Chapter 132: Team battles, finals

I feel heavy.

Soon, I will be doing an act that is akin to betraying everyone here.

The business in Rotsgard as well, it is safe to a.s.sume that continuing it will be hard.

I still haven’t met them yet, but it seems I have caught the eye of several big-shots.

Asking Rembrandt-san is, as expected, something I can’t bring myself to do.

I have been in his care way too much after all.

The reason why the Kuzunoha Company went well in Tsige was because I had the follow-up of him.

It’s free to operate in towns, it’s based on your skills; so as long as you provide good stuff, you will succeed. That’s not the case.

In that town there’s probably no one who would want to be glared by Rembrandt-san, so that discretion served as a help for me.

The business there went well, so I went and misunderstood that I was beginning to get used to doing business.

In the middle of it, I was totally made a fool of.

He wanted Rembrandt-san to owe him, so he told me that he would overlook me if I just leave the town.

That really got me.

Just remembering that makes my anger well up. My anger of him, the anger that comes from my own worthlessness; they well up and mix.

That representative was a person that gave the impression as if gold is supremacy. That’s the kind of sense of value he seemed to live with.

Looking at how hard it was to deal with him and the things he said, Rembrandt-san might have been like that before his family fell ill.

Because if he is able to go against that representative in higher than even grounds, I don’t think he would say any soft things.

It is mortifying, but it is true that I am not fit as a merchant.

I understand what he said.

It’s true that I was naïve.

In the end, I am running away and making a connection with the demon race.

In the worst case, not only the one here but the store in Tsige as well, and the relationships formed at that town, everything will be…

No matter if Rembrandt-san said all that to me, I will be going to a camp that’s going against hyumans and having troubles with the G.o.ddess. I can’t burden him.

I will be secluding in the country that my mom and dad were huh.

I even came to a parallel world. What am I doing?

In the tournament grounds that is crowded and giving off heat, I sit in the seat that I had reserved, and look at the stage where no one is in.

There’s only the finals left in the team battles of the tournament.

The match of the students I might not be able to meet anymore. I have to properly watch over it.

They safely won through the semifinals.

The obvious pestering that was the level limit didn’t have that much effect on them it seems.

They must have gotten used to the mock battles with the mist lizard where they had to fight by using teamwork.

Just that, there’s something bothering me.

The second son of Hopelace.

His state in the semifinals wasn’t normal.

“That… doesn’t give a good feeling. Tomoe, can you tell?” (Makoto)

“About that n.o.ble? Fumu… he is probably using some kind of magic or drug to increase his power, and that’s its side effect, maybe?” (Tomoe)

“What do you think Mio?” (Makoto)

“It gave an unsavory feeling. Like some sort of hyuman mixed with something else. I can see a disgusting tint” (Mio)

“Like a demi-human?” (Makoto)

“No. How to say it? Uhm, hyuman and demi-humans are of different types, but it is like having two of the same bread tied together, and the disgusting feeling would be embedded inside it. Like a pound cake with dry fruits inside?” (Mio)

I kind of get it and kind of not.

“I, see…” (Makoto)

I hold an opinion similar to that of Tomoe.

A hollow atmosphere as if he lost his sanity.

Crush his opponents with abnormal brute strength. But instead of calling it hyuman, it is more like a mamono.

The surrounding members were not as serious as him, but I can’t think of them as normal either.

In this tournament it is prohibited to use magic drugs, so I don’t think it is medicine but… in that case, maybe magic?

Well, even if their strength gets higher, from what I have seen, it is lower than Zwei-san.

In technique, there’s no need to mention. Lower than blue lizard.

If it’s with three, my students will win.

That’s why there’s no need to worry that much but…

“Shiki, I was thinking you would be coming back anytime now. How is their condition?” (Makoto)

“Waka-sama, they have been doing an intense battle of rock, paper, scissors for the rights of partic.i.p.ating” (Shiki)

“Fufu, glad to see they are not tense” (Makoto)

Shiki had returned from looking after the students.

He answered my question with no hesitation, and told me about the students’ condition.

“Shiki, what did you think about that Hopelace boy? He gives out quite a different atmosphere compared to the individual battles” (Makoto)

“… Yeah. I can’t say anything definite, but I think he is being done something” (Shiki)

“Being done?” (Makoto)

“Yes. He is losing his sanity. I think that’s a type of magic drug. It resembles something I have handled a long time ago” (Shiki)

Medicine huh.

