Chapter 63: I’ll Leave the Rest to You~
This sudden, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity further ignited Kazuma’s fighting spirit. He had been enjoying the previous back-and-forth, but the appearance of the veteran warrior caused his fighting spirit to soar even higher.
“Kukuku, hahahaha, HAAHAHAHAHA!!!”
Kazuma began to laugh so boisterously, as if he had gone mad, that Souji and Juzo exchanged glances, wondering what was happening. Of course, the audience watching through the monitors was no exception. They, too, tilted their heads in confusion, wondering why Kazuma had started laughing.
“Ah, my bad. Seems I’ve confused you. I was laughing simply because I found it amusing. I never dreamed a day would come when I could compete in martial prowess with the renowned hero, Juzo Hakari-dono.”
“I see. So that’s what it was. I thought you’d hit your head somewhere.”
“My lord. You shouldn’t let your guard down. I sense an intense fighting aura from that man. He is… a battle maniac. The kind of madman who finds life’s ultimate joy in battle.”
Kazuma couldn’t help but frown at Juzo’s assessment. He was definitely not an eccentric like a battle maniac, but when others said it, he found himself strangely pondering it. When he was fighting, it certainly wasn’t a bad feeling. Thinking about it that way, he started to believe he might actually be a battle maniac.
He wasn’t a battle maniac, but judging from Kazuma’s words and actions, he looked like nothing but one. First, there was his initial grand speech. And then, he laughed joyfully upon seeing Juzo. These two things alone made him look like a pervert who enjoyed fighting.
“Hmm…”
“Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but unfortunately, this is a battlefield. I won’t show any mercy!”
As Kazuma was lost in a sea of thought, Juzo mercilessly tried to crush him with his Gravity Gift. It seemed like a decisive blow, but Kazuma instantly switched his train of thought and escaped Juzo’s ability range.
“Hoh! I knew it from my lord’s memories, but seeing it firsthand, you truly are strong!”
“I’m honored by your praise. However, if this is all the renowned hero Juzo-dono amounts to, then I must say I’m a little disappointed.”
“Kaka! You’ve got some nerve!”
Juzo, laughing merrily, moved as if sliding across the floor. Kazuma was surprised by this sight, but he quickly arrived at the answer.
“I see. So you’re moving with zero gravity!”
“So you’re quick-witted too! You’re becoming more and more troublesome!”
Juzo, who could freely manipulate Gravity, rampaged freely in all directions. Kazuma was tossed about by the Gravity assaulting him from all sides, but he wasn’t struggling. Rather, he was calmly observing Juzo’s fighting style, which he had only known from records.
“(This brat! He’s not just running around. He’s analyzing my fighting style with eyes like a hawk! If this drags on, I’ll be at a disadvantage! A quick, decisive battle is my only option!)”
“(He noticed, huh? It’s not showing on his face, but his speed has increased slightly. He’s probably switched to a quick, decisive battle.)”
Kazuma, noticing the change in Juzo, slipped through his ability range and stepped into his striking distance, but there was one more enemy.
It was Souji. He used Teleportation to appear behind Kazuma and unleashed flames. Kazuma, instantly twisting his body to dodge the flames, used the momentum of his rotation to swing his katana.
As Souji instantly dodged with Teleportation, Juzo took his place, closing in on Kazuma, and attempted to crush him with Gravity.
“(No magic, Body Enhancement at five times, weapons are only a katana and swords! And it’s two against one! Man, this is a pretty tough situation. But, it’s not bad! I can do this!)”
With his body suddenly growing heavy, Kazuma pushed his Powered Suit to its limits and broke free from Juzo’s ability range.
Souji, who had been aiming for that moment, fired a barrage of flame bullets. Kazuma dodged the flames, which were shot like bullets, with minimal movement, and with the least amount of force, swung his katana to deflect them.
“Magnificent…!”
“Is this the time to be praising him?!”
“But, my lord. One rarely witnesses such skill!”
“I know that! More importantly, focus!”
Souji scolded Juzo, who, despite being an enemy, couldn’t help but praise Kazuma’s superb skill. Towards the two who couldn’t let their guard down for a moment, Kazuma drew two swords from his back and threw them with all his might.
Souji stopped them with Telekinesis, and Juzo shot them down with Gravity. Kazuma had set his sights on Juzo.
Kazuma had already memorized the time lag before Juzo’s ability activated from their previous exchange. It was only a very short time, but for Kazuma, it was more than enough time.
“Juzo-!”
“Nnngh! So you targeted me first!”
Towards Souji, who shouted Juzo’s name, Kazuma threw shuriken and kunai from his breast pocket as a diversion and closed in on his target, Juzo.
Kazuma, having approached within katana range, took a step forward, drew his katana with a motion like sinking and then springing up, and slashed upwards at Juzo.
“Hmph, a mere trifle like this…!!!”
Juzo, who instantly made Kazuma’s katana heavier with Gravity, slightly slowing its speed, leaped backward and dodged the slash.
Just as Juzo was about to take a breath and compose himself, Kazuma closed in with another step and struck Juzo with his scabbard. At this unexpected speed, Juzo’s eyes widened, and he used his arm as a shield to block the scabbard.
