第１１１８堀：訓練相手 (Part2)
"Mghhh... A-alright, fine! Mikos is in too! I won't let Kagura show me up!"
"At the end of the day, you're doing this for Yuki, so you might as well just get fired up and get on with it."
"Now, now. It takes a surprising amount of resolve to commit to training when you know full well it will involve pain. I shall inform them of your participation."
Stasia said this as she made the call, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret the moment she did. It’s a secret, though. Ugh, I have to steel myself and just do it. Ardes-san said it, didn't he? That if you steel your resolve and give it your all...
True, given the disparity in our strength, it’s not just about accepting that getting beaten up is inevitable; it’s about having the resolve to at least land one solid blow. With that mindset firmly re-established, I headed straight to the training grounds after class...
"Alright! I'm going to win today!"
"Yeah, that’s impossible. How are you going to win against someone for whom my entire repertoire of items is completely useless? And besides, why am I even being dragged into this training..."
"I told you yesterday, didn't I? Nilua is a wanted person in Enaria. You need enough power to brush off a certain level of trouble on your own. Otherwise, you cannot be part of our circle, nor can you be of any use."
Wazfi and Nilua were already pairing up to challenge Deryu-san.
"...That’s sound logic, I know, but I still don't feel like we have a chance in hell of winning."
"Why are you getting so discouraged? If we work together, we can do it."
"I mean, yeah, two is better than one, I guess. But I still don't think we'll even come close."
I shared that sentiment. If we couldn't even beat each other, there was no way we were touching Deryu-san. I was just thinking we’d be relegated to spectators until the two of them got wiped out, when someone approached us.
"Oh, Rurua? What are you doing here?" Enola asked.
Indeed, for some reason, Rurua-san was standing there.
"I have been dispatched so that I may provide immediate treatment right here on the spot. It seems that yesterday, you were not putting your hearts into the training, so Master and Deryu went out of their way to bring you to the hospital."
She tilted her head with a cute, innocent smile, clearly having heard from Deryu-san that we were being pathetic.
"Ugh, we’ve already been found out."
"Ah, I’m sorry. I just... I got intimidated. But today is different."
Realizing that hiding it was pointless, I offered a sincere apology. Rurua-san is strict about these things. Moreover, her skill in healing magic is leagues above Enola’s—it’s at a level that honestly feels unbelievable, to the point where I suspect she could bring back the dead. And on top of that, having a chest that large feels like a cheat code.
As I was lost in such thoughts, someone else appeared behind Rurua.
"Hmm, hmm. Between the academy, this training ground, and the research results, I see no reason to dismantle this place."
"Oh, Shau-dono, you have come here as well?"
"Yes. I have received permission to observe Stasia-dono and the others' training, so I have accompanied them."
"Wait, you're going to watch Mikos and the others train...?"
Does that mean they’re going to watch us get pulverized by Deryu-san? I was thinking that was a bit much, when—
"Oh, that will be fine. I shall be your training partner today."
Rurua-san said this with a pleasant smile, stepping away to take up a stance with the mace and shield used in the training grounds.
"Ehhhh?!"
Wait, why Rurua-san? I mean, I knew she was probably strong if she fought, but in my mind, she was strictly a healing specialist.
"Deryu-san is a bit too strong, so I will be your opponent today. I will be sure to hold back, so please, come at me. Oh, but if you get too complacent..."
In an instant, she was right in front of me. She swung her mace toward my face; I instinctively raised my arms to shield myself, but—
*Crack.*
A sickening sound echoed from my arm, followed by an agonizing surge of pain that made sweat erupt from my pores in an instant.
"...!?"
I writhed in agony. The mace hadn't just hit me; it had torn the very flesh from my arm.
"Wait, what!?"
"Rurua! This is..."
"Enola. No!"
By the time Stasia shouted, it was already too late.
*Clang.*
The sound of heavy iron colliding rang out.
"Please, stop using the excuse of 'training' to be soft. It’s not as if the pain is preventing you from moving, and rather than having everyone rush over in a panic, there is work to be done, isn't there? Come now, let’s do our best, just like Stasia-san."
Seeing Rurua-san standing there, smiling without a single breath out of place, only made the cold sweat pour down my back even faster.
Opponent: Saint Rurua.
Deryu alone would be boring, wouldn't it? So, this time, Weed's healer has stepped up.
Well, in Wizardry, clerics are the type to fight on the front lines or swing weapons from the back, after all.