Chapter 37

Bang! Thud! Clang clang clang! Snap! Boom boom boom!

In the forest, the terrifying sounds of destruction echoed. Several thick trees were snapped in half, and the ground looked as if it had just been hit by a meteor, with craters scattered everywhere. Even the trees that had been burned and carbonized, and those that had been frozen, lay there.

This magnificent natural destruction was brought about by just two girls. And this destructive activity was continuing in the present tense.

“Hyaahaaaah!!”

With a force that could tear fabric, a tree about a meter in diameter was thrown out. The tree, snapped in half, flew towards its target at considerable speed. Indeed, as long as there is mass and velocity, even a tree can deliver a formidable destructive force. It destroyed all obstacles in its path and advanced to strike its target.

“…[Crimson Spear]”

The mighty spear of flame that met it head-on reduced everything to dust. Ignoring the massive size of the object, it was burned to ashes the moment it made contact. The [Crimson Spear] and the tree, now a projectile, met and turned to ashes that danced in the air.

“Not yet!”

The impact of the [Crimson Spear] and the thrown tree created a shockwave. From the opposite side of the spreading mist, a shadow ran over, and then another tree fell from the sky like a meteor, crashing to the ground with a roar. The target took a step back, escaping the range of the shockwave, and once again released a spear of flame.

However, the shadow that had darted out of the mist at high speed kicked the tree embedded in the ground with great force. The tree, struck with such power, exploded into fragments that turned into shrapnel and rained down on the target.

“! [Flame Wall]”

The makeshift shrapnel was blocked by a wall of flame that suddenly appeared, not a single piece reaching the target.

But…

“Got you!”

“!”

At that moment, the shadow had already circled around to the back. After releasing the makeshift shrapnel, it used a perfect breath control technique to blend back into the mist and launch a surprise attack. It swung a super-heavy hammer it held in its hand, and in an instant, it was swung down with a powerful wind.

“[Wind Wall]”

The hammer struck the ground, and the intense impact exploded. The stones crushed by the impact turned into shrapnel and flew in all directions. However, the target dodged the direct hit of this fierce attack, used a wind barrier to disperse the aftereffects, and quickly retreated to a safe distance. Then, she mercilessly cast a spell at the opponent, who was now in a rigid state after using a skill.

“[Frozen Coffin]”

“Huh! Wait, wait!”

Noticing the opponent's spell, the attacker desperately tried to stop it, but the target, as if there was no reason to listen, cast the spell without a word. The attacker dropped the hammer and tried to escape, but the ice spell, activated in an instant, quickly climbed up her body from her feet… leaving only her head, her entire body was encased in ice.

“So cold~ Please, Miss Tsuki, undo it quickly~”

“…My victory”

Yes, without a doubt, the two people who repeatedly destroyed nature were Tsuki and Sia. On the tenth day of training, the two engaged in a final test simulation. The content was that if Sia could even slightly injure Tsuki, it would count as a victory and pass. The result was…

“Uu~ That~ Wait, that! Miss Tsuki's cheek! There's a scratch! A scratch! My attack hit! Ahaha~ I did it! My victory!”

Tsuki's cheek indeed had a small scratch. Perhaps a small stone had broken through Tsuki's defense at the end. It was a very minor scratch, but a scratch was a scratch. It was Sia's victory. Pointing this out, Sia beamed with joy, falling into a state of ecstatic delight. Although some snot was running down her nose due to being frozen, she was still smiling. Her rabbit ears were also happily tapping together. This was understandable. After all, this battle not only meant she had graduated from training but also related to an important promise between her and Tsuki. And this promise was quite unpleasant for Tsuki. Therefore,

“…There's no scratch”

The wound disappeared immediately through [Auto Regeneration], and Tsuki pretended not to know about it, turning her head away in a pout.

“Ah!? That's cheating! There was definitely a scratch… uh, why is it gone now! There was definitely one! How cruel to pretend it didn't happen! Anyway, stop it and undo the spell~ It's been cold, cold… uh, why do I feel sleepy…”

As more snot dripped down, Sia began to feel drowsy. Sleep would mean death in this state. Tsuki, after glancing at Sia's condition, sighed deeply, looking thoroughly dispirited, and undid the spell.

“Achoo! Achoo! Ah, so cold. That's how it is for a little rabbit in danger.”

Cute sneezes, using nearby leaves to blow her nose, Sia stared at Tsuki with a serious gaze. Tsuki, feeling that gaze, showed a very, very unhappy expression, one that made her usually expressionless face crumble.

“Miss Tsuki. I, won.”

“……Yeah.”

“Remember the promise?”

“…………Yeah.”

“If, within ten days, I can win once… Mr. Ichin and Miss Tsuki will take me on a trip. Is that right?”

“……………………Yeah.”

“At least, when I ask Mr. Ichin, you will support me, right?”

“…………………………What was for breakfast today?”

“Wait! Don't brush it off like that! And the way you brush it off is a bit strange! Miss Tsuki, isn't it just Mr. Ichin's blood you need! Why do you care about what was for breakfast! Please be a good companion! If you support me, there's a 90% chance Mr. Ichin will say OK!”

Tsuki, in response to Sia's noisy complaints, showed a deeply melancholic expression.

