Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu
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TL Notes:
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Chapter 321
I make it a point to never skip morning training whenever possible.
This doesn't change even in the Demon King's territory, so after properly obtaining permission from Hannah-san beforehand, I decided to run through the city.
Waking up as soon as the sun rose that morning, I quickly changed clothes and headed outside.
"Oya, Usato-dono?"
"Good morning, Kurumia-san."
I greeted Kurumia-san, who was guarding the dormitory, while doing my warm-up exercises.
"Good morning. The Rescue Squad is up early as usual. Running drills again?"
"Yes. Are you on duty now, Kurumia-san?"
"Yes. You never know what might happen, so we have to stay alert just in case."
She's such a reliable person, but I can't ask her to push herself too hard. I'll make sure I'm always ready to cast healing magic.
"If you ever feel unwell, please tell me or Ururu-san."
"Personally, I'm more worried that you, Usato-dono, might be pushing yourself too hard."
"I'm fine with that. Training is like taking a break for me!"
"...I-Is that so?"
"No, I'm just kidding."
"Eh!?"
You didn't think I was joking...?
Honestly, I don't think “training” and “break” go together at all.
"Well then, I'm off!"
"Ah, yes!"
I break into a light jog, running through the city streets.
Perhaps because it's not fully light yet, I see no people, but since my goal is also to grasp the city's layout and structure, I run while scanning my surroundings.
"What incredibly solid buildings. Since the Demon King rebuilt them, I suppose they were designed with that in mind."
Maybe the castle was disassembled and the materials used to build houses for the demons to live in?
Then, right before my eyes, I spot two demons on patrol.
"Haa, I saw a flying healing mage yesterday."
"Senpai, I heard about that too. That's a lie, right?"
"You can say that because you've never actually encountered that healing mage...! That thing, every time I run into it, it transforms into some unidentifiable form...!!"
They're talking about something, but I run past them without paying much attention.
"Ah, good morni~ng."
"Hey, good morni-beh!?"
"Aba?!"
Of course, they're incredibly startled, but this kind of accumulation is important.
The veteran-looking guy had this utterly horrified expression, like he'd just encountered a monster.
Well, from the demon's perspective, humans probably look like something they've never seen before, so I guess that reaction is understandable.
After that, I pulled myself together and kept running. People did double-take, suspect I was an illusion, and some even bowed to me, reactions I didn't quite get the meaning of... but yeah, no real problems, I guess.
"...Is this the training ground...on the outskirts of the city?"
Before I knew it, there were fewer buildings, and instead, I found a place that looked like a training ground.
There are piles of wood and stone here, so I wonder if it's a place where soldiers usually train?
"It's a good training ground. It's spacious, and there are big rocks too. ...Hmm?"
Someone's here.
Curiosity drawing me closer, I spot a demon standing before a stack of stone blocks piled about five high.
Tall with blond hair, he swings a sword held in a loose grip———at a speed barely perceptible to my eyes, slicing the stone blocks to pieces in an instant.
"Oh..."
I couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration.
Having already sensed my presence, he silently sheathed his sword and turned to face me.
"...It's you."
"Long time no see, Nero Argens-san."
Former commander of the Demon King's First Corps.
He, who could be called one of the strongest demons aside from the Demon King himself, responded with a slightly surprised look.
"Nero is fine. I know you're in the city, but I never thought I'd meet you here..."
"I didn't expect to meet you here either."
The person who was Rose's sworn enemy.
Though that grudge seems to have faded now, to me, he's a powerhouse on par with Rose, far more than just memorable.
"Morning training?"
"Hmm? Yeah. Can't spare much time at noon."
"Since the weather's nice, I thought I'd go for my usual run."
"...Does the weather matter?"
No, I still run in the rain sometimes.
Nero tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Ah, I suppose I never introduced myself. I'm Usato Ken."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I'm the person who almost killed you..."
