Sousetsuka

538 Turf War

I suppose this outcome was only natural, inevitable even. It must have been days or weeks since griffon left this area.
Nature being a cruel mistress, of course a new creature would come and claim it. Which is what showed up before us.
Another griffon who had taken ownership of this turf arrived to defend it.
This griffon is a thief from the point of view from the previous master of this turf. But we are the intruders from its POV.
The law of nature states the two creatures must compete in a turf war in this case.

"Kururururu~ guwaa! "Kieeeeee!" "Gurururu! Guwa!" "Kuee! Kue! Kueeeeee!"

The two griffons growl(?)ed at each other. It's shrill beyond word.
They raised their upper half to threaten, attack and sometimes clash violently with their claws.
After around a minute it's obvious they're both equally strong, this battle would be a protracted one.
Thus, I decided to interject. While the two were facing off against other in the open space, I walked in between them.

"Ah, sorry about this. This place was originally this griffon's. Mind withdrawing? But I know you won't back down no matter what I say. So I'll take you on instead. Let's settle this."

My griffon cried out 'Kue, kuwa! kue kue... kuwa!' as if interpreting my words to the other griffon.
The other griffon responded with 'Kuwa~, kuwa~!'
But I could understand that it was a cry to demean me.

(But how~. I dunno how it works, I just know that I can understand the emotion behind those cries. And no it's not me making things up, I really do get it.)

My griffon got mad at the response, and growled back, 'Kuwa! kuwaa!'
How? Is this another effect of the 'God's Power'? Like 'Listening-hood' or something?

While I was reminiscing that old tale from Japan, the other griffon raised its foreleg and swung it down on me.
There was no starting signal or anything. Such is the law of the jungle. The strong lives, the weak dies. A plain and simple world.
I'm not against its action. You have to accept the way of nature if you want to live in it.

"But I don't want to abuse animals. I won't kill you."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
I stopped the incoming foreleg with a finger. My clothes would get torn to shred if the claws reached me. I can't have that.
Dodging would be boorish. This is a contest of strength. The opponent won't get it unless I demonstrate an overwhelming difference in power and break its pride.

"Ah, this doesn't really hurt me but my legs are sinking into the ground... It'd be a pain to remove all the dirt if it gets deep inside my shoes."

In order to avoid that, I grip the foreleg and push the griffon back.
The griffon was powerless to stop me as I kept advancing on. With it still in my grip of course.
The griffon tried to wriggle out and take its claw off me but my grip wouldn't budge.
Unable to either push or pull, the griffon opened its beak and made an attempt to bite me.

This feat I showed should have been more than enough to prove my strength. Yet this griffon still wouldn't relent, quite admirable.
The willingness to die to defend your home is rare even out in the mother's nature.
This is a contest of strength, not a deathmatch. That might be the reason I feel like this griffon is still making light of me despite its fluster.

(It's as if it was saying, "I haven't gotten serious yet!")

I let go of my grip and struck the incoming beak with a backhand fist.
Bako! That sound echoed hard as the griffon's head got swung sideways.
Did I put too much strength? The griffon fell down. Did that kill it? I timidly peeked at it.
That hit seemed to have knocked it out, its eyes lost focus. It appears to be suffering from a concussion.
I kept observing and waited till it came to. Tens of seconds later, the griffon's eyes blinked open, then it got as far away from me when it saw me. All while sliding on the dirt.

"Ku... Kwee~", the griffon begged pathetically like saying, "Please forgive me~"
Looks like it's my win. I stayed still and let it fly away.
I turned my line of sight back to my griffon which looked dumbstruck, seemingly surprised about me.
Its beak is wide open as it stares me.

"Hm? What? What's wrong, what is it? Got something on my face?"

The griffon finally came back to its sense, cried out 'Kue!' and prostrated before me.
Bowing deeply in that pose. Keeping its eye on me with its chin on the floor.
Apparently griffon was under the wrong impression about my 'strength' which it had renewed after this.
Oh right, this griffon never saw me fighting.
It must have thought of me as nothing more than its 'lifesaver'.
I petted griffon's nose and told it.

"Just act the way you've always been. You acting like that is only gonna throw me off. Come back to normal."

Griffon stood up and licked my face as a sign of affection.

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Side Story Practice Peeking

This chapter is from Hero's POV

"Alrighty, that concludes our training today~. Make sure you have a good night sleep tonight and get ready for tomorrow~."

"A, agagaga..."

"U, uh, I died, so many times again..."

"...I'm used to it."


Hello there, good evening. It's me, the final hope of the world that will save mankind from Demon King, the hero in the flesh.
That final hope has been dying again and again day by day. The amount of deaths easily exceeds triple digit when we fight these instructors. What is this place, hell?

'Sword King' Dukeris fights us head-on with a wooden sword without resorting to trickery.
He also uses 'Mana Blunt' to increase his wooden sword's durability, yet it still boasts more than enough power to deal a killing blow. What's even blunt about it... Ugogogo...

