Episode 18: Just Right for a Training Partner
Lunch break ended, and Kazuma, having combat training in the afternoon, headed to the training room with his classmates.
Combat training was to be conducted in designated training gi, not gym clothes, so Kazuma donned a borrowed gi and entered the training room.
“So, it’s practical training without the VR machines, huh~”
“Nervous?”
“No, I’m just curious about how the pairings will work out.”
“Basically, it’s sparring in pairs. Sometimes we switch partners, but since it’s your first time today, you might stick with the same opponent.”
“Aren’t we short on people? Two students dropped out of this class, and then I joined, so we have an odd number, right?”
“In that case, the teacher will be your partner. And you’re not used to it… no, wait, for you, anyone would be fine, right?”
“Hey, why are you phrasing that as a question?”
“Well, you’re strong, aren’t you? It doesn’t seem like you’d need to hold back in sparring.”
“Well, if it’s just sparring, there shouldn’t be any problem~”
Kazuma’s abilities were already acknowledged by himself and others.
After all, he had made a spectacular debut in the Academy Battle Tournament, which was broadcast nationwide.
“In that case, it’ll probably… be quite something.”
“What’s with that meaningful pause!”
“Hahahaha, well, you’ll see later.”
The bell signaling the start of class rang, and a teacher wearing a gi similar to Kazuma and the others entered the training room.
“Alright, everyone, let’s start with stretching.”
As instructed, Kazuma and the others stretched and warmed up their bodies, then gathered when the teacher called them.
“Alright then, since Satsuki is participating for the first time today, I’ll give an explanation.”
“Ah, I’ve heard a bit about it already.”
“Is that so? In that case, we’ll skip the explanation and have you pair up. Satsuki is a first-timer, but as you all know, his skill is on par with an adult. Therefore, no matter who he pairs with, there shouldn’t be any problem—”
“In that case, may I pair with him?”
“Miyazono, is it? Indeed, with you, there shouldn’t be a problem. Satsuki, are you okay with that?”
“No problem.”
“Understood. Now, everyone pair up, and be very careful not to get injured. Begin.”
And so, Kazuma paired up with Alice, and they faced each other in the nearest ring.
“Just so you know, you don’t need to hold back.”
“…Ah, can I say something for a moment?”
“What is it?”
There was something Kazuma absolutely had to tell Alice.
“Don’t get conceited, little girl. Don’t you understand the vast difference in skill between you and me?”
A heavy pressure, as if lead had been laid upon Alice’s entire body, weighed her down.
Just now, Kazuma had released a tiny bit of his intimidating aura, overwhelming Alice.
Alice had said there was no need to hold back, but those were words spoken by the strong.
If Kazuma said it, it wouldn’t be a problem, but for Alice to say it was a huge issue.
Actions not backed by skill were nothing but recklessness.
“Gh…”
“If you watched the Academy Battle Tournament, you should understand, right? The gap between us. If you don’t understand that, you should leave this academy immediately. Even if you enlist in the National Defense Force, you’ll just die quickly.”
Kazuma himself was called a reckless Hero, so he wasn’t one to talk, but what he was saying wasn’t wrong.
“…You’re right. My bad.”
Acknowledging her fault, Alice honestly bowed her head.
Seeing this, Kazuma reverted to his usual playful demeanor and spoke to Alice.
“It’s fine as long as you understand. I wouldn’t want to knowingly send a friend to her death, you know.”
“Well, to begin with, it’s because you were hiding your true strength that I got so worked up.”
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine now. More importantly, shall we begin?”
“Come at me from anywhere you like.”
“Then, I won’t hold back!”
The spar began without any signal.
True to her word, Alice leaped towards Kazuma without any hesitation, trying to get into his guard.
She reached out to grab Kazuma’s collar, but her hand was caught instead, and her vision flipped as she found herself upside down, frozen in surprise.
“Well, it’s a hundred years too early for you to try and beat me!”
“You bastard…”
Just when she thought he was seriously lecturing her, this was the result.
It was no wonder Alice felt thrown off.
Afterwards, Alice sparred with Kazuma many times, and though she was thrown to the floor repeatedly, she never gave up.
“Complete defeat. It’s been a while since I’ve been treated like such a child.”
“I’ll be your sparring partner anytime.”
“That’d be great. I feel like I could get stronger sparring with you, Kazuma.”
Lying on her back, her chest heaving from exhaustion, Alice’s face looked refreshed.
Taking the hand Kazuma offered, Alice stood up, smiled, and patted his shoulder.
“Well, let’s keep this up.”
“You bet!”
After that, it was time to change sparring partners, and Kazuma was paired with Tsuyoshi.
Just like with Alice, Kazuma easily handled Tsuyoshi, slamming him to the floor multiple times, but he didn’t complain once.
In fact, he was pleased, saying it was good training.
“I see. No wonder Miyazono-san looked like she was having fun.”
“Isn’t it boring to just get thrown around all the time?”
“That might be true, but it brings back a nostalgic feeling. A spirit of defiance, perhaps? The feeling I once had, ‘I’ll show them,’ comes bubbling up.”
“Ah, I think I kinda get what you mean.”
When Kazuma was being trained by his masters in the other world, he often got worked up, thinking he’d make them cry uncle someday.
“Well, there are still others waiting, so I’ll take my leave here.”
“I’ll be your partner anytime.”
“Next time, I’ll have grown enough to at least land a decent hit.”
After finishing his spar with Tsuyoshi, Kazuma faced his next opponent, Shunsuke.
There wasn’t a line formed, but Kazuma received intense gazes from classmates sparring elsewhere, making him give a wry smile.
“(Everyone’s looking at me with such intense eyes~)”
His classmates wanted to fight Kazuma, known as The Strongest Civilian.
Of course, it wasn’t an official match, nor was it a serious fight, but they wanted to experience a glimpse of his strength.
“Heheh, actually, I’ve been wanting to fight you too~”
“You sound like a battle maniac…”
“It’s not like that, but I just want to see for myself how strong The Strongest Civilian really is, you know?”
“Is that so? In that case, shall I go all out?”
“No, please don’t. I’d probably die.”
“I’ll hold back enough so you don’t die~. Satsuki-ryu is a killing art, but it can also use Katsusatsu-jutsu~”
“Katsusatsu-jutsu… are you going to give me a massage or something…?”
“It’s not impossible. I can heal your tired self.”
“That’s terrifying… You’re not going to make me swell up all bumpy and then explode spectacularly, are you?”
“I won’t. Though it’s not like I can’t…”
“You can do that?!”
After their little comedy routine livened things up, Shunsuke switched gears and showed a serious expression.
Kazuma, sensing Shunsuke’s change in mood, took a fighting stance and prepared for the spar.
“Alright, here I come!”
“Bring it on!”
Despite attacking bravely, it was, as expected, ineffective against Kazuma, and Shunsuke was easily thrown to the floor.
Gazing at the ceiling, Shunsuke, once again recognizing Kazuma’s strength, let out a deep sigh.
“Haaah~. You really are strong~”
“My years of experience are different.”
Kazuma had undergone a year of hellish training in another world, fought life-or-death battles against the Demon Lord’s army for two years, and engaged in a fierce struggle with the Demon Lord himself, so it was only natural that his experience was on a different level.
Shunsuke and the others had less than a year of experience, so it was natural for them to be weaker than Kazuma.
That was precisely why they were training like this.
Therefore, a strong individual like Kazuma was a valuable presence for his classmates.
He served as both an indicator and a clear benchmark.
They could measure how much stronger they had become against Kazuma.
He was also a very convenient existence for them.