Chapter 51: In Order to Obtain the Desired Future (2)

In terms of strength, the Sacred are far far more amazing than the likes of me.

The reason such them are defeated in the original game is because they are sealed by underhanded methods.

Hostages are taken, trauma is struck, they are confused by the attack of fallen allies, and heartless people are gathered to throw stones at the Sacred.

If the Sacred fight properly they can win against Monster Villains or Diabolics. But precisely because of that in the original Alter does not fight the Sacred properly. If both sides go all-out the one who loses is the original protagonist Alter, so of course.

But conversely speaking.

If I seal those underhanded methods, there is no reason for the Sacred to lose.

"There is one thing I can say: raise a large voice."

Niekawa who had been worrying for a while suddenly declared such a thing.

"...Voice, you, can something be done with that?"

"Voice is important. Actually, when afraid and frozen you can’t properly raise a voice. Therefore, force it out even if forcibly. It becomes intimidation, and the body frozen by fear becomes able to move. Above all, spirit enters."

"Spirit..."

"Yes. Spirit is an element mocked lately... but this is quite hard to mock. Raising a large voice in kendo is the unity of spirit, sword, and body — well, in short there is also the aspect that a blow without a solid voice cannot be recognized as a point, but the part of overpowering the opponent is also large. Once overpowered by the opponent, you inevitably fall into the rear."

"Ah... like delinquents exchanging ’Wanna fight, you!’ ’Aah!? Looking down on me, you!’ and such."

"...Well, that kind of understanding is fine."

He had a face that desperately wanted to say something, but apparently swallowed it as unrelated to the main point. Sorry. Because I don’t know the various things about kendo.

Well, in short if fighting put in spirit; if your hips are pulled back you can’t win even what you can win, I think is the talk.

I think it’s a half-baked understanding, but I roughly under—

"But Shusawa. If the opponent who entangled you seems like someone who can be reasoned with, forget everything I just said and also consider obeying."

—stood, I thought, and yet.

Why did this man suddenly start flipping the table.

Besides, in the first place.

"...Guys who can be reasoned with don’t come entangling, right?"

Even if I were an ordinary male high school student, I had no choice but to ask that.

Because isn’t that so? A guy who commits a crime while justice transformation heroines are fighting for everyone. If it was an opponent who could be reasoned with, he wouldn’t do such a thing from the start.

"It’s a talk among that kind of lot. If it’s an opponent of the level of ’I want money to play, so I’ll attack,’ there is a possibility it will end more peacefully by not resisting poorly and offering the wallet. Of course, you should remember the opponent’s appearance and such and go to the police box later. Shusawa, you’re not particularly strong at fighting, right? Then basically you should discard the thought of defeating the opponent."

Don’t think of forcibly repelling; just get through it.

Well certainly, if an ordinary human that might be correct.

But I am a Vigilante. An ally of the justice of the Sacred.

If an enemy appears I have to fight.

If the original protagonist Alter is defeated it’s game over; from the Sacred’s perspective it’s game clear. For that, more power—

"Shusawa, do not misread the premise conditions."

—Perhaps noticing the dissatisfaction and impatience inside, Niekawa said in a teaching tone.

"What you seek is the conclusion that you and your juniors end up safe and sound, right? Then resistance and counterattack are all only one of the means to reach there. There is no need to win forcibly. Unlike RPG enemies, there is no reason that if you keep running your level is insufficient and you cannot reach the ending — the sought conclusion.

Fighting is only one of many means. If you obsess only over that you will have your feet swept out from under you."

If it ends with discussion that is the best, and seeking help from the police and such is also a natural right.

In addition, rather than being beaten black and blue and having the wallet stolen, there is also the hand of offering it at the first move and being let go.

That is words toward the friend named Shusawa Senjumaru. There is no reason for an ordinary male high school student to deliberately choose the option of fighting.

"——Yeah, that’s right."

But those words — resonated with me as Atel Octo.

——Do not misread the premise conditions, huh.

It hurts the ears.

In the first place, for what did I seek the power to fight? To fight Monster Villains.

Then, why did I seek the power to fight Monster Villains? To save the Sacred.

Then, even if I obtain power — by defeating the original protagonist Alter, will the Sacred truly be saved?

——I don’t know, nothing, nothing.

In the original game if the protagonist is defeated it’s game over, so beyond that the screen just darkens and returns to the title. The conclusion of the Sacred is not depicted.

And yet I unconsciously believed that if I defeat the attacking Alter it will somehow work — if I beat him it will somehow work. Thinking that the game’s defeat condition is precisely this side’s victory condition, I had not thought at all beyond that.

But the Diabolics’ purpose is to turn Earthlings into Monster Villains and make them their soldiers — and invade Calmate. If the field commander Alter dies, won’t a new field commander just appear?

