129. Reuniting With Old Acquaintances

The king of Gabranth agreed to the tournament with some conditions. One of the conditions was that the tournament must be held on the Gabranth continent.

The time for the tournament has been set. Hiiro suggested using teleportation as a traveling method to go to the Gabranth continent. However, that meant he had to visit the place to get the teleportation coordinates.

Just as Hiiro was about to leave for Passion, the capital of the Gabranth continent, Izumi called out to him by dragging Crouch who was still in handcuffs.

"Why did you bring that thing?"

"The demon lord asked me to go with you while bringing this thing."

Hearing their conversation, Crouch felt irritated.

"Oi, what do you mean by "thing"? I'm not a thing!!"

"Shut up, stupid cat!" Izumi and Hiiro yelled simultaneously. Crouch couldn't help but be downcast.

"This is one of Leowald's conditions for agreeing to the tournament. So, the demon lord had no choice but to let me bring this thing back to its nature." Izumi explained.

"Fine then. Let's go!"

They teleported to Passion, specifically, near Rarashik's house, Hiiro's acquaintance. Hiiro entered without knocking on the door. When the door opened, there was a strong smell of alcohol.

"Hey, little rabbit, wake up!" Hiiro's loud voice instantly woke up the sleeping Rarashik.

Rarashik was a famous person, one could say she was the teacher of all the great warriors in Gabranth. Not only that, she was the inventor of the Binding technique, which replaced magic because Gabranth couldn't use it.

She developed the Binding technique to help the people of Gabranth to defend themselves. But when the army wanted to use that power for war, she felt disgusted.

Rarashik has the appearance of a little girl no older than 10 years old. She has long green hair, and the most distinguishing part of her is her long bunny ears.

Rarashik woke up while rubbing her eyes, then saw Hiiro's appearance as a Gabranth, and Izumi as a Humas.

"Oh, it's you, brat? What are you doing here? Why did you bring the Humas brat here? Moreover, hmmm, aren't you Crouch?" Rarashik asked endlessly when she saw Hiiro who came with Izumi, and Crouch who was still in handcuffs.

Though, Rarashik felt odd looking at Izumi's appearance. Although different, he wore his other kimono with light-blue wave patterns.

On the other hand, the first impression of Izumi seeing Rarashik was…

"It's a loli. Is she legal?" Izumi asked while turning his head to Hiiro.

Hiiro was dumbfounded hearing that. While Crouch, who heard Izumi say that, just smirked and waited for him to be beaten by Rarashik. Crouch did not know Izumi's true strength even though Crouch had seen Izumi beat Barid down half a year ago.

"You should watch your mouth, brat!" Rarashik frowned.

"Well, your appearance is too indecent with that small body of yours. Such a lewd loli!" Izumi pointed at Rarashik's clothes she was wearing. Indeed, right now she was only wearing underwear and an unbuttoned lab coat.

Veins popped up on Rarashik's head, she couldn't stand Izumi's words. Her hands were shaking as she clenched her fists while looking at Izumi.

But, Izumi seemed to Ignore Rarashik, Izumi turned his head to Hiiro and said. "Hiiro, your title has no equal. You can always attract lolita's attention. Once in a while, you might have to shout "Loli is Justice!". Perhaps your title can be upgraded."

"UPGRADED YOUR HEAD!" Hiiro snapped.

Meanwhile, Rarashik, who couldn't contain her anger, attacked Izumi from behind. However, just as her punch almost hit Izumi, he disappeared.

And then...

Izumi caught Rarashik from behind after teleporting. Due to Rarashik's tiny body, only a hand could lock her from behind.

Rarashik struggled to get away from Izumi while yelling.

"Let me go, you bastard!"

Izumi didn't let go of her, instead, he put her mouth close to Rarashik's ear.

*Huff* Izumi blew her ear lightly.

"Hyan!" Rarashik's moan sounded erotic. Her voice made Izumi chuckle in response.

"Hey, what was that voice? It didn't suit you at all!"

"Lolicon!" Hiiro muttered by looking at Izumi who was teasing Rarashik.

"Hey, Otamegane, I could hear you!"

Suddenly, an ice element burst out from Rarashik's and even froze half of Izumi's body. She was raging because her anger was surging up now. Rarashik herself didn't expect she would let out such an embarrassing voice.

*crack* *shatter*

Rarashik's surprise attack wasn't strong enough to knock him down. And with his raw strength, Izumi shattered the ice that had partially frozen his hand.

Izumi was used to the icy cold because of his martial art. So the ice that Rarashik released had little effect on him.

Izumi flicked the sleeve of his kimono to get rid of the ice, then he said to Rarashik with a nod.

"Strong enough, as expected of the one who created a Binding technique." Even though he said that. He was itching to touch her bunny ears.

Rarashik couldn't do anything knowing his power. Her eyes sharply gazed at him. Izumi simply gazed back with a smirk.

Rarashik turned to Hiiro as if she wanted to blame him.

"Hiiro brat, what does this mean? Why do you bring this Humas brat with you?"

"Haven't you heard from the Gabranth King? You said you were his teacher?" Hiiro asked in wonder.

Rarashik kept her distance from Izumi. But, she still asked him.

"Crouch should be imprisoned by the demon lord, how come you…"

"Well, it's clear enough that I'm on Evila's side. Don't you know? And I'm a member of the Cruel Brigade."

"Huh?" Rarashik was stunned. But, Crouch confirmed by telling her that Izumi and Hiiro came from the Evila continent. But, Crouch didn't know whether Izumi was a member of the Cruel Brigade or not.

"Anyway, where are Shorty and that lolicon old man?" What Hiiro meant was Muir and Arnold. Both of them should be living with Rarashik since both of them were her disciples.

