“Hnghh!!!!!!”
Wataru lifted the tree up high with both of his hands, aimed it right at Phantasm, and then slammed it down! He looked as though he was performing a kendo head-strike!!
“!!”
Phantasm was slack-jawed and flabbergasted at this turn of events!
And then!!
KA-BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!
With just one swing of his tree, Wataru smashed Phantasm!!
Dear Readers, allow me to explain! Even this simple attack had a long and respectable history! This move is called the “Crash of the Falling Timber-Blade*”!
(*Crash of the Falling Timber-Blade: The year was 980 A.D., in the Heian Era. A young man, born in the mountains near Kyoto, Sakata Doutoki, was famed throughout the land as the strongest in all of Japan. Standing at over two meters tall, he was given the nickname “Doutarou” out of deep respect for his great strength. What’s less well known, however, is that he was not only skilled in unarmed martial arts, but also in sword fighting. He created a style of fighting where, instead of a sword, he wielded a massive “Timber-Blade” to crush his opponents into the ground. It was a powerful, but simple technique. It is said that he would lift up his Timber-Blades, all taller than he was, and proclaim them to be “true” wooden swords. [6])
“Hah... Hah... How d’you like that!?!”
Alas, strong as our Wataru may be, using such a technique consumed a great deal of his stamina! His breaths were coming short and fast, and a veritable waterfall of sweat was dripping from his brow!
...But the fight was nowhere near over!!
“Hahaha... So you can... fight after all...!!”
“Wha—!”
A most astonishing development! Unbelievably unthinkable!
Phantasm had, with her unoccupied left hand, completely blocked Wataru’s Falling Timber-Blade! A small crater had been created just from the force of the impact as it traveled down her body, from her hand to her feet, and yet there she was, still standing!
“You stopped that... with one hand!?”
Even so, Wataru was not about to give up! He pushed down hard with the tree, trying once more to crush Phantasm under the weight of its bulk! But his opponent, looking as calm as ever, casually shoved the tree right back up!
“How can you—!”
The surprise of this was too much for Wataru! The Timber-Blade slipped from his hands and then he nimbly leaped backwards, quick as a startled hare!
“Oh, make no mistake... That truly was an impressive blow,” Phantasm said, “but it was not quite enough.”
And with those words, she sent the tree flying sideways! The enormous tree, which must have weighed several hundred kilograms, crashed into the ground with a BANG! at the edge of the clearing!!
“Hah... heh... This is... really not looking good...!!”
Wataru was totally shocked that his attack had not crushed his opponent, and furthermore, that it had been stopped single-handedly! He felt something like excitement at the obvious strength he was facing—but still took one step back, just to be safe!
“Now... I attack!” Phantasm yelled and heaved her sword high up into the air! She dashed right for Wataru, each leap leaving an enormous footprint in the dirt as she rapidly closed the distance!
“Come and get it!!!”
Wataru knew that if he kept running about the clearing to avoid attacks, this battle would never end! He crouched down, ready to take the blow!
“Hiiiiiiyaaaa!”
Phantasm held the sword’s blade parallel to the ground and swiped it sideways! If she made a direct hit on Wataru, there’s no doubt that a single blow would take his head right off! But Wataru braced with his feet apart and bent over backwards as Phantasm swung her sword, completely dodging the blade!
Phantasm was stunned! “How can this be!?”
Allow me to explain! Wataru was, right then, using a legendary karate technique, the “Ina Bauer*”!
(*Ina Bauer: A karate technique created by a martial artist in the Saga Domain (now Saga Prefecture) in 1850. By spreading the feet wide and pointing the toes sideways, in opposite directions, one is able to easily bend over backwards in order to dodge attacks. One’s sense of balance is quite important when spreading one’s legs wide and pointing the toes at 180-degree angles from each other, but it allows one to avoid attacks on the upper torso with ease. This move has absolutely nothing to do with the figure-skating technique of the same name, the “Ina Bauer.” Any similarity in the names of said moves, or similarities in the movements themselves, is entirely coincidental. [7])
“Oho, an excellent dodge! One hundred points for style!”
Aria was quick to praise Wataru from her vantage point behind the tree! She was doing an excellent job of fulfilling her role as the Light Novel Heroine, and all of our Dear Readers are no doubt completely satisfied with her compliments!!
When Wataru came back up, he used his forward momentum to slam his head into his opponent’s abdomen!
“Ngh!?”
His headbutt smashed precisely into the weak point of her steel armor, fracturing the plate! When someone thought up the word “blockhead,” they were certainly thinking of someone with a head as hard as Wataru’s!
But Phantasm had not yet lost this battle!
“You think that’s gonna take me down!?”
She screamed with rage as she brought the sword high above her head, then began to swing downwards—but look, that was a feint! She kicked sideways, and poor Wataru, who’d been focused entirely on the sword, was nailed right in the stomach by her foot!
“Gahh!!”
He groaned, and most painfully at that, as the air was forced right out of his lungs! In a flash, he slammed one foot against the ground and jumped backwards!
Th-This is really bad! I’m racking up damage...!! If I keep retreating like this, I’ll end up back near Aria—maybe I should have her heal me!? No, it’s too dangerous! She’ll be within range of that sword, and if Phantasm attacks her, too...!
Wataru found himself trapped by the circumstances! There was nothing he could do!
“......!”
He racked his brain as hard as he could to think of a way out of this situation, grinding his teeth like there was no tomorrow! Before him, Phantasm lifted her sword, eyes full of rage and smiling most evilly at him!
“So, Wataru, or whoever you are... this has been a good fight. However, it seems like the battle has come to an end. Allow me to strike this final blow.”
Her malicious smile was one Résistance never would have made at her friends! If Wataru loses this battle, he will not only never obtain the orb, but Résistance might never get her body back!!
How—How can I win this...!?
Wataru—was terrified!
But not of losing! He was terrified at the very thought of losing his friend!
No... Never!! I absolutely can’t lose Résistance!!
Before he knew what he was doing, he had clenched his fists together, leaned forward toward Phantasm, and shouted with the face of a Nio! “I...... don’t want to lose you, Résistance!!”
“Hmph. Cry all you want, Human,” Phantasm spat at Wataru, and pointed the tip of her blade at his chest!
“Here and now, I shall run you through with this very sword...”
“R-Résistance......” Aria said as though she was about to burst into tears! “Résistance, please, don’t... He’s your friend, isn’t he...!?”
Her words, heartfelt as they were, could not reach Phantasm’s ears in her current state! Phantasm’s eyes glittered black as the night sky and glared cruelly at Wataru’s defeated face, ready to deal the final blow!
What do I do...!? What do I do...!?