Chapter 96

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"Hey, looks like I'm in the same waiting room as Orun today."

While watching Will's battle from the waiting room, a voice called out from behind.

"Hart and Fuuka"

There stood the two members of "Copper Dusk."

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Hart Tendou.

The explorer who serves as the leader of "Copper Dusk."

He is about ten centimeters taller than me.

His attire is a blend of traditional Japanese and modern styles.

I believe his skills are impeccable, worthy of his S-rank.

Even though he seemed to be holding back during the joint hunt, he still performed on par with everyone else, indicating his high potential.

He fights without weapons, using his bare hands to deliver powerful blows that are hard to imagine from his light movements.

In the first round yesterday, he even broke his opponent's weapon with his fists.

There must be some trick to his strikes, but I haven't figured out the specifics yet.

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"It's been a while, Orun. Has it been about two months? You've been doing great lately, I hear."

"It's been that long since the last joint hunt. I just happened to be in a good team."

"Don't be modest. —Oh, Oliver is dominating."

Hart, who had been watching the battle between Will and Oliver, commented.

"Can Fuuka already see the outcome of this battle?"

I asked Fuuka casually.

"That—"

"Whoa, not so fast. Fuuka, you're trying to be honest, aren't you?"

I asked about how far Fuuka's "Future Vision" could see, but Hart, who noticed my intention, stopped me.

He's not going to tell me, I guess.

...If Hart wasn't here, I might have gotten an answer.

"Because I was asked."

"Are you going to answer any question, even from an enemy?"

"…? Orun isn't an enemy, though?"

Fuuka tilted her head, as if to say, "What are you talking about?"

"…Huh? Did I say something wrong? Am I the one who's wrong?"

Hart seemed to be under the illusion that he was the one who was wrong.

The exchange just now was correct, though.

He's still an interesting guy. While watching the two of them, the battle between Will and Oliver progressed.

Just when I thought Will was about to be overwhelmed, he managed to deflect Oliver's sword with a somewhat forceful move, altering its trajectory.

Then, the dual blades caught Oliver and sent him flying backward.

"Wow, Will's doing well. That must have affected Oliver, too."

Hart, who had been talking to Fuuka, was impressed by Will's counterattack, which he shouldn't have been able to see from his blind spot.

However, contrary to Hart's prediction, Oliver stood as if nothing had happened.

When Will's face showed surprise, magic power gathered on Oliver's blade, and golden magic materialized.

Will must have recognized it as a "Heaven Flash" and tried to close the distance to deal with the incoming slash, but Oliver entered his guard and struck his abdomen.

"Here it is! The winner is 'Hero' Oliver! Despite Will's brave counterattack, it wasn't enough."

Will's counterattack was likely thwarted by "Magic Convergence."

Previously, Oliver had treated "Magic Convergence" as sacred or overly special, using it only for attacks.

But in this battle, he used it twice for defense.

Was there a change in his mindset?

The sense of unease I feel about the members of the Hero Party is growing.

(Luna might know something. But I don't want to draw attention by going to the mansion. What should I do? —No, it's not my concern anymore.)

Will, who had fainted, was carried into the waiting room on a stretcher.

His face didn't look good.

"How is Will?"

I asked the staff member who brought him in.

"There's no danger to his life. However, there's a possibility that his ribs are broken, so we'll take him to the infirmary for treatment."

"Understood. Can I go with him?"

"No problem. Let's go."

I wanted to see Hart and Fuuka's battles, but I thought it would be lonely for Will to wake up without any of his companions.

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"Will!"

When we arrived at the infirmary, just as the healer was about to treat Will, the door burst open and Lucre rushed in.

"Hey! Is Will okay!?"

She asked in a panicked tone as soon as she entered.

"Lucre, calm down. Will is fine. He has some external injuries, but there's no danger to his life."

She finally calmed down after hearing my words.

"That's a relief... I'm sorry for causing a commotion. —Um, can I treat Will?"

"Uh..."

The healer, taken aback by Lucre's sudden offer, looked at me for guidance.

"She's the healer in our party with Orun and Will."

"I see, the healer from 'Silver Hare of the Night Sky.' In that case, there's no problem."

"Thank you."

The healer stepped aside, and Lucre, standing next to Will, immediately cast the high-level healing spell "Rapid Recovery."

Her spellcasting speed is still impressive.

"Is this enough for now?"

Lucre, relieved that the spell had taken effect, leaned in to check Will's face.

"…Well, I'll head back to the waiting room. Can I leave Will to you?"

