Lust System: Sword Genius in Women's World

Mary came at me again, this time moving with much more speed. Her strikes were wild, designed to catch me off balance. But each strike was easy to deflect. I blocked in rhythm with her strikes, sending every blow aside without much effort.

"Keep going," I told her.

She grunted in frustration but didn't cease. A few slashes angled at my sides met quick parries.

She was a bit sloppy in her form, and her strikes lacked power, but she didn't stop. Her breath started growing heavier as she continued to attack, though she couldn't break through my defense; she wasn't even close.

"Five seconds left," I said calmly.

Mary doubled her effort, trying a quick jab into my chest. I twisted my wrist, and the strike sailed wide without my having to apply much effort.

"Time," I said, and both of us stopped. She stepped back and took a breath.

"My turn," I said, nodding slightly and Mary took a stance.

I moved forward and immediately began some light strikes that she was able to lift her sword to, deflecting the first couple. She was decent on the defense, but I could see she was tiring.

The more pressure I applied, the wilder her blocks became. I varied the angles of my attack, forcing her to shift and change with me. Each time, she barely kept it within grasp but if I was really serious, I could have done damage to her by now.
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I feigned high then swung low. She blocked just in time, but the force of it caused her to step back.

"Ten seconds," I spoke.

I gave one last push, sending a flurry of fast strikes her way. She blocked most of them, though from the expression on her face, I could tell she was struggling even at this level, for the last strike, I infused mana in my sword and struck.

I slowed down the attack so she could block it, but once she did, the force of the strike made her lose balance and landed with a thud.

"Time," I said as I stretched my hands, and she took it; she stood up with a smile on her face, making me wonder what was happening.

Mary nodded once, catching her breath. It was clear she was exhausted, but she hadn't backed down and that was something.

"Let's go again," Mary spoke, readying her sword.

"Alright," I muttered giving her some space, "Ready, go"

This time, her movements were slower, but measured and precise. She came at me with another low strike aiming at my midsection.

I blocked it smoothly, stepping to the side to avoid her follow-up.

The force was gone from her attacks now, but she still swung, still attempted to connect.

She was already exhausted; I had no idea how long she had been out here training, so I won't blame her.

Her footwork was even more sloppy, and she was leaving herself open with every step. I could've ended this spar several times over if it were serious, but I let her keep going, waiting out the minute.

She made a frustrated noise and launched another flurry of blows, each weaker than the last. I parried them with ease, hardly having to shift from my position as her sword crashed against my own.

"Three seconds," I said and watched her fight to sustain the rhythm.

She threw one last blow, at my shoulder. I parried it without effort.

"Time," I said again, lowering my sword.

Mary stumbled backward, panting, her red face glistening with sweat. I moved closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're getting better," I said. "You just need to work on your control"

"Don't flatter me, this is probably the worst I've ever been. I knew the academy was going to be a challenge, but I never thought I'd be far behind," Mary spoke.

"You are not behind; a structure hasn't even been established; for now, all the students are still learning; after the first year then, you'll know if you're behind or not," I said, trying to lighten her mood.

"I should probably rest; I've been going at this since we *cough*," Mary stuttered as she looked away.

"Since you were moaning in my room" I completed the sentence for her.

Mary's face turned beet red, and she quickly looked away. "Yeah, about that," she mumbled, embarrassed.

"See you later," I chuckled lightly as I walked away towards the dining hall; the sun was already going down, and I hadn't eaten lunch yet.

I took my plate and was given my meal, May wasn't around, so I just walked over to an empty table and sat down to eat; the meals I've eaten since coming to the academy were all wonderful.

Maybe because I haven't eaten common food since arriving here, even basic meals like soup and bread tasted amazing and that was what I was currently eating, a bowl of soup and bread.

I've only been in the academy for two days, maybe I should make a schedule to plan my days and personal training,

Maybe after eating, I'll try the new spell, or I should find a wind user to give me some insight; I'm sure many of the girls would be happy to help me.

After eating, I just leaned back on the chair, resting. It's been 18 years since I was reincarnated, and I haven't heard a single news about the demon kingdom.

Other than beasts attacking various villages, none of the other kingdoms were making moves against each other; maybe it wasn't even time; maybe I was supposed to defeat the demon queen in my thirties.

The thought made me chuckle, but once I'm done with the academy, exploration would be my next goal, if the demon queen won't come to me, then I'll go to her.

"Xavier," I heard a voice call, and Clara was walking towards me with a sweet smile on her face.

To be honest, it was scary; after hearing her talking in the library and how she was acting now, it was almost like she had a dual personality.