Chapter 58: Challenge

Shizuku and I walked up to the inn and saw Kouki angrily arguing with Hajime.

"Hajime! You bastard! What did You do to Kaori?"

"..."

[I see so he found out.] I sighed to myself.

Beside me, Shizuku seeing the angry Kouki also sighed looking at him.

"It seems he had found out that Kaori is leaving," Shizuku said.

"It seems so," responding to Shizuku I observed the scene where Kaori told him she was leaving the party and going with Hajime. 

Kouki hearing those from Kaori's mouth looked disbelievingly at her.

"K-Kaori, you are kidding right? What are you saying? We are childhood friends. You were always by my side. We are supposed to be together. It's only natural for us."

"..."

Kaori looked at Kouki with slight guilt, "I am sorry Kouki, but I have already decided for a while now." Kaori turned her head for a moment and looked at Hajime, "I will go with Hajime." Kaori affirming those words to herself smiled dazzlingly.

Kouki hearing those words felt extremely unwilling, he could not accept it. She was supposed to stay by his side. Then suddenly she says she wants to go away with Hajime, why? Why him?

Kouki Amanogawa felt jealous of another for the first time in his life. And because it was his first time feeling this, he didn't understand what this new sensation he was having.

"Noo!!, you can't go," Kouki yelled.

Kaori looked at Kouki with confusion, "Kouki what are you saying? Yes, we have been close since we were kids. But that doesn't mean we would stay together forever, you know."

"Ouch!" listening to those words I winced. [Damn, Kaori just friend-zoned the guy. That will sting hard.]

And just as I expected Kouki's face contorted like someone punched him in the gut. But Kouki still not giving up says, "This is for your sake Kaori, you should stay…"

Shizuku noticing the desperate look Kouki was having, decides to intervene before Kouki goes too far. She started to walk.

"If you also tell him your decision, he will flip out, you know that, right?"

Shizuku still walking responds, "I know… but still my decision will not change."

"STOP IT KOUKI!"

Kouki heard the yell and looked in that direction. "Shizuku you are finally here," he said in relief, ignoring her stern tone.

"Shizuku listen to what Kaori is saying, she wants to leave with Hajime, please tell her to change her mind." Kouki thought if it was Shizuku, she would be able to stop Kaori. 

"That's enough Kouki!" but contrary to what he thought, instead of stopping Kaori, she scolded and lectured him. "Kaori is not your property. It is up to her whether she wants to stay or not. You can't make that choice for her," Shizuku stern and serious voice that didn't leave space for any argument. Leaving Kouki gritting his teeth.

Shizuku sighed seeing him like this and wondered if she should say she would also be leaving. Shizuku struggled with the thought and just decided to bite the bullet and reveal her decision. It will be better if she, herself reveals it to him.

Taking a deep breath she spoke, "Kouki, it's not only her, I am leaving as well."

"..."

"..."

Kouki, unable to process those words, looks at Shizuku dumbly.

[Again, first Kaori now Shizuku too. Why is this happening to me, aren't we supposed to stay together and save this world? Then why are they going away, just hours ago everything was fine and then…]

Kouki thought about what had happened from the demon attack till now, [I see… it's their fault, it is all because of Sakai and Nagumo. If they want to take my companions, I could also do the same, right?]

(a/n: Bro you are not a villainous Mc with a system.)

Kouki thinking up to that gets up, and shows the handsomest smile he can muster and calls out to the girls, "Yue and Shea, the girl with the black hair and the other blond girl, please join me. I need your strength to help save this world. If you join me, you won't need to worry about killing people because I know that killing is bad. You shouldn't stay with someone who kills people and don't worry, I will do everything in my power to protect all of you. So, come together with me." Kouki raised his hands towards the girls and smiled, expecting the girls will accept.

"..."

"..."

"..."

But contrary to what he expected, the girls took a backstep. Shea stood closer to me hiding Myu, while Tio stood behind Hajime, and Yue and Tohru stood beside Hajime and me respectively.

