Chapter 453 – Strange
Jamdi’el lunged at Earth with a twisted grin.
〔With an overwhelming difference in power, thou shall be brought to thy knees, body and soul!!〕
Earth Lagann’s lifeline in battle lies in his footwork, reflexes, and the ability to anticipate his opponent’s movements.
Many of those who had witnessed Earth’s training, his tournament matches, and even actual battles up to that point shared this view.
While he does have a fiery side—as seen in his final match against Machio, where emotions ran high, and they clashed head-on with their most powerful techniques—his basic style relies on footwork, rapid strikes, and technical skill.
That’s precisely why……
〔Hahahahaha, thou is making for a splendid chase! But does thou think that is enough to escape from me?〕
The strategy of not fighting Jamdi’el, who is clearly superior, head-on, but instead running around and trying to exploit any openings, is not wrong.
“Hey, what’s with that guy……? For someone who was talking such a big game, he’s just running around, isn’t he?”
“Well, yeah, but…… this is… you know? The opponent is Jamdi’el, one of the Six Supremacy, right?”
“But still…… “
Because people around the world knew the opponent was the legendary Six Supremacy, they accepted Earth’s fighting style— creating distance from Jamdi’el with footwork—as “unavoidable”.
Of course, some amateurs who are unfamiliar with battle might say, “Fight like a man, face her head-on.”, but at least for the time being, there weren’t many complaints.
But then, in the midst of all that……
“Hmm~…… Hubbyy~”
“…… Huh?
Back at the elf settlement, while everyone was watching the battle between Earth and Jamdi’el with bated breath and excitement, Norja —who had been constantly spouting lewd remarks throughout the viewing party, making Earth cringe—had a serious expression on his face for once.
It was the most serious expression Earth had ever seen on Norja’s face since they met, and it made Earth tense up.
And then……
“Besides Jamdi’el, do you have experience fighting the Heraldic Eye and other Magic Eyes?”
“Huh…… no…… not really, but……”
Earth was taken aback by the seemingly ordinary and unremarkable question, and answered without much thought, but then……
『No, child. Rephrase it.』
「Huh?……」
Tre’ainar, standing nearby, hurriedly whispered to Earth.
『Answer as such. ‘I have never actually fought one myself, but as a child, I heard stories about my parents fighting Magic Eye users.’』
「Huh, why……」
『Never mind that, just answer first!』
“Uh, Norja, no, that’s not it, it’s… my dad and mom! I’ve heard stories about them fighting someone with a Magic Eye when I was a kid.”
I don’t know why, but if Tre’ainar says so…… I replied hastily, to which Norja nodded with a soft “Hmph~”……
“I see…… The basic principle when fighting against those with Magic Eyes, including the Heraldic Eye, is, first and foremost, ‘never stand directly in front of them’. I was a little surprised that Hubby used that fighting style right from the start.”
“Huh!?”
“Well, it was a well-known countermeasure during the war, so I suppose it makes sense.”
Hearing Norja’s words, Earth’s heart began pounding, and he felt a sense of relief, thinking, “That was close~”.
Indeed, how can someone who has never fought a Magic Eye User suddenly know that tactic?
It was only natural to be curious, and Earth was grateful to Tre’ainar for noticing and whispering to him.
But……
『…… That said… this battle… I wonder how it will be perceived…』
Tre’ainar looked up at the sky with a complicated expression.
『At that moment, Jamdi’el was lacking in composure, which was most fortunate…… If someone of the caliber of the Six Supremacy or the Seven Heroes were to observe this battle from an objective perspective…… they would surely think something was amiss…… if Jamdi’el herself were to reflect on it, she would likely find it strange……』
Indeed, in this battle, the more closely one scrutinized it, the more questions would arise, especially for those with a high level of combat experience.
Because, in this particular battle, Earth Lagann wasn’t fighting solely on his own power.
〔I will catch thee soon! I’ve already read thy movements and behavioral patterns! From here on, no matter how thou escapes, I’ll make my way around to thee ―――― Wh… what!?〕
〔Feh? What, what is this?!〕
〔H, eh, how……〕
Jamdi’el had grasped Earth’s movements, anticipated his next move, and just when everyone thought he had been “caught”, Earth escaped in an unexpected direction.
Jamdi’el was surprised by this unexpected turn of events, and at the same time, Norja and Mikado, who had made the same prediction as Jamdi’el, cried out in surprise just like Jamdi’el.
“I, I was totally tricked too…… based on the flow of his muscle movements, I thought he’d move this way, but he forced himself in the opposite direction…”
“Even I’m surprised… Huh? He’s escaped again!”
Those with high skill tend to anticipate their opponent’s movements rather than react to them visually.
“That’s amazing… I once play chased Honey in the woods, but those quick turns are even better than they were back then!”
“Ha~ Impressive. That footwork is truly superior even to ours as ninjas……”
“To outmaneuver even a Six Supremacy like that… he’s truly formidable. Oh, and what’s more, he read the timing of Jamdi’el’s magic cast and struck it with the shockwave from his fist… simply magnificent.”
