The sun set.
In a world painted red, I faced a man, separated by a few meters.
“I never thought this time would actually come,” the man, Asahi, the master of Hisame Dojo and Mitsuki’s father, murmured.
“I knew it from the beginning,” I replied, feigning composure.
Mitsuki had kept her promise to me, repelling every trial with Ringo, protecting me until this very moment. Now it was my turn to live up to her trust.
“You look determined. But are you truly prepared?” Asahi asked, still wearing his gentle mask.
I retorted, “Are *you* prepared?”
For a fleeting moment, Asahi’s mask slipped, revealing a ferocious true nature. The killing intent directed at me made my legs tremble. But this was as expected. We were about to engage in a life-or-death gamble. I couldn’t falter now.
In the game, I had ultimately failed to find an effective counter to Asahi’s “Kongou Toshi” and had only survived by enduring its attack. That was only possible thanks to the HP and defense I’d gained from clearing a hidden dungeon, along with custom-buffed magic. With my current abilities, I couldn’t withstand a single blow from “Kongou Toshi.”
While most of my defense was nullified by the ‘piercing’ attribute, HP and defense were crucial for survival in this trial.
In the ‘Final Trial,’ Asahi aimed for the player’s glabella. In this game, the head was always a critical point. Although high-defense armor provided an overall bonus, attacks against areas with armor dealt less damage than against unarmored areas. Unfortunately, there was no head armor in this game.
With a few exceptions like Sahzan’s mask, Shelmia’s tiara, and the King’s crown, head-mounted items simply didn’t exist in this world. Red Cap’s red hat was another vaguely similar item, but like Nyoraim Gold Coins, it was just a sellable item. The peculiar lack of head equipment had sparked much debate online, but the developers never issued an official comment.
Amidst theories ranging from “they deliberately omitted it to showcase characters’ faces” and “to create tension by leaving a weakness” to “technical difficulties in preventing visual obstruction” and “because it would be too stuffy,” a person claiming to be a ‘game magazine writer’ appeared on a forum and revealed the ‘truth.’ He claimed to have interviewed a developer about it before the game’s release, though the interview itself was never published.
According to the post, when the writer asked, “This game doesn’t have head equipment, does it? Is there a reason for that?” the staff member solemnly replied, “What nonsense are you talking about? It’s obvious if you just think about it. If we made head equipment, Nekoneko’s cat ears would be hidden!”
Whether it was true or not, it was a fitting anecdote for ‘Nekoneko.’ However, the post was made before the game’s release. The writer was branded a liar by everyone, accused of fabricating the story, and vanished from the internet. How people would have reacted if it were posted after the game’s release was unknown, but the truth remained buried.
Regardless of the truth, the fact remained that there was no head armor, and “Kongou Toshi” would undoubtedly target that vital spot. I considered intercepting the attack with other armor or indestructible objects, but that wouldn’t count as a ‘hit.’ The “Kongou Toshi” attack wouldn’t stop until it directly struck my head.
In conclusion, I had no way to defend against “Kongou Toshi.” Therefore, my only option was something entirely different. If I couldn’t evade or defend, I had to eliminate the source. That is…
*(Eliminate the flying spear itself!)*
This was my only means of survival.
However, this solution didn’t exist in the game. If it didn’t work when I actually tried it, it would be meaningless. That’s why I deliberately used a provocative tone to draw a confession from Asahi.
“I stand here staking my life. But do you have what it takes to lose something right now?”
“What are you implying?” Asahi’s voice was tinged with irritation. Enduring the oppressive aura, I raised my voice.
“I will not be bound by any means in this trial. When this is over, there’s no guarantee that you or your spear will be unharmed.”
Asahi scoffed, “Hmph, ridiculous. A thoroughly ridiculous question. Do you think I’d make a fuss if I lost my life or my weapon broke in a trial? Do as you please. Whatever the outcome of the trial, I will accept it.”
“Yes!” I exclaimed inwardly, and then pressed him again. “So, if as a result, your ‘Kongou Toshi’ becomes unusable, or no longer returns to you, you will accept that.”
“Enough! A man’s word is his bond!”
I had my confession. As I inwardly reveled in my success, Asahi asked in an unnervingly quiet voice, “I can’t believe it, Soma-kun. You’re not trying to withstand the spear’s attack, are you? You’re thinking of dealing with the spear itself.”
“…And if I said I was, what would you do?” I didn’t want to reveal my hand, but I also disliked lying, so I answered honestly.
“Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha!!” Asahi burst into laughter, finding something incredibly amusing.
“—You can’t,” he stated with a chilling voice.
“B-but… you have to try to know…” I tried to retort, not wanting to be intimidated, but Asahi cut me off.
“This spear has been used in the ‘Final Trial’ by successive heads of the family. Some who took the trial had the ambition to break it, myself included.”
I recalled Asahi mentioning he had also undergone the trial, but hadn’t thought much about it. If the spear was a family heirloom of the Hisame family, it made sense that it had been used in trials for generations. And if so, there must have been those who considered destroying it in the past. But…
“Yet, this spear still stands here, unbroken. Do you understand what that means?”
There was no way I wouldn’t. “That means… no one has ever…”
“No one has ever been able to break this spear. In fact, no one has even been able to scratch it.”
