by Fujino Omori
results that did not match this short period of time.
Since the encounter with the Minotaur, the inexperienced and rookie Adventurer actually made an impressively leap which captured Aizu’s interest.
(I want to know……)
I want to know about Bell’s secret about his
For herself.
The reason why she would initiate and request him to teach him was related to this intention.
“Although if I accept it, I’ll feel bad about it……No, but, it is a rare goodwill……”
“……”
At the same time, perhaps, she felt a bit of guilt.
Towards the boy that believed the proposal was purely kindness, her chest began to hurt.
Aizu wordlessly lowered her sight from Bell, who was holding his head and muttering.
And held the handle of the sword at her waist tightly.
As if she wanted to cut off her own confusion.
“……T…Then… Wallen…stein-san……”
She raised her sight.
The white haired boy, with a fever-like face and those straightforward eyes, made her lower her head again.
“A…About teaching…P…Please take care of me!”
I have to compensate him.
I must respond to his expectations. As an apology from the guilt inside her heart. Aizu thought as she looked at the crimson eyes.
“……Yes. Please to…meet you.”
Chapter 2:
Bull Rabbit Training
The sky was shrouded by darkness.
Dawn has not arrived from the eastern skies. The dividing line between night and day was still extremely ambiguous.
(The city’s surrounding walls, it is my first time coming……)
After waking up unusually early, I headed to the surrounding walls of the Labyrinth City (Orario).
The current location was the outer section in the North West direction. On the huge surrounding walls, the inside of the city could be seen in one glance and my attention was stolen by the majority of the scene.
The Pantheon, the Coliseum, there were probably even headquarters of famous
Especially
The city, that was roughly divided into 8 Main Street Areas, had just finally bid farewell to the bustling noises. Right now, the Magic Stone Lamps’ glows disappeared one by one. Orario is quietly entering its slumber.
The thought of me living in this great city caused indescribable feelings and excitement and began to stimulate my back and heart.
“Are you … prepared?”
“Ah, Y…Yes!”
Turning around to the wind chimes-like voice, I, once again, faced Wallenstein-san.
The reason why I came to the city walls was in order to accept her guidance about fighting methods.
The amount of time for guidance does not seem to be much since her
“Sorry, calling you out at this time……”
“N…Not at all, it’s not a problem!”
Wallenstein-san, who was part of the
Specifically heading over to the top of the walls to train was also to avoid people’s eyes and ears.
Considering from her position, having deadlines and restrictions was taken for granted.
By the way, the reason we picked such an early time period was because she considered my situation of having to enter the Dungeon and earn my living fees.
“T…Then, Wallenstein-san, what…what do you want me to do……”
“……Aizu.”
“Ha?”
“It’s fine …to call me Aizu.”
I, who noticed that I was being criticized by how I called her name, almost instantly flopped to the ground.
“Everybody calls me that……Or…Are you unwilling?”
“W…Wait a minute!? ………No, it’s not that I’m unwilling”
It was impossible to refuse.
Listening to the slightly depressed voice from that person, I covered my mouth and thought.
My cheeks turned red. Shouldn’t I say, Wallenstein-san……In front of Aizu-san, my cheeks have always turned red. There was never even a second where it wasn’t……
Once again, I had a realization of how strange the current situation was.
“……A…Aizu…san. Then what should I do next?”
“…….What should you do…Okay.”
“Eh.”
Towards Aizu-san’s slightly dull voice, I could not help but let out a natural response.
She huddled her slender chin and stood there, frowned as she desperately tried to think of something.
“Although I have been thinking……about it since yesterday.”
She quietly moved her line of sight, as if she was a scolded child. It gave me the feeling that Aizu-san had becoming smaller.
The sense of sacredness and mystery that she had revealed so far had completely vanished without a trace.
Ara, so strange.
The Aizu-san in front of me was slightly different than the one I longed for.
“……Try…to swing in the air.”
“Ah……O…Okay.”
I let out a bit of sweat as I listened to Aizu-san’s instruction.
Taking out the
Aizu-san was seriously observing my movements.
“You…only use Dagger?”
“Eh……?”
“The Dagger users that I know will also use kicks and Taijutsu.”
Indeed, when I was fighting against Monsters, I would rely on the weapon’s overwhelming attacks most of the time. The acts of punching and kicking were extremely rare.
While I looked at my own body, Aizu-san said, “lend it to me”, and took the Dagger.
