Mob
Kousei No Ore Demo Boukensha Ni Nareba Riajuu Ni Naremasuka: Chapter #23
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 23 The Name of A Card is Proof That it's Okay to
Die
"No--"
“Not, yet......”
Just
as I was about to announce my surrender, a hoarse voice interrupted me.
Renge
raised her body and looked up at me.
She was on the verge of death, no matter
how anyone looked at her.
“I, can still, fight.....”
“You, what are you saying?! Any
more than this, and your card will be lost!”
That was why I
seriously yelled at her for the first time since we met.
“I guess so.”
"I guess so, you say......"
For
a moment, I was rendered speechless, but then I asked,
“Why, going so far......?”
“——Because, you tried to, make excuses.”
"!!!"
Renge's
strong gaze pierced through me.
My
heart pounded hard as I was hit right on the mark.
"You, tried to convince yourself, that you lost by
coming up with all kinds of reasons. ......If you lose like that, you will have
a bad habit of losing that will never go away for the rest of your life. One
day, when you can't lose, you'll be the kind of person who loses. You're going
to be that kind of guy? Huh?"
"Renge..."
She
was right. I had been trying to come up with all sorts of explanations for my
defeat, such as that it was inevitable that I would lose because Kannazuki had
more experience, or that I didn't want to lose Renge and the others right now.
I even praised my opponent inwardly to cover up my frustration. I said he was a
great guy, a kind guy, ...... so I wouldn't feel sorry for losing.
That
was simply a loser's excuse. Renge saw right through my inner thoughts.
"Re, remember this. Those who can't stand on their
feet, until the moment they really drop, ......fortune, doesn't smile, on
them."
Renge
pleaded while spitting out blood.
Is,
is it for my sake? ...... Thinking about me, not just for now, but even for my
life as a whole......
I
clutch my chest tightly as something hot welled up within my heart.
A
small hand gently pressed against my cheek, as I was unable to form words.
Renge asked me in a whispering voice,
"Hey, Utamaro, why did you give me and the others
names?"
"That... is because I don't want to lose you guys.
So, why don't we stop now?"
Even
if it forms a losing habit, it was better than losing these guys.......
Listening
to Renge, that sentiment on the contrary became stronger. Is winning the match
something that must be obtained even if it means letting these guys die? That
is absolutely bullshit.
However,
Renge shook her head at my words.
"Then, all the more reason, to let me fight to the
bitter end. Even if my card is Lost, it doesn't mean I'm really dead."
"Even if you say you aren't really dead, you're
still going to die once!"
I,
remember well how Yuki was trembling, not wanting to die. No matter how the
cards could be revived, they were afraid of dying.
That
was why I had never used low-rank cards as disposable cards in my dungeon
explorations. I had stubbornly let Eliza learn how to deal with traps, even
though I knew it was more efficient to disarm them by throwing the traps at the
F-rank cards.
This
was my way of thanking them for teaching me the value of life.
And
yet, there she is, begging me to let her fight to the death.......
Renge
laughed. Although she was about to die, it was a clear laughter.
"Hey, you know what? About
the naming, do you know that the card can refuse it?"
"What?"
I
didn't know that....... I thought card naming was a unilateral decision by the
master.
But,
what does that have to do with...... now?
Regardless of my doubts, Renge quietly
told me,
"For us, getting ourselves Lost is not death. Lost,
for us cards, is simply to return to the "mother sea" ....... But if
we accept a name, we will continue to be bound to that master. If we don't want
that, we can refuse to accept the name of the card. Accepting a name is
something that requires a lot of determination, even on our side."
Renge
then add "But I don't think Mea knows that part," while giving a
small chuckle.
She
looked into my eyes. My face was reflected in her slightly red eyes.
"I don't know, what the masters in this generation
think about the naming. Maybe, they think of it as a kind of small insurance.
But for us, a name is..."
——But
for us, a name is proof that we're willing to die for the master, no matter how
many times it takes.
"........................Kh!"
I
raised a muffled scream and clawed at my chest.
I
wanted to die right now from self-loathing. I really wanted to kill the me of a
short while ago, who entered the tournament because I just wanted to rise in
the class caste, or because I didn't want to be made fun of by my classmates.
Although
these guys had followed me with such determination, I was fighting with a
wobbly attitude again.
I
wasn't prepared at all. I thought I had learned from the battle against Hamelin,
but I hadn't grown up at all.
......
but I've decided now. It's not too late. Yes, let's fight together from here.
I,
am ready to lose everything.
“...... You guys."
I
pulled out a small bottle from my pocket.
Amrita.
This is my resolve.
If
I sell this, even if my cards are wiped out, I can revive them.
