Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 31 - Chapter 3

Episode 3: Kabutonga Dies at Dawn?!

Not long after summer vacation began, Shizuka was faced with a major decision: she was offered a part-time job she’d once performed in the past.

“Kasagi-san, is there any way at all I can convince you to accept?!”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t want to cause a big scene again...”

Because her parents had left her Corona House, Shizuka was comfortably able to provide for herself and didn’t need to work other than tending to the building and seeing to her duties as landlord. While Corona House was old, it was well maintained and it certainly wasn’t hurting for tenants. There was the small issue of rumors circulating about a ghost haunting room 106, but even that didn’t drive renters away from the otherwise charming property.

“Listen, that’s perfectly okay! In fact, I was thinking of working it into the show!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want you to go that far... I’d feel bad.”

“It’s the least we could do for you, Kasagi-san. You’re just perfect for the role; no one else can do it like you can! We’ve learned that all too well over the last year without you. Even when we have someone else in the suit, it’s missing your flash and pizzazz! No one has moves like you do!”

You see, the part-time job Shizuka was currently being offered was a role in a hero show that performed occasionally at the local amusement park. She was actually quite flattered that the director had such an appreciation for her gymnastic abilities and her talent for martial arts. The neighborhood association had also recommend her for the job, which made it difficult to turn down. Moreover, Shizuka had gone a little over budget on her recreational spending this month. She could easily cover the difference with the money she took in from Corona House, but she hated using funds from her parents’ keepsake that way. In other words, Shizuka had every reason to accept the part-time job offer.

“Please, Kasagi-san! We need you! The show needs you! You’re the only one who can play Kabutonga!”

“U-Um...”

Shizuka hadn’t been offered just any role in the show. She was being asked to return as the show’s star, Kabutonga. And there was a good reason for that. Since Kabutonga was supposed to be smaller than his companions and most of his enemies, it was nice to have a girl in his suit for the sake of keeping an accurate sense of scale on stage. But not just any girl could pull off all of Kabutonga’s moves and tricks, and without those, it wouldn’t be much of a hero show. That’s why the director had his eye on Shizuka. She was a trained martial artist who even had experience acting in school plays. She ticked all the right boxes, making her the ideal candidate for the role.

“All right... Then I accept.”

“Really?! Thank you so much, Kasagi-san! I’ve got to go run and tell everyone the good news!”

In the end, Shizuka capitulated to the director’s passionate pleas and agreed to take the role. She still had reservations about it, but she just couldn’t turn him down. Really, she had trouble saying no to anyone in need.

Shizuka’s primary concern about accepting the Kabutonga role was a certain someone’s hatred for beetles. It was a hatred so strong that even Shizuka feared inciting it. So, in order to prevent any mishaps, Shizuka wanted to complete her part-time job successfully without said someone ever finding out. She decided to consult with Sanae about how best to keep it under wraps, but Sanae had some rather unexpected words for her.

“Hmm... I think it might actually be okay if she finds out now.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. Nowadays when she sees beetles on TV, she only gets a little upset and it doesn’t last for too long.”

Thanks to her psychic powers, Sanae could read the emotions of others. That’s how she knew better than anyone else exactly how Ruth was feeling.

“Now that you mention it, there hasn’t really been any major commotion this year...”

Bugs—including beetles—were a part of everyday life, whether it was seeing them on TV, in the news, or in person. Especially during the summer. But remarkably, Ruth hadn’t had any serious episodes in recent memory. And when Shizuka realized that, she started to think Sanae might actually be on to something.

“See? That’s why I think you’ll be fine as long as you take things easy and break it to her gently.”

“Yeah, you’re right... Thanks, Sanae-chan. That’s exactly what I’ll do.”

“I think that’d be for the best.”

It would be better to just tell Ruth upfront rather than risk trying to hide it from her and having her find out the wrong way. It would also be better if the others didn’t have to cover for Shizuka and lie every time she slipped out to go to work. If Ruth’s hatred for beetles was really waning, then this would be a good opportunity for Shizuka to come clean with her as long as she was tactful about it.

“That said...” Sanae sighed with a bemused look on her face. “I gotta wonder what brought on this change in her.”

Though Sanae could read people’s emotions in real time through their auras, she couldn’t divine the source of said emotions. That left her wondering what had caused Ruth’s feelings to start to change.

“Maybe it’s because she’s been seeing beetles that have nothing to do with Koutarou?” she guessed.

“That might be part of it... but I think the primary reason is that she’s starting to understand Satomi-kun’s feelings. I think Ruth-san is also settling into her own feelings as well.”

Shizuka, however, had a pretty good idea of what was going through Ruth’s head. Ruth came to hate beetles because Koutarou had once sleepily mistaken her for a tree covered with them. She’d misread his intentions and, quite frankly, didn’t understand his feelings. But a lot had changed since then. She’d even sworn to stay by his side, no matter what hardships might come. It would be a little hard to hold such an enraged grudge over beetles after all that.

“So love really is all,” said Sanae with a smile.

