Dual Cultivation

The sound of the wind being cut as the portrait giant swung its axe and fist showed just how much power was behind them, but the emperor scavenger slime managed to barely dodge its attack, and throw the portrait giant.

“Uk!?”

The slime intentionally received the fist of the portrait giant, letting it penetrate its body as it took its arm. The moment the portrait giant’s center of gravity inclined forward, the slime slid beneath the portrait giant and grabbed its neck. As it enlarged its body, it threw the portrait giant in a manner similar to a judo throw.

As the portrait giant’s colossal body slammed into the stage, a heavy dull sound resounded, and the cheers of the crowd echoed throughout the arena.

The slime tried to choke the portrait giant, but its arms weren’t strong enough. As the portrait giant jumped up, it fixed its posture and glared at the slime.

<<The match has gotten unpredictable! Participant Matthew’s portrait giant has been pressuring with its overwhelming power, but Participant Takebayashi’s slime was able to dodge and throw the portrait giant to create an opening!>>

<<And that’s considering that the slime would be instantly killed if its nucleus were to receive an attack. It really did a good job dodging the portrait giant’s attacks. Although the portrait giant’s been struggling, the slime still managed to throw it several times. Neither side seems to be showing any weakness, but–––>>

While the analyst was explaining, Ryouma gave out orders to the slime. After receiving the order, the slime extended out two tentacles.

<<Oh? The slime seems to be extending its body?>>

<<Those tentacles are able to handle weapons and even catch the enemy. I wonder what Participant Ryouma’s slime is planning.>>

As all eyes gathered on the slime’s two tentacles, the tentacles drooped down. And as the slime twisted its body, the tentacles started swaying. Seeing that, the portrait giant that had been attacking all this time stopped. It carefully watched the slime.

Then in the next instant.

“GUOu…!”

Left, right, left, right. The tentacles that were stretched out on both sides attacked the portrait giant along with the slime.

<<The slime has extended its body, and is using it like a whip!? It’s actually quite powerful. The portrait giant’s expression doesn’t look good!>>

<<Half must be because of the pain. The other half’s probably because of fear.>>

The emperor scavenger slime twisted it body as at it lashed out its tentacles. With the added power of centrifugal force and its weight, its whipping tentacles had enough power behind them to send a human flying. Moreover, with the long reach of the tentacles, the slime’s attack was outside of the portrait giant’s range.

The left tentacle struck against the axe and then as it came back, the right tentacle whipped against the left shoulder of the portrait giant. Continuing, the left tentacle swung about, and then after revolving once, it went for the giant’s face from the right. Although the giant was able to dodge, the tentacle ended up hitting the giant’s right arm. After which, the right tentacle went for the giant’s armpit.

The portrait giant tried to shield itself with its arm and shield as it looked for an opening, but the slime’s attacks seemed to be effective as anger could be seen on the portrait giant’s face.

“OoOOO!!!”

When the giant roared, it covered its face with its left arm and swung its axe against the slime. At the same time, for whatever reason, whether it was because the slime wanted to pressure the giant further or whether it just did so without any particular thought behind it, the slime strongly stepped forward with its right side, and the axe descended on it.

But before it could hit it, the slime dodged to the left, and then it whipped back against the back of the giant’s knees with its left tentacle, causing the giant to fall down to its right knee.

The portrait giant looked like it was about to fall, but it managed to endure. But then the slime whipped with its tentacles again. The right tentacle whipped against the right shoulder, forcing it backward, while the left tentacle wrapped itself around the giant’s neck, pulling it down.

As one might expect, the portrait giant wasn’t able to endure the slime’s attack, and it finally fell to its back. Immediately, the slime went to hold it down.

(Attack with the tentacles from the middle and long, and then throw the enemy when in close combat. Maintain this situation. There’s no need for a strong attack. Just fight carefully like this. If you could get the giant to drop its axe, that’d make the fight a whole lot easier. But since the giant seems to be hell-bent on maintaining its grip on its axe even when thrown, then it’s fine even if you don’t. Don’t push yourself. I’ll step further back so as not to get in the way.)

