From the conclusion, it would have been better to say that the fight was one-sided only.
Let it be 10 or 40 of them, bluntly speaking, it didn’t made much difference to me. Just the time taken to break them would increase.
I even had completed the training for fighting while protecting someone when I went to subjugate thieves under the supervision of mom.
The contents were simple.
I had to fight against several thieves while protecting the powerless girl……acting mom.
If, I had made a mistake and let an attack land on her, then she would’ve kicked and killed that thief hard. I would pass if the number of people taken down by mom were 0……I had thought of doing that, but,
Somewhere along the way, it was discovered that mom was more dangerous than me and then nobody even came near us. ……Well, it happens.
The reason it still ended up as 0 person getting killed by mom was because even if others attack were to hit mom it won’t even itch due to her enhanced body and defence power.
I tried to protect Elk using that experience, but it turned out to be more easy than what I had imagined.
Well the fighting experience of the men was low, but what helped me more was that Elk kept up with my pace by herself.
Whenever I gave a roundhouse and rotated my body for it, she moved to the place with no enemies.
She was slipping through attacks, without losing much power and was able to keep up with me.
Sometimes, she sensed the enemies approaching from my back, she would kick them, cut at them and break their bones. This might be little rude, but it did surprise me.
No, well her body had been enhanced, but still it was really a surprise to see her refined movements.
Her moves were sharp and refined along and it seemed like her situation assessment powers are really good.
Maybe, she has a talent in this sort of fighting style……?
Anyhow, she fought like that……to not narrow her aim, she jumped, rolled on ground, rotated, she showed flashy but precise movements and fought with me.
Though it might be singing our own praises, but I still think that our fighting style was vivid and elegant dancing fighting style? maybe.
More briefly, it was like the SFX effects going along with the moves of a Hero like character.
Still with all this and my reviews on this, there were unnecessary movements compared to when normally fighting.
Thanks to the low experience of the men, it helped the on-the-spot-made fighting style, anyhow, all right in the end.
At that pace, the number of people around us started to go down gradually.
They came at us even after seeing the scene of their other allies being mowed down, but in the end they too joined their friends group.
The wastelands which was filled with the bellows of thieves with bad countenance started to quiet down.
There was no longer anyone with a calm and composed posture, all of their faces turned pale seeing the scene of their friends falling down due to flashy and menacing Taijutsu……
“Owaa!?”
“Nh, looks like it is impossible to run on walls?”
“If you know it, then don’t do it!”
I ran on the wall of the ruined buildings for some reason that I forgot while I dodged the attacks.
But, it really was too much. To cover it up, we slided with our hands joined and thanks to that we were able to fight without twisting our hands. [ET: Even I couldn’t get the meaning of the sentence.]
And while time I was kicking a person in front of me, one person from behind attacked me. I gave him an elbow blow and finished him with a roundhouse kick.
Ah, these guys have fighting experience. No, just surrounding us from both sides.
“……It seems like, strangely, my movements have gotten better……I don’t know exactly why. It’s my first time feeling this”
“? Well, I am making it possible, though”
“No, not that. Well, my physical abilities have increased, but for some reason I can see from where the attacks are coming, more than anything……I can somehow know how you are going to move.”
“……Eh? Elk too?”
“Eh?”
Well, it’s the same for me.
For some time, I can somehow know how Elk is going to move even if I don’t look at her.
That’s why I’m leaving the attack and evasion to Elk and I only follow-up when it’s a dangerous time. While keeping in mind that our hands remain joined.
Now that I think about it, Elk……is fighting as equals to the people of same or higher rank. It seems strange somehow.
And even though without seeing her, I was able to assess her movements. Just what is this situation……?
“Maybe, we both are compatible?”
“We are quite a dangerous combination then……whoops!”
One more person went down by Elk’s knife while evading the person’s attack.
Intentionally or not, but we hadn’t hit any vitals. There were no dead till now.
But, in case of Elk, she was using knife, therefore there were some who were in really bad state and will die if not treated.
I was also holding back, so I hadn’t killed anyone, but I had been moving to protect Elk, so I had been using more power than ever I had against human beings.