The situation does not change. No, the majority of my game knowledge becomes unusable, so it’s a minus.

——Ah, shit, I’m disgusted at my own thoughtlessness...!

While saying I’m weak I’m weak, I was only thinking of fighting, only of defeating.

Thinking that if I do that I will somehow arrive at a better conclusion — with somehow fluffy thinking I was thinking that. There’s a limit to being an idiot. Previously I called the Sacred muscle-brains, but I feel that word returning like a boomerang and stabbing into the top of my head.

"...My bad, lately there are many various incidents, maybe I’m impatient."

"What, I don’t mind. Worrying and struggling is by no means a bad thing. Even if that was only stagnating, even if the distance does not advance the legs are trained. It becomes the power to newly walk."

"...Hey, Niekawa."

Toward me who lowered my head, Niekawa laughed heartily.

That was a little embarrassing, and I averted my face as if covering.

"Still — when talking with you I get the feeling of talking with a enlightened old man; aren’t you actually rejuvenated or reincarnated or something?"

"I’ll buy that fight."

The bamboo sword immediately drawn from the bamboo-sword bag was swung toward the top of my head without missing.

I hurriedly rolled and avoided. Spaan! The bamboo sword was slammed into the zabuton — or rather the sound is seriously not a joke!?

"Uoooooh!? Ba...!? Oma...!? No, wait wait calm down, I don’t think it’s something to get that angry about—!?"

"You wouldn’t understand...! The feelings of me who has been told ’like a withered old man’ since middle school!"

"Sorry, I indeed don’t understand."

Everyone thinks the same thing, huh... while murmuring deeply, this time a bamboo sword that seemed slightly held back was peshin slammed into the top of my head.

"Tete... my bad my bad, I won’t say it — but, not only me, I think other guys also didn’t say it as a bad thing."

"Mu... that, well, I understand... mumumu."

"What is mumumu."

While teasing I strongly vow to try not to say it as much as possible from next time.

Since awakening to the previous life I’ve been relying on this guy the whole time. I have no intention of doing something like currying favor, but deliberately saying unpleasant things and angering him is disloyal.

"...However, you avoided the first blow well. As one who strives in martial arts it is a shameful thing, but I was striking seriously."

"There’s also that I’ve been training because it’s gotten dangerous lately, but you suddenly say something like ’I’ll buy that fight.’ I just moved first thinking a fist would come flying."

It’s a lie. I hadn’t noticed the bamboo sword approaching until quite close.

I was able to avoid only because of the non-human physical ability; if Niekawa had the physical ability to defeat combatants he would have struck the top of my head without question.

Really, even about myself I’m hopelessly dull.

Like fantasy or fighting manga sensing killing intent or hostility and avoiding by a hair’s breadth seems impossible for me.

"Is that so... fumu. If you can move that much, perhaps..."

While I sighed in self-loathing, Niekawa looked up at the ceiling as if thinking deeply.

"Yosh, about the earlier talk... I might teach a bit of counterattack methods. Actually there are also fellows who get carried away no matter how far if you keep showing a weak attitude."

Saying that Niekawa started searching his bag and began the motion of holding a pen case and raising it.

"While running throw something from inside the bag. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t hit. Something being slammed with momentum into the nearby wall or ground... that alone will make the opponent flinch a bit. Of course there is the possibility of the opposite effect, so basically choosing escape or obedience is safer."

Of course it’s only buying time, he emphasized.

Don’t think of winning, run, buy time, depending on the case obeying causes less damage, if the opponent gets cocky and does as he pleases counterattack while running — those all are words directed at an ordinary male high school student entangled by a villain.

But for a Vigilante who must fight enemies of higher rank than himself, it was a logic that also has places that apply.

The opponents are higher rank, and guys I can’t win against no matter how I struggle will appear more and more from now.

Therefore discard victory and devote myself to support and escape.

Just as I saved the two Sacred, have those two save me. Thinking about it it’s simple logic.

——However, throwing, huh.

At that time what floated in my mind was a sling. A string-like tool for throwing stones far and with momentum.

With that, it might be possible to reproduce even with my tentacles. Since it’s a tool from long ago the structure is also simple, and the part supporting the thrown stone can be created with the know-how from when I wove the shield.

Throwing picked-up things while running around... unexpectedly it might be an attack that suits me perfectly.

Right after thinking of discarding victory it’s talk of weapons, I also think, but without means of giving a bit of damage to the opponent I might get checkmated in the future.

——Well, however... against truly strong opponents I seem likely to be sealed without being able to take distance.

But at least, rather than the reckless of a weak unit whose only merit is violating women like a tentacle Monster Villain exchanging blows with the original protagonist — it’s better.

I am ultimately a weak tentacle bastard. I must think of positioning that understands that.

For the still-unseen victory condition — in order to arrive there.