Chapter 288: Duran and Steisan’s Matches. And Kaka-Pipi’s Transformation
Duran’s opponent had finished moving to the starting position.
At Gish’s "Begin!" as the signal, both dashed.
Because I was talking with Iria I missed the name of the one facing Duran, but his riding was quite imposing. The knight astride a black horse guarded his upper body firmly with a shield without his upper body shaking, and extended the lance in his right hand level with the ground.
Duran’s facing mount is, as expected... disgusting...!
The appearance of stretching a capybara stuffed animal’s torso and lengthening the legs is a lump of discomfort.
To the spectators as well the unknown modeling they’re seeing for the first time looks eerie even from afar, and the venue is wrapped in an eerie atmosphere.
Even the capybara girls in the subspace spectator seats have their mouths half-open and are looking with hogeh eyes.
’Kaka? Pipi? Sorry for talking during the match.’
’Kakaka?’
’I understood from looking from the side at a distant position. Because your neck is short the silhouette isn’t horse-like.’
’Then shall I stretch it a bit, ka?’
Nyun.
While galloping Kaka’s neck slowly began stretching.
Not upward like a horse, but remaining a capybara it stretched darun toward the front of the torso.
It became an even more disgusting appearance.
Collision.
From start to finish the opponent’s Battle Power 854, Duran’s Battle Power 3.
At a glance the opponent is advantageous.
But Duran’s lance shattered into pieces, and the opponent’s shield split cleanly in two vertically.
The opponent’s lance tip shattered small and scattered fragments, but Duran’s shield diverted the momentum.
Duran didn’t move an inch, but the opponent greatly arched backward. The black-horse knight largely swung his arm and recovered his posture.
From a bystander’s view it’s Duran’s victory but...
"Winner, Duran!"
Alright, Gish announced Duran’s victory.
Duran raised the capybara-crest shield and appealed victory.
Zawa...
However the spectators seem to have something more concerning than the win or loss.
Everyone in the venue notices that when the mount’s gallop stops Kaka’s neck length changed. However it shouldn’t stretch. No, or was it that length from the beginning, somehow discomfort... they’re stirring.
"Fua!"
Totototo...
Raba dashed past in front of my eyes.
Apparently she was playing knight and dashed at the begin signal. Just as a capybara running at full power becomes 50 kilometers per hour, the capybara girl Raba was also unexpectedly fast.
In the stirring venue Duran headed toward the west entrance gate.
The opponent withdrew toward the east entrance gate where his own army’s camp is.
Hmm. Because he didn’t unhorse the opponent, maybe he can’t demand ransom.
’Dura-san, congratulations on the victory.’
’You’re welcome.’
’Amazing. Victory by technique. Even though the opponent’s Battle Power was 854, Dura-san was 3 from start to finish.’
’Yes. No matter how much difference there is in arm strength or stamina, if there’s an accurate strike you can win.’
’No, seriously amazing.’
’I also firmly demanded ransom.’
’Eh? When?’
’At the instant of contact I imprinted it into the brain with ultra-high-speed hypnotic audio, so he cannot avoid paying ransom in beastman slaves.’
’Amazing...’
’Next is Esty-san’s turn. Apparently because Iria-san and Masaharu-san’s names have become known, as their companions it seems all Order of the Capybara members will get called. Capybara.’
’Is that so...’
Dura-san and long-neck Kaka returned to the viewing area.
Zawa...
At Kaka’s eerie appearance everyone in the viewing area also stirred.
Ogyaaa!
Milk-chan who was being hugged by Butter-san began crying.
Even while young did she notice that that’s the completely changed appearance of her favorite stuffed animal...
Rafilia-san who was about to hand over water also flinched for an instant.
Dura-san drank water then opened two seats and sat next to me. It’s not that he dislikes me and is taking distance; he probably opened space so Fullru can sit later.
I won’t worry about where the water disappeared.
"Third match, northern army is Order of the Capybara Steisan! While ability is unknown, a hero who dashed across many battlefields together with that Golden Knight Sahar Galactic!"
Oh. The name Gish announced is Esty-san.
Zawa...
Because she appeared riding another peculiar horse again the venue stirred.
Pipi read the atmosphere and from the start her neck is long. However because it’s hanging darun downward the overall silhouette is like a Brachiosaurus.
That dinosaur whose image became fixed as stretching its neck vertically like a giraffe because they hung the fossil neck vertically to save exhibition space in museums.
