Chapter 53 - Morning Practice and the Battle Over Boomerang Briefs
"So, where did you two run off to in the rain yesterday?"
Avea questioned me, tapping her shoulder with a wooden staff. It was a scary sight, so I averted my gaze. It was time for our now-customary morning practice with the usual members. Aira had come along as well. The sight of her sitting primly off to the side, watching us train, was utterly adorable. It reminded me of my school days back in my original world—like a beautiful team manager watching over a club practice. The sweet scent of youth... Not that I ever had an experience like that, of course.
"...Ah, well, my stomach was acting up... I went into the forest to look for some medicinal herbs. It always gets like this when it rains."
"Is that so? Fam said you'd been kidnapped. She had a look on her face like it was the end of the world."
"..."
So she knew all along and was just messing with me. What a cruel woman. Left with no choice, I gave her a brief summary of what happened, making sure to leave out any mention of the transfer students. I told her we had gone to the bandits' hideout to save a comrade who had been taken by Riley and the thieves, and that we had helped with the rescue. I wonder how Riley's doing.
"It seems one of the bandits turned himself in at the garrison here early this morning."
That must be Ito. He kept his promise. Which means she must have recovered enough to use her special skill. Maybe I can use mine, too.
"Goddess Summon!"
"Huh? Master?"
"W-wait, what are you trying to do all of a sudden?!"
Fam and Mizuki rushed to stop me, but it was unnecessary. Nothing happened. It seems the cooldown period between using special skills varies from skill to skill. Or perhaps it depends on the user's proficiency.
"...Don't just do things out of the blue like that!"
Mizuki scolded me.
"Alright, then. It's you and me again today."
Avea pointed the tip of her wooden staff at me.
"Wait a minute! We haven't even drawn lots today!"
This was too much. Besides, I'd already had an intense battle with Fam this morning.
"Your party gets into trouble because you're weak."
"You're not wrong, but as you can see, I'm just an old guy. There's a limit to how much I can improve. It'd be faster for Fam and Mizuki to get stronger. Call it favoritism, but those two are geniuses."
"They can be geniuses, but if you get taken out, it's over. For some reason, you're the cornerstone of your party."
I glanced at Fam and Mizuki. Mizuki unnaturally looked away. Had she been the one who asked Avea to train me?
"I'm sorry. You're always getting knocked out during fights, and I was just really worried..."
"...I only get knocked out because I want to see your panties!"
I protested.
"And there you have it. I'm going to train you until you're raw and give you the gift of high-quality muscle armor. Don't worry. Muscles never betray you. Even if you die, your heart will keep pumping blood to your muscles, and your muscles will keep fighting."
"..."
What's the point if I'm dead? And they say building muscle takes talent, too. This is probably impossible for me.
"If you can land a single blow on me, I'll bestow upon you my speedo armor."
Avea's face was sparkling. Was she serious?
"No, sorry, but I don't need any speedo armor."
"Heh heh, you greedy man. Fine, then. I'll throw in the boomerang brief armor, too. The color will be red, to match my bikini."
"Master, please let me wear them, too. After you've worn them, of course."
Fam whispered in my ear, her tail wagging furiously.
"..."
I had no idea how to respond to Fam.
"You look dissatisfied. Muscles and a swimsuit. What more could you possibly need?"
Avea was just as much of a pervert as I was. I'd thought she was just a bit of a muscle-head, but otherwise normal.
"I already have Mizuki's blue panties. I'd rather run across this world wearing those than put on some red boomerang briefs!"
"Hmph, spoken like a true man." Avea nodded, looking satisfied.
"Stop it! Just seriously, stop it!" Mizuki screamed.
"I see you have your pride. So, what would motivate you, then?"
Avea asked.
"Let's see. If Mizuki would do something naughty for me over there in the shade of those trees..."
"What is with you all of a sudden? I'm absolutely not doing that!"
Mizuki seemed angry.
"Then I can take her place, if you like," Avea replied.
"What, really?!"
I readied my wooden staff. My motivation suddenly skyrocketed.
"Avea, the Master is strong. If you're joking, you should stop. A bet like that is truly dangerous," Fam said.
"The loyal pup seems to think so, but is it true?"
Avea smiled fearlessly.
This was our third confrontation. The first time, I had overcome the weakness of her bikini armor. I passed out afterward, but I think it's fair to call that my victory. The second time, she beat me to a pulp without me being able to do a thing. I gained nothing from it, and on top of that, she forced me to abandon my obsession with bikini armor. That led to agonizing days of repeatedly asking myself what was left of me if I gave up my dedication to bikinis. But now, in this moment, I have achieved enlightenment. Bikini armor is, in the end, just cloth. It was what lay within that I should have been focused on. I faced Avea. I took a middle guard stance, while Avea held her weapon in one hand. The tips of our staves crossed.
"Here I come."
I called out. Avea grinned.
"Bring it."
