Here’s the third chapter. Enjoy.
Rain of Swords
The third fight of the second round, the fight between the Dragonnewt Do Ijun and the masked female knight Ryuune maintained a stalemate while being a fierce battle.
「Hmph!」
Do Ijun advanced while repelling the sword that approached him with great speed with his shield and his body's scales.
「……」
In response, Ryuune confronted him without taking even a single step.
Hindering Do Ijun's advance, Ryuune's swift sword, which would sever his head if there was an opening, flew at him, and when he broke that sword's stronghold and shot at the core, Do Ijun used his shield and the firm scales that covered his body to run into the rain of swords.
And at the time where he would need only one more step, being forced back by the sword rain that increased in ferocity, Do Ijun would take some distance, causing the advance to unravel once again.
The fierce fight between Do Ijun who withdrew from his advance and Ryuune who would make a counter attack when advanced upon, just as said before, had fallen into a stalemate.
「Oi, oi, like this, the match won't end.」
Iibsal clicked his tongue sounding bored.
The audience was raising cheers at the fierce battle that made them clench their sweaty hands, but for this jerk, it seemed that this was a boring match.
「Kahー, what's up with that big tittied mask, she's been doin' nothin' but launching her sword without movin' herself. Havin' sword clash with sword is what it means ta be a man, ain't it!」
Zappa shouted while gulping down sake in a gourd.
Unfortunately, that big tittied mask-san is a woman, no matter how you look at her.
「Uwa……What in the world is that.」
Since she was modestly strong, Kuon was able to perceive what was going on in front of her, but she was speechless at the fierce battle that was on the ring.
The countless swords that were fired with a speed where it was difficult to even catch them with the eyes, and the Dragonnewt that repeatedly advanced while dealing with it.
The top of the ring literally became a battlefield.
Against an army with a countless number, an army that charges in with a single horseman, that was war.
「Watch closely, Kuon. ……Most likely, this is a fight between guys that are just as strong as the three of us.」
Iibsal, who had once fought against me (in a barehanded brawl) and had the lead, and Zappa, who seemed to have won this tournament four consecutive times.
That Dragonnewt and that big tittied……that masked female knight, they were just like us, and were superhumans that had taken one step into being considered monsters.
「……Still, they sure are hard, those scales.」
I was instinctively astonished by that invulnerability where they couldn't be cut up no matter how many attacks he received.
「Being equal to dragon quality, as expected, saying that would be an exaggeration, but it's harder than your average steel.」
Opposite from me, Iibsal laughed sounding like he was enjoying it.
「So you'd have to aim for either the eyes or the inside of his mouth……No way, no way. I don't wanna fight against something that hard.」
When I breathed a sigh, I was put into a nelson hold from behind.
「The heck, kiddo! Makin' it sound like ya've already won against me!」
It was Zappa who was wrapped in the smell of alcohol.
「Ugh, guh……you reek of booze……Rather, let go!」
After I struggled about and escaped from Zappa's hold, maybe having found something to be delightful, Zappa guffawed, and once again gulped down some alcohol.
「This damned drunkard……」
「Aniki, Aniki!」
When I breathed out a sigh, Kuon, close to my ear, called me with a low voice.
「Nn? What's up?」
「Well, it's about the scales of that Do Ijun guy. ……If it's you, Aniki, then wouldn't you be able to cut through those scales as well?」
Her using a low voice was probably done in consideration so that it wouldn't be exposed to the other two.
「Well, if I thought about cutting them, then I could cut them. ……It's just, I can't cut people down after all.」
Making a wry smile to Kuon who tilted her head at the incomprehensible thing I just said, I once again turned my gaze to the ring.
Do Ijun grew impatient.
While repelling the sword points that came flying in like bullets with his shield and the deep crimson scales that covered his body, Do Ijun grew impatient with the situation that he couldn't overturn.
(A repetitious draw……Nay, I am the one in an unfavorable position.)
In contrast to the moving around Do Ijun, his opponent did not move to the point of being eerie.
He still had an allowance in stamina, but if things continued like this, he would most likely lose.
For argument's sake, just for argument's sake. If this manipulation of the swords that were fired with a speed that was difficult to catch with even the eyes consumed Maryoku, or stamina, then he could see a means of survival.
However, the intuition that Do Ijun possessed told him of the 『enemy's early elimination』.
(But……)
If he gallopped into the flying about swords and got close to the enemy,
――Zugagagagagagagaッッ!!
(Guuu!!)
Receiving a fierce attack from the swords that were fired at a speed that surpassed the speed of sound, Do Ijun had no choice but to withdraw.
Even if his scales repelled the swords' blades, the impact of colliding with the swords was transmitted to him.
The swords that were fired with a speed that he could just barely chase with his eyes. The impacts created from those were definitely giving damage to Do Ijun.
(I have no other choice, but to endure it)
All that he had on him were his limbs, his shield and mace, and his armor.
In that case, he had no other chance at victory other than by believing in them and sticking it out.
Do Ijun placed some distance, and took up a do-or-die resistance stance.
However――
「? ……It's not coming?」
The rain of swords stopped. He didn't know the reason why. However, that rain of swords had certainly stopped.
「……What a pain.」
A whispering voice could be heard. Did his opponent say it?
Thereupon, his opponent that hadn't moved to the point of being stubborn had moved. Extending her hands towards Do Ijun, showing movements as if she were gripping something, an unnoticed swung sword was gripped in the opponent's hands.
That sword was a sword that he had never seen before.
Its length about that of a longsword, but grooves that were like blood veins ran along that sword, and red light ran along those grooves.
「――『Soul Desire (Crave my soul)』」
From the grooves that gave the impression of being blood veins, red light poured out.
That light covered the sword, and then――
「Dodge itttttttt!!!」
It was there that Do Ijun's consciousness had broken off.
And then, that consciousness, never rose up again.
Sorry for the wait, here is the latest story.
Look forward to next time