Until
now, I had been fighting with that kind of insurance.
But
with such a thing, I'm not giving my all.
Because
I had this, I thought it was okay to lose anyway, so I was feeling lax.
Now, I decide. Even
if they are Lost, I will revive them. No matter how many years it takes, no
matter how many decades it takes. That's propriety.
"Don't worry, even if you all go, I'll make sure to
bring you all back to life."
I
gently brought the Amrita to her mouth, and for a moment, Renge stared at me
with a dumbfounded face.
"Yeah! That's why you're our master."
Saying
that, she laughed heartily.
Renge
chugged Amrita down in one gulp. Then a brilliant blue light engulfed her.
When
the light poofed ...... her injuries were no longer anywhere to be seen.
A
complete revival. Seeing her figure with all the painful wounds gone, I felt my
cheeks loosen in relief.
However,......
even so, we were only back to square one. The gap in strength had not been
narrowed down in the slightest.
Defeat
is confirmed, ......but it doesn't matter. All we can do is to struggle on
until the moment we are annihilated.
And
then, at that moment. Lotus muttered softly,
"......... Ah, I see. So that's how it is. Well,
that's why no one noticed......"
"Renge ......?"
Renge
smiled at me with a funny look on her face as I looked at her doubtfully.
"I'm just saying, you're the only idiot who'd be stupid
enough to use something as valuable as Amrita on a crappy card like me."
"What are you saying ......!"
I
turned my head to the front.
Eliza
and Yuki were lying on the ground as if their batteries had run out.
The
Link indicated that the two were on the verge of death.
They
are running out of steam. This means that even if Renge recovers, it's already
.......
Renge
whispered to me as I bit my lip,
"It's okay, leave it to me."
Before
I could ask her what she meant - a strong light burned my eyes.
At
the same time, the scent of flowers softly wafted into my nose.
"This is...!?"
While
covering my eyes with my arm, I stared at Renge who was wrapped in light.
When
the light eventually disappeared and my vision gradually returned... Renge’s
figure was not there.
"……Eh?"
My
mouth opened in a gape.
At
the spot where Renge had been standing before, countless lotus flowers were
blooming, and a woman was standing in the center.
She
was a mysterious, beautiful woman who radiated a divine light and was dressed
in a heavenly robe that resembled an angel's wings. Her black hair was long and
lustrous, her eyes were red, and her profile was so beautiful that it was hard
to believe she was of this world.
A
goddess. It might sound clichéd, but that is the word that struck my mind.
“———— Rain of Amrita."
The
goddess uttered a few words. The beautiful voice made my brain numb. A rain of
light poured down on the venue.
It
made me feel comfortable. A feeling as if all the bad things that have
accumulated in my body were being washed away. The fatigue in my brain also
disappeared as if it was melting away.
“…………Mas, -ter?”
"This, the wound..."
"Eliza! Yuki!"
They
were fully recovered and began to stand up.
On
the other hand, the damage on Kannazuki's cards remained the same.
No way, this is…
I
looked at the goddess in a daze. When she noticed my gaze, she grinned mischievously.
There was definitely a shadow of that girl there.
“This......."
Kanashizuki
muttered as if fascinated.
But
he quickly regained his composure and glared at me sharply.
As
if pulled by a trigger, his cards started to move.
Although
he must have many questions in his head, he seemed to have decided to put them
aside for the time being.
His
mental state quickly regained its footing. Unlike me, who is still in a state
of confusion.
But
.......
"What?!"
The
startled voice of Kannazuki and the yelps of his cards resounded in the venue.
His
cards were slammed to the ground just as the goddess ...... no, Renge held out
her hand. No, no. If you look closely, you can see a wave of black light still
holding down Kannazuki's cards with tremendous force.
Could
this be, Gravity? A high-level attack magic?
"Kuh...... guys!"
When
Kannazuki saw all his cards on the ground with the sound of creaking bones, his
face contorted.
But
he quickly pulled something out of his pocket and crushed it in his hand.
The
wave of black light dissipated, and his comrades regained their freedom. A
defensive magic tool. It must be very expensive if it was capable of canceling
high-level attack magic.
His
cards, liberated from the gravity magic, charged at Renge in a flash.
The
goddess greeted the three monsters approaching her with a faint smile.
"Sea of Stars!"
The
moment she uttered that, the universe spread out behind her.
Tiny
glowing stars floating in a jet-black sea .......
As
our eyes were transfixed on this mysterious sight, countless sparkles flashed.
Small
meteorites, which would normally burn up before reaching the earth's surface,
rained down on the venue through the gate opened by Renge.
This
was a high-level attack magic——Meteor.
