While I was thinking about all that, the match had already begun.
No helping it—I’d have to watch while grilling the meat.
“Now then, the first match will begin. She has already more than proven her abilities. The miracle mage, Ao!”
“Wooo!”
“Do your best!”
“Ao—go for it!”
The cheers for Ao were even louder than they had been during the preliminaries.
Shiro and the others were cheering her on with everything they had.
Ao, too, responded with her whole body—wriggling and waving her tentacles as she answered the crowd’s support.
“Next, the adventurer who fought his way through the preliminaries wielding a greatsword—Zontark!”
“Good luck to you too!”
Facing her was a handsome, bearded man with short-cropped hair. A long sword slung across his back. He raised a hand to acknowledge the cheers, though it felt more like he was riding the wave of support meant for Ao.
“Although Ao-senshu is registered as a mage, she has chosen a swordsmanship match for this battle. She will be using a wooden sword, hardened through the use of magic.”
“Whoa! An item box!”
In a way, that was so very Ao.
She’d chosen her weapon to match her opponent. When Ao smoothly produced the wooden sword, the crowd’s excitement surged even higher.
Ao and the adventurer crossed their blades once, then stepped back to their assigned positions.
“Then, let the first match begin!”
“Hah!”
Swish—clang!
Clang, clang!
“Oh! Right from the start, both fighters clash fiercely at the center of the arena! They’re already trading blows!”
“Waaah!”
The sudden, intense exchange sent the crowd into a frenzy.
But from where I was watching, it felt like both of them were still testing each other, even as their blades met.
Step back.
“Now they’ve created some distance between them!”
They broke off the exchange, Ao and the adventurer backing away from one another. Yet there was a clear difference in their expressions. Ao looked completely at ease, while sweat streamed down the adventurer’s brow. The pressure Ao was exerting was clearly the greater one.
Dash.
“Unable to hold back, Zontark-senshu lunges at Ao!”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
“Whoa! Ao-senshu dodged and dodged it again! Zontark-senshu’s sword can’t even touch her!”
“Woooah!”
Ao easily evaded his strikes, and the adventurer looked visibly flustered. Ao herself wasn’t even moving at full power yet, and it felt like this match was about to be decided.
“Hah… hah… d-damn it. The level difference is insane.”
“Zontark-senshu has pulled back to create some distance. He’s drenched in sweat—will he be okay?”
“That slime… she’s unbelievable.”
“Not only magic, but she can wield a sword too?”
“Ao! Go for it!”
“““Go, Ao!”””
That adventurer had clearly realized the level gap between himself and Ao—he seemed completely out of options.
The crowd was starting to notice it too.
Shiro and the others were still bouncing up and down, cheering for Ao with all their might.
Oh—Ao was putting a little more force into her next move. Was she trying to finish the match?
Swish—clang!
“Ah!”
Whirl—clatter.
“Whoa! Ao-senshu moved in an instant and knocked Zontark-senshu’s sword flying!”
“Incredible! I didn’t even see it!”
“She did the same thing yesterday… that’s not normal slime movement!”
Ao slipped inside the adventurer’s guard and sent his sword flying. He reacted for just a moment, but there was no way he could block her attack. Even the crowd couldn’t follow the speed of Ao’s move.
“Hah… no good. I give up.”
“And with that, Zontark-senshu surrenders. The winner—Ao!”
“Wooo!”
The adventurer had accepted defeat almost immediately.
No matter what he tried, there was no way he could have won against Ao.
Shiro and the others bounced up and down, clearly thrilled at Ao’s victory. Ao and the adventurer shook hands and stepped back, signaling the end of the match.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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