Chapter 169: The Duel Begins

C-Rank Dungeon — Mad Bull Great Plains

Among all C-rank dungeons, this place was famous for one thing above all else—its vastness.

The Mad Bull Great Plains stretched endlessly in every direction, a sweeping expanse of grassy terrain beneath an open sky. There were no labyrinthine tunnels here, no suffocating stone corridors or twisting caves. Instead, it was a wide, unobstructed field where the horizon seemed to run forever.

Because of that, it had long been considered the perfect training ground for beginner adventurers.

Every day, new adventurers—nervous, excited, and eager to test their strength—would gather here in large numbers. The plains would normally be bustling with activity: the clash of weapons, the roar of monsters, the laughter of novices celebrating their first victories.

But today—

It was silent.

Three days ago, the dungeon had been temporarily sealed off. All major monsters, including the boss itself, had been thoroughly hunted down and eliminated.

What remained now was nothing more than an empty, desolate plain.

A dungeon stripped of danger.

A dungeon stripped of purpose.

Just a quiet stretch of land under the open sky.

The reason for this unusual situation was simple.

“…So you’ve arrived—Dragon Road.”

Today—

On this very day—

The Hero Party of the Kingdom of Garcia, the last hope of humanity, would engage in a formal duel against the rising clan known as Dragon Road.

And the duel would take place under the official supervision of the Adventurers’ Guild Headquarters.

The three Heroes of the kingdom had already arrived nearly an hour before the scheduled start.

Alongside them stood the Grandmaster, who would serve as referee, and his ever-present secretary.

Five figures in total stood in the middle of the vast plains.

And now—

Their eyes were fixed on the approaching group walking across the grass toward them.

The members of Dragon Road.

The secretary couldn’t help letting out a quiet murmur of admiration.

“So that gentleman… is the legendary swordsman, Sakamoto Ryoma…”

Her gaze lingered on him, sharp and observant.

“…I can understand perfectly now why the kingdom’s Heroes challenged them to a duel.”

Her lips curved slightly.

“That man… yes. Anyone would want him.”

The Grandmaster glanced at her.

“Oh? You can tell as well?”

“Yes.”

She folded her arms, studying Ryoma closely.

“I can’t sense any magical power from him at all. But… I can feel it.”

She paused briefly before continuing.

“It’s his presence. His aura. Because of my position, I’ve seen many powerful individuals over the years. I suppose that experience has sharpened my instincts.”

The Grandmaster nodded slowly.

“…Perhaps.”

Then his gaze shifted slightly.

“…But today’s opponent is that young man standing beside him.”

He narrowed his eyes toward Ryu.

“Though with his height and bearing, I suppose calling him a youth would be more accurate than calling him a boy.”

The secretary followed his gaze.

“Member of Dragon Road… Ryu.”

Her expression turned thoughtful.

“…Just who in the world is he?”

The Grandmaster then turned toward Miyamoto Takeshi.

“Can you do it, Takeshi?”

Takeshi’s expression was firm.

“I… no, we will absolutely win.”

His voice carried quiet determination.

“After all, we’re swallowing our pride and challenging him as a full party.”

“…Hm?”

The Grandmaster blinked.

“Wait, I didn’t hear about that.”

His voice sharpened.

“No matter who you are, I can’t allow that. This is an official duel.”

“Ryu said he was fine with a three-versus-one fight.”

Takeshi gestured toward his companions.

“Right, you two?”

Amane nodded calmly.

“Yes. He said he’d give us a handicap since we only recently arrived in this world.”

Kaito scratched the back of his head.

“Honestly, we hesitated about it at first.”

His voice dropped slightly.

“But in the end, we realized something.”

“If we want to defeat the Demon King… then we have to win this duel and recruit Sakamoto Ryoma.”

He snorted.

“Yeah, it’s lame as hell. But that’s the conclusion we came to.”

“…I see.”

The Grandmaster sighed softly.

“Very well. Add that statement to the duel documents.”

“Yes, sir.”

The secretary immediately began writing with swift, elegant strokes of her pen.

During this exchange, the two guild officials quietly felt a sense of relief.

According to the guild’s evaluation—

The Heroes’ abilities were already S-rank or higher.

And they were still growing.

Three S-rank fighters.

A party with flawless teamwork, built from years of friendship in their original world.

Although they had not yet attempted an S-rank dungeon, their combat ability was already considered strong enough to defeat most S-rank monsters.

(Good…) the Grandmaster thought.

(Our odds of victory just shot up dramatically.)

Beside him, the secretary had similar thoughts.

(With the Hero Party’s teamwork… that mysterious boy Ryu won’t stand a chance.)

At last—

Dragon Road arrived.

“Sorry about that.”

Ryu spoke casually as he approached.

“We left early, but it looks like we kept you waiting.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the Grandmaster replied.

“The Heroes and I simply arrived too early. We still have plenty of time before the scheduled start.”

“I see.”

Ryu shrugged lightly.

“Well then, thanks for handling the referee duties today… old man.”

“…Call me the Guildmaster or Grandmaster.”

