TL Note: Makeup chapter. Also, error in the previous chapter. Ryouma did not WIN, he ADVANCED to the semifinals.
VOLU 4 CHAPTER 24: SEMIFINALS
On the morning of the third day of the magic beast tournant when the semifinals and finals were to be held.
“We’re cheering for you! Beat ‘em in one hit!” [Fan 1]
“Do your best!” [Fan 2]
“Be careful!” [Fan 3]
News of Ryouma’s advance to the semifinal had already spread all over town. More and more people were calling out to him now even he was just taking a walk.
“Thank you very much! I’ll do my best! I’ll be careful!” [Ryouma]
As Ryouma honestly replied, he left the first town. He entered the second town while eating his skewered at. Then with his dinsion magic, he teleported to the service entrance of the arena. Onee by one, he brought out of his ‘Dinsion Ho’ five king sticky slis. He also took out a poison sli and a dicine sli.
“I’ll be relying on you guys today.” [Ryouma]
Ryouma caressed each and every one of his slis as he said that. After that, he called out to the official inside the service entrance.
“Good morning.” [Ryouma]
“Good morning, Takebayashi-sama. Please put on a good show for us today as well.” [Official]
“I’ll do my best. Will you be searching ?” [Ryouma]
“I’ll call the person-in-charge, so please wait for a mont.” [Official]
As the official went inside, Ryouma caressed his slis and waited. While he was waiting, Ryouma suddenly noticed a particular man entering through the service entrance.
(...An annoying one ca.)
That man was none other than the tar guild’s top senior – although it was only on paper – Matthew!
“You’re...” [Matthew]
“Good morning, Branch Head Matthew.” [Ryouma]
Matthew gritted his teeth when he saw Ryouma, but Ryouma continued to act civil on the outside. After a few seconds of staring at each other, Matthew weakly spoke.
“So even a bastard like you managed to get through the main tournant...” [Matthew]
“Fortunately. Speaking of which, I hear you’ve been busy lately. Is everything alright at work?” [Ryouma]
“I’m taking a break!” [Matthew]
Ryouma quickly changed his way of thinking when he saw Matthew since, after all, it wasn’t strange to et him here. Instead, he wanted to ask him why he would show up in the tournant, but before he could, Matthew overreacted when Ryouma ntioned hms being busy at work. That topic was apparently a taboo for Matthew right now.
“I see.” [Ryouma]
It’s not like Ryouma was really that interested, so he just left it alone. Silence continued on again for so ti, but before long, Matthew started grumbling as if he was cursing soone or sothing.
“Annoying... When I think about it... I’ve gotten this far... What assistant? If I don’t win... I won’t have anything left.” [Matthew]
(...Him grumbling like that coupled with how dark the service entrance is sure makes for a creepy atmosphere. And what does he an by ‘If I don’t win I won’t have anything left?’... The winning prize is only enough to cover so living expenses, right? Did he do sothing desperate?)
Inside that unfavorable atmosphere, Ryouma looked up ahead, praying for the official to co faster. And as luck would have it, perhaps his prayer did have so effect, as the official ca not long afte.
“Sorry for the wait.” [Official]
“Please take care of us.” [Ryouma]
“Then let’s begin.” [Official]
Having felt the dangerous atmosphere, the official quickly searched Ryouma. After confirming that Ryouma didn’t have any magic tools on him, he ordered another official to lead Ryouma to a waiting room.
“Now then...” [Ryouma]
After having been brought to the waiting room, Ryouma first placed his poison sli and dicine sli above the desk. Before the slis were the dishes upon which the light als ant as service for the participants of the tournant were.
“How is it?” [Ryouma]
The poison sli and the dicine sli didn’t react.
“So there’s no poison in the food then, huh. Good, then next is the water.” [Ryouma]
Ryouma is using the poison sli to test for poison and his dicine sli to test for dicine. One of the two slis will react if there’s any mixed in.
As Ryouma was having the slis test for poison and dicine, Ryouma checked the room for anything suspicious. Ryouma decided to do this mianly because of three reasons. First, because of the reveal of the big sli yesterday. Two, because he reached the semifinals. And three, because Matthew was participating.
Ryouma was also keeping a watchful eye on the officials. After he and the slis finished their respective searches, Ryouma was finally able to heave a sigh of relief. There were no poisons or anything out of the ordinary.
