Ch.313Huya Festival (3)

“Then let’s quickly go to the Soul Room.”

Since something big has happened, we should just hurry over there. That was my immediate conclusion.

Besides… a sub-quest-like thing appeared in my status window. If the status window is telling me something, it means I’ll get a reward for doing it. That’s just… ‘common sense,’ right?

“Even I can’t open the door right away. Certain conditions need to be met.”

Violet said primly.

“Ah… right. You guys. More incompetent than I thought.”

I realized it immediately.

If they hadn’t gotten our cooperation, they wouldn’t have been able to put up any meaningful resistance against Pink Beard. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the epitome of an incompetent government-in-exile.

“What do you mean incompetent?! We let you use the Psychorobo ability!!”

Violet shouted.

“You’re making a big deal out of giving me this useless piece of wood!!”

I yelled loudly.

“For something so useless, you’ve been using it pretty well, haven’t you?!”

Violet immediately retorted.

“Hey!! It was completely useless at first!! It only got stronger after I put in that Holy Sword fragment or whatever!”

I made it useful through my own effoooooort!! Don’t get things backward!!

“Anyway… first we need to find a door.”

Violet said.

“A door?”

What’s that about?

“We need to find something like a door in the real world… and synchronize with it to create a temporary portal.”

Violet explained.

“And no other consciousness can be aware of it. We need a place with few people.”

Violet looked around. So many restrictions.

“Got it. We need a door in a place with few people, right?”

I said, grabbing Violet’s hand and pulling her along.

“W-when you suddenly grab my hand like that…”

Violet blushed and stammered.

“Just follow me!!”

Yes, I’ll take this legitimate opportunity to hold her hand.

Damp-!

But Violet’s hand was strangely damp.

“Violet… your hands are really sweaty.”

I said without thinking.

“Why do you have to point that out directly?!”

Violet shouted.

“Fine! It’s gross, right?! I’ll let go then!”

Violet tried to pull her hand away in anger. Her face was flushed to the limit with humiliation.

“Hey!! What are you talking about?! This is a reward!!”

I immediately scolded Violet.

“My hand is absorbing Violet’s juices right now!! It’s good for my health!! It’s sap! Sap!”

I shouted loudly.

“What kind of perverted nonsense are you spouting?!”

Violet immediately hit me on the back.

“Ahhh… it’s coming in!! Violet’s juices are seeping into my bones!”

I tried to increase the contact area to absorb all of Violet’s sweat.

“Go die!!!”

Violet shouted with tears welling up in her eyes.

——–

The best spot I found was… the old school building’s bathroom. Unlike other bathrooms, it had pit toilets, so students had abandoned it.

Damn. What’s wrong with pit toilets? Unlike flush toilets, they don’t get clogged as easily. You just have to endure the smell!!! Though that’s a bit difficult.

There’s a saying that even urgent bowel movements can be held in when faced with a pit toilet… but when it’s really urgent, you’ll use a pit toilet anyway. Those who say such things have only experienced ‘fake’ emergencies.

“The smell…”

Violet pinched her nose.

“Anyway! There’s a door here. This should work.”

I pointed at the door.

“Ah… yes. I don’t like it, but it’ll do.”

Violet placed her hand on the door and concentrated.

Fwooooosh-!!!!!

Soon, the door began to glow and transformed into a portal leading to the Soul Room.

“Let’s go!!! Beyond the pit toilet!!”

I immediately opened the door and went in.

“The smell…”

Violet seemed to have trouble bearing the human excrement smell of Earth.

“It’s terrible, it’s terrible~ that’s why it’s terrible. Just think of it as flower scent.”

I immediately started lecturing.

“How is this flower scent!! That’s impossible!”

Violet immediately objected.

“Why do we frame all flower scents as fragrant?! Why are we so strict only with flowers among all plants!!!!”

I shouted, channeling the indignation of flowers.

“Why are YOU getting angry?!”

Violet shouted loudly.

Anyway, we headed to the Soul Room. Ah… it’s fun to banter with Violet. It has a new flavor to it.

———

So, we entered the Soul Room.

But… it was different from usual.

It had changed into the battlefield where I had dueled with my doppelganger. Corpses were everywhere.

And there sat Blue Beard and Green Beard, meekly.

“It’s okay, child. Everything will be fine.”

Green Beard was comforting a pumpkin, stroking it like a father from the famous movie Cinema X-Country. This guy didn’t start out like this… he’s been losing his mind day by day.

And in the center of the battlefield stood my past life self.

“Ah. You’ve come.”

The doppelganger spoke.

“You, you’re… Dopple!!!”

I shouted loudly.

“What’s with ‘Dopple’!! Call me properly by my name!!”

The doppelganger shouted.

Geez. And I went to the trouble of giving him a nickname…

“Anyway, what’s going on here?”

I asked, looking at Violet and Blue Beard.

“This Soul Room… has the function of manifesting your mental imagery, Arigiri Shota.”

