Night of the Final Showdown (2)
"Kkieeeeeek!!!!"
The one thing I'd learned from kendo was simple: if you lose the initiative, you're already defeated. I let out a full-throated roar with all my might and swung the steel pipe right away.
No. This wasn't just any steel pipe. It was my sword. An industrial steel pipe infused with the rage of the Luddites from the Industrial Revolution—the so-called "Industrial Slayer." It wasn't an exaggeration to call it a modern art piece critiquing civilization.
Claaaaang-!!!
My sword clashed with the monster's. Greeeeek-!!!
Then came the lock-up, blades grinding against each other. In kendo terms, it was a nose-guard battle. Lose that, and you eat an attack. No room for error.
"Uoooooh!!"
My strength was a whopping 20. A stat forged from my spring break hustle. I poured every ounce of muscle into shoving his sword back.
Kwaaaang-!!
I won the power struggle. The Slime Warrior's body got blasted backward.
Thud-!
When the enemy shows an opening, you go for the two-handed grip—that's the meta. I gripped my sword with both hands and triggered my active skill.
"Smite!!"
I channeled my rage thinking of that top laner who dives for scuttle crab the second it spawns because gank never came. Enemy jungler? Eat as many river crabs as you want. But when your teammate steals it? Infuriating. I sublimated that fury into power.
Pwaaaaaack-!!!!!
Smite nailed the Slime Warrior's head clean.
"Gurrrruk!!"
Definite damage. The Slime Warrior staggered back, body twisting.
This was my chance to press. Pwak-! Pwack-! Pwaak-!
I swung with everything I had.
"Geruruk!!"
The Slime Warrior's stance crumbled hard. But it recovered fast, grabbing its sword and resetting.
"Hah. Confident in your tankiness, huh?"
I grinned and raised my sword. I was confident in mine too.
Shwaaa-!!
The Slime Warrior charged without a hint of fatigue, swinging wildly.
Chaeng-!! Chaechaeng-!! Claaaang-!
Our blades crossed in a brutal man's duel—no quarter given.
The Slime Warrior outleveled me, and it showed.
Pushak-! Pwashaaaak-!!!
Its sword grazed my skin. Sharp pain hit, and I gritted my teeth. But no crit.
Shwaaaak-!
I leaped back, regaining stance. Just a scratch, blood trickling.
"Geruruk..."
The Slime Warrior muttered low. Was it... acknowledging my strength?
Pop-!!
No time for talk. We were conversing with swords.
Chaeng-! Chaechaeng-! Claaaaang-!!
Fierce exchanges flew. It reminded me of kendo matches—those flashes where the opponent's moves predict themselves, and your perfect counter shines clear. In those moments, I always took the bout.
Whoooosh-!!
I parried the Slime Warrior's strike effortlessly and flowed into a kendo combo: wrist strike.
Pwaaaaaack-!!
The steel pipe shattered the sword in its grip.
"Geruruk...!"
One arm obliterated, the Slime Warrior reeled back. Arm disabled—fight over.
Thuk-!! Pwuk-! Pwak-!!!!
I targeted vitals with a clean three-hit combo. For the finisher, I focused my soul.
"Kkieeeeeeek!!!!!"
The vertical plunge pulverized the Slime Warrior's head.
"Gerrrruruk...!"
It staggered back. No way... resetting again?
That'd be total bullshit. Thankfully, no bullshit unfolded.
Thud-!!!
The Slime Warrior faceplanted.
Shiiiissssh-!!!
Its body began melting away.
"Geruk!!" "Geruk!!"
The underlings raged at their boss's death, lunging at me.
"Geruuuuuk!!!!"
The Slime Warrior bellowed, halting them. They froze.
"Geruruk... Geruk... Geruruk."
Its final words to me. Monster gibberish, sure, but I felt it in my soul. Men's language transcends words.
"Gerurrrr..." (Translation: You beat me fair and square.)
"Geruk..." (Translation: I lost... but it feels good... best fight ever.)
"Geruruk..." (Translation: You lot, stand down. Show respect to a great warrior.)
"You bastard..."
It could've sicced its minions for a beatdown but didn't. It respected me as a lone warrior.
"You. What's your name?"
I asked the Slime Warrior.
"Geruk."
"Heh. Geruk, huh? Cool name. I won't forget. Geruk."
I looked to the sky, wiping a tear.
"Geruruk..."
No face on a slime, but I knew it smiled contentedly. I could tell. Man to man.
"Geruk... fleeting and awesome like melting jelly..."
I murmured at the remains.
Shishishishi-!!
Soon, Geruk fully dissolved.
Beating a level 5 boss leveled me up. Only 5 now... slow, but meaningful.
"Your will lives on in me."
I whispered to the slime's remnants. Not just my level-up. Proof its soul breathed inside me.
Anyway, with the level-up fresh, I opened my status window.
Strength and Agility maxed at +3, others stagnant. Still, stronger now—comfort enough.
Anyway, I'd slain the monster that originally killed Arikiri Shota. Death event dodged, but better safe. Clock read 1:30 AM. Thirty minutes 'til the Other Side vanished, world resetting.
First week of March event fully averted. I stood under the streetlamp, waiting out the half-hour.
Soon, 2 AM hit.
Shyrrrruk-!!
Roaming slimes and the red moon's Other Side traces faded. Back to normal.
"I did it... I freaking did it!!!!!"
First week event crushed. Death evaded.
"Even death conquered..."
What couldn't I overcome? Immortal's dilemma.
Enough dramatics—time home. I haphazardly fixed my shirt and turned to leave.
Then.
"Hey, kid."
Cops called out.
"Me?"
Pretending ignorance was long gone. They surrounded me tight.
"What's with the bare chest?"
"And... holding a steel pipe. Drop it."
"No, I... uh..."
I tried explaining. Bare-chested weirdo with a pipe? Total threat.
"We're heading to the station."
Cops hauled me to the station.
Student ID in my wallet sped up ID check.
"What the hell were you doing?"
"Uh... thought kendo training bare-chested under the moon would make me stronger..."
I bullshitted.
"........"
Cops eyed me like a lunatic. Fair.
"We'll call your school and home."
Yeah... figures. Deep reality check hit; I sighed long.
But desperate begging saved my pipe from confiscation. Relieved my beloved sword was safe.
Not long before all this. Someone watched Shota's epic duel: Taiga Natsukawa, the heroine set for April.
'That guy... definitely fought the monster.'
Heading to the convenience store, she'd caught the whole scene.
'Those monsters... not just my imagination.'
Taiga was shocked. And relieved. She'd wondered if it was her delusions.
'But... flexing bare-chested then dragged by cops...'
Thinking it cracked her up.
"Puhut!!!!"
Taiga burst out laughing, body shaking.
"Puhuhuhuhu. Like some '98 yakuza flick... suddenly shirtless... cops... puhuhuhu!!"
Her laughter wouldn't stop.
'A kid who sees the monsters too...'
Taiga made a decision.
'Was gonna drop out... maybe hit school.'
Taiga resolved to go to school. Curiosity about Arikiri Shota sparked it.
Thus, events veered wildly from the original story.