Arc 21: Women’s battle
Chapter 175: The Tribe of Poison, and Older Sister’s true strength
「You are Touya-san’s second Onee-san !?」
「That’s right ~nanoyo. Her name is Mochizuki 《望月》 Moroha《諸刃》. Moroha-chan ~nanoyo. My younger sister ~nanoyo」
「Nice to meet you」
(TLC: her name means “double-edged blade” or “many blades”)
The Sword G.o.d...... or rather, Moroha-nee-san, as introduced by Karen-nee-san, shook Lindsey’s hand. Everyone was probably surprised at the sudden appearance of another older sister. I can understand them. I was also surprised.
「Pardon our late introduction. Our humble selves have the privilege of being engaged to Touya-san......」
「I know of you ~yo. You are Yumina, this girl is Lindsey and this child is Suu, right」
「You perchance know of us?」
「Ah, I have been watching you carefully from atop.......」
「Aaah, look here! She heard about you from Karen-nee-san’s letter!」
The new older sister was about to say unnecessary things, so I interrupted her and managed to deceive them, somehow. This nee-san, it seems she’s unable to read the situation a bit. An Airhead?
Moroha-nee-san is almost as beautiful as Karen-nee-san, but if I was pressed to explain, Karen-nee-san is a cute type of beauty, and Moroha-nee-san is a dignified type of beauty.
She is tall, and could it be said that she emanates grace with her every movement? It’s a level where it would not be abnormal if she was a part of an opera troupe.
「Nevertheless, why is Touya’s older sister in such a place ~ja?？」
「Hmm~ I like, tried forcing my way to partic.i.p.ate. Because it seemed slightly interesting ~kana? Though I lost since it was a team knockout compet.i.tion. I, well, came here for warrior training ~kana」
Moroha-nee-san made up a good reason and avoided Suu’s question.
Apparently, this person, while watching from above, found it so interesting, that she came down, forced herself into a tribe, and fought as a member like nothing had happened. It seems that her tribe thought of her as a friend. Was it something like hypnotism? Well, since she’s a G.o.d even the impossible is possible, right?
Although strictly speaking, those two are supposedly disallowed from interfering with what happens on the ground. Well, while they are not allowed to interfere as [G.o.d], it appears that they are able to interfere as [Human] who have reached the top of their power. Their physical abilities also seem to be at the [apex] of human standards. But rather than being of a master cla.s.s, however, they are of monster cla.s.s.
That’s why even if I begged them for things like [Please annihilate Fureizu] or [Please restore Yuuron], it would be impossible. In any case, it seems that they are useless humans (G.o.ds?) if the subject is not related to their domain.......
「When you say warrior training, is it possible that the one who taught Touya-san the sword is Moroha-nee-sama?」
「Ah~......Well, I guess it is like that. Though Touya-kun also has acquired various self-taught techniques into his swordsmans.h.i.+p」
「There is no one who can match Moroha-chan with sword skills ~noyo. She is the best in the world ~nanoyo」
Karen-nee-san boasts as if it’s herself with the achievement. I guess she would be. Because she is also a G.o.d. Ah, but is it possible to ask this Neesan train our house knights......?
However, since she is called the [Sword G.o.d], perhaps she would be useless with other weapons like axes or spears. And weapons like [Daggers] or [Dual swords] might be barely okay? Should I try asking about it later?
「Oh, the match is starting for Yae’s team! Won’t they advance to the finals tomorrow if they win this ~jaro?」
I stopped thinking because of Suu’s voice and turned my attention towards the stage. Today, the best 8 will be determined amongst whom [Tribe of Tree King] will be decided tomorrow. In other words, the best 16 are present here.
「The Balum tribe also won and advanced one way or another」
「The contestants are different from the people who picked a quarrel with us. They do seem strong」
I guess that’s obvious? If they were at the same level as the guys from yesterday, I can only think the Balum tribe was blessed with quite an easy match up.
Oops, I should watch Yae’s match more being concerned about those guys.
Yae’s opponent is a tribesman with tattoos from head to toe and a tomahawk in each hand.
The man approached Yae as soon as the match started, and brandished the ax with his right hand. Yae avoided the attack with a back step, exchanged a blow with her left hand to the right hand of her pursuer, and then took some distance backward.
「It will be Yae’s victory, I guess」
「Eh?」
Moroha-Neesan floated a small smile showing she was enjoying the match and muttered.
The man was gradually cornering Yae on the stage. However, Yae didn’t appear to be impatient and continued to avoid the ax. Is she waiting for something?
Eventually, she moved. Avoiding the ax of the tomahawk tribesman, she swung her katana which sliced the tomahawk’s grip in the upward strike. The blade of the ax flew outside the stage. In the backswing, the katana cut the other ax as well. After that, Yae’s blade flashed against the unguarded torso of the dumbfounded man.
The tribesman was defeated with that one blow.
「It is impossible for Yae’s katana to cross with a highly destructive weapon like an ax. There is a chance the katana will get damaged, as well. If she attacked against the guarding ax, it would be no different. So she was probably aiming for the timing to destroy the ax. But despite that, to quickly draw her katana and decide the match in one stroke without even letting him defend, she could have ended it sooner. She must have been slightly playing around. She was probably, like, trying to see if she could cut down a swinging ax. In that regard, she probably needs some more training ~kana」
O~oooh. Though I don’t quite get it, Moroha-nee-san understood it very well. As expected of the Sword G.o.d, it seems she could distinguish as much immediately.
Regarding the match, subsequently, both Pam and Hilda achieved straight wins, so the Rauri tribe will be advancing to the last day.
They managed to get to the last day without danger, didn’t they?
