CH 44

44 – The Battle of the Strong, The Battle of the Weak

It was the first time I felt this way.

The strong understand the strong. When I heard that story, I thought it had nothing to do with me.

But I was wrong.

The weak understand the weak.

I could feel the aura of the weak from Professor Deus before me.

“I bet you didn’t expect we would be in this situation together, Professor Deus. I’ll have you tell me everything you know”

“Guh, the universe’s strongest wishes to use his power on me is it. I-I’d recommend against it. Just tapping me lightly would be a fatal injury!”

Professor Deus shows off his weak side without holding back.

As expected, he and I are similar.

“Don’t worry. That won’t happen”

After all, my full power punch can’t even defeat a small animal.

“Here I come, Professor Deus”

“Eeek”

Spinning my arms around like a child, I approach Professor Deus.

Professor Deus desperately protects his large head as my spinning punches hit him repeatedly.

“Eek, ow, owow, ow? Huh? It doesn’t hurt that much”

To think you could withstand my instant death punch. Not bad, Professor Deus.

“Takumi’s behaviour memo: number 35. When fighting against the weak, in order to not deal full damage to his opponent, I believe he lowers his physical ability. Memo 32, stating that he is incapable of holding back, should be amended”

Professor Deus takes notes while getting hit.

Huh? He seems to be undisturbed?

Could he be stronger than me?

“If that’s how it is then I won’t hold back either, Takumi-kun”

Professor Deus starts to attack me back.

He clenches his fists and spins them around.

It’s the exact same attack as me.

Slapslapslapslapslapslapslapslapslapslapslap.

The two of us exchange spinning punches.

It doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t hurt at all.

Worse than a child’s squabble, the fruitless exchange of offense and defense continues with no decisive blow.

However, to fight with someone equally for the fist time makes me slightly happy.

“Not bad, Professor Deus. But I won’t lose”

“You’re not bad yourself, Takumi-kun. But I can’t lose here either”

Perhaps Professor Deus is feeling the same way, eventually a smile appears on our faces as we fight.

Meanwhile behind us, a majestic battle between karna and Ex is occurring.

“Evil Dragon Darkness Great Blaze!!”

“OMNIDIRECTIONAL SLAUGHTER CANNON!!”

The unbelievable sounds of destruction and explosions can be heard.

Just the sound alone indicates that the battle is on another level.

The halfhearted slapping noise coming from this side is a bit embarrassing.

“Not bad, but unfortunately you’re probably out of gas soon?”

“NOT YET! I CAN STILL FIGHT!

Ex’s limit seems to be approaching, the battle behind is reaching its climax.

As is the battle here.

“Haah haaah, that was a good fight, Takumi-kun. But unfortunately you’re probably getting tired soon?”

“Yup, this is really tiring”

My arms are heavy, I can’t spin them anymore.

The two of us have swapped to weak punches.

“Ha, don’t try to act tough. Fine then, I’ll settle this before you tire out. Here I come!”

“FINE BY ME, I’LL SURPASS MY LIMITS AND FACE YOU!!”

The power of the two behind rises explosively.

Amidst that.

“Hold on, haah haah, I can’t go on. Let’s take a short break. How about we decide things after with paper scissors rock or something, Takumi-kun”

“Haah haah, not a bad idea Professor Deus, I’ll take you up on that offer”

Without a sense of tension at all, our battle also approaches its end.

“What are you guys doing!”

Karna retorts as she charges towards Ex.

“FIVE SECONDS LEFT UNTIL LIMIT. OVERBOOST ON. HERE I GO!”

Flames blast out of the back of Ex’s legs like a jet engine and she flies towards Karna.

“Uooryaaaaaaaaaa”

“VIAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

The two of them clash in a battle of strength.

Ex is the one who gets blown away.

She spins and sticks into the ground, smoke rising from her.

“Paper, scissors, rock”

“Rock”

Like that, my battle with Professor Deus is also decided.

“Ah, hello there, Machina? Can you come over here quickly? Coordinates are D372, that’s right, the place where the Meeting of the Ten Greats was held. Eh? You don’t want to get close to Takumi? You can hear him saying [I’m glad you understand, that’s exactly right]? I don’t understand what you’re saying”

Professor Deus speaks into a device I’ve never seen before.

It’s the size of his palm. A thin plate like object with numbered buttons. It must be some communication device from the south.

“Do-Don’t worry. I’ve settled things with Takumi. Just hurry up and come, Ex has completely shutdown and I can’t carry her on my own. Ah hold on, don’t hang up!”

It seems that he contacted Machina but the connection got interrupted.

Having finished their battle, Ex who had overheated and can’t move is sitting next to Karna in the shade of a tree.

From the laughter that could be heard from time to time, it seems that the two have formed a friendship through that fierce battle.

“Is she coming?”

“I’d say it’s fifty-fifty. It seems Machina thinks she’ll be destroyed if she meets you”

How did she come to think that.

I haven’t a clue.

“Well let’s have a chat until she comes. The victor was me after all”

“It’s the first time I’ve lost in paper scissors rock in my life. I couldn’t read your thoughts at all. My calculations all went haywire”

Professor Deus read into it too much and self destructed.

All I did was throw out scissors with no thought.

“Firstly, under whose instructions were you investigating me. Just who is your employer?”

“Hmmm, I don’t mean to hide it but, I don’t know. The request came from a fairly influential royal in Southcity but they too were requested by another”

“There can’t be many that can make a request of that royal”

“I guess that’s true. This is merely my conjecture but, the one who asked is a probably fairly influential person within the Rushia Kingdom. I managed to receive this permit to bring firearms into the continent after all”

Just as expected.

That fits my assumption.

“Well, unrelated to the request, I came here because I was interested in you, Takumi-kun. The research material known as the universe’s strongest is just too tempting.”

Yeah, stop with that.

That research is a waste of time.

“However, you’re a strange one, Takumi-kun. If you were purely strong, then eventually science will surpass you . However, I feel a different kind of strength from you, an immeasurable strength that I can’t include in my memos”

What’s up with that.

If you could, I’d like if you would take note of it and share with me.

“That’s why you should take care. Something big is happening with you at the center”

Can this please stop.

Could big things stop happening.

“Takumi”

Takumi-saaaaaan

At that moment, Sasha and Reia hurry over worriedly.

It seems Professor Deus’ Complete Territory Isolation System has been released.

“Takumi, what’s going on? Who’s the enemy? This fiendish looking person?”

“Chloe’s doppelganger is it! Certainly I can feel a wicked power”

“Why me! Takkun, can I shut them up?”

My peaceful everyday life is still far from returning.