'Archmage' Lunatiara shoots elementary spells with the same firepower as Advanced Magic spells cast by Mages and Sorcerers, a direct hit will kill you instantaneously.
Even if you manage to get past her magic bombardment and engage in a close quarter combat, she possesses superior strength and techniques over us, killing us with a whack of her staff. This game is just impossible.
Aina-san was so gentle with us... Hindsight 20/20. Come back Aina-san.

Training with these two is just terrible. Dead. I'm gonna die. Heck, I did die. Countless times.
We died so much that by nighttime everybody looked dead on the inside. H, how long must this go on...


"You guys alright? Sure don't look well."

"You guys are being way too hard on us just because we can get revived..."

"Even if the body is sound, the mind..."

"Dunno how much shock you get when you die, but I see it's gotta be quite mentally draining huh."

"You simply get used to it... Fufufu..."


Olivie, are you alright. Your eyes are unfocused even though you're laughing.
As she's usually very meek, getting driven to the corner like this might be risky for Olivie...


"Are you making other groups go through the same life-threatening practice as ours? Somebody might die at this rate..."

"Nothing this dangerous, course'. Unlike you guys, it'd be like putting the cart before the horse if any of 'em died."

"So our training is the harshest huh..."

"There's an exception, but yeah that's about right."

"By that you mean Kajikawa-san's group?"

"Yea. Oh right, he hailed from the same land as yours huh. Him and you, you otherworlders sure have some incredible latent power. We musta look like common people by your world's standard."

"No, that person is just abnormal. Ordinary people don't fly in the sky without any gear."


They pin their hope on Kajikawa-san's group huh. Guess that's only right.
Though not even that Kajikawa-san managed to land a hit on these two.

Their daughter, Alma got a successful hit on Instructor Lunatiara the other day though.
Did she get past that barrage of death and squeezed a hit in melee range? How?
...Was instructor going easy cause she was up against her daughter? Considering their usual antics around Alma, that sounds plausible...

I think tomorrow is Kajikawa-san's group turn.
Tomorrow is our rest day and all, maybe I should go and take a peek.
Kinda curious how they're dealing with these two, I might even catch a hint or two.
...Honestly, half of it is motivated by the thrill of watching something scary.




<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >



The day after.
I went to look for a nice spot to peek at their training with Ultimate Martial Art Skill 'Clairvoyance' that allows me to see afar like a telescope from a safe place but there were preceding visitors already.


"...The hell you doin' out here, okama bastard."

"...That's my line. Ain't this your leveling day, why'd you all be here."


That damned brat, Alancyan or something was already standing by.
Not just this brat. Every members of the other groups are all here too. What about your training, guys.


"Look who's talkin' on the high horse. Ya ain't no better."

"Too bad~. Today is our group's rest day~. Our free time, unlike you~. Can you not lump us together puhlease~."

"You're such a pain in the arse, wanna die?"

"Ah, you mad~? Are you mad~? M'bad, wanna try killing me~? I'm just gonna get revived right away though~."


I do think I'm being quite a pest myself, but I can't stand this guy calling me okama either.
Guy looks easy to provoke and he's frowning hard, but he's being patient prolly because he wants to watch Kajikawa-san's group. NDK? NDK?


"...I got no time to play around with ya bastard. Piss off if ya got no business here."

"Who the hell wanna stays next to you. This is the only good place to peek from."

"You guys, shut it. Keep it down if you're here to peek."


Green hair, Radiasta, was it? Warned us with an 'I can't believe you guys' look. Soz.
Oh? His previously Martial Arts Lv9 has evolved to Ultimate Martial Arts Lv2. He got that up so quickly.
His base level also went up from 35 to 40. It's only been around a week since we started the training too. That's an amazing pace.


No wait, I'm curious about him but I gotta focus on Kajikawa-san's group.
Gotta learn how their training goes.
Activating 'Clairvoyance' and start watching.



...And, once their training started, all I could see are two black shadows swaying around, what are those even? Who? What are they doing? What's happening?
I can't even make out their outlines. Are those human beings? Or are they straw men bending back and forth?

<<...Err, those are Alma-san and her Papa-san exchanging blows at super high speed. They're moving too fast your kinetic vision can't catch up it seems Neora-san.>>

Wait you mean Alma-san wasn't at her full speed during the tournament!? I can't make heads or tails where she's moving now!
I mean, Papa-san's speed is no joke either. It's as if I'm watching an anime high speed battle.
I take back about them taking it easy on their daughter, he's going at it far faster and stronger than with us.
Papa-san was actually holding back against us... Uwaah, I feel pitiful about myself.


"...What, are they doing?"

"Alma and Duke-san are sparring it seems... They're too fast nobody can tell what's going on."

"That's Alma and his dad? For real?"


Radiasta and the damned brat muttered with their mouths agape.
Yup, their reactions are normal after watching that. No ordinary human can move like that. Weird.
They're way too incredible their training is no use as a frame of reference. Is there even a point to watching them?


"Ah, they finally stoppe...!? Alma-neechan's sword turned gigantic, she thrust that forward and then it multiplied!? And that guy just casually dodged them all!"

"How many times did they swing their swords just now...? I couldn't tell at all..."

"They never showed their true strength against us. Not Duke-san, not Alma..."

"Like that time at the tourney."


