That made sense to me. And just as I thought that, the king’s guard arrived at the training grounds we’d used earlier.
“Tenma! C’mon, it’s your turn to spar with us!” Jean yelled at me.
For once, the core members of the king’s guard were all present, and judging by their enthusiasm, they weren’t going to let me off easy. Kriss and Edgar were already circling around behind me to cut off my escape route.
“Any of you Gunjo City knights who want to join in can jump in whenever you like!” Dean shouted.
Primera was the first to respond. Her vice-captain followed right after her, and then a dozen more stood up after them. But none of the knights from noble families, aside from those first two, could manage to get back on their feet.
“I’ll take care of Primera, then.”
“Please do!”
Kriss immediately grabbed hold of Primera and dragged her away from me. A female knight from the king’s guard followed her lead and did the same with a knight from the fourth brigade, bringing her over to join Kriss’s group.
Once all the female knights from the fourth brigade were gone, the rest of the king’s guard started rounding up the remaining knights one by one.
“So, Tenma, how about the usual?” Edgar asked with a smile that was way too pleasant for what he was suggesting. He started steering me over towards where Dean, Jean, and Sigurd were waiting—he was basically throwing me to the wolves.
“You say ‘the usual,’ but I don’t remember ever fighting with this combo, am I right? I’m okay with magic being allowed, but what about you guys?” I said.
“Too bad, Edgar. You gotta sit this one out.”
“Wait, why me? Make Dean sit out!”
“Fine, then Sigurd’s out too! That work for you, Tenma?”
I nodded, figuring that was fair...until I realized something right as the match was about to start.
Hang on, I’ve never fought this combo before either... This is gonna suck, isn’t it?
It was already too late. I knew that I could maybe manage a draw on a good day when it came to fighting Dean without magic, but not when Jean was thrown into the mix too. And if it had been Dean and someone other than Jean—like Kriss, maybe—I could’ve had a shot using Dean’s partner as a shield or a distraction. But Jean didn’t leave any openings for me. Dean stuck to me like glue, and Jean hit me from behind whenever he pleased. There was no world where this wouldn’t be considered just straight up bullying.
Once the beatdown from the old men had concluded, Edgar, Sigurd, Kriss, and Primera came charging at me with no break or warning. It was a full-on ambush.
Naturally, after the punishment I’d just received, my stamina was shot. All I could really do was defend myself. Still, even though I was on defense against the four of them, they never landed a decisive blow on me. I figured that made that round a draw.
But after Jean called an end to the match, Kriss grinned smugly. “We had the advantage, so I’m calling it a win,” she said.
“If four of you couldn’t take me down, I’d say it was your loss, Kriss,” I shot back.
That started a standoff between the two of us, and we glared at each other from a distance.
But when I said, “If you’ve got a problem, go fight Dean and Jean first and then come back and complain,” she was promptly dragged off by the very people I mentioned and ended up getting bullied in the same way I had.
“Sure, Kriss brought it on herself, but you’re still pretty savage, Tenma,” Edgar said.
“Well, she’s been kind of full of herself ever since she won the tournament. This should knock her down a peg or two,” Sigurd said.
It was clear neither of them had any intention of stepping in to help. They just watched calmly as she got a beatdown.
“You all right, Tenma?” Primera asked.
“Yeah. I’m pretty tired, but no serious injuries or anything. I’m good,” I said.
Minor injuries were just part of the job description for me. I told her I was fine, but she still had a guilty look on her face.
“Let me guess, Kriss dragged you into this?” I asked her.
She gave me a small, hesitant nod.
In that case, it was all Kriss’s fault. There was no reason for Primera to feel bad. Edgar and Sigurd agreed and reassured her, and once the female knights of the king’s guard noticed, they chimed in with similar comments.
“Why the hell is my reputation taking a hit after surviving those two monsters?!”