Because the portrait giant kept pushing forward, the position Ryouma was standing in was relatively close to the center of the fight. Not to mention the river raptors trying to surround the slime from afar. Because of all this, Ryouma stepped back a little further, back down toward the entrance.

But then something unexpected happened.

“Mu…

“Stop!!”

“GIGIi!”

One of the river raptors surrounding the two magical beasts in a fierce battle from afar ran toward Ryouma and attacked him. Seeing that, Matthew panicked and immediately ordered it stop. When the crowd heard Matthew’s words, all eyes focused on Ryouma and the river raptor approaching him. Shrieks of dread and voices telling Ryouma to run away resounded. At the same time, the adventurers that were positioned by the entrance in case of emergency showed themselves.

The river raptor thrusted its claws against Ryouma, but Ryouma was like a willow’s leaf as he easily dodged the attack and unsheathed his katana. But because the river raptor didn’t attack again, Ryouma didn’t attack.

<<Well, that sure was dangerous~ Participant Takebayashi was able to dodge easily, but I was nervous as all hell.>>

<<Participant Matthew did order it to stop almost immediately, so it didn’t continue its attack. I wonder if the river raptor mistook its opponent… Participant Matthew, please be careful. If this happens again, it’ll be counted as a red card, and you’ll immediately be disqualified.>>

Matthew bowed his head to the announcer and to the surrounding crowd, but he didn’t bow to Ryouma, and even stealthily glared at him.

(Was it really an accident? Or was it just made to look like an accident? I don’t know, but in any case, I should take some distance. I know he’s been warned that there won’t be a second time, but still…)

As Ryouma sheathed his katana, he distanced himself from his slime, and ordered it to take its time and fight at the center of the arena.

Although an accident occurred, the crowd remained on fire. The emperor scavenger slime was currently pushing back the portrait giant with technique, but if its nucleus were to be hit, the portrait giant would immediately be declared the winner. With the battle close enough that either side winning wasn’t strange, the crowd couldn’t help but watch with abated breath.

When the excitement of the crowd reached its peak, the slime’s tentacles caught the face of the portrait giant.

Having been hit at the nose, the portrait giant faltered. It held its nose with its left hand as it stepped back. But the slime wasn’t about to let that chance go, and it caught the giant’s right arm with its tentacles.

Immediately, the giant jumped back, but because the slime didn’t resist the giant’s attempt, the giant ended up jumping back more than it expected and it jumped back one or two steps back. After the giant landed, the slime rammed its body against it, broke its posture, and then threw it from its back.

“KAFUu GOFUu…”

<<What a spectacular throwing technique! And what a loud crash as the portrait giant fell on its stomach to the ground!>>

<<Its nose was also hit after all.>>

The portrait giant was able to immediately stand back up, but now it was right beside Matthew just like when it was first summoned out. As Matthew glanced at the giant who was catching its breath and not attacking, Matthew instigated the river raptors against the slime and yelled at the river crab.

“What are you doing! You can still fight, right? Then fight!”

Matthew’s voice was neither petitioning nor jeering, if anything, it was desperate. But the portrait giant wouldn’t move. It was his own magical beast, so of course, he knew that the portrait giant couldn’t just attack rashly after being thrown time after time again. But Matthew still ordered it to. He couldn’t help it, after all that was the only thing he could order it to do.

While the portrait giant was at a loss on how to continue, the slime waved its tentacles as if it were shadow boxing, threatening and pressuring the enemy. But as it did that, Ryouma felt something amiss.

(Hmm? …What’s with this magic power? …Moreover, what’s with this anxiousness that’s reminiscent of beginner magicians failing at control?)

Because Ryouma excelled at Magic Perception, he was able to sense that trace of magic power. When he focused his senses to search for its source, he was able to find out that it was leaking from Matthew’s left arm.

