CH 58

CHAPTER 58: KURE IZUHO’S PRIDE

The color of the Firefly Moss changes from blue to white. It’s now morning.

“…Ugh, hmm…” (Kure)

With a low groan, Kure, whose hands and feet are tied with ropes, turns over in his sleep.

“Oh, you’ve woken up.” (Shuu)

“You’re awake.” (Noa)

“The pervert’s up, squeak.” (Tamiko)

He noticed the stares from the others, saw the situation he was in, and finally remembered what had happened last night. He looked at my face and he looked at the faces of the other two and shouted, “Ah!”

“…I see, so I lost…” (Kure)

Kure closes his eyes with a weak smile like his dreams were crushed. Just by looking at that situation, it seems like he could gather dozens of older women wanting to protect him, but unfortunately, it’s useless to me.

“…Well rather, I noticed it halfway through. No matter how much I struggled, I had no chance of winning. My power and speed were far below yours. Also, I had almost no idea of your skills, which should have been far beyond a hunter’s reach. It was as if you knew of my moves beforehand.” (Kure)

“Yeah, well.” (Shuu)

Thanks to the local martial arts programs and my faux Aikido master friend.

“If you don’t get violent, I’ll untie the ropes, what do you say?” (Shuu)

“…the duel is already over. I have no intention of harming you guys.” (Kure)

I glance at Noa. She nods her head.

I look at Tamiko. She, too, nods her head.

I have no choice but to do it. I untied the knots in the tightly bound rope.

“Oh… you don’t have to be so gentle, you can be rougher with me…” (Kure)

“Noa, Tamiko, help me.” (Shuu)

“I hate it, I don’t want to touch that!” (Noa)

“You picked up that damn, troublesome thing, squeak.” (Tamiko)

How unreasonable. Why do I have to be in the position of this pervert’s owner? I didn’t pick it up because I wanted to pick it up.

The mere act of untying the rope is such a painful experience. Every time the rope rubs against my skin, I want to tie him up again and bury him in the ground.

“You have [Self-Regeneration], don’t you? You were already healing yourself while you have fainted.” (Shuu)

“ I guess so. It’s not that unusual for a [Fighter].” (Kure)

Released from restraint, Kure moves his fingers, arms, and legs while sitting. [White Armor], [Self-Regeneration], [Herculean Strength], [Instant Response]. It is a skill composition that is perfect for melee combat and is suitable for the idea of a [Fighter]. I wonder if the style is too biased toward arm throws.

“More than that, I would like to ask you… Was is your Class? Please forgive the foolishness of a loser like me asking the winner a question.” (Kure)

“Hah.” I sighed inwardly. I knew it would happen.

“[Ashura] is a very rare skill that is only available to [Beast Warriors] and I have not been able to learn it. In addition, you used not only [White Bullet], which only [Snipers] are supposed to be able to learn, but also a wide range of other skills. Such a skill composition is not possible even for a High-Rank Fungal Class. As far as I know, there is no possible way of achieving it…” (Kure)

I could only scratch my head. When I glanced at her, Noa’s face had “As expected” written on it. On Tamiko’s face, it says, “Is the food ready, squeak.” both are correct.

“…That’s right, I’m a [Itokuri-shi].” (Shuu)

Kure’s eyes widen. “No way…” he mutters in a quiet voice.

“I’m a [Holy Knight] to the Sugamo branch. I don’t even tell them about some of the Fungal Skills I used on you.” (Shuu)

“…I can’t believe it just like that… but I can’t think of any other possibility…” (Kure)

Leaning against the rock wall, Kure laughs with self-mockery and shakes his head.

“…I am no match for the power of the founding heroes. It doesn’t seem like what I’ve seen is everything you have. With the current me, there’s no chance of winning even if I try a hundred times. Just like a small fry…” (Kure)

“I didn’t want people to know. So, I have to keep you quiet.” (Shuu)

Kure nods emphatically and closes his eyes. He slowly spreads his hands.

“…okay, if it’s for you, Shuu-kun. You have that right. You could have done it while I was sleeping.” (Kure)

I shook my head.

“That’s the way it is, so shut up. Don’t tell anyone, forever. So, if you promise me, this is the end of it.” (Shuu)

“…Huh? That’s it? So?” (Kure)

“If I win, I can do whatever I want with you, right? So, I’ll take away your right to say anything about us. That’s it.” (Shuu)

“No, no… there’s no guarantee that I’ll protect that promise, right? If you kill me, you’ll be sure.” (Kure)

“That’s right, but… umm…” (Shuu)

One person supported it and was reluctant to give it up. “Our safety and future are at stake, but Shuu-san is too naive. If Shuu-san won’t do it, I…”

“It’s hard to wake up from slitting the neck of a guy who fainted after a match, and I can’t kill him after all. We didn’t intend to kill each other, right?” (Shuu)

Kure laughed and shook his head.

