Chapter 54: Forest Wave: First ① – A Match with Someone
Who is he? I don’t remember him at all.
“Puamanclub. I can’t accept this.”
The mysterious man, Galado-san, glared sharply at me with a giro~ sound.
Yet strangely, I felt no hostility in his gaze.
“What is it?”
“Wof.”
“Me?”
Galado-san sighed and nodded, then spoke.
“I’ve heard… various rumors about you. I know you defeated that Laada. But I have doubts. I can’t believe the rumors about you. Can a child like you really… defeat that? I mean no disrespect to Heizen’s will, but let me see that power for myself.”
“That’s fine, but how?”
“Simple. Fight me.”
Yeah, I figured. I knew it.
Let’s put aside who he is for now.
“Understood.”
“Puamanclub. I’ll borrow the training grounds.”
“Ah, I don’t mind.”
“This way. Follow me.”
I followed Mirrorface-equipped Galado-san as instructed.
Araya-san came along too.
I wonder where we’re going.
“To where the training grounds are?”
“We’re heading to the Gourou Subjugation Squad headquarters.”
“Ah, I see.”
Araya-san answered for me.
Then he bowed his head slightly to me.
“I caused you considerable trouble before. I’ve properly dealt with the aftermath, so have you experienced any inconvenience since then?”
“No, nothing at all.”
“Normally it would be proper etiquette to formally apologize, but due to various circumstances, I must apologize in this manner. I am very sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Nothing has happened since then. No strange people following me either.
That’s enough.
We arrived at a white, inorganic-looking building and entered.
So this is the Gourou Subjugation Squad headquarters. It’s spacious. Almost guild-sized.
I feel like I’ve seen something similar in exhibition paintings at museums from my memories of previous lives.
Eventually we reached what seemed like a courtyard.
A strangely empty space for a courtyard that was completely hollowed out.
So this is the training ground.
“Training weapons are over there.”
Araya-san guided me.
In a narrow, doorless room like a warehouse, training weapons were lined up.
Training weapons. Wooden weapons. I was about to pick up a wooden knife, but chose a spear instead.
This will do.
I stood in the training ground with my choice.
Galado-san held a wooden greatsword.
Araya-san stood between us as we faced each other.
“Is that clear? This is a training match. Killing your opponent is prohibited. Therefore, using relics with lethal force is prohibited. You may use anything else.”
“Got it.”
“Understood.”
“Victory conditions are: breaking your opponent’s weapon, rendering your opponent unconscious, your opponent speaking words of defeat, or when continuing combat becomes impossible.”
“Got it.”
“Understood.”
“Then——both step back——begin!”
Galado-san and I clashed instantly.
I pointed my spear tip straight forward and charged in at once.
Galado-san raised his greatsword and ran to close the distance.
“Sei~i!”
“De~aa!”
I parried. Heavy. I stepped back slightly and thrust.
It was blocked by the greatsword. Still heavy.
“Oraa!”
Galado-san forcefully deflected my spear with raw power.
As I recovered and stepped back, Galado-san pressed the attack, thinking this was his chance.
We exchanged several blows. I felt slightly pushed back.
He found an opening. The moment I pulled back, I blocked the descending greatsword blade with the long shaft. Heavy.
I bent my knees to absorb the impact.
Mistaking this for me being overpowered, Galado-san put more strength into it.
A momentary chance. I flowed sideways to evade, and the greatsword, with too much momentum, pierced the ground.
“Nuoo!”
I thought a big opening was created——but Galado-san quickly swept horizontally.
Fast… I jumped to avoid it since blocking with the shaft might break it.
“Opening! Nuou!?”
Galado-san’s greatsword sank.
Immediately after jumping, I thrust at the surface of the horizontally sweeping greatsword blade.
Like a pole vault, I pushed with my weight when I thrust.
Even Galado-san couldn’t withstand my weight being added.
But the wooden greatsword didn’t break. Surprisingly hard.
I stepped back and took my stance.
