Volume 5 Chapter 26 It's Loud And Clear, But...
When the boss volunteered as a challenger, the excitement among his family members reached its peak.
Normally, I might grumble about the hassle, but strangely enough, I'm feeling good about it now. I agreed without hesitation.
"Hey, Nikyou. Not to brag... well, maybe a little, but I'm pretty confident in my strength."
"I already figured that out from what I saw earlier."
Leaning on the table, Nikyou and I clasped hands.
"..."
"Hey, what's up?"
"...You're pretty strong too, nerd."
The moment our hands clasped, I sensed Nikyou's depth. It wasn't just about raw strength. It's hard to explain, but my instincts told me that the guy in front of me was 'strong.'
Somehow, my frivolous mood tightened up a bit.
"Well, let's see. I might not stand a chance against someone as dumbly strong as you."
"Then why did you challenge me to a match...?"
"Seeing my subordinates getting taken down so easily, as the boss, I can't just stay silent."
Come to think of it, Gram also said, "In the mafia, reputation is everything." Nikyou challenging me probably has something to do with that. It's a feeling I don't quite understand.
Setting aside the reasons, indeed, there's a clear difference between him and his subordinates. I could feel it in my hands.
Still, physical strength is the one thing I can confidently rely on right now. I can't afford to lose.
I focused my attention so as not to miss the signal to start.
* * *
Amidst the excitement, Mikage and the others watched Yukina and the others from a distance.
"Um, it'll be okay, right? If Yukina-san wins, the people here won't attack us, right?"
"I don't think that'll happen. From what I heard, the reasons are just for show. It seemed like he just genuinely wanted to challenge Yukina-kun."
Aina's heart was racing as Kyunei gently stroked her head, reassuring her. The two of them never doubted Yukina's victory, not even for a moment.
They had witnessed Yukina's extraordinary strength firsthand on numerous occasions. They couldn't imagine Yukina, who could face monsters head-on and emerge victorious, losing in a test of physical strength.
On the other hand, Mikage was somewhat more grounded in reality compared to the other two.
Turning to Reed beside her, she asked for his opinion.
"What do you think, Reed?"
"Well, if it's a pure test of strength, Black Blade would undoubtedly overpower him. Though Boss Nikyou is stronger than your average guy, he's nowhere near as strong as that brute force."
"Yeah, that's true, but..."
"Wondering how strong Boss Nikyou is?"
"Well... despite being a gathering of unsavory characters, they've long dominated the underworld of the bustling city and its trade routes. It's only fitting that the one at the top possesses considerable power."
The cheerful demeanor Nikyou showed after starting to drink was definitely his true self. But the serious expression he had before as the boss of his family was not just for show. The pressure she felt from him at that moment was real.
She trusts Yukina completely. Like Reed said, if it's just a matter of strength, Yukina would definitely win.
But Nikyou must understand that too. Yet he still chose to challenge him.
In the mafia, reputation is everything. If someone disrespects you, your control can weaken. Especially for a boss, losing a match, even for fun, can make their subordinates suspicious of them.
"........."
"By the way, when I mentioned Black Blade's easy win, I was only talking about a straightforward fight. The outcome of this match depends on the Boss Nikyou and Black Blade."
Now, the judge's hand placed on the intertwined hands of the two.
With the boss's big match underway, the excitement was at its peak, and everyone held their breath, not wanting to miss the outcome.
In the midst of it all, Reed said with a grin,
"Boss seems to have the upper hand at 6:4."
"―――Wha!?"
Just as Mikage was about to speak, the match began.
* * *
"――Go!!"
The moment the signal to start was given, I tried to slam Nikyou's hand onto the table with all my strength.
"Shh!"
――But before I could even move, Nikyou was already faster.
Before strength could even penetrate his arm, Nikyou let out a sharp breath, and the force of it pushed my arm down in an instant.
"Gggh!!"
"―――Argh!"
――Crack!!
The sound wasn't my hand hitting the table but the table creaking under our arms. There was barely any space between my hand and the table, maybe just enough for a finger. It was really close, but I managed to hold on at the last moment.
――Crack, crack!!
Nikyou's face showed a hint of surprise, maybe because he thought he had half-won. But that surprise quickly turned into a fearless smile.
"I'd like to commend you for enduring well... but I have my reputation to uphold too. Can't let my underlings see me in a weak spot. I'll finish this now! Grr!"
The pressure on my arm increased. Though I endured once, my hand was still inches from touching the table. I was still in a disadvantageous position. Nikyou intended to keep pushing.
It's not like I'll lose anything by losing here. It's just a drinking game, I might even forget it by tomorrow.
But that doesn't mean I'll just give up easily. I'm not about to back down.
"Arghhh!!"
"...Seriously, give it up!"
――Crack, crack, crack!!
As I put more effort in, my arm slowly rose. Nikyou gritted his teeth and tried to stop my arm, but my movement didn't halt.
Soon, our arms returned to their starting position, just like at the beginning of the match.
"Ah, tough luck, Nikyou."
"W-What kind of strength are you using, you jerk?"
"It's not about muscle, it's about strategy!"
"What? The battle begins here!"
Both Nikyou and I gritted our teeth, trying to slam each other's arms onto the table, putting even more strength into it.
――Crack, crack, crack, crack.
By the way, there's been a strange sound since earlier.
But before I could think about it,
――Crash!
Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and the support for our elbows vanished.
""Huh?""
Nikyou and I looked at our elbows.
The table that was supposed to support our arms had split cleanly in half from where our elbows were resting.
""Bwha-what!?""
Of course, we couldn't brace ourselves with all our strength, so we both collapsed to the floor with weird screams.
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