....Yup. Honestly, somewhere in the corner of my mind, I knew that already.
They were holding back against us so we don't lose heart from too lofty of a goal.
In fact, I'm kinda losing my confidence after watching this... I gotta get stronger than that? Aren't you asking the impossible?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the damned brat stood up and walked away.


"Oy, where you going?"

"...Leveling. I've seen it all. I ain't gonna waste any more time."

"Yeah?"


He's going to work harder instead of losing heart even after seeing this huh.
Or perhaps, he's the type that gets fired up the taller the wall to scale.
...I hate him, but I gotta learn from that undaunting will.


"R-Reina!"

"Eh? ...!?"


Radiasta suddenly called out the name of that blond little girl.
What's wrong with her? I used Clairvoyance again and then...


When I turned my sight back at Kajikawa-san's group, a humongous giant of flame visible with bare eyes even from this distance showed up.
W-what the heck is that thing...!?

<<That will be Advanced Spirit Magic 'Cthuga'. The apex of all flame spirits... Instructor Lunatiara summoned that. Is she planning to kill Reina-san...?>>

...Wha? She summoned that monster against Reina!?
No no no, that's just way absurd! I can feel the heat even from all the way here! She's gonna get burned just getting close to it!

<<No, looks like that's not quite right, see? ...That girl is just as abnormal.>>

Wha?


....


Y-you're kidding me, she's barely managing to dodge that giant of flame's assault...!?
Looking again, I see that she's staving off the attack with an ostrich-like big golden chicken. They're training as a pair huh.
They're two different species yet they're fighting like a pair of combat veterans, complementing and covering each other splendidly.
...Was that chicken Reina's tamed beast? No, I think it was Kajikawa-san's, yet they're so in sync...

Ah hey, Instructor Lunatiara is following up with more magic. Is she a demon.
Reina entered a gigantified shadow alongside the chicken, but they got chased out by the flame shining on it and ate instructor's magic directly.
A-are they alive? That was a direct hit.

Ah, they are alive. Barely at that, they slumped down while shaking.
Both Reina's and chicken's HPs are at 20. That could have killed them, no...?

Kajikawa-san ran up to them in a hurry.
He held his hands over them both, then their wounds got healed and their HPs went back to full.
Kajikawa-san's HP decreased instead. Is he able to share his HP...?

<<Looks like he can also control his life force on top of mana and stamina. Common sense really doesn't apply to that man...>>

...I'm used to him being extraordinary. I ain't gonna get surprised anymore, no matter what.
The girl and the chicken went up against Lunatiara again once they were fully healed. Can't believe they didn't lose heart after experiencing that.


"...Can't afford to play hooky now, can we."

"That missy's the real deal. Ain't she an item with ya? Someone's gonna be on a tight leash."

"Y-you're wrong! What are you talking about Baredo!"

"Fufu, oh it's nothing to get all flustered about."

"Nobody's flustered! Let's go and level up, now!"


Baredo and Rasfin who were peeking next Radiasta teased him, to which he responded by standing up with a reddened face.
He must have gone to peek at Reina only to get all competitive when he saw her undergoing a much severer training regime than him.
Well, guess you gotta get stronger than the girl you want to show off on. Do your best.


I stayed around and watched for a while only to see Alma, Reina, and the chicken re-challenging the two instructors over and over again to the point of exhaustion.
...Our group didn't have it the harshest. It's this group's.

They can't get revived yet they have to constantly deal with attacks that could get them killed by a hair.
All of them manage to get by such a severe training even if just barely. Their gutsiness is on a whole other level.

Heck, what's Kajikawa-san doing anyway?
All he's been doing is healing them whenever. Is he not gonna train? Well I mean, guess he doesn't need it when he's already that strong...


Oh, they're all taking a break. Good work~.
...Hm? Both instructors are walking to the training ground with Kajikawa-san, what's wrong?


...Eh, why are they taking combat ready poses?
Why're two instructor facing off Kajikawa-san.
That makes it look like they're gonna fight in a two-on-one.

<<That appears to be the case. What an elaborate way to kill yourself~. Oh wait, those two suggested this?>>


....
Well, uh. Live on. I'll make sure to pick up your bones if things went sideways, Kajikawa-san.

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537 Bountiful Forest

Initially I was planning to lead a self-sufficient life deep in a remote forest somewhere.
But I believe everybody craves for convenience. I want my house built properly, and I don't want to eat only to sustain myself and indulge on good food.
I needed a huge amount of money to that end. Money makes the world go round.
After all, I lack the knowledge and skill to do those feats all by myself. As such, I gotta rely on the power of money to hire people who can.
Consequently, my house can't be that deep in the forest and must be reasonably close to a city by this world's standards.
Transporting building materials would have been an ordeal otherwise. No one would accept a commission to bring them to an unexplored region.

I have money thanks to the Black Card now. This particular problem is pretty much solved.
Next up is picking the right place. This journey has that purpose in mind. Bringing in no end of trouble along the way.
So I thought to myself I might as well enjoy the ride and opted to go all the way to this coliseum.
I liked watching combat sports in my past life but I don't know why anything I do draw in trouble like this.
I'm fed up already. Hence, I stopped exerting energy on this.
Dealing with these guys is just a waste of time.

