095 Charge Straight and Blow 'Em Away

It was the fifth day of the Battle Royale.

Cecil had been taken out by Weiss, and the fact that Cynthia and Carta had ended in a double-knockout was a shock, to say the least. Since then, things had been quiet.

The Forbidden Area was gradually shrinking, but there was only one real reason why the fighting had stopped.

Weiss and Allen.

Those two were monsters. Anyone at Nobless Academy knew that much.

Even with these muscles of mine, winning a straight fight against them would be a tall order.

That was why everyone was likely aiming for a chaotic melee. They were probably waiting two more days for the area to narrow down to nothing, conserving their mana for a final, desperate scrap.

But that just felt...

"It isn't really fair, is it? What do you think, Mr. Boar?"

"Grrr!!"

I spoke to the ferocious boar standing before me. According to Weiss, this thing was a prime source of protein.

I lightly dodged its charge and delivered a single punch.

"Pugyaaa!?"

Ah. I accidentally punched a hole right through it.

"Well, I guess that saves me the trouble of draining the blood."

I butchered the carcass, removed the entrails, and washed the meat clean in a nearby stream. I’ve always liked hunting. It usually helped me clear my head, though I couldn't exactly stop my mind from wandering today.

"Good grief, this uninhabited island is way too big."

Once I finished the prep work, I set the meat over a fire. Let’s be real, my Mana Sense was the absolute worst at this Academy. Part of it was that I hated doing things meticulously, but the truth was that desperately searching for people just didn't suit my personality.

Still, deciding the winner with a messy brawl at the very end didn't sound like much fun either.

Right then—I felt a collision of massive mana. It was so huge that even my clumsy sensing could pick it up.

"Nice. I guess the opening bell rings when you least expect it."

I shoveled the meat into my mouth as fast as I could and prepared to leave. Then, I stopped. I pressed my palms together and bowed my head to the remains.

"Thanks for the meal. It was delicious."

I burst through the forest and found myself standing at the edge of a cliff. I had a vague, fuzzy memory of climbing up here at some point. Maybe.

I strained my eyes to look down. I saw several monsters that had likely been Subjugated, and then there was a blonde ponytail moving so fast she was a blur, fighting in the center of the chaos.

I could have taken a detour to descend safely, but there was a chance the fight would be over by then. But then again, wasn't it a bit unfair to butt into an ongoing match?

"—Eh, I shouldn't think too hard about it."

With a grin, I threw myself off the cliff.

The wind felt incredible. I couldn't use Flight Magic to save my life, but I figured I'd manage somehow.

I wonder if this is the kind of view Carta sees all the time.

As I mused over that, the ground rushed up to meet me. Right, time to figure out a landing—

I let mana surge through my entire body and readied my fist. I unleashed a full-power strike of Impact Magic toward the ground to cushion the fall. Look, I had to at least try to imitate Flight Magic, or my legs were going to explode on impact.

—Time to do this!

DOGOOOOOOOON!

"...Eh? Wha—? The ground just... it’s gouged out!? What!?"

I managed to land. My legs hurt like a son of a bitch, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. Note to self: never, ever do that again. If my timing had been off by even a fraction of a second, I would’ve been a red smear on the rocks.

The one standing there, looking absolutely flustered by my arrival, was Olynn.

"Yo! Looks like you’re having a blast. Mind if I join the party?"

"D-Duke-kun!?"

She called my name with a terrified squeak, but four Demon Wolves immediately leaped in front of her to shield her.

Hah, this girl really is a genius.

And they were huge... seriously huge.

"I-I’m warning you—I won't hold back!"

Her expression shifted, turning deadly serious as she stared me down. Ah, that’s what I loved about this place. Everyone here was so much fun to fight.

But at that moment, I heard a sharp, dry whistle cutting through the air behind me. Ah, I see how it is.

I ducked without looking back. An object thudded into the dirt where my head had been. It was small, but heavily imbued with mana—a concealed knife.

"—Lilith, huh?"

