using 【Trajectory】, she continued to gather information comprehensively. However, for the final decision, she chose to rely on the intuition that flowed from her skill.

When she entrusted herself to her skill, a strange change occurred. The persistent self-doubt that had plagued her no longer surfaced as strongly.

After all, her skill was a part of her.

To trust in her skill was to trust in herself.

Suddenly, Keith’s footwork became sharper.

Maior barely managed to evade the attack.

It’s finally here, she thought.

Up until now, Keith had been observing, but he must have reached a conclusion from Maior’s movements.

Maior was predicting her opponent’s actions and moving accordingly.

To the enemy, it must have felt as if they were always a fraction of a second too late, making it difficult to execute their techniques or attack comfortably.

The same applied to defense—opponents would find themselves unable to act as they intended.

It was only natural that fighting Maior felt frustrating.

Because she could read their actions, their chosen path was already blocked the moment they began to move.

So then, how does one deal with such an opponent?

The answer was simple: move with the assumption of being read and attack in a way that cannot be defended against, even if it is anticipated.

In a mock battle with Seneca, she had won by forcing Maior into a state where she could not respond.

Keith must have reached the same conclusion.

As if to say he didn’t care about being read, he launched a series of fast and razor-sharp attacks.

Against such an opponent, Maior had only two options: either unleash a technique that could break through even when cornered, or read further ahead to anticipate the next development.

She had to avoid situations that led to a dead end while fending off Keith’s powerful attacks.

Every single strike posed a threat.

The fear made her want to retreat into a defensive stance, but she continued to accept the insights provided by her skill.

By facing strong opponents in the martial tournament, Maior had grown. Her movements became more refined, and her trust in her skill deepened. These were things she could only gain by being pushed to the limit.

Even now, as Keith relentlessly pressed forward, Maior was evolving at an accelerated rate.

“If only we could keep fighting like this forever—without victory or defeat.”

That was what Maior thought.

But she also knew—there was no such battle.

The moment of conclusion was near.