kscans

Chapter 85 - Conclusion and Accomplishment

Sulfuric acid. A powerful liquid that dissolves metal.

I had no idea how something like that was created. Science was never my strong suit, so I had no clue how to deal with it.

...In situations like this, there's only one thing to do: shore up my defenses.

No matter how strong the acid, it wouldn't melt me instantly on contact. It should take a certain amount of time. If that was the case, I just had to make sure it never touched my skin.

My current equipment was a set of Japanese-style armor. What's more, it had long sleeves and long pants, leaving only my face exposed. Realizing that, I used 'Matter Conversion' on an iron ball in my pocket. I would make a mask. There was no better way to protect my face. I fashioned it into the face of an oni.

...It was a bit menacing. ...Well, I suppose it looked cooler this way. I put the mask on, fusing the top to my helmet so it wouldn't fall off.

Complete. I was now a demon warrior.

Seeing this, Madero remarked, "...That's a rather... unique mask. You look like the villain."

He had a point. I knew it, too. No matter how you looked at it, I looked like an evil demon.

...But I couldn't deny it looked cool. ...For some reason, that's just how I felt.

"A villain, huh?" I replied. "I don't recall ever claiming to be a hero. I'm a hunter. All I do is take lives."

I gripped my sword, and the flames coiling around it blazed even hotter, as if responding to my resolve.

Madero said, "...A hunter, you say? ...In that case, I suppose I'll have to fight for my life to avoid being hunted."

He readied his nunchaku. Our resolves were set. Now, it was simply a matter of who would hunt whom. That was all.

...In the silence, a large wave struck the ship, making it lurch.

As if on cue, we both charged.

The distance closed, and our weapons clashed. A fierce exchange began.

I swung my sword from right to left, top to bottom, with the occasional thrust. There was no formal style to my movements—it was all my own. It might have looked haphazard, but there was no wasted motion. It was a unique flow, polished through countless battles.

...Madero, on the other hand, masterfully wielded his nunchaku, unleashing a relentless, omnidirectional assault. From above, below, left, and right, not to mention diagonally—he used centrifugal force to his advantage. He parried every one of my attacks, never once blocking them directly with his weapon.

Inwardly, Madero was terrified. He knew that if he took a direct hit from the flaming sword, his nunchaku would be destroyed, and he'd suffer a fatal blow. To avoid that, he had no choice but to parry—a maneuver that demanded immense focus. After all, he was reacting to my movements. A single lapse in concentration would mean the end.

...I was growing impatient. His skill in parrying every single one of my attacks was incredible. ...In terms of martial arts, he was my superior.

...Fighting like this would only wear me down. I decided to use a major technique.

...The clash ended, and we both created distance between us. We glared at each other, our shoulders heaving as we caught our breath.

...I sheathed my sword.

Seeing this, Madero asked, "...Is this the end?"

To his taunt, I replied, "...Yeah, it is. I'm ending this... with my victory. Activate 'Turmoil'!"

The instant I spoke, my eyes turned red, and power surged through my body. 'Turmoil.' A skill that dramatically boosted my physical abilities at the cost of being unable to stop the outflow of my magic. It was a skill for short, decisive battles.

I focused my mind and closed the distance to Madero in a single breath.

Madero didn't understand what had just happened. Suddenly, my eyes had glowed red. With that mask, I looked just like a demon-man—an kijin. It wasn't just a resemblance, nor was it a mere impression. It was a form that instilled conviction from the very depths of his soul.

...Then, I vanished from his sight and reappeared right in front of him.

...He hadn't been careless. He hadn't lost his composure. ...I was just too fast.

Madero steeled himself and poured every last bit of water magic he had into his nunchaku. For him, just channeling the power took 1.5 seconds. Both of us were ready in a mere three seconds.

And then—

"One-Strike Demon Killer!!"

"Aqua Fang!"

Our techniques crossed. We collided. Steam erupted into the air.

Tina's Perspective

It happened too fast for my eyes to follow. The scene before me was of the two men standing back-to-back, motionless. A moment of silence passed. Then, blood sprayed from Madero's body as he collapsed.

Shinsuke's right pauldron had been dissolved. The cloth on his right side sizzled ominously as the sulfuric acid ate through it, and his face twisted in a pained grimace. At a glance, Madero seemed gravely injured, while Shinsuke's wounds appeared minor. But he, too, had taken a heavy blow.

The acid attack was burning the skin on his right side. Though he had ripped off the pauldron and cloth immediately after the fight was decided, the pain persisted.

"Tina, get over here!" Shinsuke called out. "Pour water on my right side!"

I immediately ran to Shinsuke's side as he had asked. He entrusted me with the task, and I rushed over at once. Using water magic, I flushed his right side with a massive amount of water.

The best way to treat an acid burn is to wash it away immediately. Any delay could be catastrophic. The flood of water washed away all the sulfuric acid clinging to his shoulder. There was still some pain, and continuing to fight would be difficult, but he could at least move.

"Thanks," he said. "You saved me."

"It's nothing," Tina replied. "I'm just glad you're safe. ...What should we do with that fish-man?"

