“Now, I’ll get straight to the point. Can you all honestly say that you fully understand your own personalities and habits?”
“Perhaps some of you can nod in agreement, but I, for one, cannot.”
“You see,”
“Hahahaha! Run, run, you dogs!”
“You! You’re definitely enjoying this, aren’t you?! Whoa?! Did that just graze me?! It *did* graze me, you bastard! Eeeeeeeek!”
“Is this the true power of a General?!”
“I am currently engaged in a battle, if one can even call it that, thoroughly enjoying myself.”
“The old me would have scoffed at the idea of finding joy in swinging a weapon, calling it chuunibyou. But I, now, must be wearing an evil grin as if I were the villain of a story.”
“I gleefully swing my wooden sword, unleashing slashes.”
“Even though the training grounds are paved, Evia says that when it comes to swordsmanship, my slashes are impressive enough to rank in the top five within the army. However, they are not strong enough to withstand them.”
“My slashes leave behind marks, followed by shockwaves that occur with a delay.”
“This is evidence that the slashes leave behind sound and vibration.”
“I unleash these slashes without moving from my spot.”
“Normally, a full-powered slash requires a combination of various elements such as stepping forward, twisting the waist, shoulder movement, and even finger grip.”
“Despite this, two individuals desperately try to evade my slashes, while…”
“Frontline defense!”
“Channel your magic! Focus on defense!”
“Squad three! Prepare magic! Do not expect your opponent to be an ordinary being! No, think of your opponent as a natural disaster!”
“Three members of squad five have lost consciousness! Medic! Medic!”
“No! There are no wounds! Wake them with an antidote!”
“Evia, realizing that the two of them would be toyed with to death, decided to have the Nordis family’s private soldiers attack me from two directions, other than the ones where Nord-kun and Mura-kun are.”
“What’s more, I’m forbidden from using anything other than my right arm, which wields the wooden sword.”
“Hmph, this is quite tough.”
“I wish I could at least use magic, but Evia has forbidden that too.”
“A slash, by its very nature, has an attack range limited by the reach of its blade. By adding a stepping motion, one can extend that attack range, but being restricted from moving has narrowed my attack range.”
“Furthermore, magic is only allowed for body reinforcement, and my signature ‘armor magic’ is prohibited.”
“Well, if I were to use that, the sharpness and effects would be too intense. It’s not something I’d use in a training session that isn’t actual combat anyway.”
“Well, this is also training, training.”
“Training?! I refuse to be put in a situation where I could die like this! I had it better when I was being taught by the instructor corps!”
“Oh, you still have some fight left in you, huh? I’m going to pick up the pace.”
“Gyaaaaaaaa!”
“As a result, I’m in a troublesome situation where I have to go through the process of compressing the air ‘physically’ to unleash a slash.”
“I must not hit Nord-kun or the private soldiers, let alone them.”
“I’m slicing all the slashes just barely to the side, not letting them hit directly, just blowing them away with the shockwaves.”
“Oh, a mid-tier magic.”
“But my opponents are attacking with the full intention of defeating me.”
“Without looking at the sky, they capture the magic with their senses, and a barrage of magic rains down like a carpet bombing.”
“Whoops!”
“Whaaat?! All that magic just disappeared in an instant?!”
“However, attacks of a mid-tier level are no problem, as I can simply slice them away.”
“My right arm has been a blur since a while ago. To an ordinary person, it would look like I don’t have a right arm. Soldiers with slightly better motion perception might see it as blurred, and someone with Suella’s skill might see multiple arms.”
“Evia, the instructors, and Himik level individuals would easily respond to this speed, so I can still increase my pace.”
“I know full well that this is Nord-kun’s test, so I have to be mindful of that. Therefore, I will be a bit sloppy in dealing with the private soldiers.”
“But I will respond appropriately.”
“I’ve sliced through each of the mid-tier magic spells, so that should be fine.”
