Match 12... Hakuro vs.
In the center of the arena, Hakuro and Shion stood facing each other.
Amid the tense atmosphere, Milim — looking no different from usual — called out: "Begin!"
She'd gotten the hang of it by now and launched into her announcements with practiced fluency.
Incidentally,
It would be too dangerous to interrupt an all-out sword fight, so she was essentially just providing commentary.
Milim was doing the same, not interfering with the match in any way.
She seemed to enjoy having something to do, and since she wasn't going on any of the rampages I'd been worried about, that was a relief.
Let's turn our attention to the match.
Both fighters had their swords drawn, standing in quiet composure.
There was no fierce clash of blades like the sword fights between
Like a gently flowing river.
But a sudden downpour could make a river overflow its banks.
Hakuro launched a devastating slash at Shion with an explosion of fighting spirit.
But Shion showed no panic. Like a textbook example of how to handle such an attack, she deflected Hakuro's strike with precisely controlled force that wouldn't damage her blade.
Hakuro was stillness; Shion was motion.
That was the impression one might get, but this battle was about to completely overturn that image.
Just like yesterday's fight, Shion had clearly grown. She'd moved away from her previous brute-force style and shifted toward a more rational approach that emphasized building tactics and technique.
It meant that her power and skill had merged — her strength had leapt up another level.
Skill She still probably couldn't match Hakuro in pure technique, but her extraordinary physical abilities combined with skill and supplemented by intuition meant she could fight Hakuro on equal terms.
No — not quite equal.
Flowing swordsmanship seamlessly infused with raw power. Her technique was still unpolished, but that was only compared to Hakuro.
In fact, when they'd clashed at full force, it was Hakuro who'd been pushed back.
Hakuro's swordsmanship was no longer able to deflect all of Shion's strikes.
"You've grown, Shion... I never imagined you'd be able to match me sword to sword like this."
"Hehehe. I'm not just about brute force anymore, you know.
Reaching ever greater heights — that is my ambition.
If I can't stand before those heights, I'll be of no use to Lord Rimuru."
Their blades crossed and deflected each other away. Then they separated and faced off once more.
The match was already showing the hallmarks of a far more high-level sword duel than I'd expected.
Hakuro watched Shion's growth with visible satisfaction and nodded approvingly.
Souei had always been a student who required no hand-holding.
He understood his own talent and role, and trained diligently without ever getting ahead of himself. The ideal student.
Benimaru and Shion were the polar opposite.
No matter how much you taught them, they valued practical combat over theory — and raw power over technique. That was their nature to a T.
However, as an ogre warrior, Benimaru had always been a young man with a strong sense of responsibility.
The key was that once he became aware of how his arrogance could harm those around him — once he gained the awareness and responsibility of a general — his growth had been remarkable, even beyond what Hakuro had hoped.
For Hakuro, this was deeply gratifying.
But even more surprising and joyful was the growth of Shion, who had been the bigger problem child.
There had been a time after Shion's resurrection from the brink of death when her violent behavior was truly hard to bear.
Was her spirit unstable? Was there a shadow over her heart?
Her hatred for anyone outside their inner circle had been fierce, as if it had dyed her very soul.
She'd observed the training sessions with the Shikikoushu as well, but that hadn't felt like training — more like she was taking out her frustrations on them.
Had Shion's death driven her mind mad? That was what Hakuro had worried about.
If Shion were to become someone who caused harm, he'd resolved to deal with her with his own blade.
But Shion showed growth.
After the battle with the Holy Knights, and after being guided by Lord Rimuru, Shion changed once more.
In the end, Shion had been afraid.
The fear of being killed.
Not the fear of dying itself — but the fear of disappearing without ever having been of any use.
She feared being forgotten by Lord Rimuru more than anything else. That was Hakuro's analysis.
That was why she tried to outshine others and stand above them.
That was why she'd fixated on something as trivial as rank.
She envied others, feared that if she wasn't the one monopolizing Lord Rimuru's interest and affection, she'd be left behind and forgotten.
