Chapter 28: Clashes and Convictions

The Clash of Titans

Orphe charged first.

He swung his holy sword downward from the upper right with deadly precision.

A strike to cleave in two.

Whoosh!

The sound of the slash trailed behind.

But the holy sword cut only empty air.

Bishop Dominic stood, club lowered in his right hand, grinning.

“A swift strike that outpaces sound! Truly, nothing is more fearsome than the holy sword’s speed.”

He pointed the club at himself.

“But what of it? Did that strike reach me?”

Not a scratch on Dominic’s body.

Save for Orphe’s earlier fist mark.

Dominic grinned, unable to contain his glee.

“…You deflected it.”

“Correct! This humble monk merely nudged your strike with this club, ever so slightly.”

Deflecting a full-force blade with a metal club? Is he a monster?

Their exchange continued.

Orphe swung faster, pressing Dominic.

But—

Clang! Clang!

They remained deadlocked.

Considering Orphe wielded the holy sword, he was clearly at a disadvantage.

“…Strange.”

“What’s that?”

Orphe stepped back, facing Dominic.

The bishop, smiling, held a club now pitted and uneven from the blows.

“I saw your hands move slower than mine, yet you block everything. Are you predicting the future?”

“Hero, swinging a sword isn’t everything.”

Dominic assumed his stance again.

“Care to try again?”

Orphe gripped his sword and charged without a word.

“Lower-right.”

Dominic muttered.

Astonishingly, Orphe’s strike aimed exactly there.

Dominic’s hand was already in position, and the holy sword only shaved the club.

Clang!

“Phew.”

“Hero, a swift sword thrives on calm. Excitement makes the blade waver, and a wavering blade loses its power.”

“How did you know my attack’s direction?”

Thud.

Dominic set his club down.

“Look at these muscles.”

He pointed to his chest, shoulders, arms, waist, and legs in turn.

“Muscles move before the sword does. It’s natural for optimal attacks. If you can read those movements, what happens?”

“…You can predict the attack.”

“Exactly! Reading muscles is faster than tracking the sword! To the untrained, it seems like seeing the future, but it’s just rational observation.”

[The God of Justice says Dominic’s explanation aligns with the principle of Dun.]

Dun…?

What’s that, old man?

[The God of Justice says Dun refers to the principle of late initiation, first control—seemingly full of openings, but impossible to exploit, eventually overwhelming the opponent…]

Ugh, my mistake for asking.

He’s so excited, he won’t stop.

Enough already!

My head’s ringing!

While I wrestled with the God of Justice, the two kept staring each other down.

“So, how do you read muscle movements?”

“By looking.”

“Correct. Up close.”

Orphe dropped his sword.

My brain shut down as he stripped off his shirt.

Lean, chiseled abs.

Broad, trained lats and pecs.

Shoulders not as massive as Dominic’s but just as solid.

Like an athlete honed over years.

Post it online, and it’d get “swole” comments.

Dominic, smiling, approached and slowly pointed at Orphe’s muscles.

Ugh, gross!

“…Focus on these muscles. Master this, and you’ll be far stronger, Hero.”

“Let’s start.”

Thwack!

Dominic’s fist slammed into Orphe’s chest.

Orphe, sent flying, charged back and traded blows.

Their fists left countless marks on each other’s bodies.

“Look at the feet, waist, chest, shoulders!”

“A whole new world. I’ve been missing out half my life.”

They laughed like kids, gleefully pummeling each other.

So, when’s my training?

Their sweaty brawl finally ended after about twenty minutes.

Bonds Forged in Battle

“Well, I got carried away meeting a worthy opponent.”

“I’m the one indebted.”

The two shook hands warmly.

All done now?

Feeling my glare, Dominic flinched dramatically and laughed.

“Haha, I told the hero to stay calm, yet here I am, an old man neglecting duties for fun. Saintess?”

“All finished?”
‘I almost died waiting, Cocoa Ball.’

“Yes. Ready for training?”

“Yes. Look at muscles, right?”
‘Watch this, black-belt Taekwondo skills.’

Dominic kept smiling.

“What? You’re not ready for that yet!”

He picked up the metal club from the ground.

“Here we go! The academy says we can use this until sunset, so plenty of time!”

His club swung down before he finished speaking.

Clang!

I instinctively blocked with my mace.

Weaker than his strikes against Orphe, but still overwhelming for me.

“I’m off.”

Orphe left after his business.

What’s this betrayal I feel…?

“Don’t get distracted!”

Clang!

Dominic kept me there until sunset.

A Shift in Spirit

A week into training, I finally learned something solid from Dominic.

After barely finishing thirty laps around the training ground to start the morning, I collapsed in a corner, panting.

Dominic approached.

“Saintess, you’re starting to look the part.”

“If a week could change me, people wouldn’t train so hard…”
‘Stop spouting nonsense, you.’

“No, you’ve changed.”

He tapped his chest with his fist.

“Right here.”

…He’s not harassing me, is he?

Thankfully, he cleared my suspicion.

“Back at the Pantheon, your training felt forced. Like you were pushed into it.”

“Denying that would be a lie, wouldn’t it?”
‘You beat me up daily under the guise of training.’

“But this past week, you’ve been different. Still struggling, but not forced.”

He tapped his chest again.

“Your mindset’s changed. For whatever reason.”

…Thought he was just a wandering, muscle-obsessed Cocoa Ball.

He’s surprisingly perceptive.

“Without a sincere desire to grow stronger, training is hollow.”

Dominic swung his pitted club, the breeze hitting my face.

“Swing a sword thousands of times mindlessly, and you might gain strength, but you’ll never grasp why or how to improve. Living only as ordered is no different from a puppet.”

He looked down at me calmly.

“That’s how you seemed before.”

True, I was just going through the motions.

Sermons on schedule, eating, occasional tussles with Dominic.

Coming to the academy was half the gods’ orders.

Do this, do that, I’d comply halfheartedly.

Never with real effort.

Just bantering, coasting along.

A purposeless life.

“But watching you this week, know what I saw?”

Things are different now.

After seeing Orphe nearly die, I couldn’t stand my powerless self.

“Resolve. The fierce gaze of someone with a clear goal, ready to crush any obstacle. You’ve shown that all week.”

I’d only jokingly complained about offerings before, but sending food scraps was my first real rebellion.

My first defiance against those above me.

A declaration I wouldn’t stay weak.

Petty to some, but meaningful to me.

My first self-driven act.

“Sending you to the academy was for similar reasons. The Pantheon is full of people needing someone to lean on. To stand on your own, you need a place that forces you to.”

And to promote the Pantheon, of course, Dominic added with a soft smile.

He placed both hands gently on my shoulders.

“Honestly, I was worried coming here. Got an oracle, but you seemed like you’d just roll through halfheartedly. Teaching you felt like pulling nonexistent hair.”

Can I laugh at that?

I bowed my head to hide my expression.

Thankfully, he didn’t notice.

“But now I’m at ease. You’ve found your purpose. Remember the first tenet of our Temple of Love?”

“Love yourself.”
‘Love yourself.’

Dominic lifted his hands and walked into the training ground.

He stood straight, legs slightly apart.

“A life without purpose borders on self-loathing. For those who love themselves, their goals naturally clarify.”

You’ve begun to cherish yourself, his brown eyes said, clearer than anyone’s.

“And the gods aid those who strive for their purpose above all.”

Sincerity moves the heavens, as they say.

“Ready?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”
‘Yeah.’

Dominic took a deep breath and called out softly.

“Divine Descent.”