Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

"For the record, though, I always took combat seriously," Zach clarified to Yanael before they got started with the combat training.

"I'm sure you did, Master." Yanael nodded assuringly. Zach had a feeling she didn't mean it.

'Is she being influenced by Nora?' Zach narrowed his eyes in suspicion. It felt like Yanael was getting more used to teasing him and being insubordinate. But he didn't comment on his suspicion.

"So, how do we do this?" Zach asked.

"Let's begin with what you want to learn, Master. Are you interested in the sword? I am not an expert in teaching or all forms of combat, but I can give you the basics and pointers. Advanced teachings will require you to gather more authority."

Zach crossed his arms and was silent as he thought about it. With his Blessed Defense skill as defense and Yanael as offense, the only thing Zach needed, as evidenced by how he got hit by the arrows in the swamp Locale, was to learn how to move. Eventually, he would have to learn how to deal with enemies on his own on the rare occasions Yanael wouldn't be able to help him before his barriers broke.

But until then, survivability was Zach's immediate priority.

"I'm not saying this because I don't want to kill or anything. But if combat is a race, I want to be able to run a marathon. I don't need to learn how to defeat my enemies at once. With my skill, I think learning how to survive longer is my best option right now. As long as I become unkillable, I will eventually win since I have you on my side. Or something like that."

Yanael nodded. She was more satisfied with this answer, even if it was technically the same. Zach put more thought into what he needed and wanted and why he wanted it. It was one side of the coin of combat. The one who survives wins.

Yanael personally favored the other side, where the one who wins survives. But that's what made them such a great match.

Zach focused on surviving. Yanael focused on winning.

In addition to that, Zach had also openly stated that he relied on Yanael. Without her, that kind of philosophy was useless with his current abilities.

It was useless no matter how unkillable he was if he didn't have anything to kill his opponents with.

"I understand what you want, Master. I implore you to prepare yourself. And I ask for forgiveness in advance."

"Forgiveness?" Zach was confused. A moment later, Yanael kicked him in the chest with enough force to send him flying into the wall.

Fortunately, she held back enough that Zach didn't break anything. But it still hurt.

"H—*cough*—Hey! I wasn't ready yet!" Zach cried out indignantly before even catching his breath.

"I apologize, Master, but I have never heard of an enemy that would wait for you to get ready on the battlefield." While talking, Yanael had already rushed forward and was about to launch another kick.

Zach barely had time to throw up a flat barrier in panic before Yanael's shoe made contact with the side of his head.

Zach's eyes widened, and a chill ran down his spine as the barrier broke. Fortunately, it bought him enough time to raise his arms reflexively. With a numbing impact, Yanael's kick collided with Zach's forearms and sent him sliding across the floor.

"Y-yanael?!" Zach threw up a barrier around him as he looked at Yanael in shock and fear. She was serious. If he hadn't defended against that blow, he would have been in serious trouble. Even now, his forearms were aching and throbbing with pain. They were probably fractured.

"What's wrong, Master? Isn't this what you wanted?" Yanael smiled and approached Zach at a deliberately slow pace. It was like she wanted Zach to dread her arrival. If she wanted him to fear, she succeeded.

Her smile alone had been enough to send shivers down his spine. But her rhythmic steps that seemed to echo in the training room almost made him bow down and repent for his sin of asking her to help him train.

However, Zach didn't want to give in that easily. And he wasn't as scared as he had been when he met Jigak, so Zach strengthened his resolve and his barrier and faced Yanael.

"Fine. Let's do this."

Yanael's eyes sparkled, and she closed the distance with a quick step that was almost too fast for Zach to see.

"Master, a barrier like this…"

Yanael's kick landed on the barrier, but it didn't stop there.

"...Will only tire you out."

Yanael's foot and leg broke through the barrier before smashing into Zach and sending him flying again as the barrier completely crumbled.

"Master, are you even trying? You are treating me like I am weak. I am not sure how I am supposed to feel about that."

Before Zach could even land, Yanael had already caught up to him and raised her leg. She brought it down and smashed Zach into the floor.

"If you want to survive, you cannot be taking it easy like this, Master. Your enemies will not spare you simply because you are pitiful."

Zach pitifully tried to raise another barrier to shield himself. But his earlier barriers hadn't stopped Yanael, and neither did this. She kicked him across the room again.

As he spun too fast to see anything but Yanael's black and white dress in the jumbled room, Zach wondered if he had made a mistake somewhere in his life that had led him to this point.

He didn't even have time to feel the pain of one strike before Yanael landed another and sent him flying.

However, after another trip across the room, Yanael caught Zach with her foot and stopped him. She held him on the floor with her shoe pressed against his throat.

"If this had been a real battle, you would have already died too many times to count, Master. If you do not take this seriously, I will have to reconsider my duty to help you train."

Zach could barely hear what Yanael was saying.

"M-mercy!" He cried out, he pleaded, he begged for mercy.

Yanel smiled.

"No."