“I’m the one who set you up for an unreasonable fight… But you forgive just like that?” (Kure)

“No, I have no intention of forgiving you. I don’t want to have anything to do with you again. I don’t even want to see your face.” (Shuu)

Kure makes a face like he’s dying.

“But people like you are the type of people who tie themselves down with promises, oaths, and formalities, aren’t you? If you lose in a fight and break your promise, you’ll commit seppuku, won’t you?” (Shuu)

Kure blushes, twists, and squirms.

“…I’m happy. You understand me so deeply… just by a single moment of skinship…” (Kure)

“This guy is worse than a Demon Centipede, squeak.” (Tamiko)

“Shuu-san, let’s kill him.” (Noa)

The two girls were scathing in their evaluations. I am very much in agreement with them.

“…The last thing I want to ask you is why you don’t use blows. Even if you are a grappler, you don’t have to keep playing as a grappler, do you?” (Shuu)

It’s as if we were playing rock-paper-scissors and he only used rock for the rest of his life. If he had allowed himself to mix in regular blows, I would have had a much harder time.

“…because that’s my way of life.” (Kure)

Kure sits cross-legged.

“There are few hunters who go out from the Senju Tribe. Most of the people, both with and without Fungal Skills, choose to hone their skills and master their own paths. It is a very inward-looking process that can be done without ever leaving the territory. Like other tribes, we have multiple Metros in the territory. In the 50 years since the [Demon War]… the closed environment of Senju has nurtured real masters, like jewels buried deep in the earth.” (Kure)

He dropped his eyes to his hands and squeezed them tightly.

“I have the same roots. The path of [Kure-style Life or Death Technique] in which one pursues only the three techniques of throwing, grappling, and finishing. I will complete this path, this technique, and the philosophy that my late father advocated, within my generation. That is my dream. …However, I thought that to achieve this goal, it would not be enough just to stay in a closed world. I will travel all over New Tokyo and engage in friendly competition with hunters and Metro Beasts. The world is a big place, and it’s crowded with fighters and beasts I can’t even begin to imagine. I will throw them all down, locking their arms, choking them, and rupturing their tendons. I would destroy every joint in everything. That is my ideal of [Kure-style Life or Death Technique].” (Kure)

Tamiko yawns in a nirvana pose, and Noa scribbles on the ground with her [Dagger].

“Err, Metro Beasts too? Or rather, Golems too?” (Shuu)

“Of course. They don’t have joints, but they are extremely flexible and can be thrown and broken. I came to Ouji to test them. Since the day I entered the outside world, I have never once deviated from my belief. No matter what kind of a dead end I’m thrust into.” (Kure)

“Then what about something like Slime? You can never defeat it like that, can you?” (Shuu)

“Well, you just have to throw it and hit it again and again.” (Kure)

“Are you serious?” (Shuu)

How irrational.

“Otherwise, I will die. Life is worthless to me if I can’t live up to my beliefs. If it is my destiny to return to the earth at the end of this road, then so be it.” (Kure)

“I see.” (Shuu)

(Is there even such a person like him?) (Shuu)

In the severe world of hunters, these values may be nonsense. For the girls, it may be an incomprehensible philosophy.

Even so—I can’t help but have some respect for the enthusiasm and conviction of a man who is determined to follow through with his way of life.

(Human beings… are so amazing.) (Shuu)

I can’t help but think that.

(The world has already been destroyed, but they tenaciously still keep being reborn.) (Shuu)

(And now there are those who choose to go live rather than just survive.) (Shuu)

—Thread is a connection, the thread is fate.

The world has been through decay and the thread is still being spun.

The world is a big place. And – there is still no end to humanity.

“…The world is truly wide, after all.” (Kure)

Kure says such things as if we were in sync.

“I’m glad I came out just for that, knowing that there are men like you… If I stayed with you, I might be able to see a different world. Maybe then I’d be stronger, too.” (Kure)

He scratched his nose, looked bashful, and continued.

“…Shuu-kun, let me stay by your side. Can you let me join you?” (Kure)

I smiled softly.

I turn to Tamiko and Noa. They both nod.

“It’s impossible, absolutely impossible.” (Shuu)

T/N: What a coward. Every good party needs an uber-pervert. He’s a perfect Tio for Shuu’s party. He’s powerful, has a moral code, smart, and a pervert like Tio Klarus.