New chapter of Let’s Create a Dungeon is out! (2/3 chapters)
Short Story (8): Mock Battle with the Lizardmen
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The Demon King returned from Brant, and during the time before heading to the Empire, Rin had a mock battle with a Demon King who looked like him. The result was Rin’s crushing defeat. That result was enough to shock the Lizardmen. Rin was the strongest among the Lizardmen, and many admired him. Yet, when the Demon King used his Unique Skill and fought as an equal, Rin was crushed.
After the mock battle, the Demon King pointed out various things. One of the major points was the way of fighting. As a result of Alice’s training, the Lizardmen had come to prefer a style of combat that aimed for a single decisive blow, targeting areas such as the head or heart. However, this way of fighting was something only those with talent, like Alice or the Sword Saint, could manage, and there weren’t many Lizardmen with such talent.
Knowing this, the Demon King’s style of fighting during the mock battle was based on defense. Focusing on evasion and defense, the Demon King would target the opponent’s dominant leg when finding an opening, and when the opponent’s movement began to slow, he would shift to an offensive stance and aim for a strike when the opponent focused on defending their eyes. Legs, eyes, heart. The battle techniques gained under Alice, who believed “it’s fine as long as you can cut,” were different from this.
Another point that had a great impact was that Rin’s body was too stiff. The Lizardmen were confused as to what was wrong with being stiff and, after an explanation regarding joints, they finally understood what being stiff meant. However, they still doubted whether having more flexible joints would help in battle, but they silently nodded without speaking.
There were several other points raised, and a mental shift for the Lizardmen was initiated. As a result, there was a major change in the ranking of the Lizardmen. Until then, the spear-wielding Lizardmen commanders, who had occupied the top ranks due to their overwhelming reach, began to lose their positions to Lizardmen commanders who wielded a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, focusing on defense.
And finally, the mock battle against the Demon King was decided for the top ten. The reason for ten was out of consideration for the Demon King. They couldn’t force the Demon King to fight against all the Lizardmen, and Rin and Alice judged that it would be meaningless to have a mock battle while the Lizardmen were still weak. That night, they borrowed dice from Shiba, and the top ten decided the order of their mock battles. The Lizardmen surrounded them, like spectators at a show, and the excitement grew as one person rolled the dice.
In the midst of this excitement, the discussions centered around who would fight when, and what the mock battle would be like. And even though it seemed out of place, the topic of the Goblins led by Hide, who reported on the progress of their tasks, came up. Most of the discussions were about how they had seen the goblins resting for the first time. That day, it felt almost like a pre-festival, and after deciding the order, everyone went to bed. By the way, several Lizardmen were so excited that they couldn’t sleep.
—
“Eh? Ten people, including Rin?” (Nobunaga)
“Yes! We have carefully selected those with the most skill. …Is it too many? If so, we can reduce the number immediately.” (Lizardman)
The hardest decision in the task was deciding on the Lizardmen’s own victory over themselves. The Demon King, who had been planning to let Rin win and relax, now faced ten selected warriors.
And since the winner would receive a name, morale was high. The Demon King’s plan for a near-defeat fell apart here.
“It’s not a problem. However, let’s say… no more than two per day. Before training and after training. Is that acceptable?” (Nobunaga)
After the plan failed, the Demon King, internally disheartened, thought about possible responses from the Empire. He included thoughts like having them fight before their bodies were warmed up or after they were tired from training.
“Thank you very much. Then, let’s begin immediately. Hey! I believe it’s you, right?” (Nobunaga)
As per the order decided yesterday, the second strongest spear-wielder stepped forward.
The Demon King also transformed to match, and the surrounding Lizardmen all stepped back in unison.
The mock battle was a defensive-focused fight, and it turned into a rather dull battle without any decisive blows. They parried spears, dodged, and thrust. What seemed to be a battle of patience ended with a single strike.
Thinking defensively, the Demon King, who had been preparing several effective strikes against Rin, might have adopted a similar fighting style. One of them. The moment the opponent planted their foot, the Demon King took advantage of the slight opening, thrusting his spear into the ground to use it as a pole, performing a somersault and delivering a kick, known as the “Somersault Kick”. He thought that if he could surprise the opponent with a technique they hadn’t seen before, it would land, and at worst, it would shift the flow in his favor. However, this strike produced an unexpected result.
The opponent narrowly avoided the Somersault Kick, but the Lizardmen, with their tail, which could be considered a third leg, had their tail pass beautifully between the opponent’s legs. It became a one-hit kill. Even the Lizardman Commander, whose tough scales protected him, couldn’t withstand a blow to his vital point and collapsed, his eyes rolled back. Everyone who witnessed the scene was shocked.
After all, the Lizardman Commander, who had focused on defense, was defeated in a single blow. If they focused on attack, they would be crushed by the strong defense. And if they prioritized defense, they were easily defeated in a single strike. The Lizardmen were confused. What was the correct way to fight? Even after training, the confusion continued, and the fourth-ranked Lizardman Commander, who entered the mock battle, became mediocre in both attack and defense and was easily defeated.
