ch61-ch80 · 092-ch76

Chapter 76

Shinjuku Tower. Floor twenty-five.

Right now, this place was wrapped in a bizarre atmosphere.

Somehow, the Floor Boss 'Shadow' had become 'Great Hero' Brad Gabelatory — the man who'd once taught Sai how to fight.

And on top of that, another top adventurer from the other world, 'Beast Princess' Cyril Greenvalley, had been forcibly summoned.

...Except she was completely stark naked.

Cyril took in the situation while wiping herself down with a towel.

Even though she was completely naked, she didn't seem to care at all, scrubbing the water off herself vigorously.

'Hmm-hmm. So Brad-sensei called me here, huh...'

'Yeah. Sorry for catching you in the bath!'

'Seriously! And weren't you supposed to be dead, Sensei?'

'Well... there are circumstances.'

'There you go again, being vague... So what do you want me to do?'

Despite being a Floor Boss fight, the atmosphere was incredibly lax.

Sai and Hexaria were doing their best not to face Cyril's direction (they wanted to believe the viewers couldn't see her due to the radio interference — but they weren't sure).

'Right! Fight with me against Sai and the others!'

'Huh? No way. I'm not fighting my cute little brother. I'm Sai-kun's big sister, you know?'

'Senior disciple, you mean?'

Sai immediately cut in.

There were dozens of adventurers who looked up to Brad as their master.

Sai was one, and Cyril was also one of those Brad had taught how to fight.

And though Cyril was younger than Sai, she was his senior disciple under Brad, which was why she forced him to call her "big sister." Even now, Sai still called her "Cyril-nee."

Brad seemed genuinely surprised that the person he'd summoned would refuse his request. He scratched his head, thinking about what to do.

'Didn't think I'd get refused even after summoning someone...'

Maybe tired of the disorganized situation.

Hexaria sighed.

'Of all people, you had to summon the most troublesome idiot...'

Hearing that, Cyril glared at her.

'Who're you calling an idiot!'

'You, you blockhead.'

'Grrrrrr!'

'Hmph'

Hexaria generally disliked people, but when it came to those who had friendly relations with Sai, that misanthropy tended to lie low. But with Cyril... maybe it was due to past history.

They both got sharp-tongued with each other.

Maybe because of that, Cyril's fighting spirit had been ignited.

'Fine. I don't want to fight Sai-kun, but I'll take you on, Hexaria!'

'Oh, you'll do it? Thanks!'

'Geez, Cyril-nee's actually gonna fight...'

'Don't worry, I won't fight you, Sai-kun ♪'

Despite being a two-on-two situation, it looked like it would turn into two separate one-on-one battles.

Normally, it would be easier to do two rounds of two-on-one, but their opponents were Brad and Cyril — two of the strongest in the other world.

There was no way they'd be allowed to make that kind of situation happen.

'I'll leave Cyril-nee to you.'

'Leave it to me.'

That said, Hexaria couldn't use her renowned 'Charm' in Shinjuku Tower.

She didn't know how the tower itself would judge it.

Her combat compatibility with Cyril was poor.

Sai would have to fight someone stronger than him, and Hexaria would have to fight someone she had bad compatibility with.

Had whoever created Shinjuku Tower been aiming for this situation?

Sai thought about such things as he prepared to face Brad.

◇

So. The floor twenty-five Floor Boss battle had started in a lax, disorganized atmosphere.

Even so, their opponents were two of the other world's top-ranked adventurers.

The other world's 'Great Hero,' Brad Gabelatory.

And the 'Beast Princess,' Cyril Greenvalley.

Both were acquaintances of Sai and Hexaria — adventurers they knew well.

The situation might be disorganized, but their strength was above Sai and Hexaria's.

There was no doubt this would be a battle against superiors.

"Arm!"

Cyril shouted, and her bracelet glowed.

This was magic that stored weapons and armor within a bracelet, then called them out and equipped them in sync with the activation of the enchantment formula.

In an instant, her completely naked form switched to an adventurer-like appearance.

However, there was no weapon in her hands. Unarmed.

Her armor was also lightweight, and her stance closely resembled Sai's.

Which was only natural.

She was Sai's senior disciple, and more importantly, Sai's hand-to-hand fighting style had been directly taught by her — even more than by Brad. It wasn't that "she happened to resemble Sai" — rather, "Sai's fighting style was modeled after hers" was the correct way to put it.

'Anyway, let's hurry up and take down those two idiots.'

'You said it.'

Hearing Sai and Hexaria's conversation leak over, Cyril started fuming.

'Who're you calling idiots! You think you can beat me and Brad-sensei?'

'Hmph. Dealing with her is my husband's job.'

'Tch. Sai-kun has terrible taste.'

Hexaria and Cyril's gazes clashed fiercely.

Brad spoke cheerfully.

'The atmosphere's coming together. About time we start fighting for real.'

And so, the matchups were set: Sai vs. Brad, Hexaria vs. Cyril.

Sai took his stance before Brad.

'Alright then. Let's see how much you've grown, boy!'

'You calling a guy my age "boy" — only you would do that, Master!'

Sai moved around Brad, feinting and then diving into his close range.

An attack aiming for a momentary blind spot.

Sai lined up his target and went for the strike.

'Too slow!'

'You too, Master!'

Sai fired a flash spell right in Brad's face, blinding him.

'Whoa!'

At the same time, Sai tried to kick Brad upward... but the attack was blocked.

Even though it was a blind spot, at a timing meant to throw him off balance, Brad still managed to block the kick with the pommel of his blade.

Sai sensed sharp killing intent and retreated three steps.

'Haha! Sai, you're still adventuring, aren't you?'

'Yeah. That's why I'm standing here right now.'

