Great O’Browns ⑤
Ens-san is on a higher level. There’s no doubt about that.
He can probably fight on par with Alveld, or even better.
But Ax-san faced him bravely and fought well.
No, he showed us something even more impressive.
It was a wonderful fight.
Before I knew it, I was on my feet, clapping.
Ruriha-san and Mineha-san, while sitting on my shoulders, were also clapping.
Celeste-san and Emi-san were clapping too.
The other Tier I Seekers too, ah, um, Narcissus-san was there…? She was crying.
Er, maybe I shouldn’t have seen that. She was crying while clapping.
She looked moved.
Could it be that she’s not such a bad person after all?
Evening.
A gentle, cool breeze was blowing softly.
I was strolling through the town alone, basking in the lingering heat of the Exhibition Match.
All sorts of stalls lined the streets from one end to the other, left and right.
Various voices echoed.
“Mommy! Buy that for me!”
“Geez, I already bought you that other thing.”
“Today’s match was amazing, wasn’t it?”
“Maybe I should aim higher as a Seeker.”
“Are Ax and Ens brothers? They looked alike, didn’t they?”
“Hmm. That Ens. He looked just like the young man who saved me twenty years ago.”
“Ah, I’m starving. Is Cidre Tavern crowded again?”
“Should we go to Goro’s place?”
“That diner’s crowded too.”
“Ah, seriously?”
“Hyaaah! Single Stroke Demon Slayer!”
“Not bad! Something-Fang!”
“Hey, don’t roughhouse!”
“Cheap! Cheap! Get your Hydrangea specialty, Hero Yaki!”
“Skewers! Skewers! Hero Meat Skewers!”
“You can only get it here! Hero-Brand Han-yaki! Han-yaki—sweet and delicious Han-yaki! Han-yaki!”
“A fateful~ confrontation~ that is their~ destiny~♪”
Hydrangea was boiling, frenzied. The white-hot excitement continued endlessly.
This was the first time I’d seen Hydrangea like this.
Perhaps that’s why the lingering heat continued in my heart like a slight fever.
It was a pleasant feeling. I passed through the fountain plaza.
The fountain plaza had turned into a festival of street performances.
Various street performers were showcasing their acts.
Juggling with knives. Ring toss. Ball-walking. Musical performances. Dancing. All of them were splendid.
“Oooh!”
“Beautiful…”
“What a beauty…”
“What a dance!”
What’s that? There’s a crowd over there.
I got a little curious and went to see.
In the center of the onlookers, a lone girl was dancing in a clear, open space.
She wore a pale leotard-like dancer’s outfit, draped with a thin, hagoromo-like cloth.
She was a beautiful girl with long, flowing two-toned blue and green hair.
Her eyes were also odd-eyed, blue and green. With an adorable smile, she danced fiercely and magnificently.
“…The ‘Waterwind Dancer’?”
That’s right. I met her at the Cidre Tavern and saw her at the meeting.
She’s the Tier I Seeker, Rolif-san, the ‘Waterwind Dancer’.
A tall knight in full armor was also there, away from the crowd of onlookers.
It’s her Tsukaeshi. The atmosphere around him is heavy.
She executed a high-speed turn, pivoting on one leg.
When she finished dancing, along with applause, money offerings were thrown.
Rolif-san jumped up and down, responding with a smile.
I saw something nice.
I also threw a small offering.
Still, it was a bit surprising and unexpected to see a Tier I Seeker performing street acts.
Well then, shall I head to the stalls on the main street?
I’m starting to feel just the right amount of hungry.
The main street from the plaza is unbelievably crowded, so I’ll take the side streets and back alleys.
It’s a shortcut only a local would know. There’s hardly anyone around.
“Alright, first off…”
I’ll eat something unusual at a stall.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?! Let go of me!”
Again? I sighed. Ahead on the narrow path.
A woman was about to be dragged into a nearby back alley by some men.
There were six men. Dressed like Seekers. They looked shady. Same as always.
The woman was wrapped in a robe, her hood pulled up.
