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I smashed my hidden trump card on the wall and used detection magic on the crack. 

I managed to find the right path somehow by repeatedly doing this. 

I don’t know if it is thanks to Instinct-sama, but I am glad that it works decently nice in times like this. 

But well, this sight was naturally unexpected. 

It makes me do a double-take at how badly beaten up Gradona and Mix were. 

“Is Ritial that strong? From what I can tell with detection magic, Gradona should be the stronger one though.” (Haaku)

“I think it would be easier to understand if you were to see him as a Mister Friend that can fight-desu zo!” (Mix)

A Brother who can fight… Uoh, I got goosebumps there. 

Ekdoik and I fought Brother as an enemy and we lost real hard. 

It is partly because he can use the strength of others well, but if he himself had the physical strength… It hasn’t been only one or twice that I have imagined such a scenario.

“So, that sword is the rumored…uuuh…” (Haaku)

“Dioside! It is a holy sword that’s also called the Two Slashes and can create an illusion of yourself!” (Masetta)

“Aah, right, right. That’s so nice. My tonfas are handmade.” (Haaku)

Moreover, I have a devil possessing my right arm. Can’t even tell who is the bad guy here. 

An illusion sword with Ritial who can see through your mind. It is troublesome, but…let’s test it out. 

I spin my tonfas and check the state of my whole body. 

I am covered in scratches, but my body is nicely warmed up. However, I used way too much mana to get here. 

I can only shoot one or two trump cards. If I am going to be fighting him properly, it would be better to assume I can only use it once.

“…So Tsudwali really couldn’t stop you.” (Ritial)

“How about asking if I killed her or not instead? She is someone who thinks highly of you.” (Haaku)

“I can tell that just by looking at your face. Thanks for letting her live.” (Ritial)

“Saying that without a single change in your face. Well, you are not the kind of guy that would hold back even if I spared your comrade…right?!” (Haaku)

I dash in in one go and attack. 

Ritial isn’t moving. 

Is it an illusion? 

But he is in the same place he has been, so I will punch him just like—?! 

Pain ran through my right side and I reflexively jumped to the side. 

Ritial didn’t have a stance, but his sword was pointing forward by the time I noticed. 

I see. This means me rushing in alone could be pretty bad if I were to mistake the positioning of his sword.

Moreover, Instinct-sama didn’t react to that just now. 

He is trying to avoid fatal attacks just like Tsudwali did by shaving me away with attacks that are of low danger. 

“Kaah! Don’t do something so nasty like purposely loosening your hand on your attacks!” (Haaku)

“That’s the most effective way to fight you after all. I would kill you in one hit if I could, but you wouldn’t allow it, right? I will slowly do that when your body can’t listen to you anymore.” (Ritial)

“Tsudwali was the type to tell me how to defeat me, so of course you would be able to do that too. But well, I have already thought of a countermeasure for that a long time ago!” (Haaku)

Simple tricks would just be read. It is instead nice that it is easy to understand that I definitely won’t win in a psychological battle. 

I can empty my mind and just attack mindlessly. 

I dash in just like before and attack.

“Haakudoku-dono?! Be a bit more carefu—” (Mix)

“As if I can do something smart like that!” (Haaku)

The moment Ritial entered the range of my tonfas, I felt sharp pain in my leg. 

The stance of just now was an illusion again. 

He pointed his sword in a way so that it stabbed at my leg. 

This guy is attacking me in a way that Instinct-sama doesn’t react. 

It only hurts when I get hit and it doesn’t turn into a fatal wound! 

“—!” 

I ignore the sword stabbed at my leg and swing my tonfas.

I feel like it hit. Of course it did. He can’t defend with his sword while it is stabbed in me after all. 

The illusion shown in my vision disappeared and the real Ritial showed up. 

I landed a hit on his right arm that’s holding his sword. 

It seems like I did a clean hit there, his right arm is hanging. 

“One leg for one arm, huh. Not a bad trade.” (Haaku)

“Haakudoku, you are being way too reckless!” (Masetta)

“As if. I can at least prevent fatal hits. That’s why this method is the fastest.” (Haaku)

Shave off my meat to break their bones. Gradona and Mix would be able to do the same, but the two of them have no means to avoid fatal hits. 

If his sword were to stab their throat or heart, the fight would end after all. 

But I can react to fatal hits like that with Instinct-sama. 

If Instinct-sama stays silent, it is the sign, telling me to just continue beating him up just like that. 

“Yeah, Haakudoku, I will assist you. I can’t charge in like you, but I can at least distract him!” (Gradona)

“Counting on you, Gradona. He is someone I can’t match in terms of skills after all.” (Haaku)

If Ritial were to fight me with pure technique like how Ekdoik did before, there’s a high chance I would lose from the difference in skill.

Managing to get one arm from him in the time he was being sly here was big. 

Mix and Masetta are keeping him at bay with magic, and Gradona and I jumped in to attack him from up-close. 

Gradona destroyed the ground in front, avoiding the range of sword attacks, and making it so that Ritial can’t evade. 

