Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
"Let us begin." Scáthach said while she and Tatsuo held eye contact.
Despite Scáthach's signal to begin, Tatsuo did not move. Rather, he observed Scáthach, looking for an opening, he could exploit. However, no matter how he looked, he could not find any openings.
'About what I expected.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'She's just too good for someone who's not even specialized in using a spear to see any openings. Not that I'd be able to find any if I were using another weapon. Oh well, I better just get started. If I work hard enough, I might be able to make one.'
With that thought, Tatsuo dashed forward, his spear pulled back in a thrusting position. However, instead of simply thrusting forward, he shifted his grip and swept the butt of his spear at Scáthach's front leg.
In response, Scáthach stepped back lightly, her movements looking quite leisurely. Then, in the next instant, her spear thrust forward at blinding speed. However, not at a speed that she thought Tatsuo would not be able to react to. And as it happened, she was correct.
Before he saw the spear, Tatsuo saw the way the muscles all over Scáthach's body contracted and loosened, thanks to her skin-tight battle suit. As a result, he was able to predict how she would attack. So, by the time the tip of her spear started moving towards the right side of his torso, Tatsuo had already taken a step back with his left foot and repositioned both his hands and his spear. Then, when Scáthach's spear was thrust forward, he quickly spun his spear counterclockwise.
*Clang!*
As a result, Tatsuo's spear tip flew up from below and forced Scáthach's upward, causing it to barely miss piercing into his shoulder. Yet, Tatsuo did not stop there. As the head of his spear returned to its original position, he tightened his grip on his spear and swept it from left to right, aiming to land a cut on Scáthach's torso.
Seeing Tatsuo's flowing movements, Scáthach's eyes lit up. Though, she did not mention how impressed she was. Instead, she once again took a step back, narrowly avoiding Tatsuo's sweep. Then, once she was clear of Tatsuo's spear, she once again stepped forward and thrust her own.
*Swish!*
*Swish!*
With his spear out of position to parry, Tatsuo was forced to lean back to avoid Scáthach's thrust. Then, as soon as Scáthach began drawing her spear back, he stepped forward and delivered a thrust of his own.
Just like Tatsuo, instead of parrying, Scáthach chose to avoid instead of parry. And simply sliding her right foot backwards and making a quick quarter-turn was more than enough. She then adjusted the grip on her spear and sharply swept its head at Tatsuo's torso.
'Yeah, I'm completely outmatched.' Tatsuo thought to himself as he was forced to hop backwards to avoid Scáthach's sweep. 'We're using the same basic moves. Yet, her timing is so much better than mine. I mean, she only had to take a step back to avoid my sweep. But I had to actually jump back to avoid hers.'
With Tatsuo jumping back, Scáthach did not pursue immediately, Instead, she slung her spear over her shoulder and looked Tatsuo directly in the eye.
"It is admirable that you wish to increase your proficiency with all the weapon types you have skill with." Scáthach said calmly. "But do you remember what I told you before you returned from our world?"
"Yeah, you told me that I need to learn how to integrate all my weapon skills into combat instead of focusing on just one." Tatsuo replied.
"Then, why are you so fixated on using only one weapon?" Scáthach asked. "With your new... Magecraft... I believe you called it, your flexibility has increased greatly, has it not? No longer must you only focus on the weapons you can carry on your person."
Hearing that, something clicked in Tatsuo's mind.
'Yeah, why am I focused on fighting with only the weapon I have in my hands?' Tatsuo asked himself while looking down at Gáe Dearg. "I mean, when I fought Artoria, I switched weapons mid-exchange, didn't I? So, why am I only using one weapon now?'
Seeing that Tatsuo was coming to a conclusion of his own, Scáthach did not press him. Instead, she continued to wait. However, when a certain someone in the audience saw that, he found himself crying foul.
"What the hell?" James exclaimed indignantly. "Not once did Master ever give me that much time to think over a problem she brought up during training. Instead, she forced me to think on my feet while trying not to get killed."
"That probably has something to do with the fact that you're her disciple, don't ya think?" Elicia asked while cutely tilting her head. "You did mention that only her disciples get that kinda treatment, didn't you?"
"Yeah... But still..." James muttered in a petulant tone. "It's still not fair..."
"I wonder if Master Scáthach would be willing to train me, too..." Violet said with her eyes sparkling.
"But aren't you learning from kang Shin?" Alfonzo asked.