“Hey, hey, your legs are stopping! If you don’t have time to drink potions, you’ll have your heads chopped off in no time!”
“However, they, on their end, seem to find the experience of tasting my attacks with their bare bodies invaluable. The person in charge of commanding from a slightly more distant location is currently searching for ways to attack me while being instructed by Evia.”
“I guessed the content of their conversation by reading their lips, and their assumption about a General-level being launching an attack… well, it’s not entirely wrong.”
“Oh well.”
“For now, let’s focus on Nord-kun and Mura-kun.”
“Originally, this combat test is being conducted to assess them.”
“Why am I assessing them through combat? You might ask, ‘Can’t you assess them through interviews, meetings, or even a probationary period?’ But this is something I learned from an instructor.”
“‘When in battle and in dire straits, that’s when a person’s true nature is revealed.'”
“That’s what happened to me. After nearly dying once, my soul’s radiance changed, and my true nature emerged, as Instructor Fushio also said.”
“According to Instructor Kio, you can easily understand an opponent by clashing fists, or something like that.”
“I do wonder if that’s really the case.”
“I send a slash towards Nord-kun, who was starting to falter, to keep him moving.”
“Eeeek! I’m going to die! I’m going to die?!”
“Nord-sama! Over here!”
“Mura-kun is using his whip to help him evade, as if supporting the fleeing Nord-kun.”
“I’ve seen this same scene over and over again.”
“Yeah, Mura-kun is completely infatuated. Nord-kun, what did you ever do to him for him to be so devoted?”
“Please drink this.”
“Hee hee hee, glug.”
“Even now, he seems to be diligently pouring potions through the gaps in his armor, but how can he possibly support him so devotedly even in such a dire situation?”
“For now, while dealing with the Nordis Knights, I’ll make a mental note to include stamina training as a task for Nord-kun, who is tiring out faster than Mura-kun, and continue to observe the two of them.”
“Here, here, move, move! If you can make me move even one step, it’s over!”
“A wind blade that can sever a head in one stroke if it hits.”
“It’s not imbued with magic, just a physical phenomenon.”
“With this simple phenomenon, I create a storm in this place.”
“I become the eye of the storm, with calm only around me.”
“The invisible storm at the tip of my blade rages, becoming a deadly weapon, scraping the earth, and obliterating magic.”
“Yeah, I’ve finally become something inhuman, haven’t I?” I think to myself, continuing to operate my right arm without rest.”
“Generating a storm of slashes, relying on my legs, spread shoulder-width apart.”
“Normally, swinging a wooden sword forcefully made to the length of an Ore Tree would cause even a body-strengthened person to lose balance and stumble. But my body, reinforced with magic, is like my feet are sewn to the ground, remaining unmoving.”
“Further defense is dangerous! We can’t hold on!”
“Hold on! We have our master to protect behind us!!”
“It’s not just Nord-kun who is screaming from this tempest, but the Nordis Knights are starting to cry out as well.”
“If Evia, who is behind me, were to fight me on equal footing, I wouldn’t be able to say anything… but what can I do?”
“Well, it’s no use worrying about it.”
“The fact that they’re screaming means I can raise the level a bit more.”
“The instructor also said,”
“Gyaaaaaa?!”
“The frontline has broken!”
“Regroup! If this continues, the backline will be affected!”
“‘It’s not truly begun until the screams stop.'”
“As long as there are complaints, there is still room to spare.”
“If there are screams, I can still back down a step.”
“When silence falls, that’s when we’re at the edge.”
“If that theory holds, then Nord-kun, Mura-kun, and the Nordis Knights still have some leeway.”
“Oops.”
“Indeed, Mura-kun has just launched an attack, seizing a momentary opening.”
“Oh, a slingshot. I thought nobles wouldn’t use such weapons.”
