“Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!”
Is this what it means to laugh like a madman? I don’t usually laugh this wildly, but I can’t help it when I feel this way.
The Dragon King unleashed an ultimate technique that obliterated everything in its vicinity.
After rejoicing that I could absorb the Ground Zero’s magic power completely, making my growth evident, I re-evaluated my current position and realized there was no other option but to laugh.
I wouldn’t say I expected this to happen, but I certainly didn’t expect it to happen so soon. My prediction was that this would happen sometime between the first half of the second day and the third day, at the earliest.
To achieve this on the first day was a stroke of luck.
The ground is devastated, but it still functions as ground, barely. The Dragon King’s attack earlier turned the area into a barren wasteland where not even a blade of grass remained, but in its place, the surrounding area became much more visible.
The gazes from the horizon, observing my situation, either escaped or deflected the Dragon King’s previous attack. In either case, it was probably a judgment that they couldn’t afford to take further risks at this stage, with over two days remaining.
I feel quite a few gazes fixed on me, but they show no signs of taking any action. This condition is quite convenient for me.
After all…
“Yo, was I late? You seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a lot,”
The person I was waiting for has arrived.
“In terms of time, not much. As for the reason for laughing, well…”
I slowly turned and saw the Instructor standing about ten meters away. His attire seemed to be his all-out combat style. He had a large club strapped to his back, wore pants resembling a gi, and no other equipment. It was a style that proclaimed his own body was his equipment.
“And that I can fight in a more perfect condition than I predicted.”
The thought of being able to fight against such an instructor made me excited, and a smile bloomed on my face, overflowing with the feeling of enjoyment. If my magic power and stamina were also at their peak, that excitement would surely intensify. Nevertheless, my laughter probably echoed for the reason that I could only laugh.
“I was laughing because life rarely goes as planned.”
“Is that so?”
And then, an unwelcome guest arrived.
“My condolences. If you’re going to attract that guy’s attention, sending me such a flashy invitation is going to make him jealous.”
With a *buon*, a strong wind erupted, casting a large shadow over where I stood. As I gave a wry, self-deprecating shrug, the Oni chuckled merrily. I managed a bitter smile at Instructor Kio’s words and looked up at the sky, where a giant dragon with shimmering gray scales hovered.
Being caught between the King of Oni, the Instructor, and the Dragon King might seem like a nightmare to other participants. Even I, if possible, would prefer a one-on-one duel with the Instructor. However, this situation isn’t necessarily the worst.
“I found you!”
The words spat from the dragon’s mouth sounded quite cheerful. My mood from just moments ago carried over.
“Well, I suppose it’s better than the worst-case scenario, so I’ll think of it that way.”
I spoke my current, pure feelings.
“To be caught between me and him and not consider it the worst is quite a boast you’ve become capable of, Jiro.”
The Instructor watched me with apparent pleasure as I made such a lighthearted remark. I slowly began to increase the magic circulation of the Ore Tree, transitioning into battle mode.
“Yes, after all, I am a pitiful human who had the joy of battle ingrained in me by a certain Oni, so I’ve come to feel I should enjoy this situation too.”
I slowly turned the tip of my sword towards the Instructor.
“That’s quite a diligent Oni, to be so dedicated to teaching.”
As if to match my movement, the Oni also casually relaxed his posture.
“Yes, I’m grateful. I’m filled with a sense of aliveness and fulfillment now, more so than I was before.”
Then, in synchronization with my movements, the magic in the air began to pulse significantly.
“Even if I’m glared down by an Oni and a Dragon, I won’t flinch.”
From the outside, I might look like a helpless human thrust into a nightmarish situation. If a Hero with a heart of justice were to appear here, they might tell me to run. If ordinary people were watching from a distance, they might pity me, thinking I was going to die.
But to me, both of those emotions are merely bothersome. Keeping both the Oni and the Dragon in mind, my lips curved into a slow smile once more. I felt nervous, and I felt fear. But above all, the feeling of enjoyment surpassed them. I felt proud to be able to stand here in less than a few years.