“Maybe. But her hatred of beetles stemmed from love in the first place too, you know?” replied Shizuka.

“Ahaha, that’s true.”

“Heehee.”

There, the two girls had a good laugh together. Shizuka had been worried about how things might turn out, but her worries now quickly faded into relief. It seemed things would be just fine.

After talking with Sanae, Shizuka decided to tell Ruth everything. About how the neighborhood association had recommended her for the hero show. About how the director had begged her to be in it. And then, without saying anything else, she simply handed Ruth a flier for the show.

“...”

When she saw it, Ruth’s eyebrow twitched. But other than that, she had no reaction. She spoke to Shizuka in the same calm tone of voice she always did.

“Since it’s a hero show, you’ll have to work hard for the sake of all the children watching. It would be terrible to disappoint them.”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right about that. But it might mean I’ll be coming home late some nights, so I thought I should let you know ahead of time.”

“How considerate. Thank you for telling me.”

If anything, Shizuka was the one acting strange. She couldn’t help feeling nervous, even knowing she’d be fine. Really, things were going even more smoothly than she’d imagined. Ruth wasn’t showing a single sign of freaking out, and Sanae was even giving Shizuka a thumbs-up under the table.

So Ruth-san really is getting over her hatred of beetles... Thank god.

Realizing things were all right, Shizuka heaved a sigh of relief. Like everyone else, Ruth was maturing. It would be weird if she was the only one who hadn’t been. The thought that she’d even considered that made Shizuka giggle a little under her breath.

“I don’t want to inconvenience you over dinner, so I’ll try to keep you updated on my schedule,” said Shizuka.

“Thank you,” replied Ruth.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just eat your share when you’re not here,” chimed in Sanae.

“That will mean double the green peppers. Are you all right with that, Sanae-sama?”

“That’s fine. I’ll just leave those to Yurika.”

“That’s not fine at all.”

The three girls continued their casual, playful chatter over tea. Things would likely continue this way until it was time for dinner.

“I’m hooome!”

“I’m back too.”

Before long, Yurika and Maki returned to the apartment. Maki neatly put her shoes away while Yurika kicked hers off and ran headlong into the inner room. Her intuition told her snacks would be waiting. After putting away Yurika’s shoes too, Maki followed after her.

“Thank you for the snacks!”

By the time Maki entered the room, Yurika was already stuffing a hot springs manju into her mouth. Maki thought it was most unladylike, but she was also a little envious of how unashamed Yurika was to simply be herself. Maki found herself staring at her best friend with conflicted feelings...

“Yurika, can’t you mind your manners at least a little while you’re eating?”

In the end, Maki’s sense of decorum won out. Yurika was eating so slovenly that she couldn’t help saying something. Completely unfazed, however, Yurika stuffed the rest of the manju in her mouth and replied without even bothering to finish chewing.

“I don haf ane moneh so I can ea lunh nao.”

“What?”

Yurika’s reply was so unintelligible that Maki couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Thankfully, Sanae was there to translate.

“Yurika said that she’s broke, so she hasn’t been able to eat lunch. I swear... Week after week, she never learns.”

Hearing this, Maki shrugged. Sanae and Yurika had been spending a lot of time together over the summer, so Sanae knew good and well that Yurika had been eating at any chance she got.

“Week after week, you say?” asked Ruth.

That part of the conversation had piqued her interest. She couldn’t offhandedly remember anything Sanae and Yurika had been doing together every week.

“Yeah, we’ve been going out to hunt beetles with Satomi-san. His idea, of course. He’s just like a kid, isn’t he?”

“You’ve been beetle hunting? With Master?”

In that moment, the temperature in room 106 dropped several degrees.

“Ack! Oh no!”

Yurika suddenly realized what she’d done, but it was too late.

“Augh, how could I be so stupid?!”

“Y-You went beetle hunting without me... in secret?”

Ruth was speaking quietly, but her voice was trembling. The effect was terrifying, and it was only exacerbated by the fact that her whole body was quaking with rage.

“Yurika-chan, I was finally getting through to her!” shouted Shizuka.

“Please don’t be mad at me too, Shizuka-san! I didn’t say it on purpose!”

“I-I knew it... I have to exterminate the beetles... I have to exterminate all the beetles... I never should have shown any mercy, not even to the ones that had nothing to do with this...”

Koutarou was secretly going out with Yurika and Sanae to hunt beetles. He’d left Ruth out on purpose... meaning he’d chosen beetles over her. And that was the one thing she couldn’t accept.

Crumple...

Ruth mercilessly balled up the flier in her hand, functionally serving as kindling for the fire in her heart.

“I know just who I’ll start with... Heh heh heh heh heh...”

“Eeeeek!”

Hearing Ruth’s dark laughter, the other girls in the room trembled in fear. In a physical sense, Ruth wasn’t scary. No one considered her a threat. Her hatred, however, was a different beast altogether. If she unleashed that to attack, Shizuka, Maki, Sanae, and Yurika wouldn’t stand a chance even if they fought together.