“It’s not magic, nor a weapon, but simple stones picked up from the ground. A tool that fires using elastic materials like rubber. It’s a ‘slingshot,’ as it’s called, but unlike the toys children use, a weaponized slingshot can normally pierce a skull, and in this magical world, its power is exponentially higher.”
“It makes no sound, and its projectiles can be substituted with ordinary pebbles, making it a favored weapon among low-ranking soldiers and adventurers.”
“I didn’t expect Mura-kun, a noble, to pull one out.”
“He’s also used magic from time to time, so it’s not as if he can’t use magic.”
“Is he just resigned to using it as one of his means?”
“Unlike Nord-kun, who’s been running around, he’s trying hard.”
“However.”
“Hmm, it’s quite difficult to corner them without actually hitting them.”
“They’re the sons of nobles, after all. If I injure them, it’ll be troublesome, especially with Mura-kun, though Nord-kun is another matter.”
“Even though I’m thinking this, I’m trying to avoid direct hits, but the handicap is too heavy, and I can’t corner them easily.”
“Well, I’m attacking the Knights without holding back, albeit with some restraint…”
“Given that difference, it seems the Knights are the ones likely to break first.”
“They still have the leeway to scream and move around frantically.”
“Mura-kun, who is supporting them, also seems to have the leeway to counterattack because he’s not getting hit.”
“But I can block all of that without any trouble.”
“Here, here, the Knights are about to be wiped out! If that happens, I can concentrate my attacks on you two!”
“Mura-kun’s leeway is an accidental one, born out of Evia’s consideration.”
“If this continues, it’s only a matter of time before I can focus on Nord-kun and the others.”
“Although the Knights are resisting desperately, they lack veterans and are mostly composed of newcomers. While their skills are excellent, they are insufficient against me.”
“Gyah! No, no, no, no, I’m going to die?!”
“Of all of them, the noisiest is Nord-kun, who is clad in mithril full-plate armor and is, in a sense, the safest.”
“A wind blade narrowly misses his face, by only about two centimeters, and he bursts into tears and screams.”
“My, my, you’re lively.”
“Are you alright?! Nord-sama!?”
“And seeing such a pathetic sight, most people would be disappointed, but why is he supporting him so diligently?”
“I’m almost inclined to cheer him on.”
“Jiro.”
“Just as I was starting to feel a bit nauseous from their actions, a telepathic call from Evia arrives.”
“I glance at Evia.”
“‘Keep it up. Listen.'”
“It’s not good to get distracted during combat. As Evia’s words imply, I concentrate on attacking the Knights and Nord-kun and the others.”
“‘If it continues like this, I won’t be able to corner them all. I’ll prepare a medical system on my end.'”
“And Evia’s words create a slightly unsettling atmosphere.”
“Could this be…? ”
“‘I’ve received permission from Father. Losing an arm or two, or a leg or two, is fine. If you’re alive, I’ll heal you. Cut them.'”
“An unexpected go-ahead from a relative?!”
“‘Eh, really?'”
“I can’t help but reply via telepathic call.”
“If I wanted to, I could sever them immediately. Naturally, I’ve been hesitant out of respect for Evia’s family, but now I have their permission.”
“‘It’s that foolish younger brother’s fault for doing nothing despite all these handicaps. Father and Mother have both consented. As a bonus, I’ll lift the magic restrictions as well. I’ll also inform the Knights’ Order. Jiro, don’t hold back. Anything is fine as long as you don’t kill them.'”
“And there’s no hesitation regarding her family.”
“There stands Evia, the Demon Lord’s Army executive.”
“‘Do it.'”
“‘Understood.'”
“I respond to her will.”
Today’s Sayings:
It’s easy to get absorbed, isn’t it?
Thank you for your continued feedback and for pointing out any typos.
If you found this interesting, please leave a review, rating, bookmark, etc.
I am currently serializing another work:
Pandora Pandemic Panic. Pandora’s Box has been opened again, but we’re fighting back with various things in a secret base and more!!
Please check that one out as well!!