Looks like she wanted to demonstrate an example of Taijutsu.
“……Like this”
Her right hand held the dagger in reverse grip and she slightly lifted her knee vertically.
She lifted her knee vertically by a bit……she tilted her head.
She lowered her leg and once again raised it straight up……Then once again, she tilted her head.
“……?”
“……”
She repeated the lifting and lowering of her left knee. Each time, Aizu-san would tilt her head.
To this point, even I could not hide my sweat. I do not know why the side watching would also become speechless, I could only keep looking at Aizu-san’s next move.
Could it be …Aizu-san…is a natural airhead……
“??Ah.”
Just when I was thinking this kind of thing.
As if she captured some amazing sense, Aizu-san swayed her lower body.
“??Eh?”
Using her right feet as the axis for her center of gravity, she rotated her body around causing the stone floor to cry out as her rotation let out an intense friction.
Ignoring me, who let out a dumb noise, her left leg depicted an arc.
Her miniskirt rolled forward, revealing the blue tights she was wearing underneath.
Following, the snow white thighs broke into my vision?? I…was blown away.
“Ah.”
A high speed…roundhouse kick.
The attack of the First-Class Adventurers that entered my sight had caught me, who was standing next to her, at a frightening speed. After a violent blow, I was blown towards the opposite wall.
Whether if it was reacting or defending, I could not even let out a cry. With a tragic momentum, I smashed against the stone wall and finally collapsed to the ground.
What …This kind of damage.
My consciousness was blown away.
I could not use any strength and quaveringly raised my head. Aizu-san, who lacked emotions on her face, could only stand there with her eyes widened.
……Aizu-san…is really a natural airhead.
The second before I lost consciousness, I finally understood this point. I tried to turn my head.
“Sorry……”
Aizu-san apologized with a sad expression to me when I woke up shortly afterwards.
Although I forcibly placed a smile and desperately tried to encourage her, my chest that got hit was still in pain. I do not know if I could conceal it properly.
Afterwards, Aizu-san attempted to test out various things, but it still did not seem to work.
Looking at the figure, who was desperately thinking, I do not know whether if I should interrupt or not.
Under the dark sky, where the morning glow still haven’t appeared yet, a restless atmosphere was filling it up.
“……As expected, we should just fight.”
“Eh?”
Aizu-san, who was silent for some time, raised her head and said this to me.
Standing up, she placed her hand on the sword handle.
I widened my eyes and hurriedly stood up, she pulled out her sword and placed it on a corner of the wall. Then she faced this side while holding the sheath.
“Because I am not good at teaching others like Riveria……So… this is the best way.”
Following this, the atmosphere around Aizu-san changed.
Her right hand held onto the sword sheath that had nearly the same attack range as a normal single-handed sword, and she quietly placed up her stance.
Just by standing, my skin sensitively reacted.
I immediately pulled out the
“Yes……That is enough.”
“……!?”
“Just like your reactions earlier, I hope that you will feel various things starting from now on.”
Through the mock battle……that is going to start now…learn by yourself, she said.
The clash between the weapons and reading the opponent’s actions. Try to utilize everything you could utilize.
“……M…My weapon…has a blade, is that okay……?”
“It’s alright.”
Facing Aizu-san, who cut off the sentence with one phrase, I moaned.
Worrying about the opponent is a fatal error, I understood this the moment she entered her battle posture.
I was being pressured by the simple and bladeless sword sheath.
“……”
“……”
The rigid air, biribiri, roared inside my ears. The eastern sky has yet showed signs of morning.
Aizu-san did not move. I also did not move.
No, it should be that I can’t move.
Once the distance shortens, I, who was waiting, will be torn apart. The instant that I take a step, I firmly believed that a strike that surpasses my range and speed will come.
I never thought that there will be a time the
“……You…really are timid.”
“!?”
“Since you are entering the Dungeon alone, being timid is a very important quality. But beyond that, you are still afraid of something else.”
The sentence that I did not want others to say was declared by the person I did not want to be said out.
With a calm expression, Aizu-san quietly stepped forward.
“Although I do not know what you are afraid of……Probably, when that moment approaches, you will have no choice aside from escaping.”
The words she firmly believed in pierced my chest.
Ka, the center of my body seems to become hot. Was it shame, was it rage. Mostly, it was the former.
Even though I do not understand, but there was a sore feeling everywhere. An accusation with no room for maneuver. What flashed through my brain, in that instant, was a bull that was approaching from behind, roaring.
