Chapter 170-2 Standalone Combat
Friese, claiming to want to become a man, showed more than just an impressive Rider Kick in her fight.
Her fighting style is completely bare-handed, even though she's a woman, and her skills aren't extraordinary.
But the wild beast that got hit was blown away like in a comic book. That alone shows Friese's body has incredible strength.
To be blunt, the Rider Kick is just a flying kick. But the fact it has such absurd power proves that Fjikra is truly in a league of their own.
"Did that surprise you?"
"Tea boy (Chanosuke). It's impossible not to be surprised by that."
"I understand how Brute (MC) feels. Anyone witnessing Grumpy (Friese)'s fight for the first time will make that face. Well, the knights who were eyeing Grumpy tend to lose confidence, so honestly, I'd love for all men to see this."
Before I knew it, Shannon was right beside me. Her sneaky trick made me grimace. Since Friese looks great and is from a very noble family, lots of guys probably try to get close.
But seeing that, yeah, I get why some might be discouraged. I'd lose immediately in arm wrestling, for sure.
I involuntarily let out a small "hmm," but that doesn't stop the battle from continuing. Just then, one beast charged toward us, taking advantage of the moment.
"Huh."
[GMOoo!?]
Suddenly, a white-glowing arrow pierced the beast's forehead, instantly turning the pig into shadow dust. When I look to the side, there's Shannon, holding a small harp-shaped bow, ready to strike again.
Precise and quick──she may not be a master of bows, but her skill is clear, and I have no doubt she's quite talented.
"Hey. Are you a bow user?"
"If you think it's something else, then your eyes are clearly useless."
"Sorry, but my eyesight's good. I saw that arrow──glowing. Are you shooting magic arrows?"
"Heh... Looks like you've been watching too closely. With eyes like a beast..."
"Just because you got it right, don't run straight over there."
"Yeah, I just turned Magi into arrows. What, you saying that's plain? Were you expecting some flashy magic element?"
"What the hell are you doing with that open-minded attitude?"
"Oh, come on, this is a battlefield. Use your hands before your mouth! And, if we're fighting, turn your back to me as much as possible!"
"Looks like you're fully planning to shoot me in the back."
While spouting some reckless retort, Shannon headed off in a different direction from Friese. Like a snake's kid hissing at a bush it didn't even touch, I feel exhausted just thinking about it.
But even in that moment, my eyes were caught by the back of Shannon as she walked away.
"What... when did she grow wings?"
(Well, I guess they've been growing since a while, but... hmm, what is that? Could she actually fly with them?)
Suddenly, a metallic rod like a dowsing machine extended from Shannon's back, with a thin membrane spreading from the base like some sci-fi or steampunk flying gear. It looked totally out of place in this world's scenery.
Of course, it's not directly on her body; she's probably wearing it on her shoulders, but I've never seen anything like that even among knight orders.
I was tempted to believe Ruthless's words, but seeing her run off with that confident flap, I knew there was no sign of wings or anything similar.
There's magic, and there's fantasy, but for humans to become birds, the blue sky still seems very far away.
"Ah, today too, our formation's all over the place..."
It wasn't wings or anything, just some super fancy, trendy stuff beyond the latest tech──that's what stopped my daydreaming. It felt more like a dull whisper than a battlefield.
"Captain Hailey, huh. You're late."
"Everyone's too early! Hiiro, you rushed in first! And that's why I couldn't give proper orders for the formation... Well, even if I had, it wouldn't have mattered."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you see..."
Over at the spot they were subtly guided to, as usual, Friese is blowing away pigs, while Shannon, still a bit dazed, coolly takes them down one shot at a time.
Their performance is so impressive that it makes me think I can't just sit here and do nothing.
"We're supposed to be a unit, but..."
"Ah..."
(Hmmm... Definitely, there's not a shred of teamwork. I mean, even I can see that.)
Captain Hailey's sigh made her concern immediately clear to me.
After all, I'm constantly being nagged by Captain Shidou about coordination.
We're a single unit. A team. So the vanguard should be aware of the rearguard, and the rearguard needs to ensure they're supporting the vanguard smoothly. That's the basics of fighting as a unit, and it's been drilled into us a lot recently.
(...If Captain Shidou saw this, he'd probably drop a huge thunderbolt on them.)
Yet, both Friese and Shannon are fighting on their own. There's no vanguard or rearguard, let alone any mutual support. As Ruthless pointed out, it's enough to make you question if we can even be called a unit.
That would certainly be a source of frustration for Captain Hailey. I couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for her as she looked downcast.
"Save the complaining for later. We've got things to do now, right?"
"Hmph... You're right. Let's take care of the problem in front of us first. Thanks, Hiiro."
"Hmph."
"......Do you like me? Is that why you're listening to my complaints? Is this a sign that I'm in with the wild type? Is this my chance? Should I make my move!?"
"Just drown already, seriously, Captain Hailey."
That's the kind of moment it is. Really. The respect I had for her while she was giving orders just flips upside down and turns into bubbles in the water.
I'm genuinely worried about this mission now. Looking at Captain Hailey writhing in discomfort, my fears are starting to feel all too real.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!