As Ryouma was wondering what that was, the trace of magic power suddenly burst and vanish just like a balloon. Ryouma continued to observe Matthew, but as nothing seemed to change, he ordered the slime to continue attacking the portrait giant as always, but then in the next moment––––

“Ha–––“

––––Matthew’s body was blown to the back. The portrait giant had kicked him. Its action was a lot closer to someone kicking a bug by their feet rather than an attack, but with the portrait giant’s thick leg, Matthew spun two times, and when he stopped, he was right by the entrance. Matthew was still alive, but he didn’t look like he was about to wake up anytime soon.

Commentators and spectators alike felt as if a dull sound had reached their ears as they went silent for a moment. Then–––

“Gya!!”

“Oi! Is he alright!?”

As the crowd started to panic, the match was put to a halt. The announcer tried to calm the crowd down, saying there are barriers and equipment installed, but the crowd still panicked. The crowd near the portrait giant in particular were especially panicked. People standing up to run away even just a moment sooner could be seen here and there. In the midst of the commotion, the tournament staff and the hired adventurers began to move. At the same time, a great voice loud enough to hurt one’s ears erupted.

“o, ––––––––!!!!!”

That was none other than the cry of a wild magical beast meant to instill fear into those who heard it. The crowd that tried to flee all came to a halt as they looked toward the portrait giant. What happened next caused them all to gulp.

The portrait giant lifted its axe and affixed its eyes on its prey. But its target was not the slime. Instead it was its very own master, Matthew!

Not only did the portrait giant kick its own master, it’s even planning to finish the job. No matter how you look at it, this portrait giant was going wild. The hired adventurers went to save Matthew, but the axe swung down toward him –––– Right before it landed, something stopped the giant.

“GUU…!”

The slime hit the back of the portrait giant, causing it to turn toward it.

Although Matthew was an annoying guy, Ryouma didn’t really mind him as long as he didn’t get in his way. Ryouma didn’t hate Matthew to the extent that he would quietly watch him be killed by a magical beast right in front of his eyes. Besides, if this magical beast were to go wild, things would get dangerous. So Ryouma didn’t hesitate to order the slime. At the same time, he also unsheathed his blade.

Because of its battle with the slime so far, all of the portrait giant’s attention was now focused on the slime. As the portrait giant rushed toward the slime, the adventurers saved Matthew, and carried him back to the passage used by participants when entering the stage.

The slime and the portrait giant were fighting at the center of the stage just as they did a while ago, but the river raptors and the river crab were different. A while ago they were just surrounding the slime while watching from afar, but now they’re all scrambling to run away, attacking all those in their way.

(There’s no reason for them to fight without an order, so they’re running away before they get caught up in the mess. This is about expected, I guess… Coming toward here are 11 river raptors, while the river crab’s headed for the adventurers… Wait a moment, isn’t that Glen-san and Raypin-san? The adventurers over there are pretty much just my acquaintances.)

The reason they’re here is because the organizers for the tournament predicted that some high ranking magical beast might come out – especially, in the finals – so they made sure to get some high-quality adventurers. So it isn’t strange for someone like Glen, who is an S Rank, or Raypin, who is an A Rank, to come out.

More adventurers came out from the passage behind Ryouma, but this time, they weren’t Ryouma’s acquaintances. They advised Ryouma to withdraw, but Ryouma couldn’t just leave his slime who was fighting with the giant by itself. The portrait giant wasn’t about to let the slime leave either.

Ryouma told the hired adventurers that he would take care of himself, so the adventurers left him and went to deal with the river raptors. The river raptors were already heading their way, so they didn’t have the time to talk things at their leisure.

After that, the six adventurers attacked the river raptors, and after reducing their numbers, the danger was averted. The river crab also fell after having several of its limbs cut. And with it having run out of magic power, it was right at death’s door. With the situation having changed for the better, the adventurers reallocated their forces, and Glen and Raypin along with other adventurers headed for the portrait giant. Seeing that, the panicked crowd finally calmed down, and some even started cheering on the adventurers.

Ryouma ordered his slime to separate from the portrait giant. And although the portrait giant tried to pursue it, the adventurers stopped it. With a group of adventurers that had an S Rank in it as its opponent, the portrait giant’s prospects were grim.

