Ch.113Rise Up, Gambling God (10)

“Stop!!!!”

I immediately chased after Tina.

“Hehe. You won’t catch me.”

Tina suddenly started running away.

“No!! Stop!! Let’s resolve this through conversation!!!”

I dashed straight toward Tina.

Shit… I need to stop her from doing something crazy like a public confession!!!

“Uwahaha! I don’t want to?!”

Soon after, Tina turned her head and smiled mischievously.

“Try to catch me?”

Tina said in a cute voice and suddenly started sprinting.

Whoosh-!!

She was so fast that the wind stirred around her.

“Hey!! Faster!!”

I had no choice. I had to run at full speed too.

I locked onto Tina’s back figure and dashed through the park surrounding the arena. Suddenly, it had turned into a chase.

Fwababababat-!!!!!

Wiggle❤ Jiggle❤

I could see Tina’s bouncy bottom shaking as she ran, which immediately triggered a reaction in my lower half. The glimpses of her side bosom swaying beyond her slender waist were a bonus. Her figure is seriously cheat-level.

At that moment, my lower half began to take over my body.

‘Uh… wouldn’t it be fine to just accept her confession now? Good things are good, right?’

My lower half whispered to me.

This is wrong… my lower half is invading my brain!!!

“Hnnngh!!! Go!!!”

I immediately started suppressing the advance of my lower half.

Damn… I need something to kill this boner completely… Think. Think…

“B-Bluebeard…!!”

It’s a bit extreme, but I started fantasizing about rolling around in bed with Bluebeard. At times like this, gay fantasies were the best.

~~~~~

‘Hehehehe. If you let me do it just once, I could give you… a Psycho-robo?’

Bluebeard saying such things while unilaterally pinning me down in my fantasy!! That’s it!!

‘R-really? You’ll really give me a Psycho-robo?’

‘Yes… first… accept my magnificent lower Psycho-robo?’

~~~~~

“I-it’s working!!”

My boner started dying at an incredible speed!! As expected!! I was hetero to the bone!!

Sasith… would also work as a fantasy subject, but if you look closely, he’s actually pretty. He’s too beautiful, so the effect is less. Actually, I sometimes wonder if Sasith… might be a woman in disguise.

Wait? Am I getting turned on? Immediately rejected.

Anyway, I regained my sanity.

“Shota may be strong, but I’m not inferior in physical ability!”

Tina started widening the distance between us.

As expected of a martial artist. Her basic physical capabilities were superior to mine. Since she doesn’t rely on weapons like swords, she has to depend solely on her physique. Think of her as the unlucky Bruce Lee of Zolryeolip Village.

If that’s the case, there’s only one answer. I had to use my head.

Fwooosh-!!!

I leaped high.

“Ha!! Shota. How foolish. By jumping here, you’ll only widen the gap between us?!”

Tina said with a smirk.

“No. This is your defeat.”

I didn’t jump mindlessly. I needed a foothold to gain momentum. That was the tree behind me.

Fwooosh-!!!

After kicking off the tree, I closed the distance toward Tina like a bullet.

“Got you!!!!”

I grabbed Tina from behind and we tumbled.

Crash-!!!

I immediately pinned Tina down in a mount position.

“My victory.”

I said while holding both of Tina’s arms.

“Be… gentle…”

Tina blushed strangely and turned her head away. No. Even in this situation, she’s trying to create a romantic mood.

“Tina… stop the public confession… please!”

I shouted loudly.

“Why? It’s my feelings, isn’t it?”

Tina looked straight at me.

“You’re going to get rejected by me anyway!! Why are you trying to do a public confession?!!!”

I roared.

“Why don’t you consider for even a second that you’ll be rejected in public!!!”

I recalled the pain of that day.

“No!!! Shota will understand my sincerity!!! Love will bloom through our battle!”

Tina shouted as if this was some brilliant plan.

“Yeah… I thought so too.”

I then recalled memories from my original world.

“Tina. Sit down here. Long ago…”

I immediately entered old-man-telling-stories mode.

“Kyahahaha! Shota looks like a grandpa! So cute!!”

Tina exclaimed with heart-shaped eyes. This girl… she’s completely infatuated with me.

———

This was a story from when I was 20 in my original world.

At that time, I was a novice writer who had briefly stepped into the light novel industry. I had won a publishing company’s contest and even published a book.

Of course… the novel I ambitiously serialized was discontinued after just 2 volumes, and that publishing company went bankrupt shortly after… After that, I just jumped into the web novel industry.

Anyway, since it was a publishing company, I had a designated PD and regularly had meetings.

The PD was a woman… and with my zero dating experience, I fell for her.

I mistook our work-related conversations as us getting along well, and I mistook our professional courtesy as signs of mutual interest. Well, I was 20. With almost zero dating experience, it couldn’t be helped.

At the end of the month, at the publishing company’s dinner party, I decided to boldly confess.

As the drinking session heated up, emboldened by alcohol, I stood up.

“Everyone!!!! I’d like to say something here!!!”

