Chapter 41 – Show of Strength

Too many eyes.

Too many people.

How do I speak to absolute strangers I’ve never met before? I guess I’ll try to follow Rio’s example and hope for the best.

“Hi everyone, I’m Alice…”

Is that all I say here? Do I add something else too? When it’s with a few people I’m better off but with around fourteen of them? It’s hard to pretend like I’m grateful, joyous and that I don’t want to leave.

“… let’s get along!”

This was followed by more smiles and nods. At least from most of them. Only three appeared to be displeased by my being here. Despite this, I was being treated as a guest this time and everything here should be –

“I refuse.”

The fiery blond one raised an objection, surprisingly politely. He was of similar complexion to Rio but had a horn on either side of his head. Standing up, he walked towards me without shifting his glare for a single second.

“Not only are you a complete outsider here. The humans after you ended up setting fire to our crops! Now the issue herself is here, asking to be treated well when you should instead be apologising and cursing your own lack of strength?”

Invisible sweat formed on my forehead. I hate to break it to you, but I was the one who set fire to your farm. It’s not like the truth would help here though!

“Yeah! Why should we have to defend the weak? Your fate is just to serve humans!”

A more upstart one appeared, with a single horn in the centre of her long red hair. How cliché of the aggressor to have lackeys agreeing with his words. But the blond one was correct. I was the root of the problem caused. What about the third one who was displeased? Looking between his legs, the last member was just reading a book, oblivious to the situation.

After being constantly dragged everywhere by others for the past few days, my mental state must have depressingly gotten more and more used to being yelled at making me unable to flinch by the actions happened. Although shouldn’t Rio or any of the others be defending me by now. Something like ‘how could you do this to the new kid’ or ‘don’t you know better’?

“She isn’t weak though!”

Yeah, I’m not! Wait, why was this the section she reacted to. I was perfectly okay with swallowing my pride.

“Alice managed to escape from her human captives in her tribe, go through a poison infested forest which was then lit a fire and is here in perfect form!”

“Is that so? She won’t mind proving her strength to me then?”

“Very well!”

Wait. Rio. Don’t speak for me! I didn’t want to get into a fight. Without fire, it’d force me to solely depend on body strengthening and healing. My whole initial story relied on me being captured and now I’m in an idiotic situation where I’m asked to ‘prove’ myself.

Slapping my cheeks lightly, I get up to face the cause of these problems ahead of me. He gave a short laugh accompanied by a wry smile.

Didn’t I say before that this was a new start for me? One event happens and my role is immediately turned into a weakling again. I’ve been trying to be way too friendly with everyone for too long! Maybe other than the bandit. Or the cooworms to an extent.

Looking around, the people in our ‘blue kimono group’ had all moved to the edges of the circular carpet, did this happen before? I just wanted to have a meal with Rio! Why are the rest of the groups completely ignoring this scene and continuing to enjoy themselves?  

“Well are you ready? Remember to at least say sorry before you leave”

I turned to face the redhead aggressor. I’m sorry for burning your food source or trade income or whatever the bugs were, but they bit me first!

“Ready.”

His sneering friend appeared once again. Was it a two on one? Though if they were chivalrous or honourable, I doubt they would take me on like this.

“Since this greenhorn weakling hasn’t fought before, the individual loses if they fall and can’t rise up or leave the circle. To accommodate the weakling, we’ll also ban the use of magic.”

“There’s no shame in leaving the circle fragile sheep, though I’ll let you have the first attack if you don’t give up,”

I returned his ‘kind’ gesture with a mocking smile. If he were limiting himself, it’d help make our state more equal since I too didn’t want to use fire.

Applying my physical strengthening to my arm, fist and feet, I prepare myself to lunge at him. Pushing the ground beneath me down to the point of ripping the carpet, I leap at my challenger directly in the stomach.

*fsh*

Despite the quick impact and the slight burn, it left, I was quickly counter attacked myself right in the rib cage.

*crack*

The impact led me to fall on my knees on the opposite side to him. Coughing a little bit of blood in the recovery from impact. Bless regeneration. I should have applied the physical strengthening to the rest of the body. I close my eyes for a –

“Don’t take your eyes of the enemy, just because you’re a special case.”

Opening my eyes, I instinctively do a front wheel flip to the other side, with the brute where I formerly was.

“Shouldn’t you go easy on a demi-human? I’m just so fr-ag-ile,”

Another laugh.

“Don’t get cocky because of one good hit. You’ll feel the pain tenfold.”

Aha. This guy wasn’t some walk in the park like the bandit. He had professionally trained his body and was anything but a joke of an opponent. Without fire, it’d be hard to beat him with just physical attacks. I stared at my poor hands empathetically. The robe’s edges were ruined, showing my wool cuffs. How will I give this back!

*crash*

Urgh. A kick in the gut this time, throwing me again to the other side.

“What did I say about being distracted?”

“I don’t need to go all out to beat you.”

“Hmph. We’ll see about that.”

I wish I could control my words. Why did I aggravate him more?

Wait. My wool cuffs! If I try to coat my hand like an extremely thin knuckleduster? It works! Though it’s too obvious, to use it on my hand, if I use my ankle cuffs to strengthen my feet, the kicks will be much more fatal! I just must time it correctly!

“What did I say about distractions? Don’t make light of me you demi-human bitch!”

He began directly charging in my direction, more sluggish than previous times. Feeling the strings wrap around my feet and become strengthened, I try to accelerate myself in the ample space left before our collision, I launch myself into a spin before jumping. Now in mid-air, one more spin and connect the kick!

*tik*

It landed on his side. Finally knocking him out of the ring. Heh. It resulted in my gasping for breath though. I guess applying strengthening to the cuffs require a lot of energy. I didn’t even have an opportunity to eat lunch yet.

“Alice has beaten Takuya!”