Shinka no Mi – Chapter 143

«Human» vs «King’s Sword»?

「Umm…. Can we please stop? I believe conflicts won’t bear any fruit!」

「……」

「Can you please not brandish your sword without saying anything!?」

I tried to stop them, but the soldiers were very into it while the girls started to cheer on. And so, nobody stopped him. Do you guys even understand? I’m the one fighting, ya know?

「T-, then, let’s fight with words! We have mouths and we have words! Now, Let’s Talk!」

「No words are needed. Speak with your sword.」

「Swords don’t have mouths though!?」

Why does everyone keep wanting to converse with swords!?

Do the people of this world treat their mouths as decoration, I wonder!?

As I was getting busy in my own thought, Zakir-san put his sword back to the scabbage.

「Ah… S-, so you finally feel like speaking!?」

「A single Iai will suffice for the likes of you.」

「Geez, why are you so aggressive?」

Are most of the people in this world creatures who can’t calm down except they’re fighting? Teach me, Bill-san!

『That isn’t correct.』

An answer actually came!? Eh, where!? Bill Nye-san is here!? But this is another world!?

『I am not Bill Nye. I am World.』

Yosh, seems like I finally went cuckoo.

Well, can’t be helped. I mean, I obliterated a dungeon, so I’ve gone a long way from the concept of Human.

It’s not like we’re in the Netherworld, so it must be weird that I can hear the World’s voice!

Apparently, fatigue had made me hear things, as I stopped hearing the voice that named itself the World after I shook my head. Yosh, it’s normal now. But let’s go to a Hospital later. My head……or rather, my body has gone crazy. So much that it saves people by accident.

「A-, at any rate! I don’t think we should get violent here!」

「……」

「No, can you please say something!? A conversation is like a game of catch! Right now I feel like I’m throwing the ball at a wall!」

「Silence. No matter what words come out from you, that won’t change anything.」

「Your return is so bitter!」

「You’re noisy. Shut your mouth and draw your swords.」

「IT AIN’T A GAME OF CAAAATCCHHH!!!! You just keep giving me fastballs…!」

My catcher’s mitt isn’t that thick, okay? I’ll eventually cry, you know?

As my desperate appeals that could even make the whole America drown in tears kept ending in vain, Zakir-san continued his preparation uninterested in my plea, his eyes fell on me cold.

「I’ll tell you one thing. This match……though I don’t think it can be called one, will end before you can do anything. 」

「Eh?」

I’m being forced to take a match that won’t let me do anything!? Then what’s the point of me here!?

「……Then, let me teach you how powerless you are. Barnabas, you’re the referee.」

「U-, umu……」

Barna-san looked at me worrily, but he eventually let out a sigh in resignation. Eh, shouldn’t you be the one stopping it?

「Well then….  the match between Zakir  the 『King’s Sword』 and Hiiragi Seiichi…. begin!」

It started!

W-, what do I do? Do I have to fight…. 

Regardless of me who flailed around, Zakir-san reached to his sword.

「This is your end———Die!」

「It’s just a sham battle, right!?」

As I was surprised by Zakir-san who came at me with his killing intent cranked to 11, Zakir-san attempted to draw his sword in one movement, and—— 

「Buhuk!?」

——magnificently fell on his face.

◆◇◆

Zakir didn’t hide his confusion at this new development.

Up until now, Zakir had never shown any opening no matter what the situation was and always ended any encounter against those weaker than him in a single strike, and so he didn’t think he would trip over nothing before the fight even started.

To avoid the same disaster, he checked his footings to ascertain that there was nothing to trip him over.

However, when Zakir once again charged at Seiichi, he was petrified as if his body refused the very idea of fighting, and as a result, he once again kissed the ground head first.

「E-, excuse me… are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard right there……」

「……」

On top of it, Seiichi, the opponent he was supposed to fight, showed his worry for him, which made Zakir’s face burn with shame.

However, Zakir put up appearances so as not to show any of that emotion then stood back up, trying to draw his sword without much say. 

「Fuh——FUNNGGUH!!?」

And the sword couldn’t be pulled out.

No matter how much strength he put, Zakir’s prided blade 【Fiftear】 wouldn’t let go of its scabbard.

It was as if the sword had thrown away its role as one, the Treasured Demon Sword that had accompanied him through numerous battles wouldn’t flinch even for a bit.

——What is it? What is happening!?

Zakir was disoriented by all the things that happened to him. 

Even though, in a sense, he was in the presence of an enemy, Zakir was desperately trying to pull his sword out. 

Regardless, the sword wouldn’t move from its resting place, as though it refused to fight Seiichi at all.

In the face of Zakir who was frantic with his sword problem, Seiichi was at loss at what to do and just watched in silence. 