Galado-san also raised his greatsword and readied himself.
A reset. Quite formidable.
“…”
“…”
We measured distance while watching for openings.
There were no openings in Galado-san now. The same was true for me.
“Hey. Araya.”
“What is it?”
“If it doesn’t have lethal force, I can use relics, right?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t kill, it’s fine.”
“——Then I’ll use it.”
Galado-san gripped his greatsword tighter and spread his legs slightly.
Then he raised it high and deep.
Is he going to use some big technique?
Hm? Galado-san’s wooden greatsword was turning black.
No, something’s strange. As it turned black, it looked slightly distorted and curved.
The entire blade was wavering and distorting.
I don’t know what relic this is, but should I use mine too?
I’ll use [Rave Move] with ‘Azure Sky Breakthrough Style’ (Soukyuu Totsuha-ryuu).
‘Azure Sky Breakthrough Style’ is an ancient spear technique I learned during Lab’s training.
It focuses on thrusting, with high power in a single strike.
However, the downside is weak defense and few counter techniques—it doesn’t assume missing.
It’s close to what in my memories of previous lives would be called Satsuma-ryuu? Or Helshteyna Steel Killing Method?
So if evaded, that’s it.
But if it hits reliably, it could probably defeat even a dragon in one blow.
That’s the philosophy of this spear technique.
I held the wooden spear with both hands at my waist.
I put my dominant leg far forward, raised my knee, and dropped the other leg as much as possible.
A truly strange stance. But this is fine.
“…Here I go. Wof!”
“Here I come. Galado-san!”
We called each other’s names and ran almost simultaneously.
When I entered range, I used ‘One Step’ to get right before Galado-san’s eyes.
I instantly crouched to feint, then thrust upward.
“Rising Thrust!”
“Distortion Sword!”
The wooden spear and the black distorted greatsword clashed.
Probably if it were a simple thrust, it would have been distorted and broken.
So I made a slight adjustment.
“What!?”
Vibration was applied to the distortion.
I was vibrating the wooden spear with the relic [Vibration].
Determining the absolute limit of not breaking was [Reave Move]. I have one use left after this.
Then a strange sound, b-gii~, was heard.
It came from my wooden spear and Galado-san’s wooden sword.
The limit was near due to the clash of distortion and vibration.
Galado-san’s relic was probably [Distortion].
Twisting and bending. He applied it to the wooden sword.
What surprised me was that unlike me, he didn’t seem to be using any auxiliary relic.
He was maintaining the absolute limit of the wooden sword not breaking through experience and instinct.
Somehow, Galado-san had an atmosphere similar to Agaro-san.
This person is strong. Very strong.
Then, my wooden spear and Galado-san’s wooden sword shattered into pieces.
“Match end. Draw!”
Along with Araya-san’s voice, we jumped back.
We took our stances and naturally approached to exchange blows.
Galado-san deflected my punch, and I deflected Galado-san’s kick.
“Not bad.”
“You’re not bad either.”
I stopped Galado-san’s punch and unleashed a kick.
He avoided the kick and grabbed my arm tightly. Was he going to throw me?
No, he twisted my body. His aim was——a joint lock? Fine.
Taste my counter technique.
“Uwo, damn!”
By the time he noticed, it was too late. I exploited the opening in Galado-san’s joint lock attempt.
I swept his leg, broke his balance, and while holding him, threw him down with my full weight.
The Witch’s direct transmission: the reversal hold throw.
The Witch uses this with her three tails to put me under her bottom.
Unable to endure like before, Galado-san fell face-first to the ground.
“Match end! Winner, Wof!”
Araya-san’s voice rang out.
Then a tremendous cheer erupted, making me jump in surprise.
When did all these people gather to watch?
I was surprised. So many were watching.
“…I lost, huh.”
As I stepped back, Galado-san stood up.
“As promised.”
“Yeah, Wof. I acknowledge you.”
Galado-san extended his hand, and I gripped it firmly.
By the way, who is he really?
This person.