Manowa 311

 Chapter 311 - Let's Become a Wolf


Yumika's conversation with the feudal lord was about a proposed exhibition match between Yumika, who had placed third in this year's Grand Tournament, and Baroque Genius, who boasted of being undefeated since he appeared in the tournaments.

Yesterday's exchange with the lord wasn't a contract, just a verbal promise. It had already been advertised. However, the feudal lord didn't want her to participate so badly that he was willing to incur the displeasure of Kazane and Yumika, the stars of the previous Grand Tournament, by forcing her to have the match. Looking at Yumika's state, it seemed like a match would be difficult, so he said they could act like it had never happened, but Yumika decided to accept the match against Baroque.


「The match is in the afternoon? In that case, I'd better cancel the reservation for the Dragon Boat.」

So saying, Louise waved the ticket.

Louise didn't participate in the early morning training, so she incidentally bought a Dragon Boat ticket for that afternoon on her way to the Adventurers Guild.

「I'm sorry.」

Yumika apologized.

「But I need more varied experiences to become stronger... I would like to accept when there are opportunities.」

While looking at Yumika's state, Louise smiled and replied「Well, it's fine.」If it would make a companion stronger, there was no reason to object.

「Do you think you can win? Your opponent seems quite skilled, right?」

Louise knew Yumika's ability had exceedingly grown during their journey so far. However, while that may be true, that didn't mean Yumika had become peerless. There were still many, many opponents she could lose against.

「That Baroque person seems to be a Mongoolian Sumo Fighter.」

At Yumika's side, Kazane so replied.

「I've never heard of that.」

Louise tilted her head.

「You know about Rikishis, right?」

「Yes.」

Louise knew about that. Like Samurai, Ninja, Salary Man, Home Security Guard, etc., it was a representative job from the eastern island country. Louise had heard about Rikishis to some extent from Iria, the Kunoichi who was her former companion. They were fist fighters that were basically naked, with the important parts concealed by a string.

「If I remember correctly, they're magical fist fighters from the East that create a barrier that acts as a ring and fire shock waves with open-handed strikes.」

By the way, Mongoolian Sumo Fighter was an interchangeable job with Rikishi; the job was like a slim Rikishi. It had no actual relation to Mongolian martial arts.

「Yeah, that. It has lower power than Rikishi, but it's faster, so it should be pretty strong.」

「Is it that strong?」

In Zexiaharts, the Eastern scenario was added with an expansion disc, so Yumika hadn't played it and didn't know its jobs in detail.

「Yeah. It's more specialized for PVP than Rikishi, and there should be few people accustomed to Sumo in this area, so even in such parts, I think it's the type that can easily pick up wins.」

After Kazane's words, Yumika's expression tightened.

「It's okay. Yumika can win.」

Tiara said, and Tatsuo cried Kuwaa as well. By the way, Yuuko-nee was going back to the inn to get in touch with Jinrai and the others.

「Yeah, I'll do my best.」

Yumika said with a nod, and Kazane addressed her.


「Yumika, 47 degrees above the centerline from the lower right.」


After Kazane gave that advice with a serious expression, Yumika thought about her intention.

(Is that his weak point?... He has one?)


「That's where Baroque-san's pectoral muscle looks most beautiful, so don't forget it.」


It was an immensely inconsequential talk.


Louise cleared her throat.

「Well, setting aside Yumika's match, this is around, so we would have had no choice but to stay anyway, right?」

So saying, Louise placed a black potion she was looking after on the table in the middle of the office. The black potion was borrowed from the Adventurers Guild.

「It has the smell of a devil.」

「Remember it well. If anyone has one, mercilessly confiscate it.」

Thanks to the devil hunters in the Adventurers Guild, it seemed the black potions' relation to devils had already been confirmed. She was also told that the usage of black potions would be banned.

「Even so, how dare they make such a dangerous thing.」

Louise picked up the potion and shook it. Louise also sensed the indications of a devil. Although it wasn't to the same degree as Kazane, as long as it wasn't cleverly hidden by a high ranking devil, the devil hunter Louise also had the ability to sense the signs of a devil.

(I don't sense practically any intention, but is it unmistakably a diluted Devil Seed?)

The product was probably made so that the devil would gradually be taken in and eventually conversely take in the user as the devil's subordinate. It would certainly temporarily raise the user's abilities, but that deed was almost the same as selling one's soul to the devil.

Though the devil contract had a proven track record as a method to easily obtain a great power. If that fact was known, it was possible that people would conversely consider it an easy method to obtain the power of a devil, increasing the number of people who would try it.

「The source is Soldard, isn't it?」

「That's what they say, but they have the justification that the country itself is currently unstable, so devil hunters can't thoughtlessly enter either. Well, relying on the devil hunters is currently dangerous, so it's a situation where it's difficult to move.」

Since there was suspicion that the head of the devil hunting Cancer family's Zeku Cancer was a devil, if they were unlucky, it was even possible that the devil hunters were the source.

However, most devil hunters who weren't part of devil hunting families like the Cancer family were avengers of devil victims. Even people in the Cancer family mostly spent their lives subjugating devils. Basically, if something like borrowing the power of a devil was discovered inside the organization, execution would be unavoidable, so dealing with devil hunters had some extremely difficult parts.

「For the time being, let's prepare. Bloody Berserker-san.」

「Haa, forbear from using that name, Louise-san.」

Louise made an amused smile, and Yumika bitterly smiled. Yumika had already reached a resigned state of mind.



