After relaxing and having tea in the garden, we toured other places.
"Yuna, would you mind just a little time? Master wants to see you." (Shinobu)
"Juubei-san?" (Yuna)
Juubei-san was the name of Shinobu's master.
I fought him when I first came to the Land of Harmoni.
At that time, I got a little angry and got serious.
"Nothing special. What will Noa and the others do?" (Yuna)
"If you don't mind me going with you, I will go too." (Noa)
"Yes, I don’t mind either." (Misa)
"Me too" (Fina)
"Me too!" (Shuri)
After I checked, everyone decided to go together.
"So, who is that Juubei-san?"
"You said that he's Shinobu-san's master?"
"He's the master who teaches me how to fight." (Shinobu)
"Huh, Shinobu-san. Are you able to fight?" (Noa)
Noa and the others were surprised.
"I can do it. I'm not as strong as Yuna, but..." (Shinobu)
"Shinobu is strong." (Yuna)
"Flattery is fine. I'm already aware that I'm weak." (Shinobu)
Shinobu said so, but I thought Shinobu was strong.
My strength was only thanks to the bear equipment.
If I were a living being, I would be so weak that I wouldn't even be able to defeat Fina.
Noa and the others headed to Juubei-san's place while listening to Shinobu.
I came to a place that looked like a training ground.
"There's a place like this."
"This is where the soldiers train." (Shinobu)
"But there's no one there."
"They're not here at this time." (Shinobu)
"Ah, but there is one person." (Misa)
When Misa turned her attention to where she was looking, she saw a man with the appearance of a samurai, Juubei-san.
"Master!" (Shinobu)
"...Have you come?" (Juubei)
Juubei-san walked over to us.
"Juubei-san, I heard you called for me." (Yuna)
"Sorry. I have something to ask Yuna." (Juubei)
"What do you want from me?" (Yuna)
"Could you please make an arrangement with Shinobu?" (Juubei)
"What! With (Yuna/Shinobu)" (Shinobu/Yuna)
Shinobu's and my voices harmonized.
"Why is Shinobu surprised?" (Juubei)
"This is my first time hearing this. Master, what do you mean? I suddenly joined hands with Yuna." (Shinobu)
"You're probably blaming yourself for your weakness in the last battle." (Juubei)
"That's right... But I don't understand why you're suddenly trying to rematch with Yuna." (Shinobu)
"This is because I want you to feel for yourself what you are aiming for and overcome it." (Juubei)
"Shinobu, are you aiming for me?" (Juubei)
"M-Master!" (Shinobu)
Shinobu exclaimed in embarrassment.
I was a little embarrassed though.
"I don't have any specific goals, but I just wanted to become strong like Yuna." (Shinobu)
"No, Shinobu is strong too." (Yuna)
"Is that sarcasm?" (Shinobu)
I didn't mean to be offensive.
I truly believed that Shinobu was strong.
"I guess Shinobu has never fought Yuna." (Juubei)
"No, but I'm watching my master fight." (Shinobu)
"What you get from watching is different from what you get from fighting. If you want to become stronger, you should fight Yuna at least once." (Juubei)
What Jubei said was correct.
Even in games, I studied by watching the movements of people playing games. Of course, just because you saw something didn't mean you would become stronger. There were some things you wouldn't understand until you actually experienced it. If you could become stronger just by watching, no one would have any trouble.
"Yuna-san, are you going to play a match with Shinobu-san?" (Noa)
"I didn’t mean to accept it, but…" (Yuna)
Juubei-san had a serious face and I coudl see what he's saying for Shinobu.
Shinobu looked at me.
"If it isn't a nuisance for Yuna, I'd like to ask you a favor." (Shinobu)
Shinobu's expression was serious.
I didn't feel like I could refuse.
"...Okay. But what should the format of the match be?" (Yuna)
"Is there any battle that Yuna is not good at?" (Juubei)
I thought about Juubei-san's words for a moment.
I was magic swordsman in the game. I couldn't think of a fight that I was not good at. On the other hand, if you're really good at something, you wouldn't even have to fight. So, swords, knives, hand-to-hand combat, and magic battles were fine.
It's like a poor man who did everything.
"Basically not." (Yuna)
"Yes, Yuna is a monster if you can say that." (Shinobu)
Monster? you're cruel.
"Shinobu-san. Yuna-san is not a monster. She is a bear." (Noa)
Noa said out loud what I was thinking.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean that Yuna is a monster. I mean that Yuna is amazing because she can say that she has no weaknesses." (Shinobu)
"If that’s the case..." (Noa)
Noa agreed.
No, don't be convinced.
"For now, there's no magic. Have a match with a short sword." (Juubei)
Juubei decided the content of the match. I didn't have any problems either, so I agreed.
Shinobu and I both had short swords.
It would be dangerous to use a real dagger, so I used a wooden dagger.