'Good. A man ought to die charging forward!'

'You charge too much, Master!'

Both of them kept talking while they fought... while trying to kill each other.

Sometimes their blades clashed, sometimes they dodged, thrust, and slashed.

Every attack was fully evaded by the other.

For adventurers, one's fighting style is, so to speak, the crystallization of rationalization and optimization.

Martial ways, martial arts, martial techniques.

There are many ways to say it, but it all comes down to taking the techniques inherited from one's teacher, making them one's own, and optimizing them. There's also the issue of compatibility with techniques, so no matter how much you learn, what ultimately matters is how well you've optimized that martial art to fit your own body.

Brad's blade came down from above, aiming to split Sai in two.

Sai placed two Hexa Shields.

One was destroyed as expected, but the remaining one successfully stopped the blow.

'How the hell are you this strong when you're dead and older than me?!'

'Hah! Who says I'm dead!?'

Sai's eyes widened at those words.

Was there a chance Brad wasn't dead...?

'What—'

'Too slow!'

'—Gah!?'

Brad's kick landed a heavy blow on Sai's abdomen.

'Haha! Letting words distract you — you're still an amateur!'

'Damn it!'

Normally, when taking a hit, you'd retreat backward, but Sai deliberately moved forward and started attacking at ultra-close range.

'This is my range!'

Two sword flashes from Brad came at Sai.

'It's also mine!'

Sai stopped those sword flashes with a Hexa Shield and threw a body blow with his left hand at Brad.

'!! Haha! Looks like the boy's learned a thing or two!'

Sai had definitely driven a body blow into Brad.

He'd infused it with magic, even firing a spell meant to destroy internal organs.

But there was no sensation of dealing any damage.

Sai's simple attack power hadn't been able to penetrate Brad's pure defensive power.

Brad's clothing — known as the 'Divine Dragon's Garment' — had nullified the attack.

'What a damn discouraging difference in power...!'

Between the Great Hero Brad and the upper-rank adventurer Sai, there was an absolute gap.

A difference in power, a difference in magical power, a difference in equipment, a difference in experience.

There were various differences, and all of them were 'gaps' of despair.

'If this is all you've got... then this is it!'

The Great Hero swung his blade.

An ultra-fast shockwave, like a predator hunting its prey, struck Sai!

Sai immediately deployed a Hexa Shield, but the shockwave pierced through the shield and went right through Sai's body.

'Guh...'

That attack was more than enough to take Sai down.

◇

Beside Sai and Brad's fight, Hexaria and Cyril's battle had also begun.

Hexaria was in her usual armor.

Cyril, in contrast, wore light armor.

'Now then...'

Hexaria was already fully prepared.

Her opponent was the 'Beast Princess' Cyril Greenvalley. One of the top adventurers.

Not someone she could afford to underestimate.

'You clearly have no idea what's going on, but I'm gonna beat you down anyway.'

'You fool.'

'You monopolize Sai-kun and then make fun of me...!'

'I don't recall monopolizing him?'

Hexaria replied with exasperation to the fuming Cyril.

Given the circumstances, Hexaria probably had her own things she wanted to say about that.

"Haaaaaah! Raiga!!"

The moment she shouted, a fighting aura woven from an enormous amount of magical power burst from Cyril.

Her skill 'Raiga' (Thunder Fang) manipulated the bioelectricity flowing through her body, granting her strength and speed beyond normal Five Senses Enhancement and Body Enhancement — and furthermore, it added lightning-attribute damage to all her attacks. It was Cyril's prized skill that had elevated her to special-class rank.

'Dash!'

But the one before Cyril was a fellow special-class adventurer and a High Elf.

The sage Hexaria.

'You fool.'

Cyril took a single bound and charged at Hexaria.

Immediately, a loud BANG! rang out.

'GYAN!?'

Cyril, who was charging in, suddenly exploded from a mysterious blast.

'There's no way I'd fight a reckless fool like you directly.'

Hexaria looked down at the fallen Cyril, arms crossed.

'I see... so those are aerial mines.'

Aerial mines were exactly what they sounded like — mines scattered through the atmosphere, made of magical power, that exploded on contact.

For an ordinary adventurer, a single one of these mines would be enough to knock them out.

'Oh. Even a dumb cat knows about them.'

'Of course I do!'

Cyril staggered to her feet.

'...But thanks to you, I was saved.'

Cyril had used a Hexa Shield to minimize the damage from the mine.

Despite all her harsh words, she actually trusted the developer, Hexaria.

She knew that what had reduced the death and injury rate among adventurers in the Beast Kingdom was undeniably Hexaria's achievement.

'Heh. I never expected you to die from something like that.'

'Obviously not. Now then, let me show you the trump card I developed to destroy your shields.'

'Oh?'

Breaking the Hexa Shield, called the all-purpose shield.

That wasn't something just anyone could claim.

Hearing those words, Hexaria's lips curled upward, intrigued to see what kind of technique would come out.

Cyril refined her internal magical power, drawing in a massive amount of mana.

Hexaria sensed it with her own Mana Perception.

It was coming.

The moment Hexaria sensed it, Cyril had left behind sound, movement, everything — and was standing behind Hexaria.

Having slipped through all the enormous number of aerial mines.

'What!?'

As if to match Hexaria's shock, an impact flew toward her.

Before she could even deploy a Hexa Shield, Cyril had punched her.

'Guh!?'

Cyril's full-power punch.

But don't underestimate it as just a punch. In her 'Raiga' state, a punch from Cyril had enough power to knock even large monsters unconscious with a single blow.

And Hexaria had taken that punch directly.

She wasn't going to get off easy.

'See that, Hexaria!'

Cyril looked down at the fallen Hexaria and declared her victory.

================ Thank you very much for reading.