"They are on a mission under the King's orders. Oh right, he also said to Leowald—"

When Leowald visited Rarashik, Leowald told her about Izumi and Hiiro who seemed to be on the same level as Aquinas. No, Izumi was even stronger. It was just, Leowald didn't know their name and just mentioned their characteristics. At that time, Arnold and Muir also listened to what Leowald said. Surely, both of them were dumbfounded. And then, Arnold revealed that the red robe glasses used to be his party member along with Muir. He also said that it was Hiiro who healed Leowald's daughter's vocal cords. He also told the other Evila was probably Arnold's acquaintance. The outcome was, Leowald knew who Izumi and Hiiro were.

"That damn lolicon, he just casually exposed other people's secrets. Let's see if we meet later." Hiiro looked irritated when he heard Rarashik's explanation.

"He also mentioned me. That lolicon surely needs a beating."

Rarashik raised her brows in astonishment.

"You're that Izumi they were talking about? And why are you here?"

Izumi didn't answer. But Hiiro was.

"I just want to check where the tournament is being held. So I can teleport people from the Evila continent directly to that place."

Hearing Hiiro's explanation, Rarashik understood.

— — — —

One week later.

All of the strongest people of Evila had arrived at Passion. Aquinas was wearing a mantle covering his face, then there were Eveam, Izumi, Teckil, Ornoth, Hiiro, Marione, Shublars, Grayald, Liliyn, Silvan, and Nikki.

There are 10 participants in the tournament, and they will fight 1 on 1 in the opening and closing matches. The second match is 2 vs 2. Then the third and fourth matches are 3 vs 3.

The place is a crater with a radius of 500 meters. In the center, stood a square platform for battle.

Izumi, Eveam, and the others saw the place filled with the Gabranth army who had been stationed in specific positions.

Eveam led them by walking toward the crater, and the one who greeted her was Leowald. After that, Leowald's eyes darted around like he was looking for someone. Then he asked.

"The boy called Hiiro didn't come?"

When Hiiro came to Passion a week ago, Leowald already thanked him for healing his daughter, Mimir. However, Mimir blamed Leowald for not telling her that Hiiro had come after he left.

"He said that doing something like a greeting was very troublesome, so Hiiro was there waiting for someone he knew. Izumi is also with him."

Eveam's index finger pointed to where Hiiro and Izumi were.

"Huh? He is Izumi?"

Leowald could guess who Hiiro and Izumi wanted to meet. But he had not expected that Hiiro would be Izumi since Leowald had only seen Izumi as an Oni.

— — — —

Someone dived toward Hiiro all of a sudden. That person threw out a punch using the momentum of his jump from above.

Hiiro glanced at the incoming punch then dodged to the left, and his foot kicked Arnold's leg so he couldn't land with his two feet after jumping at Hiiro.

Arnold lost his balance and his body hit the ground magnificently with a roll.

"He's dead!"

"You're right!"

Izumi and Hiiro who saw Arnold's shameful look commented, then Arnold shouted in response to them.

"Like I had to die!!!"

Arnold stood up from the ground with great vigor and turned toward Hiiro while pointing his finger at him.

"Shitty Hiiro, don't try to avoid!"

"I did plan to let you hit me. But the moment I saw your face, I got a little annoyed. Watching you fall and roll is also quite fun. So, do forgive me!"

"Like hell, I would forgive you. Damn it, you didn't even say goodbye to us at that time!"

"It was an emergency at that time. Also, why would I need to say goodbye to you?"

"You're still so annoying as ever, Hiiro."

"Your face is more annoying, old man!"

The conversation between Hiiro and Arnold was quite amusing, Izumi just chuckled at the behavior of the two of them.

"Oh, long time no see, Izumi!" Arnold looked at Izumi as he greeted him. Izumi replied with a nod, then he said.

"I can see you getting stronger old man."

"Hehe, of course. I've been training hard for this half-year."

Meanwhile.

"Emmm..."

Hearing a voice from behind, Hiiro turned around.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-It's been a while, Hiiro-san."

The one who stuttered was Muir Castrea. She stood there with a flushed face from her shyness towards Hiiro.

"You did grow a little, Shorty."

"A-ah, y-yes."

She seemed to be happy that he noticed, as she smiled radiantly.

"Ooh~ Muir who gets bright red and bashful is so cute! The way she smiles like an angel is also great~."

"True enough, a girl with animal ears is so great."

Both Arnold and Izumi commented after they saw Muir's expression. It didn't stop there, Silvan who came with his master saw them, then said with his unique laugh.

"Nyohohoho! It has arrived once more! That precisely is the royal road of the Loli character! Now, Young lady, please learn from her actions and act bashful!" Silvan suggested Liliyn act like Muir to look cute.

"You should just throw out that shitty brain of yours!" With an irritated expression, she kicked Silvan to the ground.

"Ghuaahhh."

Silvan was lying on the ground with his limbs still twitching.

"Tch, he didn't die!"

Arnold who was beside Hiiro turned pale. He glanced at Hiiro while asking.

"O-Oi, Hiiro...these guys are...cough...h-how are you related to these people?" Arnold's question turned more polite when he received a threatening glare. Arnold felt a chill similar to when Rarashik was glaring at him.

"Hm? That's right, they're something like companions of mine." Hiiro said while holding his chin.

"Hiiro, stop with the jokes! I'm your master!" Liliyn denied Hiiro's words. Liliyn felt that Hiiro belonged to her, even though Hiiro had never once admitted it.

"Um, the other side seems to be saying that." Arnold heard clearly what Liliyn had said.

Hiiro replied.

"No, her head's just had a bit problem. She's a little girl with a habit of telling falsehoods and daydreaming. That's why you don't need to worry about it."

In response to Hiiro's words, veins popped out on Liliyn's forehead.