It's true that at one point Nero almost cut my body into pieces.
"My master has already repaid that debt, so I'm not concerned."
"...You're quite an unusual person."
"I hear that a lot."
Honestly, calling me ‘unusual’ is still showing some compassion...
Well, I'm aware of that myself, though.
"...I hear Rose's subordinate has been revived."
"...! Yes"
I was surprised, as I never expected him to bring up the topic himself.
I know about the battle with Nero's subordinates that was the cause of Auru-san and the others' deaths.
For Nero, who was directly involved, it must be a rather complicated matter.
"So, what do you think?"
"If I encounter them, I intend to drag them to the Commander's quarters, even if I have to force them."
"No... that's not what I meant when I asked..."
When I answered with firm determination, he gave me a strange look.
"From your perspective as her subordinate now, how does the past me, the one who committed those deeds, appear?"
"How do I see it...? It feels like it couldn’t be avoided. I’ve heard the Demon King’s territory was in a pretty dire state before Demon King’s revival..."
Objectively speaking, there were certainly reasons why the demons fought so desperately.
Besides, no matter how much I’m her subordinate now, I’m practically an outsider. There’s no way I could say anything to Nero-san.
"In the end, I think there was no other way but for one side to stand their ground. You probably understand that well yourself, don't you?"
"...Ah, that's right."
Rose and Auru-san fought to protect the Lingle Kingdom.
Nero-san and his subordinates fought for the people living in the Demon King's territory.
Even back then, with the deep-seated grudges between humans and demons, there was no way this could end without either side suffering.
"But you really shouldn't ask that kind of question when you meet the Commander, okay?"
"Hm? Why's that?"
"I think she'll be furious and say, 'Don't keep bringing up the past!'"
That person would definitely say something like that.
She might even punch you in the face for good measure.
"...You look a lot like Rose."
"She's always been my goal."
"I see..."
Nero-san lowered his eyes and remained silent for about ten seconds.
It was impossible to gauge how much emotion lay within that silence.
"I understand why the Demon King has such an eye on you."
"Well, I don't think his opinion of me is actually that favorable."
I know he trusts me, but it feels like he's expecting something... in a strange way.
"When he talks about you, he sounds like he’s having fun. Like, “Who knows what he’ll do next”."
"Doesn’t that mean he’s wary of me...?"
"Being described as unpredictable by the Demon King himself isn't exactly ordinary, is it?"
Should I be pleased about that?
Considering yesterday, I can't exactly deny it either.
"...I think that meeting you here might have some meaning for me as well."
"Nero-san?"
Nero-san slowly began to walk around the area.
He moved from the pile of stones to a more open spot, then stopped and turned to face me.
"What do you think? This coincidence is fate. Why don't we have a sparring match?"
"...!"
An unexpected proposal.
Though momentarily stunned by his words, I found myself smiling.
"I couldn't ask for more...! You'd be dead wrong if you thought I was the same as back then...!"
"It wouldn't be right if you weren't..."
I take a half step forward and prepare to thrust my deployed gauntlets forward.
It's not something I should be doing in the morning, but I have no reason to refuse...!
In the past, I was forced to play defensively in the face of overwhelming differences in ability, but I have grown since then.
"Alright, here I go."
"Yes!"
Nero's figure vanishes.
Recognizing this, I move my gauntlet to parry the sword sheathed in the scabbard thrust toward me.
"Hh"
"! ...Fuh."
Nero-san, standing in front of me, slightly raises the corners of his mouth and launches another series of attacks.
...I can't block all of these!
Intuitively sensing this, I released a shock wave forward and stepped back.
"That's impressive crisis detection skills."
"..."
Is his base form equal to or even surpasses Senpai's Thunder Beast Mode...?
Just tracking it with my eyes won't be enough to handle it.
...Then, I guess I'll try using it right away...!
"———System Degradation"
A technique that reduces the effectiveness of healing magic and reduces the consumption of magic power.