Ruth had been practicing swordsmanship for some time now. Originally she only meant to build up her stamina, but being from a family of knights, she’d gotten a little extra motivation along the way when she came into possession of family heirloom known in Forthorthian legend as the swords of light. And once she was conscripted into the Satomi band of knights, Ruth began training even harder to protect Koutarou’s reputation as the Blue Knight.

“Take that! Hah! Hyah!”

But now Ruth was training for an altogether different reason: to defeat Kabutonga. Those accursed beetles were seducing Koutarou. Kabutonga, their leader, had to be destroyed. Ruth had found a clear target for her grudge, and as she focused on her goal, her sword practice became unusually intense.

I need an even swifter strike to be able to break through that hard carapace!

Swish! Swish!

As devoted and serious as Ruth was, her swordsmanship was now improving on a daily basis. Coming from a long line of knights, she was blessed with natural talent with the sword. But it was only now that she had a sworn enemy that she was prepared to put it to full, deadly use.

“Ruth-san, launch a combination attack from there!”

Koutarou was serving as her sparring partner. Of the Corona House crew, only he and Theia knew Forthorthian style swordsmanship. And between the two of them, Koutarou was the only one who’d learned the ancient techniques used two thousand years ago. That made him the best candidate to teach Ruth the way her ancestors had fought.

“Hyah! Take that!”

After blocking Koutarou’s strike, Ruth looked down and threw a quick strike at Koutarou’s lower body before feinting and launching into her main attack: a three slash combo. It all happened so fast that it was clear exactly how much Ruth had improved since she’d started training.

To think Ruth-san could fight like this... I guess I should expect as much from Flair-san’s family.

Koutarou parried Ruth’s lightning-fast attacks with complex feelings. Because of him, she had grown exceptionally strong for someone who disdained conflict. While that didn’t sit right with him, he was still happy to see her become more and more like Flairhan by the day. But as those emotions tangled in his heart, he continued to instruct Ruth.

“Ruth-san, you raise your elbow too high on the third strike. You block your own field of view that way and it makes your movements more roundabout, so keep it lower.”

“R-Right!”

Unaware of Koutarou’s worries, Ruth earnestly kept at her training. But she wasn’t the only oblivious one... Koutarou had no idea why she was training so hard now, which only complicated things further.

The most alarmed by Ruth’s rapid progress in her training, of course, was Shizuka. Ruth’s goal was to defeat Kabutonga—the very same character Shizuka would be playing in the hero show. And a very, very bad feeling overcame her as she observed Ruth’s fanatical training from the shadows.

“My only saving grace right now is that she doesn’t know that I’m playing Kabutonga... but it looks like things might be getting ugly.”

Since Ruth had only been seriously practicing with a blade for about a year now, her skills were still no match for Shizuka’s. Nevertheless, sword-wielding Ruth had an advantage over the bare-fisted Shizuka. She was confident she could still win in a fight, but if Ruth made another appearance during the hero show... Shizuka wasn’t sure she could fight her off without ruining the children’s image of Kabutonga.

“What are you thinking, Satomi-kun?! Why would you go and make her this strong?!”

Shizuka funneled her concerns into frustration at Koutarou, who she’d pulled aside after he told Ruth to keep training on her own. He should know better than anyone how important it was for Kabutonga to be a good role model and put on a good show for all the children who believed in him.

“Well, it’s not like I could turn her down when she asked me so sincerely.” Though apologetic, Koutarou knew he was at fault here. “If someone asked you to teach them karate, you wouldn’t hold back either, would you, Landlord-san?”

“Ugh, that’s true... but it’s clearly your fault that Ruth-san is so focused now.”

“I can’t argue there.”

Koutarou was the cause of all this in the first place. He was the reason Ruth hated beetles and ultimately the reason she was so focused on her swordsmanship. It was a combination that made her formidable both mentally and physically.

“If you understand that much, then the answer is simple,” piped up Theia.

She’d come along to check on things with Shizuka, and saw an immediate solution to the problem: if they knew what was causing it, all they had to do was get rid of the cause.

“Koutarou, go take Ruth’s swords from her and give her a kiss or two. That’ll fix everything.”

Right now, Ruth was motivated by a sense of inferiority. She believed that Koutarou loved beetles more than her, so she needed clear evidence to the contrary. A kiss should do the job quite nicely. After all, not even Koutarou would kiss a beetle.

“You idiot! I can’t do something that irresponsible!”

Koutarou objected to her solution so vehemently that it surprised even Theia.

“Why not?” she asked. “Surely it’s not like you hate Ruth or anything.”

“Of course I don’t! And that’s exactly the point! Ruth-san is the heir to the Pardomshiha family! Do you think Lord Pardomshiha would ever accept an alien like me?”

Koutarou had no intention of kissing someone he wasn’t dating, which meant that he would only kiss his girlfriend. Ruth was no exception, and Koutarou felt especially strongly about that after how close they’d been getting lately.

“If I, a princess of Forthorthe, allow it, then he should as well. There will be no issue there, Sir Blue Knight.”

