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“Where are you going, Shuu?” (Kure)
The waiting room is a large room with all the members of each branch together. I was sitting in a chair in the corner, but I met up with Kure, who had gone to the restroom, in the hallway.
“Ah, no… I’ve got nothing to do until my match, so I thought I’d watch someone else’s match.” (Shuu)
“You’re more nervous than before the opening ceremony. Why are you nervous now?” (Kure)
Why is this man so perceptive in this kind of situation? Is he sharp because he is a pervert?
At the opening ceremony, my eyes met those of the Governor and Founder.
After returning to the waiting room, I suddenly realized that I was under unprecedented pressure.
I realized that I had to do something. I knew that I had to win this match, no matter what it took and that there was no other route.
I had to act very vain and make a ton of unreasonable demands, and I had to get the guild, the city government, and other people involved to get the top two to agree to my demands. If I had gone this far and lost easily, I would have disgraced not only the people involved but also the faces of the two founding heroes. The governor of Tokyo would say, “Oh, what’s that? We looked like fools for agreeing to it,” and the Founder would say, “Ah-ha, I’ll let it pass.”
When that happens, will there really be any place left in this country for such a disgraced rookie? I can imagine myself dragging my wounded body to Outsuka Metro, meeting Old Man Uni again, hugging him, and saying, “I missed you so much, let’s live together forever this time,” and then getting stomped to the ground.
(But I’m not going to eat my words now, either.) (Shuu)
My resolve to stay strong remains the same. There is a reason why I cannot lose.
In order to save Noa, he must get information about the demons directly from the two “Master Threadwavers”. Or, to create a foothold, I will also bet my own “Master Threadweaver” secret in the balance.
I will make that gyaru elf hag who hurt Tamiko howl. Make her scream in regret. I’m going to make her nose bleed and jackhammer her head against the ground.
(Damn it! The point is to win, I will win!) (Shuu)
(Or, even if I come up short in the end, everyone will see that I did my best, but my life will be zero, so I have to try my hardest even if I lose!) (Shuu)
“Shuu, are you thinking of something pathetic?” (Kure)
How can that be? I was thinking about how I could pull down the sixth-place hunter in the country.” (Shuu)
I’m not going to sit still, so I’m going to watch the other games for reference. I’ll settle down near the entrance and sneak a peek.
“—Now! We will now begin the first match!” (Announcer)
“Entering from the west! Sakura Katou of Akabane!” (Announcer)
“Next to enter from the east! Ishii Naoto of Sugamo!” (Announcer)
Both fighters entered the ring with loud cheers. The referee, dressed in a short-sleeved kimono-like outfit, confirms the rules with both fighters. There are no ceremonies such as washing hands with water or sprinkling salt. He encourages them to shake hands and let them keep their distance from each other.
“Positions, ready… Start!!”
The referee swings his fan vigorously, and at the same time, a gong echoes. The two opponents kicked the ground.
Sugamo Fighter vs New Tokyo Fighter. The curtain has finally been lifted.
Before coming here, I had trained a lot in the battle against others, but I had never had a chance to observe a battle like this. It was quite instructive to observe them.
The first match was [Fighter] versus [Knight]. Both of them are mainly in melee combat.
Their specialties are slightly different. The Akabane girl, who uses her [Extended Arm] – a Fungal Skill that literally extends her arm instantly – to strike from a medium distance, and the Rice Ball Store boy, who wants to close the distance in order to wield his [Warhammer].
They had one or two Fungal Skills each, and there was little difference in their skills. The two fighters continued to exchange blows without any decisive moves, but the match started when the Rice Ball Store Boy’s swing hit Akabane Girl’s [Extended Arm], hurting her dominant arm.
Rice Ball Store boy calmly caught up with Akabane girl without swinging too hard, finally forcing her to her knees. A follow-up kick hit her in the face, and when she fell on her back, the referee intervened with his fan in hand. Gong! The signal bell signaled that the match is over.
“Winner! Ishii Naoto!” (Announcer)
The shout of the announcer echoed. Rice Ball Store boy responded with his arms raised in a burst of cheers. Akabane girl was supported by the staff as they left the venue. Her face was swollen and she was covered in sand, but she was applauded warmly.
“…you know, Kure.” (Shuu)
“What is it?” (Kuro)
“It’s obvious, it’s pretty intense, no need to show mercy to girls.” (Shuu)
He was kicking her in the face with all his might, and the audience didn’t blame him.
“That’s right. It’s a serious match between hunters.” (Kure)
“I see… By the way, is it like that when people die? Don’t you think the audience would be disappointed or angry?” (Shuu)
“If the fight is too brutal or gruesome, that’s one thing. …Basically, they pay respect to the fighters, regardless of whether they win or lose. It’s very rare that a fighter, unfortunately, loses his life, but both the fighter and the audience know that.” (Kure)
In the old peaceful times, this would be a major incident that would be nothing short of a firestorm, but this is sacred because it is a real, serious fight, and because it is in this harsh world, it is a way of looking at life and death.
“Anyway, this is a win for Sugamo. Thanks to Hakuou Maria, isn’t everyone except Shuu fired up?” (Kure)
That’s true. Although it was originally a “competition,” the other side was a collection of individual branches, and the Sugamo side was probably not that focused on winning.
Then, when Hakuou insulted Aomoto at the preliminary briefing, the Sugamo branch members became much more united. Before the opening ceremony, they formed a circle under Aomoto’s command, and Aomoto, who had previously said, “We are more determined to challenge than to win or lose,” became enthusiastic, saying, “We will win at all costs and bring dreams and excitement to the citizens.”
Maybe it was worth it, the team won its first match.
However, the opponents were selected from the various branches. Even though the opponents were all on the same level, it was going to be another tough battle.
Second match.
Hamu Genta from Shinagawa vs Shima Daike from Sugamo.
This is a match between a [Healer] and a [Fighter] who is a former delinquent. A rear-guard healer and a vanguard attacker, the result would have been obvious, but it was a duel between hunters that was not so simple.
The [Healer], who is supposed to be physically inferior to the [Fighter], is a bit more aggressive with a hypha ball in his mouth, and he meets the [Fighter], who rushes headlong into the fray. The former delinquent wields a bat or a club, but the sweets guy catches it with a heavy shield he brought with him. He may be a [Healer], but he has the defensive strength of a tank.
The former delinquent, who has ignored the numbness, forcibly drives him to the edge of the ring with a fierce attack. He slams sweets guy’s guard, destroys the shield, and pounces on him as if he were trying to win a war.
“Die, mother f*cker!” (Daike)
The swinging with all his might aims for the sweets guy’s head like it’s a watermelon on a beach—but just before he does so, sweets guy dives into his arms. Hugging him tightly, he lets out a wild yell, “Ooooooh!” he lifts the former delinquent’s body up.
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