NOVEL NEXT chapter 78
Chapter 78
“Kyui! Kyuu, kyuu, kyuu!”
“[Splinter]”
“Kyuu!?”
I transform the first monster we encounter in Shinomori into polygons without even touching it.
It was a medium-sized rabbit with bamboo shoots growing from its head, but it charged at us ferociously as soon as it saw us.
Perhaps it’s a subspecies of the horned rabbit we fought earlier?
The rabbits in LIA are surprisingly vicious despite their appearance, so we need to be careful.
After a brief skirmish, I realize something.
“Tsuna, Tsuna,” I call out.
“What is it?”
“I might not be able to fight properly.”
“Huh?”
Coming from someone who just instantly killed a monster, it’s no wonder Tsuna looks confused.
But there’s a reason for this, you see.
“You just demonstrated fighting a moment ago,” he points out.
“I can use [Splinter] or various magic spells that don’t require intense movement, but anything involving vigorous action seems impossible. Look, I’m wearing heels and my torso is constricted by this corset.”
“Why did you change into such an outfit?”
“It’s the result of prioritizing fashion.”
“I don’t understand the point of prioritizing fashion in a death game.”
“Well, before that, it’s a game, so don’t you care about your avatar’s appearance?”
“The premise isn’t just a game, but a death game, isn’t it?”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that. Anyway, I currently find physical attacks difficult. Or rather, I shouldn’t do them. Can you handle that part, Tsuna?”
“Can’t be helped. Let’s call it even with some sake later.”
“Sure, sure.”
Tsuna is easy to deal with when it’s not about money or equipment.
So, leaving direct combat to Tsuna, I occasionally provide support with magic as we advance deeper into Shinomori.
This feels like we’re on a real adventure, and it’s putting me in a good mood!
We don’t need to face off against EOD or named monsters or other dangerous opponents every single time!
Long live ordinary adventures! Ordinary is the best!
“Hm, I hear voices,” Tsuna says.
“You’re right. But they don’t sound human, do they?”
Judging from the “Rappu, rappu” sounds we hear, could it be Rapoos?
Oh, are we about to see wild Rapoos? I wonder what their ecology is like? I’m a bit curious…
“Shall we hunt them?” Tsuna suggests.
It seems Tsuna has reached the same conclusion as me, but his subsequent action is extremely violent.
Ever since he heard Rapoos are delicious, his mindset has completely shifted to that of a hunter.
Conversely, now that I’m about to see the real thing, I’m starting to doubt whether that’s true…
I feel like I’ve heard somewhere that real penguins don’t taste good…
“Tsuna, are you really going to eat a penguin?” I ask.
“It’s not a penguin. It’s a Rapoo.”
“Normal people don’t try to eat penguins, you know? Their cuteness usually wins over appetite.”
“It’s not a penguin. It’s a Rapoo.”
“Look, I’ve heard that real penguins don’t taste good.”
“It’s not a penguin. It’s a Rapoo.”
Tsuna is really not budging on this.
It seems Tsuna really wants to eat a penguin… I mean, a Rapoo.
Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you if you make enemies of penguin lovers worldwide.
“First of all, a penguin with long, muscular legs isn’t a penguin. That’s a Rapoo. And Rapoos aren’t particularly cute.”
That’s brutally honest.
But I suppose it’s true that waddling penguins are lovely, but if they walked quickly like ostriches, they might not be so endearing anymore.
“Hm, I can see them now,” Tsuna says.
“Oh, there’s quite a gathering.”
And so, we discover a group of Rapoos in the bamboo forest—
“Huh!? You’re telling us, the Night Demon Burners, to join under you!?”
“Indeed.”
Well.
We didn’t just find Rapoos, but also the group of mohawk-sporting riders and the ronin Yamamoto at the same time.
We could have done without these people.
■□■
The ronin Yamamoto… let’s call him Fake-moto for convenience… This Fake-moto apparently wants to establish a criminal clan called the “Yamamoto Gang” with himself at the top, aiming to create the most vicious criminal organization.
This Fake-moto guy…
He’s skilled enough to have reached Area 3, the royal capital of Sars, solo.
Moreover, he’s already undergone a class change and is no longer in a basic job.
Well, he didn’t specify what job he changed to, probably not wanting to divulge that information.
He seems to have met the conditions for creating a clan, but apparently lacks the funds. So he’s plotting to extort money from the Night Demon Burners, who have recently been rumored to be raking in cash.
On the other hand, the Night Demon Burners are bewildered because some strange old man suddenly approached them saying, “I’ll become your leader! Follow me!”
They’re probably aware that they’re doing bad things, but it seems they had no intention of establishing a criminal clan.
So they’re caught off guard by this sudden proposal.
And watching these two groups while concealing our presence with [Invisibility] are us.
Actually, Tsuna’s [Invisibility] is only level 3 and comes from his equipment, so I thought we’d be discovered immediately, but they haven’t noticed us at all.
Yeah, I think they should pay more attention to their surroundings rather than dreaming of future vicious criminal clans.
“Well!? What’s your answer!?”
“Like hell we’d follow you!”
Fake-moto might have tried to intimidate the mohawk group, but he’s only antagonizing them further.
It’s no wonder the negotiations are breaking down.
“Hmph, just another fake Yamamoto! I’ll show you the power of the real Yamamoto and make you change your minds!”