Theia was Ruth’s master, meaning she was the one who was entitled to decide what Ruth could and couldn’t do. She also had the additional advantage of being her best friend, so she knew good and well how Ruth felt. Theia was confident about that much.

“Don’t abuse your authority like that. Besides... it would be wrong of me to act on Ruth’s feelings when I’m still unsure of my own.”

Koutarou hated the idea of taking advantage of Ruth’s feelings. He would only kiss her if he loved her. That was a rule he’d set for himself.

“You sure are bothered by the smallest things...”

Theia put her hands on her hips and sighed. In her eyes, Koutarou was simply refusing to take the quickest and most direct route to resolving things. Much to her disappointment, this would inevitably mean the problem would only be drawn out.

“This is nothing small,” Koutarou argued. “I’d seriously regret it later, and that’s not how I want to live my life.”

“...It’s not like I don’t get that.”

Despite herself, Theia understood how Koutarou felt. True rulers and proper knights shared a path in that they both walked in the way of righteousness. And in that sense, she was quite happy with Koutarou’s response.

“But in that case, we’ll need some other method... Kiriha, do you have any bright ideas?”

Conflicted, Theia turned to Kiriha for help. And with a pleasant smile, Kiriha answered Theia without missing a beat.

“If we’re avoiding a direct resolution, then the most effective strategy is simply to let her achieve her desire.”

“Achieve her desire? What do you mean?” asked Shizuka, cocking her head.

Kiriha’s vague choice of words puzzled her, and Shizuka knew all too well that she would be the one to suffer the consequences without a very specific solution.

“Ruth wants to prove that she’s better than beetles, which is why she now wants to defeat the strongest of them—Kabutonga. I’m saying we should let her do exactly that.”

If Koutarou wouldn’t step in and put an end to Ruth’s quest here and now, Kiriha believed that the most effective way to satisfy her would be to give her what she wanted. That meant Ruth would have to defeat Kabutonga—or Shizuka, as it were.

Thinking about it, before Shiori appeared, Ruth was the only one worried that someone else might take Koutarou from us... but now I understand how she felt. If she needs to be reassured, then the solution is clear.

Kiriha hadn’t said it out loud, but she was convinced of the solution. There was already a precedent for it, after all.

“What?! Kiriha-san, I can’t let her beat me! The kids will all be watching!”

Shizuka, however, was opposed to Kiriha’s idea. If Kabutonga lost to Ruth on stage, what would the children think? Shizuka just couldn’t accept it.

“Worry not. There’s an episode of the Kabutonga anime that corresponds to this very situation,” explained Kiriha.

“Huh? Really?”

“It’s called ‘Kabutonga Dies at Dawn.’”

There was only one episode in the entire Kabutonga series where its titular hero lost to his nemesis, Scarab King. But though he was felled, through the hopes and dreams of the children, he was miraculously revived in a powered-up form and ultimately went on to defeat the Scarab King, Kiriha explained all this in detail to Shizuka, elucidating her plan.

“Ruth will defeat Kabutonga, thereby achieving her goal. She’ll then leave the stage, but the show will go on with Kabutonga’s return and the subsequent defeat of the Scarab King. That way you won’t have to worry about the children. They’ll see Kabutonga rise and be victorious like he always is.”

“Yeah, okay... If we just use that episode as a guideline, everything will play out.”

Shizuka finally digested the situation. If there really was a Kabutonga episode like that, then they could work Ruth beating Kabutonga into the script and everything would work out just fine. That was a plan she could get behind.

“If that doesn’t seem realistic, then you could borrow the Kabutonga costume and attack Ruth during her training, though that wouldn’t be as effective. Whichever method you chose is up to you and the director.”

“Okay, I’ll try talking to him!”

The ever-wise Kiriha even had a safer plan B in her back pocket just in case. Shizuka started to think she’d really be able to pull this off, which made her realize something else altogether.

“But still... What a shame, Satomi-kun,” she said with a bright smile.

There, Shizuka took a step closer to Koutarou and looked up at him.

“What?”

“If you’d kissed Ruth-san, I could’ve weaseled a kiss out of you too.”

She then planted her index finger on his lips. Because of that, his reply was somewhat muffled...

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“That’s why I said it’s a shame.”

Shizuka gave Koutarou a wink and moved her finger from his lips to her own. He knew he needed to say something, but words utterly escaped him in the moment. He was too captivated by Shizuka’s charm.

Just as Ruth was about to go out for her daily training, a letter arrived at room 106. She was putting on her shoes as it fell through the mail slot and landed on the floor right in front of her. Thinking it was just the day’s mail, she didn’t pay it any mind as she finished tying her shoes.

I’m very happy to have Master watch over me when I’m training, but... sometimes he just looks so wistful and lonely. He must be remembering Flairhan-sama...

Deep in thought, Ruth wasn’t paying any particular attention to what was going on around her and didn’t even look up to inspect the mail until she was done tying her shoes. It was only then that she realized what had arrived was no ordinary letter.