Weiss's former maid. Actually, calling her that felt wrong now. She was a proper Nobless Lowerclassman, and she was always at the top of the charts when it came to Concealment. She was the polar opposite of me; our compatibility was trash.

Well, she probably feels the same way about me, right?

"Hah! Fine by me! Let’s get messy!"

My Artifact was the best and the Strongest. As I flooded it with mana, it reshaped itself in response. My power swelled tenfold. It assisted my strikes, molding itself to my current mood.

Hey, you get it, right? This forest is totally in the way!!!

I wound up my right fist with everything I had. I swung at the empty air.

But I knew my weapon understood. My fist glowed with a brilliant light, erupting into a Shockwave of pure magic and wind. I wasn't good at magic, but I didn't give a damn. In a brawl, all you need is a fist, some guts, and whatever mana you’ve got stuffed inside!

The next instant, a blast of wind-based Impact Magic exploded from my knuckles, mowing down the trees like grass.

"W-Wait, what!?" Olynn screamed in surprise.

The gale kicked up a storm of leaves, and birds scattered into the sky. Forced out of her hiding spot among the trees, Lilith appeared. She held several small knives between her fingers. Then, a howl echoed from behind.

Ah, am I being sandwiched?

"Well, I guess being popular is a good thing, right?"

Lilith’s knives whipped toward me at high speeds. Blades reinforced with mana were way more dangerous than the standard variety.

"Nice! Very nice!"

But I could see them. When I swatted the knives away with my bare fist, Lilith looked genuinely stunned. Piddling long-range attacks weren't going to cut it against me.

I turned my attention to the Demon Wolves behind me. All four of them pounced at once. I protected my throat, but they all sank their fangs into my arms and legs at the same time. Damn, Olynn really doesn't know the meaning of 'holding back.'

But I had done this on purpose. Rather than playing tag and trying to dodge all of them, it was easier to just let them stop moving for a second.

"Garuaaa!"

"How is it? Does it taste good, doggy?"

Admittedly, monster fangs hurt like hell. Ideally, I would have jacked up my defensive resistance to keep them from piercing the skin, but life isn't that easy. The fangs sank deep into my meat, and blood started gushing out.

But hey, their movements stopped, didn't they?

"Take this!"

I swung my right arm around with a wolf still attached to it, using the momentum to hammer the wolf biting my left arm into the dirt. In that same heartbeat, I heard the whistle of more knives. Without looking, I jerked my right arm behind my back, using the Demon Wolf as a shield.

Sorry, pal. I don't go easy on animals either.

I blew the next wolf away and finished it with a kick. I grabbed the last one by the scruff and—chucked it straight at Olynn.

"Eh!?"

I immediately chanted Power Up and closed the distance. Right or left, it didn't matter where she ran; I was going to end this in one hit. I’d deal with Lilith afterward, but I wasn't letting Olynn escape.

However, it turned out Olynn still had one more trick up her sleeve.

—Her trump card.

My jaw was suddenly rocked by a massive impact. The force was so violent that my center of gravity shifted, and I felt my knees buckle. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a tiny squirrel.

Ah... I totally forgot about that little guy.

My vision blurred. I knew from experience that getting hit in the jaw rattles the brain. Olynn dodged the wolf I’d thrown and drew her sword. It had been a while since I'd seen her with a weapon; she clearly wasn't planning on wasting this opening. She charged straight at me, thrusting her blade.

My vision was flickering, making it look like there were five of her.

But well—it doesn't matter!

"...If I just punch everything, one of 'em has to hit!"

I unleashed a barrage of Shockwaves from my right fist so fast I lost count. One of them connected perfectly, and Olynn was sent flying. At the same time, I slammed my left foot into the ground to steady myself. I shook my head hard, forcing my vision to snap back through sheer willpower.

I don't know how that worked, but I'll take it.

