“Yes. However, ordinary magicians tend to get pushed out of the ring while they cast their spells.”
“I see. So the gap between casting and the activation of a spell proves fatal.”
“Spells and skills that remain on the ring are forbidden. This includes the special abilities of monsters. Laying a trap with threads, as arachne do, is against the rules, while suspending your opponent with threads and arresting their limbs is allowed.”
“Hey, referee, don’t go revealing my abilities like that!”
“Oh, my apologies.”
The referee scratched his head, apologizing in reaction to Kukuri’s protest.
“You’re gonna suspend me with threads? Damn, that’ll be a pain.”
“I won’t. There’s no need to go that far against a beginner like you.”
“That helps, thanks. Hell, I might even win this, then.”
“You can’t. As a swordsman, you should be able to tell. It’s like if a boxer joined a fencing tournament.”
“Yeah... Well then, guess I’ll just have to fight with all I’ve got.”
“Good. Just do your best, and Kukuri and I both will respect that,” I added.
“That’s right. Give it your best, fledgling rikishi,” said Kukuri.
“Thanks. Hey, you’re a good person, eh, Kukuri?”
“Don’t be silly.”
Her cheeks red, Kukuri turned away in a huff and climbed the dohyō. That’s right, Boorman. Kukuri was a wonderful student in Clifton’s stable, who did all of the cleaning and laundry by herself for the handsome wrestlers that were her fellow students, and never so much as looked displeased with it. I wanted all of this to be over so I could take Kukuri back to Clifton’s stable in Aryagard.
Boorman climbed the dohyō next, a wide smile on his face.
“Synchronize your breathing with that of your opponent, then get up at the same time. Make sure neither of you rises before the other,” the gray referee kindly explained, since Boorman was new to this.
“Gotcha.”
Adela spread out her white fan and got up on the dohyō.
“On the east, Boorman, Boorman... On the west, Kukuri, Kukuri...”
The face-off had begun, with Boorman and Kukuri behind their respective lines in the ground. Once their breathing synchronized, the two of them touched the ground, then got up and charged at each other—although Boorman was slightly late in doing so.
Kukuri used the spider stance, which Clifton’s stable also practiced. It involved keeping your center of mass extremely low—in Kukuri’s case, so low that her spider abdomen and human bosom were almost touching the ground. She walked briskly on her six spider legs, crashing into Boorman. The impact sent her opponent to the edge of his side of the ring. Kukuri was a professional rikishi in both Aryaka and the demonic realm, so her doing so well was only to be expected against an amateur opponent.
She tried to land another attack and finish him then and there, but Boorman smoothly dodged it. His footwork and defensive movements were just what you would expect from a first-rate swordsman.
“Hang in there, Boorman!”
“Show her some elven pride!”
The elven elders cheered for Boorman. On the inside, I cheered for him too.
“The arachne have an advantage in sumo, don’t they? Their legs are thin, but the fact that they have more of them than humans do provides much more stability,” commented Adela.
“Doesn’t that abdomen pretty much double her weight? It’s almost like this species was born to do sumo,” I added.
Kukuri was like a tank with frightening mobility. With so many legs and being so heavy, knocking her over would be difficult. Even in her human form, Kukuri was a tenacious wrestler with a powerful spring in her step and a high aptitude for sumo. In monster form, she was even more amazing.
Over and over, Boorman dodged her ferocious attacks by the skin of his teeth. His basic physical parameters, as well as his combat instincts built up through swordsmanship, were paying off. I wished I’d had at least a month to teach him sumo techniques and how to grapple before he had to go up against Kukuri.
His foot entered the black dohyō, reducing his mobility. Seizing the opportunity, Kukuri initiated a grapple and grabbed the front of his mawashi. I could tell this was the end for him—grappling was simply too much for a beginner.
“Bark, bark!” cheered Barkus for Boorman.
Kukuri put strength in her shoulders. Throwing techniques involve causing your opponent to lose their balance before going for a throw.
“You did well for a beginner. You have talent for sumo,” she said.
“Well, thanks.”
Kukuri threw Boorman off-balance, then performed an overarm throw.
“Still in, still in!”
He was still in! With unbelievable tenacity in his hips, Boorman avoided the overarm throw. Ah, if only he knew any techniques at all, he would stand a chance... How vexing!
“Kgh!”
Immediately afterwards, Kukuri pressed herself against her opponent, pulled up on his mawashi, and went for a trip... Huh? She used her frontal and middle left legs to attempt to trip Boorman. A multi-leg trip! Just the sort of technique you would expect from an arachne, a species with six legs. The elf endured with all he had.
“Nggghhh!”
“Ngaaah!”
Flash! Behind Boorman, I noticed several swords forming a wheel as if blooming out of thin air, then starting to rotate. The spirit of sumo!
“I can’t afford to lose!!!”
“Push her, Boorman!”
The two wrestlers were in a proper grapple at last. It was better to push, relying on one’s sumo spirit, than to keep one’s distance and focus on harite. Boorman was pushing the two spider legs Kukuri had tried to trip him with. He was overbuffed by his sumo spirit! Kukuri pulled her legs back and firmly planted all six on the ground.
“Well done, elf. Or should I say...wrestler Boorman,” uttered Kukuri.
“Unghh!!!”
His face beet red from exertion, Boorman grabbed Kukuri’s mawashi and pushed. He might just be able to do it by pushing while buffed by the spirit of sumo...
“You can do it, Boorman!”
“You’re doing great, Boorman!”
“Bark, bark, bark!”
The enormous body of an arachne was being pushed by the slim one of an elf. It wouldn’t be sumo if miracles like this didn’t happen. For sumo is done with spirit.
“He’s doing it, Floortje!” commented the prince.
“Unless...”
Kukuri’s three right legs hit one of the four bales set slightly back. As a look of determination surfaced on her face, thread-spinning wheels came into view behind her. No... Above and behind her spider abdomen, a sort of halo was revolving in place. The spirit of sumo... Could wrestlers of the demonic realm use it too? With that, the two wrestlers’ pushing force became evenly matched. Of course, I should have known. Though it was called Dark Sumo, it was proper sumo nonetheless. Thus it was only natural that the spirit of sumo would lend its strength to them as well. It was only fair.
“The spirit of sumo!” exclaimed the prince.
“We no longer have a patent on it,” I replied.
“This is getting interesting.”
“I was just thinking how exciting this is.”