“What is this...?”

She picked up the envelope and flipped it over so she could read the front. It had no address or postal code written on it. All there was was a name: “Ruthkania-dono.”

“It’s for me?”

Indeed, it was Ruth’s name penned in neat calligraphy on the envelope. Sensing something out of the ordinary, she began to open it. She would have normally used a letter opener, but feeling somewhat uneasy and hasty, she used her hands to tear open the envelope from the top.

“A letter and... a photo?”

Just as she observed, the enveloped contained a letter and picture. The moment she laid eyes on the picture, however, she froze stiff. She also began emanating a fierce bloodlust.

“C-Curse you, Kabutongaaa! How dare you send me something like this?!”

Crumple!

Ruth violently crushed the picture in her hand: a photograph of Kabutonga and Koutarou with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

Letter of challenge for Ruthkania-dono:

I’ve heard word of your vendetta against us beetles. As we have no wish for needless casualties, I, Kabutonga No. 1, challenge you to a one-on-one showdown as a representative of my kind. Should I lose, I vow that we will never show our carapaces to you again. But should I win, I expect an agreement from you that you will let us roam free in peace. See the attached sheet for the time and location of our duel. I urge you to accept my challenge.

-Kabutonga No. 1

After Shizuka and Kiriha talked to the director, they decided that the showdown between Ruth and Kabutonga No. 1 would be worked into the show. It would be sort of a test run for experimental productions and double as training for unexpected events on stage. Management had agreed to it with surprising ease. A live duel on stage was dangerous, but with the assistance of the shopping street’s martial arts gym, a ring was constructed at the amusement park specifically for the fight. The idea was to hold the hero show in the ring and the walkway leading up to it while they awaited Ruth’s arrival. If it just so happened that she didn’t show up, Kabutonga would simply fight a guest martial artist or a costumed monster instead. It would make for a flashy event either way, and the idea pleased management. Thanks to Kiriha’s negotiations, things were proceeding without a hitch. But there was still one thing bothering Shizuka.

“I wonder if sending a letter of challenge was really okay...” she said with a sigh as she began putting on the Kabutonga outfit in her changing room.

She was worried about the letter they’d sent Ruth. What would she do if it had only put more fuel on the fires of Ruth’s hatred? Just thinking about it made her anxious.

“Shizuka, it’s less about what was okay and more about what was necessary. And this was necessary,” Kiriha said with a wry smile as she helped Shizuka don her costume.

Having come up with the plan in the first place, Kiriha was well aware of its risks. If Ruth got too worked up, things would be dangerous for everyone before she finally calmed down. But this gamble, as Kiriha had said, was necessary.

“What do you mean?” asked Shizuka.

“By doing things this way, all of Ruth’s hostility is directed towards Kabutonga.”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about!”

“But that’s precisely what makes this plan work. If Ruth’s hostility weren’t directed specifically at Kabutonga, she would continue to hunt down beetles even after defeating you. And that would be bad.”

“You’re right...”

“I know this will be hard for you, but we can only put a stop to Ruth’s hatred by making Kabutonga the object of it.”

“Hahh... What a pain.”

Kiriha’s explanation was clear and simple, making it easy for Shizuka to understand. But it simultaneously gave Shizuka a sense of just how complex the situation really was. Nevertheless, if they were intentionally focusing Ruth’s grudge against a single target, Shizuka knew she’d be in for one heck of a fight. But she hardly knew the half of it...

Ruth arrived on site at the exact time specified in the letter. Even berserk, she was still punctual. It was 12PM on the dot—neither a minute too late nor too soon.

Pshhh!

She made her grand entrance on the elevated platform with a theatric burst of fog. She’d been dressed casually earlier in the day, but she was now clad in a rather villainous-looking outfit. It would have embarrassed her to no end under any normal circumstances, but Ruth was so fixated on her duel with Kabutonga right now that she hadn’t even given a second thought to what she was wearing. Her outfit was actually a projected hologram courtesy of Clan, which had allowed Kiriha and the others to change Ruth’s appearance without actually changing what she was wearing. As a result, the training sword in her hand also looked like a real one. And she pointed it right at Shizuka—dressed as Kabutonga—as she began shouting...

“There you are, Kabutongaaa!”

Ruth’s eyes glinted just like the blade of her sword, and she was emanating a powerful bloodlust that no one would have ever expected from the sweet, gentle Ruth. Moreover, she was lithe on her feet. As methodical as she was, she’d made sure to warm up before coming.

Oh man, what am I going to do?! Ruth-san looks like she’s ready to cream me!

Shizuka was an expert martial artist with real combat experience. There was nary an opponent she would cower before... But Ruth wasn’t really her opponent; she was her friend. Shizuka couldn’t help recoiling a little when it looked like her friend was really ready to kill her.

“Never will I run or hide, because I am Kabutonga No. 1! I will defeat you in the name of peace and freedom!”

