Chapter 23: Nero’s Debut Match

“Alright, I’m off.”

“Good luck.”

“Do your best!”

Sent off by Carrol and Lara, I boarded my Armed Gear and started up the machine. …All green. No problems. I synchronized my magic and made it walk, checking the machine’s condition. Not bad. It doesn’t seem like there will be any weird troubles. Arriving at the arena, I climbed onto the stage to find my opponent, that Dread woman’s Armed Gear, already waiting.

“Wait, it’s huge?!”

Eh?! Why is her Armed Gear so big?! It’s nearly twice the size of mine?! Isn’t that cheating?!

“My Armed Gear is custom-made. My original body is big, so it can’t be helped. Just so you know, this is a proper machine officially recognized, got it? It’s not a foul or anything!”

“Kuh…! A giant Armed Gear for a giant woman, huh…!”

It’s true that modifications are allowed if the physique doesn’t match. In fact, my Armed Gear’s interior is scaled down to match my small build. Just like shoes, if the size doesn’t fit, you can’t perform to your full potential. So, I understand she’s not breaking any rules. Even so, the difference is too extreme! The Dread woman’s Armed Gear was equipped with a large round shield in its left hand and a huge battle axe in its right. That shield is a countermeasure for my strikes. I knew she’d come prepared. The battle axe in her right hand had a short handle, making it easy to swing around, and the large double blades looked vicious. It really felt like a “War Axe.” Hmm…? The color of the blades on that axe looks different on the left and right sides…

“Are you ready? The Betting Star is one. If there’s a [Raise], declare it now…”

“I’ll [Raise]! The limit is ten stars!”

“Wha—?!”

Just as the referee teacher was explaining the match, that idiot declared a [Raise]. And ten stars at that! I only have five?!

“I’m going to win anyway, so I might as well bet big. Ah, was it a waste of time since a scaredy-cat rookie won’t accept?”

“You…!”

She’s looking down on me. This giant woman is completely underestimating me. There were plenty of adventurers like her among those I’ve met before. But not a single one of them ever ran their mouth a second time. I made sure every last one of them understood!

“Teacher… I only have five stars; what happens in this case?”

“Eh? Ah, since she declared it, even if you lose, you just forfeit your five stars and that’s it. She, as the declarer, would be the one losing out on the difference. If you win, you take ten stars from her… or rather, since she also only has ten, she’ll go down to zero if she loses.”

The referee teacher answered while operating a tablet. Ha, so she’s barely scraping by too. Betting her entire fortune on this match… is she in a rush for some reason, or is she just that conceited thinking she’ll naturally beat me…? Fine then. I’ll snap that nose of hers right off. You’d better regret this!

“Ten stars, Acceptance Call.”

“Wha…?!”

Surprisingly, a flustered voice leaked from the giant woman. Maybe she was just bluffing, expecting me to back down. She knows a new student only has five stars, after all. She was just mocking me with that in mind. But I’m not backing down now! With this, one of us will lose all our stars. I absolutely cannot lose!

“As a referee, I probably shouldn’t interject, but are you really sure?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. The Betting Stars are ten. If both sides are ready, step forward!”

Nodding at the teacher’s words, I advanced my Armed Gear one step forward. The Dread woman’s Armed Gear showed a moment of hesitation but likewise stepped forward. Coming face to face, I can really tell how huge it is…

“Now then, [Star Duel], Start!”

Simultaneous with the teacher’s words, the giant machine wound up the battle axe and attacked with a horizontal sweep. Having read that move, I stepped back significantly and dodged the blow. Right off the bat, huh? Then, here’s my return gift! Reversing the momentum, I stepped in this time and fired a right straight punch aimed at the body. However, it was easily blocked by the large shield equipped on her left hand. Gwang! Only a dull impact sound echoed emptily. Seizing that opening, her battle axe swung down from directly above.

“Kuh!”

I barely managed to block the battle axe with my left gauntlet. Gauntlets designed with thick armor for punching also have decent defensive power. Continuing the motion, I swept my arm sideways, parrying the battle axe, and retreated. She’s big, sure, but her power isn’t all that great. I don’t think I’ll lose in a contest of strength. However, she moves better than I expected. I thought her reactions would be slower. Circling to the left, I drove my left fist in like an uppercut. But she quickly brought the shield out and blocked it. I followed up with a right hook, but that too was obstructed by the shield. Dammit, that shield is troublesome after all. …Should I try it? I lowered my hips into a stance, concentrating my magic and ‘Qi’. The key is timing. At the moment of impact, focus all power into a single point…!

“Hmph!”

