I Became a Raid Boss

It was undeniable that my leg had cut through empty air.

Then why had Yuki flown away, her body folding into a “<” shape?

And why did I feel this heavy sensation in my leg?

“Hmm. Not bad.”

The answer was simple.

My attack had indeed reached Yuki.

It wasn’t aimed at her directly but at the space she occupied.

It was the first time I had tried such a strike with my leg instead of a sword, but the sensation wasn’t bad at all.

“I probably won’t use it often, though.”

Calling an attack that incorporates the intricacies of space a mere “workaround” might seem absurd, but that’s the truth.

I am a swordsman, not a martial artist.

Still, knowing how to move my body allowed me to execute such an attack.

I stopped pondering and turned to where Yuki had flown.

“Is she dead?”

Well, I had kicked her with the thought that it didn’t matter if she died.

Knowing she’d just revive, there was no need to hold back.

While I didn’t go all out, I didn’t bother controlling my strength, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she died.

Especially since this was her first time encountering such an attack and she had no chance to defend herself.

“Not my problem.”

Repeating the words I had just uttered earlier, I shrugged.

I hadn’t expected her to recognize me from such a distance, so her approach had caught me off guard.

Still, this should be the end.

Even if she revived somewhere and came looking for me again, I’d be long gone by then, so I wouldn’t see her again.

Sure, there was a chance we’d meet again by coincidence in the future.

“But that’s not something I can control.”

I can’t see the future, after all.

Even Edel, who calls herself a god, couldn’t foresee her own fate and ended up being defeated by Dimensional Creatures. What could I possibly do?

“That arrogant brat…!”

I almost felt like I could hear Edel shouting.

Of course, it was just my imagination.

“Ah, right. I don’t have time for this.”

I was already busy, and now more time had been wasted because of Yuki.

I turned my gaze away from the ruins where Yuki was buried and started walking again.

I needed to get back to what I was doing.

-That was when it happened.

Crumble.

Crumble.

“Ugh… I almost died.”

“…!”

From behind, I heard the sound of debris falling and a familiar soft, feminine voice.

That voice unmistakably belonged to someone I knew.

“It’s been so long, but you’re still so harsh.”

Without thinking, I turned my head to look behind me.

Covered in dirt and looking like a complete wreck, Yuki was stepping out from the rubble.

She raised a hand and shook her head, causing dust and small fragments to scatter around her.

“It really is you, Master.”

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“…How are you alive?”

Unable to keep my voice hidden anymore, I asked Yuki.

I had completely abandoned the thought of maintaining my secrecy.

My curiosity to get an answer was stronger than anything else.

“A feeling.”

“…?”

“I just felt it. ‘This is dangerous.’ So I blocked it.”

Although I realized it too late, which is why I ended up like this.

Yuki proudly showed off her battered body as she spoke jokingly.

“You blocked it?”

I hadn’t seen her block anything.

And with Yuki’s level, it wasn’t an attack she could defend against.

When I tilted my head in confusion, she explained.

“I used mana to reinforce my body.”

“Ah…?”

Her explanation cleared up one question but gave rise to another.

“But didn’t you say you got hit?”

“If I had just taken the hit, I would have died, so I blocked it.”

“…Is that so?”

It kind of made sense…

While I was caught up in Yuki’s logic and hesitating, she took another step closer.

From up close, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“I knew you were alive. There’s no way Master would die so easily. That last time—it must have been some kind of clone or decoy, wasn’t it?”

“

“Ah—wait a second.”

Before she could get too close—just within the range where our swords could meet—Yuki suddenly stopped.

Standing at that precise boundary, she swung her massive sword.

Amidst the scattering blood droplets and dust, I caught sight of her lips curling into a smirk.

“When swordsmen meet, just chatting is so unromantic. So…”

Clank.

“Let’s fight first and talk after.”

Let me show you how much I’ve grown.

She pointed her enormous greatsword at me as she spoke.

The blade, almost as large as an adult man, was held perfectly steady with one hand.

Unless you had incredible arm strength, such a feat would be impossible.

The fact that Yuki could manage it, with her slender, seemingly untrained physique, made it even more unbelievable.

Of course, if she were using mana, it wouldn’t be entirely impossible, but Yuki was holding that massive sword purely with her physical strength.

The power of players…

Feeling yet another wave of irrationality, I opened my mouth.

“No.”

“…What?”

Why would I?

Leaving Yuki looking dumbfounded, I turned and began walking away.

***

***

***

“Just one fight, please.”

“….”

“Just once… If you fight me just this once, I’ll be satisfied and leave.”

Lies.

Ignoring Yuki’s whining, I thought to myself.