Blue Beard said.

“But… the memories of your past life were too strong. Because of that… an invasion occurred. He took all of us hostage and demanded we call you. And… it seems Violet successfully brought you here.”

Blue Beard explained.

“Dopple!!! What are you doing?!”

I shouted loudly.

“There’s no time, my other self.”

Dopple spoke with considerable gravity.

“Pink Beard… he’s coming to destroy everything, and he’s several times stronger than any Demon Lord I’ve faced. My parallel universe self couldn’t stop him. If I don’t train you properly, the same tragedy will repeat.”

Dopple raised his sword with gravitas.

“So what? Did you need to do all this?”

Why is he suddenly acting up? I’m scared…

“You should know. There’s a limit to how much you can grow through practice matches. In the end… humans become stronger through real combat experience.”

Dopple drew a decent sword and handed it to me. I caught it immediately.

“A duel to the death. That’s the only way a warrior becomes stronger. Either you kill me, or I kill you. One of the two. If you refuse…”

Dopple pointed his sword at Blue Beard and Green Beard.

“I’ll kill these old men and your woman too.”

Dopple was serious.

“Who are you calling ‘your woman’?!”

Even in this dangerous situation, Violet found something to object to.

“Kill me… absorb me and surpass me.”

Dopple immediately took his stance.

“You’re serious, huh. I liked you quite a bit, but I guess there’s no choice.”

I also took my stance.

However, there was something I needed to do first.

Fwooooosh-!

I immediately took off my upper garments with a flourish. It had been a while since I’d done this. This was my ‘serious mode.’

“How… indecent…”

Violet couldn’t meet my eyes.

“Hmph. Getting yourself psyched up in your own way, I see. Well, that’s fine.”

Dopple also took off his upper garments with a flourish.

Fwoosh-!!

I gasped as I saw Dopple’s body.

His entire body was covered in scars. Terrible yet indelible scars that only someone who had survived multiple brushes with death could possess.

And… strange, writhing tattoos crawled across his skin.

“What the…”

“A side effect of alchemy. I absorbed the souls of the evil ones I killed and ended up with this body. This is… my mark as a hunter. Everyone I cared about died, and this is all I have left.”

Dopple wore a bitter expression.

“I see… I pity you.”

I said, closing my eyes.

“………”

Dopple’s face hardened, seemingly displeased at being pitied without his consent.

“That’s why I intend to live a different life than yours.”

I said firmly as I took my stance.

“Hmph. Good. Then show me that resolve… all of it!!!”

Dopple immediately closed the distance toward me.

CLAAAAAANG-!!!!

Two sword strikes collided in mid-air without giving an inch, sending sparks flying.

‘The First Hero’

Elegant calligraphy appeared beyond my status window. It had an effect reminiscent of a game boss.

“KIEEEEEEEEEK!!!!”

“KIEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!”

Both Dopple and I let out powerful screams as we crossed swords.

Clang-! CLANG-! CLAAAANG-! CLANG-!! CLANG-!!

The swords collided with tremendous force, sending sparks flying.

Indeed, I felt myself growing stronger with each moment of this life-or-death battle.

But I had a chance of winning. The sword Dopple was using wasn’t the Hero’s Holy Sword or anything special—just a sword he’d picked up on the battlefield. Its durability would be the same as any ordinary sword.

I gave up on aiming for his vital points and focused on destroying his weapon instead. I deflected his attacks at perfect timing to induce weapon breakage.

That strategy worked.

CLAAAAAAANG-!!!!

Dopple’s sword immediately shattered into pieces.

“Hmm… not bad.”

Dopple confirmed his broken sword and immediately created distance between us.

Thunk-!!

Right after that, Dopple grabbed a massive spear that was stuck in the center of the battlefield like a flag.

“To survive, I did whatever it took. I greedily absorbed any technique.”

Dopple said that, then grinned.

“The sword is not my only weapon.”

Immediately after, Dopple closed the distance while thrusting the spear.

“Shit…!!!”

SWOOOOOOSH-!!!

A missile-like strike flew toward me.

CLAAAANG-!!

My body was thrown back after barely blocking the sword strike.

“KUHURGH!!!”

Fuck!! That was really dangerous. If I had tried to react visually, I would have been skewered by the spear. I barely blocked it on instinct.

“Now… come. Show me. Everything you’ve got.”

Dopple rotated the spear once and took his stance.

Woooong-!!!

At that moment, orchestral background music spread throughout the battlefield. This feels like a boss battle phase 2, doesn’t it? It had that level of intimidation.

The source of the music was… Blue Beard and company. They had turned on music using a smartphone they’d obtained from Earth.

“Ah… is it distracting? It’s supposed to be a cheer song.”

Blue Beard said somewhat sheepishly. What are these guys doing?

“Focus!!!!”

At that moment, Dopple closed the distance again with another series of quick thrusts.

And so, phase 2 began.