Chapter 60 – The Fist Beyond the Limit
I was doing it unconsciously.
Breakthrough is a technique that clads overflowing magical power over the whole body.
The magical power that was fastened is inflated, and the 【Great Magic Spiral】 can be performed.
So, what if you inflate it, and then concentrate on it?
Put all the magic into my head, put all the magic into my right fist, and switch it once.
It is a dangerous act in the flow of combat.
Because concentrating the magical power on one point gives a big deal of damage if you attack the opponent’s defenseless areas.
However, Mr. Aka, who has forgotten his current self and was increasingly monotonous in attacking, was able to handle this.
With simple power, Mr. Aka is strong. However, because the form is also battered, the power is inevitably dispersed.
If I’m focused on a single point, my head-butt, and my fist, it’ll reach Mr. Aka.
“Ruaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!”
The 【Great Demon Corkscrew Blow】 drove into Mr. Aka’s left chest.
Waver. Waver. He was wavering.
『Well now… what comes next?』
Mr. Aka’s roar, which had enough intensity to shake the mountain and the forest, stopped.
… It looked like.
“Ga … a … ga … gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!”
“Ugh!?”
The next moment, my body was blown away by Aka’s arm, who appeared too shaken to attack.
My back, bones, what happened?
Tossed through the trees, was I?
“You!?”
『Child!』
This is bad. I’m a mess now. I was completely defenseless.
My body wasn’t responding anymore.
I can’t think with a calm mind.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!”
Aka, who seemed to have stopped for a moment, was still crying like a wild beast, and trying to walk up to me as I was worn out.
I’m worn out.
On the other hand, Aka seems to have a slightly swollen fist and a few bruises on his face, but other than that, he doesn’t seem to have much damage.
“Tch…. So tough… after all…”
My neck… dammit, I can’t execute the usual move…. can I stand up? My waist? Shouldn’t I feel pain on my back.
“Upupu, ough, bare it…geh…. hah, hah…”
I was hit in the belly, so I couldn’t help spitting out some stomach content.
My eyes are starting to flicker, and I don’t really understand how blood got into my eyes in the first place…. Somehow … if I’m left as it is, I might die without doing anything….
“…… jeez…. all the same…… hey! Hey, listen! Even now…… is reaching my hand out to you still no good!?”
My feet are trembling so that I can’t use the steps.
Dynamic visual acuity is of no use in my current condition.
I don’t have the power to punch anymore.
It is impossible to thrust out my head.
My heart jostles, shake and squeeze over and over….
“Ah, really… when friends fight this much… it’s awful…. I never knew…… I….. didn’t have a lot of friends.”
All I can do is to get up again at least.
As I leaned on a tree, I felt whiplash as my feet trembled like a newborn faun’s, but still clenched my teeth and stood again.
『Child』
“……?”
『Tis considerable, owing to being blown away, still you have gained distance… Get your breathing in order…. There is more you can do, is there not?』
And while Shinobu was desperately trying to stop me, my master won’t stop me, he has no intention to.
Breathing? If that’s the case…
『Inhale quickly through your nose… exhale slowly from the lower abdomen.』
“Soo… Haa…”
Ah, surely, a little bit in my head … no, it’s banging painfully but, a little …
“Eh …? That ‘breath’. No, it’s different. That’s…”
“Oh… to establish the paired breathing, ‘Evasive Breath Control’… A unique breathing technique imparted to the Japone-style martial arts…. how would he! Shinobu… who is this man really?”
『Hmpf, you ninjas! You underestimate the Demon Realm Martial Arts, do you not? We are already more than 10,000 years ahead ―――』
Well, I don’t have the energy to put in a retort anymore, but thanks to getting my breathing in order, I can move about once more.
“Hey… Mr. Aka… I also…. rather…… got a reasonably cool face, right? So, just a little bit…. Mr. Aka should remember it too, right?”
“Garrul, Aguauu!”
“Me… Mr. Aka… even though we’re fighting, what’s important is Mr. Aka has forgotten himself in the first place… I’m the one who’s been fighting for a while but…. we’re talking, aren’t we?”
And just one more time.
That’s it.
That’s why Aka has forgotten me.
Remember a little of the self you forgot, and if you can afford it, remember me too.
“Hey… Mr. Aka… after this fight …. let’s see if we can make up…”
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!”
“…… Ah…… I see…… chattering is… I’ll tell you this with my fist! Mr. Aka”
At that moment, Aka runs to rush at me.
Thank you.
I can’t run, so he’ll come over.
“Shinobu… don’t stop this.”
“I can’t… I couldn’t stop this from the beginning … come on …”
Mr. Aka swung his fist.