“Guuh!!!”
“Be blown away.”
Kazuma then spun on his pivot foot like a top, unleashed a spinning back kick, and sent Juzo flying into a pile of rubble.
Gravity couldn’t do anything about this. It seemed Juzo would crash into the pile of rubble, and the impact would inevitably cause serious injury, but Souji teleported to Juzo’s side, saving him in the nick of time.
“So Teleportation can work on others too, just by touching them…”
Kazuma glanced sideways at the spot where the two had reappeared.
Rather than from consecutive Teleportations, Souji was out of breath, having taken damage from the impact of catching the flying Juzo.
“Hah, haah! That was close!”
“Forgive me, my lord. I caused you trouble!”
“Don’t worry about it. …is what I’d like to say, but that’s probably impossible.”
“Forgive me…”
Souji was at a loss as to what to say to the troubled Juzo. From Juzo’s perspective, he had been summoned with high expectations, yet this was his sorry state. It was no wonder he was falling into negative thoughts.
Perhaps due to the three’s fierce battle, the building’s collapse accelerated, and rubble came crashing down with a rumble. It would be best to escape now. Besides, the timing was perfect.
They were getting a bit mentally and physically exhausted. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to retreat and recover for now. Thinking this, Souji gave Juzo an order.
“Juzo. We’ll escape outside using my Teleportation.”
“Understood.”
“Glad you understand quickly. It helps. After we get outside the building, we’ll use my Telekinesis and your Gravity to bring the building down at once!”
Kazuma, who had predicted their next move, dashed forward, determined not to let them escape, but as expected, he couldn’t beat Teleportation, and they got away.
If this were a movie, the scene would cut with Kazuma standing alone amidst the crumbling building, but this was a Virtual Space, and the scene could be viewed from any angle.
The two who had escaped outside the building used Telekinesis and Gravity with all their might to demolish it.
Many in the audience watched with disappointment, thinking Kazuma would be helpless and crushed by the falling rubble.
After he had hyped things up so much, it was an anticlimactic end. It was only natural for the audience to be disheartened.
“Aah, it was getting so exciting, and now it ends like this~”
“Well, it can’t be helped. If anything, he did pretty well.”
“Yeah~. That cosplay kid was strong, but as expected, he can’t beat Kenzaki.”
“He was doing so well, too. What a shame~”
Thus, most of the audience predicted Kazuma’s elimination.
However, what on earth had they been watching?
Those who truly understood the pervert known as Kazuma were, on the contrary, excited.
They were eagerly anticipating how he would escape this predicament.
Kazuma, standing alone amidst the collapsing building, twisted his lips into a crescent moon-like smile and drew the two katanas from his waist.
Kazuma, switching to a dual-wielding style, kicked off the crumbling floor. He used the falling debris as footholds, like in a game, and nimbly leaped his way up.
At the unbelievable sight, the audience once again showed dumbfounded expressions. It was no wonder, as they were witnessing a scene that seemed to come straight out of a fantasy.
The crumbling building. Inside, where rubble rained down with a clatter, Kazuma used the debris as footholds, aiming for the top.
A large piece of rubble fell towards his head. Kazuma swung his katanas, slicing it in two, then used that very rubble as a foothold and continued to ascend even higher.
It felt like an eternity. The collapsing building was the tallest in the ruined area. Consequently, the amount of rubble was also immense, and countless pieces of debris rained down towards Kazuma.
However, he, without faltering, aimed upwards, slicing through the falling debris, turning it into footholds as he ascended. No, to be precise, it wasn’t that he was aiming for the top.
He was merely climbing upwards to avoid being buried under the mountain of rubble. The building, having lost its form, was pulled down by gravity. Of course, Kazuma was no exception to this.
That was precisely why, to defy this law of nature, he aimed upwards. Because that was his method of survival.
Souji and Juzo, completely unaware of Kazuma’s condition inside, simply stared up at the collapsing building.
No message appeared in the sky announcing that Souji had defeated Kazuma. This meant Kazuma was still alive.
“Juzo. It’s unbelievable, but Kazuma is alive. We’ll strike him down the moment he emerges.”
“Understood. I shall deliver my most powerful blow.”
The time came. The completely collapsing building kicked up a cloud of dust.
From within it, a single shadow leaped out. Needless to say, that shadow was Kazuma.
Souji and Juzo, convinced the leaping shadow was Kazuma, prepared to unleash Telekinesis, flames, and Gravity, but before they could, Kazuma had already thrown a sword at them.
Souji, clicking his tongue at how Kazuma had accurately pinpointed their location from within that dust cloud, dodged the sword along with Juzo.
In that opening, Kazuma wrapped his Grappling Hook around a nearby streetlight and landed gracefully.
“Phew… That was a bit of a bone-breaking task.”
Kazuma cracked his neck. His expression was remarkably cheerful.
He showed no signs of fatigue. His words were likely a lie. Or rather, nothing but lies.
“Ten Thousandfold Gravity!!!”
