"Fight me again! You caught me off guard with your previous attack, that's why you won. I won't lose to someone weak like you," Hattori persisted, grumbling and irritating Isaac, who lay on his bed.
Despite Hattori's aggressive words, his expression didn't match his tyrannical demeanor. Being defeated in a single blow had dealt a heavy blow to his pride.
"Shut up and let me sleep. Why did I have to end up with such an annoying roommate?" Isaac grumbled, grabbing a pillow and covering his head.
Hattori had been bothering him since dinner, and Isaac was in desperate need of rest.
"Enough already! Let's settle this matter between us with just one fight," Hattori insisted, unwilling to give up easily. Despite being a skilled swordsman and adhering to the rules of honor, he was still just a young child.
'This person is relentless, no matter how much I ignore him,' Isaac thought to himself, realizing that Hattori wouldn't easily back down. He had no choice but to go along with it.
"If you want to fight me that badly, then fine. But there's one condition," Isaac replied.
"Sure, what's your condition?" Hattori's face lit up with a big smile. He didn't really care about conditions. As long as he could face a strong opponent, he was willing to do almost anything.
"I will gladly fight you if you place a bet of 10 stars ," Isaac proposed.
"But I don't have any stars. Can you wait until I gather them and then we can duel?" Hattori responded.
"Fine, do as you wish," Hattori's response caught Isaac off guard. He knew that he had no stars left, so he suggested the bet to try to get rid of Hattori. But it seemed that this swordsman was incredibly stubborn.
"Now, let me get some sleep," Isaac said, placing the pillow back in its place, and he drifted into a deep sleep, exhausted from the day's activities.
...
[ After two weeks ]
Isaac and Hatori found themselves in the woods, their bodies covered in wounds and blood. The fight they engaged in, as agreed, yielded unexpected results for Isaac.
"This person is more cunning than I anticipated. He prevented me from landing any decisive blows and prolonged the fight considerably.
If I hadn't possessed a variety of fighting techniques, I wouldn't have been able to defeat him. I even had to resort to tricks to bring the fight to an end."
The battle between them endured for a full hour. Initially, Isaac tried to withhold his full array of skills, but to his surprise, he found himself in a vulnerable position even after revealing them.
Isaac's strength lay in his sheer power and his competent physical abilities. However, Hatori astutely recognized this and evaded all of Isaac's attacks, creating distance between them to render Isaac's close combat techniques ineffective.
Isaac continued to evade Hattori's relentless attacks, sustaining several injuries. The blows proved to be effective nonetheless. Eventually, Isaac's opportunity arose, and he swiftly retaliated with a series of consecutive punches.
Seizing the moment, he grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it into Hattori's eyes, creating a momentary opening. Isaac capitalized on this gap, swiftly drawing his sword and delivering a superficial strike to Hattori's chest.
The impact was decisive, causing Hattori to collapse from exhaustion and pain.
Returning his sword to its sheath, Isaac sat down to catch his breath. He didn't intend to resort to such tactics, but he wanted to bring the fight to an end quickly.
He could have ended it within the first three minutes by employing his sword or one of the concealed knives he carried. However, he chose to withhold his full arsenal, not revealing all his winning cards.
Despite having a cordial relationship with Hattori, Isaac harbored a deep sense of mistrust.
"You're a strong bastard, no doubt about it. Who would've thought you had such strength? Why do you hide your skill? If the higher authorities knew about your strength, they would treat you well.
They would grant you privileges and provide abundant resources," Hattori exclaimed, struggling to stand up and sheathing his sword. He had no qualms about tempting fate, as he saw it as a weakness to back down from such tricks.
"This is for you as well. Clearly, you concealed a significant portion of your strength during the duel. I must admit, I'm genuinely surprised.
It made me realize that you were holding back in our initial fight, or else I wouldn't have defeated you so easily," Isaac remarked, retrieving the stars he needed and making his way back to the headquarters.
Despite being badly injured, a wide smile adorned his face. As Isaac returned, many onlookers witnessed a peculiar sight—a bloodied figure sporting a crazed grin.
Hattori closely observed Isaac's retreating figure and made his way back to the headquarters. His desire to train had been reignited, and he now regarded Isaac as more than just an ordinary rival.
During his journey back, Isaac stumbled upon a small river in the woods. He took the opportunity to clean himself up before returning to his room to change his clothes.
Afterwards, Isaac made his way to the resources department, assuming his usual expressionless demeanor. He sought permission to purchase the belt he had set his sights on.
While these items were neglected and old, they were still accounted for in the department's records. The strict record-keeping ensured that nothing was stolen or misused in any unlawful manner.
Due to Isaac's request for a weight of 200 kilograms, the officer in charge raised a few eyebrows and asked some probing questions.
However, after a brief discussion, they agreed to provide Isaac with the requested items, along with an additional quantity to account for any potential loss or the need to occasionally lift more than his usual capacity.
Grateful for the approval, Isaac swiftly returned to his room, eager to make use of the weights he had obtained.
...
Curious and excited, Isaac began examining the items he had acquired. He discovered that the weight belt was composed of three distinct components. Firstly, there was a set of clothing comprising a shirt and leather pants, both adorned with a soft silk lining.
The set also included several belts and straps, which Isaac noticed were designed to be wrapped around his hands and feet. Putting them on and securing them tightly to his body was a straightforward process due to the abundance of belts available.
The second set consisted of four leather pieces resembling small shields, intended to be worn on the legs and arms. These peculiar leather pieces were adorned with numerous small pockets and square metal pieces.
Isaac carefully fastened them to his body using straps and belts, and once in place, they added a striking aesthetic to his appearance. While the set featured numerous straps, its primary purpose was to secure the other components in place.
The intricate design was intended to evenly distribute the weight across Isaac's entire body, ensuring that the load was not concentrated on a single area. This would result in overall strength development rather than isolated muscle growth.
The final component of the weight belt was a set of small, thin metal pieces. These pieces had a dark purple hue and might appear lightweight due to their size. However, each individual piece actually weighed 5 kilograms, with some even weighing 10 kilograms.
When Isaac inquired about the weight restrictions, the officer informed him that he could freely take weights up to 5 kilograms. However, weights exceeding 10 kilograms required a special permit.
Isaac carefully placed the metal pieces into the small pockets of the leather kit, distributing them strategically. Each foot held a weight of 60 kilograms, while each hand carried 40 kilograms. Additionally, he added 20 kilograms on his chest and back.
As Isaac tested his mobility with the weight, he noticed that the outfit effectively distributed the pressure across his entire body, while maintaining slightly higher pressure on the targeted areas.
He believed that wearing this weight consistently would yield promising results. However, he also contemplated finding a way to acquire more weight discreetly, without alerting the officer in charge. For now, he decided to savor the moment and not dwell too much on future plans.
"Now I'm going to wear my navy uniform over the weights and be discreet to avoid any suspicion. The only issue is that the uniform is a short-sleeved shirt, so I'll need to find a long-sleeved shirt soon to hide the weights on my hands.
If people notice me always wearing these things, it might raise questions. It's not a major concern, but I don't want unnecessary trouble."
...
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