Skill? Nee yo Sonnamon! ~ Fugusha tachi no Saino Kaika ~

To Tomorrow For Real This Time

 

“Hey you two.
Get over here and have a chat with us.”

Someone spoke behind us after we left the guild.
Can't be about us, can it? I mean they never referred us by names.

“Oy, can't you hear me?”

I can.
But it's got nothing to do with us, so–

“You black haired pair! Quit ignoring me dammit!”

Ah, it *is* us he was talking to? I see.
I turned around to see five men in their 20s glaring in our direction.
Are these five adventurers? I figure they were the people who had been tailing us since a while ago, what's their deal.

“Aah, you finally stopped.
You shoulda respond when people talk to you.”

“Pardon.
I thought you were in someone else's company.”

“Ya see anyone else here?! You obviously ignored us on purpose damnit!”

“Perishthethought.”

“Leader, may I punch this guy…!?”

“Later.
Our business is with that missy over there, not him.”

Uwaaa, hoodlums.
Wait, later, you're not stopping him? Eh what, I'm a punching bag now?

“What do you want, Darandizma?”

“You know already, don't you? We're here to welcome you into our party.”

Alma asked looking seriously annoyed, in contrast the leader guy shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
This guy is that Darasomething.
An all back blond hair, a black mantle and a sword hanging on his waist.
His visage is relatively good looking.
His glance looks kinda obscene though.

“I told you after Stampede, no.”

“Stampede, yes, that 'Magic Sword' Skill or something you showed there was really strong.
Sorry for calling you worthless before.
Seeing as you can fight on par with a Werewolf, you're more than fit to become a new addition to our party.”

“You heard him, don't even think ya can go on going Solo forever ya hear?”

“That's such a waste.
You'd do much better in our party, just get in.”

…

Are all these guys, idiots?

“It's none of your concern.
Besides, I've already registered with another party.
I'm not solo anymore.”

“Aah? You telling me you refused us and joined another party instead? Who the hell do you think you are.”

Oh yeah.
They are all stupid idiots.

“Who indeed? I gotta ask you lot that.
Aah, I see, children.
My bad, didn't realize with those hulking bodies of yours.
Children should scram home, it's late.”

Even I was quite surprised by my own voice.
I spoke without thinking even though I strive to always avoid trouble.
But I don't regret it.
Nor will I repent.
There is no need to.

“Haa? Say that again you bastard.”

“First of all, if you feel the slightest bit apologetic, say sorry before you try to solicit her.
What's with that half-assed apology you shoved in that sorry attempt to get Alma join you.
'Do much better' with you lot? Think you're even worthy enough to walk alongside her?”

“You bastard! Who do you think you're talking with that tone to!”

“A Rank E party, 'Heavenly Dragon' or something? Whoa, what a cool name, awesome.
The name that is.
Too bad it's a gathering of clueless idiots who don't even know how to say sorry.”

Their faces crooked in anger as they gradually turned red.
That's some glare but like an empty tin barrel, it's nothing compared to Werewolf or Alma's parents.
Heck, a Hobgoblin's scarier.

“Oy, you that missy's partner? Sure can talk big with your scrawny looks.
Huuh?”

“Oh someone's been talking big that's for sure.”

The leader, Da…
Dasomething threatened me, I responded with a sarcastic remark while pointing my finger.
I'd rather not act like this if I could help it, but acting polite to people who talked crap to Alma is asinine.

“Ah that's it.
That missy's gonna rethink her decision if you're rendered immobile.
How bout roughing him up a bit, men?”

“Let's just cut up an arm or a leg.
Say good bye to leading a normal life.　Haha.”

“And hey, we might at least leave you half alive if you put your head on the ground where it belongs, yeah?”

They all drew their weapons, ready to strike anytime.
It's getting dark outside and there's less people around sure, but man they've got short fuses.

“I don't care if you're adventurers, I won't forgive you if you lay your hands on Hikaru.”

“HA! You shoulda agreed to our demand then! Way too late now…
Do it.”

Once Dasomething said that, one of them swung his sword at me.
Oy oy, they're seriously doing it.
Well, it's not scary at all compared to that Werewolf though.

CLANK, I blocked the sword with my arm.

“Wha!?”

“D-did he just block my sword bare handed…? What the heck kinda Skill is that!?”

It's not a Skill, I just wrapped my arm with mana toughened to around iron level.
Next, I wrapped my palm in mana and snatched the sword.

“O-oy, he grabbed on the blade…!?”

“Hikaru, doesn't that hurt…?”

“Not at all, this blunt edged crap can't even cut through butter.
Or maybe it's cursed?”

I joked around like a certain guard who took an arrow to the knee with the blade still in hand.
Checking their Stats, these guys are around level 10 at best.
Their Skills are barely leveled too.
Heck, Alma in her Paladin Apprentice days was still better I think?
Can't believe these guys got to Rank E.
Maybe they've been hunting weaklings exclusively or something.
No goal in life, only lazing around all day.
It's like…
it's like I'm seeing myself when I was in Japan.
I wanna die.
Took an emotional damage out of nowhere.
What a terrifying bunch! Dang you Dasomething!