That’s great. Like this, I should be able to—woah! 

Instinct-sama reacted. I immediately stopped dashing in and jumped to the back. 

The illusion of Ritial disappeared at that moment, and the real him that had swung his sword fully showed up. 

I can tell what kind of attack he did just from seeing his posture afterwards. 

He tried to behead me there! 

“So you really can avoid it. That’s a convenient talent.” (Ritial)

“Don’t suddenly put killing intent! That’s scary!” (Haaku)

“It is exactly because of that. You have no choice but to avoid an attack with killing intent from an enemy stronger than you, right?” (Ritial)

I feel cold sweat running down my back. 

Crap.

This guy is going with a different method now. 

I could have retaliated with loose attacks, but I can’t with attacks that are seriously aiming to finish me. 

Moreover, the poison knives thrown by Tsudwali can’t even compare to the sword just now. 

I would definitely die if I don’t evade with everything I have. 

What should I do? What can I do in this exhausted state…? 

Stopping my dash to jump to the back puts a heavy burden on my legs. I could tell that the sword wound on my leg opened up even more…! 

I messed up. 

He didn’t lose an arm by mistake. He was aiming to trade my leg with his arm from the very beginning! 

He wanted to lower my mobility to bring it to this development. 

My movements don’t get strengthened even if Instinct-sama is reacting. If there comes a moment when he uses an attack I have to avoid using my legs and my legs don’t move…

This guy seriously gave me his arm to lower my capabilities… That’s some guts, Ritial! 

“Fuuh… Fuuh… Fuuh… Alright. This is enough for my breathing.” (Haaku)

“Haakudoku-dono, Gradona-dono and I will buy time! Get treatment from Masetta-dono in the meantime…” (Mix)

“He is not someone who would give such time -especially against me.” (Haaku)

The effect of Dioside is low against me, and he himself won’t be able to attack me safely. 

He would obviously target the time when I am receiving treatment without hesitation. 

Then, what should I do? Should I fight until my legs can’t move? If that happens, I would just die with the retaliation of Ritial. 

I should move in a way that doesn’t burden my leg… How would I even land an attack on him with such a method? 

“Haakudoku, how about I stop that sword of his even if it kills me?” (Gradona)

“Stop that, geezer. He would just read how you would stop it and you would die a dog’s death…” (Haaku)

I see, there’s that way. 

But would it go well? I would be dying instantly if we mess that one up, you know? 

…That said, if we keep this up, it will only get worse and worse. It wouldn’t only be me, the other 3 won’t come out fine either, and we won’t be able to stop the ambition of Nektohal. 

Prepare yourself, Haakudoku. You should at least excel in muddy battles compared to other people. 

◇◇

I have to take actions that would betray the choices of the other party in order to utilize the full power of Dioside. 

Gaze, words, movements, presence; control various factors to have the other party predict the result, and aim for the opposite. 

My eyes can pull this off. 

Ordering Tsudwali to get Haakudoku away was not a mistake.

This man that can detect danger with his instincts makes all kinds of cheap tricks useless. 

I judged it would be hard for Tsudwali to defeat Haakudoku since her battle power was lower than that of his. 

That’s why I taught her a way to buy time against him effectively, but…she really couldn’t keep Haakudoku in place. 

But there was a point in her efforts. 

I succeeded in whittling away Gradona and Mix by separating Haakudoku. 

Even if I can read their movements completely, they are both strong people who have means to defeat me in one attack. 

I managed to shave away their strength thanks to Tsudwali. That work of hers was big. 

Moreover, the method Haakudoku used to regroup with them was a method that was extremely taxing for himself which is convenient for me. 

The amount of mana remaining, the damage on his whole body; I can tell that his exhaustion is on the same level or even more than Mix and Gradona. 

I have the advantage here. 

But there’s still doubts in my mind. The reason is clear.

“Does your arm hurt? Mine hurts far more though.” (Haaku)

I excel in understanding the other party with my talent. That’s why I managed to avoid the attacks of Gradona and Mix even when fighting them at the same time. 

Gradona’s style may look like a free fighting style, but his form was a product of accumulated training and experiences. If I can tell the habits he himself hasn’t noticed in his movements, I can read his actions. 

Mix likes to do attacks that take her enemies by surprise. She sets a variety of things in the middle of battle. 

But all actions of hers have an intention to them, so if I pay attention to that, I can easily see through her plans. 

Even if Masetta provides assistance from the back with magic, there’s no factor that would make me lose against them when I have complete understanding of their habits. 

But Haakudoku is a different story. 

This man isn’t really that strong. I would be above him in terms of pure battle power. 

It is a brawling style that has no clear battle form, but that’s scary for me. 

No matter how much I read his thoughts, he thinks of methods he himself wouldn’t be able to think of on the spot. 

The strong have their own way of dealing with things based on their core. 

I can understand those people and see ahead, but…I can’t see what’s ahead of this man. 

Even the person himself doesn’t know what he will be doing next. 