Shea, "I don't like his look."

Tio, "Yeah, instead of a man like that, Master is more of my type."

Yue, "I don't like him."

Tohru, "Master can I burn this guy."

(a/n: Poor guy he thought, he was the protagonist.)

Rihito looked at Kouki for a moment then whispered to Hajime, "I think, I might have hit too hard on his head."

Hajime sighed seeing Kouki act like a spoiled brat.

Kouki saw they weren't taking him seriously, clenched his fist and decided to issue a challenge, "Sakai, Nagumo I challenge you to a duel with no weapons. If I win then you two will release those girls from whatever magic you are using on them."

Hajime furrowed his brow and was about to reject this one-sided meaningless duel, but before he could Rihito spoke.

"Then how about this, if we win, you will not have any say on whatever Shizuku and Kaori decide to do." 

"What do you two think," I shouted at the two.

Shizuku massaged her forehead and sighed, "I guess this is the best that I can expect," she felt exhausted seeing Kouki foolishly challenge Nagumo and Rihito.

"What about you," I asked Kaori who looked shocked.

"Ah… umm, if Shizu accepts it then I am also ok with it."

After both of them agreed, I looked at Captain Meld who most likely felt out of place here. 

"Captain Meld if you don't mind can you act as a witness as a neutral party," I asked Meld knowing as a knight he would take a duel seriously.

Meld suddenly gets everyone's attention and agrees to be the witness. But before the duel begins, he tries to convince Kouki that this duel is unnecessary, even if he somehow manages to win. What would he do if all the girls still wanted to live with them?

To that, he confidently said, "Of course, that won't happen."

Meld saw this and sighed.

After that, everyone from the heroes' party was informed about the duel and that Shizuku and Kaori would leave if Sakai or Nagumo won.

Then we went towards the guild where we borrowed the training area for our duel. The guild master hearing about the duel, decides to join us as spectators.

…

Meld standing in the middle of the training ground spoke, "This will be an official duel between Kouki Amanogawa and Hajime Nagumo. In this duel, any type of foreign weapon is not allowed. Are we clear…"

Meld asks before the duel begins, to which both combatants nod.

Hajime, chosen as a combatant was extremely annoyed. He didn't agree in this duel, but Kouki as a challenger had the right to choose who he wanted to fight and chose Hajime, which annoyed him.

"Big Brother fightho, fightho…"

Hajime hearing the cheer imperceptibly smiled [Well at least not everything is bad.]

Myu sitting on Rihito's shoulder cheered, "Big Brother fightho, fightho…"

Rihito seeing Myu having fun smiled as he watched the combatants ready for the fight.

"Rihito."

"Hmm…"

I looked at worried Shizuku, "What?"

"You sure Hajime will be able to take on Kouki unarmed," both Shizuku and Kaori looked worried.

"..."

Before I could say a thing Yue spoke, "He will crush him."

"Yeah, what she said and don't worry about him. He won't lose because I trained him in martial arts and gunmanship, he even managed to create his own fighting style. If he still loses after that… then I guess, I have to make him go through the Bootcamp again," feeling the sudden shift of tone at the end, everyone felt a chill down their spine.

Yue, who had previously gone through a Bootcamp was horrified, no way in hell she wanted to go through that again. Although it made her stronger, still she absolutely doesn't want that.

Yue stood up and shouted, "Hajime beat that guy…"

Myu seeing Yue also cheering shouted out, "Big Brother fightho, fightho…"

Hajime hearing the sudden cheering from Yue looked back in slight confusion [That's strange, Yue never shouts like that.] He just nodded back at them.

"Both of you are ready," Meld saw both of them nod.

"Begin the duel!"

With that, the duel begins.

Kouki, as soon as Meld gave the signal, used mana to strengthen his body, [With this I should be able to easily beat Hajime who is a non-combatant and save those girls. Then we… wait where did Nagumo go…] Kouki was confused.

Kouki just then sensing danger from his left, backed away instinctively, with his enhanced body he was able to dodge Hajime's punch.