It was Juzo who leaped out. He crushed the area where Kazuma stood, a radius of about one hundred meters, with ten thousand times normal gravity.
A gaping hole appeared, and everything was crushed, but Kazuma wasn’t there. He had, as expected, escaped Juzo’s ability range.
“I’m here too!”
What entered Kazuma’s vision was Souji, levitating rubble. He was likely planning to hurl the rubble at him using Telekinesis.
“This time, you’ll die for sure!”
Souji simultaneously launched all the rubble he had been levitating with Telekinesis towards Kazuma. Rubble flying in a straight line was no big deal for Kazuma, but this was a two-on-one fight.
Unable to simply parry the debris with his sword, Kazuma dodged the incoming rubble while remaining wary of Juzo.
“(Nngh… Dodging my master’s attacks while still remaining vigilant against me, huh? This is truly a troublesome opponent. I don’t feel like I can win against him alone.)”
A moment of thought. A slight lapse. Less than a tenth of a second. Juzo, due to his numerical advantage, had let his guard down ever so slightly. Kazuma, who never missed such an instant, thrust his hand into his breast pocket and threw all his remaining shuriken and kunai at Juzo.
Of course, Juzo used Gravity to swat down the incoming shuriken and kunai. Naturally, he was defenseless during the time it took to activate his next ability. Kazuma didn’t throw his third sword; he kicked it.
“Satsuki-ryu Secret Art! Shuutotsu!!!”
The sword Kazuma kicked, having instantly come up with a plausible-sounding technique name, pierced Juzo’s throat. He had realized that Kazuma was aiming for that fleeting opening before he could activate his ability, but due to the slight lapse in concentration caused by the two-on-one numerical advantage, he was defeated.
“Magnificent…”
“I quite enjoyed that, Hero Juzo Hakari.”
“Kaka…”
Juzo, summoned by Starry Sky Memory, vanished into particles of light. In his final moments, he smiled, pleased that his grandchildren’s generation was growing up splendidly.
The numerical advantage was gone. There was no longer any chance of victory. It seemed the match was decided, but Souji, who refused to give up more than anyone, gripped a sword he had picked up and charged towards Kazuma, whom he assumed was basking in the afterglow of victory.
This was his only chance. He would bet everything on this single moment while Kazuma was watching Juzo disappear. Souji pushed off powerfully, levitated his own body with Telekinesis, and accelerated by blasting flames from his feet. Flying like a missile, Souji thrust his sword.
It wasn’t a bad move. A direct hit would surely defeat Kazuma.
However, Souji had misjudged. Kazuma wasn’t basking in any afterglow of victory. With an enemy still left to defeat, there was no way he would show an opening.
Souji had lost his composure due to Juzo’s defeat. Therefore, he fell for the trap Kazuma had set.
Souji was completely fooled by Kazuma, who had deliberately feigned carelessness, and launched a reckless suicide charge.
“Sorry, but that’s my weapon.”
“Ah…”
With Transposition, Kazuma snatched the sword from Souji and spun around. Then, before activating Teleportation, he delivered a god-speed slash, splendidly striking down Kenzaki Souji, the strongest student.
This was the moment, the very instant she had been waiting for.
“(Souji. You were right. Satsuki Kazuma is no ordinary person. He’s an exceptional powerhouse, on par with the King, the Overlord, and the Sun King. To defeat him, I can’t afford to hold anything back. I’ll unleash a strike with my entire being, with all my might, at full power!!!)”
The lone huntress sacrificed the bait known as the strongest student and loosed the swiftest, most powerful arrow to shoot down the pervert, Kazuma.
“Tch…! I failed to dodge it completely!”
Kazuma dodged the arrow that suddenly flew at him, but as expected, he didn’t escape unscathed.
The arrow, aimed at his heart, had torn off Kazuma’s left arm.
He didn’t receive a death judgment, but it was a painful price to pay.
Aoi, who had been holding her breath and hiding in the ruined area according to Souji’s instructions, was shaken that her all-out arrow had been dodged.
Her Gift was Sniping. This Gift, unusually, could materialize weapons. What Aoi held in her hands was a bow and arrow.
Furthermore, it was an excellent one that also enhanced her vision upon activation.
Her skill, honed in the archery club, was superb, but it was just a little short of defeating Kazuma. All the more so because her aim and timing had been good.
“N-No way! I definitely shot aiming for the exact moment he finished off Souji!? To dodge that, what kind of kinetic vision and reflexes does he have!”
Aoi, cursing, considered attacking again, but Souji had ordered her to retreat if she failed, so she quickly left the area.
Kazuma predicted the enemy’s position from the arrow’s trajectory, but figuring they were already gone, he collected his weapon, hid in a suitable private house in the ruined area, and took a breather.
“Phew… It’s not a fatal wound, but in reality, this would be death from hemorrhagic shock, wouldn’t it?”
Looking at his obliterated arm, Kazuma let out a deep sigh.
“Well, the senpais will handle the rest, I guess. I’ll take a little break.”
Without letting down his guard, Kazuma began to rest. He closed his eyes, believing that Hayato and the others would manage what came next.