I lunged, aiming for her head. Avea deflected the blow with ease. I spun around and immediately closed the distance again, lunging for her head once more. She blocked that strike, too. She swung her free arm in a hook-like motion. I felt like I could hear the wind whistle as it cut through the air, accompanied by a sharp killing intent. I jumped back to dodge it. I considered another attack, but my legs were wobbly, and I couldn't move. In that moment, Avea came slashing at me. I blocked the first strike, but couldn't parry the second and fell to the ground. I rolled with the fall and scrambled back to my feet. She didn't pursue. Once I was out of her range, I stood up and reset my stance.
"Even in this situation, do you really think Mash can win, Fam?"
Mizuki, who was watching the match, asked Fam.
"Yes. The Master can create a winning situation from any circumstances. When he's serious, no one can beat him."
"Serious, huh..."
As always, Fam's evaluation of me was so off the charts it was scary.
"Avea's no pushover. Mash's swordplay isn't getting through to her at all."
"...The prize is too great. The Master will win."
Fam declared it with certainty.
"...You might be right."
Mizuki, swayed by Fam, was starting to agree.
"In that case, I'll bet on Mash losing. The prize will be the chance for our next date and sex."
Aira, who had been listening to our conversation, joined the betting.
"Huh? By yourself? Not with Cecily?"
"Yeah. I haven't been on a date with Mash yet."
Aira nodded at Mizuki's question.
"Mash gets careless with his follow-through. He loses focus at the very last moment and lets his guard down."
Aira added her own analysis of me.
"...Is she serious?"
"I hope it's a joke, but you really shouldn't fall for him for real."
Fam and Mizuki seemed genuinely worried about Aira. They were talking about me in pretty harsh terms, but they went ahead and started their own wager anyway.
Avea's attacks were strong. Each blow was heavy and fast. She made it look effortless, but she was precisely targeting my weak points. She shattered my defense with ease, crushing any chance for a counterattack. And her own defense was an iron wall. My attacks weren't getting through at all. I couldn't even feint her. She had me completely read.
"What's wrong? Is that all you've got?"
Avea taunted me.
"As you can see, I'm an old man. Go a little easier on me."
"Alright, then I'll put you to sleep."
Avea casually closed the distance between us. Retreating would only let her corner me, so I dove in as well. I aimed for her wrist, but she dodged it effortlessly. I tried to slip past her side, but she tripped me, and I fell. I couldn't let go of my staff, so I landed awkwardly. Avea didn't attack, just stood there looking down at me, waiting for me to get up. My elbows and knees were scraped. A jolt of pain shot through me as I tried to stand.
"Ouch..."
"What are you going to do? You've got friends who believe in your victory."
Avea teased.
"I haven't given up yet."
"That's a good look."
Avea smiled. A smile of pure confidence. She was certain of her victory. I knew it. Defense was more important than offense. If I couldn't break her defense, this was hopeless. Cheap tricks wouldn't work. So, I had to land a strike she couldn't defend against. The weapon in my hand was a wooden staff, but to me, it was a sword. When I swing it, it can cut through anything. I settled into my stance. I will absolutely cut her down.
"Avea, it's dangerous! You should stop this now!"
Fam shouted. Hadn't she tried to stop a fight like this before? But why was she trying to stop Avea, not me? That was just like taunting her.
"Interesting. I won't dodge your next attack. I'll take it head-on."
Avea switched to a two-handed grip and adjusted her stance. It seemed she could feel my resolve. I closed the distance with shuffling steps. As I lunged forward, I swung my staff high over my head and brought it down on her. The target didn't matter. She would definitely block my strike with her own weapon. My real target was that weapon. I would shatter her defense and rob her of her means of attack at the same time. Avea raised her staff to defend. I aimed for it and swung with all my might. My all-out strike split her wooden staff in two.
"Avea. I win!"
I raised my staff again, aiming for her head.
"Your swing is too wide."
Avea darted into my guard. She grabbed my collar. My body flowed forward diagonally, and the back of her thigh was pressed against my groin as she launched me upwards. As my body flew spectacularly through the air, I realized I'd been thrown. I was slammed back-first onto the ground.
"Gah!"
A strange cry escaped me. The impact was so intense I couldn't breathe or move.
"Do you yield?"
Avea, who had waited for my breathing to settle, peered into my face.
"Yeah, I lost. ...Dammit."
"You've got a slightly better look in your eyes now."
A pair of red boomerang briefs fluttered down and landed on my forehead.
"I acknowledge you as a warrior. Become a man worthy of those briefs."
Avea walked away. In her place, Aira approached. She began casting a healing spell on me.
"Fam was right. You were strong. Even if you're a pervert with something weird on your forehead right now."
"But I still lost. Just like you predicted."
"You heard that?"
I nodded. This was just practice. I knew from the start that I was no match for her at my current level. So I should have been taking it easy, thinking it was fine if I failed. But Fam believed I would win. For once, I wanted to live up to her expectations. So I created an opportunity for victory.
"Mash will win in the end. We'll make sure of it."
I hugged Aira. I was making a face I didn't want anyone to see. It was just the scrapes that hurt. Aira stroked my hair.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you very much. It encourages me to keep going. I'll do my best. And thank you for pointing out typos. I appreciate it.