Chapter 230: Shirokiyami / Key Ques (1/2)

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Chapter 229: Shirokiyami / Enemy Line, Remote Line, and Home Line Chapter 231: Youran / Shoelace

Translator: Reflet

In the park, Taiyou was sprawled on the ground facing up, forming the kanji 大.

Red blood was dripping from his shoulders.

Upon close inspection, his shirt that was drenched with fresh blood was cut up, so it wasn’t difficult to imagine that his skin underneath was cut in the same way.

Hera was watching over him from the side worriedly.

「Taiyou-chan, is everything alright？」

「No issues」

「Are you sure？」

「……If anything, are your wings alright? It doesn’t seem like they’ve healed since then」

Still facing up, he asked Hera, his eyes only aimed at Hera.

It was a question completely unrelated to this battle (challenge).

Momentarily taken aback, Hera quickly answered.

「This is of no importance. I will not die. More importantly――」

「Then it’s the same for me. I won’t die」

「That’s completely different!?」

「The same, it’s the same」

Taiyou pulled himself up, looking at Shirokiyami in the distance.

She was silently standing, holding her sheathed sword near her groin area.

There didn’t seem to be any killing intent, but even while she was spacing out, she was emitting a mysterious presence like that of an elaborately-made sculpture.

The girl named Shirokiyami was there with her overpowering existence.

「I’m super frustrated」

「It’s best that you……don’t care about…losing」

「Not that. I’m not frustrated that I lost」

「Then……wha…t？」

「Well, there’s this vivid blood coming out of me」

Taiyou pointed out his shoulders that were still releasing blood, then continued.

「The wound itself isn’t all that deep. When I was cut, I was prepared to even have my whole arm chopped off. That was just how much of a big pinch――decisive moment it was」

「Hm…」

「Not even Hera could rescue me in time. Since you sent me flying with all your might」

「It was a king-size home run that surpassed Tsugaiyamaaa」

「And yet, that was it. Even though I was slammed into the wall, I don’t feel any worse than if someone flicked my forehead」

「……？」

「My arm’s still attached to my body because you held back, didn’t you」

「M……hm」

Shirokiyami slightly nodded, making a face as if to ask “And what’s wrong with that?”.

「It wouldn’t be doing you any favors……to cut off…your arm」

「And you’re not wrong, but I’m not talking about that」

「……？」

「Remember, I was saying I’m frustrated. I thought I had gotten to a good point, but in the end you held back on me. I feel like I’ve climbed a large portion of a mountain, only to look up and not be able to even see the top. Or like the clouds parted ways, only to reveal how much further away the sky is」

「I…see」

「I still have a ways to go for you to hold back, and that’s what frustrates me. It would be better if you [couldn’t hold back because I was so strong]」

「Like the Young Boy Teacher, riiight」

He ignored Hera, who was trying to make a joke commentary.

The joke wasn’t out-of-place, but right now it was time to be serious.

「So it would be better mentally for me if my arm were actually chopped off」

「I don’t……really…get it」

「My objective is to defeat you, so it just means that while you’re still holding back, I’m still not good enough to defeat you」

「……」

After tilting her head and thinking a bit…

「So it’s fine to……dissect you…right now？」

「Don’t say dissect! That’s just frightening！」

「It’s fine……I won’t…let you feel pain」

「I mean that even if I resist, I’m instantly taken down! There’s a difference in our abilities, right? Ugh, I’m saying that’s what is hurting me！」

「……Boys are…difficult」

Shirokiyami said mixed with a sigh.

(It’s not that difficult. The difficult one is you.) thought Taiyou.

He stood up, looking at his shoulders.

Whenever you check a place that gets hurt, for example, when you’ve stumbled into a manhole wearing shoes, your toes really hurt, but you’re scared to check inside your shoes.

Repressing those feelings, he checked the wound opening.

The blood hadn’t stopped, but as he had also said to Shirokiyami, the wound was shallow for the amount of blood coming out.

He had determined that there at least was no need to stitch it.

「……I really wanna win against you」

「Would it be better to…hold back？」