New chapter of Incompetent Bratty Prince is out! (2/8 chapters)

 

 

Since Defeat Is Certain as Things Stand, I Am Filled with Anxiety

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

I was filled with anxiety, knowing that with things as they were now, I was guaranteed to lose.

“Oh, it’s about to start.” (Obul)

Just as Obul said, Despina and the opposing gladiator took up their swords. All that remained was the referee’s signal, but…

“She’ll probably finish him instantly.” (Harold)

“Hey now, you never know.” (Obul)

Obul replied like that, but he probably agrees with me, doesn’t he? The proof is that he’s been grinning this whole time.

And then…

“Begin!” (Referee)

“…!?” (Gladiator)

At the same moment the referee gave the signal, Despina closed the distance with the gladiator in a single burst.

“D-Dammit!” (Gladiator)

The gladiator swung his sword down in desperation, but she was no longer in that spot.

As expected of an event boss in Enhaz who boasts enough speed to attack three times in one turn. Naturally, a mob enemy cannot even come close to matching her.

“Well, Despina is from the leopard beastkin, after all. That much is expected.” (Obul)

Obul muttered while chuckling quietly.

Yes… she is one of the rare beastkin characters in the world of Engage Hazard. Among the heroines, there is one cat beastkin and one wolf beastkin heroine, but compared to demi-humans like elves or dwarves, beastkin are overwhelmingly few in number. Maybe the development team of Enhaz simply did not like beastkin heroines, or perhaps there was some other reason. But for the kemomimi fans, they probably wished there had been more.

Me? I’m not a furry, but it’s not like I dislike them, so what’s the problem?

“Ah.” (Harold)

“It’s over.” (Obul)

While I was thinking about that, Despina’s kukri knife had already caught the gladiator at the throat.

“I… I give up.” (Gladiator)

“That’s it! Winner, Despina!” (Referee)

As the referee declared the victory, the crowd’s excitement reached its peak. Not only cheers but various objects flew across the Colosseum. Thanks to that, trash rained down on my head.

Damn it. But still…

“…Aren’t the rules of this arena supposed to prohibit the use of Blessing Gifts?” (Harold)

“Despina is special. Just like you, even with a collar on, she can use Blessing Gifts.” (Obul)

Obul answered and shrugged his shoulders.

From what I observed, Despina used two skills. One was Earthstep, a skill that closes the distance to the enemy in an instant. In Enhaz, it always results in a preemptive strike. The other was Mayfly. This is a skill that allows the user to deal physical damage without the enemy realizing it, making it impossible to defend or evade.

Yes… if I fight Despina, the defensive techniques I trained with Xandra would be completely useless, and I would be defeated in an instant. The only saving grace might be that, unlike in this match, my life probably won’t be taken during the real battle.

“This match was just a demonstration. In the actual match against you ten days from now, she won’t go easy on you. In fact, this time, you might really get killed.” (Obul)

You sure know how to say terrible things…

In Enhaz, Despina only appears in a surprise battle, so she has no scenario content. If she were at least a heroine, I could understand her personality and such…

“Well, I’ll be hoping you don’t die.” (Obul)

“…” (Harold)

Obul patted me on the shoulder, and I turned my face away, furrowing my brows.

 

—

 

“If she uses skills like that, I’m guaranteed to lose.” (Harold)

“Haru?” (Casparleague)

That night, I stared at the ceiling of the cell and murmured to myself.

I repeatedly simulated battles against Despina, comparing them to my current strength, but no matter how I tried, there was no way I could win.

In my training with Xandra, I had become able to block about 90 percent of her attacks. But I also know that is only because she never truly tried to defeat me. No… even before that, if I took just a single hit, it would be game over for someone like me. Yes… if I cannot block Despina’s attacks, I will die.

“If only I could fight together with Cas…” (Harold)

Thanks to the title Unbreakable, my physical defense has been boosted, but since my base stats are just that of Harold, I cannot afford to take any damage when facing an event boss. If I had Jet Black Shield Casparleague, which now boasts the highest defense in this world, I could withstand some degree of damage. More importantly, without Cas, I have no means of attack. If I could convert my dark attribute into light like when I fought Themis, I could use Dominator and Eliminator again… but as long as this collar is on, that’s impossible anyway.

“Myu… Haru, can’t sleep…?” (Casparleague)

Ah, no good. I must have woken him up.

“Just a little. Don’t worry, Cas. Get some more rest.” (Harold)

“Okay…” (Casparleague)

After rubbing his cheek against me, Cas fell asleep again.

Watching my partner, I felt a little more at ease.

 

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