Most probably, there were some with major fractures……well, not like I cared.
……While I was thinking that, even before I knew it,
“Ah, looks like it will be over soon, what you gonna do? Err, Leader-san?”
All had been beaten up badly and now only the leader man was left. Quite cliché.
He had lost his calm and composed posture, his face had turned pale, it looked like he would fall down by himself.
“……! Impossible……I had dozens of men gathered……”
“A cliché line you said there. Err, Elk what should we do at this point? Will it be good to just take the promissory note, tear it off and throw it?”
“You’re right, but you can’t tear and throw it. It is an official document after all. Along with that truth, we just need to report to guard about their and『Malras Association』’s relation with kidnapper, everything will be over then. ……as for testimony, I will do it.”
The moment Elk said so, the man’s face paled further.
It seemed like, the things Elk said will be dangerous for them.
“I was a fool to think everything will be over by my sacrifice. If were going to do something, then it should be done thoroughly. I thought it would be bad if the association had links in the dark areas……from that complexion, it seems like I’m not wrong.”
“Will it be okay with your testimony only?”
“If it is less, then here are some lying on ground for helping. They’re not the people who are loyal to their employer.”
Near our foots were, the fainted and near-dying mixed group of kidnappers and money lenders etc.
Surely they seemed like fools who were hired with money. They always knew that they would get punishment sometime and so tried to take even 1 more person with them. Their employer surely wouldn’t try to save them intentionally.
“Eh, Elk?! If you tried it then you will to be captured for same crime! If we tell anyone about you supporting the kidnappers, you’ll be expelled from guild and either sent to jail or sold off as a criminal slave……”
“Just like I wanted. I already had the determination to go for a hell tour. And, now that I can take you people too, I will happily give my testimony or anything.”
“W,Wait! Don’t be rash, let’s discuss first……T,That’s right! You want this right!”
The man took out a single paper from his bosom.
Elk’s eyes widened after seeing it. I tried to see what it was that caused Elk to be surprised, it was the……『Promissory Note』?
Moreover, in the Name column was『Elk Caucus』written. Is this of Elk’s debt?
The man took out a seal-like object from the same bag, and pressed it against the promissory note.
Upon looking at it,
“……What is this『Invalid』thing?”(Minato)
“! By any chance, is this the invalid seal used at the time of cancelling a contract!?”(Elk)
“T,That’s right! W,With this Elk, you’re debt is now as if it didn’t exist! It’s good now, right? Please, don’t make it more hard for me!”
Err, can someone explain?
“……It can cancel a commercial contract upon the agreement of both parties, or for some major reason from one party. The invalid seal is one way of many methods to cancel a contract.”
“It sounds like a troublesome and complicated talk, in simple words, that seal cleared Elk’s debts?”
“Well, in simple words”
According to Elk, in the contents of contract, there was a part saying that the creditors (them) can at anytime cancel the contract without the debtor’s (Elk) consent.
Most probably, they had made such point for some evil business, but this time they were using it to clear the debt.
That seal was something that only top echelons of the association carried, and the man always has roamed here and there while carrying it. This time, the seal actually had a meaning unlike the evil-schemed sealing.
In other words, though there were some impurities in the deal, but Elk’s debt at that moment was completely cleared.
Elk confirmed it with a nod.
It seemed like she had done a lot of studying for these things, therefore, it was fine to leave it to her.
The man pleaded to us while groveling miserably to let him go, now that everything was fine.
I sent a glance to Elk asking what to do, came back was a glance only.
……Yeah, got it.
I understood her intentions with just that much.
“……Don’t try to come near me ever, no rather, don’t even be where I would be”
“Is that she says”
“Eh……! Thank ya! You really saved me!”
We both turned back, not giving even a glance even after hearing a crying voice.
Of course, we took the promissory note. If we had that, then Elk was a free woman.
Even if someone said something later, she would be able to deal with it. It seemed like the forgery of both promissory note and seal was impossible.
And, suddenly I felt the man standing behind us silently and sighing with relief.
“You kids are……just easy to fool!!”
“Don’t steal my line”
SFX: ――Bakii
“GuGoo!?”