That jealousy had been the cause of her rampages.
But once she felt in her bones that Lord Rimuru would never forget them, that jealousy faded away.
In essence, it was the reassurance of knowing a parent was watching over her that had protected Shion's heart.
Her current, unhesitating sword strokes spoke of that more eloquently than words ever could.
If she continued growing at this rate, it wouldn't be long before she surpassed Hakuro in technique.
(Then I can focus on looking after the youngsters —
With that thought, a pleased smile spread across his face.
"Now then — if you can block this next strike, I'll grant you full mastery!"
Hakuro called out to Shion and slid his sword back into its sheath.
The next blow would decide the match.
It had been a stroke of luck to witness Shion's growth.
Now all that remained was to enjoy the fight.
Hakuro intended to use his quick-draw technique.
Shion understood that.
But she didn't panic. She'd never been able to use quick-draw herself, and with a greatsword, the form was inherently unsuited for such techniques even if she tried to increase her initial speed.
It wasn't impossible, but now wasn't the time.
For Shion and the others, Hakuro was something like a parent figure.
He'd looked after them since they were young, and he was one of the people they looked up to above all else.
That was precisely why earning his recognition was one of Shion's goals.
And beyond that — Shion believed she would continue to grow past him.
Just recently, the hard-to-describe anxious feeling that had been gnawing at her heart had vanished completely.
She wasn't afraid of dying.
But dying and being forgotten — that had been terrifying.
But now, it was okay.
She was certain that Lord Rimuru would never forget her, and that certainty had swept away all her anxiety.
Once the anxiety was gone, she realized that envying others was pointless.
Right — don't envy. Surpass.
Shion had begun finding meaning not in surpassing others, but in surpassing herself. If she did that, she would always be continuing to grow.
Even if those steps were slow, with their long lifespans, they could reach dimensions that the short-lived could never attain.
When Shion realized that, her impatience vanished.
The disappearance of impatience and doubt had accelerated Shion's growth — an ironic outcome, perhaps.
And there was something Shion herself couldn't have noticed...
The "seed of jealousy" that had been sprouting in her heart was also changing.
As her impatience and doubt disappeared, so too did her jealousy toward others.
As a result, the sprouting seed reversed itself, reverting to its original form, and fell into a deep slumber in the depths of her heart.
And nothing would ever cause jealousy to sprout in Shion's emotions again.
The seed, having fused with her soul, would never disappear. It mingled with the wavelengths of her soul and pulsed like a heartbeat.
Whether the jealousy disappearing had caused the impatience and doubt to vanish, or whether the impatience and doubt disappearing had ended the jealousy — that was unclear.
Regardless, Shion had changed, and had arrived at who she was now.
The next technique Hakuro unleashed would undoubtedly be a quick-draw Sword Saint technique.
If she could weather it, the inherent weakness of quick-draw techniques — their poor follow-up — would open a path to victory.
The match would be decided in an instant.
Shion steeled her entire being and took her stance, ready for Hakuro's attack.
"Hazy Flowing Water Slash!"
Hakuro's form blurred, becoming hazy and translucent. Despite being slower in speed, the technique disrupted Shion's perception, creating the illusion that he had appeared before her in an instant.
The gleaming blade flowed toward her neck in a graceful arc, and it seemed as though Hakuro's victory was assured.
"Not yet! 'Fighting God Release'!!"
Shion activated her transformed Unique Skill, "Fighting God Transformation."
When Shion's doubt had vanished, her "Demon Transformation" skill had evolved into "Fighting God Transformation."
Unlike a berserker-type skill that erased consciousness and sent one into a frenzy, this was a pure ability that elevated strength and endurance.
Like Benimaru's "Magic Flame Transformation," it granted the qualities of a spiritual life form.
In this state, Shion's Physical Body strength was directly transferred to her Mental Body. However, the drain on her Magicules was so severe that she couldn't maintain it for long.
This single instant — this exchange — would decide everything.