Those who haven’t reached that level simply interpret it as ‘Earth’s footwork, feints, and foresight are excellent’, or ‘He’s catching Jamdi’el off guard by doing the opposite of what she predicted’, and cheer in admiration.
On the other hand……
“Hmm…… Huh~? Huh~? Something’s… no, no, no, no… Something’s not right.”
“Hmm…… what do you mean? First of all… the opponent is Jamdi’el, you know?
“Yes, that’s true… In the first place, trying to escape the foresight of someone with a Heraldic Eye… or catching them off guard in mutual reading…… it’s impossible.
“That’s right. And not just the Heraldic Eye, she’s also using that state called Breakthrough or something.”
“Besides, Hubby isn’t just running around aimlessly. There seems to be some purpose in his movements… Ah, that’s it!
“Hm? What is it?
“Hey, Mikado Gramps…… do you …… remember Jamdi’el’s weakness?”
“Hm? That’s… Oh, I see! Earth-kun’s goal cannot possibly be…… Did Earth-kun figure out that weakness?”
Yes, it has reached that level, and above all, it’s something that would be unthinkable to anyone familiar with Jamdi’el and the Heraldic Eye.
“Wow…… so that’s how it is… Big brother… this battle… it’s like ‘that’, right?”
“Yeah… I have to admit, this is… a bit… risky, even for me… “
And both Espie and Slayer, who were always excited and boisterous during these viewing sessions, were not thrilled by this battle, but rather forced to smile wryly.
Because these two had realized the true nature of the trick by observing Earth’s movements as he fought against Jamdi’el.
And this is not limited to the Elf Settlement.
“N, no way…that’s impossible!”
This was particularly true at Hakuki’s hideout.
“But to outmaneuver Jamdi’el, who has the Heraldic Eye… you’d need to have greater foresight, spatial awareness, and intuition based on experience—all surpassing Jamdi’el’s—to even make it possible!”
“Now that you mention it…… I’ve always fought against people with Magic Eyes and such without overthinking the details, just going all out…”
“Yeah. Leaving aside an extraordinary idiot like Hiro, at least…… Besides, it didn’t look like he was training with Jamdi’el in sparring before…… this was truly their first encounter, their first fight… so how is he able to toy with Jamdi’el so much!”
“…… When we chased after Earth, we got tripped up by his footwork and ended up falling on our butts… but this is different, right?”
“Yes. Back then…we had absolutely no idea how strong Earth was at that time, so we couldn’t keep up. But Jamdi’el is different. She should have known how strong Earth was, including from that tournament. And yet, even Jamdi’el was surprised to be outmaneuvered!”
“And… was it a coincidence? Or was that the goal? Are you saying Earth is fighting this way on purpose? Jamdi’el… sucks at long battles….”
Yes, as before, something contradictory is happening—something that can’t be explained simply by saying Earth acquired these skills through blood, sweat, and tears, as it has in the past.
Breakthrough.
Great Demon Spiral.
Magical Breathing.
“When I heard from the people of Cacretale that Earth had fought against Jamdi’el and won, I thought he must have pulled some kind of trick… but this fighting style…”
And this is the fighting style he ultimately adopted.
“Right… so that’s the game, is it…? I’ve ‘ad me own run-ins, so I figured there was always a chance o’ summat like this… but of all the people… fuhahaha.”
“”Huh? “”
“That tournament was proper legit, but…… Hehehe, Earth Lagann…… you’re pullin’ a bit of a fast one in this scrap with Jamdi’el —nah, scratch that, it ain’t just a bit… it’s a right massive cheat, ain’t it?”
However, Hakuki alone wore a smile that seemed to indicate understanding and confidence.
“As Mamu said, he’s got her beat on the anticipation, the space-awareness, and the gut feelin’ from experience… but that ain’t the lot. He’s gettin’ live instructions mid-fight from someone who knows every single thought pattern and move Jamdi’el’s got. That’s why his style keeps switchin’ halfway through. And on top of that…… he’s even baitin’ her into wastin’ all her magic by mixin’ the Heraldic Eye and Breakthrough together…… Fuhahahahahahahahahahaha!”
“Huh…… Wait, someone’s giving him…… Instructions?”
“Hey, what’s going on, Hakuki! Is Earth communicating telepathically with someone?”
Unlike Mamu and Hiro, who were bewildered and confused, Hakuki’s smile never stopped.
“Anyway, Mamu……
He simply couldn’t contain his excitement.
“I’m ‘avin’ a right good time, so don’t you go spoilin’ the outcome o’ the fight for me.”
Author’s Note
_( ́ཀ‘」∠) Guoooo~
The following work ranked 5th in the High Fantasy Daily Rankings!!!
“The SSS-Rank Hero Party Apprentice ‘Magic Kick Fighter’ Who Was Fired for Being Told ‘You’re Unprepared, Come Back Later!’ Becomes an F-Rank Academy Student to Study ~ His Magic Was Sealed, But Since His Pure Kicks Alone Are the Strongest, It Was No Problem.”
But still…… I want even more people to see it, so next I’m aiming for the overall ranking!
Please read this one too! And if you find it interesting, please rate it with a bookmark and a ★.
Please, please!!!!!!!
Sads Translates 