“So the schedule for today... first is the semifinals, after which is rest and if needed treatnt for the beasts. Then there’s the exhibition match until the afternoon where the participants and their magical beasts fight against other magical beasts... And, ah! Right, there’s also the deciding match for the third place. Then after all of that is the finals.” [Ryouma]
Ryouma checked the movents of his king sticky slis as he waited for match ti. When the official called him, he left the waiting room, and went toward the stage.
“Uoo!!!” [Crowd]
Just like the cheers for Roodman, the stage shook at the sound of Ryouma’s na. Ryouma walked up to the stage, leading five king sticky slis, and a poison sli and dicine sli on each of his shoulder.
Up the stage, the two participants quietly faced each other. They sent their magical beasts forward at almost the sa ti.
At the analyst’s words, most of the spectators looked at the ogres.
Moreover, the tower shield the ogres have equipped are magic tools. They can defend against magic so long as there’s magic power remaining in the embedded magic jewel. It’s because of these shields that Ryouma didn’t bring any of his magic slis. With these shields around, any sli not suited for a lee would be nothing but a sitting duck.
>
After confirming that the two participants were ready––––
At those words, the ogres that were lined up raised their shields and advanced forward. The ogres only have a little space in between them as room for their attacks. They skillfully kept their distance to cover each other, not even a single one of them going out of line.
Facing them, Ryouma’s king sticky slis were lined up like the character ‘V’.
The ogres moved slowly, but steadily. They gradually closed in on the slis. There were no fierce movents; the arena was quiet as the audience watched over the two sides. And then the ogre passed the center of the arena; the two sides now a step away from each other’s range.
(Now!)
The mont an ogre took that step, Ryouma ordered his slis to surround the ogres. Just as the ogre was about to attack the slis, the slis suddenly moved. The ogre chased after them with its eyes, but...
There is a gap between the mobility of the ogres and the slis. Because of that, Ryouma is having his slis fight by luring the opponent and attacking the mont the opponent is about to attack. It was a battle plan that had a king sticky sli attack an ogre showing its flank or an ogre covering for one of its own.
When the weapons were drawn, the arena underwent a heaven-revolving change, the spectators’ cheers resounded throughout the arena.
At the left edge ogres’ line, the ogre struck with its hamr against the sli, but the sli twisted its body clockwise, dodging the hamr strike by a hair’s breadth, causing the ogre’s hamr to land on its own defenseless knees. Although the ogre grimaced, it didn’t break posture.
（The sli made the ogre aim for its knees because it was defenseless, but as expected, just once isn’t enough to deal a winning blow. There’s no other way but to fight an upfront battle. Fortunately, the slis have the upper hand in skill, so they’re able to fight one on one against the ogres!）
This ti an ogre swung the great sword it had in its right hand. It tried to send a sli flying, but at that instant, the sli raised its stick up and dodged the sword. Its body turned into a shape similar to that of a horse’s hooves as it stretched out a tentacle from its left side and grabbed the sword. Then without letting go, it swung its stick down against the ogre.
The ogre pulled its body, trying to dodge the attack, but the king sticky sli spit sticky sli on it, so it had no choice but to bring its shield up.
As the analyst started to digress, the match continued.
(It’s been equal so far, now what... Mn?)
Suddenly, the ogres’ movents changed. The ogres that have been maintaining their distance until now, gradually spread. It’s slight, but the gap from in front has widened. They’re slowly splitting up.
(It doesn’t seem like they’re doing it unconsciously... so they must have a plan of so sort. It might be best if I assu they’re trying to lure us in.)
During training, Ryouma would instruct his slis on what formation to use and the timing to go with it, but after that, he would just let them train by themselves. Because of this, they’ve grown such that Ryouma doesn’t have to order them on every single detail. Because of that Ryouma was able to keep a watchful eye on the enemy, allowing him to imdiately notice the slight change in their movents.
Ryouma focused his mind, and inford the slis that the opening the ogres were showing was dangerous. Although he couldn’t predict what they were planning, with this, the slis could at least exercise caution.
But a few seconds later. At the center of the five slis, the king sticky sli that was fighting closest to that gap was forced to dodge toward that dangerous spot.
At that instant, the ogre to the left of the sli bashed its tower shield against its nucleus. At the sa ti, the ogre to the right also bashed its shield against the sli. The two ogres are trying to crush the sli’s nucleus!
(Dodge it!!)
––––As soon as Ryouma ordered that, the body of the sli scattered. The sound of water scattering and the sound of two tal shields clanging, shortly followed by a staff falling to the ground, resounded.
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