T/N: I am honestly having problems with their names. So complicated!!!
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During the interval until the giant man Mirowsz could use [Physical Enhancement Compression] again.
While Tatsuro and his group were relaxed, everyone on Fornacis's side had bitter expressions despite their victory.
"Who would've thought that even with Mirowsz compressing to the maximum level, it would be such a close win?"
"And according to what Mirowsz said during the match, that wasn't even her full power? This is crazy."
As Mirowsz was their key martial arts member, they had believed without doubt that he would secure a splendid victory.
Because of that, there was an even stronger atmosphere that they might be fighting a losing battle.
Deina, a race sensitive to such an atmosphere, raised her voice brightly as if to encourage everyone.
"But we won, didn't we? Besides, while the people who've shown up so far are a bit unusual, the leader-like boy, the girl with a bow at her waist, and the dwarf child seem to be at a normal level in terms of their presence!""Better not judge by appearances. They can disguise themselves. In fact, when we first made contact, there wasn't any dwarf girl."
"Come to think of it, that woman with the remarkably unmemorable face isn't here."
"Oh? Is that how Nicolas saw her? To me, she looked like a mass of black mist."
"I saw her as a vague black mass in the shape of a woman."
"Really? Unlike Orhanse, I saw the same thing as Nicolas."
At that point, Beverly asked everyone except Mirowsz, who still couldn't move from the stage, how they had seen her.
The martial artists all said they saw an ordinary woman of a normal race.
Among the magic users, Deina, the fish woman Ida, and Nutau, the younger of the reptilian brothers, saw an ordinary woman.
The rest - Beverly, the elf Aurelie, the fish-woman Dija, Orhanse the elder reptilian brother, and... those with high magic resistance among the magic users seemed to see something different.
However, they all realized that the true nature of that mist was hard to remember, and until now they had been made to think that was normal.
"This must be the work of either powerful curse magic or some kind of powerful magical item."
"While the method is intriguing... I'm more curious about that dwarf girl they went to such lengths to hide."
"She doesn't seem like a criminal... and judging from our surface interactions, I don't think they would harbor such a person."
"That means there must be some reason they wanted to hide her. Perhaps their rush to move forward was also because they wanted to hide her existence."
As Aurelie speculated and Beverly tried to consider the reasons, nothing particular came to mind, and Mickey, who had become quite mobile, could only offer vague reasons.
And after considering all this.
It led to Tatsuro's group's initial actions, as Orhanse suggested.
"We should assume there's something going on. While we should be careful of the others who haven't appeared yet, we should be especially cautious of the mysterious dwarf child."
And so on, while they were still discussing and speculating about Tatsuro's group, Mirowsz finally returned.
Thus the long interval came to an end, and the next match was announced.
[Now announcing the fifth match. Tada tada tada tada─────ta-da. The event is first to three quick hits. The participating athletes are Ai from Team Tatsuro. And from Fornacis, Nicolas, making this a martial arts matchup!]
"That's me!"
"Oh, finally my turn."
Ai and Nicolas both stood up the moment their names were called.
Tatsuro looked at them with his [Spirit Eyes] to assess the opponent's type.
"The opponent mainly uses Martial Arts.' I don't think you'll lose in a martial arts battle, but make sure you don't get hurt."
"I know. Well then, I'm off."
Saying that, Ai lightly pressed her lips to Tatsuro's mouth, then walked out the door heading towards the circular stage.
Meanwhile, Nicolas was somewhat excited that his opponent turned out to be exactly the type of person he had been talking about.
Of course, he had romantic feelings for Deina, but there was no denying that Ai was also his type.
Once both of them got on stage, the dungeon gave its explanation again.
[This event is exactly the same as the first match, but would you like me to explain it again?]
"Not needed."
"Don't need it!"
[Alright. Then, let's begin─]
"Ah, wait a minute."
For some reason, Nicolas raised his hand with a smile that suggested he probably wanted to be handsome, stopping the dungeon's words.
[Eh? Do you have a question after all?]
"Nah, that's not it. The miss over there seems to be an archer. So it's fine if you want to nock an arrow."
"Huh? No, I don't need to do that..."
"What's what, I'm a fair man. I won't call it cheating even if you do that, and I won't complain even if I lose because of it."
"...Really, that's unnecessary."
"Hmph, you're a stubborn miss. Are you sure? Not to brag, but─I'm strong and fast."
"Strong?"
While Ai was starting to think he was a troublesome muscle-head, she became interested in the word 'strong' that this man said, especially after Tatsuro had told her he was a Martial technique user.
"Does that mean you can use beast spirit techniques with Martial Arts too?"
Normally no one would reveal their hand like that, but unfortunately, this man wasn't normal.
"You bet!"
"Right now, I'm really interested in beast spirit techniques. I didn't understand much during the first match with Beren?, but I got to see a glimpse of it from the sword user and the big guy after that, so show me the Martial technique version too."
"Even I couldn't tell if Mirowsz used it or not. As expected of an archer, you've got good eyes!"
Nicolas was making his own misunderstandings, but Ai didn't feel the need to correct him and decided to just go along with it and continue the conversation.
"Well that's fine and all. Will you show me or not?"
