SSS Demon King System: The Rise of a Dying Extra-Chapter 23: Duel in the Fenrir Tribe. (1)

The air blew, creating a breeze that stirred Hati’s long black hair.

She didn’t even flinch at that; her gaze remained fixed on her sister.

The young wolf’s posture was perfect.

Her right foot was forward, while the left was back, with the heel slightly elevated.

She distributed her body weight evenly on both legs, prioritizing her support on the back leg so she could gain momentum if necessary.

Her bamboo katana remained straight and upright in front of her.

Her grip was firm: the right hand was above the left, holding the sword’s handle so that the thumbs and index fingers formed a "V."

Her elbows remained bent, slightly separated from her body.

Anyone who saw her wouldn’t believe she was only fourteen years old; her stance already surpassed that of adult warriors.

However, her sister had a much clumsier posture.

It was more because of her mentality, since Sköll was somewhat restless, and it showed in how she adjusted her position every so often.

"Are you ready?" then asked a firm voice.

The voice came from another beast-man, who wore a blue kimono.

He was tall, his broad shoulders and prominent musculature made him look rough, and his severe gaze made him imposing.

The man raised his hand with a quick gesture.

"The combat begins, now!" his arm descended forcefully, cutting through the air and starting the combat.

As soon as his arm descended, Hati launched from her position, taking advantage to raise her sword.

Already close to Sköll, her sword descended quickly, drawing a descending arc.

Meanwhile, Sköll was in trouble; until that moment she was distracted, though hearing her father’s shout when starting the combat put her back in her place.

Seeing her sister shoot toward her, Sköll got scared.

She had to think fast.

What had she studied? Attacks from above should be blocked with the sword horizontal.

Determined, she turned her sword clumsily, as she had seen in the illustrations of the scrolls she had read.

However, she forgot a crucial part: raising her sword. When the sword descended toward her, the bamboo struck directly on her head, causing her great pain.

"OUCH!" the girl complained, rolling on the ground in pain while holding her head.

Her sister moved away with a small jump, adopting her initial position again, impassive.

"Sköll! What kind of useless movement is that? Are you an idiot?" her father said furiously, crossing his arms while looking at her with disapproval.

The girl stopped whimpering upon hearing her father’s words; her wolf ears lowered while she bowed sadly.

"I’m sorry, father," she said with a dejected voice.

"Don’t apologize, just keep fighting and learn from your sister. And I’ve already told you that when we’re training, you must call me master."

"Yes, fath... master," she said, getting up again, her katana in hand.

"Oh! I see you’re training, may I watch?" a voice then said.

An old man had appeared beside the girls’ father.

He wore a black kimono and used a staff to lean on.

"Greetings, honorable great elder," Hati said seriously, bowing respectfully toward the elder.

"Hahaha, I see you’re still as cold as ever, Hati," the old man said while stroking his thin beard.

"Grandpa!" Sköll’s reaction was different; her ears rose, while her tail moved frantically from side to side.

Instinctively, the old man dropped his staff while stretching his arms, and, as always, the girl threw herself at him to hug him.

"Hahaha, how is my little sunshine? I see you’re still as energetic as ever," the old man commented while stroking Sköll’s blonde hair.

"Hehehe," the girl laughed cheerfully while giving small licks on her grandfather’s cheek.

"Sköll, behave!" her father scolded her with a severe voice.

"And how is a granddaughter supposed to behave with her grandfather, Freki? When you’re old like me, perhaps you’ll understand. After my daughter grew up and left the nest, I felt sad and desolate, so when I see my granddaughters, it’s impossible for me not to enjoy their affection," the old man complained while glaring at his stubborn son-in-law.

"That doesn’t matter, old man. There’s a time for everything, and this is training time; they shouldn’t have distractions."

"Mmm, I suppose you’re right. You can return to your position, Sköll."

"Yes!" the blonde said energetically while returning in front of her sister.

"Ah, and it’s ’honorable elder’ to you, lettuce face," the old man reproached, lifting the staff with his foot to lean on it again.

"Whatever you say," Freki responded, ignoring his comment. "Alright, get ready again."

The duels started again; however, the result was always the same.

When Hati attacked first, Sköll couldn’t defend correctly, and when it was she who started, her sister deflected her attacks with ease and then counterattacked.

It was like every time: the duels continued until Sköll got frustrated and stopped defending herself.

However, that wasn’t happening today.

Sköll, instead of giving up, was becoming more aggressive, though that also made her more predictable.

"Tsk, what’s wrong with you today, Sköll?" Freki questioned. "Are you angry or something? Who you should be angry with is yourself for being so weak. Don’t let your emotions control you, that’s your damn problem."

Sköll’s gaze darkened.

Those words hurt, but she was already used to that treatment.

However, she wasn’t going to give up, not anymore.