I swallowed hard. I felt like a ghost of history was stirring behind Asahi. It was a false history, mere plot convenience created by the game’s setting. Even as I tried to convince myself, Asahi’s pressure didn’t abate.
“…Right. You spoke of preparedness, but do you truly possess it?”
“What…?” I tried to protest, but Asahi didn’t give me an opening.
“If this spear is thrown, you will die. Your body cannot withstand it, and breaking the spear is impossible. And perhaps you think you can escape until sunset, but even when the sun sets and the trial ends, this spear will not stop. Your death is a predetermined future.” He spoke of the future in a calm tone, unlike before.
“I truly pity you, you know? If you decide to join this dojo and vow not to approach Mitsuki, I can stop the trial here.”
“Th-that…” Although I knew I shouldn’t fall for such sweet words, I couldn’t immediately refuse. The fear of death, which had been somewhat numbed, was reignited by Asahi’s words. I glanced sideways. Ringo was looking at me with a concerned, expressionless face, Mitsuki’s cat ears were lowered in anxiety, her usual impassive face betraying her worry, and Kuma was cheerfully waving.
“…Ha.” A breath escaped me, easing the burden of fear that had been accumulating in my heart.
“I cannot do that.” I firmly shook my head. To be honest, it was a tempting offer. I didn’t want to join the dojo, but I valued my life, and I had no intention of getting close to Mitsuki. However, I remembered Mitsuki’s smile and trust from that time. I absolutely couldn’t betray that.
“Is that so. A shame. Do you have any last words?”
I didn’t answer. I would survive. Therefore, there was no need for words.
*(…Damn it!)* Even as I bolstered my courage, the fear remained. My hands trembled, and my knees felt weak. Honestly, I wanted to scream for him to wait. But time passed mercilessly. The appointed hour arrived.
“…So. I would have liked to hear your dying words, but the sun is already setting. This is goodbye.” As I heard his heartless declaration, I desperately tried to rouse myself. There were people who believed in me. I had to live up to that, yet my body shrank.
*(It’s okay, it’s okay! It’s not decided that I have no chance of winning!)*
The throwing skill ‘Kongou Toshi’ was a powerful technique. It was estimated to enhance the thrown item’s attack power, add a ‘piercing’ property, and guarantee a hit on the target. But it wasn’t without weaknesses. There was a charge-up time before the throw; attacking during this period would interrupt the skill. The spear itself, being an item with added attributes rather than a skill effect, could be intercepted. And once the target was chosen and the skill animation began, the user couldn’t change the target or interrupt the skill. I knew the animation’s startup, the timing of the throw, and even where I would be targeted. This match should have been overwhelmingly in my favor.
*(It should have been…)* The trembling in my hands wouldn’t stop. Broken by Asahi’s words, the primal fear of death suddenly resurfaced, paralyzing me. The anxiety of whether I could do this, the anxiety of whether I could truly overcome ‘Kongou Toshi’ with my method, attacked me all at once and hindered my movements.
“…It’s over.” In my hollow vision, I saw Asahi pick up the spear and raise it as if to shoulder it.
It’s starting! No, it has started…! My heart pounded painfully. The blood flowing around my ears pulsed with each beat.
*(Here it comes… It’s coming!!)* The motion I had seen countless times, the unique movement that had killed me so many times.
*(—Move!)* Now was not the time to shrink back. If I didn’t move now, I would truly die.
*(—Move!)* Don’t think about whether it will work. Just do it, I told myself.
*(—Move!)* And then,
“—’Kongou Toshi’.” Asahi uttered the name of the skill and swung his raised arm forward. The spear was released.
Facing this sight, I, I—
“Hup.” I brought a box in front of my face. The spear, with blinding speed, flew into the box and disappeared.
For a moment, it was as if time had frozen. No one spoke. Then,
“–……Huh?” Asahi, still frozen in his throwing stance, let out a bewildered sound. Meanwhile, I wiped the sweat from my brow and exclaimed, “Phew. That was scary…” I breathed a sigh of relief and, just to be safe, closed the lid of the box. Yes, that was perfect. Though I had felt a pointless surge of adrenaline, it seemed to have worked.
“…W-wait! W-what was that? W-where’s the spear? My ‘Kongou Toshi’…?” Asahi, likely still not understanding what had happened, looked flustered rather than stunned. I bowed deeply to him with gratitude.
“As promised, I’ll be taking this ‘Kongou Toshi’! Thank you for everything!!” Lowering my head for a long time, I slowly raised my face. The moment I did, as if waiting for it, the light in the sky rapidly faded.
“…Sunset, huh.” The long-awaited sunset of the third day. It signified the end of a long, arduous trial.
And so, I successfully completed the trial. Together, we triumphantly left the dojo, having obtained all three rewards available from the ‘Hisame Family Visit Event’: ‘Mitsuki,’ ‘Faction Friendship,’ and ‘Kongou Toshi.’
***
\*Item Introduction: ‘Nekoneko’\*
‘Cooler Box’
A storage item that can hold up to 10 items. Anything placed inside is time-frozen, preserving its state at the moment of insertion. Due to its nature, it is ideal for items that change over time, such as hot food, cold drinks, fresh ingredients like meat and fish, and even lively spears.