“So, to both of you.”
I rang the gong for a three-way battle.
“Are you prepared to lose?”
There was no clear answer to my declaration of war. There was only a ferocious smile, and a clear intent to kill and fighting spirit directed at me, as if to say “I will kill you.” The consequence of my boast was only that I had made both of them serious.
A magical wave that felt like it was scorching my skin. I felt a slight pain, but I immediately canceled out that wave with my own magical wave.
There was no signal for the battle. The Instructor, the King of Oni, and the Dragon King were enemies in this place. And I, too, was an enemy to both of them. The saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” does not apply here at all.
A complete three-way battle. Ah, this is fun. With a movement that didn’t suggest any preparation, I moved first.
“I’ll take that head!”
I leaped directly upward. I poured ample magic into the blade of the Ore Tree, its sharpness capable of slicing through butter with a heated knife as easily as steel.
“If you can take it!!”
The Dragon King’s claws welcomed my surprise attack with a cry of joy. This was different from my arrogant attack the first time we fought. The opponent’s claws were also imbued with abundant magic; with those, ordinary metal would be sliced apart like paper. My one-stroke attack aimed at the Dragon King’s head was used to intercept those claws, and a high-pitched sound echoed in the sky, but it wasn’t just about repelling each other; it was an attack that led to the next move.
“Hey, hey, cheating right off the bat, Jiro! You’re too cold!”
And this attack wouldn’t leave that Oni inactive. I anticipated that the Oni would attack, even if my movement after attacking in mid-air was fast. That prediction was correct, as I felt the Oni jumping into the air, swinging his large club behind my back. If this were a situation where “flying through fire to add fuel to the flames,” I might be more casual about it.
“Hahaha! The Oni’s invitation to smash my head with such surging magic power is truly irresistible!”
The amount of magic contained within that club was indescribable. The clash between the club, containing immense magical power that made me wonder what he intended to do, and the Ore Tree. Considering the mass, it would normally be enough to shatter the Ore Tree, but my partner showed no signs of damage. Instead, I was sent crashing down from the air. I landed on my feet, but if I landed like this, I would be buried in the ground. So, I released magic towards the ground, reinforcing my footing. This caused the ground around my feet to collapse in a circular pattern about five meters in radius, and the surrounding area rose up, allowing me to land successfully. I immediately jumped up, avoiding the descending tail. And as I tried to run my Ore Tree along its scales to exploit the opening, an Oni’s fist suddenly flew from the side, forcing me to deal with that instead. What happens while I’m dealing with that attack? In the corner of my vision, I see the Dragon King gathering magic in its mouth to try and annihilate the Instructor with a breath attack.
“Die.”
“Dragon King, this is a selection exam, you know,” I thought inwardly, but I felt no unease. After all, there was a Great Oni in front of me, cleaving the Ore Tree with his fist.
“Shut up! Stop getting in the way!”
The breath expelled was nothing but a nuisance to the Oni. The club he hurled with all his might towards the dragon’s mouth, slightly deviated from its path, struck the Dragon King on the tip of its nose. The Oni’s attack was not ordinary; it was powerful enough to halt the Dragon King’s breath.
“Ouch! Hey!”
Naturally, the Dragon was angered by that attack. It didn’t matter who threw the first punch. It was a simple fact: “You attacked, so I retaliated.” Yet, this very fact became the trigger for the Oni and the Dragon to clash. This was a great opportunity for me. For a moment, the Instructor and the Dragon King’s attention was diverted. Taking that brief moment to catch my breath, I channeled magic into the Ore Tree.
“Takemikazuchi!!”
I unleashed the Blue Thunder. I didn’t think this would be the decisive blow, but it was a chance to attack both the Instructor and the Dragon King, so I should seize it thoroughly.
“It won’t work!!”
I wanted to tell him he was lying, but I already expected the damage to be minimal.