Olynn collapsed to the ground. I could have gone in for the kill, but Lilith was still lurking. Taking a surprise attack while I was wide open didn't sound like a good time. Her knives were imbued with attributes just like Shari’s, so the damage was no joke. I’d blown away the trees, but if she still wasn't visible, there was only one place she could be.

I looked up, and sure enough, there was Lilith. But she wasn't aiming for me. She was going for the downed Olynn. She wanted the points for the last hit.

Like hell I’m letting you!

"She's my prey!" I shouted, sprinting across the clearing.

My target wasn't Olynn, though—it was Lilith. She had her knife in a reverse grip, ready to deliver the finishing blow to Olynn.

But—.

"Sorry, these are my points."

Just before Lilith’s blade reached Olynn’s neck, I thrust out my left arm and blocked it, reinforced with Power Up. Then, I delivered a counter-blow to Lilith without a shred of hesitation. I felt the solid thud of the connection.

"—Kyaaaa!"

With the sickening sound of creaking bones and the sensation of hitting home, Lilith was sent tumbling away. Sorry, but my attacks aren't soft enough to be stopped by simple training clothes. Besides, I’m a firm believer in gender equality when it comes to a brawl. Sorry, not sorry.

Now, for the final blow to Olynn.

"See ya, Olynn."

But of course—that was a lie.

"Just kidding. I knew you were there."

"Kyuu!?"

I snatched the squirrel that had been silently creeping up behind me and chucked it into the distance. Like I’d let that happen twice!

"Hah! Better luck next time."

"Ehehe... so this one didn't work either, huh?"

Suddenly, a shadow fell over us from above. I looked up to see a massive bird descending. I didn't know if she’d Subjugated it beforehand or if she’d just grabbed it, but I recognized that monster. People said its beak was as sharp as a high-frequency blade.

The monster slammed into me an instant later.

But—.

"Okay, that actually hurt quite a bit..."

I flooded both arms with mana, stacking Power Up several times over to catch the attack. The ground beneath my feet groaned and splintered under the weight. I took a fair amount of damage, but it wasn't a problem. I could have tried to dodge, but this was essentially Olynn’s Special Move. Taking it head-on was the only respectful thing to do.

"Not bad at all."

"Haah... Duke-kun, you're just way too strong..."

"See you later."

[Olynn Pastel: Retired. Points awarded to Duke Billian.]

Finally, there was Lilith. But when I looked, she was nowhere to be found. Had she really stood back up after taking a direct hit from me? Unbelievable.

Now, where did she hide—?

"Duke-san."

I turned. Lilith was staggering toward me, her dagger held ready.

"What's the matter? Why a frontal approach?"

"I no longer have the strength to run. Besides... this is cooler, isn't it?"

Nice. I like that. As expected of Weiss's former maid.

I charged. Lilith did the same. Was she planning to catch me with a counter? It was certainly more likely to succeed than trying to snipe me from a distance.

"Hah! Let's see who hits first!"

But suddenly, the ground beneath my feet turned to sludge. Was this one of Shari’s traps!? No, it was different. Lilith had set this up herself.

"I’m a dirty fighter, you know."

She probably expected me to stumble so she could throw a knife, but then realized I’d just swat it down. She was coming in for the kill personally. In this muck, dodging would be nearly impossible.

But, you know...

Even if the surface is mud, the ground itself doesn't move!

"—Wha!"

I put everything I had into my leg and kicked a massive wave of mud straight at Lilith’s face. Unfair? Maybe. But hey, I can play dirty too.

Lilith didn't blink. Even with mud caked in her eyes, she watched me through the gaps. Most people would have looked away reflexively—she was incredible.

"But in close quarters, I don't lose!"

"—That's a shame..."

I slipped past her knife at the last possible second and delivered a blow to her stomach. I made sure to hold back just a little bit. I do have a sense of chivalry, after all. At least when I can afford it.

[Lilith Scarlet: Retired. Points awarded to Duke Billian.]

That left the heavy hitters: Weiss, Allen, and Shari.

I'm gonna crush every single one of 'em and take the win.