Chapter 247 Interlude: Amanda ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I face off against the female bandit calling herself Amanda.
Her height… she’s probably about 190cm. She towers over me. It’s not just her height; her muscles are incredible, too. But that massive frame is a double-edged sword. The second-floor hallway is only about 1.2 meters wide-barely enough for two people to pass without their shoulders brushing.
On the other hand, my weapon is the real bottleneck here. Even for a short spear, there’s zero room to swing it. My only option is to thrust. Looking at the situation, I’m the one at a disadvantage.
That said… I’ve already talked a big game. I have no intention of losing.
I lead with my right side and level my spear. Amanda also flashes a fearless grin and readies her tonfas¹. People sometimes treat tonfas like gimmick weapons, but in the States, they’re used in place of nightsticks. They’re the ultimate versatile tool-perfect for striking, perfect for defending.
”Here I gooo!” Amanda shouted.
She closes the distance and throws a left straight. I barely manage to dodge it with a backstep. She’s unexpectedly quick for her size.
”Heh, not bad,” Amanda said. “But how about this!”
A left-right rush. I can just barely read her movements, but if she connects, I’m finished. Honestly, I’m not capable of those “paper-thin” dodges like Natsu or Mihiro, so I have to throw my whole body into every evasion.
”Ora ora! What’s wrong?” Amanda taunted. “You’ll never take me down if you just keep dodging!”
She sure talks a lot of crap. But…
Her attack patterns are easy to read. Left, left, right, left hook, then a right upper. That’s her whole sequence. No feints, no nothing.
”Oraaa!” Amanda yelled.
A right upper. The motion is so telegraphed that the opening is just as huge. I avoid it with a sway-back, step in with my right foot, and thrust.
”Ooh! …Hehe, close one,” Amanda muttered.
She parries my thrust with the tonfa in her left hand. But my spearwork isn’t so soft that it stops there. I unleash a high-speed barrage of thrusts, targeting her face, throat, heart, solar plexus, and navel.
”Whoa, wait-too fast! Dammit!” Amanda cursed.
Dodging and parrying, Amanda takes a huge leap back to put distance between us. I have no intention of letting her escape. I try to close the gap.
”Heh, get long!” Amanda cried.
”Eh? Gafuh!?” I gasped.
The tonfa extended and caught me squarely in the solar plexus. I double over from the sheer pain. I can’t even breathe.
”Ugh, cough, uge… ugu…” I wheezed.
Fortunately, I didn’t throw up. But what was that? Isn’t an extending weapon cheating?
”Sorry, kid. My gear is a custom job,” Amanda said, spinning the weapon. “If I pump mana into it, I can make it grow. Like this!”
”Gah!?” I cried out.
She lands a blow while I’m pinned. It catches me right in the face. It hit my forehead instead of my eyes or nose, so I’m lucky, but… this is bad.
It’s a cramped space and we both have our hang-ups… but the reach is completely in her favor. Even if I dodge, the other one will just extend the moment I try to get close. If there’s any saving grace, it’s that it doesn’t have lethal power. It hurts like hell, though.
I use my spear as a crutch to stagger to my feet. But because I took those hits directly, my legs are shot. Anticipating this, Amanda rushes in and delivers a heavy body blow. I can’t dodge; I take the full force of the impact. I reflexively drop my spear and double over, about to collapse, but Amanda grabs my right hand and dangles me in the air.
”Ugh, ngh… let… go…” I managed to say.
”You’re joking,” Amanda laughed. “I’m going to make you suffer now. Oraaa! Ora ora, oraaa!”
Amanda curls her lip in a sadistic grin and punches me in the stomach over and over. It’s a brutal, relentless hara-pan².
”Agu! Ka, hah… haguu!” I cried.
”You sure cry out in a cute voice,” Amanda said. “I’ll keep off the face for the sake of what comes later, but I’m gonna wreck you so hard you won’t be able to keep food down for a week.”
”Don’t… mess with… gefu! Hau! U, guuu!” I groaned.
The bandits watching from a distance erupt in cheers. At this rate, those guys are going to gang-rape me. I turn my eyes toward Natsu.