“If I feel like it.”

At that moment, Miyamoto Takeshi stepped forward.

“Three days, huh… Ryu.”

His eyes sharpened slightly.

“So it’s true—you cleared the White Storm Dungeon.”

“Yeah.”

Ryu’s gaze dropped to Takeshi’s waist.

“…Looks like you’ve added another sword.”

Two blades hung there now—a long sword and a short one.

Takeshi nodded.

“The Miyamoto family has passed down a style known as Niten Ichiryu for generations.”

“In other words… dual-sword combat.”

His hand rested lightly on the hilts.

“When I fight seriously, this is my preferred style.”

Ryu chuckled.

“You’re really telling me such valuable information about your fighting style?”

“That’s fine.”

Takeshi’s expression remained calm.

“Because we’re accepting your offer and fighting three against one. So the least we can do is give you that much.”

“I see.”

Ryu’s grin widened slightly.

“So you’ve made up your mind.”

“It goes against the way of the samurai…”

Takeshi exhaled quietly.

“…but this world isn’t gentle enough to be solved with ideals alone.”

“Ku-ku-ku…”

Ryu laughed softly.

“You understand that quite well.”

That conversation became their last exchange before the duel.

“So the Heroes really decided to fight as a group,” Ryoma muttered with amusement.

“Looks that way.”

Ryu shrugged.

“They even looked a little apologetic about how confident they were.”

“Hahaha!”

Ryoma burst out laughing.

“Honest fellows indeed!”

“Honestly, I don’t really care if there are three of them.”

Ryu glanced sideways.

“But Ryoma—do you know Niten Ichiryu? Takeshi said he uses a dual-sword style from that school.”

“Hm…”

Ryoma stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“I am familiar with every sword style passed down in Hinomaru, yet I’ve never heard of dual-wielding.”

“Really?”

“Then it must be a sword style from Japan, as you call it.”

Ryoma sighed wistfully.

“…How I envy you, Ryu. To fight such an opponent.”

Ryu smirked.

“Just sit there and watch, you lecherous samurai.”

“…I am not a lecher.”

After that, his companions offered their “encouragement.”

“Perhaps tonight will call for the Night Potion DX,” the loli scientist muttered.

“Onii-sama! I’ll give you lots of rewards later!”

“Ryu-sama,” Alice added calmly, “please make sure not to kill the Heroes. Even in a duel, that would cause an international incident—and Her Majesty the Empress would scold us terribly. And please protect my Ryoma-sama from the Heroes’ wicked clutches.”

“Brrrrr!”

“Gyau!”

Ryu blinked.

(…Wait. Is this what encouragement is supposed to sound like?)

Afterward, the group retreated to a distance far enough away that the shockwaves of the duel wouldn’t reach them.

Apparently the beautiful secretary would remain nearby as well.

(They’re all so young…) she thought quietly.

Now—

At the center of the vast plains—

Four figures stood facing each other.

Ryu.

And the three Heroes.

Standing just to the side was the Grandmaster, serving as referee.

He raised his voice.

“You all know the rules. If either side surrenders or becomes unable to fight, the duel ends. If someone dies, it will not be considered a crime… but please, do your best to avoid that outcome. That is all.…Now.”

He raised a coin between his fingers.

“Draw your weapons. The duel begins when this coin hits the ground.”

Ryu drew Kurikara.

Takeshi readied two blades.

Amane lifted her staff.

Kaito summoned a divine bow of magic.

The Grandmaster flicked the coin into the air.

(A swordsman, a mage, and an archer…)

(A well-balanced party.)

The coin fell.

“I’ll end this instantly!”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s go!”

Amane immediately cast enhancement and defensive buffs over the entire party.

Takeshi dug his foot into the ground—

—and launched forward.

With his already exceptional physical abilities boosted by magic, his speed became monstrous.

At the same moment, Kaito fired five arrows in rapid succession.

The arrows streaked through the air like streaks of light, perfectly timed to support Takeshi’s charge.

This was the Hero Party’s opening kill tactic.

(Oh… impressive.)

Ryu watched calmly.

(I don’t know Takeshi’s magic yet, but the other two seem to be using white magic and some kind of special bow magic.)

(The white magic user probably has healing abilities as well.)

(And that bow… it ignores distance and has tracking capabilities.)

Normally, the first rule of combat would be to eliminate the ranged attacker.

But this time—

(Better to eliminate the all-purpose saintess first.)

Takeshi believed something very different.

(Alright, Ryu…)

(What kind of magic will you use?)

After all, Ryoma had told him that Ryu was a mage.

Which meant—

Close combat should favor Takeshi overwhelmingly.

Just as the two were about to clash—

“—?!”

Takeshi suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

(This… what is this…?!)

“Takeshi?! What’s wrong?!”

Kaito shouted.

“Leader! Whatever—my arrows will hit first!”

But as his arrows reached Ryu—

All five of them were suddenly crushed in Ryu’s bare hands.

“Eh?”

Kaito blinked.

“…Why can he grab them with his hands?”

“Because they track their target anyway, right?”

Ryu replied casually.