(It's not that I'm being patient. I am interested in this coliseum but I'm not that desperate. I can always come back later.)

"Alright, griffon. Fly in that direction. Let's get away from this place."

I jumped on griffon's back and said that.
My action came as a surprise to the Administrative Office folk, they had this dumbfounded look all the while.
My irritation eased up a bit seeing those expressions. I ignored them as they watched griffon climbing higher and left the place behind.

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

I picked a random direction but once we got far enough, I asked griffon.

"Hey, I'd like to visit your turf if you don't mind. It's a bountiful forest right?"

Griffon cried joyfully at that, 'Kue, kuee!' and changed direction.
Looks like it's willing to bring me there. It seems to have a sort of homing instinct and shows no hesitation in the trajectory it's going.

After around 15 minutes. I dunno the exact time due to lack of clock. We were flying at high speed.
We arrived. A vast sprawling forest lies there before my eyes.

"Green as far as eyes can see even from this high up... Just how huge is it..."

Of course a forest this vast gotta be bountiful.

There's no way to even imagine the sheer amount of flora and fauna inhabiting it. Jungle? Amazon? There's a big lake with a river too as water sources.
A paradise for living creatures. The forest looks to have anything you ask it of.

Griffon slowly lowered its altitude. It's probably heading to its nest.
After a bit, we came to an open space just big enough to fit griffon.
Griffon landed there like it was used to it. 'Kue!', then it crouched down to let me get off easily.

"Ou, thanks griffon. This is a pretty nice place alright. The air feels so fresh. There's a hint of sweetness too I think?"

I looked around and found multi-colored flowers blooming. Their fragrances are filling the air in this place, wafting a nice aroma deep into your body.

But this belated moment only lasted briefly. Just as I stretched my body, that thing appeared.

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Fantasy Romance First Taste

"Ah~~ Hiyoko you're so fluffy~~~"

『Cluck...』

"...Fluff fluff..."

"M-me too! I wanna fluff fluff too!"

『C, cluck, cluuck!』


Post the sparring sessions, we were all lying down all beaten up so I decided to heal myself with Hiyoko who had evolved into Golden Cock the other day.
Hiyoko is as big as an ostrich now, boasting a superb feel to the touch. I had no idea this wonderful cushion existed in this world.
Alma and Reina got lured into lying on this raw futon as well. Hiyoko protested at all the weight.


"Ah, it's the best. This is on a whole other class than some low grade cushion."

"It's so soft, and warm."

"It's been getting a bit chilly lately too. Well the training warms you up real fast though."

『Cluck! Cluuuck!』

"Oh don't be like that. It's important to experience some skinships every once in a while. Besides, you're gonna get smaller in another evolution, gotta make use of this chance while it lasts."

"Eh, Hiyoko won't get bigger with the next evolution?"

"Yeah. The next one is Platinum Cock, a normal chicken-sized magic beast with a platinum colored feather. Hiyoko's parent was like that."

<<Hiyoko has met the conditions to evolve into 'Platinum Cock' as well as 'Rage Cock', and 'Night Fowl'.>>

"Eh, whazzat. What's going on?
Did the options increase cause Hiyoko got specific Titles or Skills?

<<Affirmative. As for the detail, Rage Cock is bigger size-wise, with greatly bolstered STR, DEF, and HP, however AGI, DEX and INT do not rise as much. Night Fowl is around the size of Meadow Cock, with higher AGI and DEX than Platinum Cock, and low STR and DEF.>>

...Neither sounds that compelling. Rage Cock especially, even bigger than this is gonna make Hiyoko an easy target.
Night Fowl having important stats like STR and DEF low is a bit... Guess Platinum Cock is the safe choice here, it's fast as heck already anyway.
Hiyoko could probably get more options if it obtain more Skills and Titles but there's the time constraint to consider.
Well, there should be plenty of room for growth, just gotta chip at it little by little.


『Cluaaack!!』


...Either way, we shouldn't get overzealous with making Hiyoko a cushion.
That thought crossed my mind as we all got blown away by an enraged 'Qi Path Open'-buffed Hiyoko.



Tonight we're having a steak party to commemorate Alma's first hit on Alma Mama.
I was just wondering the best time to feast on that meat, and this occasion fit right in.

I took a thick block of meat and sliced between lean and fat meat.
I heated up Mountain Bull's tallow on a frying pan before putting in the meat.

Then I dripped in a blend of beef tallow and butter oil I had in Item Screen into the pan little by little.
This is kinda cheating in a way but I'm gonna use everything in my disposal. It's handy and all.
Once the color changed to a nice brown on both sides, I sprinkled in a bit of salt and pepper and took it off the heat.

I let the cooked meat rest for 2-3 minutes and the steak is done.
I'll be serving it with stir-fried cabbage and rock onion as garnish and nutrition balance.

The meat by itself should be flavorful enough but I've also added pre-made sauce.
Chopped Rock Onion with red wine, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, grated garlic and a little bit of water.

I also prepared aro rice and white bread to pick freely.
Can't have me decide all the time. Though nobody seems to mind.


"It's done. Help me carry them in."

