第２７４堀：勇者の技 (Part1)
Chapter 274: The Hero’s Technique
Side: Yuki
"Now, the second match is about to begin. Will all spectators please return to their seats as soon as possible."
The announcement echoed all the way into the waiting room. The megaphone seemed to be of decent quality.
"So, Taiki-kun, are you ready?" I asked, looking at Taiki-kun, who was sitting leisurely in front of me.
"Yes, I’m fine. My body is sufficiently warmed up."
"…Eoid, on the other hand, looks like he’s about to die."
Taiki-kun rotated his shoulders in a circular motion to show he was limber, but Eoid was merely gasping for air, seemingly lacking the energy to even respond.
"Well, if you push yourself this far, you won't even have time to be nervous, right? Yuki-san, do you want to put Eoid through more drills after this?"
At Taiki-kun’s words, Eoid flinched, clearly having heard him.
"…I’ll pass. Any more and he’s going to collapse."
"Then, we’ll watch together."
"That’s a good idea. If you aren't training, you should at least observe the stage where you’ll be fighting. Watching Taiki-kun’s battle will be a good experience, too. Can you move, Eoid?"
"…Yes."
Eoid finally managed a response. Man, he sounded completely exhausted. Well, if he can answer, he can still fight. People who are truly spent usually fall asleep before they can even reply.
"So, Taiki-kun, what’s your approach?"
"Naturally, I’ll be using a sword."
"A sword? You know physical attacks won't work, right?"
"I know, I know. This is the type that uses a staff disguised as a sword."
"Ah, so you aren't using your actual sword."
"Well, if I used that, I’d be joining the ranks of the Holy Sword users, wouldn't I?"
"If you’re willing to handle the paperwork yourself, you’re welcome to join them."
"Spare me. Who would want to deal with that hassle? My regular duties are busy enough as it is."
Fair point. I wouldn't want to do it either. Taiki-kun’s Hero’s Sword is a special enchanted blade imbued with three elements, shattering the common knowledge of this New Continent where each item usually holds only one. Just possessing it is a massive issue, and if he were known to wield it freely, he’d be the center of attention across the entire continent. Normally, people would call it a tall tale, but since this is being broadcast live and recorded, there’s no denying it.
"Come to think of it, who is my opponent?"
"I don't know. Ardes seemed to be scrambling to put this together, and I wasn't particularly interested. Did you want intel? Kirika probably knows; should I call her?"
"Oh, no. That’s not necessary. I was just curious. It’s rare to be able to go into a fight knowing all of your opponent's cards anyway. This is good training for me."
"I see. Well, try not to get tripped up."
"I never thought I’d be standing on a stage like this, though. It’s almost like a martial arts tournament, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I thought the same thing."
Exactly. There’s no "championship" title, but the vibe is definitely that of a martial arts tournament. It’s not a wrestling ring, but a stage, which really brings that image to mind.
"Man, I’m getting fired up."
"Nice. I forgot to say that line."
"Ah, what a waste."
Though, I’ve pulled off my fair share of cheesy moves too. As we were chatting, Vice Principal Lara entered the room.
"Excuse me, it is time. Taiki-dono, please head outside."
"Yes, understood."
Taiki-kun stood up and headed for the exit.
"Hey, Eoid, say something to him."
"Ah, right. Please do your best."
"Yeah. As your master, I’ll show you how it’s done."
We followed them out to a spot where we could watch from the sidelines.
『Now, before the second match, I would like to introduce both competitors. First, from the Academy, ranked number 8!! One of the "Single Numbers," the Academy’s greatest fighting force!! Soel Warber!!』
*Wooooaaaahhh!!*
As Ratz introduced her, someone stepped onto the stage… Wait? A beautiful girl with long, straight, light-blue hair flowing behind her.
…A beautiful girl? A woman!?
"Hwah!?"
Taiki-kun let out a strange noise beside me, clearly caught off guard.
『As you can see, she is a beautiful student. My, this Academy is not to be underestimated. To think such a lovely girl is a Single Number, the Academy’s peak strength.』
『By the way, she possesses a family name, but she is not nobility. The Warber family, as some of you may have heard, is a fairly famous merchant house. They provide goods to the royal families of various nations.』
*Oooooh.*
A wave of surprise rippled through the crowd. Connections to royalty and nobility are quite rare, after all.
『This is what you could call a hallmark of the Academy. She is in a position where she doesn't have to fight in dangerous places. However, wanting to make the most of her talent, she enrolled here, honed her skills, and earned her place as a Single Number. This is truly a genius born of meritocracy.』
Haa, the daughter of a great merchant, huh? She could probably live a more luxurious life than most royals if she wanted to. What drove her to this?
"…Maybe she’s a battle junkie."
"…Please stop. I’m already desperately trying to figure out what to do."
This is way too unexpected for Taiki-kun. Facing a woman is disadvantageous in many ways. If he were facing an enemy, he wouldn't hold back—he already took down a princess from his own country, after all. But this is a duel. She isn't an enemy, but she isn't an ally either.
"Cleena, Samantha, do you know this girl, Soel?"
"Ah, right. Do either of you know anything?"
While the long-winded introduction was going on, I decided to pull some info from my wives.
"…Hmm. I know her."
"It would be strange not to. Cleena-san, Soel-san, myself, and the 1st and 2nd ranks are all women."
"Wait, the top three are all women?"
"…? Ah. Yuki, you’re mistaken. In this New Continent, women are often more capable of using magic for some reason."
"Yes. In Yuki-sama’s continent, it seems to be the same for both, but here, with Magic Sword users and Holy Sword users, more women are capable of using magic. If anything, it’s more accurate to say that only five of the top ten are women."
Come to think of it, that was the case. …The men of this New Continent must have it rough.
"I see. And what magic does Soel-san excel at…?"
『Now, as for her specialty magic… Oh, this is a surprise. It’s a Triple! She is a user of three elements: Fire, Earth, and Wind!!』
"…Just as Ratz said, a multi-element user. I have four. And since Yuki taught me Wind recently, I have five: Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, and Wind."
"I am far behind with only two elements. The only one I can use for offense is Ice. Water isn't suited for attacking… My apologies for being so untalented."
Cleena aside, Samantha started to look down, talking about herself. She didn't have to say that. It would be embarrassing to hug her right here, so I just patted her head.
"Ah."
"Talent has nothing to do with it. Look, it’s the same with Samantha’s father and mother. As long as there’s love, it’s fine, right? Let’s all do our best together."
"…Yes!! Thank you!!"
"…Hmm. Samantha, we’ll do our best together."
"That’s right. If we’re talking about lack of talent, I was just a village girl."
"…What is the Hero saying?"
While my wives were bonding, Taiki-kun had a confident look on his face.
"Did you think of a good way to fight?"
"Yeah, it’s convenient. I’m going to try that one thing."
"Eh, T-Taiki-san. She’s the 8th rank, you know!? Even if you’re strong…"
Ah, Eoid doesn't know Taiki-kun’s true capabilities, so he’s worried.
"Well, don't worry about it and just watch. Taiki-kun is amazing. Right?"