Part 9
"We fight until one party surrenders. Just try to make me say 'I can't fight anymore', or 'please stop hitting me'! If you can do that, I can marry you or follow you anywhere!"
Darkness brought us to the dojo.
In the center of the dojo, Darkness tossed a wooden sword to Walther.
Walther caught the wooden sword and swung it with a troubled face, saying:
"Erm… Lady Lalatina, I am a knight. Even if this is just training, I can't point a sword at a lady…"
Hearing Walther say that, Darkness frowned and said unhappily:
"What a gutless fellow. Kazuma that is standing right there claims to be gender equality advocate, he even announced that he would not hesitate drop kicking woman. You should learn from him."
Walther looked at me when Darkness said that. His gaze felt painful.
Next, Walther seemed to had make up his mind, and said with a sigh:
"… I understand. To be honest, my father forced me to come, and I am here to reject the marriage… But after seeing you, I changed my mind. You are different from the other daughters of nobility, as expected of the only daughter of the national chief advisor. You seemed to have a bold personality, but get embarrassed by your own words, that's really cute. Your way of speaking is straightforward, and is not haughty towards the butler serving you, treating him as an equal. I am very interested in you… I'm coming, lady Lalatina!"
After the sudden confession, he slashed at Darkness!
The quick slash disarmed Darkness' wooden sword and hit her shoulder.
Seeing that the attack was a success, Walther sighed in relief, thinking that victory was a sure thing.
But Darkness picked up her wooden sword and said nonchalantly:
"Very good, next. Come at me bro."
— After more than thirty minutes.
"Enough! The match is obviously over! Why aren't you giving up!"
Despite Walther having the advantage, it sounded as if he was forced into a corner.
In terms of capability, Walther was dominating.
Since the start, Darkness' wooden sword couldn't touch Walther. Darkness was hit multiple times and was bruised all over.
But other than being out of breathe, Darkness was fine and her eyes were full of life.
Her fiery red cheeks covered in sweat, Darkness yelled:
"What's the matter? Don't be shy, attack with everything you have got! Show me your determination to persevere to the end!"
Seeing Darkness act this way, Walther tossed his wooden sword away.
He then raised both his arms in surrender.
"… I give up, lady Lalatina. It's my loss. Even if my skills are better than you, I am not as strong as you mentally… I can't attack you anymore. You… are a strong person."
Walther looked at Darkness with a dazed look and smiled.
Darkness seemed unsatisfied and shrugged.
"… That's it? Boring. Come back after you train more."
Hearing Darkness said that, Walther laughed out loud.
He was laughing happily with no regrets
Walther then said in a volume Darkness couldn't hear…
"… I have really, fallen for you…"
He mumbled.
— On the surface, it was a beautiful story of Darkness winning over Walther with her determination.
But I knew how Darkness really was, so I couldn't feel good about this…
In Walther's point of view, Darkness panting and red cheeks look like a crusader enduring incredible pain.
Darkness was still out of breathe as Aqua came to her side to heal her wounds.
I sighed deeply, but Darkness picked up the wooden sword Walther tossed aside…
"Come, Kazuma. Show Walther your merciless and despicable side, let him learn."
After saying some dumb stuff, she gave the wooden swords to me who was sitting at a corner of the dojo.
… What is this girl saying.
No, she just had a fight with Walther, she was probably still feeling the adrenaline rush.
What a joke, I don't want to deal with her.
"… I want to see it too. How the one lady Lalatina trust so much fight."
Walther added unnecessarily.
Aqua who had healed Darkness grunted 'Oh?', and was very interested in the turn of event.
… What's with this?
"Sigh… never mind, I get it. The matchmaking is a failure anyway. And you probably won't spread disparaging rumours about the young lady anyway."
I stopped my act before Walther, spoke like I usually do and stood up.
"Great, that's the spirit Kazuma! I had always wanted to spar with you! A despicable man who dare steal the underwear of a girl you just met! Unscrupulous, using all sort of dirty tricks! Come at me, don't hold anything back!"
After hearing what Darkness said, the gaze from Walther felt even more painful.
I had no intention of fighting this excited moron in such cold weather.
— I reached my empty hand out…
"Create water!"
And poured water on top of Darkness' head.
"Eh?"
Walther sounded surprised, and I asked in confusion:
"?… What's wrong?"
Walther answered in a panic:
"… It's, it's nothing, just that a match with wooden swords usually won't allow magic…"
Huh? I see.
Anyway…
When Aqua saw Darkness' appearance, she said:
"… How strong— as expected of Kazuma-san who is the best in sexual harassment, he is good—"
Prompted by her, I looked towards Darkness. Her underwear was visible through her soaked clothes, couple that with her torn dress, this is really… candy for the eye.
As for Walther, he couldn't look at Darkness anymore. He lowered his head, not daring to lift it up.
"Fu, fufu… Observe, Walther! In a spar with wooden swords, he will suddenly humiliate me with such tricks. Witness how this man really is!"
The soaked Darkness said something that might cause misunderstanding.
"I, I didn't mean to do that…! Ah— I don't care anymore!"
She want me to not hold back? Then I will do everything I can.
I already used magic, doing it again should be fine!
"Freeze!"
"Ugh…!"
I cast freezing magic, making the soaked Darkness turn pale and hug her shoulder.
"De, demon…! Deep in the winter, you not only use soak her with water, you freeze her with magic too…?!"
"That's normal— The people in town call him scumzuma or trashzuma for a reason."