"Hawawawawa, t-that's real super thick slices of steak...!"

"...Extra, vagant."

『Pii...!』


Everybody seemed a bit bewildered at the grand feast before them.
Must be cause steak has this image of being a rich folk's food... Right?

Alma's parents look calm, they must have inferred what meat is it.
Well, it's these two after all, they're probably used to eat so much of this stuff, they're tired of it already.


"Mwu, this aroma... Must be, that meat eh?"

"Yes. The tail meat of 'Black Dragon' I cut off around a week ago."

"Dragon's, meat...!?"

"Eh, this is the tail of that super scary Black Dragon!? Hiee...!!"

"...Huh? Haven't you eaten dragon already, Alma?"

"Mom and dad treated me to one when I was smaller, but that's it... I still remember how incredibly tasty it was even now."

"Ufufu, Alma-chan was going all bubbly saying yummy yummy, you wouldn't see her acting like that ever again. It sure takes me back~."


Fumu, it was tasty enough to get an overreaction from a young Alma huh.
I can't wait to have a taste myself, let's get to it already.


"To celebrate Alma's first hit, as much as I loathe to do it, let's not forget to thank Black Dragon for tendering the meat, bon appetite."

""""Bon Appetite.""""

『Pi.』

"...You're not even trying to hide your anger at Black Dragon..."


I am grateful for the meat.
But that's a separate matter. I'm gonna beat it up one day.


It's finally the time to eat dragon meat. Yay, drum stick, roll.
Oh, it's chewy yet so easy to slice with a knife. The texture gotta feel nice in the mouth.
Well then, bite, chew chew, and...


~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

[News Flash] it's a, K.O.


I quietly struck my lap with my palms before I realized what I was doing.
It's too good.
Way too good.
I have no word for it, only that reaction.

Even the Crimson Scale we had back then has nothing against this.
I can probably eat three servings of this easily even with zero flavoring.

Strong umami coming out with every bite, the wild game taste of a punch that doesn't stink at all, the juiciness that lacks any hint of dryness are all violating the inside of my mouth mercilessly.


It's beyond, no, unlike anything I could have expected.


"...So delicious."

"Wau...!"

"I-I have no more regret in life...!"

『Pihii...!』

"Hahahahaa! You got the exact reaction we had when we tasted our first dragon. Sure takes me back."

"Fufu, you all look like you're on cloud nine."


This meat probably tastes like heavens no matter how you cook it.
And yet the sauce only adds to the flavor without subtracting anything from the meat. It's such a flexible flavor.

...I'll say my heartfelt thanks to Black Dragon just once for this. Thanks for the treat.
Let me fetch more of your meat, thank you.



"...I'm in heaven."

"What a bliss... Ehehehe..."

『Pi...』

"Umu, that Black Dragon's meat is as tasty as you would expect from a high level dragon."

"My, that's not all you know? The way it's cooked as well as the exquisite control of heat and flavoring and the sauce combine so well. You have my thanks for the treat, Hikaru-san."


You're welcome. I'm glad they all look satisfied.
...I wanna eat more dragon meat someday. No, I'm absolutely gonna make it happen. Eating so much it's gonna pop my belly open.


"Sure would be nice if we could have dragon meat for Alma-chan's birthday too."

"...To that end, I have to get strong enough to defeat Black Dragon."

"Are you still mad with it?"

"...Yea."


I might be being too obstinate, but I seriously can't forgive Black Dragon and its handler for causing harm to Alma.
I'mma tear off more meat off Black Dragon from end to end and make a rag cloth out of his handler's arm. Tremble in your sleep.


"Ah, my bad. It's your celebration party and all and I've made the mood awkward."

"...I didn't land that hit on mom through my power alone."


Alma suddenly gripped my hands and spoke.
Eh ...Eh?


"I'm only here because dad taught me on swordsmanship, mom on magic, Hikaru on magic swords, direct control and Reina and Hiyoko coming to my rescue. I want you to depend on me more as your strength."

"O, ou?"

"So please ask me anything if you need my help. If you're having trouble coming up with a way to get stronger, let's think about it together. If you want to beat Black Dragon, let me fight alongside you. Haven't I been telling you, don't hold it in to yourself."

"Y, yup..."


Ah, is she cheering me up because I was feeling down from failing to hit Alma Papa?
...Well, it's true that's been weighing my mind, but I didn't expect her to go at this so strongly. She might be thinking about it harder than me.

Heck, how long are you gonna keep gripping my hands.
I'm kinda happy, but also embarrassed, my face is burning up up up up...!


"Ara ara, ufufu."

"Ahem...!"


Alma Mama looked at us warmly while Alma Papa forced a cough.
Don't look here. I'm begging you look away. Please.

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536 Standards of Values

I have a low boiling point. Being made fun of due to my age is acceptable. I don't get mad over that.
But is there a need to stay on the line to a group of people who keep looking down on you even after showing them the certificate? The certificate is proof that you've been approved by a third party in charge.
They ignored that and kept their unpleasant gaze directed here.
They seem to be under the wrong impression that I'm under griffon's claws.
That might be the standard of 'strength' or whatever in this coliseum city. Or perhaps hubris.
But I'm not obliged to obey them. People have their own sense of values. I have mine as well of course, and I'll be the judge of that.
Is it selfishness perhaps? Or perhaps more akin to pride, and obstinacy.