Even though it was not the time to think of this kind of thing, but a panicked feeling surged through my heart.
My teeth were about to trembling. However, I suppressed with my willpower.
Holding the handle of the
Instilling power to my entire body, towards Aizu-san, who was approaching closer step by step ?? I took the initiative and rush forward.
“WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?”
“Not enough.”
??I was blown away.
The moment the sharp sound of the wind breaking passed my ears, I went straight to the side and was in a fiery embrace with the slab stone.
My abdomen…an uncommon pain.
“Ah……Ga!?”
“Recklessness is not allowed. It is something that is absolutely not done in the Dungeon.”
Aizu-san’s words that she used to explain the behavior conduct, failed to properly enter my brain.
I was swept away.
With an unimaginable speed, the sword sheath swept passed horizontally and severely knocked into the unsuspecting side of my abdomen due to me holding the
My eyes could capture the shaking slash. And it was just barely a glimpse.
I know. I know.
Although I know……
This person…isn’t she unexpectedly fast……!?
“Can you stand up?”
“……!”
Towards the question that came from above, I placed my hands on the ground and slowly stood up.
My breathing was ragged. The flickering pain in my abdomen made me want to bend down. I wanted to cry. But I definitely could not cry.
I used my front teeth to bite my lips and once again, I confronted Aizu-san.
“Still not accustomed to pain……”
“Uguu!?
“But if that’s the case, then there is more of a reason not to be afraid of the pain.”
A thrust.
A thrust with frightening speed pierced through my heart. I could not block the impact and was sent flying away.
The back of my head suffered a heavy impact. On top of this, my lungs also lost their function.
“Can you stand up?”, this gentle yet merciless phrase. I replied with an almost choking voice while I stood up.
“Since you are entering the Dungeon alone, you absolutely cannot leave any dead angles. You will always have to maintain a wide vision.”
“Uh!”
“Unfortunately.”
“Fuah!?”
Just when I thought I finally avoided it, a second attacked followed.
The instant that I had stopped moving, my knees were hit. This time, I had a fiery kiss with the slab stone again.
Incidentally, I was dressed in light armor. On this basis, there were such damages.
“Can you stand up?” , this calm phrase. I stood up while my nose continued to bleed.
“Right now, it is fine if you can follow it. Try to read your opponent’s action.”
“Ye!?”
“That’s right.”
“Bu!?”
After the slash coming from bottom to top, a horizontal slash followed.
From start to finish, everywhere was filled with holes where I could be directly hit.
I placed the
>
“Can you stand up?”, this magical-like phrase. I stood up.
“……You…don’t seem to be good at defense”
“~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!?”
Continuous hits, Continuous hits, Continuous hits, Continuous hits.
Numerous slashes flashed by endlessly. I, who had no way of avoiding it, could not even bounce by even one attack and was beaten by the sheath.
After a tremendous sound from a blow, the slab stone issued a cry.
Unconsciously, I could not even stand up and could only kneel on the ground.
The ragged breathing sounds echoed through the faintly dark surrounding areas.
“……First-Class Adventurers often say: There are many Adventurers that are deluded by the
“Eh……”
“Everybody is too dependent on the
Looking towards Aizu-san, who began to speak, I widened my eyes, which were distorted due to the pain.
She seemed to be teaching everything she had comprehended to me, and slowly continued to speak.
“Technique and Adaptability. You are still not capable of these things yet.”
“……!”
“Even if you lose you
She closed her eyes and no longer spoke. Then she looked directly over at this side.
“Because you do not seem to be good at defense, this will be our first training topic. During this training period, try to see through my attack and attempt to defend.”
“If we continue this kind of training, even the current you should be able to reflexively form the fighting methods. This is what I believe.”
“Towards your goal that you talked about……You will also become closer.”
Aizu-san uninterruptedly said. At the same time she said this assertion, she directly stared at me, who was stunned.
The golden eyes shone with sincerity, peered into my eyes.
This person was currently waiting, waiting for me, who was whimpering and moaning, to stand again.
“Can you still…stand?”
“Uh……Please!”
Accepting her thoughts and calm gaze about the weak me.
Although it was small, but it will never be in vain.
I desperately made the bent knee rise up and managed to finally stand up.
Until the distant mountain ridge was lit by the daylight, I was blindly accepting her sword strikes.