Yep, Kriss’s stock within the group had plummeted. Not that everyone was being serious, however. They were mostly just teasing her. But as for the rest... Yeah, I suspected those feelings were real.
“All right! That’s it for today!” Dean said, wrapping up the training.
The king’s guard seemed even more fired up than usual—perhaps it was because the fourth brigade had joined in today. They were all smiles now as they chatted, laughed, and made plans while looking totally relaxed.
On the other hand, the fourth brigade looked like they’d barely survived a bout on the battlefield. Most of them either had collapsed or were slumped over on the ground. Only the vice-captain and a few older knights were still standing.
Once Primera saw the king’s guard starting to form up, she rushed to her feet. “F-Fourth brigade, on your feet! Salute!” she said, trying to get her unit to look presentable.
The king’s guard replied with waves and casual greetings. The members then started stretching or heading back into the castle once Dean dismissed them.
“How many of them do you think will still be walking tomorrow?” I asked.
“Maybe a bit less than half? I mean, I’ll be fine, of course,” Edgar said with a laugh.
“I’d guess even fewer than that. But of course I’ll be fine too,” Sigurd said, seeming less optimistic.
I agreed with both of them. Even though the knights of the king’s guard were far stronger than the average knight, both physically and in terms of skill, today’s training had been unusually intense. More people had been involved than usual, and a lot of them had clearly been trying to show off in front of the fourth brigade. Honestly, they should’ve been just as wiped out as the others.
“Well, putting on a brave face is just another part of the job when you’re a member of the king’s guard,” Edgar said.
Sigurd agreed. “Yeah, you can’t exactly show weaknesses in front of other brigades.”
“Oh, come on. Aren’t you two laying it on a little thick with the whole tough-guy act?” Kriss said teasingly. She really had no room to talk, considering how clearly she was faking how much energy she had left.
She kept at it. “I mean, didn’t Edgar complain about getting sore two days after a workout? And Sigurd’s been worried about how much hair he’s got lately. Sounds like age is catching up with you. Maybe it’s time to let the younger ones take over?”
Kriss was clearly trying to rile them up by calling them old. But the truth was that she wasn’t much younger herself. Honestly, the three of them were basically the same age.
But having Kriss call them old definitely didn’t sit right with Edgar and Sigurd. Neither said a word, but their fists were clenched so tight I thought they might bleed, and the veins in their foreheads were bulging so much I thought they might pop.
But Kriss was totally oblivious.
“Hm?”
As I watched the three of them with mild amusement, I noticed Jean in the distance with a big smile on his face, gesturing at me to do something about Kriss. I shook my head to signal No way. Dean joined in making the same gesture, clearly enjoying the show.
“Fine, fine,” I said. “Let’s see... Oh, perfect! There you are! All right, get out here!”
I peeked into the dimension bag I’d stashed off to the side to answer their silent requests...and unleashed a demon.
“Meh-eh-eh! Meh-eh-eh!”
“Your target’s Kriss! This is your one and only shot to get revenge!” I said, egging on the furry devil herself... Mary.
At first, Mary tensed up like she was going to headbutt me, but I redirected her gaze to Kriss just before she launched herself. It only took her a second to realize what I’d meant. Since Kriss constantly manhandled her and smothered her in unwanted petting sessions, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Me-eh-eh!” Mary looked up at me with an expression of admiration, let out a proud little bleat like she was saluting me, then...
“Meeh... Meh-eh-eh-eh!”
Mary got her bearings and launched herself at Kriss.
“Huh? Wh-What is Mary doing here? Wait, not now. Not now!!! Please, not now! I’m sor— Argghhhhhhh!!!”
Just as I expected, Kriss didn’t have enough energy left to dodge. Honestly, she probably had even less in the tank than Edgar and Sigurd did. She couldn’t react in time either. Mary slammed into her back with a full-force tackle, sending Kriss flying. Then, Mary pounced again as Kriss hit the ground and treated her to a lovely little taste of hell.