Raypin used his magic to grab the portrait giant’s attention, while Glen crushed its knees and feet. After that was a one-sided slaughter. The portrait giant kept its body up with its left hand as it flailed about its axe, but it was only a matter of time now. However, just as everyone was thinking that, the portrait giant’s axe broke.

Regardless of whether it broke because of long usage or because it was damaged in the fight, when the portrait giant lifted its axe up, it broke, and the vines keeping the rock axe together was cut, allowing the blade made out of rock to slip.

The crowd was even more relieved when they saw the portrait giant’s weapon break.

(Not good!)

But Ryouma who was watching from a distance, lightly panicked, and he immediately bolted off toward the direction of the detached blade. A few breaths later, the other adventurers finally noticed, and Glen’s voice resounded.

“Someone do something about the axe!!!”

The blade was still going up. At this rate, the blade would eventually draw a parabola and fall right into the noble seats. Elia and the others were there. There’s a barrier to protect against projectiles (physical attack), but there’s no guarantee that it’d be able to stop that blade of rock. Having thought of that, Ryouma immediately moved his body.

At the same time, in the noble seats–––

“Ojousamas! Let us take shelter now just to be safe!”

Having also thought of their safety, Sebasu persuaded Elia and the rest of the girls to leave.

Ryouma reinforced his legs with ki as he ran toward the emperor scavenger slime. As Ryouma ordered the slime, the slime wrapped itself around Ryouma as it pushed Ryouma up without hindering his momentum, then it threw him.

“’Big, Ice, Wall’!”

Ryouma launched up into the air, forming the shape of an arch different from the axe, as he headed straight for the noble seats. That figure of his being launched was no different from a trebuchet catapulting a rock. Ryouma has practiced this motion with his slimes thousands of times, which is why they are able to pull of this method. As Ryouma tore through the wind, Ryouma focused his mind despite the resistance of the air against his body. He invocated his magic.

‘Big Ice Wall’

After combining the two defensive spells, the water magic, Water Wall, and the ice magic, Ice Wall, the result is a wall of ice more durable on one side than the other.

As Ryouma neared the noble seats, he casted the wall of ice with Elia and the others as the center. In this moment, his eyes met with Elia’s group, but they didn’t have the time to chat.

“’Telekinesis’!!!!”

Using the neutral magic, Telekinesis, Ryouma stopped his momentum, preventing himself from crashing into his own wall of ice as he descended into the ground away from the falling blade. Immediately after, the blade of rock crashed into the wall of ice. Large cracks appeared on the wall, but the blade couldn’t penetrate. The noble seats managed to get off safely

‘O-!’

The crowd cheered and applauded when they saw that, but then because of the impact, the wall of ice began to collapse.

“Uo!!”

Ryouma wouldn’t get off unhurt if he were to get hit by the crumbling fragments of the ice wall, so he immediately tried to run away. But then–––

“’Flame Bomb’”

Raypin blew away the fragment with his fire magic. And as Ryouma’s slime approached him, it extended its tentacle and stood in front of the collapsing wall, protecting Ryouma.

Ryouma looked toward Raypin and the slime. Then after catching his breath, he bowed to them. At nearly the same time, Glen finished off the portrait giant. After that, the adventurers communicated with the host with some signals, and then…

<<Everyone can now rest assured, the situation is now under control–––>>

With the danger averted, the crowd all applauded for Ryouma, the slime, and the adventurers. The announcer waited for the applause to end, then he continued.

<<It is a pity that the finals were interrupted midway through, but nevertheless, what an exciting match that was! It wouldn’t have been strange for either side to win. I wonder if the key to victory was the participant’s direction over their magical beast – Or no, – Perhaps, it was instead the trust between the participant and his magical beast that was the secret to victory?>>

The announcer said a few words before finally declaring the victor.

<<In this tournament’s overall championship, entering as a slime-user who showed us many techniques and slime-variations, the winner is none other than – Participant Ryouma Takebayashi!>>

The crowd that was quietly listening all simultaneously cheered at the announcement, and they all praised Ryouma. In the midst of their praises, Ryouma waved his hand back and answered to their cheers, then he went back to the waiting room.