Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion - Volume 12 - Chapter 11

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11. Give it Everything You’ve Got

The large fire was moved aside, and twelve smaller fires were built in a circle around the plaza.

No one but the chief of the Kamushika tribe, Papa Dutt, his eldest son Mwadan, and his opponent Kuzaku were allowed to enter the ring.

Haruhiro and the rest of the party were, of course, made to sit outside the ring.

Like Mwadan, Kuzaku was made to take off his armor, and was naked from the waist up.

Papa Dutt performed a body search on both parties, checking that neither had anything that could be used as a weapon. The duel would be carried out bare-handed.

Tsiha explained what was going on in clumsy human language. Tuwanra wasn’t the duel itself, but a ritual held to drive away the gewguw. There was meaning in two fearless men risking their lives in a competition of strength, and the gewguw would run away in fear of their savage valor.

There were proper rules, too:

The use of weapons was prohibited.

If you left the ring, you lost.

If you died, you lost.

There was no surrender.

That was all.

It was refreshing how clear and simple that was. It seemed any attack was allowed so long as it didn’t make use of a weapon, but according to Tsiha, fighting dirty wouldn’t be looked upon kindly.

Fight fair, and kill each other with your bare hands, is that it? Isn’t that pretty dangerous...?

In the middle of the ring, Papa Dutt wore a solemn expression. That is, he had a fox’s face, so Haruhiro didn’t really understand his expressions, but he got the feeling that was the kind of expression it was. Anyway, he was standing there with this solemn air about him.

Mwadan was at the edge of the ring, stretching, swinging his arms in circles, and diligently doing his warm-up exercises. The runarukas got worked up by every little thing that Mwadan did.

Looking around, there was no other runaruka built as impressively as him, so Mwadan might be something like a hero of the Kamushika people.

Incidentally, the Kamushika were only one tribe of runaruka, and they happened to be the largest on the main island.

Kuzaku was twisting his upper body, stretching his Achilles tendon, and focused on a variety of stretching exercises. Because he was moving his body in a slow, relaxed way, it seemed like he wasn’t nervous at all, but who knew how he really felt.

“Kuzakkun!” Yume called out to him.

Kuzaku turned their way and grinned.

“He’s awfully composed,” Setora said, sitting upright, calm and self-composed herself.

Kiichi who was beside her had his ears perked up, and seemed to have a bit more of a sense of urgency, but it might have just been that all the noise was keeping him from settling down.

“Kuzaku-kun, do your best!” Shihoru’s voice was trembling. Her whole body was tense, and she was stiff.

This was Shihoru. The situation had to be harder on her than being in trouble herself.

Merry’s face was tense, too. “If you get hurt, I’ll heal you.”

Kuzaku waved with both hands and flashed them a toothy grin. “’Kay! If that happens, I’m counting on you. Well, it’ll be fine. I’ve got this.”

Should Haruhiro say, Those are some big words, and tease him? Or he should simply encourage him?

Haruhiro was still deciding when Kuzaku gave him a silent thumbs-up.

There’s no need for words between us, is that it?

Well, yeah.

Kuzaku’s opponent seemed pretty confident in his abilities. This was hardly going to be a case where his size made him look tougher than he actually was. Kuzaku specialized in defending himself with his armor, helmet and shield, fearlessly taking hits from the enemy, then aiming to strike back. If they were wrestling bare-handed, those tactics would be completely useless. That was why Haruhiro was worried, but Kuzaku was several meters away. He couldn’t give him detailed advice. Still, he had the feeling that wasn’t necessary, anyway.

When Haruhiro nodded, Kuzaku’s face wrinkled up with a grin.

Why are you so happy? Haruhiro wondered. Well, it’s fine, I guess.

“Ooozureee. Aaadiiistaaa. Deeeooobooo.” Papa Dutt spread his arms wide, letting his sonorous voice echo.

“Tuwanra!”

The runarukas chanted, and Papa Dutt continued.

“Raaagareee. Soookiiiiiiyaaa. Rureeegaaaaaareee.”

“Tuwanra!”

“Araaasute! Nanaaadiiiyaaa. Tuwanra!”

“Tuwanra!”

“Oooseeeyooo, Kamushiakaooo, Mwadan!”

“Mwadan!”

“Waooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!” Mwadan howled, punching his fist towards the sky repeatedly as he moved forward.

“Oooseeeyooo, nuhaaagura, Kuzaaaku!”

When Papa Dutt called Kuzaku’s name, all the runarukas bared their fangs, hissing as if booing him. Unwilling to let the crowd show them up, Haruhiro and the others repeated shouted Kuzaku’s name.

“Kuzakuuuuuuu!” Haruhiro shouted.

“Nyaaa! Kuzakkun! Kuzakkun!” cried Yume.

“Kuzaku-kun, hang in there!” called Shihoru.

“You show him, Kuzaku!” yelled Merry.

“Nyaaaooo!” That was Kiichi.

“Oh, yeahhhhhhhhhhh! Bring it onnnnnnnnnnnnn!” Kuzaku made gestures to provoke the runarukas as he approached Mwadan.

The two of them faced each other, with a gap of forty, fifty centimeters left between them.

Kuzaku was around one hundred and eighty centimeters tall, so that put Mwadan at about two meters. They were about equally wide, but Mwadan’s body was far thicker. Especially his chest and waist, which seemed to jut out, and his arms and legs which were wonderfully thick. Did his hair just make them look bigger? No, even factoring for that, Myadan really did have way more muscle.

“Tuwanra, zei!” Papa Dutt gave the signal to start and backed away.

Neither Mwadan nor Kuzaku moved yet.

The runarukas called out “Mwadan, Mwadan,” egging their hero on.

The two stared each other down, neither blinking.

First Mwadan moved his left leg back, and brought his hands up to the same level as his face. It looked like he was inviting Kuzaku to wrestle and compare their strengths.

In a simple test of muscular strength, the larger one had the advantage. But Kuzaku was calm. He didn’t take Mwadan’s invitation, swinging wide with his right fist instead.

The runarukas hissed in anger. They were probably criticizing Kuzaku as a coward for not accepting the test of strength.

Kuzaku, meanwhile, was going, I’m gonna hit you! I’m gonna hit you real hard! in an easy-to-understand manner, forcing a decision upon Mwadan.

“Ein!” Mwadan shouted in a way that felt like a, Come at me! digging in his heels and leaning forward. He prepared to stop Kuzaku’s hand.

“Nnnnnnnnnnnguh!” Kuzaku swung at him. His hand was clenched tight, but it wasn’t a punch. He didn’t thrust his hand out; he more or less pushed it out while bringing it down sharply. The area from the base of his pinky finger to his wrist, that side of his hand, slammed into Mwadan’s snout.

Mwadan reeled for a moment. Blood spurted from his nose. However, he didn’t just hold his ground, he brought his hands together and raised them up.

“Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Mwadan’s hands landed a direct blow on the back of Kuzaku’s head.

For a moment, the sound made it seem like his head was torn off, but it hadn’t been. Kuzaku ended up in a position unbelievably close to being on all-fours. Yet somehow he managed to stop himself and not fall over.

Mwadan snorted twice, clearing his left and right nostril of blood, then grappled Kuzaku. He leaned over top of Kuzaku’s back, grabbing him by the back of his thighs.

Did he mean to pick him up like that?

Yes, that was it exactly.

“Nwoahhh!” Mwadan lifted Kuzaku up, spinning him sideways. Kuzaku was lifted over Mwadan’s head.

“Stop!” Shihoru practically screamed.

The runarukas chanted, “Mwadan! Mwadan! Mwadan! Mwadan!” urging their hero on.

Haruhiro ground his teeth. He didn’t shut his eyes.

Mwadan slammed Kuzaku into the ground. No, that would have been better than what he actually did. It was different. He didn’t do that.

Mwadan knelt. He brought Kuzaku down not on the ground, but on his right knee.

You’ll break it. If you do that. You’ll break his back.

Kuzaku rolled from Mwadan’s right knee onto the ground.

Mwadan stood up, raising his right fist.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” the crowd cried.

“Mwadan!”

The runarukas roared.

Kuzaku was face down, immobile. He was pressing his left arm against his back.

Can’t he move? No way, did his back actually break?

“Kuzaku...!” Haruhiro started to stand despite himself, but someone pressed down on his shoulders from behind and stopped him. It was Tsiha.

