◆ Avangarde Royal Capital, Uzei Religion Temple, Dojo ◆
The square hall had a floor made of neatly aligned thin boards, spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people fighting without feeling cramped. The floor was polished to a shine, making me think about how much effort it must take to keep it that way. I figured the serious-looking Smooth Ones sitting in a row over there probably didn’t mind the hard work, though.
Facing them were the five of us. Surrounding us were more Smooth Ones and townsfolk from Avangarde Castle Town, along with several Adventurers, including Seigel and Gantetsu. I hadn’t intended for Kurinka to take this so seriously, but since Ryoho gathered everyone, it turned into this situation.
What was about to unfold was a clash between the Tenryu-ken of the Uzei Religion and those raised in Avangarde. I never imagined Kurinka would propose bringing the fight to this level. For these people, the Tenryu-ken was essentially the culmination of their training. If we could clash with their results, perhaps they would realize the flaws in their reckless training and lifestyle. But simply winning wouldn’t be enough; Kurinka mentioned that there was a different approach rather than just overpowering them.
“Thank you for attending our Uzei Religion event today. While calling this a match may seem crude, what we are about to demonstrate is the natural embodiment of the Uzei Religion. Training is long and arduous, but the teachings are correct. I believe some of you may not yet understand the teachings of the Uzei Religion. It is our hope that you will come to know them through this demonstration.”
His speech was incredibly polite and monotone, yet it conveyed an unwavering confidence that they could not possibly lose. The way he referred to it as a demonstration rather than a match felt like a subtle mockery of us.
“Tenryu-ken, huh? When you think of Negesta, you think of Fist Saint Baran.”
“I hear he has over a thousand disciples, and only those truly worthy can even hope to join.”
“Baran’s martial arts are different from the Tenryu-ken. It’s a pity he is not a follower of the Uzei Religion.”
Two members of the audience gasped in surprise. I wasn’t the only one who thought that; most people seemed to share the same sentiment. I had seen Baran fight once, and indeed, it was not the Tenryu-ken. He had been slaying monsters, which was against the teachings of the Uzei Religion.
“Now, let me introduce the five participants in today’s demonstration. First, we have Rua, known as the Flash Strike Girl, and her partner Kurinka. Next, we have Ord, who is active as an Adventurer, Ritta from the Avangarde Brigade, and Ord’s younger brother, Kou.”
That was the first reason; it wouldn’t mean anything if only we won. Kurinka suggested that we needed people raised in Avangarde Castle Town to appeal to them. It was only natural for us, the ones who proposed this, to participate, but I hoped the two who had grown up in Avangarde would do their best.
I thought there was no way those two would accept such a reckless proposal, but Ritta seemed genuinely excited. She thanked me for calling on her and felt recognized, which was impressive. She was about my age, but she seemed to command a certain respect. Ord initially acted coy, pretending to deliberate, but after some encouragement from Kou and Bun, he easily agreed to join. I understood why he wouldn’t feel bad about being told to show the difference in their abilities.
“Hey, Rua. Do you really think we can pull this off with just a week of training?”
“I don’t know; it might depend on Ord’s natural talent.”
“Normally, I’d be annoyed by your condescending tone, but I can’t get mad at you…”
“B-Brother… I’m getting nervous…”
“You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine… They look pretty scrawny, so we got this…”
Bun, with his short black hair tied back, looked worried as he clung to Kou’s side. Kou, a year older and sporting a buzz cut, was lively as expected. But in this situation, they had no choice but to stay quiet. It seemed they had both become Adventurers out of admiration for Ord, but I wondered if they were managing alright.
“Rua, don’t worry about me.”
“Ritta, you understand the plan, right?”
“Yes! I will absolutely execute Rua’s perfect plan!”
“Haah…”
I could see that my companions, Irene and Shuri, were exasperated. I felt a bit overwhelmed by the praise and didn’t know how to respond.
“Now, let’s get started. Vanguard, step forward!”