At
the moment when the rain of meteors was about to cruelly strike through
Kannazuki's cards,
"Not yet!"
Kannazuki,
who must have started moving the moment he saw the cosmos, used another magical
item.
Kannazuki's
cards disappeared, and the meteor shower sliced through the sky.
There
was a thunderous rumbling, then a shock. Dust clouds were rising and I couldn't
see my surroundings at all.
I
immediately share my senses with my cards through the Link and tried to find
out where the Kannazuki's cards had vanished to.
Where did they go?
『Behind
you, crouch down! 』
"Ah!"
Following
the oracle-like voice that echoed in my mind, I quickly got down to the ground.
At
the same time, something passed over my head.
It
was Cat Sith!
After
evacuating his cards with a magical item, Kannazuki immediately attempted a
direct attack on me.
A
green hound, Yuki, attacked Cat Sith, who had been left defenseless in the air
because I had ducked.
She
bit into its neck, held its body down, and then completely subdued the Cat
Sith.
The
roar of the canine beast and the screeching of the fairy cat filled the air.
I
thought we could finish off the Cat Sith at this point, but Kannazukii was
definitely not the kind to stand idly by and let that happen.
The
Lizardman immediately sprinted to the aid of its comrade. But standing in its
path was Eliza.
Steam
was still rising from her body, and her eyes were stained crimson from tears of
blood.
She
is a living corpse, and she devours her own flesh, transforming it into power,
and then she draws all of her power from it with [Firefield's fool power1]. This
was the epitome of a ghouler, which only she, who possessed a definite ego,
could bring out.
Enhancing
her own body to the point of eating away at her own body made her probably
close to the top D-ranked cards.
Lizardman
and Eliza collide - a fierce battle! Even
though she had been blown away easily before, this time she was firmly capable
of holding the weight and power of the Lizardman at bay.
"Gghhhh,
gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
With
a roar that was unimaginable coming from her quiet self, Eliza hurled the
Lizardman! Quickly,
she took its arm and restrained it with her excellent hold over the joints.
With
this, two of the three were now restrained.
Only one remains ......!
The
little Mage was holding her pointy hat and staring at us.
Her
eyes showed no signs of losing her will to fight, and I could see that she was
thinking about how she could snatch a direct attack on me.
As
if to shield me from her piercing gaze, Renge stood in front of me.
『…………………………』
A
painful silence took over the place.
They
moved ——at the same time.
The
Mage with her lightning spear, and Renge with her stone spear, as big as a
telephone pole.
A
lightning and an earth spear. Was it a coincidence that Renge was able to
release magic that was advantageous in terms of attributes, or was it due to
the luck being manipulated...
The
only thing that was clear was that the stone spear here smashed the lightning
spear.
The
Mage continued to stare at the stone spear as it flew toward her without
averting her gaze.
And
just when the spear was about to pierce her small body.
There
was a figure blocking the way.
『！！！！！！』
The
shock of the three cards flowed into me. My shock must have flowed to Renge and
the others as well.
"Mas, ter ......"
I
heard the Mage muttered so in a muffled voice. She stared at the figure who had
shielded and protected her, her Master.
A
moment later, a sound like shattering glass reverberated in the air.
The
sound of the barrier from the magical item and the spear of stone cancelling
each other out.
Kannazuki's
eyes were downcast for a moment, then he looked at me and smiled radiantly.
"You beat us! It's
my lost!"
There was a long pause.
『...De,
de, de, deciiided ! ! ! Victory! Player
Kitagawa wins! As
soon as player Kitagawa made Zashiki-warashi drink some kind of potion, the
Zashiki-warashi transformed, and brilliantly settled the match! What
in the world was that, and what kind of skill is this? Shigeno-san,
what in the world is this?!』
When
the excited voice of the commentator resounded through the venue, the silent
audience gradually began to regain their noisiness.
The
audience was still buzzing, but they eagerly listened to the live commentary,
wondering what in the world had just happened.
『... No way.』
『Shigeno-san?』
『I
can't believe it! Impossible, this! Is
there such a thing? A card-less rank-up!』
『Uuh
, so, what does that mean? Does it mean that player Kitagawa's card had ranked
up?』
『Yes,
without a doubt. That is Lakshmi2, a B-rank card. No, should I call her
Kisshouten3 in Japan? In any case, the card definitely ranked up. I didn't know
there was another way to rank up a card besides using a higher-ranked card.
This is a big discovery! What on earth are the conditions? The
one he just made her drink is Amrita ......?
