SSS Demon King System: The Rise of a Dying Extra-Chapter 25: Duel in the Fenrir Tribe. (2)

The old man looked at Freki with disapproval.

Was he reproaching his granddaughter for letting herself be carried away by anger, when he was clearly in an irritable state?

The old man internally mocked that irony, but said nothing. Yet.

"Again," Freki said for them to start another combat.

He didn’t know it, but the reason for Sköll’s frustration was that her grandfather was watching.

She didn’t want to disappoint him; she feared that if he saw how she lost again and again, he would grow fonder of Hati than of her.

Sköll attacked with all her strength, with a descending cut of her katana; however, her sword was deflected to one side, then she received a thrust to the neck that cut off her breath.

"Again."

Sköll fell once more, while remembering how her sister was congratulated for having prepared a delicious dinner, when she had burned it just before.

"Repeat."

On the ground again, Sköll remembered the time her sister surpassed her hunting sparrows; she only managed to catch four, while Hati had hunted more than thirty.

"Continue."

Sköll felt a stabbing pain growing in her stomach.

Was it stress? Perhaps rage, perhaps sadness... or perhaps a mixture of everything.

"Keep going."

Once, Sköll broke her mother’s vase; while being scolded, Hati repaired the vase and earned much praise.

"Again!"

Would she always be beneath her? Her sister was polite, smart, beautiful, talented, a genius in every sense. Would she never be able to surpass her?

"It seems you’re really not learning anything, Sköll. You’re really limiting your sister. I thought if you trained with her you could learn something, but I see I was wrong. This will be the last duel; try to do the best you can."

Sköll’s muscles tensed. She couldn’t fail; she had to defeat her.

Sköll concentrated, carefully observing Hati, trying to copy her posture as precisely as she could.

Then, the combat began.

Hati attacked like the first time, with a forward thrust, making a descending slash.

But this time Sköll wouldn’t fall.

She gripped the handle tightly while turning her sword and, at the same time, raising it.

The sound of the two wooden swords clashing resonated.

The girl felt how the force of the blow descended through her arms, but she had done it: she had blocked the blow!

However, she had no time to celebrate; now she had to counterattack.

How would she do it? She tried to remember her combats with Hati to have an idea of how to perform her counterattack.

But her sister didn’t give her time to think.

She quickly launched a front kick at her, sending her to the ground.

"I see... you blocked an attack? Is that the best you can do?" Freki said furiously, looking at his daughter with disappointment.

However, his words became blurred for Sköll.

She felt frustrated: she had done the best she could, but why did she lose?

She knew it.

She would never become like her sister. But she also understood it: why should she?

A growl escaped her mouth.

She would no longer restrain herself; she would let herself be dominated by her emotions.

With force, she grabbed the wooden sword and shot toward Hati, starting to launch frantic attacks.

These were easily blocked by her sister, but didn’t leave her an option to counterattack.

It wasn’t necessary.

At the exact moment, Hati deflected the force and weight of a blow outward, but before Sköll pulled back her sword, the tip of the katana traced a circular movement from outside to inside, taking advantage of the blow’s inertia, disarming her. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Without hesitation, Hati attacked, taking advantage that her sword was already pointing upward, making the blade descend on the part between the neck and shoulder.

She hit. However, Sköll didn’t stop this time. She lunged at her, attacking her with... her claws?

While Hati jumped away, she could notice how Sköll’s nails were sharper.

"What are you doing, Sköll? Didn’t you see you’ve already lost?" her father shouted.

But he was ignored.

Sköll started throwing erratic but quick blows toward her sister, who dodged them with ease and then counterattacked.

However, that didn’t stop Sköll.

She had let herself be controlled by her emotions, she had become a wild beast.

Then, Hati didn’t hold back; the air whistled as she sent a powerful cut toward the temple, with the intention of knocking her out.

But what happened next surprised her: Sköll grabbed the katana with her teeth and clenched her jaw.

Splinters flew out when the weapon was destroyed.

Hati froze. What should she do now? She had only learned to fight with her sword, so she didn’t know what to do when it broke.

Sköll saw an opportunity and didn’t waste it.

When her sister was petrified, Sköll attacked with a powerful punch directed at her face.

There was no technique whatsoever in that blow; however, Sköll channeled all the emotions she felt into it, without noticing how it was surrounded by a golden glow.

Frozen, Hati didn’t move, still processing what had happened.

It was then that she received the blow, one so strong it sent her flying.