'Are you okay?'

'Yeah ...... I'm fine ......'

'Don't strain yourself. Even though it was a peak strike, it should have been powerful enough to shatter the wards here.''

　The mock battle in the mini arena ended with my complete defeat, and I was lying on a bed in the rest area.
　Amber's attack was a "peak strike" as she reported, and it was said to be an expert technique ...... that could only be learned with a high level of proficiency in the "bare-knuckle fighting" skill.
　As a result, I was left with only 1 HP, but the impact was much stronger than being hit by a car, and I ended up licking the dirt again.
　It felt like my whole body was shaken. Very painful.

　But I don't feel any pain, so it's just like a very painful car sickness.
　I don't think it'll take long to recover.

'Skuna, I don't think your strategy is compatible with the Bare-handed Fighting skill.

'Huh?'

　As I was dizzying my head to sober up, Amber suddenly spoke up.
　When I tilted my head to what Amber was saying, she continued in a relaxed tone.

I watched your fight with the human girl the day before yesterday, and basically, when you attack a superior opponent, you tend to fight in a way that accumulates one blow after another. It's not wrong, but it's significantly less effective against opponents with regeneration skills and abilities, like me, and against purely hard and slow opponents.

　I was reminded of the time he gave me an example of how he regenerated the damage of an attack I had done my best to hit.
　It's quite heartbreaking to find out that your attack is meaningless. Especially if it's something you've worked hard to hit.

'It's true that it was the wrong opponent. Red Wolf, that girl, Shinryu, and me. All of them are too much for you to handle right now. ...... but you beat the Red Wolf and inherited his power. Do you know why you were able to win?''

'Hmmm ......, I didn't attack, I guess.

　When asked why I won the battle against the Red Wolf, I listed the reasons I could think of.
　A thorough counter strategy. Aside from the one and only throw I made at the end, I never attacked myself that time.

'I suppose you're right. I didn't see the fight with the red wolf, but I thought I did when I saw it today. ...... Skuna, you have too good an eye.'

'Eyes?'

'You are, Skuna. Because you can see so well, when there's even the slightest chance of being attacked, you tend to focus on evasion. This is especially true in person.

　I hadn't really thought about it, but there was nothing I could deny about what Amber said.
　Even with Rowe, I'm having a hard time attacking him. Even though he had a much higher level than me, there might have been times when I could have stepped in if I had not been afraid of damage.
　There was a difference in level, a difference in agility, a difference in strength, a difference in skills, a difference in experience.


　In the fight against Rowe, he easily resorted to the "Hungry Wolf" as a way to fill the gap.

'The essence of bare-knuckle fighting is a barrage of blows that can cut through flesh. If you want to do hit-and-go, that's exactly why you should have a weapon. Because the power of a single shot is definitely better.

'Mmmm ......'

'Well, from what I can tell, you're probably the counter type to begin with, so I don't think even hit-and-away is right for you.'

　Considering the fight with Aria, where I won a huge gold star, I think it's safe to nod my head in agreement that I'm the counter type.
　Even in the fight with Rowe, if he had concentrated with all his might, he could have won by counters alone. If I hadn't been greedy and gone for the counter, I would have been able to see that Amber was aiming for the shaking leg, or I would have been able to take countermeasures just before the attack.
　If I had taken my time, I would have been healed by regeneration, but I wasn't trying to defeat amber.
　In the end, I guess I was in a hurry and made a bad decision.

　Even though I had been using it for about two days, I wasn't really attached to the "bare-knuckle fighting" skill.

'You have good eyesight, good intuition and reflexes, and a body that can move freely as you imagine. If you can make predictions based on your experience and have the means to deal with them universally, there will only be a handful of beings who can attack you.

'A handful, for example?

'Someone who can use super wide area destruction magic, maybe.'

'Wow, ......'

　I guess there is such a thing.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.
　I'm not sure how to judge the damage, but I'm sure we'll be fighting against more magic in the future, including magic like the extremely fast spear of light.