Against the straight punch I unleashed, the Dread woman’s Armed Gear raised its shield. With a light thud, my fist was easily stopped by the shield. Along with the light impact, a slightly numbing sensation assailed my hand. No good, it misfired! My magic and ‘Qi’ scattered!

“What was that weak attack?! Looks like you’re still not used to riding an Armed Gear!”

Pushed back by a shove from the shield, I lost my balance. A strike from the battle axe came swinging down right then. While off-balance, I barely managed to catch it with my left gauntlet. Kuh, that was close… BEEEEEEP, a warning alarm sounded.

“What?!”

When I looked at the damage gauge on the top left of the internal monitor, a huge chunk had been shaved off before I knew it. Was that alarm for this?! Looking at my left arm that caught the battle axe, it was sliced deeply, halfway through. The Ether Lines must have been hit; my left pinky and ring finger aren’t responding.

“No way?! I blocked it just a moment ago?!”

“Hah! Too bad for you! One of the blades on this axe is made of Adamantite!”

“Wha…?!”

Kuh, the colors were different because it’s Adamantite! I stabilized the machine and took a half-body stance to protect my heavily damaged left arm.

“Furthermore, it has sharpness enchantment magic on it. Take a direct hit and your arm will fall off! Eat this!”

As the Adamantite axe swung down again, this time I caught it with my right gauntlet.

“Wha—?!”

“You’re not the only one using Adamantite!”

I slammed my damaged left arm with full force into the exposed flank of the frozen Dread woman.

“Gah?!”

With a creaking crunch…!, a part of her body warped significantly. Phew. I’m glad I listened to Lara’s advice… Actually, beneath the gauntlet on this Armed Gear’s right arm, an Adamantite rod is embedded. I just put one in for peace of mind, but to think it would save me like this. Or maybe Lara predicted this kind of situation. Thanks to her, I was saved, though. Even with sharpness enchanted, cutting through the same Adamantite shouldn’t be easy. It can’t withstand hit after hit, but having a means to block is huge. Now she can’t attack carelessly either. If she attacks and gets blocked, she’ll definitely eat a counter like just now.

“You shitty shrimp…! Using such cheap tricks…!”

“Look who’s talking!”

Stepping forward, I quickly drove in a right-left one-two, followed by a right hook. But all were blocked by the Dread woman’s shield. Damn, she’s skillful. That shield really is in the way…

“Don’t get cocky! Oraaah!”

“Gu…!”

Bam! I was struck by the shield using her momentum. Shield Bash…! While I was off balance, the battle axe flashed. I jumped backward, dodging it by a hair’s breadth. I have no choice but to try ‘that’ again. But I might fail like before… Wait a sec? How about using a palm strike instead of a fist, like in Sumo? If the surface area of contact is larger, wouldn’t the force transmit easier? I regulated my breathing and wrapped magic around my readied right hand. Stepping forward deeply, and simultaneously moving my whole body’s ‘Qi’ in a spiral like a wave, I unleashed a palm strike loaded with magic and fighting spirit.

“Hah! Can’t you see it’s useless!”

The Dread woman’s Armed Gear raised the shield again. With a light pat, my Armed Gear’s palm touched the shield. From the outside, it might have looked like I just tapped it lightly. But I felt the same sensation as that time I succeeded.

“────It went through. Bushin Style ‘Penetration Wave’.”

“Wha—?!”

With a Gakya! sound, the opponent’s left arm holding the shield crumpled significantly. Along with the crushed left arm, the unscathed shield fell to the ground with a loud clatter!

“Wh-why did the arm take damage?! That wasn’t a strong blow at all?!”

“I sent the shockwave through the shield directly into the arm behind it.”

“Huh?”

I quickly dove into the bosom of the dumbfounded Dread woman’s Armed Gear and landed a left body blow.

“Oof?!”

“Not done yet!”

Swinging my right hand through, I slammed it into the opponent’s right arm holding the battle axe. Gakya! The arm dented, and the opponent dropped the battle axe. As she crouched down in a panic to pick up the battle axe, I jumped up above her head.

“Declaring that [Raise] was a mistake.”

Clasping both gauntleted hands together, I brought down a blow filled with the momentum of the fall and the weight of the machine, hammering it into the opponent like a sledgehammer.

“Gah?!”

Slammed into the ground with its back armor crushed, the opponent’s Armed Gear eventually stopped moving and ceased functioning.

“That’s it! Winner, Nero Silhoueska!”

Simultaneous with the referee teacher declaring my victory, cheers and lots of applause flew from the gallery watching. Alright! I started with a white star too! Plus, I got ten stars! What a great start! At this time, I was thinking so carefree. If I had thought about it a little, I would have realized immediately, but I must have been carried away. That having many stars means becoming an easy target.