Despite Shizuka’s fear, Kabutonga’s brave voice echoed across the stage in heroic fashion. You see, while Shizuka was playing Kabutonga inside the suit, another actor was behind stage playing Kabutonga’s voice over the loudspeakers. Hearing him declare Kabutonga’s resoluteness brought Shizuka back to her senses, and she assumed Kabutonga’s signature pose that made her petite frame look much bigger and bolder than it really was. She was shaking in her boots right now, but Kabutonga looked like he was daring Ruth to do her worst.

“Bring it on! We’ll settle this today!” Kabutonga’s voice declared.

“Indeed we will! This will be the end for you, Kabutongaaa!”

Ready and raring to go, Ruth darted down the walkway from the elevated platform entrance and jumped up into the ring. She sailed right over the ropes and moved straight to attack Shizuka.

“Hyah!”

“That won’t work!”

Clang!

Shizuka blocked the strike with her forearms. She had sturdy armor built into the costume to protect her, but even then the full weight of Ruth’s wrathful strike was hard to take. It knocked the wind right out of Shizuka.

“Damn that carapace!” Ruth hissed.

“Now it’s my turn!” Kabutonga shouted.

“I don’t think so!” Ruth shouted right back.

Swish!

Shizuka unleashed a powerful high kick, but it only caught air. Because she was breathless, her movements were somewhat dulled and her reaction was just a second too slow. Ruth had the range advantage thanks to her sword, and was easily able to step back to avoid Shizuka’s close-range kick.

“Not bad for a human girl!”

“Don’t think you can defeat me so easily, Kabutonga!”

With some distance between them, both fighters took the opportunity to watch their opponent and look for openings. But as the combat lulled, the audience erupted.

“Amazing! Kabutonga’s way different from usual!”

“That bad guy’s amazing too! She’s scary!”

The crowd was thrilled by this exciting turn of events. The children all got chills when Ruth yelled, and they eagerly awaited the fierce battle to come with hope and courage in their eyes. They were certain Kabutonga would prevail.

Th-This is no joke! What’s going on here?!

Shizuka, however, wasn’t so sure. As an experienced martial artist, her brief encounter with Ruth just now was enough to tell her that Ruth was far stronger than she’d expected.

If neither of us had a weapon, I’d definitely win! Except Ruth-san has a sword and my goal’s not to win! Can I really hold my own against her when she’s like this?!

It was true that Shizuka’s goal wasn’t to win—the object here was to be defeated in a satisfying manner after a serious bout of combat, and that would be much more difficult than finding a single opportunity to exploit and seizing victory. Shizuka outclassed Ruth in terms of combat experience and skill, but Shizuka was at a disadvantage in her bulky costume. Moreover, Ruth had a sword and the motivation to use it. Her hatred had her all fired up, making her far more dangerous than usual. In Shizuka’s eyes, they were on a fairly level playing field right now.

“Today is the day that I will bring you beetles to justice!”

Argh! I don’t care what happens anymore!

Shizuka no longer had the luxury of wallowing in worry. Ruth was charging at her again.

All according to Kiriha’s plan, the production committee wrote a script for today’s hero show where Kabutonga was on the ropes. Ruth would eventually defeat him, only for him to come back even stronger and achieve a comeback victory. The battle between Ruth and Shizuka was playing out according to the script so far with one rather unexpected exception: Ruth really did have Shizuka on the ropes.

“Hyah! Take thaaat!”

Clink! Clank!

There was no need for Shizuka to act like Ruth was getting the better of her when she went all out like this. Ruth had skill with a blade, though she still fought like an amateur. Kiriha’s script had taken that all into consideration, but Ruth was in hyperdrive right now. Her hatred fueled her singular goal: defeating Kabutonga as swiftly as possible.

“Eeek!”

Swish! Wham!

But aside from Ruth’s sheer hatred, the thing giving Shizuka the most trouble right now was Ruth’s sword. It effectively doubled her reach and its heft added extra weight to every blow she struck. Shizuka knew she was the faster attacker, but Ruth had come in to the fight full-force and immediately put her on the defensive. And with the extra reach Ruth had on her side, she was out of the range of all of Shizuka’s punches and kicks.

“Shizuka, would you like some help?”

“Shut up, Uncle! This is between me and Ruth-san!”

“It’s not like I don’t understand how you feel, but things are getting a little hairy, aren’t they?”

“Changing gears right now would be dangerous! Not to mention what would happen to my weight!”

Shizuka still had an ace up her sleeve in the form of Alunaya. If she used his powers, the fight would be over in an instant. But there would be complications, namely that it would hurt Shizuka’s pride as a martial artist and that she would temporarily lose control of her strength when the much more powerful Alunaya took over. Worst of all, using Alunaya’s power would increase Shizuka’s weight because of the way he channeled his mana. She rued the very thought.

“I hear you, but even so, I think you’re going to need a show-stopper or two.”

“Eeeeek! Be quiet, Uncle! I’m busy right now!”

“If you say so...”

Even if they were talking in Shizuka’s mind, having a conversation right now was distracting. Alunaya respected that and decided to pipe down so as not to get in her way. He knew that if he were in her position, he’d be struggling the same way.

