"Subaru, are you up for a spar with me?" Julius asked his friend.
"Huh? What brought this on anyway?" Subaru answered with his own question, confused as to why his friend suddenly want to spar with him.
"Wait, are you going for a repeat of the Royal selectio-" And was cut off, not finishing his thoughts.
"Of course not, that was a special circumstances!" Julius exclaimed.
"Still, I know that you have been training since then. Of course, since the spar was my request, you can choose any type of weapon that we would use." He continued on.
Julius honestly that this fight will go on way better than the last time they fought. He had heard that Subaru was training hard everyday and was becoming a rather formidable opponent. This friendly spar will judge how high he is on the power list.
"Hoh, I see. Then this great Natsuki Subaru will accept it! I will even go as far as to suggest that we would be using sword as our weapon." Subaru said with a smile.
It was a rather good day for him. The moment he wokes up, he was greeted by his adorable contracted spirit. It was pretty rare occasion as his Beako was still asleep at the time.
Thus, he decides to continue on cuddling her for a few minutes until he had to woke her up. After her eventual awakening from his bed, he did his morning routine.
It was after breakfast that a carriage that hold Anatasia Hoshin and Julius arrives at the mansion. He, and everyone else in the Emilia camp was confused as to why they came there. However, they quickly explained that Anatasia merely want to talk with Emilia-Tan about their alliances.
His hidden friend, Julius Juuklius, was naturaly there as her knight. Of course, that was not the end of it. After they catch up for a while, Julius suddenly decides to ask him for a friendly spar.
To be fair, his secret fear of sparring against Julius was a bit reasonable. However, that didn't stop him as he even request that they would use the same kind of weapon that they used on the day he was beaten on the Royal Election.
That weapon was sword. They would not use a real sword for obvious reason, yet, even a wooden sword hit hard with Julius strength and skill.
So, why is Natsuki Subaru so confident on using sword to spar against him, even though his main weapon that he trained on is a Whip?
That's because he's not. He knew, he would most likely lose here. However, it fill him with a weird feeling if he were to use a Whip and Julius was to do the same. Julius was probably less skilled with a Whip, thus will not fight with his full power.
Of course, Subaru himself will also not be fighting at full potential, but it's better that he was on the handicap rather than Julius. After all this months, he really want to see how far he would go against an almost full powered Julius.
Maybe his lack of skills with a sword would hinder his fight, maybe his rather strong body will compensate for that. Either way, he would want to fight him first for that.
Weirdly enough, even though he was the one being asked for a spar, he feel like he is more excited for it than Julius is. And since Julius is also very excited for their fight, that's saying something.
For now, he will focus on the matter at hand.
"You accepted? Than, we should go somewhere where we can fight." Julius said, returning the smile.
After going on for some rules, both knights stand on the opposite end on some space of the large front yard. They were both given a wooden sword each, now, they were staring each other down. With the audience being Subaru's Beatrice, Rem and Ram.
Rem and Ram's work would mostly be around on the afternoon, thus they will be able to watch the duels between the two knights.
"Since it was your decision, I rather would not like to questions it, but are you really sure on using a sword? Aren't you most proficient on using your Whip?" Julius asked, confused as to why his friend would choose to use a weapon he was not very skilled at.
"It's nothing more than to satisfy my curiosity. It's been a while since we fought, so I was wondering on how we would far on our most bare state. And that was on using sword like last time." Subaru answered.
"I see, then. Hope that the best of us will win." Julius said with resolve, now picking up his sword.
"Sure, the greatest Knight." Subaru lightly teased him for the last time before the sparring start. Seeing that Julius is picking up the sword, he start doing the same thing.
"Same feeling..." Subaru murmured.
Even during his fight against Julius during the Royal Election, he feels a weird feeling inside him when wielding a sword. That feeling appear every single time he was wielding a sword. No matter how feint it is, it's always there.
He know that it's not normal for him to be feeling that, as evident of him not feeling anything like that when wielding a Whip or any other weapons for that matter. But, he didn't know what it was, so, he just shrugged it off as him having a miniscule amount of talent in using a sword. Even though he know that it was not the case.
He know that his way of using sword was wrong, at least, the way that he was using the sword that he was using at the time. Even though it was like that, he was not able to know enough to properly use the sword. He was only able to know of his wrongdoing, not the way to fix it.
Thus, he decides to train in the way of the Whip, becaus he decides to be a coward and that training in the way of the Sword will never be enough for him. That he would never be able to properly uses it, even though he tries so hard to do so.
Yet, this time it was different. The feeling was stronger. The way to use a sword was insticly known to Natsuki Subaru. The feeling that helps him out long ago against the same person he was up to now, was stronger than ever.
