Chapter 29: Rod vs. Natsu
Chapter 29: Rod vs. Natsu
"Let's settle this, Rod!"
Natsu was straightforward, diving right into the challenge without even a proper greeting.
Rod sighed. "At least wait until the rain stops, okay?"
Natsu countered, "Isn't it already stopping?"
"Huh?"
Rod glanced outside, and sunlight was piercing through the gaps in the clouds, casting golden beams like threads from the sky.
The light grew brighter, and the clouds dissipated quickly, leaving the sky a clear blue.
"..." Rod was stunned. "Are you Kousaka Sonoko?"
"Who's that? Is she strong?"
"Somewhat." Rod decided not to argue further. "Alright, let's do this."
Natsu jumped into the backyard, stepping into the mud, which made Rod suddenly lose his enthusiasm.
After a moment's thought, he turned for help. "Laki?"
"I'll handle it." Laki cast her spell: "Wooden Sculpture: Immaculate Love!"
A ten-meter-wide circular wooden platform appeared in the backyard, resembling a fighting arena.
Several people around her commented on her spell's name, but Laki was proud of it.
Natsu hopped onto the platform, stomped his feet, and exclaimed, "Oh! This is great. Decided, if you fall off, you lose!"
"Or if you fall down, you lose," Rod suggested, preferring to fake a fall rather than end up covered in mud.
Natsu had no objections, and the crowd of onlookers was already in place. The Master had even opened a betting ring—Rod had no idea when he had shown up.
"Alright, Natsu vs. Rod, begin!"
Rod gripped his pendant. "I am the one who bridges the paths between worlds—
...
River Crab, Swift!"
Natsu, like Erza, believed in fair play and didn't ambush, but Rod felt awkward. He needed to shorten his incantation.
By the time the River Crab appeared, Natsu couldn't hold back any longer. He balled his fists, flames erupting from them, and charged forward like a dragon clawing with its front paws:
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The flaming fist wasn't aimed at Rod but at the River Crab.
The fiery punch loomed large in Rod's vision, making him instinctively raise his hand to protect his face. But then he realized it was the crab's perspective.
In a panic, he couldn't think of what to command, and the River Crab acted on instinct, raising one of its short claws.
Natsu's fiery fist collided with the green crab claw, and the flames shot toward the crab's eyes.
The force of the impact pierced the wooden platform beneath the crab, sending it sliding backward over two meters.
Splinters and dirt flew into the air, and Rod was thrown onto the crab's back, half of his body pressed against it.
If it weren't for the protrusions on the crab shell, he might have been flung off.
"Ugh..." Rod felt a wave of nausea from the impact to his stomach. He realized that if he had taken that punch directly, he might have died.
The Master, seeing Rod's reaction, decided to give this inexperienced fighter a quick lesson:
"Magic isn't just for casting spells; it can also be used for defense. Even if you don't know defensive spells, you can use your magic to shield yourself, though it's less efficient."
Rod nodded, understanding. It was like using inner strength, but far less effective than defensive spells.
"River Crab, charge!"
His command came a bit late. The River Crab, after being attacked, had already started to flee on instinct.
It even used a speed boost—likely a built-in skill from the game.
This act of abandoning its master left Rod face-to-face with Natsu, only three meters apart.
By the time Rod's command reached the crab, it had turned around and charged back.
"Wow, that's fast!" Natsu, who was already preparing to throw a friendly punch (without flames), was impressed.
But the river crab was surprisingly fast, and facing it head-on felt very different from just watching yesterday.
"This is more like it!" Natsu laughed, spreading his arms wide and gripping the sharp tips of the crab's massive pincers.
Squish...
Natsu was pushed back by the crab, his sandals scraping against the wooden floor with an unpleasant sound.
However, he didn't retreat more than a meter before he steadied himself, grinning at the crab.
"I've got you!"
Flames erupted all over Natsu's body as he headbutted the crab straight in the face, shouting, "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"
"Screech~"
With a loud thud, the crab was knocked over, flames spreading across its body and causing it to screech in agony.
Before it could struggle much, the crab's form became transparent and eventually vanished completely.
"Uh-oh!" Natsu clutched his head, rubbing his hair in frustration. "I went too far!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Natsu clasped his hands together and rushed to Rod, apologizing frantically.
"I didn't mean to kill it! Sorry, sorry, sorry..."
Rod remained calm. "It's okay, it's not dead."
"Really?" Natsu, still in a bowing position, looked up at Rod.
"Really. Think of it as being forcibly returned. It'll heal up and be back."
Rod could faintly sense a body of water nearby, with the crab hiding just below the surface, its antennae barely visible above the water.
According to the game, it was waiting to respawn.
However, this time, the crab's disappearance made Rod realize that its existence might be different from that of a Poro.
"Ah, I see!" Natsu jumped back a considerable distance. "Let's do it again! Bring out more monsters! Ahahaha!"
This guy is so one-dimensional... His mood swings are so quick.
But that's pretty much the stereotype of a shonen protagonist.
Rod gained a bit more insight into Natsu's character, but he still needed to continue summoning...
He glanced at the Poro Worm on the sidelines.
Worm 'casually' hid behind Happy.
Rod sighed. No use counting on that one.
He clenched his fist and faced Natsu. "Let's go!"
He had agreed to fight Natsu to gain some combat experience. Admitting defeat at the first sign of pain would be pointless.
Natsu also raised his fist, flashing Rod a cheerful grin.
But in retrospect, Rod always felt that Natsu's smile looked more demonic.
Damn, he hit too hard!
...
"Ow... it hurts... it hurts..."
Mira carefully used tweezers to apply a cotton ball to Rod's swollen cheek.
Sitting in a chair, Rod clutched the armrests, wincing in pain, and even forgot about the close proximity that had initially bothered him.
"Just a bit more, it'll be done soon." Mira switched to a new cotton ball, dipping it in the medicine. "Did the defensive techniques Master taught you not work?"
"They did, but I didn't master them right away, and... ow... who knew he'd start by hitting my face!"
Mira chuckled. "Natsu usually fights like that... turn around... by the way, do you want to continue this training?"
Rod turned, pulling down his collar to reveal a bruise on his shoulder.
Recalling the painful experience, he nodded with a grimace.
"The more it hurts, the more I need to keep sparring. It's better to get beaten up in the guild than to get killed outside... ow..."
(End of Chapter)
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