Kays Translations

Chapter 90: Marionette

The fifth match was Mika vs. Portia.

There were no surprises here—Mika won the battle smoothly without ever being in danger.

Given Mika’s personality, I had expected a wild, reckless fighting style. But instead, she displayed the most flawless and straightforward strength so far. Her timing with skills was perfect, and she gave the impression of someone deeply familiar with how to fight in a fantasy world.

She mentioned that she read manga and watched anime, so maybe she learned a lot from them.

In any case, it was such a complete victory that I almost felt bad for Portia.

Now, it was time for the sixth match—Sheila was finally stepping into the ring.

Her opponent was Brittany. Considering how clean Mika’s match was, this one promised to be interesting. I really wanted Sheila to win and move on to the next round.

“Sheila’s up next. …I’m starting to get nervous.”

“Hehe, why are you the one getting nervous, Sato-san? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to win this one.”

“You’re so reliable. Good luck, I’m cheering for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll fight in a way that won’t embarrass me as your bodyguard.”

Sheila smiled softly as she said this and began walking toward the arena.

Her opponent, Brittany, was already waiting there, eagerly spinning her war hammer around with excitement.

Looks like she uses the same weapon as her brother. …No, maybe rather than a sibling thing, war hammers and blunt weapons are simply the standard for dwarves.

“So you’re my opponent, huh? …Tch. Delicate and beautiful. You must have had a wonderful life. There’s no way I’m losing to you.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Sheila. But if you ask me, you’re the one who seems to have lived a life worth envying, Brittany-san.”

Even before the match started, sparks were flying between them.

Sheila used to harbor a kind of jealousy toward those in combat roles. Maybe she’s not as intense about it now, but being told she’s had a good life clearly rubbed her the wrong way.

“Take a few steps back from each other. Alright, let’s get this started.”

“Ready when you are.”

“I’m good to go too.”

“Begin!”

With Donnie’s signal, the match kicked off.

Given her disadvantage in reach, I thought Brittany would wait like her brother Rozzo until she could close the distance—but no, she charged straight in, hammer raised.

She was fast—like a bullet.

It looked like she planned to tank any hit and return with a powerful strike.

A classic strategy of sacrificing flesh to crush bone.

Having seen her brother take Joel down in a single blow—even if it was to the head—I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Brittany was the real deal, so it was clear she could hit even harder than Rozzo.

While I was frozen with worry, Sheila stood firm, calmly observing Brittany’s movement like ice itself.

Her eyes were so sharp, so analytical, it was almost like she could see everything. Now I was starting to feel bad for Brittany.

“Not even a flicker of panic, huh? Creepy!”

Brittany shouted as she charged in, wearing a wide grin. She closed the distance with ease and began swinging her hammer toward Sheila.

The whooshing of the wind was loud enough to hear clearly, and I could feel the impact on the ground every time she missed.

But—none of her attacks hit Sheila.

Even though Brittany was right in her own ideal range, and the power and speed of her attacks were both excellent, Sheila dodged every swing effortlessly.

“Keep dodging, Sheila! If you get hit, it’s over!”

“Beautiful footwork. Hang in there, Sheila.”

“—Damn you, stupid brothers! I’ll make you regret this!”

Brittany was clearly frustrated as her attacks continued to miss. Meanwhile, Rozzo and Sid were openly cheering for Sheila, which only fueled her fury.

That rage powered up her strength and speed even more—but as a result, her attacks became more and more predictable.

“Your attacks are getting sloppy. Allow me to land the first hit.”

With those words, Sheila landed a perfect counter on Brittany.

In her desperation to even the score, Brittany got more reckless, and from that point on, Sheila had total control of the match.

She dodged so smoothly it was like she knew Brittany’s moves before they happened. From my perspective, Brittany looked like a marionette being controlled by Sheila.

That’s how completely she was reading Brittany’s attacks—and with two clean hits that followed, Sheila secured her win.

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