Counter? No, it’s no longer possible. I can’t get the timing anymore.
Then……
“It’s the last one! Take it all!”
All the remaining magical power is in my right fist.
Just as you throw yourself out, putting all your strength and weight into it…….. I’m going full swing, too!
“【Great Demon Jolt Blow!! 】”
At that moment, our two fists just bumped into each other.
My strength and magic. Aka’s power and rage.
No matter how you think about this fist on fist clash, Aka is stronger.
I’m about to be blown away again.
But at least…
“U, ah, oraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
I grasped the ground firmly with both feet, stomped on it, and endured so as not to be pushed away, even if I can’t beat Aka.
“Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!”
Endure. Prove that I’m here.
I can do it now.
Prove it.
――As the son of the hero who saved the world, isn’t it embarrassing?
“Shut up!”
――No matter how much of a prodigy the princess is, it’s pathetic that the son of a hero can’t win even once.
“Shut uup!”
――Oh my, the mental spirit of a slime as usual. I believe today should be a mock battle as well as the announcement of the written test results…. Did you lose to the princess?
“Shuut uup!”
――Earth’s going to come out, too, right? But maybe we’re already… I might be as good if not better than Earth or the princess.
“Shuut uuup!”
――I’m sorry, but be prepared. We’ve gone through a real battle and we’re already leagues ahead of you.
“Shuut uuuup!”
――Such a technique… that’s… it’s not a skill used by warriors!
“Shuuut uuuuup!”
A bunch of words that have been thrown at me until yesterday came to mind.
I became Tre’ainar’s disciple and became stronger in order to revoke all the words that had been said by my childhood friends, by the world, by my first love, by my parents, all the words that had been said before.
But that’s enough.
Now I’ve abandoned the tendencies of such words.
Even if I throw away the title of the Son of the Hero, what I prove now is the determination I swore to Aka.
“If I can prove it now, that’s fine!!”
Both my legs dig into the ground, bored into by pressure from above, and my thighs spread back and forth and will reach the ground before long.
Honestly, if I hadn’t worked on my flexibility for two months, my thighs wouldn’t have spread so limberly.
And, if I didn’t have those two months, it would be impossible to endure this without being blown away.
“Heh… so…… with this…… it’s fine…… huh…”
In the end, I couldn’t even push my fists, let alone knock Aka.
However, I was not pushed out and I endured.
That alone, I did everything and felt refreshed.
And Mr. Aka?
“Uga… Ga…”
I can’t even raise my arm anymore…. ah…… if I get hit now, I’m…
“Ah … ru … su”
But the next attack never came upon me.
I don’t have the power to raise my head anymore, but I just shout to him.
“Oh…”
“Un … un … Ah, Earth …”
“…… Oh…… Welcome back… Mr. Aka…”
Oh, he’s back…. Mr. Aka….
Me….. Mr. Aka… I’m so relieved… did I do it?
“Mr. Aka… Sorry…. Humans…. picked on Mr. Aka…… I’ve also hit you, a lot…. The cake accidentally got ruined… no good, also I….
“How… Earth, oh, Earth is, very…… very…… this, who hurt ya like this…. Come… I’ll…”
“But, after all…. Mr. Aka… I thought I became much stronger, too…. I still have a long way to go.”
“I’m sorry…. Earth…. I’m sorry….”
That? What? Did something fall from above?
Rain? Wrong. But somehow, warm water…… came down from above.
“Mr. Aka… there are people who fight each other…. even humans, clash with each other and hate each other…… but that way… if you face the other party…… you can reach the point where you accept them…”
“Earth”
“They can be better friends than ever before… I suppose…. maybe. Me, too…. It’s so cool…. a lot of work though….”
Ah … I’m already … my consciousness …. I have to tell you, before that…
“Mr. Aka… can’t live here anymore, but…… where will you go? Wanna team-up with me…. how about we go around the world?”
“Huh?! …… Earth…… you……?”
That’s what I was thinking during our fight.
If you quarrel, finish, and make up ….
“If me and Mr. Aka team up… no enemies…… the strongest combination…”
Who cares if they see us.
We can go around the world in a grand manner.
If anyone complains, we can kick their butts.
I’m sure it’ll be fun.
“Earth is… small, but…… after all…… so great, so amazing…”
Hey, that status is reversed… too much…… Oh? Mr. Aka? My voice will soon…Then, instead…
『Ah… I saw it… this time, to the end… Well done, child.』
I was happy to finally hear those words, and I’m satisfied.
So, instead of words, I made a peace sign.
To Mr. Aka and the master who watched over me.
And, finally beyond the limits, my consciousness ceased.