“You! Don't get cocky!”

Whoa, fist fighting now huh.
He's going to punch my face, oh you better not put too much force there.

His fist made a cracking sound when it hit my face.
I have my face wrapped in mana armor, no damage whatsoever.
The one punching should be hurting instead.
Sure enough, he broke some bones.
What a horrible man, how could he punch someone with so much force! Eh? I'm the horrible one? Peristhethought.
It's a legitimate self-defense.

“GYAAAAAA!? M-my haaaaaaaaaaand!”

“W-what's the deal with this guy's body!?”

“I didn't see him using any Skill!? You tellin' me that's his base form!?”

They're getting shaken up so much it's interesting to watch.
Heck, I think they'd earn a lot more working as reaction comedians than adventurers?

“How dare you do that to one of us!”

“No no no, your men swung his sword and fist at me.
I offered zero resistance.”

“Shaddup! Dunno what kinda trick you used, it ain't gonna work on me!”

He was going to draw the sword on his waist.
But before he could.

“Let's stop this here.”

Using the same trick as Mana Flight, I wrapped my body in mana and moved it at high speed.
I slid just above ground level so it should look like a high speed movement to other people.
I grabbed the sword he was reaching to, stopping the guy.

“S-since when did he…!?”

“What's up with that speed…! I couldn't follow at all!”

“Wasn't that 'Ground Shrink'!? What the hell, he's a user of Ultimate Martial Art Skill!?”

Dasomething and the other comedians reacted with their eyes wide open.
Ground Shrink? Ultimate Martial Art? Whuzzat?

<<【Ultimate Martial Art】: A Skill unlocked when 'Martial Art' Skill reaches Lv10.
It can be said to be the upgraded version of 'Martial Art' Skill.
'Ground Shrink' is an Ability usable after reaching Ultimate Martial Art Lv3.
Allows user to move at super high speed over a short distance.>>

I'm telling you I can't use Skills.
Well, I suppose I'll just let the misunderstandings, work for me.

“What the hell are you…!”

“An ordinary Rank E adventurer.
A greenhorn mob, same as you folk.”

“””There ain't a mob like ya!”””

A punch line in harmony.
I knew it, they have talents for this stuff.

“You guys are brave enough to participate in the Stampede right? Surely you've got potentials to become even stronger if you just work on it.
Yet here you are persistently trying to woo a girl just cause she's got a powerful Skill or two.”

“Guh…!”

“W-what about you, were you even around during the Stampede?! You woulda stand out if you were this strong!”

“Naw, went down with a severe food poisoning, thought that was the end for me.”

“””You're just an idiot!”””

And again, they reacted in harmony at once.
It's getting kinda fun to be honest.

“And besides, keep that approach and Alma's parents gonna come knocking on your door.
Like seriously, don't do stuff that's gonna anger those two, I'm begging you.”

“A-are they seriously that much of a bad news?”

“I-I mean yeah, thought I was gonna die when those two glared at us…”

“Run along now if you get it.
And stay away from us.
Alma has formed a party with me, give it up.”

“Kuh…
Let's go, guys.”

And thus, Heavenly Dragon (lol) left while dragging the fist-pulverized man with them.
Don't drag his legs guys.
You're gonna scalp his crown.

Ah geez.
That was some unnecessary distraction and here I was thinking of throwing a party to celebrate our party forming.
The mood is ruined now, damn.
Is this their thanks after we fought together in Stampede.
Human connections sure are scary.
I even spoke like a hooligan there.
That was super embarrassing.

“Sorry about that, things got a bit heated up for a moment.”

“Un, thank you for covering me…
But please don't be reckless.
I don't want to see you hurt, Hikaru.”

“Nobody's gonna hurt from something like that.
I mean Hobgoblins and Werewolf were far more scary.”

“Your standard is weird…”

Tell me about it~.
Well whatever, let's just report this to the guild and forget about it.
I'll get the guildmast wring them dry with his death glare! Fuhahaha!
Welp, let's just go back to our inn and get ready for tomorrow.

Right as I was about to take a step, a familiar man drew near.

“Hohoho.
That was well done.
Kajikawa.”

The appraisal gramps, Filsdaim-shi.
Couldn't you come out if you saw us.
Ah, right his Job's not a Combatant.

“Good evening.
I apologize you had to see that sorry sight.”

“Hoho, that should make for a good medicine for those lots.
Folks who think of perusing Almatina to hunt for strong monsters while they kick back should receive an even harsher punishment.”

I'm not gonna show any mercy the next time they tried.

“Apparently, you made a huge show during the Stampede as well.
Like that burning horns and stuff.”

“Eh? …did you see that?”

“I did with Farsight, you were spewing flames everywhere while twirling around in a weird pose.
Kukuku…”

“What were you doing, Hikaru…”

“Give me a break…”

Stoop! Don't look at me like that!
I had no choice back then! It's not like I love doing that or anything!
And now I wanna die again.

“Was that some sort of ritual in your homeland? Mr 'Drifter From Another World'.”

Man just dropped a bombshell.