Just as Bun said, the five over there, including Ryoho, were all skinny. Their ribs were visible, and they didn’t look fit for a fight at all. They were on a meager diet and even practiced fasting, which explained their condition. That was precisely what I was aiming for.
“Here I go!”
Kou insisted on being the vanguard, so I let him take the lead. He seemed to be pushing himself a bit too hard. I secretly measured his level with my Detect Ring, and it was only four. In Adventurer terms, that’s D-rank, and he was just starting out. The only monster he could handle would be a Cave Rabbit.
He didn’t seem suited for battle at all. Yet, he was stubborn; even Ord couldn’t convince him to back down.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Chinku, and I’ll be your opponent.”
“Ch-Chin… Pfft!”
The opponent’s vanguard was a Smooth One. Well, they were all Smooth Ones, but I didn’t know why Kou was about to laugh. It was dangerous to provoke him. Look, he’s already twitching his eyebrows at having his name mocked. Just when I thought he might hold back because he was a kid.
“Chinku is one of the top young practitioners. In contrast, Bun is still just a child… Many might think this won’t even qualify as a demonstration. But fear not… Now, let’s begin!”
“Bwah!”
It didn’t even qualify as a match, let alone a demonstration. The moment it started, Chinku lightly knocked Kou down as if he were just flicking him. After a graceful bow, he returned to his seat.
“Hey, are you okay?!”
“B-Brother… that hurt…”
“Damn it, I told you…”
I couldn’t help but feel responsible for this. It wasn’t just reckless; if it had been a real fight against a monster, he would have been dead by now. I couldn’t believe he had made it this far unscathed.
“Winner: Chinku!”
“Wait, that’s it?”
“That’s all? Well, the opponent is just a kid…”
Despite the murmurs, Ryoho calmly shook his head.
“Everyone, this is one of the secrets of the Tenryu-ken. The way you use your strength can lead to grave mistakes. Especially when it comes to adults and children; one wrong move could result in irreparable injuries. However, with a practitioner like Chinku, that won’t happen.”
“I see… that makes sense.”
“If it were me, I might have ended up seriously injuring him.”
No, no, don’t agree with that. Some people in the audience were already starting to show interest in the Uzei Religion, and the Tenryu-ken was indeed fearsome. Unlike my fights, this was straightforward, which played right into Ryoho’s hands.
“Brother, how can I get stronger…?”
“Well, that’s… you’re still a kid, after all…”
“Even kids don’t get any mercy in this world! If you weren’t here, I’d be…”
After a painful exchange, Ord fell silent. Ryoho observed for a moment without saying anything before urging the next match. The next vanguard was Ritta against another Smooth One. They were hard to tell apart. Why were they all Smooth Ones, anyway?
“Next vanguard, step forward!”
“Yes!”
“Alright!”
Compared to the previous opponent, this one was a bit taller and had a rougher demeanor.
“Your opponent is Ikan. Quite cute, aren’t you, for a soldier?”
“L-Looks don’t matter!”
“Ikan.”
Ryoho’s quiet anger made Ikan shrink back, forcing him to face Ritta properly. He seemed different from the previous opponent; he looked cluttered with distractions.
“Begin!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you!”
As soon as the match started, Ikan charged in, his nimble fingers targeting Ritta. She swung her long red hair wildly, deftly dodging his attacks. He struck from every angle, but not once did he graze her.
“Ugh…”
Ryoho watched the match with a look of disbelief. Ritta was performing better than expected. Of course, she wouldn’t easily lose; she had trained rigorously under Kirkton. Her body was built with extraordinary stamina and strength, unlike those who had restricted their diets to the point of emaciation.
“Damn it! Why?! This, this, this! Hah… hah…”
At first, Ikan was full of confidence, but gradually, his complexion began to change. His breathing became erratic, and just when I thought it was about time, Ritta’s fist landed squarely in Ikan’s gut. He let out a sound as if he had been crushed, and then he crumpled to the ground. It all happened in an instant.
“The winner… Ritta-san!”
“Thank you very much!”
