Evil Avalon - Volume 2 - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Kaoru Hayase - Part 3

Kaoru Hayase

“Like this, Naoto?” asked one of our classmates. “Can you show me again? You’re a great teacher.”

“Look at Yuuma,” said another classmate. “He’s just as good with a sword as anyone in the upper classes!”

I was at the training session we held to benefit our level 3 and below classmates. The girls in attendance were swarming Naoto and Yuuma, trying to charm them with their soft voices. Their attitudes toward Sakurako and me were decidedly more hostile. At first I’d thought that they wanted to get to know us so they could join our party, but I realized they believed Sakurako and I had reached level 6 because we’d teamed up with the two boys. Naoto and Yuuma had definitely contributed a lot to our dungeon success, as both had natural talent and an aptitude for raiding. However, it annoyed me that the girls had entirely dismissed the hard work that Sakurako and I had put in.

It wouldn’t do any good to say that out loud, so I left the girls to Yuuma and Naoto, then walked away to instruct the other attendees.

The first pair that caught my eye were Nitta and Tsukijima. I’d had a brief glimpse of Nitta’s swordsmanship during our sword fighting class. Her form had been a little unusual but hadn’t been bad. Therefore, the reason she was still only level 3 was likely because she wasn’t able to spend enough time in the dungeon or spend it there fruitfully. Rather than instructing her on sword fighting, the most helpful advice I could give her would be how to schedule and where to go in the dungeon to find the best monsters.

Then there was Tsukijima, who’d started trying to get closer to me recently. He’d even invited me out on dates several times. I knew my classmates called me a tomboy behind my back, but it felt good that a boy was interested in me for a change. His laid-back attitude needed fixing, though. He seemed oddly confident in himself, which I found strange.

Nitta and Tsukijima had just been chatting with each other the whole time I’d been watching them, not bothering with training. It didn’t seem like a light chat either... They seemed to have a serious conversation. Tsukijima gestured animatedly with a menacing look like he was trying to convince Nitta of something. From the few words I could make out, they were talking about the dungeon and were at least on topic. But the point of the training session was to train, not to talk, so I decided that I’d step in if their conversation didn’t end soon.

After I made a mental note of that, I looked at the next pair. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Souta and Kuga facing each other but not actually doing anything. Kuga was simply standing there with her usual drowsy expression. Souta at least had his sword at the ready, but he seemed nervous for some reason. Their names came up frequently as persons of interest when we’d discussed Naoto’s plans to enhance Class E.

At level 2, Kuga had the lowest level in the class, and she was clearly struggling to progress in the dungeon. She possibly hadn’t formed a party with anyone; she was always alone.

Souta was level 3, but we suspected that was due to power leveling, and there was a high possibility that his fighting skills were lacking. That was definitely true of the Souta I’d known before we’d joined Adventurers’ High. But it was technically possible that he’d worked hard by himself to raise his level.

Because of that, I wanted to gauge their sword fighting abilities in today’s session and instruct them on how best to improve. Unfortunately, however long I watched, the two showed no signs of wanting to start their training. They remained there, simply facing each other. After a while, I got fed up and called over to them.

“What are you waiting for? Get started and make the most of the training session!”

I waited, but neither of them replied.

Just as I was about to scold them again, Kuga, annoyed, spoke up, “Why do I have to be here?”

I explained to Kuga that she was here because she was level 2, the Battle of the Classes was right around the corner, and we wanted to help her level up.

Her reply was astounding, “In that case, I’ll see that I’m on the same level as you by the next session. Okay, I’m leaving now.”

I wouldn’t let that slide. Why was she still level 2 if she could level up so quickly? I responded, “If you want to leave, you’ll have to convince me that you can make good on your word first.”

We needed our classmates to be in top form to take on the upper classes, and the training session would also benefit Kuga directly. She said she’d climb to level 6 by herself, though, not knowing how hard I’d needed to work to get there!

“Okay, here’s what I’ll do,” said Kuga, growing impatient. “I’ll wipe the floor with this guy, then I’ll leave.”

“Eek!” shrieked Souta.

Since the swords were plastic and everyone wore protective gear, there was nothing wrong with striking at each other as hard as possible. In fact, that was what I wanted them to do.

