Chapter 73: So That’s What It’s Like, Huh…
“Ngh…? Huh! Satsuki, Tsubaki!”
“Yo. You awake?”
Issei, who had been laid to rest by the wall, woke up and shot to his feet, his eyes meeting Kazuma’s, who was sitting right next to him.
Looking at Kazuma’s face, Issei noticed something strange.
His right cheek was red and swollen. As if he’d been punched by someone.
“Ah, um, what exactly happened to me?”
“Hm? Oh, the moment the spar began, I took you out instantly. Then, while you were unconscious, I had a light bout with Tsubaki Hinomori.”
“Wh-Whaaat?! Wh-What in the world does that mean?!”
“It’s just as I said, though?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it. If I fainted, Tsubaki should have disappeared too. So why could she fight with you, Satsuki?”
“Oh, that. I think your Gift probably grew. Tsubaki Hinomori didn’t disappear for a good two or three minutes after you passed out.”
“I-Is that so? I’m happy, but…”
Issei was genuinely happy that his Gift had grown, yet he looked somewhat dissatisfied. Kazuma tilted his head.
Since his Gift had grown, he should be more pleased.
As Kazuma was thinking this, Issei, who had been looking down, raised his head.
“Why did you fight Tsubaki while I was unconscious! I wanted to see you two fight!”
“Ah, well, I didn’t really intend to fight, you know. It’s just that she didn’t disappear even when you fainted, so it was like, to kill time.”
“It must have been amazing…”
Though he couldn’t witness it himself, Issei imagined that the battle between Tsubaki, a hero of the past, and Kazuma, one of the strongest in the present day, must have been fierce.
He deeply regretted not being able to see it with his own eyes, but his shoulders slumped as he blamed his own weakness for fainting.
“Ah, so, did Tsubaki do that to your face?”
Issei, who had been curious about the red swelling on Kazuma’s right cheek, asked if Tsubaki had done it.
“Yeah. I took a good one. It really hammered home that I’ve still got a long way to go.”
“Is that so… Even someone as strong as you, Satsuki, can’t beat Tsubaki?”
“Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t lose, you know? If anything, I was winning.”
“Eh? Is that true? But, your face?”
“I just got punched, plain and simple. Of course, I hit her back twice as much.”
“Eh, ehhh…”
Learning that even Tsubaki couldn’t defeat Kazuma, Issei was truly astounded, thinking, “Just how strong is this guy?”
“Well, you’ll see if you summon her.”
“Ah, right. I’ll try that.”
And so, Issei summoned Tsubaki again.
A pillar of light appeared before Issei and Kazuma, and from within, Tsubaki materialized.
Kazuma’s mouth fell open as he murmured nonchalantly, “Huh, so this is how you summon her.”
“Answering your summons, I have arrived, Goshujin-sama.”
“Good to have you again, Tsubaki.”
“Wait, do you go through this same exchange every time?”
Tsubaki knelt like a vassal, and Issei nodded like a king.
Kazuma, watching this from the side, widened his eyes.
Honestly, he had expected a more casual dynamic, but this was like a knight pledging allegiance.
It was no wonder Kazuma inwardly recoiled and took a step back.
“Tsubaki. While I was unconscious, you fought Satsuki, right? How was it?”
“To put it bluntly… he’s a monster.”
“Being called a monster is a pretty harsh thing to say…”
Kazuma was a little hurt by Tsubaki’s choice of words.
But he quickly forgot about it.
He’d been taught that the trick to enjoying life was to not remember inconvenient things, so Kazuma instantly banished the fact that he’d been called a monster to the far reaches of his memory.
“Can I ask how you two fought?”
“Of course. First, to state the result, I lost. Initially, we fought without Gifts, and I was instantly defeated. Next, we fought with only Gifts, and I was defeated in seconds. Finally, I fought with my entire being, and just as I managed to land a single blow, Goshujin-sama’s ability ran out, and I vanished from this world.”
“W-Wait a minute. Huh? Tsubaki, you went all out and only managed to land one hit on Satsuki? Is that really true?!”