And it's obvious these people have ill intents. They're looking at griffon with a repulsive gaze.

(I won't forgive that. I saved this life and all. They don't even have any idea about our circumstances, and they dare put such evil looks on even after I showed them the certificate. They had admitted they'd kill it even after knowing it's mine. They're no better than all the dregs I took care of so far.)

I no longer care what happens to these guys.
But that doesn't mean I'll go through it right away. It would make a wanted man.

"A warning. I'm strong enough to have a griffon follow me. I recommend taking back your word and apologize if you don't want to get hurt. You don't just speak threatening words like killing easily. Especially not in front of the person concerned."

These Administrative Office guys started laughing at my reply.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"What? You sayin' your griffon won't listen to you now?"
"That certificate must be fake yeah?"
"Heck. Did he say he's strong? Pfft! What a laugh!"
"I told you to show your strength. Aren't you a tamer? Your tamed beast is your power, no?"
"You're not allowed inside this city if you can't do that here and now."

It's true that I need their approval if these guys are really in charge of inspecting people wanting to enter the city.
But what if they don't have the authority to do that and that it's in another department's hands instead?
Agreeing to them without checking first would just end with me beating them up. It's a waste of effort that only gonna worsen my mood. Although it's not like that's a lot of effort.

And so, I asked again before going there.

"Do you guys even have the authority to pick who gets to enter this city? And is a test of strength for that the 'law' of this city? I'm just here to tour the place, I have no idea how stuff works inside. Mind telling me?"

The reply to my question was unfortunate.

"We value strength above all. You gotta convince us first if you wanna enter. Course we have the authority. Or what, maybe you wanna go in alone and keep that magic beast outside?"

They're definitely going to attack griffon if I did that. What will happen next is just like Binota's story which is obvious from seeing their faces.

"Fine, I don't need to go in."

And thus, I made my choice.

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Close, Long One Step

"Kajikawa-san, let it go already~"

"..."

『Pii...』


Hi, hello there.
After sparring with Alma Papa, I'm now in a sitting position watching Alma's sparring with Alma Mama while drawing a 『の』 character on the ground and sulking.

I went all out using all those nasty tactics and even blew myself up with him in the end, but none of it worked.
...Who could've guessed he'd activate 'Qi Path Open' to get himself out of the bind and Ground Shrink-ed away from the explosion.
Then he struck my head with his wooden sword. I couldn't land a single hit in the end.

I'm not sure if I should be satisfied getting this far even without a Skill or lament at the upper limit of my current strength.
...Damn, it's so frustrating.


Ah, but when was the last time I felt frustrated again.
Maybe that time my boss got angry with me while I couldn't talk back due to my position.
No, I don't mean sordid kinds of frustration like that, so maybe it was that time I didn't get to enter my first pick of high school.
Or maybe that one time I lost a fight when I was super young.

...Gotta stop weirdly reminiscing the past. Not like I'm getting senile from old age.


"Your goal is weird to begin with. We're not training to win against those two. We're here to get stronger, aren't we.  Trying to land a hit after one or two sparring matches is just weird."

"Yer' righto..."

"What's with that accent. Well, now you know how we feel whenever we spar with you Kajikawa-san, serves you r... ahem, I mean, I'm kinda glad about it."


Your inner monologue is leaking! What? Is it that frustrating to spar with me?
Well I mean, I never let them get a hit on me sure.

Hmm, now that I think about it, I guess Reina got quite the stout heart.
Though it's probably way less mortifying than living in the slums.


...Reina is right, I can't stay down in the dump forever.
Thinking about it calmly, there's no way a technique I randomly thought up would instantly work well. My opponent is an over Lv90 veteran that has dozens times more combat experience.
He must be used to fighting multiple enemies at once. It would be weirder if he never found himself fighting against opponents that tried to destroy themselves together.
I've still got plenty of chances to spar with him. I should be more patient.



"Haaaa!"

"!? T-that's amazing Alma-chan!"


O, oou...!? Alma struck down the barrage of Alma Mama's fireballs with [Grand Blade].
Normally those fireballs should have blown up when her sword hit them, but she had enveloped the blade with 'Mana Blade Draw' as a cushion and bounced them back.
That let her send back the fireballs to simultaneously defend and attack back. I never knew that she managed to copy my Mana Repel.
...Heck, isn't she better than me at it? I'm losing my position here.

She attacked with multiple offensive spells using 'Double Tongued' while simultaneously repelling those fireballs and closing in the distance.
Alma Mama has been maintaining the distance between them with Ground Shrink and Quick Step but Alma is moving slightly faster bolstered by Energy Control.


"Oooh! You're almost there! Just a little bit more, Alma-san!"

『Pipi!』

"Alma, keep at it!"

"Don't lose, my daughter! Beat her to a pulp!"


When her sword almost reached Alma Mama, all of us reflexively cheered for her.
Alma Papa even joined in. Won't Alma Mama get mad at you later? You sure it's okay?