“Ooh?! A talent show?!”

“Hahaha. Go ahead.”

In the alcohol-fueled atmosphere, people around me encouraged me.

“I have someone I love!!!”

I shouted my love to the whole world…!!

Shit. I can’t explain any further. It’s too humiliating…!!

Well, when I came to my senses, I was back home… and the next day, I received a dry message saying that my PD had been replaced. You get the picture, right?

I… had thoroughly embarrassed myself.

———

“Public confessions are a no-go!!!! They’ll remain as trauma for life!!!!”

I tried to dissuade Tina.

“Mmm… but still… I want to do it.”

Pinned under me, Tina looked straight at me.

That unwavering gaze settled on me.

“Even though we’ve only met for a few minutes, Shota is my first love. Whether I get rejected embarrassingly or it becomes a trauma, I want to face my feelings head-on.”

Tina said firmly.

“…I see.”

At her unwavering will, the strength in my grip loosened.

Tina was more straightforward and brave than I had thought. Unlike me, who cowered at trauma.

“Then… face your feelings properly. Through this match.”

I released Tina.

“If… I win, will you accept my confession?”

Tina threw down a gambit there.

“…Alright. I’ll take responsibility for whatever the outcome is.”

Since Tina was sincere, it was only courteous for me to be sincere as well.

“Ufufufu. As expected… Shota is cool. You’re acknowledging my sincerity.”

Tina blushed and got up.

“Then… see you in the arena.”

Tina smiled gently and hurriedly turned away.

“Phew…”

The situation had already unfolded. If that’s the case, what I needed to do was simple.

Fight with all my might, that’s all.

———-

“Shota!! You’re late!!”

When I returned to the waiting room, Umi immediately scolded me.

“Shota was gone for so long that I experienced Sho-loss! Take responsibility!”

Umi started getting angry, using some mysterious terminology.

“Sorry. There was a lot. I was late because I was building a Babel tower with poop.”

That’s what I said.

“Uwahahaha!!! Shota, you’re dirty!!!”

Umi burst into laughter.

“No. To burst into laughter just because of the word poop… are you an elementary schooler?”

Eri immediately criticized Umi.

“Really childish… pfuhehehehe”

Taiga couldn’t hold back his laughter in the end. See? Elementary schooler, right?

“The match is about to start.”

At that moment, Gonzaemon entered the waiting room abruptly. He was with Ms. Asuna.

But… Gonzaemon’s neck was covered with kiss marks and bite marks.

It seemed like they had thoroughly enjoyed their break time. They couldn’t even wait…

“Tina Burst. It’s best to be careful with that woman. Well, Shota. You’re not the type to let your guard down anyway.”

Gonzaemon said.

“That Tina hasn’t fully unleashed her power yet. I can tell for sure.”

Gonzaemon stated firmly.

She hasn’t used her full power yet… Well, she was strangely keen on hiding her abilities. In the preliminaries, she used guns to disguise herself as a gunner, then revealed her true skills as a martial artist. It wouldn’t be strange if she threw another curveball here.

“I’ll be careful, Master.”

After that, I smiled and said.

“I’ll come back victorious.”

I’ll defeat Tina, and whether it’s Thumbs-up Man or Kana, I’ll defeat them all. That was my resolve.

“Uwahahaha!! That’s the spirit!!”

Gonzaemon laughed heartily.

———-

Anyway, after the break, the semifinals began immediately.

“Now!!!!! We will begin the match between Tina Burst and Arigiri Shota!!!!!!!!!!”

The announcer shouted loudly.

Stance-!

Tina faced me in a fighting stance. She wore brass knuckles on her hands. She also had protective gear on her legs without fail. It seemed like she really intended to face a sword with martial arts.

At that moment, Tina raised her hand.

“Before we fight!! May I say something?!”

Tina said to the announcer.

“Ah. Go ahead!”

The announcer, sensing the potential for entertainment, immediately encouraged Tina.

“I!!! Have met my destined one here!”

Tina declared loudly.

She’s really doing it… a public confession.

“It’s Arigiri Shota!! I’ve fallen for Shota! Shota saved me!!”

Tina shouted in a cheerful tone.

“………!!!”

The venue began to stir. Soon, all eyes were fixed on me.

‘Wait… he already has a harem… did he seduce another one?’

‘He looks surprisingly ordinary… but he’s quite popular.’

‘So strong men do attract women?’

People started whispering arbitrarily.

Shiver-!!

At that moment, I felt an overwhelming killing intent.

The gazes of Umi, Eri, and Taiga were fixed on me. I’ll… need to explain this later.

“In this fight, I’ll win Shota’s heart!!!”

Tina continued her passionate confession, not caring about the reactions around her. She’s quite thick-skinned too.

“Woooow!!!! The unexpected public confession!!!”

The announcer smiled and turned the microphone toward me.

“Arigiri Shota!! What do you think about Tina’s confession?”

At the announcer’s question, I remained silent for a moment.

I need to answer this carefully. If I answer wrong, I have a feeling this will turn into a miserable event.