After which, Zakir who had gotten fed up trying to pull it out, gave up altogether and brandished it along with the scabbard. 

「Even without pulling my sword, I can still fight….! Eat this, 【Hatensho】! GUAAAAAAAHHHHH!?!?!?」

「EEEEHHH!?!?!?!」

Zakir swung the sword down from its overhead position and activated his Art against Seiichi. But, for whatever reason, the Art returned to Zakir instead.

Originally, it was supposed to create a storm around Zakir that would shake the atmosphere, but now the storm rolled up Zakir instead.

Zakir, who was blown up without understanding of the situation, fell face-first into the ground, spinning as though he was drilling it with his face.

「Uwaah… that looks hurt……」

「……」

He could hear Seiichi’s pitying exclaim again, but now Zakir was more lost in confusion rather than shame.

He had no idea of what was going on.

When he tried to get back on his feet, this time those feet lost strength as if they just abandoned their role. When he tried to bear with it and supported his body somehow, this time the ground lost any frictional force, and the step he took resulted with him planting his face down below.

「What is this….  what is happening to my body!? What have happened to my body!?」

It was no wonder Zakir was horrified by all the phenomenons that happened to his own body.

After all, the current him couldn’t even stand properly. And that, too, for a reason completely out of himself.

Barnabas and Saria, as well as her group, were watching this abnormality unfolding real time, but they were just as perplexed as Zakir

After all, ever since the mock battle started, Zakir had been doing nothing but destroying himself.

The members of the Second Army in particular couldn’t believe the sight in front of them, as they only could be lost in a daze.

「Th-, then, with magic….!」

「Ah, you better stop that…..!」

Realizing that he couldn’t get close nor landing any physical attack, Zakir immediately leaned towards magic.

「How about this….【Fire Bullet】! GUAAAAAAHHHH!?!?」

「Didn’t I tell you……」

As Seiichi had feared, the magic Zakir deployed only attacked the person himself. And even when he thought that it must be some kind of fluke and continued using magic, each and every spell he conjured only ended up biting him back.

Seiichi could only feel miserable when he saw Zakir in tatters, and so he approached the latter slowly.

「Excuse me…. I don’t quite understand what’s happening, but shouldn’t you stop the match already? Doing a sham battle with doesn’t have any meaning at all, too……」

「UUUOOOOOHHH!!! GUHHHAAAAAKKKK!?!?!?!?」

「You sure didn’t listen, oi! And self-destruct again!?」

Zakir, who saw Seiichi’s approach as a golden chance, activated his Skills then and there.

However, all of them came back at him, making his battered figure even more in tatters than before.

Even so, when he thought to win against Seiichi and drew his sword, 【Fiftear】 finally slipped out of its scabbard as if it felt pity for the man.

「! With this….!」

So long his partner was out of its scabbard, Seiichi wouldn’t be as much of a threat.

Thinking such, Zakir once again rushed towards Seiichi. But, as though the sword itself said 『Ah, that’ll be troubling』, it bent its blade 90 degrees all by itself. 

「WWHHHHYYYYYYYY!!!!」

「D-, DOON’T KNNOOOOWWWW!!!!」

Even so, Zakir still tried to attack Seiichi with the bent blade, but when he did, the sword completely denied its own raison d’etre and kept wiggling around until it eventually slipped out of his grip.

Looking at his own partner laying down on the ground, Zakir’s shoulder quivered.

「……Very well. If both sword and magic don’t cut it, then my body alone will suffice!」

And, since Seiichi had approached Zakir out of concern, Zakir came to punch him at a close range.

「UOOOHHHH————BHHOOAAAAAK!?!?!?!?」

And that fist never met Seichi’s cheek, but rather struck his own.

As Zakir packed quite a lot of power in it, he made himself fly pretty far.

With how his own body attacked him, not a Skill nor magic, not even a weapon, Zakir was dumbfounded. He tried to pat the cheek he hit himself, but for whatever reason, it turned into slaps that just wouldn’t stop.

「BUBUBUBUBUBUBUBU!?!?!?!?」

Even though he didn’t even understand why he slapped himself, when he tried to move his body to avoid it, he noticed that he couldn’t move even for a twitch.

Opposite to Zakir’s own intention, his body completely refused to fight against Seiichi.

Even after that, as Zakir’s body kept hurting Zakir himself out of his own spite, he eventually laid powerless on the ground with faint breath, completely losing his initial vigor.

Then, the soldiers of the Second Army who had been watching their commander in bewilderment until then, stared knives at Seiichi with their eyes livid.

「BASTAARDD!!! WHAT DID’JA DO TO ZAKIR-SAAANNN!!」

「EEH!? I-, I have nothing to do with that!」

「Save your breath, we’ll be the one against a scumbag like you….!」

「O-, oi!」

Orpheus, the deputy commander of the second army, hurriedly tried to stop them, but the other soldiers wouldn’t calm down until they defeated Seiichi who had turned their respected leader into a mess of black and blue.