"Fu, fufu, ufufu ahahaha! I'm so happy! It's only been a year and a half since you came of age and look how far you've gotten!"

"『Little Gnome』! 『Ifrit』!"

"Even Spirit Magic! How far will you impress your mama!"

<Scaaary! Who the heck is this woman, she's real bad news!>

<M-Miss Lunatiara. She hasn't been summoning me as of late. Who knew we would meet again this away...>


Alma increased her number of moves by summoning spirits, leaving the fireballs to Ifrit and putting Little Gnome on obstructing Alma Mama duty.
Hm? Ifrit sounds like he's familiar with Alma Mama? Which means...


"【Cthugha】"

"...Eh."


...!!?


I felt an enormous amount of mana coming down from the sky as Alma Mama murmured.
Something's, descending...!?



If I had to describe the thing, I'd say it's a giant made of flames.
A super sized giant over 100 meter tall. It's even bigger than Minimum Jormungandr.


It possess a massive amount of mana that makes Mid-class Spirit like Ifrit look like a baby.
That thing can probably solo Black Dragon no issue.


<<Advanced Spirit Magic 【Cthugha】, a spell that summons and controls the apex of Flame Spirits. There's only a very limited number of people capable of using Advanced Spirit Magic in the whole world. It's an extremely powerful spirit capable of burning down a capital sized city in mere seconds.>>


Alma Mama is getting way too much into it!!
That ain't anything you summoned against your daughter is it! She trying to kill her or what!? Are you gonna kill your daughter!?


"It'll be fine. I'll adjust the power so you won't die... That is if you can block it, Alma-chan."

"...!"

"...Show me, Alma. All the power you hold within you! 【Cthugha】!!"

<Are you sure? ...Very well then.>


The flaming giant let out several dozens flaming tentacles that all went toward Alma.
I can feel incredible heat from every single of those tentacles. Even one of them will incinerate Alma to ashes if it so much as touches her.


"...Haaa...!!"


Alma struck down all the tentacles with a combination of Spirit Magic and Double Tongued-cast multi spells.
Fireballs, water balls, icicles, thunderbolts, shine balls, wind blades, dark tentacles, rock bullets, colorless mana balls mixed into rainbow colored balls, and Intermediate Spells like flaming bombs narrowly managed to do it.
She boosted all the spells she could use to even stop the attack. A moment of lapse would've pushed her back.

Her mana is gonna run dry in 10 seconds that way.
The match is over in ten seconds from now. What's your next move, Alma.


"Phew...!"

"!? F-fast!"


She undid Grand Blade and switched over to 'Tempest Blade' to zero in on Alma Mama.
Alma Mama could get dragged in her own magic if they're that close. She gotta be careful now.
She's got no choice but to engage in a melee combat. Alma's strategy is valid.


Alma finally got her blade within an inch of Alma Mama.


"!"

"Ufufu, I can't believe you'd corner me this bad."


Alma Mama blocked Alma's sword with her staff.
Ordinarily, mage-type Jobs can never hope to match melee-type Jobs in close quarter combat.
Once they lose their range advantage, they're halfway to be checkmated.

But you can't make light of Alma Mama's Attribute values.
She's Level 96 after all. Her STR even surpasses Hyula-san who specializes in melee.
Normally, Staff Arts is only good as a complementary Skill. In no way it could measure up to melee-specialized Jobs, let alone higher tier ones like Alma's.


"Haaaaaaa!!"

"The sheer weight and speed behind your attacks not at all feel like it comes from someone half my level. But, you're reaching your limit soon, aren't you?"


Alma did manage to push her in the clash, but that one step is simply too far.
Alma Mama seems to have used 'Qi Clad' to buff herself up so Alma can't push her further.
She's used up all her energy, yet this small gap in strength seems impossible to bury.
I'm chagrined. It's so close, yet so far away...



"I think it's time to end this... You did well, Alma-chan."

"...Ru..."

"...Eh?"



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >




"...Pile, Bunkeeeeeeeeeeer!!!"


BOOM! A familiar sound reverberated.

It's something I hear every single day. The sound of a move I created, exclusive only to me.
It's a very simple move that harden your mana and push it forward, but only those who know Mana Control can deploy it.


"Kyaaaaaaaa!!?"


While they were locking weapons, Alma let out a Mana Pile Bunker from the palm of the hand that was gripping her sword.

...To think she's even learned how to use Mana Pile...! She probably managed to copy it after watching me using it for so long.
...Huh wait, I'm really losing my position, aren't I?


"...Got... you..."


She slumped down as she squeezed that word out.
Of course, she used up all her mana and energy... It took her all to even get a single hit in huh.


"Alma!"


I lifted her up, and supplied her with mana.


You did great. Really, that was great. A dazzling victory.
...It's a bit frustrating how she gained a lead on me though.


"Ufufufufu... Fufufufu..."


Oh no


Alma Mama is walking up here while rubbing her abdomen that was hit by Alma's Pile Bunker.
Her smile is so terrifying I can't look at her straight! Did she go mad from that hit!?
Hold it, Alma can't go on anymore! I'm telling you!
Heck, Alma Mama's HP barely decreased!? Even that attack barely worked!?