”Haa,” Natsu sighed.
He’s actually sighing. I wonder if he’s disgusted by my pathetic display. Besides, I once grandly betrayed Natsu. It wouldn’t be strange if he just abandoned me here. But I really, really don’t want to be violated by anyone other than Natsu. Still, after being punched in the stomach so many times, I have no strength left.
”Ah, hagu, u… I’m sorry, Goshujin-sama,” I whispered. “I got all worked up trying to show off, and now I’m a mess. I wouldn’t blame you if you were disappointed. Kafu!”
”…Reese, I believe I gave you an order,” Natsu said coldly. “I told you that even if it’s unsightly, you must win by any means necessary. How long do you plan to keep playing at being a warrior? Especially when your opponent is a bandit who doesn’t understand reason. Do you really think things like ‘fair and square’ apply here?”
Even seeing me like this, Natsu tells me to win. I want to ask him “How?” in this state, but surprisingly, his eyes seem to say he’s certain I’ll win. Haha, to think Natsu hasn’t given up on me even though I’ve given up on myself.
”Reese, what is your Class?” Natsu asked. “You’ve still got more tricks up your sleeve, don’t you?”
His words snap me back to reality. My current Class isn’t a Warrior. Well, it is a warrior-type, but I’m not a warrior who can’t use sorcery. I’m a Demonic Wolf Knight³.
Using my left hand, which I can still move freely, I touch Amanda.
”Ha! What do you think you’re doing at this late hour?” Amanda sneered.
”Haa, kuu… ‘Weakness’…” I muttered.
The Skill I gained by becoming a Demonic Wolf Knight is ‘Cursed Spirit Magic’… a Skill that allows me to learn hexes and that sort of sorcery. If mastered, I could even manipulate the dead like Necromancy. Because of that, people call it impure and hate it. That said, what I can use now isn’t anything that grand. At most, I can weaken someone.
It’s called a hex, but it’s not a true curse like Natsu’s; it’s mainly for interference… a debuff. For example, ‘Chain Bind’ is a spell that uses mana chains to restrain an opponent. And the ‘Weakness’ I just used weakens Physical attributes-basically the exact opposite of a reinforcement spell.
Normally, reinforcement spells can only be cast on yourself. ‘Boost’ is a spell that circulates your internal mana through your body, strengthening it and pushing it to the absolute limit. It’s basically drawing out “hysterical strength” at all times. As for ‘Weakness’, it’s a spell anyone can do once they understand the principle-you just flow your own mana into the target.
Mana is unique to each person, much like a fingerprint. What happens if you take that mana and flow it into someone else without filtering it?
”Huh? My strength… it’s gone,” Amanda said, her grip loosening.
It triggers a rejection reaction, and her Physical attributes tank. It’s the absolute basics of ‘Cursed Spirit Magic’, but the effect is immense. Really, I’m realizing all over again how important the basics are.
Anyway, now’s my chance. I cast ‘Boost’ on myself, swing my body like a pendulum, and deliver a knee kick to her midsection as payback! The drop in Physical attributes means her thick shield of muscle has weakened, too.
”Ha… kahah…!” Amanda gasped.
Because it hit her solar plexus dead-on, Amanda’s face twists in agony. She lets go of my hand, and as she hunches forward, I deliver a headbutt. Since I’m wearing a forehead protector, the headbutt slams into her face, right on her weak spot: the nose.
”Gugah! A, gu, a…” Amanda moaned.
Amanda writhes in pain and leans against the handrail. No matter how much toughness you have, you can’t just shrug off a hit to a vital point. Naturally, I’m not going to let up now. I leave the spear on the ground-it would only be a hindrance in such a cramped space-and jump, mounting Amanda as if I’m giving her a shoulder carry. Well, it’s nothing as peaceful as a shoulder carry. I lock her in a standing figure-four neck lock, constricting her airway and carotid artery with my thighs.
”Ha… gu… ku… get… off… let me go, damn it…” Amanda thrashed.