「Eh?」
As I casually looked at the other stages, the Balum tribe was fighting against a weird tribe.
They had skinny bodies with a bent over posture. Long claws covered the back of their hands, and strange masks were worn on their faces. Even if I call it a mask, it’s not a mask, it’s something like a dust protector which covers the bottom half of the face. For an instant, I questioned which rotten ocean they were going to clean.
Their eyes, for some reason, looked suspicious too. I feel a light emanating some kind of madness from them as well.
Although the Balum tribe’s current contender was a large man with a spear, he was receiving the masked man’s attacks and had countless small scratches all over his body.
The Balum tribesman thrusted his spear, but his step wavered unsteadily. Is his stamina nearly exhausted? Sweating profusely, he was also breathing heavily.
「Fumu, a poison?」
「Eh!?」
I was surprised when Moroha-nee-san said that without hesitation. Poison, you say....... Is it perhaps painted on their claws?
「It is not to the extent it can kill. At most, it numbs the hands and feets, consumes their stamina, causes slight dizziness. About this much, I guess? Apparently, it is also scattered on the stage itself」
「Isn’t using poison a rule violation?」
「No, magic is forbidden, but nothing in particular besides that. The act which smears a tribe’s pride is said to be prohibited, so they must tread lightly when using poison. Moreover, it is a common hunting method to obtain the game by poison after all」
Now that I hear it, I guess that’s correct. For some reason, I feel like that’s cowardly. Certainly, it would be hard to say that the masked tribe excels in body strength. So, they might have established a method of hunting using poison to compensate instead.
It isn’t bad to battle with their specialization... I guess.
With the movements of the Balum tribesman dulled, the bent-back man quickly rushed forward, stabbing the claws of his right hand into the Balum tribesman’s stomach. The match was over with that.
With that match, the male dominated Balum tribe were demoralized and were defeated one after another by the poison manipulators from the Rivet tribe. It was a distressing elimination.
「They ended up losing, didn’t they? That Balum Tribe」
「This should ease the anxiety of the Rauri tribe for now」
With this, the Balum tribe was prevented from becoming [Tribe of Tree King] and placing a disadvantageous rule on the Rauri tribe.
However, that poison is still troublesome. Even without directly attacking, the results will be the same with combatants inhaling poison scattered around the stage. Is that their aim? I think they purposely fight defensively to waste time during the fight of the vanguards. They probably bide their time for the poison to affect the other four combatants as well.
Luckily, thanks to the protection of the spirit, the poison inside the stage didn’t spread anywhere else.
In other words, it seems both the spirit and referee approve the use of poison. Although the referee, being on the stage at the time, was also poisoned. Since it was not life threatening, he will recover after several hours.
Still, even that kind of poison can become fatal while fighting. It would be wise for the girls to prepare some countermeasures, I guess. They may face that tribe tomorrow.
I had asked if the Rivet tribe ever partic.i.p.ated in [Pruning Ceremony] beforehand and was informed that it’s a new tribe, recently split from a different tribe. The originating tribe also used poison to some extent while hunting. From this tribe, a new specialized tribe was formed.
For the tribes of the Great Forest Sea, rather than being a family, they are more akin to a village or colony. It wouldn’t, then, be unusual for new tribes to be born from other tribes, other tribes being absorbed or vanis.h.i.+ng.
「Oh」
The Dragon clan’s melee fighter tribeswoman I saw yesterday was fighting on another stage. She had the same steady actions, without any unnecessary movements. Ah, similar to before, her enemy was blown away.
Say, was that the third match for them? A straight win, her tribe is also advancing to the finals tomorrow.
All of the tribes that have won and entered the top 8 seem to have a unique feature or trait. One tribe wears full-body Jaguar furs, another uses bone-made weapons, etc. They are full of variety.
It may be a bit difficult tomorrow.
=====================Scene Change=====================
「Are we really doing it?」
「Don’t hold back. Come when you are ready. Ah, the magic isn’t really allowed」
After introducing Moroha-nee-san to the partic.i.p.ating girls, Hilda and Yae made a request: “Please have a match with us”.
Since Karen-nee-san gloated of Moroha-nee-san’s skill in swordsmans.h.i.+p, the fire in Yae and Hilda had been ignited. However, I shouldn’t let them fight since they are partic.i.p.ating in the [Pruning Ceremony]. There is an important match tomorrow after all. I would be worried if anything were to happen to them.
Yet, Hilda and Yae’s group pet.i.tioned to see Moroha-nee-san’s skill, and with some pestering, it was decided that she would have a mock battle after dinner.
「Why am I your opponent ?」
「Well, you know, there is no one else?」
Well, I guess that’s true. I can’t let Yumina or Lindsey spar with her even if I exclude [Pruning Ceremony] partic.i.p.ants.
It can’t be helped. I am a little interested as well, so shall we see it? I clench the imitation sword made of mithril and confronted Moroha-nee-san.
「I will not end it quickly, so attack with your full strength」
「Then, shall I start? Ne~ to!」
To start with, I rush straight in and swing my sword downward, to test something. My older sister lightly parried the attack, while rotating her body around to my back, she swung her sword horizontally. Bending my body, I easily dodge the raised up sword as I let it pa.s.s by me.
Facing off again, I try a feign this time. Pretending to aim at her torso from the right, I instead swipe with my sword upwards to hit her right arm. However, Nee-san slams herself into me, causing me to lose my balance. After nearly falling down, I roll on the ground with some force and gain some distance. She doesn’t seem serious yet, as she isn’t pursuing me.
It’s a bit irritating that she has time to float a smile. Since she isn’t being serious, let’s go full force!