With a clear splashing sound, the shockwave that shot outward shattered the ring of ice that had trapped me, and the thickening ice mist was swept away in an instant.
“=[As expected, that form... so from here on, you mean to fight with full strength, your true intent?]=”
“=To see even the ‘truth’ hidden in the depths of your ‘bottom,’ I would need to go this far.=”
Hmph.
Though I had succeeded in drawing him into close range, once the mist cleared and the sea lion slowly came into view, he was completely different from before.
The heavy body that had taken the shape of a beast had changed into that of an ogre, with blue-gray skin packed with muscle, and the chill that had wrapped around him formed a gleaming white suit of ice armor over his entire body.
This was precisely why he was called the winter spirit, the divine beast of the ocean, and the monster of the deep sea.
He batted away my sword with a fist wrapped in cold, and we briefly created some distance between us. So that was what it meant when he took that form: he intended to fight me in close combat. I had noticed that he was not launching ranged attacks even after opening the distance, but that only made me more tense.
Even if I had managed to slip past Heracles’ attacks, my arm, which had taken his blows without much trouble, had still trembled for a moment from the force of that last strike.
‘As expected of the winter spirit.’
“=I will not draw a weapon. This is a test, not a bloodbath.=”
He muttered something about it being a long time since he had used a bipedal body, and as if to prove it, he began loosening up slowly, awkwardly enough that it was obvious he was not used to the form. But because he had compressed that enormous beastly body, every single blow was dangerous, so even though he was openly leaving openings while warming up, I could not act rashly.
Please, let this elixir Medea gave me buy me a little time. No, the real issue was whether I could use it at the right moment. Her abilities were certain, and this was something made by her.
“=My name in this form is Chion, snow. As you said, I am the king of the race called Katapsycho, the divine beast of the ocean, the monster of the deep sea, the spirit of winter. I shall hear your name.=”
“=[...My name is Jason. I am the rightful prince of Iolcus, and a man who simply wishes to make everyone aware of the ‘truth’ buried beneath lies.]=”
“=Good. Then I shall test that heart now.=”
Calling himself Chion, he clenched both fists tightly and took a stance very similar to the basic guard of boxing. In response, I shook out both wrists, then gripped my sword, pointed its tip at Chion, and raised it beside my face.
We both glared at each other, tension mounting between us.
And then, without either of us waiting for the other, we charged at the same time.
Boom
Chion swung his left fist up in a strong diagonal, and as I rushed in, I twisted my right foot outward at just the right moment, using the rotation to bring my sword down and knock his fist aside.
Without stopping the rotation, I turned a full circle, extending my bent right knee, and tried to slash with the side of my sword while slipping past the right hand that he had raised like a blade to strike downward. But his sturdy armor blocked it, and I failed to land a decisive hit.
On top of that, the instant my sword touched him, Chion drew back, dispersing the impact, so the blow had likely done even less than I thought.
Immediately after, I used my sword as a lever to lift myself, and the moment I recovered it before he could reach out to interfere, I swung at Chion’s neck.
“=Not a chance!!!=”
But he folded the arm he had been about to extend and knocked my sword away with his elbow, forcing me back. Tch. We were even in agility, but in raw strength I was no match for Chion. The only thing I could hope to exploit was his lower durability.
But as long as he kept his armor maintained with cold, even if I attacked an opening, it would be hard to deal serious damage... Hmm?
Wait. As long as he was ‘maintaining’ that armor with cold?
‘I see.’
So endurance was the answer.
And the fact that he had so much movement even while armored meant he must be weak to precise, concentrated strikes.
I erased the smile that had crept to my lips in an instant and bent forward at the waist, taking a stance for drawing my sword.
“=Oh? Your atmosphere has changed. As if you have discovered something.=”
“=[Exactly as you said. This time, I’ll go first.]=”
“=Very well. Come, then. You who seek judgment!=”
Hoo... I drew a long breath in and out. My body, please endure. My mind, please do not give up.
Thud.
I kicked off the ground low and closed in on Chion, focusing on the fist he thrust out to meet me. In terms of strength and agility, he was superior, but in durability I had the upper hand! If I could not land a hit myself, then all I had to do was wait for him to come in first.
I thrust my sword toward his left waist, and as expected, he extended his left fist to knock it away.
Even after being deflected, I yielded to the motion and withdrew, and he followed up by using his familiarity with the sea to rush toward me at high speed and extend a leg. I barely dodged that, only for him to immediately bend his knee and launch a Brazilian kick. No, how in the world do you even know something like that!?
I could not hide my shock at the unexpected attack path, but the very act of setting up such an attack had opened a gap in his stance, and rather than retreat, I chose to press even closer.
Dodging the kick, I raised my sword over my head and stabbed the tip toward his left shoulder. He had no choice but to raise a fist once more and knock it aside.
“=Hmm. I did say this was a test, but my wildness is stirring for no reason.=”
“=[Could you please hold back a little? I’m already having enough trouble as it is.]=”
Good, this was going fairly well.