“Gahahahaha!! Nice one, Jiro! You don’t miss our openings! Alright!! This is getting fun!!”
But damage was indeed inflicted. The battle situation was changing rapidly. If someone attacked, someone else would counter that attack. Or they would block and then attack during the opening, or unleash an area attack to take down both enemies at once. It was an endless cycle.
“Ngh!?”
I dodged, blocked, and returned numerous attacks. During the process, I sustained some damage. Currently, the Instructor’s kick landed squarely in my abdomen, but I had imbued my armor with magic to prevent it from shattering and minimized the impact, though the shock to my abs reached my internal organs. A momentary cessation of breathing at this crucial juncture was a lapse I could not overlook.
“Raah!!”
With a surge of spirit, I grabbed the kick and threw it away, and then—
“Get out of the way!!”
I unleashed a powerful backflip kick towards the Dragon King’s fangs, which were snapping at both me and the Instructor, aiming to devour us. Admiring the pure white fangs, which clearly indicated diligent brushing, my kick collided head-on with the fangs. The ground cracked once more, and the shockwave spread throughout the surroundings, but this level of shockwave was no different from a gentle breeze. Even if my footing faltered, I would simply charge forward with even greater force to overcome it. Even if a gust of wind tried to blow me away, I would break through with even more momentum.
“Nostalgic!!”
Utilizing the momentum from my spin kick, I plunged the kicking leg into the ground. In my heart, I apologized to the Dragon King’s fangs if they were permanent teeth, and with my left hand, opposite the right hand gripping the Ore Tree, I deployed a magic I now used frequently. A familiar magic circle appeared near my elbow, and then a stake materialized near the back of my hand.
“Pile!”
The magic circles I could form within the time it took to step forward numbered thirteen. This was a considerably more powerful strike than the one I had unleashed before, a blow that even that Hero had succumbed to. Even a General wouldn’t emerge unscathed from this. This massive body is a disadvantage! If Kaido were here, he would shake his head and deny it, but I shouted these words in my heart as I imagined pulling the trigger to activate the magic.
“Regret!!”
A deafening roar erased all other sounds in the vicinity, and I shattered the Dragon King’s fangs.
“You won’t fall for the same trick twice!!”
Or so I thought, but indeed, he didn’t fall for the same trick twice. The magic barrier that appeared ahead of the piercing was formed by a honeycomb structure. Judging by the sensation of piercing, I had penetrated a total of thirty-two layers of barriers. While impressed that he could deploy so many barriers in such a short instant, I immediately moved away from the spot. A breath attack was exhaled from the mouth beyond the barriers.
“Play with me too!!”
“Gladly!!”
I clashed with the Instructor, who was right where I had dodged to.
“Tch! Stop interfering!!”
The Instructor complained as a breath attack swept towards our position, and with his foot sunk into the ground, he pulled out a large chunk of bedrock with a kick. Then, he kicked it with all his might towards the Dragon King, using it as a temporary wall to block the breath attack.
“You’re in the way! Go eat some rocks!!”
“You’re the one who’s interfering!!”
However, as if to say “You’re in the way!”, the breath attack intensified. The rock, strengthened by the Instructor’s magic, was quickly destroyed by the breath.
“I said stop interfering!!”
The Instructor confronted the Dragon King’s breath head-on with a right-hand punch, his fist imbued with magic. I didn’t miss that opening.
“Amaterasu.”
The power of Amaterasu, cast without an incantation, was inferior to its incanted version, but it still had enough power to inflict damage on the Instructor. With the resolve to cut through not only the Instructor but also the Dragon King’s breath, I leaped into that space.
I don’t know how those observing from the sidelines perceived it. I am enjoying this battlefield. That is all there is to it.
Today’s word: I save the best for last, but when I’m in the midst of it, it’s truly enjoyable.
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Currently, I am also serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” The Pandora’s Box has reopened, but we’re fighting back with various things from our secret base! Please check that out as well!!
