The sword practice was still going on, the sunlight shining through the training ground, making my sword shine like a thin crescent moon.
I maintained the posture that Nagoto had just adjusted, but in my mind I frowned:
It's a bit… wrong. The angle of my legs was a bit off, my wrists were a bit loose…
My heart was beating a little faster. Not because I was afraid of him, but because this was the future. I, Deuwyn, still young, standing before the Apex Class Leader.
To be honest, if I were to give my opinion now… it would be a bit… reckless.
But fortunately, the professor stood in front, observing closely.
He tilted his head, his sharp eyes stopping on me.
"Deuwyn, please do the posture again."
His voice was both serious and clear: "According to the standard. No variations."
I was a bit surprised, but I nodded, adjusting my limbs according to the instructions. The posture was now both standard and comfortable for my 14-year-old body.
The teacher looked at me once, then turned to Nagoto.
"And you, Nagoto Hydorya. Your posture just now… is wrong. Your wrist rotation is incorrect, your center of gravity is off, and you can easily lose your balance during actual combat."
The entire field was silent.
Nagoto blushed, his mouth tightly closed, trying to hide his extreme embarrassment.
His eyes turned to me:
"…You… are you right?"
"Yes… yes." I bowed my head slightly, my voice small but firm: "According to the curriculum."
A few classmates chuckled, secretly looking at him.
"Ha ha ha… Nagoto is shy."
"A 14-year-old girl… is teaching him?"
Nagoto stood up straight, his face red, both embarrassed and unwilling to admit it.
"I… I… I just… adjusted… to match your speed!"
He tried to explain, but his voice was lost.
I smiled, holding the sword in my hand, looking at him in a… gentle but also a bit mischievous way:
"It's okay. Just remember to keep it standard next time."
Nagoto lowered his head, nodded slightly, his eyes still sparkling with pride.
I knew he… had just learned an important lesson: being tall and strong is not always right, sometimes standards are king.
The professor cleared his throat:
"Okay. Whoever understands the problem, stand back and do it again. The others observe and learn."
I sighed and lifted my sword.
My hand stung a little, but the familiar feeling made me smile.
Deuwyn and Mabel both knew one thing:
"As long as I have holy power, a new body, and learning… I will always be the leader, even if I am only 14 years old."
Nagoto stood behind me, still blushing, but her eyes began to… flicker with admiration.
During the break, the noisy sword training area suddenly became quiet for a few beats. I stood next to Johnvanha, both of us were discussing about choosing a class and the troubles before.
I laughed and said:
"I thought Nagoto was really good, but the teacher changed his stance..."
Johnvanha nodded in understanding.
"Looking at the way you and Nagoto interact, I know the whole class will kick you out."
Before I could argue, boom — decisive footsteps sounded behind me.
A girl with long hair tied high, wearing a neat sword class uniform, stood in front of me, her hands on her hips. Her eyes were both angry and... red as if about to explode.
Then she ended with a choked sentence:
"I forbid you to touch Nagoto! Because I... I... I like you!!!"
The whole training area: "..."
Johnvanha: "..."
Me: "?????"
The girl blushed, her hands clenched as if she had just declared war on the world.
Then she stammered, her voice rising a half tone:
"I mean... I like you, I don't like Nagoto! So don't let Nagoto get near you!!"