“Hyaaah!”

Perhaps because of Alunaya, however, Shizuka’s focus on the battle at hand momentarily wavered. She didn’t react quickly enough, and accidentally let Ruth sweep her legs out from under her with her sword.

“Oh no!”

Thanks to the protective costume, Shizuka wasn’t hurt by the blow, but it threw her wildly off balance.

Thud!

She tumbled to the ring floor with a glorious impact.

“I’ve got you now, Kabutonga!”

“Owowow... Yikes!”

Once Shizuka was on the ground, Ruth pounced on her like a wild animal. She was planning to use this opportunity to finish Kabutonga off.

“Hyaaaaah!”

Ruth held her sword aloft as she leaped, and swung it downward as she descended towards Shizuka. It was clear she intended to end things here.

“Not good! I can’t take that!”

Shizuka hurriedly rolled over in an attempt to avoid the attack.

Skrtch!

Fortunately, Ruth only managed to graze Shizuka’s helmet, but she still felt it. And the forceful impact of the blow made her realize something.

“Ruth-san is trying to kill me! She’s really trying to kill me!”

“She might just not know how to hold back due to her lack of experience.”

“But she’s still trying to kill me!”

Ruth was truly dangerous right now. If Shizuka let her guard down, she would be in real trouble. Realizing that, a cold chill ran up her spine. She’d have to give her all to defeating Ruth—not just to save the children’s hopes and dreams, but to save her own life as well.

The rest of the Corona House crew was watching the unexpectedly fierce fight unfold from the crowd. Unlike the other spectators who were excitedly cheering, they were nervously praying.

“You can do it, Shizuka! Put your spirit into it!” shouted Sanae.

“Ah, Ruth-san! Please don’t hit so hard! You should be more careful!” called Harumi.

“This isn’t good... Ruth is being more forceful than we anticipated, and Shizuka isn’t just acting anymore. This is a real fight now. If Shizuka makes one mistake, Ruth might just finish her,” observed Kiriha.

“It’s too bad it had to come to this. I just hope it ends safely...” sighed Theia.

Whether Ruth was intentionally going for a kill or whether she just didn’t know how to hold back, it was clear that she would finish Shizuka if she had the chance. In response, Shizuka had abandoned Kiriha’s plan and was now trying to take Ruth out without hurting her. But that was easier said than done considering the fight she was putting up. There was also the show to consider. The children were watching, after all. Everyone had good reason to be worried right about now.

“Is Kabutonga okay...?”

“Isn’t that bad guy this time too strong?”

“You can do it, Kabutonga!”

“Don’t give up!”

And that included the children. Ruth had Shizuka so cornered right now that even they could tell something was wrong. So they did the only thing they knew how to—they cheered for their hero and prayed for his victory.

“I’m impressed you can do this much, even with Landlord-san’s handicap...”

Only one person in the crowd didn’t seem to be worried. It was the man who was arguably the cause for all this, the man who’d taught Ruth how to use a sword—it was Koutarou. Out of everyone watching the unfolding fight, Koutarou was the only one with wistful tears welling in his eyes.

“Those are... Those are definitely Flair-san’s movements...”

Ruth was using all the techniques Koutarou had taught her—techniques he’d learned from Flairhan Pardomshiha two thousand years in the past. And seeing Ruth use them now, Koutarou realized that she’d successfully mastered them thanks to her diligent nature and obsession with defeating Kabutonga. She was still green, but the way Ruth was fighting took Koutarou back to the distant past... It brought tears to his eyes just to see it. He couldn’t help cheering for Ruth, despite knowing Shizuka couldn’t afford to lose here.

“That’s it, Ruth-san! Use the combination!”

Koutarou had been having Ruth practice her three-strike combo for a while now, and she put it to extraordinary use in the ring. She would first attack Shizuka’s lower body to get her on the defensive. Once she was, Ruth would threw in a feint to throw her off guard before unleashing her third and final blow. It was one of Flairhan’s signature moves.

I can do it! I can do it here and now!

Ruth was just about to unleash her combo attack when she heard Koutarou call out to her. They’d both read Shizuka the same way and come to the same conclusion—another testament to the success of Ruth’s training.

“...Master?”

But that was when something unexpected happened. Ruth took her eyes off of Shizuka and stopped moving. It was only for a moment and she quickly continued attacking, but even that split second was a golden opportunity to Shizuka.

“Take this!”

Ruth responded in kind, but it wasn’t fast enough. By the time she raised her sword, Shizuka’s fist was already closing in on her.

“Full Voltage Kabutonga Punch!”

“Kyah!”

It was one of Kabutonga No. 1’s signature punches, complete with special effects. Even though he knew all kinds of techniques, Kabutonga favored a straightforward thrusting punch: a lightning-fast blow that could pierce the heavens and dispel evil. It was the very same move he’d used to defeat the Scarab King.

“You and your evil ways are no match for justice!”

Boom!