Barnabas was, naturally, asking himself if he should stop the match, but…

「……Well, isn’t it fine. My Academy is going to get closed anyway, so let’s close it with something fun.」

「Aren’t you supposed to stop it!?」

As the referee, Barnabas, had given his green card, Seiichi was to continue the fight against everyone of the Second Army except Orpheus.

But, that fight never took place.

「W-, what the hell!?」

「M-, my sword is bent!」

「A-, ARMOR’S HEAVYYYYY!?!?!?!?」

The members of the Second Army who had the intention to hurt Seiichi were hindered by their own equipment, as their weapons completely abandoned their role, refusing to be used against Seiichi.

Amongst them, as the result of their role abandonment, some of the equipment shattered themselves beyond repair, which left the soldiers in a condition not so different with Zakir, having to fight with their own flesh.

But that didn’t wane the soldiers’ fighting spirit, as they tried to charge at Seiichi. But, taking the exact opposite step their minds wished, their bodies abandoned the idea of being at odds with Seiichi and tried to flee the scene.

——Exactly. Their 『bodies』, were trying to flee. 

「GYAAAA!!!」

「M-, MY AAARMMM!!！」

「My eyes…. MY EYES HURT AAAAA!!!!1」

「UEEEEEEHHH!?!?!? WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT!?!? WHAT’S HAPPENNING!?」

It was as if their body parts……every single fiber of their muscle, bones, nerves, cells, all tried to escape from there on their own, which resulted with the soldiers’ body destroying itself.

Bones dislocated and tried to escape, eyeballs tried to flee from their eye sockets with their nerves intact.

Hair and other bodilys hair tried to unroot themselves, teeth fell out then and there.

In the face of the screaming members of the Second Army, Seiichi, who had no idea why any of this even happened, was at the end of his wit.

「Just what is happening!? Just when I thought they’re gonna jump into the match, they suddenly bled from all over their body!? Is there some kind of virus spreading around in here!? Can’t you keep such occultic incidents in mangas and dramas!?!?」

As Seiichi frowned at the sight that was too painful to watch, the soldiers’ body parts who thought that they would turn Seiichi’s mood sour if this continued, went back to their respective places.

Thanks to this, the soldiers who had been screaming earlier were rolling on the ground, desperately making sure everything was in their original place.

「A, aah… my arm…. it-, it moves……」

「I can see…. I can see properly……!」

「Thank god…. thank god……」

The very notion of fighting Seiichi was what had brought about this situation, but who would have ever thought that the World itself, equipment, Skills, magic, and even your own bodies would all turn against you?

And Seiichi himself, the one entity that induced all the tragedy, was unaware how much of ridiculous beings his allies had become, and didn’t know what was the cause of all this racket.

For that reason, from Seiichi’s point of view, all the phenomenon that happened to Zakir and the other soldiers of the Second Army was all some bizarre phenomenon he couldn’t explain, which terrified Seiichi himself out of his wits.

As the soldiers were frenzied with the revert of their bodily injuries, Zakir, who had managed to recover enough to stand up, gazed at Seiichi with a serious expression.

「……So this is your power?」

「Eh? No no no, there’s no way it is! ……no way, right?」

No one answered Seiichi’s question, as he didn’t ask that to anyone in particular.

However, Zakir wasn’t convinced by that answer, as he glared at Seiichi with rage dwelling in his eyes.

「Not only me, you even made fool of my companions…. I can’t forgive you.」

「Isn’t that a tad too unreasonable?」

Seiichi was at the verge of crying.

But his question fell to a deaf ear as Zakir once again charged at Seiichi regardless of what had happened, and then——

「!【Teleportation Jewel】!」

「Wha!? Orpheus, you———」

Orpheus, the deputy commander who had been watching everything in silence up until now, took out a palm-sized transparent ball and strongly threw it onto the ground.

The ball shattered on contact, and smoke erupted from inside, clinging to Zakir, Orpheus, and all the soldiers of the Second Army.

After the smoke completely engulfed the soldiers, when things settled down, Zakir and his group were no longer in the scene.

The suddenness of the situation left Seiichi stunned.

And that wasn’t Seiichi alone, Barnabas as well as everyone there were left with their mouths hanging.

Barnabas who was first to come to his senses declared the match’s outcome, still lost in confusion as he did.

「Eeh….. winner, Seiichi-kun…..?」

No one even knew anymore if it was even a mock battle.

It was just that one-sided.

After which, Seiichi muttered in bewilderment.

「……I really couldn’t do anything……」

「That’s not what it means!」

Altoria’s retort echoed within the Arena.