“No stand.”

Mwadan slowly circled the ring as he walked over to Kuzaku. Surrender would not be accepted. Would Mwadan try to force Kuzaku out of the ring? Or would he finish him?

The runarukas probably wanted a final conclusion. It was hard to see Mwadan betraying that expectation. He’d probably meant to end this by killing Kuzaku in the ring from the beginning.

Yume and Shihoru were cheering hard, but Merry and Setora were very quiet.

Haruhiro forced himself to breathe.

As party leader, Haruhiro had watched Kuzaku all this time. As a comrade, too. And also, probably, as a friend. That’s why he understood. Kuzaku hadn’t lost the will to fight yet.

Isn’t that right, Kuzaku?

Mwadan tried to kick Kuzaku.

He stopped.

“Hadda! Hadda!” The runarukas urged him to hurry. Do it! Kill him! they were no doubt saying.

Mwadan went to kick him, then stopped. There was a little booing from the crowd.

It might look otherwise, but Mwadan was apparently quite cautious. He’d probably been testing Kuzaku’s response. However, even after he’d tried to attack him twice, Kuzaku hadn’t budged. That last attack must have hit him pretty hard.

What a pushover. I’ll at least end this with a big move to satisfy the crowd. That may have been what Mwadan thought.

In order to pick Kuzaku up again, he crouched down and reached out with both arms. That was when it happened.

Kuzaku sprang up, head-butting Mwadan in the chin.

Mwadan’s head flew back, and Kuzaku went on a fierce offensive.

His fists. With his left and right fist, he pummeled Mwadan’s face.

After taking a number of good punches, Mwadan covered his face with his arms. Kuzaku didn’t care, and showered him with punches from above his guard. He meant to forcefully break down his guard.

“Suh!” Maybe sensing the danger, Mwadan tried to hit Kuzaku in the left flank with a roundhouse kick using his right foot.

Kuzaku must have seen it coming. He didn’t avoid it, instead grabbing Mwadan’s right leg with his left arm. “Hahhhhhh!”

He pushed Mwadan down, mounted him, and hammered away at him. Mwadan’s face was getting pummeled.

The runarukas screamed.

Mwadan was trying to do something to defend himself from Kuzaku’s assault, but it wasn’t working. Mwadan was already bloodied. He was less and less able to defend himself.

Finally, Mwadan ended up spread-eagled. Had he gone down, maybe?

Kuzaku could win. The odds were overwhelmingly good that this was a win. Now he just had to finish it. The question was how.

Kuzaku jumped away from Mwadan.

A ring out. If he could force him out of the ring without taking his life, nothing could be better.

That thought crossed Haruhiro’s mind, and probably Kuzaku’s, too. It wasn’t naive thinking.

Kuzaku tried to grab Mwadan’s right ankle. Mwadan probably wasn’t imitating Kuzaku from earlier, but in that instant, he seemed to wake up and went on a counterattack. Still lying on the ground, he kicked. He kicked Kuzaku with both his feet.

When Kuzaku backed away, Mwadan immediately got up.

Springing at him, Mwadan swung out with his hands and feet. He wasn’t using well polished techniques, by any means, but he had intensity. If he were against Haruhiro, even one of those hits would have knocked his soul from his body.

Kuzaku wasn’t forced entirely on the defensive; he attacked, too. Or rather, he got hit, and he hit back. Hit back and was hit again. When he hit, he was hit, and when hit, he hit.

Neither was blocking.

Mwadan had been bloody to begin with, but at some point Kuzaku also ended up bruised all over his face, chest, and sides. He was bleeding all over.

“Mwadan!”

The runarukas called the name of their hero.

“Kuzaku!”

“Kuzakkun!”

“Kuzaku-kun!”

“Kuzaku!”

“Kuzakuuuu!”

“Nyaaaooooon!”

All Haruhiro and the party could do was believe in Kuzaku’s victory, and cheer until their voices were hoarse.

Mwadan made a big swing with his right arm and clobbered Kuzaku. Intentionally or not, Kuzaku ducked his head a bit. Thanks to that, Mwadan’s right fist caught him square in the side of the head. That seemed to hurt Mwadan’t right hand, but he still used it to slap Kuzaku.