As Sia said, Tsuki and she had a promise. That was, if Sia could hit Tsuki, even a minor hit, within ten days of the simulation, Tsuki would recognize Sia's inclusion in the trip with Ichin and herself. And when persuading Ichin to allow Sia to join, Tsuki would support her as a companion.

Sia was very serious about wanting to travel with Ichin and Tsuki. Half of it was to avoid burdening her family, and the other half was because she wanted to be with Ichin and Tsuki and become true friends with them.

However, Sia saw that if she asked directly, she would be rejected without mercy. Ichin and Tsuki's attitudes up to this point were clear. So, the method Sia came up with was the previous promise, a gamble named a promise.

Sia had seen through it. Even if Ichin was ruthless, he was very fond of Tsuki, so she had the idea of "to capture the city, first fill the moat." First, Sia, being a woman, could understand Tsuki's feelings for Ichin. Because she had the same feelings, it was natural. Conversely, Tsuki could also understand Sia's feelings, so traveling with her would naturally be unpleasant. Therefore, it was necessary to get Tsuki to recognize Sia's existence, Horia Sia, no matter what.

Sia did not want to take Ichin away from Tsuki. She had not even thought of such a thing. Unlike her feelings for Ichin, Sia seriously wanted to become close to Tsuki. They were the only [kind] left in the world, and Sia was likely influenced by this. In other words, she simply wanted to [become friends]. With the person she admired by her side and a friend who admired the same person, the future Sia now envisioned was such a future.

On the other hand, why did Tsuki make such a promise with Sia? This promise did not benefit Tsuki herself. Two-tenths of the reason was sympathy for Sia. When she first heard Sia's story in the Riesen Grand Canyon, the environment she was in was quite different from her own, and she felt a complex mix of emotions. She could not deny that a part of her felt a sense of [kindred spirit]. Even a little, she did indeed have a sense of companionship, which led to a "doting" on Sia.

Then, eight-tenths of the reason was… a woman's pride. Tsuki defined this promise as Sia saying, "If you think I'm a hindrance, please eliminate me with your strength. If you can't, please recognize my presence by Mr. Ichin's side." A woman who would not do such a thing if she were just a little ruthless. Sia, even if she was pitiful, was a [kindred spirit] opponent. Moreover, Sia's intense concentration and the ominous aura she exuded while training highlighted the depth of her admiration, making it impossible for Tsuki to remain silent. The result of the promised battle was Sia's victory.

“…Ha. Understood. I'll keep the promise…”

“Really! As I thought, you're the best! Please support me!”

“………………………………Yeah.”

“Somehow, the unusually long response time is a bit concerning… Really, please?”

“…Annoying.”

With great reluctance, Tsuki acknowledged Sia's victory. Sia, though somewhat uneasy about Tsuki's reaction, knew that Tsuki, like Ichin, would not break a promise, so a relieved and joyful expression appeared on her face.

It was about time for Ichin to finish the Horia clan's training. The unhappy Tsuki and the joyful Sia walked side by side towards where Ichin was.

～～～～～～～～

When Tsuki and Sia arrived at where Ichin was, Ichin was…

Leaning against a nearby tree, eyes closed, resting.

Noticing the two's presence, Ichin slowly opened his eyes and took in their figures. Ichin was surprised by the completely opposite atmospheres surrounding the two and raised a hand to greet them.

“Hey, you two together. The match is over?”

Ichin had heard about the reason for the two's bet and the decision to settle it. The one who prepared the super-heavy hammer for Sia was none other than Ichin. Ichin still remembered Sia's earnest request for a weapon, her serious expression as she wanted to win against Tsuki. Tsuki herself did not seem to have any particular objections, and Ichin did not know what the bet was about, but even when he asked, neither of them would tell him. It was probably not something that would disadvantage Tsuki. Ichin made this judgment and made the weapon for Sia.

In fact, Ichin thought that the match between Tsuki and Sia would most likely end with Tsuki's victory. At the bottom of Narak, Ichin had a full grasp of Tsuki's strength. Even if Sia could directly manipulate magic, Sia, who had been living in peace until now, was different from Ichin and Tsuki, who had survived in hell.

However, from the expressions of the two who returned, Ichin felt that his prediction was off, and he was surprised. Sia, in a good mood, spoke to Ichin, who looked surprised.

“Mr. Ichin! Mr. Ichin! Please listen! I finally won against Miss Tsuki! A great victory! Oh, I wish you could have seen my splendid battle! When she realized she had lost, Miss Tsuki would—!?”

Sia began to describe the battle in detail, but she got carried away, and Tsuki jumped up and slapped her. Sia, thrown to the ground with a thud, twitched and spasmed for a while without getting up.

Tsuki's small nose flared with anger, and she became even more unhappy. Ichin smiled wryly and asked,

“So? What happened?”

More than the result of the match, Ichin wanted to know the content of the battle. Honestly, no matter what method Sia used, the fact that she defeated Tsuki was hard for Ichin to believe. From Tsuki's reaction, Sia was telling the truth, and to say she was not concerned would be a lie.

Tsuki did not hide the atmosphere of not wanting to speak, but it seemed she only answered because it was Ichin asking.

“…Magic adaptability is the same as Ichin’s.”

“Oh, having a treasure but not being able to use it…? Not just that, right? That level of heavy hammer can be wielded freely…”

“…Yeah, specialized in physical enhancement. To be honest, monster level.”

“