Chapter 254: Emi vs. Arcus
* * *
Arc 14 Middle Part 2 begins, but it will end quickly.
Most of the area surrounding the town of Serelirin is surrounded by vast Mekena pastures, but of course, that's not all.
For example, in the northwest direction from the town, there is a small rocky mountain called Sakamene, and there is a quarry that is currently out of operation.
Emi, Arcus, and Lairine, who had flown out of the town of Serelirin, had now arrived at that old Sakamene quarry.
Why did they come here? To fight.
Since it was a quarry that had ceased operation, Arcus proposed that they could fight with all their might without worrying about involving others.
* * *
Small clouds flowed through the light blue sky.
Under that sky spread the old Sakamene quarry.
There was no snow.
At most, a little remained in the shadows of the rocks.
In that old quarry, with the light yellow rock face exposed as a result of quarrying serving as a backdrop, Emi and Arcus faced each other.
The distance between them was about 10 meters.
For them, it was a distance they could close in an instant.
Arcus had a confident smile on his face, looking completely at ease.
In contrast, Emi was expressionless as usual, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
And exactly halfway between the two, Lairine was standing with a face like a referee.
"Now, Emi-chan. I've heard a lot about your strength from Martz."
Shining his golden armor in the western sun, Arcus spoke to Emi in a friendly manner.
"Martz? Baron-sama? How do you know him?"
"Gaah! You call me 'old man' but you call him 'Baron-sama'!? The difference in the way you address us makes me want to cry! What the hell is the difference between me and him!?"
Arcus pretended to cry in an exaggerated, unnatural way.
"The smell?"
"Wait, Emi-chan. That's a slightly hurtful topic. Let's get back on track."
Clearing his throat with a cough, Arcus put on a serious face.
"Ah, Martz is my junior. When I went to see him after a long time, I heard about you, Emi-chan... and I also realized that you are my niece..."
"............"
Emi was listening intently to Arcus's story.
Lairine had her eyes closed with a smile.
She was probably sleeping because she wasn't interested in this exchange.
"Anyway! I've already heard about your strength from Martz! You've also been through many battles and have become even stronger than when you were with Martz! But, however!!"
Arcus made a motion as if sweeping his right arm, and the cloak wrapped around his arm fluttered open with a whoosh!
This was his idea of a cool move!
The fact that this move came out was proof that his excitement was rising!
"I, 'Golden' Arcus, am a top-class adventurer! No matter how talented a girl you are, Emi-chan! You're still just a kid, and I don't feel like losing to you!!"
Shouting that, Arcus grabbed a protrusion on the left chest of his armor and opened it with a click!
Inside was... a red, round... switch that looked like a button!
"Activate magic armor 'SHINING'!!!"
Arcus pressed the button on his chest while screaming!
Then, his golden armor... began to shine and sparkle like the sun!
"!!"
Narrowing her eyes, Emi instinctively jumped back.
The moment that switch was pressed, the sense of threat she could detect from Arcus suddenly jumped.
When she activated [Magic Perception], the reason became clear.
Right now, Arcus had an amount of magic power enveloping his body that made Emi think, "It will probably be a good match"!
Emi's evaluation of Arcus as "quite strong, but definitely weaker than me" was instantly overturned.
Unintentionally, cold sweat beaded on Emi's forehead.
"Guhahaha! Are you surprised!? This magic armor 'Shining' of mine is a 'God-made Relic' that I obtained by risking my life in a dungeon!! It absorbs and stores sunlight, and then transforms it into the user's power. It's an incredible item!!"
"I see. You're an adventurer who relies on armor, old man."
"Guhahahaha, cheap, cheap! Emi-chan, your provocation is cheap! I won't deny that aspect, but the fact that I can handle this armor is because of my own skill!! Using excellent equipment and excellent techniques to become strong! This is what human strength is all about!!"
Thud!
Making a sound of his armor rubbing together, Arcus took a step forward with his right foot.
Emi also lowered her hips and took a fighting stance.
"Now! Emi-chan!!"
Taking another step forward with his other foot, Arcus crossed his arms and shouted while standing like a guardian deity!
"Hit me as much as you like!!!"
"............Huh?"
Unintentionally, Emi let out a deflated voice.
"Hit you? Not fight?"
"Guhaha! Of course! What kind of uncle would hit his niece he's trying to take in!?"
Arcus laughed heartily, shaking his shoulders.
"And even so, I will beat you! My defense is no joke! If no matter how much you hit me, it doesn't work, then Emi-chan, that means you lose, right!?"
"I see."
Emi sighed.
In other words, this man was underestimating her.
To do something like this without properly measuring her strength... he was overconfident to a fault.
But, however.
"Well, that's fine with me too."
Emi lowered the fist she had been holding up.
And she stared intently at Arcus.
"Hey, old man. I told you, right? I don't like your face."
And she began releasing a powerful [Intimidation]!
"Mgh!?"
Instantly, cold sweat broke out all over Arcus's body!
This [Intimidation], this killing intent, was incomparable to the one they had clashed with in the room earlier!
"Do you know why? Because it resembles him. The trash man I still want to punch so badly even now."
"M-Mmgh!!?"
And the amount of magic power enveloping Emi's entire body began to rapidly increase!
The excess magic power leaked out of her body... and began to drift around Emi as a pitch-black haze!
"That's why I'll gladly punch you. From over here, because I don't want to touch you."
"M-M-Mmmuuuh!!!?"
The pitch-black armor that had been coiled around Emi's body unraveled at a tremendous speed and transformed into two giant, vicious arms extending from her shoulders!
It was [Black Arms]!
"I'd feel bad if you died, so be careful."
"No!? Wait, ho-"
At this point, Arcus finally began to panic, but it was too late!
Using one of her [Black Arms], Emi punched... Arcus with all her might!
"Gofuah!!?"
No holding back!
The [Black Arms] unleashed at a speed too fast to see struck Arcus's entire body clad in the shining magic armor "Shining" and blew his body away backward!
"AAAAAAAAHHHH...!!?"
Letting out a stupid scream, Arcus flew in a straight line, crashed into the cliff of the quarry with a grand roar, and stopped moving.
"Re... Really...?"
Embedded in the cliff, Arcus muttered that lastly... and then rolled his eyes and fainted.
Arcus's prized golden armor, the magic armor "Shining," which had cracks in it, flickered a few times and then ceased functioning forever.
Whoosh...
A cold wind blew, swaying Emi's hair.
Now that the noisy old man had fainted, the only sounds echoing in this quarry were the wind.
And.
Clap, clap, clap.
Yes, the sound of quiet clapping.
Emi glanced towards the sound.
Standing there was a beautiful woman yawning with her golden hair fluttering in the wind.
"Fuwaaah... Hmm, looks like it's over! First win, congratulations Emi-chan!"
That beautiful woman, Lairine, smiled and congratulated Emi, then said,
"Now then... it's my turn next!"