Day two.
The ninth-ranked Lizardman Commander, equipped with a sword and shield, focused only on attacking with the sword and defending with the shield, but after successfully defending the sword attack, the shield’s strike was not avoided, and the position was disrupted, leading to a quick defeat.
After training, the third-ranked Lizardman Commander used the “Claw Fang” move, which used the tail as a spring to charge for a quick battle. However, because the Demon King had transformed and anticipated it, the strategy was easily countered, and the Lizardman was swiftly defeated.
Day three.
The Lizardmen were starting to feel the pressure, but they still hadn’t found a breakthrough. The tenth-ranked Lizardman Commander, who used an unfamiliar sword and shield, thought they could reverse the Demon King’s abilities, but the battle turned into a terrible one where they struggled with the weapons they weren’t accustomed to, and eventually, when they discarded both the sword and shield to fight with fists, the Demon King won.
After training, the fifth-ranked Lizardman Commander, challenged without weapons. Thinking they had lost previously due to a gap in their defenses, they chose the weaponless approach, which in the end turned out to be a mistake. The fight between a Lizardman Commander who didn’t know martial arts and one who did was one-sided. Stepping, boxing-like hit-and-run tactics were used, and when the opponent recklessly charged, the arms were grabbed and thrown, followed by a knee strike when they tried to rise. Everyone presents realized. They couldn’t win without weapons.
Day four.
That day, the greatness of the Demon King would be proven. The eighth-ranked Lizardman Commander was earnest. The first to begin using a sword and shield, he was the one who started researching the fighting style. Additionally, he had worked hard to make his joints more flexible. His efforts bore fruit that day. The initial encounter consisted of a few exchanges, just a test of strength. However, when the Demon King knocked away the opponent’s shield, the flow of the battle changed. It wasn’t with the sword. It wasn’t with the shield. It was with the tail. The Lizardman’s characteristic tail. For the first time, it was used as an attacking weapon.
Moreover, the eighth-ranked Commander, through his efforts to increase his joint flexibility, was able to move his tail further forward than other Lizardmen, with no blind spots. From there, the battle became one fought with a sword, shield, and tail, the three weapons. It was the first close battle, but after the shield was knocked away, the pain in the hand that had been injured during that time led to his eventual defeat. However, hope was born.
After training, the seventh-ranked Lizardman Commander eagerly challenged. The tail was the breakthrough. However, reality was cruel. Shortly after the battle began, the Demon King threw a spear, which caught the opponent off guard. Although the Lizardman managed to defend, it was already too late. The Demon King closed the distance, tackled the opponent, and took the mount position, thoroughly beating them.
Day five.
“Alice-sensei, is it really true that Maou-sama who transformed is an equal opponent to me?” (Rin)
Before the mock battle began, all the Lizardmen, including Rin, asked Alice. Considering the results of the mock battles so far, that question was inevitable.
“Equal rank. As for physical ability. In fact, the Demon King has defeated you all, but it’s not like he is breathing fire or flying. He is winning with the means you all are capable of.” (Alice)
“Then, why has there been such a series of defeats? The only close fight was yesterday.” (Rin)
If they were of equal rank, could it really be that they had been losing so badly? It seemed like a natural question, but Alice let out a sigh, seemingly in exasperation.
“Listen, the bodies are the same, but that’s all that’s the same, got it? Maou transforms into your bodies, but that doesn’t mean his consciousness disappears, okay? You are fighting not just your own self, but also the his consciousness added on top. Naturally, at first, he has the advantage.” (Alice)
At Alice’s words, the Lizardmen murmured. The opponent they had thought to be of equal rank was actually of a higher rank.
“So, doesn’t that mean we can’t win?” (Lizardman)
“Of course not. The Sword Saint (Master) has beaten the Demon King.” (Alice)
Though it was only a few times, everyone had seen the mock battle between the Demon King and the Sword Saint and knew the outcome. In each case, the Demon King initially had the upper hand, but the Sword Saint gradually pushed back and won. So, was there an answer hidden in there? Everyone puzzled over it, but no answer came. Growing impatient with the Lizardmen’s continued thinking, Alice pointed to Rin.
“Rin, which is stronger, your current self or your self from yesterday?” (Alice)
“Of course, my current self.” (Rin)
“Then, which is stronger, your self after swinging the sword a thousand times or your self before that?” (Alice)
“Of course, the self who swung the sword a thousand times.” (Rin)
“You understand, don’t you? Then, the answer should be clear.” (Alice)
Contrary to her words, the Lizardmen tilted their heads. Where was the answer?