I grab both of Amanda’s arms as she struggles to peel me off and arch my body back. Our center of gravity shifts; at this rate, we’ll plunge headfirst into the lobby, but Amanda braces herself to avoid the fall.
”Crap! Save Ane-san⁴-begyah!?” a bandit cried.
Realizing Amanda is in trouble, one of the watching bandits readies his weapon and tries to charge us… and then his head flies off.
”Oi oi, don’t go doing anything boorish and interrupting a perfectly good view,” Natsu said.
It looks like Natsu decapitated the bandit with his whip-sword. Now there won’t be any unnecessary interruptions. To inflict even more suffering, I rock my body back and forth, heaving with every ounce of strength. Because I’m holding her hands, Amanda can’t peel me off and has no choice but to endure, until suddenly her strength drains away. She’s completely out. Since we were already leaning over the rail, we fall straight down into the lobby.
At this rate, I’ll go headfirst without being able to break my fall, so I release her hands and land in a handstand. I keep the figure-four neck lock applied the whole time.
Wait, this position… it’s that one, isn’t it? The Ro○in Special⁵.
I slam Amanda onto the floor just like that. There’s no sign… of her moving. I stand up and thrust my right fist into the air.
”I won-doh!” I shouted.
I raised a victory cry.
”How was that, Goshujin-sama! I won!”
”Yeah, you did,” Natsu replied. “And I got to see something good. Seriously, it was quite the magnificent view.”
Something good? Magnificent view?
I follow Natsu’s gaze to my chest, and there, completely bare and exposed, were my naked breasts.
”Man, the way they were bouncing tayun-tayun⁶ was truly wonderful,” Natsu remarked.
”…………Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?” I screamed.
I let out a shriek and crouched down to hide myself. It’s fine when we’re actually “doing it” because I’m prepared, but sudden stuff like this is seriously embarrassing! So embarrassing! Also, I was seen by people other than Natsu again! Well, they’re all dead now, though!
Apparently, my top got snagged and ripped off while Amanda was struggling and swinging her arms around. Tell me sooner, geez!
—
Summary:
Reese engages in a brutal hallway fight against the bandit leader Amanda. Despite being pummeled and nearly losing consciousness, Reese remembers her Demonic Wolf Knight abilities and uses a mana-interference hex to drain Amanda’s strength. She finishes the fight with a devastating wrestling move but ends the battle humiliated when she realizes her top was torn off during the struggle.
—
Trivia:
- The hallway’s narrowness (1.2m) was a key tactical element.
- Amanda’s weapons are mana-conductive tonfas that can extend in length.
- Reese’s ‘Weakness’ spell works by flowing foreign, unaligned mana into an opponent to trigger a biological rejection.
- The ‘Ro○in Special’ is a meta-reference to the manga Kinnikuman.
- Natsu watched the entire fight and the subsequent wardrobe malfunction without intervening or warning Reese
—
Character Insight:
Reese shows growth by moving past ‘pure warrior’ combat and embracing her hybrid magical class. Her internal conflict about her past betrayal of Natsu still weighs heavily on her, driving her desire to prove herself. Natsu demonstrates his ‘win at all costs’ philosophy, showing zero empathy for Reese’s physical suffering while assessing her tactical performance.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses this ‘Idle Talk’ chapter to transition Reese into a more proficient combatant while maintaining the light novel trope of fanservice-led comedy.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Amanda – Female bandit leader (Ane-san). 190cm tall, muscular build. Uses mana-extending tonfas. Becomes Orcus’s wife/servant after being defeated. Shows heavy tsundere traits. Known as Amanda of the Crimson Lotus. An Ogre-kin Mazoku with towering stature, bronze skin, red hair, and golden eyes with fangs and horns. Uses tonfas.
• Mihiro – Post-gender swap of Yuki Chihiro: Height 160 cm, B-W-H: 82-55-80. Futanari. Short haired black hair, handsome.
• Reese – Jessica’s sister. Described by Alice as a beautiful blonde lady. She was previously under the control of Sugita’s skill and left in a state of despair and exposure after the effect ended.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply