Chapter 77

Happy New Year. I hope you have a good year.

This is a work of fiction.

The characters, organizations, and names are all fictional and have no relation to any real entities.

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072 - VS Hero

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"The duel between Sir Sadao Tsuchi and Baron Toy Futsickle will now begin. —— Start!"

As Barbados's right arm swung down, Tsuchi kicked off the ground and charged forward.

I read his attack and dodged with minimal movement, tripping him. Tsuchi fell dramatically. I thought he could at least do a breakfall since he was in the judo club, but he hit the ground face-first and started bleeding from the nose.

"You bastard, this amateur!"

Amateur? Girl? It seems Tsuchi also mistook me for a girl.

Since they don't understand my words, I don't bother to deny it. It's easier to let them think what they want.

"I'll kill you!"

I can't kill intentionally because of the magic contract, but Tsuchi's movements stopped abruptly. See, the magic contract prevents him from moving when he has the intent to kill.

"Damn... what is this?"

I approached Tsuchi, who was frozen with his sword raised, and raised my own sword.

"Stop! That's cheating!"

"The referee hasn't stopped it."

Despite being warned beforehand that he would be immobilized if he had the intent to kill, he clearly didn't listen. That doesn't give me a reason to hold back.

Let's do a little experiment.

Skill: Controlled Strike activated.

I swung my sword.

"Ugh!"

I cut Tsuchi, who was about to fall, and lifted him into the air. I attacked a spot that wouldn't make him faint easily. If he fainted easily, I wouldn't be able to instill fear.

At this point, Tsuchi's HP had dropped to 10 points.

I continued to beat him while he was floating. His HP wouldn't drop below 10.

Terror filled Tsuchi's eyes.

Next, I made him bleed. While nosebleeds are a form of bleeding, they won't kill him.

I deliberately slashed his abdomen with the tip of my sword to make him bleed. Of course, the Skill: Controlled Strike was still active. There was a fair amount of bleeding, but his HP didn't decrease.

I continued my attacks. Tsuchi was immobilized in the air, as he would fall and I couldn't attack him then.

Since I had no intent to kill, the magic contract didn't activate.

No matter how many times I attacked, his HP stayed at 10, but after about 20 seconds, it dropped to 9. As I continued to attack, his HP decreased by 1 point at a time. I concluded that the HP decrease was due to the bleeding.

Since I had no intent to kill, the magic contract didn't immobilize me.

Killing would be troublesome, so I should stop now. I've given Tsuchi enough fear. He won't recover for a while.

"Sir Tsuchi, down!"

Barbados ran to Tsuchi to check on him.

"Medics!"

Tsuchi had complex fractures all over his body, bleeding from the abdomen, and several internal organs were damaged, putting him in a dangerous state. Normally, it would take about six months to a year to fully recover.

Tsuchi was treated by a priest on the spot and carried away on a stretcher.

He might have nightmares for a while, but that's the punishment he deserves.

Next, the duel with Uchida. No need for a break. I'm not tired.

Uchida held two slightly shorter swords. Dual-wielding, huh.

"I'm not like Tsuchi. Be prepared."

Saying that, Uchida and Tsuchi are in the same boat, but Uchida doesn't seem to realize it.

Barbados explained the rules and started the duel by lowering his arm.

Unlike Tsuchi, Uchida gradually closed the distance, but I walked casually toward him. Uchida leaped back and pointed his hand at me.

"Storm!"

The Storm Hero activated his storm magic.

A swirling blade of wind approached me.

"Double Slash"

I countered the tornado with the Skill: Double Slash and dispelled it.

"What!?"

I closed the distance with Uchida, who was surprised, and activated the Skill: Controlled Strike, punching him in the abdomen with my left fist.

"Ugh..."

I beat up Uchida, who was floating in the air. I broke his ribs, both arms, both legs, and crushed his jaw, beating his face.

Uchida's face swelled up, and tears streamed from his swollen, closed eyes. With his jaw crushed, he couldn't speak or surrender.

I continued to beat Uchida, instilling fear in his body.

Thanks to the Skill: Controlled Strike, his HP wouldn't drop below 10. No matter how much I beat him, I didn't feel satisfied, but I eventually got bored and stopped.

Uchida fell to the ground, lying there. He was conscious but in no condition to get up.

Barbados ran to him and called for the medics.

Finally, Akaba.

"Don't get cocky just because you beat those grunts (Tsuchi and Uchida)."

Calling Tsuchi and Uchida grunts, Akaba's stats are slightly lower. If he understands this, he might be a big catch, but he definitely doesn't.

"Don't ignore me, you amateur!"

It's not that I'm ignoring him; I just can't think of anything to say.

"Are you scared, huh?"

I'm just disappointed.

"Sir Akaba, are you listening to the explanation?"

Barbados asked with a sigh.

"I'm listening, just start already."

He's definitely not listening.

Barbados shook his head, clearly exasperated.

"Is Baron Futsickle ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

I received a smile, as if expecting something.

I'll take care of it. I'll make him suffer without being told. (In a J●A style)

"The duel between Sir Shinji Akaba and Baron Toy Futsickle will now begin. —— Start!"

I closed the distance in an instant. Akaba's eyes widened.

I swung my sword horizontally, destroying his armor. Akaba was thrown back and hit the wall.

I held back quite a bit without relying on skills, so his HP only dropped by about a third. He didn't faint, but he was having trouble standing up.

"5... 6... 7..."

Barbados counted mechanically.

"You amateur... you're doing well, aren't you?"

Akaba used his sword like a cane to stand up, and Barbados's count stopped at 9.

"Sir Akaba, are you still going to fight?"

Barbados confirmed his fighting spirit, and Akaba glared at him.

"Of course I'm going to fight, you idiot."

He spouted insults, his head filled with blood. He's always spouting insults, even when his head isn't filled with blood.

"Ugh!"

Akaba swung his sword wildly, but I read his attack and dodged. It was a perfect dodge, seeming to hit but not actually hitting.

"Move around a bit."

There's no way I'd hit Akaba's wild swings.

Thanks to the training from Vulcan, I can do this much without relying on skills. Those hellish days weren't for nothing.

"Shameless!"

I countered his wild swing with a punch to the face, sending him flying into the wall like a character from a certain anime.

His nose was broken from that.

"Are you still a hero? Get up and fight!"

"What happened to your usual bravado, you incompetent hero!"

"You have no purpose other than to fight, so what's with that look?"

"You're just a piece of trash, so you can just lie there!"

Barbados's counting was drowned out by the insults.

I don't like him, but it seems the nobles and officials don't like Akaba either.

"Shut up!"

Akaba shouted at the audience (the nobles), unable to tolerate the insults. He has a low boiling point.

"Delaying will be considered a forfeit, Sir Akaba."

"Shut up, you wooden puppet!"

His nose was caved in, making his speech unclear, which made me laugh.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I just thought you looked scary with that face."

"You amateur! I'll kill you!"

That's why you need to control your emotions, or you'll destroy yourself.

"Roar! Burning Flare!"

Akaba's embarrassing words echoed as he pointed his palm at me.

But the magic didn't activate.

Since I signed the magic contract, I can't use attacks that aim to kill. He's not learning at all.

"Why not!?"

He probably signed the contract without checking its contents. He's nothing but foolish.

"If you surrender, you won't have to suffer anymore. What will you do?"

"Who would surrender?"

If that's the case, there's nothing I can do.

I closed the distance and struck Akaba's temple with the flat of my sword. Akaba lost consciousness and fell, but I kicked him up and continued to beat him. I kicked and beat him repeatedly, forcing him to regain consciousness.

"Ah..."

He tried to speak, but I interrupted him with a punch.

Tears streamed down his face, but I continued to beat him.

His HP was fixed at 10. There was bleeding, but it wasn't enough to decrease his HP.

I shattered every bone in his body, severed his muscles and tendons. His HP started to decrease due to internal bleeding and organ damage. Any more and he would die.

So, this is the last one. Hmph!

I thrust my sword into Akaba's crotch. Even with a crushed blade, I penetrated his armor, severed his penis, and cut it into pieces.

"Phew..."

When I stopped attacking, Akaba clutched his crotch, crying and convulsing.

Barbados immediately called for the medics, and he was treated.

He'll probably be bedridden for a while, but since he's not dead, it's not a problem. That part is gone, though.

This guy is a serial rapist. Most of his crimes were in Japan, so the princess left them alone, but he has been raping women in this world recently. That's why I cut it off. Of course, I cut off the testicles too.

Even a skilled priest can reattach it, but they would have to regenerate it from scratch. Regeneration is not easy, so I cut it off and shredded it.

Without it, Akaba's sexual desire might decrease. He's not dead, so he can change his ways. I doubt it, though.

However, I'm impressed with how well I controlled my killing intent. I couldn't use attacks with the intent to kill because of the magic contract, but I managed. I knew it intellectually, but I wasn't sure how well I could control my emotions. My mental strength is not to be underestimated.

In the castle's waiting room, the princess and the duke arrived.

"Baron Futsickle, you've caused us trouble. Here is what