Her current self couldn't match Hakuro. That was precisely why she had to unleash every ounce of her ability.
Under the influence of the Unique Skill "Fighting God Transformation," a tremendous fighting spirit erupted from Shion's entire body.
At the same time, all her senses sharpened to a razor's edge, and she felt power surging through her.
Even Hakuro's "Hazy Flowing Water Slash" — the technique that had been confusing her perception speed — was now crystal clear to Shion.
Dodging wasn't necessary.
With that blade, she wouldn't take any damage. Shion understood this in an instant.
And yet, without hesitation, she chose to respond with the most powerful technique at her disposal.
"Heaven-and-Earth Extinction and Rebirth!!"
Pouring every last ounce of her will into it — enough to rewrite the outcome itself.
Twisting her body upward, she swung the greatsword in a rising arc from below to meet Hakuro's incoming strike.
Hakuro's blade — which should have been slicing toward Shion's neck — was swallowed by Shion's oncoming greatsword.
Despite lacking both the range and speed to intercept, Shion's accelerating blade shattered common sense and rewrote the result.
Light flashed. A broken blade spun through the air.
Shion's greatsword had cleaved through Hakuro's sword.
In a follow-up swing, Shion brought her greatsword crashing down from above Hakuro's head.
A clear, high-pitched ring echoed through the arena as Shion's greatsword was caught by the Demon Sword "Tenma," wielded by Milim.
"Stop! Any further is forbidden. This match goes to Shion!"
Milim declared Shion's victory as though nothing had happened.
The arena erupted in cheers.
Hardly anyone noticed that it was Milim who had stepped in to halt Shion's blade.
But both Hakuro and Shion understood at the same time: had that final blow connected, the damage would have been fatal — beyond even the reach of resurrection magic.
"I'm sorry... Hakuro. I wanted you to see how I'd grown, and I got carried away..."
"Not at all, don't worry about it. I wanted to see your true power too. No — I'm satisfied that I got to see it."
Hakuro forgave the apologizing Shion.
To the two of them, a voice called out: "Hey — Shion, was it? I'm going to train you personally next time!
Rejoice! That last strike was powerful enough to cut down even a Demon Lord!"
It was Milim speaking.
But — "E-eh, no thank you! I'm not interested in getting stronger or anything!"
Shion chose to flee, apparently unwilling to deal with the Tyrant Milim under any circumstances.
"What did you say!? You scratched my Demon Sword 'Tenma' — you're responsible for that!"
Milim kicked up a fuss, but engaging her was a losing battle.
Shion made that judgment swiftly and decided to make a hasty exit from the arena.
"No, that wasn't a scratch — it was just some rust falling off. No problem at all.
Thank you for the proper officiating today!"
With that, Shion beat a hasty retreat.
Milim looked taken aback for a moment, but then burst out laughing as if she'd let it go.
Milim's laughter echoed through the arena. This match was Shion's win.
The final match of the third day — the winner was Shion.
With that, the top four fighters had been decided.
——— I was surprised.
The fact that Shion could hold her own against Hakuro was one thing, but her victory was even more startling.
But what surprised me most was that Milim had read the situation and intervened.
If Milim hadn't stepped in at that moment, I believed Hakuro would have died. Thank goodness she did.
If Souka had been commentating, she wouldn't have been able to intervene.
We were fortunate that we'd asked Milim to handle it this time.
"Milim, thanks for stopping Shion back there — I really appreciate it!"
When I thanked her: "Ha ha ha ha! Don't mention it, it's all good!
But that subordinate of yours, Shion — she's really something. I can see why Guy was concerned!"
She laughed and replied. Then, as an afterthought: "Which reminds me — I think I'll do the commentary again tomorrow too!"
She tilted her head with a bright smile and proceeded to pressure me.
As if I could refuse.
I glanced at Souka, and — "Understood. Then, Lady Milim — let's do the commentary together!"
She had no intention of yielding.
Well, whatever. Something might come up tomorrow too.
I agreed to have the next day's matches commentated by Milim and Souka together.