“You’re the fake one, with two swords on your back! That’s proof you’re an imposter! Let’s go, guys!”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, the mohawk riders on their Rapoos start circling around Fake-moto.
It’s the same scene they showed the adventurers earlier.
“Take this! Yamamoto-style [Hit-and-Run Attack]!”
“Ngh! This is—Guhah!?”
Fake-moto-san!?
Wait, this is…
Could it be that they’ve acquired [Yamamoto Style]…!?
I never expected them to execute [Hit-and-Run Attack] in a coordinated group effort!
[Yamamoto Style] is pretty strong, isn’t it!
“Are they God’s disciples?” Tsuna asks.
“Huh? I wonder about that…”
Honestly, I’m not sure.
I’m very confused right now, with a group suddenly appearing that has acquired [Yamamoto Style]!
I thought very few people would acquire [Yamamoto Style] because it has a very impractical skill called [Hit-and-Run Attack] from level 1.
Even if you work hard to level up the skill by repeatedly using [Hit-and-Run Attack] with a mount, at level 2 you get [I Will Become the Mining King].
This is useless without the [Mining] skill, and more importantly, acquiring [Yamamoto Style] prevents you from getting orthodox attack assist skills like [Swordsmanship] or [Spearmanship].
I was worried no one would take it because the drawbacks outweighed the benefits, but now I might be tremendously moved…
Yeah, keep it up, guys!
Yamamoto Style learns the [Great★Crucial★Slash] skill at level 3, [Mimicking Animal] at level 4, and [Splinter] at level 5—
…
This is bad!
[Yamamoto Style] isn’t a skill that should be learned by troublemakers!
“Tsuna, we have an emergency.”
“What is it?”
“We need to reform this rampaging group all at once…”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve seen me use [Splinter], right?”
“I’ve seen it often.”
“That’s a level 5 skill of [Yamamoto Style].”
“…”
“If these guys all learn to use [Splinter] and start rampaging, it’ll be beyond disastrous.”
“I see. That would indeed be terrible.”
“Is there any good way to bring them together?”
“Hmm, leave it to me.”
So I decide to leave it to Tsuna.
First, Tsuna takes out a huge harpoon from [Storage] and strikes it hard against a nearby tall bamboo.
Bang!
An incredible sound echoes as the bamboo splits.
Yeah, even the Night Demon Burners, who were engrossed in their hit-and-run festival on Fake-moto, stop moving.
They all turn towards us with “!?” expressions. What era of delinquents are they from?
“Who the hell are you~?”
The Night Demon Burners show menacing faces that make me wonder if their facial muscles are unnaturally stiff. But Tsuna, without losing his composure at all, crosses his arms and answers.
“I am the founder of [Yamamoto Style], the original Yamamoto! You lot are getting too big for your britches!”
…
Why are you adding another Yamamoto!?
And you’re doing exactly the same thing as Fake-moto!?
“Hmph, another impersonator? Seems like everyone needs to be run over once before they can talk sense…”
“Hmph, mere amateurs. My top disciple alone is enough for the likes of you. Top disciple, take care of them.”
Saying that, he passes the buck to me.
Eh…
Can this really work out somehow…?
Perhaps sensing my unease, Tsuna nods firmly.
What’s with that nod!
I don’t understand at all!
For now, having no choice, I summon my carriage with [Carriage Summoning] and climb onto the driver’s seat.
Yeah, it was hard to get on with high heels, but as expected of [Balance], there’s no risk of falling at all.
“A vehicle…”
For some reason, a ripple of unease passes through the Night Demon Burners.
Why? You guys are riding mounts too, aren’t you? Is there any reason to be unsettled?
“Don’t falter! It must be a bluff! Crush them with everyone’s [Hit-and-Run Attack]!”
“Yeah! Yamamoto-style [Hit-and-Run Attack]!”
“[Hit-and-Run Counter]”
“Gwaaah!”
▶ [Hit-and-Run Counter] has been registered to [Yamamoto Style].
When I simply ran them over with the carriage in return, the mohawk riders were sent flying along with their Rapoos.
It’s the same technique, but I guess the difference in stats… As I was thinking that, it got registered as a new skill called [Hit-and-Run Counter].
Hmm, I feel like [Yamamoto Style] really has a clear distinction between useful and useless skills.
“I-Impossible… To counter [Hit-and-Run Attack] so easily, and use a [Hit-and-Run Counter] we’ve never even heard of in [Yamamoto Style]… It can’t be…”
The mohawk group was trembling, and then they all dismounted their Rapoos at once and started prostrating themselves.
“We’re terribly sorry, Yamamoto-sama!”
But they’re bowing to Tsuna.
…Why?
“Indeed. I am the Yamamoto Style Patriarch, Yamamoto!”
“Yes, sir!”
Yeah, none of your reactions are correct at all.
That’s Tsuna, and I’m Yamamoto, you know?
I’m not going to say it because it would complicate things, but I have a lot of thoughts about this.
After all, I’m the real Yamamoto!
As I was thinking this, I noticed Tsuna staring at me as if he wanted to say something.
Wondering what it could be, I use [Whisper Talk] to speak to him…
“What is it?”
“I’ve brought them together.”
I’m sure Tsuna’s face behind that tengu mask must have been smug…