Well, even a wood could hurt if it hit the wrong spot, but it wouldn't be painful as the real one.
"Does Yuna use two too?" (Shinobu)
Shinobu also had two short swords.
"I don't mind one, though. If Shinobu uses two." (Yuna)
"Yuna really can do anything." (Shinobu)
"It's not like I can do anything. I'm just a poor resource." (Yuna)
There was no weapon that I was good at.
I would try my hand at anything.
You see, I usually played the game solo (sometimes I formed a party), so there were weapons that made it easier to clear the game.
I mainly used magic sword, but I also used knives.
"It's frustrating that such a poor dexterity has so much skill. And what's more, you can wield two swords." (Shinobu)
"Um, is it that difficult to use two knives?" (Noa)
Noa asked.
"That's right. The easiest way to understand this is to imagine various soups on the table. Then, hold a spoon in both hands and instantly drink the soup you are instructed to drink. Then, people will take out the spoon in their dominant hand even if it is far away." (Shinobu)
As Shinobu said, Noa and the others made a gesture with a spoon.
"Ugh, it's definitely difficult." (Noa)
"I don’t think it’s difficult, but I think it’s more about your dominant hand."
"That's what it means to hold a knife in both hands. What to do with the knife in your right hand, and what to do with the knife in your left hand. You always think about it while fighting." (Shinobu)
"It's difficult to use two weapons at the same time."
"In return, the other person hates you. It's like you're dealing with two people."
After Shinobu's brief explanation, Shinobu and I distanced ourselves and faced each other with wooden daggers.
"I'm going to borrow your chest." (Shinobu)
"Me too." (Yuna)
Shinobu took a breath and stepped forward.
Fast.
Just when I thought I was stepping in, she attacked me head on.
Shinobu quickly closed the gap and swung her right dagger. I took a step back and avoided it. Just as Shinobu took a step further, the short sword in her left hand approached. I flicked it with the short sword in my right hand. Shinobu stepped forward and passed me.
Two attacks in a split second.
If I were a normal opponent, that would be the end.
When I turned my attention to where Shinobu had run, Shinobu wasted no time in attacking me.
This time it's a series of attacks.
Short swords held in her both hands attacked me, right and left.
Furthermore, Shinobu moved left and right to make it harder to block, but I blocked all of his attacks with my short sword.
Gradually, Shinobu's face began to show impatience.
I played Shinobu's short sword a little harder.
Shinobu's right hand holding the dagger went up.
With my right arm raised, my body became empty. She aimed at it and slashed at it with a dagger held upside down.
Shinobu used the short sword in her left hand to block the short sword in my right hand.
But that's not the end.
I swung down the knife in my left hand that deflected Shinobu's short sword at the beginning.
Shinobu forcibly pulled her body back, and my short sword slashed at the air. Shinobu then lightly jumped backwards to gain some distance.
"Yuna, you're really strong." (Shinobu)
"Shinobu is strong enough too." (Yuna)
"You calmly block all my attacks, even if Yuna says so." (Shinobu)
"Should I have been less careful?" (Yuna)
"If you do that, I'll get angry." (Shinobu)
Shinobu said this and stood ready.
After that, the match between me and Shinobu continued.
"I can't move anymore..." (Shinobu)
Shinobu was on the ground.
In the end, I grabbed Shinobu's protruding arm, twisted her body, and threw her away.
"Shinobu, do you understand Yuna's strength?" (Juubei)
Juubei-san asked Shinobu.
"Yuna is better in everything, both in movement and in anticipation. Above all, her physical strength is different. How is she able to move like that even though she's dressed like a bear, which makes it difficult to move?" (Shinobu)
"That's right. First of all, it's not like Yuna has any physical strength. She's only moving at a minimum." (Juubei)
Shinobu often moved left and right to create an opening for me. I didn't move much, as I often blocked attacks.
"I've lost my confidence. How much experience did Yuna go through to become this strong?" (Shinobu)
"I'd like to know that too. I think Yuna's movements are something she's learned from many battles. She's also fought against a variety of different opponents." (Juubei)
"Do you know?" (Yuna)
"If you watch the fight with me and Shinobu's fight, you'll understand." (Juubei)
I wonder if it's something you could understand when you reached Juubei-san's level?
"I fought a lot of people just as Juubei-san said. When it comes to swords, there are not only regular swords, but also large swords, blunt weapons such as spears, knives, double swords, axes, and hammers, and magic. I also fought with people." (Yuna)
It's in the game though.
Still, that experience was useful in this world.
That experience was useless without bear equipment.
Author's Note
Yuna and Shinobu had a match. For Shinobu, as a girl of the same age, Yuna may be the person she aspires to be. (Although it's a bear)
...
*Thank you to everyone who reports typos.
Please note that some kanji have been revised to match the book, so some may not have been revised.