You can take countermeasures against magic like I did, or you can destroy it before it starts. Besides, you can use Oni no Mai no Sanshiki as a countermeasure against magic. With or without countermeasures, though, it's always better to be careful with magic.

''《Mikagami no Mai》......, I think. I wonder how much more I need to increase my muscle strength to learn it.

'Hmm, I wonder...'

　Amber only smiled, but did not tell me when I would learn it or what the effect would be.
　The Water Mirror Dance, the Weeping Demon Dance, and the Child Dance. He told me the names of the remaining three forms, but I have no idea what they are.
　The only thing I know is that it seems to be a self-enhancing skill, just like the Rapture Dance and the Double-Edged Dance.

The more you fight, the more cards you will have in your hand, and the more experience you will have, the better your judgment will be. As you may have guessed, I've been able to use muscle strength instead of other statuses because of decades of experience and practice.

　He put his hand on my head and gave me an affectionate look.
　I feel itchy, but the heat from Amber's big hand feels good.

'Don't be in a hurry just because you have a promise to me or a promise to the demon gods. Take your time to get stronger. I'm still young and the demon gods have been sealed for hundreds of years, so it wouldn't hurt to make them wait a bit.

　Oddly enough, it was the same thing that Shaken had said.
　Although Shugomi had said that Amber must have understood, the two demons had agreed so much that it was tempting to say that they were actually connected behind the scenes.
　I don't know how long it will take me to reach their realm.
　I don't know how long it will take me to reach their realm, but they don't want to rush me.


　Then you should enjoy it in your own way.

'Besides, there's no point in you becoming strong on your own. We need a lot of friends to make our wishes come true. So I'm going back to the demon village. It seems that some of your people have already arrived, so I'll ask for their help again.

'Yes, they were all good people.

　The players I interacted with on the demon tribe forums yesterday. They gave me so much information that it was a shame I hadn't looked into it before.
　Well, it seemed more like a chat room than a message board, but ...... it's not anonymous, so maybe it's inevitable.


I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

　As the conversation came to a close, I suddenly remembered what I had said to Drunkard about Amber's special move.

I was surprised to find out where he got it from: ...... Or maybe it was Onijin-sama.

　Amber, perhaps not expecting me to talk about the end of the ceremony, froze with a slightly surprised expression on her face, and then came out of her rigidity as if she was satisfied.

'Before I came here, I talked to you a little.

'...... It's like you're ridiculing the goal I've spent my life trying to achieve.'

'Heh.'

　What Amber said was so righteous that I had to laugh and cover it up.

'The final ceremony of the demon dance is. It is a profound technique of the devil's dance that appears at the same time as the fifth ceremony. The name of the dance is named after the dancer without exception, and the content of the technique is not known until it is revealed. It is said to be a mirror of the dancer's life.

'So, in Amber's case, it's the "Amber Dance"?

'Yes, it does. By the way, in answer to your question earlier, my closing ceremony is, roughly speaking, a one-hit kill.

'Oh, ......, that's right.

　In a sense, it is the most suitable technique for Amber, who has all the strength in her muscles.
　That's the reason why she's called 'Breaking the Castle'.

'I'll show you next time. I don't know what will happen if I hit her now.

'Yes, you're right. I think that's a good idea.

　As a person who has been attacked by Amber in the flesh, the special move of a monster with super strength that can destroy everything just by hitting a normal person gives me the chills.
　At the very least, it would wipe out the mini-arena, and if not, Trillia would be in trouble. I'm afraid of how many people will get caught up and die. ......

'Oh, that's right. I have a message from the demon god.''

'What?

　A lot of things were blown away by the sudden mock battle, but I remembered that I had a message from Shugomi.
　I can't call him by his name in front of Amber, so I'll just call him Onijin-sama.

'I'm looking forward to meeting you,' he said.

　After he said that, Amber stopped thinking completely.


　Amber, you're surprisingly vulnerable to the unexpected, aren't you?


☆


　The thawed amber patted me on the head one last time and left the mini arena without saying a word.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it.

　I secretly saved the screenshot and sat down on the edge of the bed to straighten my still shaky vision, wondering if that was the reaction of a fan who met an idol.