Closing my eyes, I regulate my breathing as I radiate mana outward in a radial pattern.
"You deliberately degraded the quality of your magic power? That's a technique I've never seen before."
Simultaneously with that muttered remark, Nero-san, existing within my closed vision, begins to move.
I detected his movements not with my eyes but with my magic perception ——— and deflected his nearly invisible first slash.
"...! I did it!!"
"I'm not done yet, okay?"
The subsequent high-speed slash is captured by magic perception!
While retreating, parrying with gauntlets, deflecting and blocking every strike, then applying further techniques!
"And now, even more!"
System Degradation deactivated! Restoring the healing magic's concentration, unleashing it for just an instant!
As Nero-san prepares to swing his sword in a follow-up attack, his expression frowns, and his movement briefly stops.
"Now!!"
Seizing that opening, I deflected the follow-up strike with my gauntlet———and returned it with a Healing Flying Fist!!!
Nero-san, who had sliced through the Healing Flying Fist with his counter-swing and retreated slightly, widened his eyes in surprise.
"! My hands were tied...?"
"I call it Healing Disruption!"
Someone as skilled as Nero-san can't help but react to even the slightest shift in magic energy.
He could probably predict my movements from that, but that's exactly what “Healing Disruption” exploits...!
"A healing spell that alters its concentration in an instant, confusing the senses..."
But now the trick's been figured out.
I guess someone as skilled as Nero-san would see through it...
"Ku, kuku, hahaha!"
"N-Nero-san?"
I was startled by him suddenly bursting into laughter.
After laughing heartily, the man who'd seemed so cool smiled as if a spell had been broken.
"Ah, I see. No wonder the Demon King takes such an interest in you. My, my, truly terrifying indeed."
"..."
"I'll admit it. In handling magic power, I've never seen a user surpassing you."
His aura shifted back to that of battle.
Though my body was racked by chills that froze me to the bone, I too, raised the corners of my mouth and readied my gauntlet.
"Sorry, but I'd like to keep you company a little longer. Usato?"
"Bring it on! This time, I'm coming at you!"
Through “System Degradation”, I track every movement of my opponents within the range of my magic.
Using “Healing Disruption,” I vary the intensity of my magic’s emission to throw them off balance.
That is the newly enhanced Healing Perception.
It’s still far from ready for actual combat, but that’s precisely why I should test it right now!
●
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
"So what happened after that?"
At breakfast in the dormitory, Nea looked at me as if I were an idiot, so I nodded with a smug look on my face.
"I managed to defend myself properly, but my punches never landed. Ended up getting beaten to a pulp."
"What the hell are you doing training like this first thing in the morning, you training idiot?"
I have no regrets.
On the contrary, I'd say it was a good experience.
"I never expected to fight the former First Corps Commander after that... What do you think about that, Ark-san?"
"Haha, that's just like you, Usato-dono."
"Ark-kun, don't you think that if you say that, something will work out?"
Ark-san gave a wry smile, while Kurumia-san looked utterly dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Ururu-san was smiling happily.
"It's so fun being around Usato-kun, there's always something to talk about. Maybe I'll start running in the mornings too."
"Oh, Ururu-san, are you going to run too?"
"If it's okay with you, Usato-kun, I'd love to join you?"
"Could it be that Ururu is on that side too...?"
Nea looks at us in shock, but Ururu-san is also a member of the Rescue Squad, okay?
The reason she opened the clinic was probably for the frail Olga-san, and I think she probably had the same qualities as me, Rose, and Nack.
"M-More importantly, what is this System Degradation?"
Suddenly, Nea leans forward and glares at me.
"No, I mean it's a technique to lower the quality of magic power to reduce consumption."
"How the hell can you do that?!"
"...Because I can?"
"Normally, that's not possible! You idiot!"
I had a vague idea, but it seems like this isn't something that can be done normally.