Kuga lowered her center of mass slightly and spun her training sword around to hold it with a reverse grip, and she began bouncing from left to right like a boxer.

What is this? I wondered. This isn’t the form for any sword-fighting style I know. It’s more like a martial arts stance.

A reverse grip might work with a shortsword or a knife, yet the training sword was over a meter long. This grip would limit the power of her thrusts and severely reduce their attack power.

Kuga and Souta were four meters apart. As I watched, she closed the distance between them with a single step. Her sword hand wound around to punch at Souta’s head from the side. You’d call that punch a hook in boxing.

She’s fast! I thought. She used her fists instead of her sword!

She shot toward him at unbelievable speed and delivered a fast punch from Souta’s blind spot. Souta never stood a chance of dodging. He was still staring forward, as he had been, stupefied and unable to move. Her punch would strike him on the temple... Or so I thought, but Kuga pulled the punch immediately before impact.

“W-Wow, you’re really good, Kuga,” said Souta, sweating from shock. “It was way too quick for me to react.”

Never mind him. I doubted whether I could’ve dodged the attack, and I was level 6. That was how fast and precise the attack had been. She’d also spun around and leveraged centrifugal force to put her whole body weight into the attack so the power would have been immense. If she hadn’t pulled the punch, her hook would have damaged Souta, even with his head gear protecting him. He’d been absolutely defenseless too, and I’d let out a sigh of relief when she’d stopped her attack. I found my reaction surprising, but more surprising was that there was another facet to Kuga’s attack. Her reverse-grip sword would have sliced into him had he not dodged backward. She would’ve struck him with a body blow from her left hand if he’d ducked. Kuga had won the fight the instant Souta had let her get into close range.

Her combination of attacks wasn’t something an amateur could pull off. Even though she’d pulled it away, that single punch was enough to prove her combat proficiency.

And yet...

“Hey,” said Kuga, staring intently at Souta. “You were following my punch, weren’t you?”

“O-O-Of course not!” replied Souta nervously. “It was too quick for me to see what was happening! You know I’m no match for you, so you should find a new partner. What do you think, Miss Kaoru?”

There was no way Souta would have followed her punch like Kuga was implying. And who are you calling Miss Kaoru?

“Oh?” Kuga told Souta. “Let’s do the same once more, then.”

“N-N-No, wait!” blurted Souta. “We don’t need to take it quite that seriously!” He then pointed to a corner of the room and said, “Oh, I’ve actually come down with a stomachache. I’m gonna rest over there for a bit.”

Kuga ignored Souta’s excuse and said quietly, “This time, I won’t pull the punch.” She started bouncing like a boxer again. All of a sudden, she was taking this session seriously.

I believed Souta being one level higher than Kuga would make up for his lack of sword fighting skills. After seeing her attack, I realized she might be too tough of an opponent for him. I scanned the room for other attendees to pair him with for training. That was when I saw a figure in shining metal armor walking from the school building among a group of men dressed in black.

Her, I thought. I’ve heard rumors that she’s weird, but she really does go everywhere in full mail and plate armor.

She was Akira Tenma, the second-strongest student in Adventurers’ High’s first-year Class A. Her close-range combat abilities apparently surpassed that of even Class A’s top student. Nobody knew why, but she always wore armor, and nobody had ever seen her face.

The men in black suits escorting her wore badges on their chests with the Japanese character for heaven—the “Ten” from Tenma. These were Tenma’s personal butlers, and they attended her at all times, even at school. They weren’t ordinary butlers either since they were also skilled in combat and would support Tenma during dungeon raids. Rumor had it that each was powerful enough to belong to an Assault Clan. For some reason, this oddly dressed group was rushing in our direction. Tenma’s heavy armor didn’t clatter when she moved because of some enchantment.

I held my breath and waited for them to pass us by, but Tenma suddenly stopped in front of us and focused on Souta.

“You there,” said Tenma. “You’ve lost a remarkable amount of weight. How did you do it?”

Her helmet should have muffled her voice, but it was as clear as someone speaking on the phone. She was probably using a vocal projection magic tool for communication.

“Huh?” expressed Souta. “Do you mean me?”

“Yes, you, Souta Narumi.”