"I am." Violet replied with a nod. "And he has really helped me improve my spear technique. And for that, I am very grateful. But Master Scáthach is simply in a different league."
"Well, I can't really argue with that." Alfonzo said with a shrug. "Master Scáthach just has that much more experience. And no matter how many fights he's had in the Dungeon, he won't be able to close that gap so easily."
"Hohoho! You should be careful of what you say, young man." Zelretch said mischievously while stroking his beard. "Because it sounded a lot like you were calling Master Scáthach old."
As soon as Zelretch's words ended, everyone watching the sparring match felt as if the air got colder all of a sudden. And without even looking, they knew that Scáthach was looking in their direction... And she was definitely not happy.
"Hey! I didn't say it!" Alfonzo shouted while throwing his hands up in surrender. "If you're gonna get pissed, fuck up the old man. Not me."
Zelretch shot a disdainful glare in Alfonzo's direction.
"Don't look at me like that, Old Man." Alfonzo replied. "You're old enough to know better than to comment on a lady's age. Tsk, tsk, tsk. And here I thought people got wiser with age. *Sigh* I guess there's an exception to every rule, huh?"
The sound of Zelretch gritting his teeth while cold sweat from Scáthach's glare slid down his forehead was music to Alfonzo's ears.
"Hmph! You got me fucked up if you think I'm just gonna let you put me in the line of fire for a woman like that.' Alfonzo thought to himself.
"Fonzie, you're so cute." Elicia chirped giddily as she skipped over to Alfonzo's side before pecking him on the cheek. She then turned to Zelretch with a stern expression on her face as she continued. "But Fonzie is right, Zelly. Talking about a woman's age is a big no-no."
All the other women in the room nodded their heads in response while glaring at Zelretch.
'Damn those two.' Zelretch thought to himself. 'They're just ganging up to bully an old man at this point. I swear, kids nowadays have no respect for their elders.'
Although that was what Zelretch was thinking, he wisely chose to raise his hands in surrender while smiling apologetically at all the women in the room, and especially to Scáthach.
Around that time, Tatsuo came out of his contemplative state. He then raised his head. And just as he did, Scáthach happened to look in his direction.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Master Scáthach." Tatsuo said respectfully. "I'm ready to continue."
"Very well." Scáthach replied casually as she took her fighting stance once again. "Then, let us continue."
*Thud!*
Then, without another word, Tatsuo dashed forward. And when he was about halfway to Scáthach, he jammed the butt end of his spear into the floor and vaulted into the air. While doing so, he raised his spear over his head, clearly preparing to swing it down on Scáthach.
Quickly seeing the trajectory of Tatsuo's strike, Scáthach waited for the correct timing. Then, when Tatsuo was in range, she swept her spear outward, intending to parry Tatsuo's strike to her left.
*Swish!*
However, just before the two weapons collided, Tatsuo dispelled Gáe Dearg before [Projecting] a copy of his own personal pair of modified trench knives. Then, after returning to the ground once again, Tatsuo dashed forward, intending to sweep past Scáthach and cut her on the side of her abdomen.
Meanwhile, Scáthach, despite being intrigued to see how Tatsuo would develop this new fighting style, made a quarter turn to the right, easily evading Tatsuo's strike and allowing him to pass. She then switched her spear from her right hand to her left and quickly thrusted at Tatsuo's unprotected back.
"Tatsuo-Kun! Behind you!" Sakura shouted in panic.
*Clang!*
Yet, just before Scáthach's thrust could skewer Tatsuo from behind, he [Projected] Lord Camelot, the shield he used to defend against Artoria's [Noble Phantasm], [Excaliber], behind him.
*Bang!*
And just as Scáthach's spear connected with the shield, Tatsuo halted his forward momentum, spun on his left foot, and kicked the other side of the shield as hard as he could.
Unsurprisingly, Scáthach's balance was disrupted by Tatsuo's tactic. Though, she regained it so quickly that no one other than James even noticed. Even so, a hint of a smile appeared on Scáthach's face. It was clear that she was finding this sparring match more and more interesting as time passed.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo after throwing his kick, dispelled Lord Camelot before once again dashing forward, trying to get inside the range of Scáthach's spear. Unfortunately, Scáthach was too experienced for him to do so easily.
*Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!*
As a result, Tatsuo was forced to block, dodge, and parry the rapid-fire thrusts Scáthach sent his way to keep him at a distance. All the while, Tatsuo cycled through [Projected] weapons, trying everything he could to create an opening.