"Wh-What!? Oh, yeah! Leave it to me! Orun, good luck! Win for Will too!"

"…Yeah. I'll be back."

Leaving Will in Lucre's care, I returned to the waiting room.

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"Orun, welcome back."

Fuuka greeted me as I returned to the waiting room.

I would have responded normally, but I was frozen by the scene in front of me.

"…What is all this?"

"…? Lunch. It's my turn next, so I thought I'd eat before then."

Fuuka had spread a blue tarp on the floor of the waiting room and laid out a massive amount of food.

The quantity easily exceeded what a large group would eat.

It must have all been bought from food stalls.

"Isn't that too much? You're going to fight next. Won't you feel uncomfortable?"

I would be grateful if she lost here, but I couldn't help but point it out.

"This much won't make me uncomfortable, so it's fine."

She answered while happily eating a takoyaki.

…Now I understand why Katina said she ate too much last time.

"…I see."

"Ooh, Hart has destroyed his opponent's weapon again, just like in the first round! Now they're both weaponless! Is Hart in the lead!?"

Hearing the commentator's voice, I moved to a position where I could see Hart's battle.

Without any support magic and without a weapon, there was no way to beat Hart, and by the time I saw it, it had become a one-sided battle in Hart's favor.

Hart's opponent, Auraf of "Azure Drizzle," was holding out while defending.

Hart, with his light footwork, was delivering strikes from all angles, not giving any chance for a counterattack.

Finally, Auraf couldn't hold out any longer, and Hart delivered a powerful blow to his weakened guard, sealing the victory.

"Here it is! Despite the disadvantage of being weaponless, Hart has won! This is the power of an S-rank explorer!"

"Phew, that was tiring. —Oh, Orun, you're back."

"Yes, just now. Congratulations on your victory."

"Thanks. But I couldn't afford to lose against someone so accustomed to support magic."

"Your comment makes it sound like you're not used to buffs."

"Let's see… —What are you doing, anyway?"

Hart, entering the waiting room, couldn't help but comment when he saw Fuuka.

"Lunch."

"If Katina scolds you, don't come crying to me."

Hart, though exasperated, didn't comment on whether she could finish it all, suggesting that this might be a regular occurrence.

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About an hour after Hart's match, the third match began.

Fuuka was facing Kieron of "Amber Flash."

They were already standing in the center of the arena.

"Then! The second round, third match, begins! ——Huh?"

The moment the announcer declared the start of the match, a surprised voice echoed.

It was understandable.

At the start, Fuuka had already moved to where Kieron had been standing.

Kieron was lying unconscious nearby.

To my knowledge, this was the first time the entire arena fell silent.

"Do we still need to fight?"

Fuuka asked the referee.

In the quiet space, her small voice was clearly heard by everyone.

"Th-The winner is Fuuka of 'Copper Dusk'!"

"K-Knockout! A literal instant kill! No one could even see what happened!?"

The audience was in an uproar.

It was understandable.

While Fuuka had won with a single strike yesterday, it was a counter to her opponent's attack.

No one in the audience could have imagined such a result.

"Why does she use 'Ki'…?"

Hart muttered in a voice so low I almost missed it.

Thanks to the "Skill Enhancement" and "Quadruple Overlay" with "Visual Enhancement" and "Auditory Enhancement" I had cast on myself, I caught it.

"What's 'Ki'?"

"Huh? You heard that? You have good ears. 'Ki' is a general term for techniques passed down in my family. Sorry, but I can't tell you more."

'So, it's a technique passed down in the Tendou family?'

But Fuuka's last name is Shinonome. Yet, he said she used 'Ki.'

It must mean that 'Ki' isn't a secret technique, and Fuuka has learned it.

I don't know what 'Ki' is, but it must be directly related to Fuuka's strength.

…Maybe I should investigate a bit.

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"Alright, let's get back on track! The third match ended quickly, but the fourth match is another S-rank battle! 'Hero' Derrick Moorsley vs. 'Dragon Slayer' Orun Doura!"

After finishing my preparations, I walked to the center of the arena.

Derrick glared at me with a fierce expression.

He seems to be holding a grudge from yesterday.

"Common explorer, you got lucky yesterday, but you won't get away with it! I'll kill you, so be prepared!"

"…Killing is against the rules. What's a Hero going to do about that?"

"Shut up! No amount of crying and apologizing will save you!"

…If he's this angry, there's no need to be cautious.

I drew the short sword from my waist and held it in my right hand, reverse grip.

Well, let's get this over with.

Thank you for reading to the end.

I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well.