Surviving a Shounen Manga - Chapter 61

Hit and be hit.

That was how my fight against Bayar Khan could be summed up.

I hit him, he hit me back, and this just went on and on in circles.

If it were just a simple contest of power, that’d be one thing, but there was one problem I hadn’t considered.

That my opponent was a woman.

Yes, Bayar Khan was controlling the body from the inside, but he was in still the form of the princess.

Why was this a problem? Simple. Because it wasn’t a very beautiful scene to see me, a ‘big, tough guy’, slap around ‘a slender, frail woman’ – although that was merely her outward appearance.

And I had a very large audience.

The ‘shounen manga’ genre has a rather conservative side, befitting its name as a genre meant for boys. It pursues a certain form, uses certain archetypes for its characters, leaves out some unsuitable characters and scenes, and has some specific expectations on reader feedback.

In other words, what if a character who isn’t a villain, who follows the path of the just, is shown performing villainous deeds?

I didn’t have the guts to try and find out.

Moreover, right now, the readers didn’t even have sufficient explanation to easily understand the current situation. They had no idea why the princess had suddenly changed her tone and voice, or why she was staring at me like a starving wolf while shouting some nonsense about Bayar Khan.

In such a vague and incomprehensible situation, I’d start to fight against a woman who’d been my colleague a few scenes ago? Say goodbye to your suspension of disbelief. These kind of battles that came out of the blue, without any foreshadowing, were a sure recipe for breeding alienation and displeasure among the fanbase.

And really, this wasn’t a situation where I could stare at the air and shout out an explanation for the invisible audience, right?

Therefore,

“Ka ha ha! Little fellow! Stop running away like a mouse!”

“D-don’t… don’t push out your chest when you shout!”

“Again with your stupid nonsense!”

Bang!

It wasn’t easy for me to go all out as he demanded.

I sighed softly as I saw him smash the huge rock in his way with one simple punch.

This was a really unexpected variable.

Do it wrong, and I’d be subject to that unreasonable power without even resisting.

Just then,

“Eeeih, this isn’t funny. Are you trying to stall and make me run out of power?”

Bayar Khan clicked his tongue as if the circumstances weren’t pleasant for him either.

“Haah… by the way, do you have any ability that reveals your true self?”

“What? Reveal?”

Then,

“Tch, no way, you mean you… you can’t fight properly because I’m now in the princess’ body? What, you can’t hit a girl?”

Bayar Khan crossed his arms and looked at me, dissatisfied.

And this was a very fortunate turn of events for me. Since the person in question themselves said it out loud, my burden eased. Now the readers would be like, ‘Ah, there must’ve been a reason he was running away all this time!’ Although, they might still disagree with how I went about it.

“No, more than that… first of all, you look too small! Isn’t this a foul? Right? Whoever sees it will curse at me! Call me a big villain who does bad things!”

I vehemently spewed out my objections as the opportunity arose.

Of course, it would’ve been nice to tack on some additional explanations, but I refrained. It was tricky to balance it all.

“No, nobody’s even here right now… ugh, and you call yourself a warrior! A warrior should be able to kill his enemies regardless of their appearance!”

Even as Bayar Khan said that, he seemed to be contemplating something.

Soon after,

“I can’t fully embody myself. But… it’s possible to cover this body with a ghostly form. What, would that work?”

What a quick turnaround.

Although he was scolding me being affected by appearances, somehow, he seemed to have had a similar experience in the past. Since he responded so agreeably.

“Really, if you could do that, you should’ve done it from the start! Do it right now!”

“Ehh, what a bother. It’s just a waste of energy.”

A steam-like substance began rising from the princess’ whole body.

And it immediately condensed into the form of a human being, more realistic and well-defined than I’d expected. It was almost as if the princess had been swallowed by a ghost.

And the ghost was so huge and ferocious-looking that there was no way it could’ve been modelled after an actual human being. Anybody would think of it as an evil spirit at a single glance.

“Hey, aren’t you embellishing a little too much? Does it really need to look so big and vicious?”

“What’re you talking about?! Didn’t you want me to look like how I did when I was alive?”

“Eh, really?”

This was surprising, if true. The ghost was the size of nothing short of an elephant. The anecdotes passed down with his legend might really all be true instead of exaggerations, I thought.

Anyway, the scene was set much better this time.

I should be able to cut loose a bit.

“Let’s do it properly, then.”

