183 179 結果がわかっていても、過程によって得られるものは変わる (2/2)

It's the farthest thing from the word 'unprecedented' in a sense.

If it was an instructor, I'd be sinking without question. My body is crushed, unable to block a blow. But I could block your attack. I saw where you were coming and what kind of attack you would make.

There's probably only one more time in this fight that I can do my best.

That's why I need to push the envelope, push the envelope, and defy their predictions.

Leave no margin.

You talk about what you feel, but your body is still steadily preparing for this earned time to not be wasted.

It was only able to do so because it was really able to mitigate the minimum amount of damage necessary.

There was not one attack, not the first blow, and not one subsequent attack that was, at any rate, completely unprotected.

No matter how much I was mangled, the result of my accumulated defense left me with the strength to unleash this single attack.

Is that all you've got to say?

A clear killing intent took hold of the demon at those words.

The silent mountain moved.

''No more questions, let's end this with the next blow.

You're finally becoming the devil I know.

My words of disparaging remarks were either a hit or misplaced and misguided.

The only thing I can say is that the blow that will be delivered after this one should be the best one for the demon in front of me.

The magic power is more sophisticated than ever before.

And the magic surge from its raging temperament is the demon I know.

I can feel it firmly on my skin.

I take a deep breath.

The demon that has developed its magic so clearly that it's not surprising if it leaps at any moment with me holding up the mineral tree on the top step.

And that demon is waiting for my magic to build up.

To crush me with every blow I can deliver.

What a way to show your demon nature, the hall has fallen silent.

A tense atmosphere envelops the coliseum as if a single sound could signal the end of the battle.

In such an atmosphere, I am waiting for my chance.

And then the time will come.

The mountain will become a volcano.

Yeah!

The fist of the demon is already right in front of you when you think it's coming, an overwhelming blow that can't be delivered in time if you swing the circular mineral tree.

It's a good thing that the fist of the demon caught my face as it was and that would put an end to this battle.

Wha...?

That's right, if I'm going to wield the Oreju.

I win.

But the result is different.

A smile appears on the demon's face as his eyes widen in astonishment.

The demon's fist doesn't catch me even though my ear is gouged out, but instead, my fist conveys the sensation of piercing the demon's flesh.

I fired not a circular slash of mine, but a straight right hand with a flash of strength.

The fist stops just before my heart's guts.

And if I release the magic power in my fist, I'll end my life.

At the conclusion, the referees rush in.

The winner is Jiro Tanaka!

The game is over.

There were no cheers.

Instead, what came out was a bewildered groan that seemed to envelop the hall.

But that changes with a single round of applause.

That's great Jiro!

A huge applause of a big demon and a loud voice of praise for it, the king of the undead also clapped his hands slowly but quietly to match it, and the demon king smiled when he saw them and clapped for them too.

The top members of the demon king's army applauded one after another, and the applause gradually spread to the whole area, and it became an applause that reverberated through the entire hall.

The body, which creaked and could not take another step, slowly drew its fists and stood on the pole and basked in the applause.

Honestly, it was a gamble.

It was a gamble with no odds, so bad that the word ”bad” feels too gentle.

But none, not none at all.

There was a small chance, not zero, that there was still a chance.

It was a battle that could not be won without even one condition, but it was won because you had the right conditions.

Why. Why couldn't you see through my blow?

The one who had the most doubts about such a battle was naturally the demon who had lost this battle.

”I didn't give up on you.

While being cured by the demon judge, the hulking body doesn't kneel, but looks sharply at me as I duck the final blow while accepting defeat.

”I believed in the demon's strike that would come straight to me.

”What?

It was a tightrope walker, if you ask me.

I just returned the first blow my opponent struck me.

There are several requirements for this victory, but the most important one is that the blow he strikes is the best one he can deliver.

In fact, if it had been tempered even slightly, I would have lost.

I had an attack that could pierce this fellow's body.

It was the one I had linked with Oki and threw everything I had at him.

But it was a big swing and had no chance of hitting the target.

Then I'd need to prepare another high-powered blow, but unfortunately I had no other choice.

Then you'll need help from someone other than me, and that's their best attack.

If you can return the power you used with all your might from the moment you stepped in to the attack, it would theoretically be the blow that could kill the opponent.

I'm familiar with the demon's attacks, so I can vaguely see where the attacker is coming from. The rest is just a matter of patience and waiting.

The number of attacks received from the instructor.

You must be able to predict the position of the attack.

Many demons are straight-hearted.

As I've interacted with various demons, I've learned that most of them like to play head-to-head with force.

That's why I believe this demon is the same, and I believe in swinging through the blow without falsehood.

If it missed, the demon's fist would have pierced me before my fist hit it.

Well, that's why I'm a little beat up.

And finally, it was whether my body would hold up.

I'm a counter and a cool guy, but I'm a kind of a grappling stick.

All I did was place a sharp stick at an angle to stab an object that was flying straight at me at high speed.

Following my gut instinct that my opponent was about to move, I let go of the mineral tree and instead stepped in and simultaneously swung my fist as hard as I could toward the point where the demon's heart would be.

In the end, the action was successful, but the price was understandably paid.

The impact of my opponent's all-out assault goes from my right fist to my supported left leg, driving my body to the point where I'm unable to fight.

I can't even stand!

Your body is too hard. I would have driven it through your heart.

The fingers of my right hand are all broken, the bones of my arm are cracked, the joints are sore, and my feet hurt so badly if I move them from the waist down.

This is evidence of both muscle and bone damage.

If you take an x-ray, you'll see that every bone in your body is battered to the bone.

In terms of results, a hard-fought victory for me would sound like a victory on thin ice.

If you made even one mistake, the loser was definitely me.

”d*mn it, I don't know who won this one. I'm beaten to a pulp and you're pinging.

”Yet, I lost.

I still can't believe I won against the demon in front of me, who's clenching his fist like he's trying to chew something, but I won.

Oh, I won.

As if to tell myself that, I whip my aching body and raise my fist to the sky.

With a sense of accomplishment in my chest.

Word of the Day

Depending on your own behavior, the result can vary a lot. But, well, I don't want to take this kind of recklessness for a while.

Even if it's voluntary.