“Who is the more injured one isn’t important. What’s important is who is the one that wants to win the most.” (Ritial)

“Nicely said. But that means you have your own objective, right?” (Haaku)

I can tell he is different from your average hoodlum just from the fact that he can understand this. 

That’s right, the strength of my battle style changes depending on how much desire I have for victory. 

Even if Haakudoku takes actions that betray my expectations, I just have to go above that. 

He is simply someone who followed after the objective of the resident of Yugura’s planet. 

Compared to that…I have bet everything on this battle. 

“I don’t plan on talking about something naive like the difference in resolve. But battles are the result of the things that you have accumulated until now. I have been accumulating this since before you were born.” (Ritial)

“…Makes sense. If I trained for a few decades more, I might have been able to get on your level.” (Haaku)

“Probably.” (Ritial)

Haakudoku is aiming for something with this conversation. 

He is most likely fixing his breathing to pull off his next attack. 

Gradona and Mix, or maybe the devil in his right arm. I won’t have any issues with either.

I will be able to mess up his breathing if that attack of his fails. 

“Getting the stamp of approval of a legendary adventurer is enough for me. Then, here I come!” (Haaku)

Haakudoku hopped in place a number of times and dashed in. 

The other 3 don’t seem to be moving. 

Then, how about the devil in his right arm? No reaction. 

His eyes are looking straight at me. 

I use the power of Dioside to create an illusion of my exact posture and take a stance. 

I aim for a counterattack with perfect timing, and make it so that he can’t deal with it with anything other than avoiding with his instincts. 

The talent of Haakudoku is certainly troublesome, but I can take advantage of it too. 

I can injure him without him being able to react if it is with non-fatal attacks, and I can force him to evade with fatal attacks. 

No matter what plans he has cooked up, I can stop his feet if I unleash an attack that can kill him instantly. 

He will suddenly stop charging in and be made to change directions on the spot, worsening the injury in his leg, and burdening his mind even more. 

Haakudoku stopped suddenly the moment I swung my sword, but he is still within the range of my sword. He will avoid further and—he is not?! 

My sword is reaching his neck, and yet, he is not moving away from where he is.

I don’t plan on stopping my sword. 

In that case, this attack will be fatal. 

It is weird for this attack to not be forcing him to evade.

No, don’t hesitate. 

He might be targeting the moment when I am hesitating. 

If he is not going to avoid it, this is the perfect opportunity to finish him. I will finish swinging my sword just like this and…

“—Guh?!” 

Dioside was repelled by a shockwave. 

This shockwave isn’t something lukewarm that repels slashes. 

It repelled Dioside and sent my body flying. 

I was on the verge of fainting from the impact, and several of my senses were numbed there. 

The only thing that was still working were my thoughts. 

Did he put up a barrier? 

There’s no way he can cast a barrier of that level. 

I don’t see anyone from the back activating any spells. 

“Haakudoku?! Haakudoku! Are you okay?!” 

The voice I heard was from Masetta.

She is worrying about him instead of me, who was sent flying? 

I endure my shaking consciousness, and try to gather information with my vision at least. 

I look at what’s going on and understand what’s happening. 

He counterattacked my counterattack. 

He must have used the technique he used to destroy the wall. 

I got a direct hit from it even if it was through Dioside. 

But the problem is not the attack, but how it hit. 

I deployed an illusion with Dioside and Haakudoku couldn’t see the real me. 

But he matched the timing perfectly. 

“…Goagh… E…hehe… Got… you…” (Haaku)

“You must not talk-desu zo! Masetta-dono, stop the bleeding first!” (Mix)

“I am trying!” (Masetta)

Haakudoku has collapsed on the ground, and he is being healed by Masetta and Mix. 

There’s a frightening amount of blood coming out from the throat that Masetta is covering with her hands. 

My attack landed.

No, it would be better to say he aimed for that moment. 

Of course, I did take into account the possibility that he would be aiming to take me down along with him.

I planned on taking distance immediately if I felt such intentions. 

But what Haakudoku did was not even to take us both down. 

He was aiming to die first and then land his hit. 

It didn’t even smell like he was trying to take me down with him. He was going to retaliate after taking the instant death attack. 

His head would have flown if he messed up the timing even one bit, and it would have ended with just him dying.

“Gu…uh…oooh…!” 

I clench my teeth and use Dioside as a cane to get up. 

But my body won’t move as I want because I got hit with an explosion of mana from point-blank. 

But I have to get up. 

Mix and Masetta healing Haakudoku means that there’s still…

“You are stubborn, Ritial. Well, it means that’s how desperate you are. But I shouldn’t be wasting the opportunity the young one created with the intention of dying, right?” 

The kick of Gradona landed on my arm that was holding Dioside. 

The bone broke and Dioside was sent flying deep into the corridor. 

My body was smashed onto the ground again after losing its support, and my vision grew hazy again.

“Gra…do…na…” (Ritial)

“Just take a break, Ritial. Olaria can’t show up if you work so hard, right?” (Gradona)

Gradona said this at the end with a sad expression and punched my face. 

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