“Ka ha ha! Less talk!”

I and the princess, covered in ghostly armour, collided.

Bang–!

“You, little fellow…”

Surprise and bewilderment, were followed by nothing but admiration.

Bayar Khan looked at the man in front of him with new eyes.

Squatjaw.

Truly, this man was worthy of being called the first close rival he’d met since losing his body.

From the start of the fight –

Bayar Khan had rushed at him with abandon, and Squatjaw had also promptly returned the favour.

‘Whoo…’

He could tell from the impact on his body.

This bastard’s blows were heavy.

Even when he’d started using his fists and feet with more than half his strength, he’d been blocked easily.

If he aimed a knifehand strike at the opponent’s neck, the shoulders and arms were raised to defend, and if he tried a knee strike to the belly, crossed hands blocked it before he could connect.

Rather than avoiding his attacks, his opponent was looking for opportunities to counterattack, ignoring all attacks to non-vital areas.

It was truly a tactic suitable for a fight.

Furthermore,

“Bastard! Martial arts?”

Although they were clumsy, Squatjaw often used fighting moves that had to have originated from martial arts.

When Bayar Khan tried to attack the legs to break his posture, Squatjaw parried quite skillfully, his weight properly centred on the back foot.

In addition, he had some understanding of how to distinguish true moves from feints, and how to match the enemy’s striking power. This wasn’t possible without deeper understanding of the martial forms, and he had to have devoted more than a little while to martial arts training.

The only strange part was that Squatjaw sometimes made very basic mistakes.

While blocking properly, he’d suddenly make a sloppy movement, or while taking distance, his feet would get tangled up and stagger.

And he couldn’t seem to be able to defend against sleeve or collar grabs at all.

Overall, he gave an extraordinarily weird impression in a fight.

Despite being familiar with martial arts, he lacked the basics, and sometimes tried clever movements that came out sloppy. Rather than knowing a technique and intentionally using it, he often moved as if the techniques had been ingrained in his body. It was like dealing with a martial arts master who’d lost his memory.

Even for Bayar Khan who’d faced off against countless people in his lifetime, this was a fresh experience. Did this guy really have amnesia, or should he simply interpret it as having a natural combat sense?

Still, the fight was more of a disappointment than a surprise. It didn’t feel like the tempo was intensifying. It was more like they were playing a wrestling game in the mud, bogging each other down.

It wasn’t about ability. The problem was attitude.

Contrary to his appearance, this bastard used his head too much. Defence was fine, but every attack came with a sense of constant hesitation.

Whereas Bayar Khan’s fighting style was all about sacrificing his flesh to cut the enemy’s bone, Squatjaw’s overcautious style was the worst match-up for that. Every time he really pushed in, he could feel his opponent retreat right away.

‘How tiring.’

But it wasn’t like he couldn’t understand Squatjaw at all. They had some common points. There was a reason why Bayar Khan had never duelled with a woman in his entire life.

So,

“Bastard! Shit! Let’s rather have a power showdown!”

He changed the rules.

To a contest of pure strength.

And the moment their hands clasped each other and began to struggle, Bayar Khan finally found the satisfaction he’d been seeking.

“Hey, this kid!”

This was it. This was what he wanted.

A force strong enough to tear through a rock like a piece of paper, pressing against his fingertips.

Enough power to make him feel a hint of threat, after a long, long time.

Bayar Khan laughed.

He’d thought all his rivals dust in the wind, but was one not here?

“Ka ha ha! Is this your true strength? Absurd! You’re making this little girl cry!”

“Think about your own size before you say that! Hell, that’s not even your body! You ghost!”

“I guess you do have the strength to match your cheek!”

A huge force erupted between the two hands clasping each other.

Craaack!

The stone floor dented, and a shockwave boomed out with them at its centre.

Yet Bayar Khan did not stop, and only pushed harder and harder. To suppress the momentum of this cheeky bastard.

But –

‘Heh… I’m only ahead by a thin margin.’

Squatjaw’s body did got pushed back a few inches, but he was still standing strong.

It was hard to believe even after seeing it with his own two eyes and feeling it against his own body. The power of this guy was just that great.

“Are you enduring it? It doesn’t make any sense! All my life, nobody ever managed to match more than half my strength!”

Letting out a roar, Bayar Khan put forth even more of his latent power.

Ever since meeting Thermis, he’d never used this much power. Because this body couldn’t withstand such a level of strength.

