I came to buy a long-range weapon, but I ended up holding brass knuckles.
I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, but I don’t either… I touched the edge of something truly terrifying…!
N-no. I haven’t bought them yet, nothing’s decided yet.
I won’t succumb to my hidden fetish…!!
“Are you done setting up your flags?”
“These aren’t flags!!! And please think calmly, Hako-san, these absolutely don’t suit me!”
Kiraboshi, gripping the steel brass knuckles tightly in both hands, shouts in the Weapon Shop ‘My Shop’.
Fetish. Origin. Certainly, these outrageous knuckles might be what my subconscious desires.
But, I came here to buy equipment for dealing with Monsters.
If I get brass knuckles after the Chainsaw, I’ll end up only doing close-range attacks, and besides.
“I can’t even do martial arts in the first place, I don’t think I can handle it.”
“No problem. What you put into the weapon isn’t weight, but Magical Power. Even without martial arts experience, if your level is high enough, you won’t be at a disadvantage against Monsters. Well, it’s always better to know martial arts, though.”
“Ugh…”
“Besides, Kiraboshi-san, you handled the Chainsaw perfectly fine even without any experience.”
Hako-san continues with a smile, as Kiraboshi loses her escape route.
“By the way, that weapon has a Special Effect too. Though it’s not specifically effective against women.”
“Really? What kind of effect? Like, does it increase my defense? Something that suits me, who studies diligently…”
“Paralyze. It causes what’s commonly known as ‘paralysis’.”
“Eh, amazing! So, I can fight strategically with this—”
“It only works on weaker opponents, though.”
“…Huh?”
Kiraboshi thinks again.
I understand paralysis to resist stronger opponents, but, what’s the point of paralyzing a weak opponent…?
“What’s the point of that? If they’re weak, shouldn’t I just defeat them normally…?”
“Eh. Is there anything else besides paralyzing weaker opponents and thoroughly tormenting them while they’re trembling in fear?”
“Huh?”
“Hmm?”
Hako-san tilts her head at Kiraboshi, who also tilts her head.
…Ah, what’s this?
We’re talking about the same thing, but I feel like there’s a huge discrepancy in our understanding…
Something’s wrong… fundamentally… Kageichi pats Kiraboshi’s shoulder, who has tears welling up in her eyes.
When she turns around, the teacher is wearing a smile more gentle than she’s ever seen.
“Kiraboshi-san, you see. In short, she loves bullying the weak.”
“That’s absolutely not true!!”
“You may say that, but your body is honest, so to speak.”
“Could you please stop with the obscene expressions!?”
No, that’s not it. Kiraboshi wants to fight more coolly and become smart like the teacher.
But, why does it always turn out like this…?
In the first place, a Chainsaw and brass knuckles… aren’t those things that make you wonder about a person’s character, even before being a Hunter…? What about appearances…?
“Kiraboshi-san. Your essence is that of a born Sadist and bully. And you’re the type who wants to settle things directly with your own hands.”
“N-no way…”
“Until now, it seems your parents’ education kept it from surfacing, but at the root is hatred and revenge. That heart is probably reflected in your weapon. Honestly, I was surprised too. To think you had a fetish that disregards fighting Monsters to this extent.”
“…That’s not true… I’m a serious and normal High School Girl…”
Kiraboshi denies weakly, but Hako-san nods in satisfaction.
“No, young lady. You have to accept your fetish. If you force yourself to use a weapon that’s outside your fetish, its power will be halved, and more importantly, it won’t be fun.”
“I agree. And from now on, I’ll mainly teach Kiraboshi-san close-quarters combat. …However, it’s the complete opposite of my safety-first approach, so it’s a difficult task as a master.”
Seeing Kageichi start stroking his chin as if troubled, she realizes now that he’s serious.
…But.
I don’t want to… I really don’t want that…
Maybe there’s a chance it’s a mistake… T-that’s right. Let’s actually try it out.
If I actually hit something, I might realize it’s not for me.
“Hako-san. Can I try hitting the scarecrow? I want to test how it feels.”
“Sure. Ah, in that case, instead of the practice scarecrow, that one might be better.”
Hako-san heads to the back of the attached practice hall and drags out an old, brown scarecrow.
For some reason, there are claw marks and traces of beatings here and there…
Well, it’s a normal scarecrow.
Equipping the brass knuckles, Kiraboshi gets into a boxer-like stance, thinking, “Alright.”
Hitting something isn’t for me, right…? First, she throws a light straight punch at the scarecrow—
Swoosh
The scarecrow leans to the side, dodging the punch.
…???
In front of the surprised Kiraboshi, the ‘へ’ (He) character marked on the scarecrow makes a cackling sound.
“That’s a Taunting Scarecrow, it dodges attacks and laughs.”
“That’s a weird scarecrow… well, whatever.”
Even if it dodges, it’s just a scarecrow. Its feet don’t move, and it can’t run away.
And if it leans to the side, I can aim for the body.
Kiraboshi aims for the stomach and unleashes a body blow like the one she landed on Imoutoya—
With a twist! The scarecrow’s legs bend ninety degrees backward, and her fist cuts through the air.
The scarecrow’s headbutt, returning from the recoil, hits her face directly, and Kiraboshi lets out a scream that she can’t let anyone hear.
“T-th, this guy…!”
“It’s surprisingly good, right? Even Hunter Rank D would struggle a bit.”
Hako-san laughs, and the scarecrow shakes wildly as if to taunt her.
Idiot. Idiot. You idiot. You’re human, and you can’t even land an attack on a scarecrow? You’re slow, slow, a useless blockhead.
At this rate, the humans you want to kill will escape, won’t they? Huh?
“—”
The taunt echoing in her head overlaps with Kamase Imoutoya’s sarcastic smile.
Kiraboshi’s whole body heats up, and she pounces on the scarecrow with momentum.
The prey twists backward again, but Kiraboshi doesn’t punch, she pushes it down—and jumps on the scarecrow.
Mount position.
Straddling it, she grabs the bundle of straw that corresponds to its chest as if strangling it, puts strength into the brass knuckles, swings them down like a hammer, and punches, punches, just keeps punching.
There was no trace of the lovely JK she aspired to be.
While a customer who happened to see it was completely horrified, the scarecrow was quickly beaten to a pulp like a tattered rag.
As a result, the scarecrow was completely crushed.
Kageichi ended up paying for the compensation, but Kageichi himself nodded with a strangely satisfied look.
“Kiraboshi-san. Shouldn’t you give up soon and accept yourself?”
“That’s why I hate this shop! And isn’t this ending the same as last time!!”
Kiraboshi, protesting with a tearful face.
But it’s different. It’s really different this time…
I’ll only use this against Monsters.
I won’t use it to bully people… she swears in her heart, while Kiraboshi neatly stores the brass knuckles deep in her Inventory, Kageichi and Hako-san nod deeply.
“It’s too late.”
“It’s too late.”
“That’s not true!!”