It's probably not simply the opposite of system strengthening, so it's natural to think that it's due to the benefits of magic circulation.
"I don't get Healing Disruption at all either...!"
"The mechanism itself is actually simple, you know?"
It's hard to imagine because Nea isn't the fighting type, so let me explain.
"First, I’m using system degradation to fight while emitting weak healing magic from my whole body, you get that, right?"
"? ...Y-Yeah."
"Then, right before the opponent attacks, I briefly revert the quality of the magic I’m emitting."
"Yeah"
"Suddenly, for just a moment, a powerful wave of healing magic affected the entire body———"
"..."
"It will confuse the opponent. First-timers are almost guaranteed to fall for it."
"That technique is five times more brutal than I expected... Why would you come up with a technique that uses healing magic to confuse the opponent?"
That's a harsh thing to say.
Well, a simple analogy is like when you're taking a hot shower and the water suddenly turns cold and you're shocked.
Ururu-san seemed impressed by my explanation, but...
"For swordsmen, it's practically a natural enemy. The fact that people assume it's harmless just because it's healing magic is incredibly troublesome."
"That means you can definitely stop the movement right before the attack... It seems like someone like Suzune would get caught easily..."
Ark and the others were a bit taken aback.
For now, I plan to have Koga pay it later to get revenge for running away yesterday.
"Usato-dono, regarding the system degradation..."
"Yes?"
Ark-san called out to me, and I looked in his direction.
"So you're saying that technique could potentially be mastered by anyone who practices magic circulation?"
"I can't say for certain, but probably."
"...Then perhaps it could also benefit those born with strong magic power..."
"!"
I know that Ark-san, like Olga-san, naturally possesses magic powers that are close to system strengthening.
I understand his own perception of his magic well, and I'm sure there are others besides him who suffer from being overwhelmed by their own magic.
"...Maybe I should consult with Welshi-san about it."
I can't spread unproven technology, so I'll need to consult with Welshi-san first.
At the same time, I will conduct my own investigation and send her a report summarizing the system degradation later.
"I can imagine Welshi being turned upside down in the Lingle Kingdom... Hmm?"
As Nea muttered this in exasperation, the sound of someone banging forcefully on the dormitory door was heard.
"Maybe we have a visitor?"
"Then I'll go and check."
When Kurumia-san opened the door, Hannah-san stood there, panting heavily.
She looked a little angry when she spotted me, and quickly walked over to me, confronting me.
"Good morning, Hannah-san."
"Ah, good morning... Not that, what are you doing?!"
"What... what are you talking about?"
"Why is something as simple as going for a run in the morning turning into something so strange as fighting Nero-san?!"
But wait, is just having a mock battle with Nero really that big of a deal?
"We met by chance..."
"You guys fight just because you met by chance? That's weird, right? Are you stupid? You just ran, right!?"
"You're being criticized a lot, but I generally agree with Hannah."
At this point, Nea agreed with Hannah's opinion.
"I'm sorry, I'll get permission next time."
"That's not the issue...! Eh, no, wait a minute? Next time?"
"Yes, I'm so grateful that he has agreed to fight again..."
I never imagined Nero-san would ask me.
It would also allow me to deepen my friendship with Nero-san, so I had no reason to refuse.
"Well, Nero-san's training is so strict that Amira-san is the only one who can keep up with him; he's a dangerous guy..."
"I'm used to it."
"I've had enough of this human..."
Hannah-san collapses just like that.
Feeling bad about this, I called out to her.
"Uhm, do you want me to cast a healing spell?"
"Excuse me, can I just punch you once? I know it's pointless, though!"
After that, Hannah-san, who had hurt her wrist by punching my stomach, was there, tears of humiliation in her eyes, receiving healing magic.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Author's Notes:
The Healing Disruption feels like a weak stun that's easier to land the stronger your opponent is.
It's brutal how it comes flying at you without any motion, thanks to Usato's dynamic vision... (blank stare)
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