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21. Difference in power
The internship ended in peace, and on the next day, Saturday.
After Iwato made simple breakfast for Tsumugu and Karen, the two took him down to the training room.
[Un…even I…can’t leave a scratch]
[Then, I’m relieved…]
Karen said so, and faced Iwato who’s standing about 10 meters from the place.
[Master, the reason I call you here, is to have you fulfill the promise you made]
–Promise.
Although Iwato wanted to asked “What promise?”, just before he ask, a certain word came into his mind.
『Master! Please show me your status! And also, have a mock battle with me!』
That was the words said by Karen in the living room after seeing Iwato’s training.
Even if he recalled it, he didn’t agree at all. Assuming that what Iwato’s thinking is right, his casual wear–in short, Iwato is now wearing T-shirt and short pants with an apron unlike Karen who’s in her battle clothes. Extremely cruel.
[Exactly]
[…You said it, girl]
Iwato sighed unintentionally as his unpleasant hunch was right.
Although he quickly looked at Tsumugu who’s standing near the entrance, she had a face that seems to say 『I look forward to…Nii-san’s battle』.
He no longer have any allies.
–From who?
Although Iwato wanted to ask back, to be honest, he realized that his own body has surpassed human long ago. Hence, he neither denying it nor interrupting her.
[…What a strange dream]
[Hmph! Because it’s a good enough dream, I would feel like an Absolute’s subordinate at that time!]
Iwato faces Karen who said such ambiguous words with confidence–and as the air around her changes completely, he quickly sensed it.
[That’s why, I’ll confirm how much is the difference]
She took a stance by bending her upper body front.
Sensing that the stance was used by her for a long time, Tsumugu muttered this.
Just like that, the first battle of Master and Pupil begins.
☆☆☆
Karen starts to run together with the signal of the start, and at the same time, she starts to chant that spell she shown in the living room before.
At the same time, jumps up and create a huge hammer from the faint light drop.
An intimidating air is released by the heavy and blackened hammer.
Iwato retreats to the back quickly, and at the same time, a huge hammer swung down at the place where Iwato was.
Dogoooon!?
A loud sound resounds in the room as if to show the brutal power of the hammer, and Iwato said this instinctively.
[Hmph! If you want to see it that much, then I will show it!]
Karen who appeared from the hammer’s shadow, raises both of her hands in front and chants a new spell.
[『Water Lance』!]
Then, a huge spear appeared in front of her, and Iwato and Tsumugu opened their eyes wide unintentionally by that.
The 『Weak Water』 probably has some effect on it, but still, this phenomenon can’t be said as a G rank superpower. Because it’s more appropriate to call it 『Magic』.
The spear starts a spiral spin, and it’s fired towards Iwato as if a rifle’s bullet.
Iwato dodged to the side nimbly, and Karen who have shorten the distance between them during the time, had a light coiling both of her hands.
What appeared is a jet black tonfa, and there’s one each on both of her hands.
She no longer deserved to be called as a Mahou Shoujo, but probably, she should be called as a Demon.
Anyway, Iwato only wanted to say one thing.
[Shut up! You’ll be defeated if you talk, you know!?]
Just like that, what started was barrage of attacks.
Numerous attacks of hooks and straights with the tonfa and also foot techniques. On top of that, her blue coat is blocking Iwato’s vision unexpectedly. Iwato was a little surprised by the attacks coming out from the shadow.
But still, the difference in ability is overwhelming. Iwato pull through the attacks by observing her movement while dodging, warding off, and using feints.
And–
Just one word. The next moment after Karen’s straight punch.
The moment that she can’t even returned her fist.
During the time, Iwato stepped into her bosom, and he grabbed her stretched arm and toss her.
Although Karen raised an unusual cute scream as she was thrown, she immediately recovers her stance and lands.
When Karen looked forward, there’s a figure of Iwato wrinkling up his eyebrows while turning his shoulder. She stands up with a frustrating face upon seeing Iwato’s composure after all of that.
Karen said so, and starts to run once more.
She runs at her full speed, and thanks to that, she reaches Iwato instantly.
And–
A dropkick.