◎ Resurrect City, Center Arena


(Haa~)

As usual, Yumika sighed. Even she was surprised by how low her mood was.

When she thought about what was wrong, she thought that after all, she was still affected by what made her cry yesterday.

Jinrai made a mistake while piloting the miniature Dragon Boat and almost crashed. Since he was an adult, she wished he was more level headed, and when she noticed, she was sorrowful, and tears were overflowing. She had been completely depressed since then.

Moreover, the Bloody Berserker matter was an additional blow. She wanted an impetus to make her feel better.


(In the first place, walking around with this appearance wasn't good, was it.)


Yumika looked at her equipment. She had a complete set of Adamantium-reinforced silver light armor made by Master, her silver spear Silky, a dragon bone shield, Sylphin boots, her God Wolf Bangle, and her Dragon Contract Bangle.

The Sylphin Boots looked like shoes with an elaborate design, and while the Dragon Contract Bangle was questionable, the God Wolf Bangle was a piece of art of supreme quality.

However, the rest weren't things a girl should wear. It's not good that I've become so accustomed to this figure... Yumika thought. No matter how brutal the world was, she was too used to walking around while wearing her armor like it was a sports jersey.


(I have money. When we leave the city, let's pay more attention to my clothes. If I do that, no one will think I'm the Bloody Berserker.)


Recently, she had been around the princess Tiara, the older sister type Louise, and the lively and cute type Emily, so the little self-confidence she used to have in her evaluation of her own face had diminished. The Shorty had the only face she felt comfortable comparing herself to.

(Let's change my hairstyle and be more fashion-conscious when I go out. Even if it's a different world, even if the surroundings are brutal, being negligent in such parts is no good.)

So thinking, Yumika's mood gradually improved.


「Alright, when this is over, let's buy a dress!」


Yumika suddenly clenched her fist and declared that.


「What?」


A doubtful voice leaked in front of her. Yumika looked ahead and saw a bald macho. For a moment, Yumika thought she had been absent minded again and gone to a strange place, but a considerable number of people were sitting in the seats and shouting.

Also, a referee and bald macho were in front of her. Yes, this was the arena.


「It seems the Bloody Berserker has considerable leeway.」


The bald macho named Baroque Genius murmured with a vein bulging on his forehead. He was the man who gave that instigating hate speech against the White Party that morning, but as a matter of fact, Baroque didn't know much about the White Party.

Baroque was a fist fighter from the Mongoolian Empire, which was located about halfway between here and the eastern island nation Japanes, and he originally came to this town when he heard that the Grand Tournament would start. However, it seemed he'd had no scheduled arrival date during his world journey. Not only did he splendidly miss the Grand Tournament, due to the urgent request to subjugate the Crystal Dragon, the powerful people had all left the city, and only the dregs remained.

In such a situation, Baroque had been continually winning in the martial arts tournaments for the sake of participating in the next Grand Tournament, but almost none of his opponents until now had put up much resistance.

And for the first time in a long time, the story of a match against a strong person unexpectedly came yesterday. Obeying the instructions from the show business side, he did that instigation, which he thought was a method that couldn't be helped to construct a stage for an opponent he wasn't sure was eager or not, but the person who appeared was a young girl.


「Are you motivated or not!?」


His angry yell was understandable. She didn't have a battle atmosphere. From the Grand Tournament flyers with her face on them, he had known that she was a surprisingly young girl, but when he actually met her, far from being prepared for battle, her atmosphere was age-appropriately girly, like she was going to go buy clothes after this.


「Ah, yes. Please treat me well.」


In any case, Yumika didn't know about Baroque's feelings, and she didn't notice. She thought his angry facial expression was intimidation for the battle and ignored it. And she readied her spear in her natural posture.


(In short, that means I should use this to distinguish the normal me from the battle me, right?)


Then Yumika put power into her God Wolf Bangle.


(In that case, let's further gloss it over with impact)


She used『Deepening』to completely turn into a wolf.


Before their eyes, Yumika changed into a grim, wolfish appearance with leg joints that were obviously different from a human being's, and as might be expected, Baroque, the referee, and the audience were watching with surprised eyes.


「Lycanthrope...」


Baroque spoke the name of the special ability that only a negligible amount of Beastkin possessed.

(Was I the one looking down on my opponent?)

Baroque tightly clenched the armor covering the backs of his hands and wrists, which were made from monster carapace. The silver beast in front of him was releasing a sharpened will to hunt her prey.


「I see. I heard that you became a Beastkin during the Grand Tournament, but is that your true nature?」

It was different, but that didn't matter right now. The point was to define this wolf appearance as the Bloody Berserker, not her usual figure.


『Well then, I'm going.』


And while emitting silver radiance, Yumika charged.



Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Summoning Fighter

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Draghorn Tonfa x2, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Eating Ogre King's Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring, Angel Bracelet

Level : 36

Health: 145

Magic Power: 304+420

Strength: 67+20

Agility: 71+14

Endurance: 38

Wisdom : 72

Dexterity : 47

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior's Memory: Lv2』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv3』『Aegis Shield』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『High Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Devil King's Intimidation』『Stone Minotaur: Lv2』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-Silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』『Boost』『Monkey's Strong Arm』『Two-sword Style』『Boobies Plus』『Living Armor』『Alarm』『Six-sword Style』『Mental Attack Complete Protection』



Yumika:「The Bloody Berserker was actually a wolf. Then I can return to being a normal girl.」

Kazane:「Well, if you've found a way to calm your own heart, that's fine. Reality is cruel, though.」