That 202: A Battle of Defense Against the Over-Defensive Uncle

The distance between the two opponents was about five or six meters.

While Rinne was dressed in her school-issued gym uniform, Satori and I stood in skirts—clearly ill-suited for combat.

It felt like we’d become dedicated cheerleaders, so we stayed slightly behind, taking a defensive position.

The masked man in front of us stood in a simple stance, arms raised lightly to chest level, fists poised.

"Come on, then—come at me."

Rinon didn't respond, glancing slightly toward me before saying,

"Shutari."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry—I need you to heal me."

"Heal? What for?"

"My ankle."

Looking down, I saw a clearly visible handprint on her right foot, visible even from a distance.

To be honest, this was shocking. Her foot should have been impenetrable to blades thanks to her Skin Reinforcement ability.

Satori trembled as she whispered,

"Impossible... just now, in an instant..."

Yet her body moved almost automatically.

She quickly placed her hand on the wounded area and murmured, '——Healing, Fourth Grade,' and a gentle green light appeared, instantly healing Rinon's wound.

"Did you both see Yoru's skill?"

"Eh, yes..."

"Still, it's definitely solid. It looks tough to deal real damage by just punching it head-on."

"Yes"

Suzuri had thoroughly memorized the pre-researched countermeasures against the "Guardian Knights."

As a result, she understood the effects of Yūku's abilities almost perfectly.

Among them, three abilities required particular caution:

《Counter》 and 《Unyielding》.

And the mysterious technique known as 《Iron Fist of Justice》.

Explaining further, 《Counter》 is simply a skill that dramatically enhances one's ability to retaliate against direct attacks.

And 《Unyielding》 is a skill that increases one's offensive and defensive power the more damage one takes.

Generally, these two abilities are considered the only offensive capabilities of the "Guardian Knight" class.

In essence, the "Guardian Knight" job has almost no means of initiating attacks on its own.

That's why we came up with the idea of—

"Then, as planned."

"Please."

From the safe zone, attacking as if chiseling away at Iwashi.

In an instant, Rinon remained in a crouched stance before abruptly vanishing from right in front of me.

Tracing her with my gaze alone, just as prearranged, she circled around Yohku with precise accuracy, making a full half-turn in a perfect arc.

And then—

"Oops!"

She threw a small stone she'd picked up along the way, aiming directly at his face.

Hey, using weapons isn't allowed by the rules...

That's not right. I only banned the carrying in of weapons.

Yeku gently pressed against the area between his eyebrows,

...That's cowardly.

Whatever you want is fine.

Rinon gave a smug smile, playing with two pebbles in the palm of her hand.

And once again, I hurl a pebble, enhanced by the 'Throw' skill, like a bullet.

That "bullet-like" strike is no metaphor. Its power has already been proven to surpass that of actual bullets.

"Guh!"

Yukka catches it with both arms crossed in a crucifix stance. The sleeves of her coat are instantly torn to shreds.

Still, one might say she's the ultimate defense-focused uncle—no wonder.

Not a single scratch mars her skin, not even a hint of damage.

Of course, as long as his magic endures.

The more attacks he receives, the more his magic will inevitably fade.

"Damn it, even though it was a cheap Uniqlo item—still, you were so fond of it!"

Though his expression beneath the mask is hidden from view, he must have looked utterly pained—probably.

Just so you know, I'm gonna have to repeat this about a hundred more times. If your magic starts to run out, make sure you say so clearly! ……Unless you actually want to die, that is!

And as promised, Rinne continues throwing stones, keeping a careful distance—neither too close nor too far.

Yeku tried hard to get closer to her, but she seemed to have a slight edge in speed and endurance, perhaps due to age.

Even if Rinnon were somehow forced to the edge of the field, ―

"Rinnon, ― 'jump'!"

"Rinnon, ― 'dodge'!"

"Rinnon, ― 'dash, dash, dash, quick end, dash'!"

Thanks to my encouragement, she barely manages to avoid close combat.

Honestly, I almost feel like cheering for Yeku, who's completely flustered.

As I watched Yeku that night, I noticed something.

It's hard to put into words, but...

There was a sense that she wasn't exactly putting in full effort, or rather...

Not going all out, but not exactly holding back either.

Still, it wasn't as if she was being careless.

Seemed like she was, in her own way, paying attention to how things looked.

Then again, it's not surprising. After all, it's a grown man beating up three high school girls.

While there's not much difference in strength between men and women when it comes to players, it's undeniable that a man hurting a woman is a morally questionable act.

We weren't the only ones who had to win decisively.

Perhaps he felt the same way, unexpectedly.

"Damn it—always dodging around like that!"

"We're still far from being worn out! Surrender now, while you still can!"

"Who do you think—"

There was just one thing nagging at his heart.

The skill he possesses—《The Iron Fist of Justice》.

According to Zōri, the effect of such a skill was something she'd never heard of before...

Right now, all I can do with Zōri is anxiously watch how things unfold.