Karen lunged with a dropkick aiming at Iwato’s face as if she’s trying to break his glasses.
Iwato bends his body to dodge the kick, and she lands immediately. Then, he stopped the roundhouse kick aiming at himself with his right hand.
Then, Karen had a smile when she saw that, and she hook his right hand with her ankle, and by doing so, the distance between them was shorten in an instant.
And, the storm of barrage starts again.
Karen who’s rotation speed increased more than before, maybe because her body gotten warmer. Iwato who sees that, increase the numbers of moves according to that, and starts to prioritize in warding off rather than dodging.
In this kind of offence and defence, it will be decided by the first one who broke his/her stance for sure. Then, it’s important to ward off the opponent’s attack to create a chance.
–That is, if it’s the battle of the same rank.
Karen opened her eyes wide by Iwato’s sudden words, and immediately after that, she was surprised by the fist that approached her.
Although she immediately jumped back from there, she noticed that her back was drenched with cold sweats, and unpleasant sweat flows on her face.
(Even…even with that, he can throw a counter at the right timing. If that fist was swung completely…)
While thinking so, Karen looked at Iwato.
There’s the figure of Iwato who stopped his fist halfway. It can be sensed that the figure had a curiosity of trying something or experimenting rather than the tension of battling.
–He’s not taking me on seriously.
She was made to realize the overwhelming difference in power forcibly even if she don’t want to know it.
Karen who was made to realize the fact, clenched her teeth.
She is Iwato’s pupil for sure. She intends to listen to whatever he says, and above all, she respects Iwato from the bottom off her heart, and also loves him.
But still, this is a different story.
10 years after acquiring her superpower, she can’t stay silent if her own power that she worked hard desperately to improve it, is being mocked. Anger wells up in her, and she charged towards him.
In the next moment, Iwato’s amazed look pierces her body, and at the same time, Iwato disappears.
[You should at least realize that I’m agitating you]
She heard such a voice from her back, and he vision blackened together with an impact.
☆☆☆
[As expected of…Nii-san. Good in agitating]
[That’s not a compliment, right?]
Iwato said so while looking at Tsumugu who has came nearby before he knew it.
Tsumugu is holding a bucket full of water as if she knew that Karen will faint, and she puts the bucket on the ground next to Karen. And, Iwato speak to Tsumugu.
[7 points. Of course the perfect score…is 100]
[…Huh? It’s unexpectedly bad score]
When Iwato mutters so unintentionally, Tsumugu talks while folding her arms and nodding.
[She’s weak…-60 points. Talk too much in battle…-13 points. Didn’t transform into a Mahou Shoujo…-20 points. Didn’t realize that she was being agitated…-40 points. And, the others…-10 points][Hey, Tsumu. Won’t that be negative at the end?]
[Un…-43 points]
Although Iwato had a stiff smile by the terrible subtract formula, he opened his eyes wide instinctively by Tsumugu’s smile.
[But…she did well. +50 points]
Tsumugu said so as she crouched down in front of Karen, and started to play with her cheek by poking it.
She certainly had a cheerful smile when seeing her face from the side, and Iwato held a complicated feeling when he tried to make Tsumugu smile during the first time they met.
And above all, he’s happy.
When Iwato goes to Tsumugu’s side and crouches down, he starts to stroke her head.
Although Tsumugu protests with upturned eyes due to the rough stroking, Iwato smiles and begins to talk.
[Un…Tsumugu…Onee-chan]
[According to the age, you’re not, though…]
[I-I’m…the Onee-chan~]
The two were surprised by the voice and they looked at Karen.
There’s the figure of Karen who has woke up and protested it.
Although Iwato wanted to say [You recovered fast!?] instinctively, the so-called sisters started to fight.
[W-What do you mean by idiot!? I’m older than you!]
[9 years old…stronger than 16 years old]
[It’s not about the strength!!]
Iwato crumples his eyebrows by the trivial dispute, and he predicted the future of the dispute gets heated up and they will splash the water in the bucket. He takes the bucket away from the two without them noticing, and starts walking to the exit.
[Argh. Enough…let’s settle this with the bucket…Huh?][Huh? Come to think of it, where’s Master?]
He heard such voice from his back.