So he really can make anything valid.

I feel like I kind of understand how it is to get into trouble with a n.o.ble.

“It’s a magic drug that turns hyumans into ghouls. Changing them into a half-dead state, and enslaving them. Well, it would have been okay to make it have an immediate effect, but it turned out as a frail article that couldn’t be used and ended up as a failure” (Shiki)

I can easily get Shiki to talk about his past deeds, but the amount of pitch black content is not low.

This is one of many.

He does pretty frightening stuff.

“Enslaving huh. It at least doesn’t seem like he is being controlled, and doesn’t look frail either” (Makoto)

“Yes. Even when predicting the highest battle power he could get, in the worst case, there won’t be problems if we stop it. I have told the students to retire if it turns dangerous. Rather, I am-” (Shiki)

I cut into the words of Shiki.

“Shiki… you told them that?” (Makoto)

“Yes, I did though?” (Shiki)

“Ah~, if you tell them that, they would definitely do something rash. Amelia being the first in the list” (Makoto)

Even if it is not her, the others will probably go with the enthusiasm of ‘I will win’.

“Those were words brought out of concern though…” (Shiki)

“In the worst case, it is fine to stop them even if it turns into a defeat. And so, Shiki, what were you trying to say before?” (Makoto)

“Ah, about Hopelace. The necklace he was using before equipping his armor piqued my interest” (Shiki)

“Necklace? That guy, he still had more things he brought from his house?” (Makoto)

“It was disguised with a magic resistance effect” (Shiki)

Disguised?

That’s certainly strange.

That means there’s a hidden effect.

“Could it be, the type that awakens and gives a power-up?” (Makoto)

In times, accessories possess effects that are more dangerous than weapons. Well, that’s gamer logic though. But I only think this way because that guy really doesn’t care about what methods he uses after all.

“Awaken? No. I think it is some sort of acc.u.mulating effect. It didn’t seem like it was in function, and it worried me a bit” (Shiki)

For Shiki to hesitate, that’s unusual.

Ah, it’s fine to forget about my game logic explanation there.

“It kind of gives a bad presentiment. This whole town is giving a strange feeling” (Mio)

Mio looks at the sky and says this carefree.

It seems she sensed something that cannot be considered as a threat to her.

But in this situation where many things are mobilizing, the words of Mio…

“… Just in case, can you bring some equipment Jin and the others can use from the store? Leave it in their waiting room. And after you finish doing that, let’s watch together” (Makoto)

“Understood”

This may be the last thing I will be able to do for Jin and the others.

Weapons are something that just a.s.sist in shaking off problematic things though.

They are the kids I have been looking after for several months. I have grown attached to a certain extent.

… No, quite attached. I was being careful to avoid this from happening, but I was unable to.

For now, let’s protect them.

“Sorry for the wait!! We will be beginning the finals of this tournament’s team battles!!”

A resonant voice was emitted from the man that came up the stage.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Alright! Let’s go! You pipsqueaks, don’t go holding back on Hopelace!”

“I am not a pipsqueak! Like h.e.l.l I would hold back. I can finally try the instant strengthening that Jin was doing, in real combat. If it goes well, it would be no different from going at my full strength”

“I think that making fun of one’s body growth is childish! I will be stealing all the spotlight!!”

Shoulders, knees, elbows; in those kind of places, they had thick leather protectors equipped, and the three students who were wearing their battle uniform, talked in a cheerful manner.

The first words the tall boy said really described them well.

Jin and the pipsqueak combi.

Saying it that way, it really does fit.

The other two denied this, but the remaining members that had a gloomy atmosphere around them also thought this way.

“Why did I use rock at that moment?!”

“If you didn’t made it a draw there, I would have been able to partic.i.p.ate…”

“Using paper 4 times in a row, are you a spammer?!”

“I couldn’t partic.i.p.ate in a single match…”

The ones who lost in the partic.i.p.ation battle.

In contrast to the three that are exultant and holding weapons, they seemed to be feeling down. And there was one that said something pretty tragic.

Holding a standard one-handed sword, there’s Jin; possessing a spear the same height as her, its Yuno; and with a barely good gem embedded at the tip of his staff, there’s Izumo.