Tenma had looked at Souta, used his full name, and remarked on his weight loss. Why did she know who he was? Souta’s baffled expression showed he was just as confused as me.

“Um, why do you know my name?” he asked.

“Well, you’re about the only really big student at this school,” explained Tenma. “I’m plump too, and I felt a sympathetic connection. So, how did you lose so much weight that quickly?”

Souta grew more flustered. It was only natural for him to feel anxious when addressing a member of the Tenma family. Although they were originally a family of business people, the Japanese government had awarded them a barony in recognition of their contributions to dungeon technology. As such, they were legitimate nobility.

However, I was curious to hear Souta answer the question too. He’d never taken dieting seriously before entering high school... In fact, he’d lived an unhealthy, unkempt lifestyle and stuffed his face with food whenever he could. Now he’d slimmed down from that obese extreme, and I could even see muscles on his body. Plus, he’d come along to today’s training session without complaint. Did something happen to change his outlook?

“Would you rather not answer in public?” asked Tenma. “In that case, let us talk there.” She pointed to a large black car. I’d noticed the unusually long limousine parked near the school gates frequently. But I hadn’t known it was Tenma’s transport.

Still, I didn’t want her to take Souta away in the middle of our training session. What was I to do? I wondered whether I should butt in and explain the situation.

“Stop,” ordered Kuga. She stepped forward and brandished her training sword at Tenma as if to shoo her away. “I had business with him first, and you’re getting in my way.”

I saw the expressions on the butlers’ faces grow stern. Suddenly, everyone was on edge.

“Hmm?” hummed Tenma. “And who are you?” She pulled up the terminal on her arm, pointed it at Kuga, and began pressing buttons. “According to the database, you’re Kotone Kuga of the first-year Class E, level 2... Level 2? Is that all? And you think it is wise to provoke me?” Tenma threw her arms in the air in an exaggerated gesture of astonishment. She was wearing a helmet, so it was hard to tell if she was shocked. Yet her animated gestures were likely her way of making up for this.

“So what if I do?” shot back Kuga.

Tenma’s level was mysteriously missing from the database, although it was definitely high. Otherwise, she couldn’t be the second-strongest student in Class A. Kuga’s combat abilities wouldn’t be enough to overcome the level gap. In addition, Kuga could be in deep trouble when showing disrespect for a noble.

Both commoners and nobles alike enlisted in Adventurers’ High, and the school rules forbade discrimination based on class. But everyone knew this was nothing more than a formality. If people actually followed the rules, the men in black suits behind Tenma wouldn’t be angrily cracking their knuckles and preparing for a fight.

Kuga was temperamental, and Souta hadn’t recovered from his shock. The situation would fall to me to fix.

“E-Excuse me,” I called out. “W-We’re in the middle of a Class E training session. Um, Kuga didn’t mean to be rude. Please, could we resolve this peacefully—”

“Out of my way!” One of Tenma’s butlers grabbed my shoulder and shoved me aside.

“Kyaa!”

We were inside the magic field, meaning a high-level adventurer could bat away a level 6 like me with nothing more than a tap.

Yuuma and Naoto had noticed signs of trouble and came running over. Even so, Kuga continued to stare at Tenma without moving a muscle.

“How should we handle this, my lady?” asked one of the butlers.

“Hmm,” emitted Tenma. “Ordinarily, she should be taught a lesson. But I will overlook her insolence in recognition of her courage. Another day, Narumi!”

With that, Tenma departed. The butlers left with her at once as though their anger had melted away and they’d lost interest in us. Once the tense encounter finished and my adrenaline stopped pumping, I felt like I might collapse where I stood.

“What was that about, Kuga!” said Tsukijima, laughing. “If you tussle with nobles, you’ll get us all in hot water.”

“Ha ha. I wanted to see how the fight went, though,” added Risa.

Tsukijima and Risa had been watching the encounter but were unexpectedly laughing. Both were more calm than they should have been. With such a massive level gap, it would’ve become more than a “tussle.”

“Hmph!” sniffed Kuga with annoyance. “Interrupting my fight... Now, where were we?” Kuga looked around for Souta to continue their sparring. “Huh?”

However, Souta was nowhere to be seen. He’d run away.