This wasn’t a fight—it would be me humoring her. And even if I fought her once, she wasn’t the type to just leave me alone afterward.

I remembered the days when she used to pound on my barrier every single day back in the mountains.

If someone else had been as annoying as Yuki usually was, I would have cut them down immediately.

But since this was exactly what Yuki wanted, I steadfastly refused to draw my sword.

“How did you know it was me?”

Instead, I asked her.

How had she recognized me?

“I’ll tell you if you fight me.”

“Then don’t tell me.”

Sure, I was curious, but not curious enough to force her to talk.

As I stubbornly turned my head away, she hastily spoke up.

“Mana! I sensed Master’s mana!”

“…My mana?”

“Yes. I suspected it after seeing your stature and gait, but when you hit me earlier, I was certain.”

“So, you sensed not just mana, but my specific mana?”

“Yes. Your mana is special, Master.”

Incredulous at her claim, I asked again, but her response didn’t change.

It was surprising enough that she had noticed from my gait, but her following words were even more startling.

Unless I’d deliberately made my mana obvious, it shouldn’t have been detectable.

To test her, I subtly released a sliver of mana—just enough to remain undetected.

“…?”

Flinch.

At once, Yuki’s entire body stiffened.

“Unbelievable.”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“You really are….”

No, that’s not the way to put it.

I almost blurted out, “You must’ve been born into the wrong world,” but I swallowed the words halfway.

“…You’ve got talent.”

“Is this what they call a ‘talent freak’?”

I muttered awkwardly, recalling a phrase I’d seen on the internet.

“I hear that a lot.”

“Of course you do.”

Some people are given one-on-one lessons and still can’t grasp the basics, while others, like her, just figure things out on their own.

“You’re starting to pique my interest a little.”

“Really…?”

“But I’m still not going to fight you.”

Yuki’s face lit up momentarily before darkening again at my follow-up statement.

If she had a proper mentor, she would have become exceptional by now. If she had peers who started on the same day, they would have been envious and despairing at her talent.

Tap, tap.

I lightly tapped my fox mask with my fingers as I thought before finally speaking.

“Do you want to fight?”

“Seriously?!”

“Yes.”

Her expression went from gloomy to practically glowing, like a sun had risen on her face.

She looked so delighted that it felt like the snow from the deepest winter could melt in an instant.

“But not with me. With someone else.”

“…Oh.”

“If I watch and find the fight satisfactory… Hmm, I’ll give you a reward.”

“…Oh!”

“But if it’s disappointing, I won’t associate with you ever again.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Yuki hefted her massive greatsword onto her shoulder, grinning confidently.

“I’m the best when it comes to using my body.”

“Good. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

To be honest, I hadn’t even realized someone like Yuki existed, let alone expected to meet her here.

This was a whim.

Seeing her incredible talent had sparked a fleeting thought: “Maybe I should teach her.”

Having someone dependable around wouldn’t be a bad thing.

If the worst-case scenario Edel mentioned came to pass, it would help to respond faster.

“Who am I supposed to fight, though?”

“Wait.”

She wasn’t some dog waiting by her food bowl, but her fidgeting made me imagine dog ears perking up on her head.

Ignoring her impatience, I scanned the area for the target Edel had mentioned.

“Found it.”

I located what I was looking for.

Standing before a visibly distorted flow of mana, I channeled the holy power Edel had bestowed upon me.

Wooooom—

The warped mana flow quivered, revealing a hidden scene.

What had appeared to be a ruined wasteland was now an empty clearing.

Stepping onto the ground where a royal palace once stood, I gestured toward Yuki, who stood there staring blankly.

“A… dungeon?”

“Get in.”

Even if this was the ruined capital of a fallen kingdom, I didn’t think Yuki could handle the Dimensional Creature that had destroyed an entire city.

Still, it would be a good test of her potential.

As if sensing our intrusion, a massive entity began to stir.

Its enormous eyelids lifted, revealing two massive, violet orbs glowing like twin moons on the earth.

What I’d thought was part of the fortress wall turned out to be its legs, and what reached skyward like pillars were its arms.

A giant vaguely humanoid yet distinctly otherworldly.

Its eyes, glowing with a dark violet hue instead of whites, gleamed ominously as it slowly rose to its full height.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

The ground shook so violently it felt like an earthquake.

“You expect me to fight that?”

“Are you scared?”

If you are, you can back out.

I teased lightly, and Yuki scoffed as if I’d just said something ridiculous.

“As if.”

She took a step forward, speaking confidently.

“Watch carefully.”

Watch me fight.

Her confidence was unmatched as she smiled boldly, planting her feet firmly and launching herself forward.

—

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