"Damn... That kid is fast." Alfonzo muttered after watching Tatsuo and Scáthach for a little more than half an hour. "I'm not sure I would have been able to keep up with him when I was his age."
"I probably could have." Elicia added. "At least in terms of just speed... But I would have been outclassed in every other way."
"I could have kept up with him in terms of speed and fighting skill back then." James said. "But it's not really fair to compare me to him. By then, I had been training with Master for four years."
"Plus, you're not human." Violet added. "You're naturally stronger and faster than humans."
"Tatsuo isn't human, either." Zelretch pointed out. "Even if he didn't know that at the beginning, it doesn't change the fact that he was not human from the beginning."
"I guess that's true." Violet conceded.
"Urgh!" Tatsuo's grunt of pain brought a swift end to the conversation.
Though everyone had been watching even while conversing, they were all surprised when Tatsuo was finally caught by one of Scáthach's thrusts. Luckily, it was only a glancing blow, resulting in a shallow cut on his left shoulder.
"So, Master had to ramp it up a little to draw first blood, huh?" James said with his eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean exactly?" Sakura asked, curiosity and worry mixed into her tone.
"Well, at the beginning of the fight, when Tatsuo was only using a spear, Master was matching Tatsuo's strength and speed." James replied, a hint of nostalgia in his tone. "But when he started using [Projection Magecraft] for real, she raised her strength a level slightly above his. Actually, it was about the same level as that time I sparred with him back in my world. But for that attack, she went another level above that. And she ramped it up pretty suddenly, too."
"So, that's' why she was able to land that hit on Tatsuo, huh?" Alfonzo muttered in an understanding tone.
"Exactly." James replied with a nod.
"Um... Could someone explain it so that I can follow, too?" Shea asked with a hand raised like a student in class.
"Dumb Rabbit." Aletia snorted.
Having grown used to Aletia's attitude, Shea turned to the rest of the group in the hopes of getting an easy to understand explanation. And she was not disappointed. She was surprised by the one who delivered it, however.
"The reason Master Scáthach had to raise the intensity so suddenly to land a blow against Tatsuo-Sama is because of his [Ability], [The End]." Tio said, explaining the situation to Shea. "Because of [The End], Tatsuo had more than likely already seen through most of, if not all of, Master Scáthach's technique in this short time. So, she would have been unable to surprise him with anything new. But if she were to suddenly raise her output, that could be used as a surprise factor."
"Oh~... I think I get it." Shea said while scratching her head.
Meanwhile, back in the ring, Tatsuo and Scáthach continued. And to everyone's surprise, after that one burst of overwhelming strength and speed, Scáthach returned to the level she had been using for most of the match.
'So, she's treating it as a quick burst attack.' Tatsuo muttered internally. 'It's kinda like dealing with someone using [Mana Burst]. She's basically just adding another aspect for me to adapt to. Well, bring it on!'
As that thought ran through his head, Tatsuo began to smile unconsciously. Just the thought of overcoming the challenge in front of him brought him an immense sense of satisfaction.
Yet, for the people standing outside of the ring, they all understood something at that very moment.
"They're gonna be at this all day, aren't they?" Elicia asked as she recognized the smile on Tatsuo's face.
"Probably." James replied with a shrug. "And from what I can tell, Tatsuo's not the only one who's getting into this. It looks like Master is having fun, too."
"Well, who hasn't lost track of time while training hard, right?" Alfonzo added with a shrug of his own. "But that, in itself, is a little problem."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Well, the night we got here, Tatsuo said he would take us to one of the restaurants that made better food than me." Alfonzo explained. "But..."
Alfonzo then glanced at the two combatants in the ring while smiling wryly.
"... from the way things are going, they probably won't stop until it's time for us to head back to our worlds and have to start getting ready for the [Mission]." Alfonzo continued.
Hearing that, James finally put on an expression filled with realization.
"Damn it, that's right!" James exclaimed. "He said he was going to take us to Nekoya for lunch today. And today is Saturday. So, it would have been like a free trip to another world."
Though most of the visitors were not familiar with the anime/light novel series, "Restaurant to Another World," they did remember Tatsuo saying that the chef who owned it was a better cook than Alfonzo, who was a better cook than Tatsuo. And because of that, they all wore looks of disappointment at missing such a good meal.
Then, there was Elicia, who was familiar with the series. And while the others looked kind of disappointed at missing a good meal, she looked like someone just kicked her puppy. Because she knew more than they did about the restaurant and the way it operated on Saturdays.