When Shizuka’s fist connected with Ruth’s solar plexus, there was a burst of smoke and light around the ring. An explosive sound burst from the PA loud enough to drown out the cheers of the children in the audience who were now convinced that Kabutonga was victorious.

Shizuka felt the match ultimately might have gone to Ruth if Koutarou hadn’t shouted out when he did. She believed hearing him cheer for her was the only thing other than a kiss that could have satiated her.

Ruth was hell-bent on exterminating all beetles in order to prove she was superior to Koutarou. But hearing Koutarou call out to her—hearing him cheer for her in the fight—told her that he’d already chosen her over Kabutonga. She even got a chance to use the moves she’d been training so hard with Koutarou every day to learn. Hearing him shout to her in the heat of battle only reaffirmed the bond they’d been building together.

It was uncertain if Ruth had really processed all that in the moment, but the way she’d momentarily paused made it clear it at least had an effect on her. So while Shizuka was concerned about Ruth’s wellbeing right now, that was strictly physical and not mental. And she was even more relieved when Ruth finally opened her eyes.

“...Oh?”

“Good morning, Ruth-san. I’m glad you’re awake now.”

“Ah, Shizuka-sama...”

Upon waking up in a hospital bed, Ruth looked around quizzically. She was radiating no sign of the bloodlust she had been a few hours ago. It seemed she was back to normal.

“Shizuka-sama, where are we?”

“The hospital. You were in a little accident and we brought you here.”

“So that’s what it was. Now that you mention it, I am feeling a little sore...”

“I think you should take it easy for a while.”

“Certainly. But what kind of accident was it?”

“You don’t remember?”

“It’s all a little hazy...”

Ruth cocked her head to the side and scanned back through her memories, but everything was fuzzy starting right around the time Yurika spilled the beans. It was like she’d been completely overtaken by her primal instincts. She’d effectively blacked out, motivated by pure hatred, so she had no way of knowing what happened when she didn’t remember it.

“Hmm... Well, you see, we all went to the amusement park and...”

Shizuka began explaining what had happened to the puzzled Ruth, although she made sure to leave out certain details. She told her they’d all gone to the amusement park and taken part in a hero show, during which there’d been an unexpected accident and Ruth had been knocked out.

“So that’s why you’re here.”

“I see...”

“How do you feel? Does your head hurt or anything”

“Oh, not at all. If anything I feel strangely refreshed, actually... I wonder why.”

“Ruth-san...”

Just as she said, Ruth was smiling with a rather refreshed expression. She had no idea why, but Shizuka had a hunch. She’d probably gotten over her inferiority complex.

“Thank god...”

After confirming that Ruth was okay and that she might even be over her hatred of beetles, Shizuka let out a heavy sigh of relief. Regardless of the circumstances, she’d been the one to knock Ruth out and she felt a little guilty about it. That’s why she was especially glad to see her well and smiling now.

“I’m very sorry for any trouble and worry I may have caused,” Ruth said apologetically, her head lowered.

As conscientious as she was, Ruth knew there had to have been a fuss over her getting hurt and taken to the hospital. Shizuka had even been waiting by her bedside for her to wake up. She felt badly for troubling her friends so.

“Don’t mention it. It wasn’t your fault, Ruth-san.”

“Thank you, Shizuka-sama.”

“If anything, it’s Satomi-kun’s fault.”

“Master’s?”

There, Ruth’s eyes went wide.

“Yeah. He was being such a kid, wanting to go see a hero show and all.”

While Ruth had been the one to go berserk, her rampage was still ultimately Koutarou’s fault for causing the whole situation in the first place. Moreover, he could have easily resolved it if he’d just been willing to kiss Ruth. But he wouldn’t and therefore this was all his fault. It was a rather girlish way of thinking, which was exactly the kind of logic Shizuka subscribed to.

“Then I don’t mind... Anything that pleases Master pleases me.”

“Ruth-san, you’re going to be taken in by a bad man if you’re that blindly devoted.”

“Shizuka-sama, do you think Master is a bad man?”

“Heh... I guess when you put it that way, there’s not really a problem, is there?”

“Exactly.”

Ruth only had eyes for Koutarou, and he was everything to her. She’d do anything he asked, even if it meant her death. That’s why she couldn’t accept the thought of him putting beetles before her. That was Ruth’s own form of girlish logic.

“But don’t you think that everyone would be happier if Satomi-kun was just a little bad sometimes, Ruth-san?”

“Yes, I think so. Heehee...”

“Ahahaha.”

Fortunately, other than her hazy memories, Ruth was perfectly back to normal. And with her inferiority complex resolved, she was smiling as bright as ever. It made Shizuka smile just as brightly to see it.

Phew, I’m glad Ruth-san is okay. And she seems to be feeling better now... but I think I’ll need to put the Kabutonga act on hold for a while, haha!

And our Kabutonga came out victorious, but would go into a sort of forced retirement for a while. The suit had been considerably damaged and it would take some time to repair. But Kabutonga’s revival was just around the corner, and the children eagerly awaited his return.