If
one gives their card Amrita to drink, will they rank up? No,
that can't be the only thing. If that's all there is to it, it should have been
reported much earlier. That's right, that Zashiki-warashi, I believe, has the
skill of [Zero existence4]. Zero existence ...... falling to zero, does it mean
it's something like that?』
『Ah,
umm, Shigeno-san?』
Despite
some confusion in the commentary seat, I walked up to Renge, who had undergone
a major transformation. Eliza and Yuki also approached. I timidly asked,
"Renka, is it really you?"
"Who else could I be? Master."
Her
appearance, with a soft smile on her face, was even more extraordinary when
seen up close.
She
had a mature appearance and perfect features while still retaining semblance of
Renge. Her eyes were calm and collected, while the red pupils glorified certain
intelligence. The lines of her body, visible through her slightly transparent
garments, display a distinctly sculpted shape, suggesting an alluring figure.
The
beauty of the deities themselves is different from that of even the elves who
are said to have been created by the gods. It is ...... as if the soul itself
is attracted, rather than the body. She carried the fragrance of pure and sweet
lotus flowers. Just a few brief words she uttered made one's skin flush.
"No, how should I put it, you've... changed too
much. I mean, even your style of speaking has changed. Right?"
"Yes, yes. I'm sure you remember us...... don't you?"
When
Yuki asked this question fearfully, the goddess gave a small wry smile and
.......
"Of course I do! Don't you think you're being too
dramatic just because I look a little different? Huuh?"
"Ah?!"
“She's back!"
We
were surprised to see Renge return to her little girl form with a popping
sound.
“Oh, oh. What, you can go back to normal?’
"Yea. because it's a skill effect. Rather, I can't
transform all the time. I'll explain the details later."
"That is a skill......?"
While
we were talking like that, someone walked up to us.
"Hey."
"Oh, he, hello."
I
didn't know how to respond to my opponent who was smiling at me so brightly, so
I could only reply in such a clumsy manner.
Kannazuki
bursted out laughing.
"What's
that? Just a few minutes ago, you were so feisty. As soon as the match started,
I thought you were a completely different person than when we first met."
"Eh, is that right?"
Somehow,
Anna also said something like that.
As
I was thinking about that, Kannazuki held out his hand to me.
"You don't have to be so polite. We're the same age,
right? Nice to meet you."
"Oh, oh. Yes, nice to meet you."
I
reflexively shook the hand that was held out to me. Kannazuki's hand was as slender
and delicate as a pianist's.
"I was surprised earlier. What in the world was that
all about?"
"Aa-h, I'm not so sure about that either."
"Hm~m, ...... well, I guess I'll find out soon
enough."
"Eh?"
What
does that mean? I tilted my head, and Kannazuki smiled
meaningfully at me.
"...It just means that things might be a little
tougher from here on out."
I
had a bad feeling when I saw him leaving with those words.
"Congratulations on your victory, player
Kitagawa!"
A
voice suddenly called out to me from behind, causing me to jump.
When
I turned around, there were several staff members with cameras and reporters
with sparkling eyes standing there.
I
responded with an awkward tug on my cheeks.
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
"Firsly, could you tell us what kind of skill that
Zashiki-warashi had for transforming herself?"
"Could the potion you made her drink be that Amrita? How
did you get it?"
"What did you have for lunch today?"
"What's the secret to your success after only a few
months in the business?!"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"When did you get those cards? Is
it true that you got them from a card pack?'
"What are your plans for dinner tonight?"
I
was bombarded with a barrage of questions.
I
finally understood the meaning of Kannazuki's words. The program staffs were
determined not to let me go until they had asked me everything they could.
Dammit, Kannazuki, if you knew this was going to happen,
you should have told me. ...... Nah, I guess I can't get away even if he did
tell me.
I
smiled slightly and began to answer the questions.
This
was a small price to pay considering I could get the female vampire worth tens
of millions.
But
I didn't know it yet.
I
didn't know that this was just the beginning of the hell that was to
come.......
[Tips] The Zero Existence
Some monsters appear
in this world with a lower ranking than their original one. Cards with the
[Zero existence] skill are such cards. By giving them a 'name' as
well as a 'specific magical item', it is possible to bring them
closer to their original standing.
***
Notes:
1 Able to wield power beyond the limits of the body. Recoil while in use.↩
2 In Hindu, she is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with Maya ("Illusion"). In Lakshmi's iconography, she is either sitting or standing on a lotus and typically carrying a lotus in one or two hands. ↩
3 Translation of Sanskrit श्रीमहादेवी ('Śrī-mahādevī', literally 'great goddess of wealth and prosperity'). Analyzable as a compound of 吉祥 (kichijō: 'auspicious sign, good omen') + 天 (ten: 'heavens'). ↩
4 The existence has been reduced from its original state. The combat power is always minus 100, and skills miss or downgraded. ↩
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