To Be a Power in the Shadows! Chapter 31: Can You Keep Up With Me?

If someone asks who is the strongest in the academy, a year ago, the unanimous answer would have been Iris Midgar.

But after she graduated, the seat of the ruler of the academy became empty.

Or so everyone had thought.

But the next ruler appeared out of the blue.

In a way that no one expected, a person that no one had expected came to reign over the entire Midgar Magic Swordsman Academy from the very top as the absolute ruler.

Her name is Rose Oriana.

She is an exchange student from Oriana Kingdom, the ‘country of art.’ She is also the daughter of Raffaello Oriana, king of said country.

Oriana Kingdom is allied with Midgar Kingdom, and her study abroad had been planned for a long time. But it’s just that no one had imagined a princess of the country of arts to become the top ruler in the Midgar Magic Swordsman Academy.

Well, frankly speaking, whether it was expected or not means absolutely nothing to me.

The problem is that my opponent for the first round of the Senbatsu Tournament is exactly that Rose Oriana.

There is of course the option to just withdraw.

Hyoro is bedridden after the ‘talk’ with that upperclassman.

Jaga is under house arrest after being caught trespassing into the girls’ dorm.

In other words, there’s no one to stop me from finding a random excuse to not participate in the tournament.

But when I thought about it more, I realized one thing: to lose in an unsightly manner to the school’s absolute ruler in the first round of a tournament, doesn’t that seem really mob-like?

Yep, it’s definitely mob-like!

Perish the very thought of withdrawing!

As a mob, I have the duty to show the world how a mob loses in a mob-like way.

And so, here I am, drawing my sword in front of the huge audience.

Standing before me is Rose Oriana.

With her elegant honey-colored rolls, her fashionable battle clothes, and her thin sword.

She has a soft-looking face, and first class style, and is anyways very chic.

As expected of the country of art.

Furthermore, on top of being an exchange student and a second-year, she is also the current Student Council President.

Due to her looks, her strength, and her popularity, the cheering in the venue has already reached incredible levels.

Not a single person is shouting my name.

A small part of me thinks “support your home country’s side!” but eh, whatever.

This is exactly the stage of a mob.

It is the best.

My sword is clattering audibly.

Have I ever been this nervous in a fight?

What is requested here is not a simple ending where victory, murder, and even dust is vaporized into a cloud.

What is requested here is my mob-like defeat.

What does it mean to be mob-like?

This question steps into the realm of philosophy.

But there is no need for worry.

For the sake of this day, I have perfected the ‘Forty-Eight Mob-Style Secret Techniques.’

“Rose Oriana versus Sid Kagenou!!”

The referee announces our names.

Rose’s ice-blue eyes and my mob-like eyes clash in a shower of sparks.

Oh, Rose Oriana.

Can you keep up with me?

In this battle against…… a mob who has reached the utmost limits!

“Fight!!”

The instant the fight starts, Rose’s thin sword dances.

It draws a sharp, beautiful arc headed straight for my chest.

A normal mob would not even be able to see this attack.

I can see it.

I can, but…… I choose not to react.

I must not display even a hint of a reaction.

Why? Because I’m a mob.

I will not move even a muscle until the instant the sword makes contact with my chest.

The swords being used in this tournament all have their blades dulled, but taking a head on blow would still lead to quite significant injuries.

Her thin sword stabs my chest.

That instant, I spring into action.

Without showing any outward indication of moving, I fly backwards with only the strength of my toes, and incorporate the pushing power of her sword to add a spin to my flight.

Furthermore, I secretly take out a packet of blood that I had collected yesterday, and break it.

All this happened in less than a fraction of an instant.

I am sent flying backwards with a tailspin while spraying blood like a fountain.

“PegyoOOEEEEEEeeeeEEE!!”

The red tornado of blood paints a beautiful picture in the air.

Mob-Style Secret Technique: ‘Tailspin Bloody Tornado’

Then I crash into the ground, bounce once, then roll across the stage.

A huge roar of cheering shakes the arena.

“Gu, guhah, voeeEEee!”

Then I break another pack of blood and pretend to vomit out its contents.

PERFECT!

Every single person in the venue is believing thoroughly in my mob-ness. Not a single person is doubting it.

I feel a strong urge to smile ear to ear at my full score performance, but I push it down.

Because this is not over yet.

It is not over yet.

“Gegeh, gehoOOoooOOOO!!”

I spend 10 more seconds pretending to struggle to stand up while near death.

Indeed…… there are still 47 techniques left in the Mob-Style Secret Techniques!

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Why, how, is he standing back up?

Rose Oriana shudders at the boy who keeps standing up again and again no matter how many times he falls.

He is covered with blood from head to toe, and it seems doubtful whether he can even swing his sword properly anymore.

He is no shape to be fighting. Or rather, the fact that he can still stand is already a miracle.

Rose’s sword may be thin, but it is by no means light. Though the blade is dulled, the magic imbued into it is real.

It is very possible to render someone incapable of further combat with just a single strike.

However.

How many times has this boy eaten her attack?

It is not only once or twice.

Despite having been bathed by her attacks for more than 10 times, still he stands back up with persistent fighting will.

Why is he going to such lengths?

Even though his physical body must have already exceeded its limits, his eyes are still not dead.

They are vividly telling her that there is still so much more that he wants to do.

Rose is incredibly impressed at his figure.

Exactly how much emotion did this boy bring with him when he stepped onto this stage?

He has a reason why he absolutely cannot lose.

There is no comparing the difference in strength between Rose and him. There isn’t even a one in a million chance of him winning.

In spite of that, he does not give up.

His burning eyes are glaring at Rose.

It’s not over yet.

It’s not over yet, with only this little.

Rose can only sigh in admiration at the sight of him surpassing the limits of his body through his unbending will, continuously challenging an opponent that he can never win.

In Rose’s heart is profound respect for this boy, Sid Kagenous, but also a deep apology to him.

At the start, she had looked down on him, thinking him an easy opponent that she can quickly defeat.

Indeed, it might be true that in a fight of only sword mastery, he wouldn’t last even one second against her.

However, in the fight of the heart – this is Rose’s complete defeat.

“The next one will be the end.”

Which is why Rose decides to quickly end this.

If this continues, he would probably continue standing up until he really dies.

She doesn’t want to kill this boy of such promise.

The cheering in the arena has stopped some time ago.

Everyone is creeped out by him.

Rose imbues more magic into her sword than she has for any other strike today.

The air vibrates, and the audience buzzes.

However, even so.

“As I’d thought – you still won’t give up.”

His eyes are burning with searing flames.

There isn’t even a shred of fear towards her coming attack. There is only an infinite amount of fighting will in his eyes.

In which case, then she has no choice but to go all out.

Rose’s sword begins to hum, but at that moment.

“STOP!! STAND DOWN, THE MATCH IS OVER!”

The referee interrupts and declares the match to be over. It is because he determined that it would be dangerous if he allowed things to proceed any further.

Rose sighs with relief.

However, it is the opposite for the boy.

“What! But I still have thirty three left……”

His eyes are still conveying that he can still fight.

“Winner, ROSE ORIANA!!”

Thunderous applause falls upon Rose.

Rose shakes her hand in response, then bows deeply towards the crumpling Sid Kagenou.