Issei was flustered, thinking that couldn’t possibly be true.
Tsubaki had indeed died young, but she was a formidable warrior who had single-handedly faced the Ibinom hordes and defended humanity’s territory.
Her achievements were truly heroic, and she was so strong that her deeds were passed down to later generations.
Of course, she had dealt not only with Ibinom but also with criminals, so she was skilled in interpersonal combat as well—a genuine hero.
That was precisely why Issei was learning from Tsubaki, receiving daily instruction in martial arts and anti-Ibinom tactics.
The fact that this Tsubaki had been defeated so helplessly was unbelievable, and Issei trembled in shock.
“Yes. It is true. He, Kazuma-kun, is undeniably a monster, and a prodigy.”
“First a monster, then a prodigy, that’s quite the assessment.”
“Do you dislike it?”
“Not at all!”
“Huh? Since when did Tsubaki start calling Satsuki by his first name?”
“It was after we exchanged fists. Since our first bout ended, we’ve gotten along well. Well, when he mercilessly aimed for my groin and struck my solar plexus, I felt murderous intent, but at the same time, I was impressed.”
“I don’t hold back just because my opponent is a woman. Besides, I didn’t have the luxury of going easy on Tsubaki-san.”
“It’s frustrating, but I can’t argue. Kazuma-kun completely shut me down.”
“No, no, you landed a solid hit at the end, didn’t you? It was pretty effective. Look, it’s all swollen, see?”
Saying so, Kazuma showed his bright red, swollen cheek to Tsubaki.
Seeing it, Tsubaki looked away, displeased.
“I, for one, thought it was a decisive blow. You were tougher than I imagined.”
“Haven’t you two gotten closer than I am with him? Hey?”
“It’s alright, Kisaragi. I’m not going to steal your master or anything.”
Issei couldn’t hide his agitation at how close Tsubaki and Kazuma had become.
“That’s not the issue! I-I also… I also want to call Satsuki by his first name! And I want Satsuki to call me by my first name!”
“Eh, ehhh…”
The reason Issei was agitated was that Tsubaki had started calling Kazuma by his first name before he did.
Issei, constantly surrounded by his childhood friend, stepsister, and beautiful master, had no male friends.
That’s why he secretly longed for it.
To play around and joke with other guys.
“Dude, that statement is just creepy.”
“Wh-What! That’s not true!”
“Listen… You might not get it, but normally, that kind of statement would make people recoil. If it were between lovers, it might be fine, but… saying that to someone of the same sex is just unsettling.”
“I-It’s not like I meant it in a weird way!”
“I know that, of course. But keep remarks like that to yourself, okay? If it weren’t me, they’d probably run away with a grimace.”
“Ugh… I’ll be careful from now on.”
Issei wasn’t an idiot; he understood that Kazuma’s words were correct and looked down, dejected.
“Ah, well, you can call me by my name if you like. I’ll—”
“R-Really?! Can I call you Kazuma too?!”
Feeling a bit sorry for him, Kazuma had just started to say he’d allow him to use his first name when Issei grabbed his hands and leaned in close.
“Too close, too close! Don’t get your face so near!”
“Ah, s-sorry…”
“Just how starved are you for friends…”
“It’s just that, this is really my first time having a male friend, so I got a little happy…”
“That’s more than just ‘a little’ excitement… Oh well. Just so you know, I’m still going to call you Kisaragi.”
“Yeah! That’s fine! I don’t mind at all! Oh, right! If you don’t mind, could we exchange contact info too?”
“Ah, well, we’re both student council presidents, so I guess it makes sense to exchange them.”
“Wait a sec! I’ll go get my phone right away!”
Since he was training, Issei had left his phone in the locker room.
As soon as he found out he could exchange contact information with Kazuma, Issei headed for the locker room.
Left behind in the training hall, Kazuma and Tsubaki looked at each other.
“I apologize for any trouble Goshujin-sama may have caused.”
“No, it’s fine. It just made me think that I’m probably like that sometimes too.”
Seeing the behavior of others, one can correct their own; Kazuma took those words to heart.