Chion let out a low groan as if dissatisfied with something, but on the other hand, I had at least gained some breathing room.
After that, the fight became quite fierce.
He used his mobility to further amplify his already tremendous strength and tried to crush me down, but each time, my wits kept me just barely out of the way of a fatal blow.
Chion, who would never simply watch me slip away like a loach, seemed to decide he would try to seize me outright. He feinted a punch, then opened his right hand and grabbed the hem of my clothes, tugging me toward him.
But if he was going to help me get closer, I had nothing to complain about!
I did not resist the force pulling me in; instead, I let it carry me and even added to the momentum, driving my sword in a line so straight it was almost excessive, toward his left arm. He seemed to notice something and widened his eyes, but it was already too late.
By the time Chion tried to pull his arm free, my sword had already pierced through the armor wrapped around it and begun tearing into the flesh beneath.
“=Ghk!? Since when! Surely not!?=”
“=[Yes, this is what I figured out earlier!]=”
Once he began to lose ground for the first time, I did not let the opening go and unleashed a relentless assault. I slashed horizontally, cut diagonally upward, and struck down in a straight line.
Even as I poured out that barrage, the point of impact remained the same.
Before long, with a thrust that used my whole body, all the armor from his left hand up to his left shoulder had been torn away. A crack also ran from his shoulder all the way across his massive torso to the opposite shoulder, and the shoulder struck by my thrust had been badly ripped open.
“=[You seem to be getting tired now.]=”
“=...Indeed. I am satisfied to some degree after seeing the nobility of your spirit, but... we have not lost yet. Have we?=”
“=[That is true. Though even so, it will not last much longer.]=”
“=Yes. This conflict will end before long. Now then.=”
As if the shattered armor were of no concern at all, he focused only on whether I truly had the right to administer judgment, scraping all the way down to the deepest depths of his being to face it directly. He poured strength into the huge arm muscles hidden inside the armor, hardening them, and took his stance.
I, too, fiddled with the elixir in my pocket, then gripped my sword firmly with both hands and took a proper guard.
When a quiet stillness, a tension like the eve of a storm, enveloped us both, we attacked at the same time without either of us moving first.
He kept thrusting out straight punches endlessly, and I answered with endless straight downward strikes, colliding with them. But neither of us was knocked back or pushed away; we were simply locked in opposition.
Eventually, I broke that deadlock first by swinging a leg and kicking him in the solar plexus.
Chion took the kick squarely and was driven back, but he used the recoil to launch himself forward with great force and reached my face in an instant.
‘Still fast!’
He carried that speed into a body attack, and I gritted my teeth and took the blow.
‘Ghh... but this much, I can endure!!’
The impact hit me hard, but it was only external force. That was why I grabbed Chion around the waist, lifted him, and threw him down.
“=Ghk!!=”
Now! I pulled out the elixir I had treasured and saved until now, crushed it in my hand, and scattered the fragments toward him as he retreated. Apparently completely unprepared for this, his eyes flew wide, and for an instant the fragments stole his attention.
He immediately realized it and hurriedly turned to face me, trying to kick out, but...
I was already striking the most damaged part of his armor with the flat of my blade.
“=Khaaaah!!!=”
Crash
Like a baseball sent flying by a powerful hit, Chion was launched with a refreshing force and took the full brunt of the impact, complete with recoil, enough to crack the rocks behind him. He coughed repeatedly.
“=Kuh-rrk, cough! Khk! Khh...=”
I, too, had the pain I had been forcing into a corner with sheer willpower burst out all at once.
‘Aaaagh... aaahk!!! Huu...’
I tried to use my sword as a support, but the strength left my arms and hands as well, and I collapsed where I stood.
‘Haah, haah... so this is how it ends in a draw.’
“=...Truly impressive. I had already expected that you had something hidden in your possession, and that it would become the key to victory. And yet, despite how many times you could have used it, and wanted to use it, you kept it in reserve for the final certainty.=”
Hah, I’m glad to hear you say that...
I rested only until I could move my body again, then forced my stiff limbs upright.
“=[So. Is this enough to earn your recognition?]=”
“=...Yes. I will trust you. Rightful heir. When, in the future, you administer rightful punishment, we shall stand with you.=”
At some point, he had returned to his sea lion form, and all the Katapsycho who had been watching surrounded us and bowed their heads to me in unison.
I thanked them, and when Chion told any one of them to carry me on their back, the other Katapsycho all eagerly tried to appeal to me with burning eyes.
...Uh, um. While I was still at a loss for what to do, he shook his head at me and really did send me off on someone’s back.
“=Fufu, truly amazing, aren’t you? Even if our king did not exert all of his strength, there had never been anyone who left behind such wounds before.=”
“=[...I see.]=”
Eventually, I reached the beach everyone had been waiting for, and, forcing my aching body to move, I announced to everyone that I had succeeded.
“I have completed the pact with the Katapsycho! This task is finished as well!!”
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