SSS-Ranked Skill in a New Filthy World-Chapter 176 Sword Practice

Chapter 176: Chapter 176 Sword Practice
"I’ve never had a training partner since I went to the academy, it’s nice to have someone to face me" Aurelia spoke.
"Face you... I’m just trying the sword out myself, I wouldn’t call this facing you" Roman replied as he swung the sword a few times to get the feel.
He had swung a sword a few times during training with Victoria, but he didn’t train with the sword, and at least this was a wooden sword, and Roman was trying to test Aurelia’s skills.
He had seen her fight and knew she was good, but there’s nothing like trying for himself.
"You ready?" She asked.
Roman tightened his grip on the wooden sword and nodded his head, standing across from Aurelia.
Her stance was solid, her eyes sharp, and Roman knew she wasn’t going to take it easy on him, he also wasn’t expecting her to.
The rest of the girls stopped what they were doing and were looking at both of them. The girls had never seen Roman fight before, so this was a good chance to see, even if it was just a sword fight.
Aurelia moved first. Her blade came down fast, and Roman raised his to block. The impact stung his arms, but he held firm.
Aurelia spun to the side and swung again. Roman twisted his body just in time; their swords clashed again with a loud crack.
He stepped back, trying to create space, but Aurelia followed, her footwork quick and steady. She struck from the side, forcing Roman to duck low, then swung upward, making him block above his head.
"You’ve held a sword before," Aurelia said with a small grin.
"Not enough to beat you," Roman muttered, trying to focus, he was currently at his best, while Aurelia was still warming up.
He made a move this time and swung forward in a strong arc, and for once Aurelia was pushed back.
Roman was surprised, but he pressed on, swinging two more times. The second strike grazed her arm lightly, and Aurelia raised a brow.
"Not bad," she said, her smile growing but he knew it was just time.
Then her movements changed.
She sped up, her strikes sharper, her footwork smoother. Roman blocked one, then another, but the third strike slipped past and tapped his shoulder.
He stepped back, breathing hard, but didn’t lower his sword.
They circled each other now, Aurelia calm, Roman watching closely. He tried to read her movements, waiting for an opening.
When she lunged, Roman sidestepped and swung, almost catching her side, but she twisted her body and parried smoothly.
Their swords locked for a moment, both pushing against each other. Roman gritted his teeth, using all his strength, but Aurelia’s steady control broke the lock, and physically she was stronger than he.
She pushed his blade aside and spun, forcing him to step back again.
Roman tried one last strong attack, swinging down with force, but Aurelia caught it easily, slid her sword along his, and with a quick flick knocked his weapon out of his hands. Before he could recover, her wooden blade rested against his chest.
"Match over," she said with a calm smile.
Roman breathed heavily, sweat on his forehead, but a small laugh escaped his lips. "I tried didn’t I?"
"You did better than most," Aurelia replied, lowering her sword. "You’ve got decent instincts, but instincts alone won’t beat skill and everything about your sword skill is sloppy"
Roman nodded, catching his breath. "Guess I’ll just have to keep practicing."
"Are you planning on learning?" Aurelia asked, tilting her head slightly to look at him.
Roman looked down at the wooden sword in his hands and gave it a small swing, testing the weight again.
"Maybe... I mean, it’s not really my thing, but it wouldn’t hurt to know how to use one properly. Do you want me to learn how to use one? You’re smiling a little too much," Roman spoke.
Aurelia couldn’t stop smiling as she looked at him. "Not bad for someone who claims it’s not his thing. If you put in the effort, you might actually become good."
Roman shrugged. "I doubt I’ll ever reach your level, and I know this isn’t even your full strength"
"That’s because I’ve trained since I was little without fail, it’s not that hard if you put your mind to it"
The girls on the side had been watching quietly, and most of them went back to what they were previously doing.
Joanna leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I didn’t expect Roman to last that long. Honestly, I thought Aurelia would finish him in three moves."
"Me too, but she did go easy on him; it’s not an actual fight," Ava said with a smile.
"But I can’t say I’m not surprised. For someone who doesn’t train with swords, he fought like he knew what he was doing." Reina joined them.
Back at the room, Joanna and Reina had already settled their differences as Reina apologized to her, and they talked for a while before coming out here to train.
"Well, I’ll think about it. But if I keep sparring with you, I’ll probably lose every time, so it won’t be much of a practice," Roman spoke.
Aurelia rested the wooden sword on her shoulder, giving him a playful grin. "Then keep losing until you learn how to win. That’s how training works."
Roman smiled a little. "Fine... but don’t blame me if I end up annoying you, I’m sure you want to go again"
"You already do," Aurelia teased, turning back to her stance. She could train with the Royal Guards like she normally does, but she wanted to train with someone her age.
Roman laughed under his breath and readied his sword again. "Then I guess I’ll annoy you some more."
The girls watching chuckled as Aurelia lifted her sword, clearly eager for another round. This time, Roman was going to try a little harder. He knew he wasn’t going to win, but that didn’t stop him from going all out.