Kuzaku either didn’t or couldn’t dodge, because he kept getting slapped by Mwadan.

Suddenly, Mwadan stopped moving. He was apparently out of breath. In that instant, Kuzaku closed the gap between them. He wrapped his arms around Mwadan’s neck, pulled him towards him, and slammed his knee into Mwadan’s flank.

Again and again.

“Ahhh! Ahhhh! Nwahhhhh!” Kuzaku shouted.

Mwadan didn’t try to throw Kuzaku off, instead choosing to accept the blows.

“Nngh! Nnnnngh! Gunnnnnnngh!”

Eventually, the two stumbled apart.

Next was Mwadan’s turn. Everyone knew that.

Of course, Mwadan ran forward, then jumped. It was a jumping kick with both his feet together. No matter how beaten up Kuzaku was, he should have been able to dodge that.

But Kuzaku didn’t dodge. He tried to deflect Mwadan’s feet with his chest. That was crazy. Kuzaku was flipped over, but Mwadan fell to the ground.

Neither got up immediately.

The runarukas chanted Mwadan’s name, while the party chanted Kuzaku’s.

Mwadan got up, and so did Kuzaku.

There was a storm of applause.

“Udaaa! Come!” Mwadan beckoned. Kuzaku backed away a number of steps, giving himself a run up.

“Dwahrahhhhhhhhhh!”

It was no ordinary jump kick. Kuzaku let loose with a jumping roundhouse kick into the side of Mwadan’s face.

Mwadan was mowed down, and while Kuzaku was thrown off balance, he somehow managed to catch himself just short of falling.

This was a first. Kuzaku received roaring applause from the runarukas.

“Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Kuzaku thrust his fist into the air in response, then turned towards the fallen Mwadan. “Get up! Come on, up! I know you can still fight! This isn’t all you’ve got! No way!”

Mwadan first rolled to the side, lying face down, then used all his arms and legs to push himself up.

“Mwadan!”

Kuzaku and Mwadan were both amazing. Truly incredible. Haruhiro needed Kuzaku to win, obviously. But still, he didn’t want to see Mwadan suffer a miserable defeat, either.

The fever in the air was probably dulling his decision-making capabilities. Haruhiro felt like such a downer for thinking this way. Yes, they were incredible and all. Sure. But where was the need for them to both keep taking hits like that? They ought to defend or dodge more. Were they stupid?

More than happy to be idiots, Kuzaku and Mwadan both puffed up their chests, not belittling their opponent, and trying to show off their own strength.

How’s that? I’m tough, right?

I’m tougher.

Then I’m even tougher than you.

I’ll do you one better.

Kuzaku and Mwadan stumbled towards one another.

When Mwadan thrust out his left fist, Kuzaku caught it lightly with his left hand. Mwadan’s right hand was hurt, and he couldn’t make a fist with it anymore.

The two of them both took a step back.

Kuzaku stepped forward first, punching Mwadan.

Mwadan hit Kuzaku back.

Next it was Kuzaku.

Then Mwadan.

They clobbered each other.

They had both been beaten black and blue, and were thoroughly exhausted, but they put their entire soul into each hit. They had to hurt.

Would it be Mwadan? Or Kuzaku? Which would kneel first?

With both the feeling of I don’t care who wins, just end it quickly, and Don’t lose, Kuzaku, both caught in his throat, Haruhiro could hardly breathe. It was mind-numbing.

It’ll probably end with the next blow.

But then it didn’t.

Well, maybe this time.

Not yet?

This next one has to be it.

Still not yet?

The punches kept flying back and forth for a long time, and he started to wonder if it ever would end.

Mwadan’s right fist slammed into Kuzaku’s cheek. The right fist he shouldn’t have been able to make anymore. The runarukas cheered, and Haruhiro very nearly called his name, too.

Kuzaku stumbled. There was a smile on his messed-up face.

“Hwahahh.”

What had he been trying to say? Kuzaku could no longer speak properly. Even so, he didn’t fall.

It was Mwadan who collapsed.

Mwadan fell to both knees as if his waist had given out. Then, as Mwadan was about to fall forward, Kuzaku caught him.

Mwadan was clearly unconscious. It was plain to see that his whole body had gone limp. Even so, Kuzaku took Myadan’s right arm and raised it up high.