The schedule for the fourth day was: Match 13... Benimaru vs. Gobta (+
Well, how would it turn out?
As I let my thoughts drift toward tomorrow's results, we headed for home.
——— That evening.
The long-delayed meal with the Hero Masayuki finally came to be.
Well, it wasn't anything that dramatic.
"Is—is it okay to say 'nice to meet you'? I'm the Hero (lol) Masayuki..."
Blushing, he introduced himself as a hero.
Yeah. By the standards of our old world, there was probably nothing more embarrassing than calling yourself a hero.
He probably felt like he was being mocked as a hero in some muscle-brain's game.
And we had met once before, when I'd first approached him.
At the time, Yuuki's brainwashing was still in effect, and I remembered that he hadn't responded at all. No wonder he seemed uncomfortable now.
After all, I was the Demon Lord.
From his perspective, I was the boss of the enemy he'd been told to defeat.
It was understandable that he'd have complicated feelings.
But if I had a meal prepared and we ate together, those tensions should dissolve.
"Well, this isn't technically the first time we've met, but let's call it a proper introduction.
I'm the Demon Lord Rimuru. Real name: Minoru Mikami. I used to be a salaryman, back in the day."
I broke the ice by laying everything out upfront.
I hadn't used my old name in a long time, but it felt more natural than I'd expected.
"Wait — could it be... you're Japanese?"
Well, I did look like a beautiful girl. It was hard to believe, to be sure.
"Yeah, that's right. Let's talk more over food."
With that, I invited him to eat.
Masayuki was moved nearly to tears by the sushi and udon laid out before him, and it wasn't until after the meal that we could hold a proper conversation.
"I've made up my mind. I'll be your subordinate, Mikami-san!"
Without me having said anything, as soon as he finished eating, he came out with this.
Made up his mind about what? I had absolutely no clue.
Well, I mean... I could understand that he'd been starved for Japanese food.
"My subordinate... you sure about that?"
"No, it's fine. I have no attachment to being a hero.
Honestly, being called 'the Hero' is embarrassing enough as it is.
No, really — I've been struggling with how to quit."
He went on to speak candidly.
Apparently, in his original world, he'd been a top student at a prestigious prep school — pretty sharp, by all accounts.
He'd had a secret hobby of reading manga and light novels, which unfortunately filled his head with a hero complex, and now look where he'd ended up, he grumbled.
After that, we talked at length and explained our respective situations to one another.
Well, I mostly kept it light on my end and mostly just listened.
He seemed to really need to talk, so he gave me a detailed account.
His companions worshipped him like a god, so he'd never been able to speak his mind with them.
That had apparently built up quite a bit of stress.
I also heard a lot about Yuuki.
Well, as expected. It seemed he'd received near-brainwashing-level thought guidance early on, and I was able to confirm a fair amount.
The fact that Yuuki hadn't implemented complete mental control was puzzling, but I could make an educated guess.
It was probably difficult to maintain complete control over multiple people simultaneously.
Those with strong wills — like people with Unique Skills — were the most useful to control, but their strong wills made them resistant to domination.
That was why Yuuki needed to exert influence during the early stages, before they'd fully grown.
"But thought guidance, huh?
I do have memories from when I was under it, and I have to admit it was helpful in some ways.
I avoided a lot of embarrassing situations.
But the trade-off is that when I remember it all, it's absolutely mortifying...
I can never forgive that guy."
He'd woken up as a hero and acquired considerable strength without even realizing it.
That part was fine — but the memories were embarrassing. That was the gist of it.
Well, there was nothing to do but forget. He'd be brooding for a while, though.
In the end, Masayuki agreed to cooperate with me.
Some of the information I'd gleaned from him seemed genuinely useful.
He promised to contact me if he remembered anything else, and I suggested he stay in town for a while.
Above all, I had business of my own connected to his memories.
I planned to keep him around as a conversation partner for the time being.
And so, I forged a bond of friendship with Masayuki and gained a new ally.