Shut up, audience!
"Fu, fuhahaha! This merciless style! This, this is…!"
Before she finished, Darkness slashed at me!
Part 10
This was bad. It would be bad if this dragged on.
Facing me who was looking anxious, Darkness seemed to be mocking me as she lift her sword up high.
Her attacks were powerful, but she was either facing the wrong way or misjudge the distance. She could only attack in a straight line, so it was easy to dodge.
"What's the matter Kazuma. Your breathing is getting ragged!"
Darkness was shivering from the cold in the beginning, but now, her skin was turning red as she sweated and laugh happily.
I already struck Darkness several times, but she didn't even make a sound.
"Darkness, that's it! The skinny Kazuma don't have any stamina, he is not suited for a dragged out battle!"
Damn it, that audience is noisy!
"Fufu, your movements are getting dull! Well then, it's about time to decide the match!"
After hearing what Aqua said, Darkness smiled arrogantly, throwing her useless sword away and pounced on me.
This is bad, I will lose in a match of pure strength!
"Alright Darkness! Grab him, strangle him! The weak Kazuma will never beat you in a wrestling match!"
Shit, why was she cheering Darkness on! I will strangle that girl after this was over!
As I was building a grudge against Aqua, Darkness spread out her arms and ran towards me in an attempt to bear hug me.
I threw my sword away to, holding my hands up, taking a stance to take Darkness head on.
"You think you can win me in strength? You are underestimating me!"
Darkness shout as she happily grabbed my hands.
"I don't know what you are planning, but the difference in strength between a crusader like me and an adventurer like you is ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Darkness who was grabbing my hand calmly suddenly screamed.
She wanted to pull her hands back, but I held on tightly and said:
"What's the matter? Aren't you really confident? Hey Darkness, say something! Wahaha, there's no way I will fight you head on, you don't understand after partying with me for aaahhhhhhhhhh!"
I thought my victory was ascertained when I screamed due to my hand being squeezed.
Darkness who was squeezing my hands laughed in a shrill voice.
"Fu, fufufu… This, this is 'Drain touch' right…! But, before you drain me of my strength, I will break your hand first!"
"Kukukuku… You can try if you can ahhhhhh! Hurtttttttts!"
I absorbed the stamina of Darkness with 'Drain touch', while she planned to overpower me with brute force.
Neither of us were giving in.
Darkness overwhelmed me with her strength bit by bit, but she had a pained expression at the same time.
Damn it, I was siphoning her stamina with 'Drain touch', but her vitality seemed endless…!
"Ugh, hey Darkness! Let's make a bet! You wanted to fight me because I did a lot of things that pissed you off. Let's make a deal, the winner can ask the loser to do anything…"
I gritted my teeth to endure the pain while Darkness leaned her entire weight over as she said:
"You, you want to make a bet…? Fu, fufu, stalling for time… ? You are on, if I win, you will have to prostrate…!"
— A chance!
"Deal…! No, no take backs…!"
"Yeah, of course…! You are done! Surrender! Or your hand will really…!"
I was being suppressed bit by bit, but I still said with a confident expression:
"I'm serious! Don't regret this! Promise! After I win, I won't back down even if you come crying to me!"
Despite being in a disadvantage, I smiled arrogantly at Darkness.
She must be confused and lessen her strength.
"…? What, what are you planning to do if I lose?"
"I will make you go red from ear to ear, something that will make you cry and beg…! Hehehe, it's a bet! Let's decide the match! I can already see you begging for forgiveness after my victory…! You just wait for your fate of screaming for my mercy!"
Darkness shivered when she heard that.
Her power turned weak.
"Ugh…! Wha, what are you scheming…! Tell me! Hurry!"
"Fuhehehe, it is something you can't imagine, something even more overboard…!"
"Wha…! Stop….! Ugh…! Even, even if I resist, my strength is being sapped…! Why is this happening, if this goes on…!"
'Drain touch' should only be absorbing vitality, but Darkness' power grew weaker and she dropped onto one knee.
"Hah… hah…! You, what do you want to do to me…! Hah, hah…! Ahhh… I will lose if this goes on…!"
The breathing of the blushing Darkness became heavy as sweat dripped from the back of her neck down her collarbone.
"I will keep sucking your stamina until you faint! Look forward to your miserable sight when you wake up!"
"Ahhh! You…! Ugh… I might lose this fight, but no matter what humiliation I suffer, my heart will not give in…! And… what is that terrible thing you are planning…?"
Darkness was still grabbing my hand as she knelt onto the ground of the dojo, her face red with expectation, her strength draining away.
Walther shouted in surprise:
"Bringing up a bet on the verge of victory, how merciless…! The name Trashzuma is really adequate…!"
"That's, that's rude!"
Seeing Darkness collapse,Aqua rushed in to take care of her.
— At this moment.
"I heard you are in the Dojo, so I brought some beverages…"
Darkness' dad appeared at just the right time.
And the basket full of beverages fell hard onto the ground.
As I was thinking what was happening, the househelp behind him was also dumbstruck.
I followed their gaze and…
They were looking at Darkness who was bruised all over with her dress torn. She was wet, making lots of places visible. Darkness who was in a pitiful state was being treated by Aqua.
… Walther and I looked at each other.
And Aqua pointed at the both of us and said:
"… They did this."
"Alright, drag them out and off with their heads."
"No, this is a misunderstanding!" x2
Walther and I shouted at the same time.