"P-please wait--"

"Alma-chaaaaaaaan!! You're so so stroooooong noooow!!!"


She yelled out loud with a huge smile on her face as she hugged Alma hard.


"It's been so many years since anyone other than Duke managed to hit me! That's my daughter for you! She's a genius! Super genius!"

"Err, Lunatiara-san, you're choking her. No really, she's choking badly there!"

"I won't heal this wound ever! I'll set it aside as a commemoration!"

"How do you set aside a wound..."


Alma Mama is hugging Alma as hard she could, reminiscence of half a year ago. She's gonna stop breathing again, stop that, you'll kill her, stop.
Alma Papa murmured something with a smile as well despite looking like he can't believe what he just saw.
Is he elated from Alma's growth... Or maybe he feels refreshed inwardly from watching Alma Mama got hit since he usually obeys her every whims. Probably both.

...They're gonna zoom past me if I don't pull myself together.
I gotta hurry up and think up a way to get stronger or I'm in danger.
Our party kids are way too talented. They keep catching up to me no matter how strong I get.


"Also, I don't mind you cheering for Alma-chan but we're having a talk about the matter of you telling her to beat me to pulp later, shall we, dear?"

"I-I dunno what you talking about though...?"


Ah, figured she heard that.
Mouths are the source of misfortunes. Live on, Alma Papa.



Author's Q&A
>What if Hero's resummoning altars got destroyed--

It can't be done. Those altars cannot be destroyed or moved. The goddess spares no mercy towards demons.
On top of that, demons can't enter the altars so there's no chance of spawn killing. Quite convenient, isn't it.

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535 Central Figure

"You a first timer at this city huh. Let me teach you something."

This Administrative Office's rep started his explanation.

This city was initially built as a coliseum. Its purpose was to settle the disputes between many smaller nations. Even an arena this enormous is small scale compared to wars between countries.
It's a proxy war, the Olympic if you may. Hence each nations would send their agents to compete their mettle and bring peaceful negotiations into the table.
Thus the rest of the city gradually got built around the coliseum until it grew this big.
The era entered a peaceful time where disputes between nations could be resolved without bloody wars.
But then more and more people gathered here bringing their dream of 'power', which necessitated the formation of the Administrative Office.
They kept fighting as their country proxies, as winning net them fame and prestige. That kept going on for a long time until training to reach that goal becomes the norm.
Yearning for strength, aiming for fame, and receiving prestige. Even though the original purpose of the coliseum is no longer relevant, the ultimate goal remains unchanged, turning the whole thing into a 'festival of strength'.
Even today all kinds of tournaments are being held every single day for rewards. A lot of rewards.
You can turn your life around through brute force.
It's also a good training ground for those blessed with good physiques, thugs who know their ways around combat and hardened warriors.
Despite being a magnet to those seeking strength, money and honor, there was no change to the city itself over the years.
As such this city has no ruler. There is no authority of a 'king'. However, there are definitely many groups working for many nations in the federation vying for control behind the scenes.
Yet, there's never been a huge accident. All due to 'strength' being everything here, for better or worse.
How many soldiers would a country need if they wish to occupy this city inhabited by many powerful warriors?
It's not worth it, or so they must have concluded.

Right now my strength is being questioned. But I'm here as a tourist, I don't plan to use griffon to earn cash. So I gave them my excuses.

"I'm here to tour the place though? And why should I show you my strength anyway?"
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
I'm being honest. I get that they'd think less of me for asking that after saying 'sure thing' earlier.
But I just gotta ask. I mean they're obviously looking at me like I'm an easy target.

"Let's see, if you really can control that magic beast, tell it to fight us. I mean that's strength to a tamer no? We can't have that big thing run wild in our city. We gotta test your strength. Oh there's nothing to worry about, we're not gonna get serious yeah? Well we might end up killing it by mistake tho', gotta apologize beforehand."

Is it really obeying me? Am I really controlling it well?
That's how they made it sound like but in reality, these guys are eager to kill griffon.
They're just making excuses. I mean they're all grinning. All of them have the same expression.
That's no joke. Tamed animals or magic beasts are their tamer's partners.
There are probably tamers out there who see them as a commodity as well. Yet these guys are obviously looking down at me.
Saying crap that they might kill a tamed beast by mistake.
Or maybe they're saying that there's no proof if it's dead. They're probably going to loot griffon's corpse afterward. They'll just throw away the tamer tag and threaten all the witnesses around this roadside through force.

(Or maybe I'm just overthinking it. But I'm seriously fed up with their attitude.)

My intuition whispered me. These guys need a good 'scolding'.
They've gotten cocky. Believing they're  strong enough to take down a griffon. Throwing their weight around, drunk from their power.
Then I simply will show them an even heavier weight class.
I've steeled myself to stand out in this city. That's how much I hate how they look at me and griffon like we're easy targets.

(This griffon is my partner in my journey from now on. Though it's not like I limit its freedom. Nor I went out of my way to make it obey me. The gazes they directed at me and griffon feel sickening.)

"I hate your type. I'll take you all on. Griffon won't have a turn. I'm gonna kick your arses personally."

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