"That depends on you, miss. Actually, we've only won once so far. I'd rather not use it against women and children, but I won't hesitate if I think it's necessary."
"I see. Then I just need to create a situation where it becomes necessary."
"If you can. So, you really don't need to prepare?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Let's start."
[Looks like you're both ready. Then once again─3, 2, 1───Begin!]
With the starting signal, Ai dashed forward while Nicolas braced himself for anything.
Nicolas realized that she truly didn't need to nock an arrow, rather than thinking it would be cheating.
To Nicolas, Ai was like a surprise box where he didn't know what would come out.
So he watched without blinking to be ready for any movement─or at least he tried to, but Ai's figure vanished from his sight.
"Huh? ─!?"
"Oh my, that's the first time someone's dodged that."
It was almost instinct.
The moment an overwhelming presence suddenly appeared to his left─.
Reflexively pulling back his Body, he saw the girl's fist and thin arm pass through where his cheek had been just moments ago.
If asked whether he could dodge this again, Nicolas would have to say he didn't know. It was that close.
Nicolas hurriedly tried to counter with a roundhouse kick using his right leg, but Ai was no longer there, instead appearing on his right side where he was now defenseless from the kick.
And by the time he noticed this, her fist was already approaching his right flank.
"Damn it─gah!"
"Hm? You just did something, didn't you?"
At the moment her fist was about to hit his right flank.
Nicolas used a beast spirit technique, forming something like dragon scales out of pure white spirit power to protect himself.
However, it couldn't completely nullify the impact, and he was blown sideways about two meters.
Ai clearly saw the white spirit power scales form, but since they had already disappeared, she wanted to observe them again.
So she gathered power in her legs again.
"What the. What are you!"
"I'm Ai-chan?"
"─Ugh. Don't mock me!"
Just as she vanished from sight again, this time a carefree voice came from directly behind him.
At that moment, Nicolas used his beast spirit technique to cover his entire body with scales made of pure white spirit power.
Then, as if shedding his skin, he stepped forward and created a clone body from the scales.
Using that clone to push himself back and create distance, he made it throw a straight punch at Ai behind him while he gathered spirit power and covered his body with white dragon scales again.
"This is interesting!! ─Deryaaah!"
"What─"
Nicolas had covered himself with scales created by his beast spirit technique to maximize his durability and planned to launch a pincer attack together with his clone created by the same technique.
─However, against the clone's straight punch which he expected her to dodge... Ai met it head-on with her fist, wrapped in nothing more than ordinary spirit/Ki power, not beast spirit technique or anything else.
...As a result.
The clone he had created using plenty of his spirit power was shattered into tiny fragments.
"That's impossible..."
Spirit power refined through the beast spirit technique should overwhelmingly surpass ordinary spirit power.
Yet what Ai just did defied that law through brute force.
In other words, this proved that she had destroyed it with an overwhelming quantity that surpassed even quality.
And despite using such a quantity of spirit power, the girl was smiling happily as if having fun.
To Nicolas, she no longer seemed like just a girl, but rather a monster standing before him.
"Ah!"
"Huh?"
Ai lunged towards a spot about one meter to Nicolas's right as if she had found something.
Nicolas reflexively tried to create distance by stepping back─at that moment.
He remembered this wasn't a fight, but a game of breaking cubes.
"That's one!"
"What am I... doing..."
As a result of ignoring the cube right next to him and stepping back.
Ai had easily destroyed one cube without any resistance.
At this pathetically shameful result, Nicolas hit his head once to regain his composure.
"Hey hey. Can Martial technique "beast spirit techniques" create clones?"
"...More importantly. Can you really not use beast spirit techniques despite being able to do all that?"
"Hmm. It feels like something wants to come out, but I can't let it out."
"Wants to come out? The beast spirit? Just to make sure... what you've been using isn't archery but Martial Arts, right?"
"That's right. That's why I said I didn't need to nock an arrow."
"Hah"
Nicolas couldn't believe the words "wants to come out" and thought she must just be making excuses for not being able to use it.
Because while other beast spirits might be different, the Martial technique's beast spirit doesn't possess such an admirable temperament.
It won't come out if it doesn't need to, and above all, no one understands what triggers it to lend its power.
For example, the lion beast spirit that dwells in sword technique skills lends its power when courage is shown.
The tiger of Spear Arts requires pride. The monkey of staff Arts, diligence. The turtle of shield Arts, patience. The fish of fan Arts, purity.
And so on, everyone knows what needs to be demonstrated, but the dragon of Martial Arts.
Moreover, the twin dragons of white and black are incomprehensible.
Some say they lent their power after showing strength, while others say they became able to use it the moment they told a joke and failed in front of a crowd.
The timing is whimsical, and only one of the twins will come out.
Even after becoming able to use it, sometimes they won't respond and won't lend their power.
If you told high-ranking Martial technique users that such whimsical twin dragons wanted to come out on their own, they would laugh at you.
However, no matter how monstrous Ai might be, she was still a lady.
Nicolas's feminist side responded that he shouldn't deliberately embarrass her.
And furthermore.
Nicolas decided to listen sincerely to Ai's story, wondering if he could find some way forward from this conversation.