Nihon 6

Walking with heavy steps, moving slowly forward.

The hand gripping the magical device tightened. The crossbow was far too deadly. If it had to be used, perhaps only a staff imbued with a magic lamp, an air propulsion device, and perhaps a special arrow for close combat...

As he pondered these thoughts, it seemed a resolution had finally been reached.

"Several soldiers have expressed their eagerness to fight, Lord Taro. If you have no particular preference, I can select suitable candidates from our ranks."

"Ah, that's fine.... Ideally, someone not too aggressive, if possible."

It was a pitiful thing to say, but he at least wanted to show some resistance. Apparently, the other side had agreed, and a young man stepped forward. Tall in stature, with a single sword at his waist.

"Lord Taro, the Flashing Magician—I am Daito Masamitsu, delighted to make your acquaintance.

I've long heard of you and would be honored to spar with you. Are you ready?"

With a crisp, clear voice, the sword was drawn and held steady in a firm stance.

Though overwhelmed by the youth's intensity, he quickly began preparing. He securely fastened a tube containing an air crystal to his waist, held a staff embedded with a crystal in his right hand, and gripped a special arrow in his left.

"Sato Taro. I am deeply honored by your kind words. Please, go easy on me."

The young man clearly showed a discontented expression toward my peculiar equipment, as if pondering whether someone else would be better suited for this, or questioning whether I'm truly strong.

Completely caught off guard, but that's perfect! I'll make the most of this opportunity.

Both ready? Then... begin!

The match began with the shout of a soldier of the highest rank. At once, a tense, oppressive atmosphere radiated from the youth. Is this what battle lust feels like?

It was an unfamiliar sensation, unlike anything I'd experienced when fighting previous monsters.

Though unsettled by this strange feeling, I activated my mana detection ability. After all, I'm facing this opponent head-on. I'll leave no effort untaken.

Immediately! I sensed a massive surge of mana emanating from the youth’s feet. It seemed his boots had been specially modified in some way.

Though I managed to detect the unusual flow of mana, I was completely caught off guard by the youth rapidly closing in.

"Shit!"

Before I could even vocalize the exclamation, my body lurched backward. Without changing expression, the youth swung at me with his unusual wooden blade.

But I didn’t feel any dull pain. The experience of having narrowly escaped death countless times here had proven stronger than ever.

Before I could even think, I sent a surge of lightning flashing before me.

At the same moment, I channeled mana into the wind crystal at my waist, launching myself backward with greater force than my body’s natural limits allowed. The electricity struck the wooden blade, but since it had been a sudden reaction, the output was weak and failed to paralyze.

And yet...

"That shoe... it's a magic item with a gemstone embedded in it. Not just the shoe—there are gems embedded throughout the armor you're wearing."

"I'm truly surprised! The rumors weren't entirely false after all. Honestly, I didn't expect anything from your stance—it seemed like pure bluff. And that leap, triggered by the flash of light earlier... you're definitely hiding something."

"I'm afraid I can't reveal that..."

"Excuse me. Then, shall we begin anew?"

With that, the young man in front of him lowered his stance slightly and once again assumed a ready position with his wooden sword. This is bad... I'm definitely on high alert now.

Still, if I unleashed a real electric shock, I'd end up killing him. I must keep the power at the level of a stun gun only.

That leaves me no choice but to press this special arrow against him and deliver a precisely adjusted shock.

Well, what should I do... Perhaps I should try approaching when I get a chance...

The tense standoff continues, but it doesn't last long.

The youth named Tougen rushes in at high speed. As expected, impossibly fast!

To dodge the迅猛ly approaching wooden sword, I channel mana into the wind gemstone and leap aside, barely avoiding the strike.

The wooden sword that missed me flew toward the ground, then bounced off like a rubber ball and came back at an unimaginable speed, the tip aimed directly at me.

Damn it! The wooden sword must have something hidden in it after all. I instinctively raised my staff and activated an air spell.

A strange geometric pattern surrounded the gemstone, and soon a solid mass of air was launched.

I envisioned it as an air cannon, launching the compressed air. The invisible mass struck the wooden sword directly.

But the attack's power was too weak—it only slowed the blade, failing to stop it completely.

The wooden sword swept past my nose by a hair's breadth. But that was enough.

I pressed the special arrow against my opponent's body and activated the lightning spell.

The youth instinctively senses it. Something bad is coming from ahead!

The youth forcibly twists his body, slamming the wooden sword into the ground and using the rebound to launch himself backward forcefully. The youth stands upright once more, unharmed and facing forward.

Strong.

This is someone unlike any opponent I've ever fought before—someone trained specifically in close combat with people, not beasts...

Just as he contemplates engaging in one more bout of hand-to-hand combat, the sound of a bell echoes from the building in the back.

"Both of you, that's enough for now... Let's save the match for later. How about a lunch break?"

An unsatisfying conclusion, yet the young man, still holding his wooden sword, sheathed his blade, bowed respectfully, and quickly disappeared somewhere.

"Truly, as rumored, you're incredibly strong. Mastering a wide variety of magic with ease, even casting multiple spells simultaneously... And you use magic tools similar to ours. Just what kind of items are they, I wonder?"

We barely made it. If I had even slightly let my guard down, I’d be rolling on the ground right now. Regarding magical tools... How about this—would you consider an exchange? In return for teaching you our technology?

"Hmm... I can't reveal the crucial details, but I can teach you the fundamentals. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes, that’s more than enough. Then, after we’ve eaten lunch... "

Then, we ate lunch. The meal consisted of rice, grilled fish, and a nostalgic Japanese dish. I savored each bite, feeling a genuine sense of emotion deep within.

Since Rilka had never tried any of these foods before, she seemed to enjoy them thoroughly. It was clear she was steadily gaining experience and learning about the world. I truly hope she takes something meaningful from this journey.