Thus, he will now be able to use it on its full potential and fend of against even the Greatest Knight.
"We'll start in the count to 10." Julius said. Natuski Subaru acknowledges it by nodding.
"Subaru! Win this for Betty! I suppose!" Even though she said that, Beatrice doesn't feel like he would win, however, encouraging him is her job as his Beatrice. Yet, her real intention is for him to fail, and then as a 'punishment' for failing her, she will request an undeniable hugging time for her alone.
Subaru smiles understandingly at her, gripping his sword, and getting into a seemingly weird stance. Since his Beako tells him to, he need to win this, even if it might be impossible, he will try his hardest. Well, perhaps this won't just end up as a friendly spar.
The time is constant changing. Second after second, it changes.
5 seconds in, another 5 seconds and he will face off against Julius once again. This time, the result will change and he will be the victor.
8 seconds in, Julius is already in his stance, the hold on his sword are tighter and he seems to be ready for battle at any moment.
10 seconds in, Subaru is the first to close in the distances between them. That action suprises Julius.
Their sword clash, even though Subaru was the first to move and strike, Julius's reaction time could just barely handle that.
It was nowhere near the level of the humiliating battle they once fought. Julius's skill with the sword is incredible, yet, Subaru was still able to block and parry his attack almost easily.
Subaru is struggling because of his lacking strength and speed. His mind was able to use the sword to its full potential, yet his body is limiting him severely. Even as powerful as his body is now, it was not at the level of Julius just yet.
Thus, he need to use his body to it's utmost limit using the skill his mind was able to bring out. That is the only way to defeat the Greatest Knight.
His swing then became stronger and faster. Every strike at Julius is intended to hurt him. Every single strike is at its full power, no wasted movement nor any mistake. Julius cannot comprehend fast enough that Natsuki Subaru, for once isn't playing around.
The moment that he did, he strike with no intention of holding back, yet, it was still blocked by an even more powerful strike by Subaru. That surprise Julius even more.
His body is lacking, yet his way of the Sword is not. His mind is able to process it even better than his body could at the moment. Yet, the way of the Sword require him to strike even faster and even more powerful.
Thus, his body finally accepts his mind.
Julius are now being striked by attacks that he cannot believes came from his friend. He was not holding back anymore,yet, his friend are still able react and even strike him back more times than he could ever hopes to inflict back.
Is this the result of his training? If so, then, Natsuki Subaru truly is better than him.
He is now using his body and mind to its limit, his mind won't be wearing down anytime soon, yet his body would. In order to not lose to his fatigue, he must end the duel as soon as possible.
With that, his body responds accordingly to his will. He wills it to move faster, it is done. He wills it to strike even stronger than it has already done, it is done. His swing now is almost on the level of a blur, yet it has never lost sight of the target before him, and strike the target with a seemingly perfected movement.
It was at that moment, The Greatest Knight has failed to block someone known as The Weakest Knight's attack. He was hit with an almost perfected strike, its power can be feel through the wooden sword and to his shoulder.
The pain is almost unbearable, it left the Knight with an after pain that hurts him even though it was not a lethal move, even though it shouldn't left a major injury.
Such is the power of a perfected strike, a strike that are so powerful to even surprass the power limit of the striker, yet, limited only by the striker's body.
His sword has fallen, no matter how tight he had gripped it, it still fall to the Mather's land.
He know what that mean, he has lose the duel. Something that start off as a spar, only to end up as perhaps the Best Duel both knights has ever participate in. The result truly has changed.
"I won, Julius." There's nothing to refute of that result, even if that might mean that he is not the Greatest Knight anymore, he would still be Julius Juuklius.
"Yes, and I lose" He admitted it. The result surprises him, yet, he was faced with too many surprises in the Duel that he become a bit numb to the feeling.
The duel was both the shortest they had ever fought, yet, it feels like it was the longest. Perhaps, they might need to indulge in more of it to makes it feel more normal.
It was at that moment that the audience comes toward the Knights.
"I...I thought there was a possibility that I would lose, but not to this extent." Julius said, then looks up to see his friend giving him a hand to stand up, grinning smugly at him.
"Wonder who's the Greatest Knight now?" Subaru said in a light tone. Seeing Subaru messing around already, Julius can't help but chuckles at him.
"You have the impossible. You deserve a reward, I suppose. Subaru, you are now given permission to hu-!" Subaru's Beatrice's words were cut short as Subaru picks her up and start spinning her around as if he never even participate in the most Physically challenging event in his life.
"Beako, you are so adorable right now! I love you!" He confessed to her and watch as her face start turning more red and join in the laugh with Julius and the others at the noises she's making .