"Hmm… you dodged that, I have to say you have good instincts, I guess I underestimated you." Hajime clenched his fist and took a basic martial stance, "I won't miss next time."

"You… how did you move that fast…" his voice came out with a disbelieving tone, Kouki couldn't believe it; no, he didn't want to believe it. He thought the only reason Hajime was able to fight those monsters was because of those guns, he might have become stronger, but nothing that he couldn't handle that's the reason he chose Nagumo instead of Sakai.

Hajime saw the complete bafflement of Kouki and sighed again, at this point, he didn't know how many times he sighed today, "Honestly, how annoying can a person get? The very thing you think you can beat me is laughable, at least not the way you currently are… go to sleep Amanogawa."

Saying that Hajime disappeared again, appearing right in front of Kouki leaving him no chance to dodge.

"Bam!!"

Hajime landed an uppercut with his pure strength; the force of the punch sent him flying upward straight.

Kouki flying up for a few moments crashed down, knocked out.

"Thud!"

Meld seeing the expected outcome sighed and declared, "In the duel between Kouki Amanogawa and Hajime Nagumo. Hajime Nagumo Wins!"

"Yah!! Big brother won…"

"See I told you, "Seeing the expected outcome.

"Yeah…" Shizuku responds with a mixture of concern and happiness. The same was true with Kaori, though in her case happiness was greater.

After Hajime was declared the victor Shizuku and Kaori again declared to everyone they were coming with us. Hearing that some were in disagreement and some were very happy for them. It was getting late so we then went back to the inn for rest.

…

Rihito, at night outside the inn, sat on a bench and stared at the sky enjoying the starry sky. [I guess, I came a full circle. This is the place where I decided to go through with Hajime's journey. Although I don't regret my decision, I do think, I could have done more than just trying to stay in the background. Well that also can't be helped I wanted to see Hajime grow, but now that he has, I should…]

"Rihito?"

"..."

"..."

Hearing that familiar voice at that moment, I turned around, widening my eyes, thinking she was the same as that day.

"Rihito? What happened, "Shizuku asked feeling shy from Rihito's stare.

"Nothing really, just feeling the familiar sense of deja vu."

Shizuku hearing that looked at herself and looked around, "Ah… I see, I guess this scenario does remind me of that day." She then walked closer and sat beside him.

For the moment we just sat there enjoying the night view.

"..."

Shizuku thinking something, asked, "Hey tell me, do you like that girl, Shea," she stared.

"..."

"Yeah!" I didn't say more, knowing if I started to explain, it would sound more like an excuse, even if it's the truth.

"So, who confessed first," she asked.

"Shea did."

"And you accepted," she said intensifying her glare.

"Well, I didn't, I rejected her, but she didn't give up, she kept chasing me and after one point I just gave up and accepted her."

Shizuku hearing her eyes twitch, "Then what about the other girl."

"Tohru? Well you see, we kinda fought and I defeated her and then out of nowhere, she said she wanted to be my maid. After that, I just rolled with it."

Shizuku still glaring said, "So are you planning to make a harem?"

"Maybe," I said smiling.

Hearing his response she sighed.

Rihito saw her sigh and asked, "Are you regretting choosing me."

Shizuku intensified her glares upon hearing that.

"I guess not."

Shizuku slightly softened her glare, "Like I said, I will do whatever it takes to make you mine. Even if I have to fight to be with you."

I just smiled hearing that and looked at the sky.

…

"Chapter end"

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Author note:

Hey everyone, with this chapter, Season 1 of the story has come to an end. It has been really enjoyable writing up to this point. Before starting this fanfiction, I didn't know much about writing one. As a result, there are many mistakes, especially in the beginning chapters. I'm confident that I still have a lot of room for improvement, but I do believe that my writing has improved somewhat, although I know it's still not great. Please tell me your thoughts.

Well, anyway I gonna take a week off from the web novel, don't worry I will be back, Bye-bye.

...

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