That 205: A Desired Resolution

The "Iron Hammer of Justice" slammed into the girl in her gym attire.

At that instant, the hammer reacted to her karma, glowing silver and changing its form.

The verdict was—“Evil.”

—Damn it! If I don’t stop this, I’ll kill her!

Instinctively activating "Mana Control," I deactivate the "Iron Hammer of Justice."

—Damn it, I’ve got to stop it…!

But "Mana Control" responded as sluggish as a Windows PC from the '90s.

The "Iron Hammer" began spinning violently upward, striking the girl's left arm head-on.

"Ghh!"

I could see her slender forearm being chipped away like a drill bit. The force showed no sign of weakening—on the contrary, its power doubled with every additional rotation.

The power of "The Iron Hammer of Justice" is determined by the weight of the sins the opponent bears.

"Ha—"

Yet her body, on the verge of death, barely held on.

She seemed to be wielding the "Shield of Aegis" and "Iron Armor," as if bestowed by the one who would end her.

—The footsteps sounded deliberately, as if caused by the "Iron Armor."

At that moment, the effect of "Justice's Iron Hammer" abruptly vanished.

It must have been adapted by "Mana Control."

—So, I was perfectly caught in a trap, then.

・The two were merely supporting roles. Direct attacks on them were forbidden.

At this point, defeat due to rule violation was already decided.

The one who had thrown the "Hammer" was not Okita Rinne.

The one with purple hair, the "Liberator." Her name was Amane Tsumuri.

-- The white mist... is that what's hiding the change of clothes...?

How could I have fallen for such a childish trick? I must be getting foolish indeed.

……。

…………。

……………………。

And.

It took just a few seconds to think this far.

Now, Gin'you was lying on his back, having been tripped by the maid-clothed figure rushing at him—Okita Rinne—staring up at the sky.

His fighting spirit had nearly vanished, yet he sensed the presence of a pursuit.

It seemed the other side wasn't ready to end the match just yet.

—Was he determined to push it all the way to "magic exhaustion," even at that cost?

Perhaps he thought only by doing so could he prevent escape.

Then again, in these times, it was understandable.

He decided to humor this farce a little longer.

Gin'you had been staring at the sky for barely a second.

Rotating like a piece on a chessboard, pivoting on his back, he quickly regained his stance. By then, Rinon was already inches away, driving her right fist straight into his abdomen.

"……Gh! He's still hard...!"

But it was actually her who ended up taking the damage.

His abdominal muscles, as solid as steel, remained unscathed, untouched by a single scratch.

Rinon relentlessly struck Ginsho's body several times in succession. Fast. And precise. An ordinary person would have been knocked unconscious without a chance to defend themselves.

But it was naive.

Would they remember?

The description of the skill "Martial Arts (Advanced)" states: "You will gain combat ability equivalent to the amount of time spent training—equal to the length of your entire life so far."

In other words, this skill grows stronger the older you become.

Her consecutive attacks slashed through the air, all missing their mark.

"——Hah!"

Reading the trajectory of Rinne's dazzlingly graceful high kick, which had been unleashed in a fit of rage, she countered with a backfist to the other side of her shin.

Her face instantly paled as a merciless right fist slammed into her abdomen.

"——Guh!"

She was broken. At the very least, her right leg was shattered.

But Rinko was no pushover either. It seemed she possessed an innate talent for combat. Ignoring the pain from her broken right leg in midair, she wrapped her arms around Ginjyo's, locking them tightly and squeezing with immense force.

"Ugh... g-g-gah..."

Had it not been for her defensive ability, her right elbow would have been twisted instantly.

Ginjyo hesitated for just an instant, then let out a small sigh and drove the edge of his hand into the side of her waist.

"Ugh! H-ho!"

That was all it took—her limbs went limp, like a moth that had been sprayed with insecticide.

Thud. Rinne's body rolled onto the ground.

Beside her, the girl with purple hair writhed helplessly.

"Yield, will you?"

"——! Who... would!"

It seemed, even now, Rinne's spirit remained unbroken.

No surprise, given she had challenged the duel herself—her presence of mind was nothing short of extraordinary.

The sheer determination to never lose was palpable.

Proof of this was that she had already prepared her next move.

Holding a small stone at an angle invisible to me, it appeared she intended to hurl it at my weak point.

"Stop."

"Hmm?"

"Then I admit defeat."

"What?!"

"I've reached my limit. I'm out of magic."

"…Huh?"

Looking genuinely puzzled, Okita Rin frowned.

That was understandable. She was on her knees, while I stood relaxed and upright.

The scene clearly didn't resemble a surrender.

"I'd already pushed myself to the limit when I threw the 'Iron Hammer.' Taking any more would be fatal... That's why I'm giving up."

Half of it was a lie.

I still have enough strength left to fight a little longer.

"Serious about this?"

"Serious or not, I was already done for the moment I attacked that purple-haired guy."

From the start, his goal had been to win the match by exploiting the rules, not by fair play.

From here on, it could easily turn into a life-or-death battle.

So this point is just the perfect stopping place.

This is exactly how he envisioned his "perfect resolution."

"Then..."

"Yeah. Right away, 'Subjugate'."

He said this with a weary sigh.

It wasn't that he wasn't worried—lying would be dishonest.

But he was certain it would be all right.

"By the way, before that, can I ask something?"

"Hm?"

"If someone proposes 'Subjugate' during quest progression, what happens to that 'player'? Do they really lose all their skills?"

"...What's this, you didn't even know that?"

"There's nothing I can do. I've always been a lone wolf."

At that moment, the purple-haired girl, her arm dripping blood, answered in turn.

"That's... no cause for concern. It seems the quests of players who've submitted to 'Subjugation' are simply erased from existence."

"Really?"

"Yes. Just look—right now, I'm receiving no quests at all."

Okinami Rinne snapped her fingers,

"Ah, come to think of it, 'Haku' is going through a tough time, yet you didn't say a word about it. But why have you kept such important info secret all this time?"

"Why... well..."

The purple-haired girl glanced away slightly,

"If I'd let it slip, you'd have lost even more motivation, wouldn't you, 'Warrior'?"

"Yeah... you're right."

"That's why this matter stays between us."

"Hahaha. Got it."

It seems there was some subtle negotiation going on among the girls.

Ginjyo let out a wry smile.

"Then, let me rephrase....I submit myself to 'the one who brings closure.'"

"Are you sure about that?"

"I am. But... if it's possible, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't take my strength away. I just want to keep fighting, as I have before."

"Hmm?"

"Because protecting justice is what gives me purpose. Being a hero is my reason to live."

Then, Okita Rinne let out a "Hahahaha," and

"Well, I guess I can be forgiven for something like that."

The rain had quietly stopped, and the white mist was gradually fading away.

Beyond the rays of sunlight, someone was waving from the other side, calling out, "Everyone~," as if to wrap things up.

"My friends are all just... overly kind-hearted."