She looked over at Madero. He was crouched and unmoving, but he wasn't dead. His shoulders heaved violently. He was alive, though severely wounded.

"There's no reason to keep him alive," I said. "...I'm a hunter. It's my job to hunt my prey."

My breath was ragged as I gripped my sword. Just as I moved to deliver the final blow, the sea's surface suddenly swelled. The wave was large enough to swallow the ship whole.

Seeing it, Tina and I immediately dropped to the deck. We each plunged our blades into the wooden planks. We held onto each other, bracing our bodies.

The next instant, the swelling seawater crashed down on us like a tsunami. A massive volume of water slammed into the ship. The vessel rocked violently but managed to stay afloat.

Unable to breathe, I held on for dear life, refusing to let go of my sword or of Tina beside me. I just endured. The moment, which felt like an eternity, was over in just a few seconds. When I could breathe again, I opened my eyes.

The deck was flooded, and fish flopped about everywhere. I stared blankly for a moment before quickly looking beside me. Tina was safe. Her breathing was erratic, but her life wasn't in danger. Relief washed over me.

...Then, Tina opened her eyes and looked around.

"...Shinsuke? ...Thank goodness. ...What was that tsunami?"

After seeing I was safe, she recalled what had just happened. A sudden tsunami. It was clear this wasn't a natural phenomenon.

"I don't know, but I can tell you one thing," I said, looking at the spot where Madero had been. "...It appeared to save Madero."

There was nothing there. When the tsunami hit, Madero must have used it to escape. ...However, I couldn't believe Madero himself had summoned it. He was too gravely injured to cast such powerful magic.

...If that was the case... I recalled something from my conversation with him.

(...Something my master found...)

That part came back to me. In other words, Madero's superior—or leader—had intervened to rescue their comrade. A chill ran down my spine. An being that could control a tsunami of that magnitude... I couldn't fathom how powerful it was. Perhaps on par with Sidoor.

And yet, on the other hand, I thought it was a fine monster. ...Because it had saved its companion. An injured subordinate isn't always guaranteed a rescue. ...The common wisdom in this day and age is to look out for number one. On Earth, deception is so common that everyone lives in a world of mutual distrust.

...I digress. To me, the act of saving someone was beautiful, a wonderful thing to behold. Even if they were an enemy, I could acknowledge their virtues. ...That's what it means to be human.

...I was genuinely moved.

After a while, people started emerging from below deck. They looked around, frightened. Some of them were soaked to the bone. It seemed the tsunami's impact had reached inside the ship as well.

...Just then, one of the crew members approached me.

"...Excuse me, sir. ...What happened to the fish-man?"

To his question, I replied, "...A tsunami suddenly hit while we were fighting. When I came to, he was gone."

I gave him the heavily abridged version. Why didn't I mention that I had cornered the fish-man? ...The answer is simple: to avoid causing them more anxiety.

If I told them a tsunami struck right after I'd dealt him a fatal blow, they'd be happy at first, but it wouldn't take them long to connect the dots and realize that injuring the fish-man was what caused the tsunami. They'd gradually become anxious.

...So, it was better to avoid unnecessary details and just explain that I was fighting to defend myself. ...It might sound a bit strange, but I didn't know a more peaceful way to handle it.

The crewman said, "...I see. ...In any case, I'm glad you're both safe. ...Oh, right. ...Everyone!! Forgive me, but we will be returning to port for the time being! This is the captain's decision!"

When he shouted this, the people were surprised but also relieved. None of them wanted to continue on and risk another fish-man attack.

The ship turned and headed back to the Republic.

Meanwhile, deep in the ocean, Madero was treating his severe injuries. Fish-men possess an innate ability to heal their wounds when submerged in the sea.

Just then, Daios the Sea General approached him.

"...Are you all right? ...That's a nasty wound you've got."

At these words, Madero replied, "...My apologies, Lord Daios... for troubling you..."

Before he could continue, Daios cut him off. "Enough. I was the one who told you not to overdo it. Don't worry about it. ...The ship seems to be turning back. ...This should buy us some time."

"...And Madero... your work was magnificent. ...All your past hardships will now be rewarded."

When Madero heard those words, his eyes widened.

"!! ...Th-Then..."

A wide grin spread across his face. Daios, too, offered a faint smile.

That night, in the royal castle of the Republic, King Rukarl had his head in his hands.

The ship that had set sail this morning had suddenly returned around noon. The reason was that they had angered the fish-men when a dignitary from a merchant association had polluted the sea.

It was a foolish act.

The king immediately put pressure on the merchant association. The message was along the lines of, 'If you pull any more stunts like this, I'll crush you.' ...After a while, the king cooled his head and was now calm. He was thinking about the fish-men.

Polluting the sea was one thing, but why had they attacked the royal castle? ...He still didn't have an answer.

...Had they launched an invasion? But if so, their methods were roundabout and stealthy. It was all a mystery. ...As he was lost in this sea of thought, there was a knock on the door.

"...Enter," the king said.

The one who entered was Prince Lustolfo.

With a blank expression, the prince said, "...Father. ...This is an emergency. The Emperor of the Empire... has been killed by a monster."

This news was an even greater shock than anything that had come before.