The man who attacked at us from behind armed with a knife……danced in air, after getting hit by my electrified roundhouse kick.
And he disappeared inside the window of the ruined building, on which I tried to run some time before.
Like hell……I will let him go. If I leave you, then Elk would be fine, but other people would cry in her place in future.
We acted a bit and showed him that we had our guards down while I was getting prepared to strike with fists when he attacked.(It was Kick though)
The probability of him fainting down was……not like I cared and not like I even looked.
At the very least, I kicked him with quite a lot of power and voltage. So he won’t be able to move for a long time with his broken and burned muscles. It might be his most serious injury in his entire lifetime.
With this everything was over.
“And, What are you going to do, Elk?”
“……Just like I said. I will report each and every work they had done. Even if I get accused due to it. ……That will be my decision.”
“You’re……serious about it”
“Yeah. Sorry Minato, I got you involved in my troubles……so till the end, I was being protected by you.”
“I’m not worrying about it at all. I myself, personally like Elk. It was quite fun to roam in the labyrinth and make fuss while rampaging inside there.”
“It was only you who made fuss and went on a rampage!”
Elk said as she looked at the promissory note in her hands.
Right now it was a scrap of paper with no restriction ability. But it still could be used a piece of evidence.
It was a paper that would be an evidence which would condemn her to jail, but Elk still looked at it as a precious item which she got back.
……She wouldn’t change her decision, no matter what I say.
“It’s unfortunate—- I was thinking of making a pair with Elk”
I had heard from mom.
The occupation called adventurers not only fought against monsters and demons but also against fellow humans.
Let it be going in Danger Area or going on a journey, an adventurer would sooner or later definitely need a friend who would accompany him/her.
It was not difficult to find a person to accompany yourself with for one or two times, but it was difficult to find a person who would, to the last end, accompany you.
That was true, after all it was impossible to understand someone else’s mind 100%.
For that reason, I seriously wanted Elk.
Surely there weren’t many people who didn’t run from their sins but bear them and lived while repenting for them.
“……Stop jesting. You will sooner or later meet more better people than me. ……It’s better if you don’t get involved with a girl like me ever again.”
She revealed a transient pretty smile.
Pathetic of me, I couldn’t find any words to return.
“Well, I will be able to take many of the evil people with me in this way. But, it is regrettable that even then I wouldn’t be able to deal a blow to Malras Association.”
“What is that『Malras Association』? It sounds like a big company or something of sort”
“Yeah, you don’t know about it. It’s is the most influential trading association here, even within the country it is one of the leading associations. Well, I don’t know if they are involved in this case or not. The only thing I can do is, try to take as more evil people with me and pray that someone like me is not born again in this city……”
“Ara, in that case you don’t have to worry? It will be over soon enough after all.”(???)
““!!?””
Suddenly a new voice resounded. Eh, What!?
Instinctively, Elk and I looked the place where the voice came from.
There a single girl was standing.
She had cream-colored long hair which run down till her waist.
Her looks are rather childish, it can be said『Cute』instead of『Beautiful』. Her age was more than that of me and Elk. Somewhere around the twenties.
She was wearing a spacious and wavy kimono like cloth and a sandal which closely resembled the japanese sandals. It is like the clothes of someone who half-assedly tried to make western-clothes in japanese styled clothes, somewhere along the lines.
The thing which was more impactful, was……the cream-colored bouncy『Ears』.
Cat Ears? no, they seem more like……fox?
When I look carefully at her, I found a fox tail growing from her waist. Beast person??
I couldn’t feel any bloodlust from that gentle-faced person. I could only see her looking at us while she grinned.
But……I couldn’t be careless.
After all, I was not able to sense her when she came near us. Even with my hearing.
……Clearly, she ain’t any ordinary person.
“Yeah, Yeah. Remain right there. You don’t have to be on guard that much, I’m not thinking about any dangerous thing”
Just why is she speaking in Kansai Dialect? What is wrong with this world?
That person, ginned even while knowing we were sending eyes filled with carefulness and guard.
“Ah, sorry. I came out and didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Noel Co Malras. I’m the manager of that Malras Association you guys were talking about just before. Nice to meet you♪”
She introduced herself, as if natural.