A well-built man had grabbed her arm and was forcefully pulling her.
Her resistance was futile; she was dragged into the back alley. I followed.
“Uwaaaahhh!”
Just as I reached the back alley, I suddenly heard not the woman’s, but a man’s scream.
“Gyaaaaaaaahhh! My arm! My aaaaaarm!”
“Wh-what are you?!”
“Don’t come any closer! Don’t come!”
Wh-what’s going on? Something’s clearly wrong.
Peeking into the back alley, there was… ugh, what is this?
There was a man who had lost an arm, another who had lost a leg while trying to flee, and corpses.
And then, the woman with her hood pulled low over her eyes looked at me.
“Wof. Don’t tell me, you’re behind this?!”
“Eh?”
“This is your revenge, isn’t it!”
“Huh? Revenge for what?”
“I knew it, you utter scumbag!”
She suddenly lunged at me. In her hand was a translucent, square… no way.
“【Vanish】!”
“Uoh, 【Vanish】?”
I instantly countered with my translucent, round sphere of 【Vanish】.
At that moment, her hood fell off. Her purple hair and eyes were clearly visible.
“Narcissus-san!?”
‘Generous’ Reappearance’… then of course she can use 【Vanish】.
Still, hers is square, huh? No, that’s not it. She’s misunderstanding something.
“Die! Die! Womanizer! Playboy! Party animal!”
“N-No, you’re wrong!”
“Enemy of women!”
“Uwah, wait, let’s talk!”
My round 【Vanish】 and her square 【Vanish】 clashed.
The two different 【Vanishes】 impacted and distorted the space.
Kgh, it’s hard to fight since we’re both using 【Vanish】.
Narcissus-san stopped. Did she finally understand the misunderstanding?
“As I thought, I cannot acknowledge you.”
“!”
The translucent, square 【Vanish】 in Narcissus-san’s hand elongated.
It became like a rod, and her movements changed. She rapidly closed in and swung it down.
Not good! I blocked it with my 【Vanish】.
Narcissus-san skillfully maneuvered her arm and hand, wielding the 【Vanish】 rod.
I blocked and deflected several blows with my 【Vanish】, managing to create some distance.
“Hah… hah… hah…”
I steadied my agitated breathing.
This is bad, really bad. If that thing even grazed me…!
I can’t believe 【Vanish】 can transform like that.
Narcissus-san clicked her tongue.
“Tch, you can see it, so you can dodge it, huh? But…”
The shape of the 【Vanish】 rod changed. The tip extended and curved, becoming like a scythe.
A shiver ran down my spine. I shuddered instantly.
“How about this?”
“…Wha-“
This is—I’m going to be killed. I had a gut feeling and activated 【Deep Silent One】.
Narcissus-san’s footwork was nimble, she’s fast… She’s entered my range!
“Daaeeiii! Slash!”
She swung the 【Vanish】 scythe horizontally.
I coolly gauged the timing of her sweep, targeted, aimed, and released.
“【Vanish】.”
“!”
I sent her 【Vanish】 scythe flying.
Narcissus-san jumped back in surprise.
“That just now… those glowing blue eyes…”
She held her 【Vanish】 scythe downwards, on guard.
Her purple eyes sharply reflected me.
“Narcissus-san. It’s a misunderstanding. I have nothing to do with these guys.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I happened to see someone being dragged away and came to help. I have no connection with them. Please believe me.”
The men were all dead. The cause of death was likely excessive bleeding.
It was retribution for touching something they shouldn’t have, so I felt no sympathy.
That aside, why is there such a misunderstanding?
Narcissus-san looked troubled for a moment, then eventually nodded.
“…That makes sense, I suppose.”
“Phew, you understand now?”
“Thinking about it, I hate to admit it, but you lot weren’t the type to be brought down by scum who use tactics like this.”
“Brought down?”
I don’t quite get it, but it seems she’s convinced.
Narcissus-san made her 【Vanish】 scythe disappear.
“Ah, if you can use 【Vanish】,”
“?”
“could you help me clean up these guys?”
“?”
She tilted her head.