And yet –

“Alright, I admit it. You’re a little strong, old gentleman. But…”

The bastard didn’t move. Surprisingly, he couldn’t make him move.

No, rather, this guy –

“I wasn’t giving it my all, y’know?”

“W-, what!?”

That was then.

“What?!”

– Started to push him back. He was now the one being pushed back. Because Squatjaw’s strength had suddenly skyrocketed.

Bayar Khan’s pupils trembled.

‘Y-, you were holding back?’

Both his legs had already sunk into the ground. The stony surface, unable to withstand the pressure, was being crushed like mud.

And that wasn’t the end. His body was getting pushed down, further and further.

No, he’d gotten stuck.

“Eeeh…?”

“Whoo! Now, time for you to admit it…”

“W-, what do you mean!”

“What do I mean?”

Squatjaw flashed a grin.

“Your defeat.”

And then –

“W-, wait… Wait a minute!”

The sight of that squat jaw seemed to cover the sky.

…

The outcome was clear.

He was nailed down to the ground.

Unable to break free, he was pressed down even further.

‘Huh, how could this…’

Pressed down by brute force.

Of course, it wasn’t just a matter of power. Even he had had to exert such power several times in his lifetime. But it was impossible while he was in this body.

But what did that matter?

He was defeated. The Khan of the great Skull Empire was defeated. Bayar Khan, was defeated!

“Ka, ka ha ha… ka ha ha ha ha!”

Somehow, he could only laugh. It was absurd and disappointing.

Still, the spell of surprise and self-pity didn’t last long.

Because,

With a bang–.

A clod of dirt was thrown at his head, the only part of him that was sticking out of the ground.

“Noisy.”

“…”

Bayar Khan couldn’t help but roar.

“Hey, stop trying to bury me, you son of a bitch!”

Actually, I’d done a little trick to help myself.

[Power Growth].

It was the unique ability of a guy called ‘Jimmy’, an extra who was scheduled to appear in the future, and it literally increased the user’s power at the moment of activation.

The name alone was reminiscent of Karl Zayed’s [Unstoppable Growth], but in reality, it wasn’t in the same league. It simply increased ‘strength’, and only by a moderate amount.

Perhaps in the ‘unique ability category’ in the shop, it’d rank among the cheapest?

Still, it had one advantage – that there were no outward signs when it was activated.

To be honest, I’d been forced to do it.

I’d already reached my limit, but the grandpa still seemed to have a lot of energy left.

So, I could only mimic it in secret. Because I couldn’t afford to lose.

I didn’t think I was being a coward. Frankly, from my point of view, I had a sneaking suspicion that thisthat ghost grandpa was using not only his own power but also the princess’.

Since it was 2vs1, what’s wrong with using an ability or two?

Therefore, I was able to be proudly meet that dissatisfied gaze.

“What’re you looking at?”

“…”

“What, hmm? Embarrassed?”

“You bastard… you’re strong.”

“And that’s news?”

“You’re stronger than I thought.”

“Well, I’m glad you know now. Don’t babble about attacking me in the future…”

That was then.

“I’m going to go to you.”

“… Go ‘to’?”

“The strength in this fragile body of this little girl isn’t enough. Not even half my power came out! So this match is invalid.”

I was nonplussed.

“Uh… aren’t you the princess’ unique ability? Like a ghost summoned by the princess…”

The old ghost snorted and laughed.

“What’re you talking about? This is [Ghostform], my unique ability.”

“… [Ghostform]? Aren’t you dead?”

“That’s right. I had this ability before I became a ghost. Of course, I thought it was useless when I was alive.”

“…”

He was truly an absurd character.

What kind of an unique ability let you possess people like a ghost after you were dead?

“Wake up from your foolish dream. Because I have no intention of giving up my body to you.”

“Heh, do you think that’ll work out for you?”

But even as he said that, he didn’t really look very energetic.

And in fact, I knew. That he won’t leave the princess.

“You, just stay in there. It’s not a bad body. And… aren’t you two pretty close?”

He didn’t answer right away.

But after a moment of silence –

“… I’d been thinking of leaving.”

He slowly spoke.

“Why?”

“I thought it might be because of me, that this kid hasn’t unlocked her own unique ability.”

Bayar Khan said that the princess possessed qualities superior to anyone else, but for some reason her unique ability was not yet unlocked. Even though it wouldn’t have been strange if that power had manifested from her birth.

