Side: Steve
There is no such thing as a "rule violation" in reality.
Rules are merely arbitrary lines drawn by humans. You could even say they are nothing more than tools created so that people can measure one another, trying to make things appear equal and easy to compare.
In other words, true equality doesn't exist, and identical conditions don't exist either.
If things were genuinely equal to begin with, the only possible outcome would be a draw. The very fact that one side wins and the other loses is proof itself that the match was never equal.
Then again, if you look at it this way, it actually makes sense: all living creatures are equal. After all, the world itself condones any means you choose to take. From the very moment you are born, countless choices lay before you. The result of those choices is exactly where you stand right now.
That's why you need to use your head and think carefully about how you live your life. I'll teach you all sorts of things, but what I can give you is minuscule compared to the sheer volume of information in this world. The things you feel for yourself are your own unique experiences and intelligence.
Go out there and teach those who look down on you that being a goblin doesn't just mean you are a weak, lowly creature.
Well, as your very first step, you're going to undergo combat training with me—
This somehow reminds me of the training days with Boss.
The moment the Magic Sword nee-chan suddenly vanished from in front of me—
"—Die."
A voice came from behind me.
"Wha...!?"
That surprised gasp just now didn't come from me. It came straight from the Magic Sword nee-chan.
Why? Because her sure-kill surprise attack was casually dodged by me.
"Hmm. The concept wasn't bad, but shouting right when you're launching a surprise attack is pretty foolish, don't you think? Or were you just that confident in your speed?"
I swiftly spin around to face her.
"How...?"
She stands there looking completely bewildered, so I just state the obvious.
"I mean, I just jumped forward. If you aren't right in front of me, you've either got to be above me or behind me. Moving forward was the safest bet-ssu."
"...No one can make that kind of judgment after an enemy suddenly disappears."
Yeah, normally people would stop and scan the surroundings. They'd check the area on the spot.
But unfortunately for her, I've already experienced this many times.
Back when I used to do mock battles with Boss, him vanishing into thin air and launching attacks from the most bizarre angles was completely normal.
If there's one thing I learned from that hell, it's that standing still is the absolute worst thing you can do. On the battlefield, keeping your head and your body constantly moving is everything.
But even with all this experience, I still haven't managed to score a single clean hit on Boss. He doesn't just charge in for a direct slash like this Magic Sword nee-chan does. You can't dodge long-range snipes coming out of nowhere.
Honestly, I think Derieu-neesan was incredible for dodging those purely on instinct. That's not the kind of movement a regular human or goblin can pull off.
"Everything takes practice.I've already experienced this level of stuff plenty of times... wait, now I'm feeling a bit depressed."
Sigh. If you asked me if I wanted to go back to being a normal goblin, the answer would be a flat 'No', but working in a place this ridiculously busy isn't exactly a walk in the park either...
While I'm taking a brief moment to lament my tragic circumstances, the Magic Sword nee-chan uses the opening to vanish out of sight once again.
"Come on, can't you at least give me a little time to feel sorry for myself?"
Clang!
A sharp metallic clang echoes from my left.
"Too naive-ssu. If you can't even damage this shield, you don't stand a chance."
That's right. I deliberately let the attack hit me.
I don't understand why she attacked the left side where I was holding my shield, but actually, I was fine with being attacked from anywhere.
My equipment has been enchanted with a multi-layered barrier spell crafted by Narjia-san, modeled directly after Boss's own defenses.
At the power level of this continent, attacks simply couldn't get through... Honestly, I thought maybe she'd at least leave a scratch.
What a terrible gap in power.
If this were the boss's hometown, they'd definitely call this a 'cheat code'.
Wait.
An idea just came to me.
Maybe this classic line would fit here?
"Fufufu..."
"What's so funny!?"
Ohh! She actually took the bait just because I chuckled under my breath.
"If you're struggling this much against me, you're gonna have a rough time later. After all, out of everyone who came here today, I'm the weakest one-ssu!!"
"What!?"
Oho, she's shocked.
"Wait Steve, isn't that line a bit off?"
The boss interjected from the side.
I keep handling the Magic Sword nee-chan with one hand while continuing my conversation with him.
"Eh? Really, boss?"
"You said that trying to sound like one of those classic 'I was merely the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings' tropes, right?"
"Yeah, that's right-ssu."
"The thing is, that line is supposed to be spoken by the 'next' guy after you've already been defeated. You just triggered your own death flag."
"Wait, did I seriously just set off my own death flag!?"
"Well, I've rarely seen an enemy openly declare themselves as the weakest link. If you wanted a line that fits your position, something like 'If it's just an opponent of this caliber, I am more than enough to handle it'—the kind of thing a loyal right-hand man would say—would have been better."
"I have absolutely no desire to actively increase my own workload, Boss. That right-hand man sounds way too diligent for his own good-ssu."
"Yeah, that does sound like you. Guess you've invented a new genre."
"What genre?"
"Hmm, let's see..."
While we were chatting like this, the attacks suddenly stopped for some reason.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"...Are you mocking me!?"
Huh?
She seemed angry.
"We aren't mocking you or anything. Right, Boss?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
We really aren't trying to mess with her.
"It's a problem that precedes that. There's no reason for us to take this seriously when your skills aren't even enough to make Steve break a sweat."
"That is an insult!!"
Even if you call it an insult, it's just the plain truth.
"Hey, you, the King standing over there looking entirely dazed."
"W-What?"
"Is it cool if we start getting serious now?"
"What do you mean by..."
"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I mean. If your elite Magic Sword wielder is struggling this much, what do you think is going to happen if every single one of us actually starts moving?"
Ah, the boss is casually dropping threats again. Poor guy.
"Hmph. You're just dragging out the fight because you can't win. That goblin hasn't attacked once. He's probably so busy defending that he can't even counterattack."
"Ohh, amazing. Being able to make that comment after watching that fight is impressive in its own way. Alright, Steve, finish her off."
"Uissu."
If the boss says so, then information gathering is over.
Just like we heard from those sisters, there was indeed one more magic sword wielder left in the castle.
We hadn't heard about her ability, but I was surprised it was teleportation-type.
Still, it's disappointing when the user is like this.
"Come then!"
Sorry to ruin your enthusiasm, but...
Thud!
After that sound, the Magic Sword nee-chan was stuck head-first in the window.
Well...
I was the one who put her there.
"Pulling off a kick right after winding up your sword... you've really been thoroughly corrupted by my methods, haven't you?"
"It's all thanks to you, Boss. Besides, if I actually slashed her with my sword, she would have been sliced completely in two-ssu."
"Ah, the power difference is really that severe?"
"It absolutely is. Holding back is ridiculously difficult-ssu."
The gap between our stats is just tragic. Being able to completely handle her while having a casual conversation is honestly wild. I have never seen such a massive waste of a teleportation ability in my life.
If it were the boss, he'd be doing things like teleporting just the weapon inside the enemy's body, or teleporting only half of my torso to rip me in two. There are so many terrifying ways to utilize it... but she didn't think of a single one.
"Hey, I feel like you're insulting me in your head right now."
"Not at all, boss. I was just reaffirming the fact that you are an absolute monster."
"That is definitely an insult, isn't it?"
"Setting that aside, aren't you going to have a chat with the King over there?"
"Ah, right, almost forgot."
With that, the boss turns his gaze toward the completely frozen King and opens his mouth.
"Alright, I just showed you what happens... Next up, do you all want to end up exactly like her, including yourself?"
Leaving someone as a human modern art piece stuck head-first out a window, huh?
If it were a chick, looking at her hips or chest might have some value, but with a dude, it's just straight-up gross.