These three were the winners.

The remaining four can’t partic.i.p.ate, but they follow until the stage’s vicinity.

Just like that, Jin and the others go up the stage.

In front of them, the 7 match opponents were already there.

“Destroy, destroy, destroy…”

“Oioi, did you use a drug or something today, senpai? That’s just too late”

“Unsightly”

“Disgusting”

While looking at Jin and the others with eyes devoid of light, Ilumgand Hopelace holds his great sword with both hands.

Without getting worked up, Jin, Yuno and Izumo stood in a row.

The introductions of the partic.i.p.ants is done in order.

By nature, just standing in this place is the best situation for the students that attend this academy, but this final was ruled by a strange atmosphere.

3 versus 7. There’s also that.

But in the seven, there’s one that’s clearly not normal and being restless; and in the side of three, they show no sign of tension and simply smile.

And then, the strong gazes of interest from the audience seats and visitor seats that are expecting a match that will surpa.s.s the past years.

“Begin!!!”

The battle situation suddenly unfolded in a vehement manner.

Yuno and Izumo who were at both sides of Jin, both of them stepped back at their respective sides.

An abrupt enhanced acceleration. And it was a speed higher than that shown in the individual matches.

Using the instant enhancement of Jin as the concept, the two of them also learned it in a small s.p.a.ce of time.

Makoto widening his eyes was just the onset.

And then, the other move…

Was from Ilumgand.

Maybe he has some grudge from the individual matches, he went in a straight line towards Jin.

That speed was slower than Yuno and Izumo, but it is an acceleration with his large body build and his whole body clad in armor and a great sword.

The intensity was incomparable to the other two.

Sadly, Jin was not overwhelmed by that at all.

“Senpai! This is the last match, prepare!!” (Jin)

Jin gleefully accepts Ilumgand’s charge.

Just what he wished.

The remaining 6 at Ilumgand’s team were being approached by Yuno and Izumo from both sides.

Jin had no need to worry about them.

The 4 magicians were already chanting their arias, and the remaining 2 warriors were facing the 2 approaching respectively.

‘How stupid’ is what Jin thought as he bended his mouth into a smile.

Because that a.s.sured him that they weren’t able to read what the two were trying to do.

“The annoying thrash will beeeee crusheeeeed!!”

Without learning his lesson, Ilumgand unleashes the horizontal swipe that was crushed a few days ago.

Jin takes on that attack. There was no need to crush it.

He wanted to show Ilumgand that.

But he could tell from the sword that was swung with unexpected strength, that the wooden sword clad with magic power, which was supposed to take one hit without problems, was being wedged into. Jin’s body was pushed back.

“Tch!!” (Jin)

Clicking his tongue, Jin tried to switch the movements of his body and pull his sword to divert the attack.

In that moment, he was a.s.saulted by another unexpected attack.

While swinging the great sword just like that, Ilumgand forcibly takes one step, and with his open hand, he tried to punch Jin.

It was clearly a jumbled attack that is not taking into consideration the burden the body takes.

An attack that one would even think that it is enhanced.

By nature, it shouldn’t be an attack that one would receive, but he was thinking about how he would make Ilumgand crawl in defeat. Most of his thought process was directed there.

It was Jin’s negligence.

(I can’t dodge it. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d) (Jin)

The fist approaches his face.

Understanding that it already reached the point of being unavoidable, Jin instinctively brings up the hand that was holding the sword.

Accurately speaking, his elbow.

It may not be much, but there’s protectors there.

That defense miraculously made it in time, and the fist of Ilumgand crashes into Jin’s left elbow.

Without minding that it crashed into his elbow, the fist continues its momentum.

Jin was blown slightly to the back and toppled over. But stood up immediately and fixed his stance.

Not releasing the sword from his hands even with the unexpected shock was as expected of him.

“Is that how n.o.bles fight? Tch, getting the better of me when sensei is watching” (Jin)

An intense anger flickers in Jin’s eyes.

Receiving that attack was mostly because of his own negligence, but in the midst of the battle’s exaltation, those kind of thoughts didn’t enter his mind.

“Yuno, Izumo. Sorry, but I will be beginning first” (Jin)

Lowly, Jin’s whisper leaks out.

As if seizing Ilumgand’s second rush, this time, Jin also charged.