Ritta simply bowed in gratitude and returned without saying anything. She winked at me as a signal, and I responded in kind. Yeah, it was almost too predictable, to the point of being anticlimactic. It hadn’t even been two minutes since the fight started, and Ikan was already out of breath. Yes, one of the weaknesses of Tenryu-ken is this.
“Ikan, can you stand?”
“Y-yes… I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize. You have only just begun your training; you can improve from here.”
As I thought, he was weaker than that person named Chinku from earlier. If only he had gone first, but no, the outcome would have been the same. I glanced at Kou, who was looking down beside Ord. He was far too small to fight.
“Now, having seen Ikan’s battle, some of you may have noticed something. Yes, when you are caught up in distractions, your movements become wasteful. Just because your opponent is a beautiful girl doesn’t mean you should lose focus.”
Ryoho managed to get everyone to laugh, but it was rather cruel. It was far too disrespectful to Ikan, who had fought with all his might. He had mentioned something about a demonstration, and it seemed he would say anything to spread the Uzei Religion. Moreover, Ord, who already had his own thoughts about Kou, seemed even more fired up after hearing that remark.
“Get on with it. Which bald guy is my opponent? You? Oh, sorry. You’re the one who flicked a kid’s forehead earlier. My bad, I couldn’t tell you apart.”
How rude! Chinku clearly voiced his thoughts. I understood the urge to be angry, but Chinku had been careful not to go too far, and above all, this was a match. Besides, Kou had wanted this.
“This is a demonstration, Ord. Isn’t your rudeness a bit excessive?”
“You were about to say ‘match,’ weren’t you?”
“You’re the middleman, right? Then let’s begin. Oud!”
“Yes!”
Ord and Oud—both have the same name. Oud was the tallest and seemed the strongest among the five. I wondered if Ord could handle him.
“Ritta-chan, watch me shine!”
“Sure.”
What a weak reply. Even I could sense Ritta’s indifferent attitude.
“Oud, huh? We have the same name.”
“I will never lose to someone as shallow as you. I will make you regret insulting Chinku in front of so many people.”
“Shut up! You guys are using Kou’s loss to promote your religion! That’s far more disrespectful! I’ll smash you!”
He seemed too heated and was likely forgetting the strategy I had suggested. But I thought Ord might be fine; I had learned over the past week that he wasn’t the type to move as quickly as Ritta. In that case, all I could do was hope he could hold on.
“Oud, anger disrupts your natural state. Calm down.”
“Yes, I apologize…”
“Then let’s begin!”
As expected, Ord was hit all over by Oud’s fingers, which were launched like spears. He seemed to be quite skilled, with a sharper technique than Chinku from earlier. Watching Ord fall helplessly, Oud closed his eyes and bowed.
“Thank you for—”
“That didn’t hurt at all…”
Just before Oud declared victory, Ord stood up, swaying unsteadily. I felt a glimmer of hope in Kou and Bun’s eyes as they watched with bated breath. They made small victory poses, believing in Ord’s triumph. Oud looked more surprised than I expected, astonished by Ord’s ability to stand despite the pain.
“W-why? I wasn’t underestimating you; I should have struck the pressure points to paralyze your movements…”
“Huh? I don’t know anything about that. Now, it’s my turn!”
This battle was barehanded, and of course, Ord’s weapon of choice was a spear, so he had little experience fighting without it. But during this past week of training, he hadn’t practiced barehanded combat at all. What I had him focus on was simply enduring. He needed to concentrate all his senses on deflecting the blows just before they landed. That was all I had him do.
To be honest, it was impossible for him to win against Ryoho or Oud in just one week. Instead, I decided to specialize in one area and master it. After all, this fight was something Ryoho had graciously agreed to. Moreover, since he had called it a demonstration, I thought the aim was to further spread Tenryu-ken and the Uzei Religion through this battle. If that was the case, then I should shatter that plan.
“Ugh! Just give up already! Otherwise, your life is in danger!”
“Not… even… a little… effective?”
