Published: March 21, 2026
Back when I was still at Reytis Castle training with the knights order, Mr. Zeal taught me about the vocation called “knight.” Knights can broadly be divided into three types. The first is offense-specialized with high attack power. The second is the balanced type with neither particularly high attack nor defense. The third is defense-specialized with high defense. All knights still carry a sword and shield, but which type a knight is greatly changes the party’s strategy and role. By the way, Mr. Zeal is a balanced type leaning toward offense, and I’m defense-specialized.
Defense-specialists have exclusive skills they can learn. Of course the other two types have skills suited to them as well. More importantly, that particular skill was the best one to break through the current situation.
After confirming Oda-kun had fallen back from the prow to where I was, I used that skill for the first time since I acquired it.
“Defense-specialist exclusive skill ‘Concentrated Focus’ — Activate.”
I raised my sword to the sky and brought it down onto my shield, which is larger than what ordinary knights use.
A high-pitched screech like metal clashing with metal rang out, and every wyvern’s gaze turned straight toward us. They unconsciously took a step back from the palpable lump of killing intent that should’ve been invisible. So this is the kind of situation Asahina-kun and the others always fought in.
The effect of “Concentrated Focus” is literal: it forces the enemy’s target to concentrate on me. Gazes, killing intent, and attacks that had been aimed at my allies are all forcibly redirected to me.
“…Ria! Overlay her barrier with ours for our share!!”
Sensing something, Oda-kun told Ria to reapply the barrier that had been on everyone onto me. In an instant multiple barriers overlapped around me, and the original barrier wore thin with a roar and shattered. All five wyverns that remained alive were knocked further back by the impact of biting me. Their huge mouths and razor teeth — large enough to swallow me whole — spread wide before me, though the added barriers held them off. I squeezed out a scream through clenched teeth facing impending death.
“Tsuda-kun!!!”
Through the bulk of a huge wyvern I saw Sato-kun draw his sword and Asahina-kun pull two blades. At the same time, a crack ran through the second barrier.
“Dual wielding — ‘Swift wind, thunderous lightning’.”
“‘Shadow magic’ — Activate.”
“Holy sword technique — ‘Light Blade’!!!”
A thunderous sound like lightning struck nearby. Beautiful arcs cut through the air as wyvern necks were severed, others were devoured by black shadows, and some were swallowed by beams of light.
After a momentary silence, the second barrier that had barely held shattered with a sound like glass breaking, and every wyvern that had been biting me disappeared without a trace.
“What were you thinking!? Do you want to die!?”
Once they confirmed all the wyverns were dead and sighed in relief, Sato-kun grabbed my shoulder and shook me. It was the same kind of scolding I’d given Ms. Hosoyama when she recklessly activated gluttony during that fight with the whale-like demonic beast in the forest. This time, I was the one being scolded.
“S-sorry. Thank you, Asahina-kun, Oda-kun, and Ria.”
I bowed my head honestly because I knew I was at fault. If not for Oda-kun’s quick thinking and Ria’s barrier, I’d probably be inside a wyvern’s stomach right now.
Even though it was the first time I used the skill, I knew what its effect was, so I probably should have said a word to share what it did.
“…No, you saved us. But next time, please tell us beforehand.”
Though his expression barely changed, Oda-kun waved his hand with a relieved air. Asahina-kun also checked briefly that I wasn’t hurt and nodded in the same relieved way.
At Oda-kun’s words Sato-kun immediately let go of my shoulder.
“As the master said. Don’t you know report, communicate, and consult!!”