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 81

Episode 81: “A Steadfast Will for My Insignificant Self”

The tournament arena was silent.

Everyone was completely absorbed in the battle between Keith and Maior.

When the warrior unleashed his first, full-force thrust, the audience had thought the match was already over.

That was how much faith they had in Keith—and how little expectation they had for Maior.

Some, however, offered Maior words of praise.

To have lasted this long despite drawing the wary attention of that warrior—perhaps she truly was worthy of being a special student.

But as Keith’s attacks continued—two, three strikes—and Maior still did not fall, murmurs spread through the crowd.

Maior’s movements could hardly be called refined. Her sword swings had flaws, and her angles of defense could be improved. In simple terms, she was inexperienced and clumsy.

And yet, her relentless struggle—her earnest will to somehow seize victory—held the audience captive.

Maior was completely focused.

Entrusting herself to her skill, she foresaw Keith’s movements and kept up with him.

But slowly, she was being pushed back.

The difference in their raw strength was beginning to show.

She had been waiting for the right moment to increase the output of her physical reinforcement, but Keith left no openings. At this rate, she would lose before she could play her trump card.

At some point, she would have to force her way forward.

Despite the fatigue of being on the defensive, Maior was experiencing an unusual sensation.

It was a quiet feeling, as if she were sinking slowly into a deep pond.

A vision surfaced in her mind—of herself merging, fusing completely with the skill that slumbered deep within her.

Now.

Maior was certain.

She activated her technique, unleashing her full physical power.

“【Mighty Strike】”

She was not the only one who had been waiting for this moment.

Keith activated his sub-skill as well—a variation of 【Swordsmanship】’s 【Mighty Blade】, but with greater enhancement over a shorter duration.

Keith tightened his grip on his halberd, preparing a straight thrust toward Maior.

Maior, too, clenched his sword and charged directly at Keith.

For the first time in this match, both fighters would unleash their full power against each other.

“A steadfast will for my insignificant self.”

Maior poured her wish into her skill.

Her concentration deepened even further, until all sound disappeared.

At the edge of oblivion, a new door opened.

She could clearly see the exact trajectory Keith’s halberd was about to take.

She adjusted his movements to avoid that beautiful arc—placing everything she had into her sword strike.

“No regrets.”

Maior felt it unconsciously.

She was delivering the best slash of her life.

If she kept going like this, she would cut Keith down.

But at that moment—

The trajectory she had seen twisted unnaturally.

Keith had altered the angle of his thrust in response to Maior’s movement.

To be able to do something like that in high-speed combat—

Keith really was strong.

A strangely carefree thought passed through Maior’s mind.

The halberd, which he had just evaded, was now swinging toward her from the side.

She had no means left to dodge it.

So, to minimize her injuries, she relaxed his body and surrendered herself to the attack.

Just before impact, the halberd’s movement slowed.

Perhaps Keith had held back.

But a direct hit was inevitable.

The halberd struck Maior’s side, and her body was sent flying.

“Ah… I lost.”

Drifting through the air like a falling leaf, Maior could still see Keith.

Keith remained alert, watching her intently.

Even if Maior could attack now, Keith would surely handle it with ease.

“I really couldn’t win, huh?”

Then, as she fell into unconsciousness, an unexpected voice echoed in her mind.

[ Level 3 reached. 【Shared Vision】 unlocked. Physical abilities greatly increased. Mana greatly increased. Sub-skill 【Foresight】 acquired.]

And with that, Maior lost consciousness.

Later, Maior learned from Plautia that just before she hit the ground, Keith had caught her and personally carried her to the infirmary with great care.

She had only been unconscious for a short while—

But by the time she awoke, the finals had already ended.

The winner—was Keith.

It seemed that after exhausting everything in his battle against Fabius, Pulcher had no way to stand against Keith and was defeated in an instant.

Because of that, Plautia mentioned that Maior’s standing would likely rise in comparison.

Having suddenly lost consciousness after being in deep concentration, Maior’s mind was still sluggish.

But there was something she had to tell Plautia right away—something she couldn’t keep to herself.

After making sure no one else was nearby, she leaned in close and whispered into Plautia’s ear.

“Plautia, I reached Level 3.”

Plautia stared intently at Maior’s face for a moment, then turned her ear toward her again.

Maybe she thought she had misheard.

“I leveled up. Even though I lost.”

At those words, Plautia once again looked at Maior.

Then, all of a sudden, she flailed about in a panic, glancing around nervously as she blurted out—

“Hawawawawa!”

Her reaction was so endearing that Maior couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing Maior laugh, Plautia let out a bright laugh of her own.

Then, she pulled Maior into a tight hug and whispered in her ear—

“Maior-chan, congratulations. I’m so happy to see the efforts of someone who works so hard bear fruit.”

Before she knew it, tears were spilling from Maior’s eyes.

Seeing that, tears began to well up in Plautia’s eyes as well.

“We’re going to become even more amazing.”

That moment, with those words from Plautia, was etched deeply into Maior’s heart.

………….

A few days later, as Secunda was walking through the school building, an unusual man called out to her.

“Secunda, I have a request.”

He spoke in a low voice.

“Oh my, how rare. You, asking for a favor?”

The man looked as if he had heard something unexpected.

“Lately, everything’s been full of surprises. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you fight with such excitement.”

Secunda and the man were from the same homeland.

They weren’t particularly close, but they had known each other well since childhood.

“I can more or less guess what you want, but go ahead and tell me.”

The man stated his request, then briskly walked off somewhere.

“That was the face of someone who’s gotten a taste for something.”

But the matter interested Secunda as well.

That child had far too many secrets.

It seemed as if there were no deceptions, yet the most crucial pieces of information were always missing.

“I can’t afford to fall behind either.”

With that, Secunda, too, strode toward the arena.