“Y-you stubborn fool! Hah… hah…”
At this point, everything was going according to Kurinka’s plan. Even with his prized Tenryu-ken, his opponent still stood, and he was the one gasping for breath. I wondered if anyone would still think the Uzei Religion or Tenryu-ken was wonderful in this situation. Ord, who had been boasting about Tenryu-ken, was now unable to defeat Oud and had lost to Ritta. What could he possibly brag about now?
“Take this! What’s wrong? Are you just going to keep running away?”
“Hah… hah… there’s no way such wide swings could hit me…”
“Oops, watch your feet!”
“Whoa!”
Ord had been throwing wild punches, but this was his plan all along. He waited for his opponent to tire and lose focus before launching this surprise attack. As a result, the audience heard the absurdly comical voice of a serious Uzei follower, which they would normally never hear. Oud fell on his backside, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.
“W-what was that?!”
“Whoa! I can’t believe it!”
“Ugh…! How cowardly!”
Oud glared at Ord, but there was nothing cowardly about it. His face flushed red from being made a fool of, Oud rubbed his backside and staggered to his feet. However, it seemed he had completely lost his rhythm, and the sharpness of his techniques had diminished. Eventually, he reached his physical limit and conceded, ending the match.
“The winner, Ord-san…”
“Hm? I can’t hear you. Say it louder.”
“The winner! Ord-san!”
“Very well.”
It wouldn’t have been surprising if Ryoho’s face showed that this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. He had been eloquently discussing the Uzei Religion throughout the match, but now he was completely subdued.
“Ryoho-san, I apologize… hah… hah…”
“…It’s proof of your insufficient training. Rest over there.”
“Yes…”
“Next! Vice Captain! Hyonhaku!”
“Good grief, what a bunch of useless people. At this rate, the Uzei Religion and Tenryu-ken might be misunderstood. I shall reclaim our honor.”
The smaller, smooth one stood up. At first glance, he seemed weak, but he was probably far stronger than the last three. If he faced off against him, even Ritta would lose, weapon or not. I felt the overwhelming aura of Hyonhaku, making me realize just how fortunate we were to have avoided him until now. It seemed to reach Oud, who had been so proud just moments ago, and he quietly swallowed hard.
“R-Rua-san… that person is incredibly strong… He might even be equivalent to an Adventurer Rank A…”
“Don’t worry, after all, our vice captain is the one I trust the most.”
“Vice Captain! Kurinka! Here I go! Ei ei oh!”
It seemed she had picked up a strange rhythm, raising one arm and getting hyped up all by herself. It was more than a little embarrassing, and I wished she would stop. Why was she looking at me like that, as if to say, “I did it!”? I hadn’t done anything; she was the one making a scene. Look, everyone’s eyes are wide in disbelief.
“Ahem. Is everyone ready?”
“Yes! Anytime!”
“Hehe, you must be feeling quite good after all those easy victories. However, I, Hyonhaku, who is whispered to be the next master, will show you the true Tenryu-ken.”
Of course, Kurinka wasn’t holding a staff. Hyonhaku must have been thinking the same thing about her being the vice captain. I couldn’t blame him for that. Yeah.
“Begin!”
“Tenryu-ken Secret Technique… Nagi.”
It felt as if Hyonhaku had vanished from sight. It was as if he had merged with the air, embodying a state of naturalness. His technique brought a gentle breeze into the room, creating an atmosphere that felt like a soft wind was blowing. In front of Kurinka, who tilted her head in confusion, Hyonhaku stood still, as if he had released all the tension from his body.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Senpou: Chinku
Jihou: Ikan
Chuuken: Oud
Fukushou: Hyonhaku
No, no, what good is writing this down?
Kurinka proposed this match to demonstrate that Tenryu-ken is not perfect.
Well, it ended up like this.
In the end, what matters is strength.
Strength is everything.
This is what Shin has taught me through countless experiences.
What a one-sided perspective.
This is just like Rua.
“Hmm… I really don’t want to become like Rua. I’d turn into nothing but muscle, right down to my brain.”
“Let’s just call it ‘muscle brain.'”