“Don’t get it? Maou becomes the same form as you. However, that’s the version of yourself from a little while ago. Rin, you said that your current self is stronger than your self from yesterday. At first, he might have an advantage because of more knowledge. But after swinging the sword a thousand times, your current self would be stronger, right? If you exchanged a few blows, you should be the stronger one. If you think that way, there’s no reason to lose. Losing in the first place is strange.” (Alice)
The Lizardmen were stunned, as if scales had fallen from their eyes, at Alice’s words. The Demon King, watching from a distance, observed with cold eyes. While thinking that the logic was flawed. There was no way they could become that strong in a single day. Like their height, what could be gained in a single day was an imperceptibly small amount. It was only through time that it accumulated and could finally be felt. Turning a little effort into strength was impossible for anyone who was not an extraordinary being like the Sword Saint.
However, not all of Alice’s words were wrong. Her last statement about “there’s no reason to lose” gave the Lizardmen confidence. The Demon King’s abilities, for better or worse, match their physical abilities. That’s why the Demon King had been winning by exploiting their lack of intelligence and using unconventional attacks. However, if these strategies were countered, the battle would come down to pure skill. If physical abilities were equal, then the next factor would be mental strength.
When one is confident, when one gets cocky, sometimes they can exhibit more power than their true abilities.
With Alice’s words, the Lizardmen gained confidence. If their clever tricks were countered, the probability of the Demon King losing would be high. But the Demon King thought this was fine. He wasn’t actually planning to win at all. He simply thought that giving a name to someone who lost would be unfair to the Lizardmen. He could afford to lose to Rin. She already had a name. In fact, it would be better to let her choose the one who would be given a name. All that mattered now was defeating the sixth-ranked Lizardman Commander.
So thought the Demon King.
Before training, the mock battle was against Rin.
“…Huh? Isn’t Rin supposed to be last?” (Nobunaga)
“We decided with dice. Low numbers kept coming up, so it ended up being the last day, but Rin isn’t last.” (Alice)
The Demon King, who had thought Rin would be the final opponent, was perplexed.
The few remaining unconventional tactics the Demon King could use were already few in number. He had planned to use them to defeat the sixth-ranked and lose to Rin. However, if he lost to Rin here, his opponent would become overly confident. On the other hand, to win, he would need to use his tricks, which would cost him his remaining cards.
Of course, he could choose not to use his tricks against Rin and save them for the sixth-ranked opponent. But that would risk Rin thinking that he was holding back. What to do? After thinking, the Demon King chose to fight with everything he had for now. He decided to think about the rest later.
The mock battle was intensely fierce. The sharp spear and the whip-like tail, the back-and-forth of defense and offense. A single moment of carelessness could lead to defeat. The fight continued on evenly, but gradually Rin began to push back. It would have been fine to lose under these circumstances, but if the final trick wasn’t used and he lost, he wouldn’t be able to use it in the upcoming fight against the sixth-ranked. The Demon King, while evading Rin’s tail sweep with his tail like a spring, launched himself at Rin. But when Rin narrowly avoided the spear and tried to slash the Demon King, the Demon King roared.
“GAAAAAA!” (Nobunaga)
The roar rang out.
The trees trembled, the ground seemed to shake as the roar resounded right next to Rin’s ear. The surrounding Lizardmen all immediately covered their ears, and Alice made a disgusted face. An unavoidable sound attack. Rin, who received it nearly point-blank, screamed.
“GUHAA!” (Rin)
With sheer willpower, Rin managed to swipe at the Demon King, but the strength was lacking and her movements became sluggish. The Demon King, of course, did not miss the opening. From there on, it became a one-sided attack from the Demon King while Rin could only defend. With the lingering effects of the roar, Rin could no longer defend properly and lost. The Lizardmen, who had placed their last hope on Rin, slumped in defeat.
After the training, the mock battle with the sixth-ranked. It was expected to be a formality, but the sixth-ranked Lizardman fought fiercely. A practitioner of defense, wielding a sword and shield. The Demon King used tactics like the Summer Salt Kick, shield bashing, tackles, and throwing weapons, making sure to pay attention and leave no openings in his approach.
Fortunately, the sixth-ranked Lizardman had neglected to work on making his joints more flexible. As a result, his body was stiff, and it became difficult to use his tail attacks. Both sides had one less means of attack. Seeing that things were stalemated, the Demon King intensified his offensive. A combination of sword and shield. At times, the Demon King twisted his body forcefully, using his tail, disregarding defense, and fought his way into close range. Then, deliberately taking a deep breath, he waited for his opponent to react to the loud sound, and as the opponent tried to retreat, he tripped him up. Taking advantage of the opponent’s caution, he launched his attack. As the opponent fell onto his back, the Demon King thrust his sword forward, securing his victory.
Result. The Demon King won all, the Lizardmen lost all. The Demon King, satisfied with his work, wiped the sweat off his brow and was about to leave when Alice grabbed his shoulder.
“Well then, the last one is me. You promised, didn’t you, Maous?” (Alice)
The Demon King’s scream echoed throughout the dungeon.
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