Steisan seems nervous. She’s not moving at all.
Because she’s wearing secondhand-bought armor, in appearance only she’s a battle-hardened veteran.
"Esty seems nervous."
"Iria also thinks so after all?"
"Ah."
"Well, appearing in front of a large crowd makes you nervous..."
Even if she’s a nine-tailed fox, even if she’s riding a demigod, getting nervous can’t be helped.
If it were me when I was in Japan I would have been nervous like Esty-san.
Because I’ve flown fully naked through the sky many times since coming to this world I gained guts.
"Third match, southern army is Yellow Thunder Order, Fierce Beast Unit belonging Leon Ongle! While an attendant he struck down two enemy regular knights in battle with Mador and by that merit was appointed regular knight, a fierce one!"
Ohh.
As introduced as Fierce Beast Unit, he’s riding an elephant.
An elephant... a fierce beast?
No, I think it’s the strongest animal on land, and at times it rampages ferociously but...
Zushin, zushin...
The elephant appeared with a leisurely gait as if proud that the only living thing on land that can fight dragons is me. Wearing thick clothing like a carpet, the appearance is glittering.
The elephant went south toward the east gate.
When it passed in front of us everyone was greatly excited at the first-time-seeing elephant appearance.
The rodent girls split into those who bristled all their fur and threatened the elephant or those who were completely uninterested and spaced out.
This is overwhelmingly disadvantageous for Esty-san.
The opponent can lean out at any timing and thrust the lance down from atop the elephant.
However Steisan’s lance cannot reach as long as the opponent is on the elephant.
’Begin!’
The match began.
The elephant dashed at a high speed unimaginable from its huge body.
I see. Because the body is large the stride is wide so it moves far faster than the apparent movement.
Not as much as a horse after all but it seems faster than a human. Sand dust rose from the thick feet.
This time the opponent is too bad. Steisan who only practiced against ordinary mounts cannot win in a nervous state.
Please come back without injury...!
Zudodododo!
Great impact as if the match venue shook. The capybara girls began shouting "Fua!" "Fua!" The dog girls also barked "Wan!"
Dodododo.
Both accelerated.
...However.
After all, no matter what, Pipi’s disgusting silhouette bothers me.
’Pipi. Sorry during the match.’
’What’s wrong, deshu?’
’I understood. Because you’re capybara-based your back is round. Looking from the side the center is swollen and round so the silhouette is disgusting.’
’Understood, deshu. I’ll fix it, deshu!’
Nyunyunya...
Slowly Pipi’s back dented.
Hm?
Even though Pipi’s back is denting Steisan’s waist position doesn’t change.
On the contrary it’s rising a little.
"Ah! Steisan’s butt is floating!"
"Ah. She’s too nervous so skill control has become loose."
Esty-san doesn’t have enough power to freely walk around wearing heavy armor. Therefore she’s floating the armor with fox power, but that output became excessive.
’She’s frightened at her first joust, deshu. "Hiii, I didn’t hear about this. It’s scary!" she’s screaming crying, deshu!’
Damn. At this rate even a foul loss is fine so I should go help...?
Hm?
Fuyofuyofuyo.
From fear and tension Esty-san’s body whose power control became unstable floated.
Matching that Pipi stretched her legs.
’Leave it to me, deshu! I’ll adjust so she doesn’t get unhorsed, deshu!’
’O-Ou...’
Pipi became an even more disgusting appearance.
Her legs became about three times longer... Kimee...
And somewhat west of the match field, the one at a loss because the lance doesn’t reach is not Steisan but opponent Leon.
Pakoon!
When Pipi shortened her front legs and took a forward-leaning posture, Steisan’s lance naturally pointed down and directly hit Leon’s helmet. As expected of a demigod. With splendid timing she made it look as if Steisan attacked.
Leon who has probably never taken an attack from overhead seemed completely taken by surprise.
But as expected of an expected new star. He almost rolled off the elephant but grabbed the clothing covering the elephant’s back and endured.
Neither was unhorsed from their mount.
But delivering a strike to the head was apparently evaluated and "Winner, Steisan!" was announced.
Zawazawa...
Because Pipi’s legs are clearly longer than at match start the venue became half applause, half stir.
Haa. That was close. At any rate it was good Esty-san didn’t get injured.
"Fua!"
Raba riding Kaka in usual stuffed-animal mode slid suu sideways in front of my eyes.