He then said something extraordinary.

“Squatjaw, please help me.”

“Eh? What?”

“Help me bring out her unique ability.”

It sounded crazy.

“Me? What’s this all of a sudden?”

“Yeah, I have a good feeling. I feel like you can do something about it.”

“… Haah.”

A good feeling, huh?

Of course, I thought maybe I really could help. I didn’t know about this ghost grandpa, but as far as supporting characters went, I had in-depth knowledge of when and in what situation they could awaken.

Still, I didn’t feel very motivated.

“Why do I have to…”

“I’ll pay you back. By helping when you need me.”

“Yes?”

“I mean I’ll lend you my power when you need it.”

“Your power? But it’s not something to write home about, is it…”

Then –

“You cheeky bastard! Do you think I was lying, when I said this girl’s body is so weak that I can’t use my power properly?! Even if I’m a ghost, you’ve got no idea how strong I really am!”

Bayar Khan roared in a frenzy.

Whoops, this ghost grandpa had a real quick temper.

“And? What else have you got?”

“I’m not bragging, but there’s no place in all of Eastland out of my reach. There’s no place I haven’t touched. If you ever need it… you’ll be able to get help from anywhere on this continent.”

“… Oh, really.”

This was a bit tempting.

Of course, this old gentleman wasn’t a bastion of reliability, so I had to take that into account.

“Then let’s hear it. I need to make some plans, anyhow.”

“Huh? What?”

“Talk about the Warrior’s Path. This might be a good opportunity, now that I think about it.”

“Hey… so you’ve already started thinking about it. Kid, unlike how you look, you’re unexpectedly diligent.”

“As if you’re the one to talk about looks! Let’s talk about the last obstacle. Since you were the Khan once, you must know the inside story, at least a bit?”

Then,

“’At least a bit’? I made this! You won’t find another expert who knows as much as me.”

This isn’t you blowing hot air again, right?

“Oh, sounds great.”

“But I don’t know the exact details. It changes every time.”

“…”

What the hell, old man?

“But, of course, I can do some pattern analysis.”

“Hmm… fine, let’s hear it.”

“It’s simple. At its core, the Warrior’s Path is basically a test of your perseverance, courage, and will. And on top of that…”

It was frustrating.

‘Do you have to start from the very basics of the concept…?’

That was how I was educated about the purpose, direction, and overall goal of the Warrior’s Path.

For five straight hours.

“…”

Bayar Khan talked enough for us both.

The next morning.

The Warrior’s Path, the day of the finals.

– The first obstacle of the final round is simple. Set out on horseback and arrive at your destination, the ‘Maroon Mountain’, within three days. As long as you arrive on time, you pass. Please note, however, that you must arrive with a horse.

As the guide said, the obstacle itself was no big deal.

All you have to do is ride a horse and get to the destination.

The tricky bit was to take care of your horse, I supposed?

Still, I felt a tad puzzled.

“Then, let’s go.”

“Uh, yes… but this…”

The benefit of passing the qualifiers with high marks was pretty bare-bones.

The right to start ahead of others.

But the problem was –

“Hey… come on, huh?”

My horse wouldn’t budge.

It wasn’t a problem with my horsemanship skill.

I’d practiced hard on the way to the capital, and I’d even bought a background, [Apprentice Racetrack Jockey], just in case.

There was only one possible cause.

The swamp that loomed in the distance. Other than that, there wasn’t really anything that could’ve made the horse stop in its tracks.

To be honest, it did look ominous.

‘Are you only thinking of going back…?’

Even if I tried to move to the side instead of marching forward, he still wouldn’t move. Apparently only a backward retreat was acceptable.

That was then –

“You aren’t starting? Then I’ll go first.”

“Uh, er… wait!”

The princess slapped her horse on the rump. She’d also lifted the ‘elephant’, so she was in the lead group, same as me.

Then, to my surprise, that ‘cheeky black horse’ of hers began to march forward. He also flinched once or twice, but progressed vigorously nonetheless.

In stark contrast to how my mount was behaving.

“Haah… tsk.”

Anyway, I stopped thinking.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t send the princess off by her lonesome.

I knew. That there was something lurking in our path, waiting.

There was only one way I could think of on such short notice.

“… What a bother.”

Whinny–!

With the horse on my shoulder, I started running after the princess.