Cold sweat rolled down Takeshi’s forehead.

From behind him, Amane shouted.

“Takeshi! What did you see?!”

“…………”

He didn’t move.

He couldn’t.

Miyamoto Takeshi’s gifted ability was called—

Future Vision.

It allowed him to see several seconds to several dozen seconds into the future.

But the future wasn’t a single fixed line.

There were multiple possibilities.

And Takeshi had learned to use that power well.

By imagining different actions, he could instantly see what kind of future each choice would lead to.

Now—

He tested more than ten possible actions.

Searching for the one with the highest chance of victory.

But—

(Every future… ends in instant annihilation.)

(No good. We have to reset.)

He cautiously peeked again.

Ryu allowed them to retreat.

So Takeshi returned to the starting position.

Amane glared at him.

“Takeshi. What happened?”

“…Ryu is not normal.”

Normally, Future Vision showed how the enemy would move.

Then Takeshi would respond accordingly.

But with Ryu—

All he saw were scenes of total party annihilation.

The moment Ryu moved—

They died.

No wonder his feet had frozen.

Stopping had been the correct choice.

“Until now,” Takeshi said quietly,

“We’ve been holding back because of the Grandmaster’s warning about not killing him.”

“…But we’re dropping that.”

His voice hardened.

“If we don’t fight with the intent to kill Ryu, we’ll be wiped out instantly.”

His eyes sharpened.

“We’re fighting a monster wearing human skin. Bet your lives on it. Fight.”

““Understood.””

Both companions nodded.

Their calm acceptance truly reflected the composure of Heroes.

Meanwhile—

Ryu had discovered something interesting.

(From their conversation… Takeshi can likely see the future.)

(Future sight magic, huh.)

(I’ve encountered many spells before… but this one is special.)

(It’s similar to the taboo laws governing dragonkind… touching the fundamental principles of the world.)

His eyes gleamed.

(Fascinating.)

(Honestly, it’s more interesting than any dungeon.)

Ryu’s lightning magic had four tiers:

Yellow → Purple → Azure → Black.

It evolved alongside its user.

So—

What would happen if Takeshi advanced to a higher level of Future Vision?

The thought alone intrigued him.

“Takeshi!”

“Both of you, fall back! And give me every defensive buff you have!”

““Understood!””

They retreated instantly.

Amane removed all buffs—

Then poured every defensive enchantment from all three heroes onto Takeshi alone.

In the next instant—

Ryu appeared in front of him like a teleport.

Kurikara flashed.

Takeshi blocked with both blades—

—but was blown away and sent tumbling across the ground.

“Ghk…!”

“Just so you know,” Ryu said calmly, “My swordsmanship is ordinary. But my strength and speed are greater than Ryoma’s.”

“!!!!!”

“Um… Ryoma-sama?”

Alice blinked.

“Is that really true?”

Ryoma nodded calmly.

“Yes. You should remember that yourself, Alice.”

“…Ah.”

Alice suddenly recalled the moment when her full-power strike had been casually stopped by Ryu—between two fingers.

“I told you before,” Ryoma said.

“Ryu is a Physical Monster. Or Physimon for short.”

“…Physimon…”

Alice frowned.

“…It’s not cute anymore.”

“Alright, Takeshi.”

Ryu grinned.

“You’ve got more than this, don’t you? Show me your true strength. Otherwise this ends in an instant. Just like the future you saw earlier.”

“…………”

(He knows everything…)

(Strong and sharp-minded… that’s cheating…)

Ryu’s attention now focused entirely on Takeshi.

The other two could only support their leader with everything they had.

“Ryu…”

Takeshi raised his blades.

“…Even now… we will win.”

Something about him had changed.

Not just his words—

His presence.

“Good.”

Ryu smiled.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

(Though it’d make me even happier if your Future Vision awakens.)

◇◇◇

A short time earlier—

When Lily and her companions arrived at the inn.

“Well… I heard a rumor about the name of the duelist…”

“That’s fine! That’s valuable information! Tell me!”

“The opponent’s name was… I believe…Ryu.”

“…Eh?”

For a moment—

Time seemed to stop.

But then—

The three women sighed in relief.

“Well then it’s fine,” Lily said brightly.

“If it’s Ryu, we don’t have to worry.”

“Yes,” her subordinate agreed.

“He wouldn’t kill the Heroes. And if assassins attack them, he’ll probably protect them.”

“That’s just the kind of person he is.”

Louise crossed his arms.

“Though the Heroes will probably be instantly defeated.”

“Louise!! Don’t say such unlucky things!”

“But it’s the truth.”

“…Even if they fight three-on-one, it probably won’t matter,” Lily admitted.

“But Ryu uses a sword, right? So maybe he’s interested in Takeshi’s Niten Ichiryu and their magic. You know how he likes that kind of thing.”

““Ahh…””

They nodded in agreement.

“But Ryu probably doesn’t know that the Principality and the Empire sent assassins after the Heroes. So let’s find the arena anyway!”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

With that—

Lily and her companions dashed out of the inn, determined to find the duel site.