Introverted Archer 67

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67. Rational Opposition!

"What are you, anyway?"

"I'm Kageyama Eimu. I'm a rational archer blessed by the greatest white mage in history."

Shiranui glared at me as I supported Rikimaru-senpai's body and clicked his tongue.

"I don't care, get lost!!"

In an instant, He unleashed a slashing attack before me. Closing in from zero distance, it was a strike of instant death -!

"You're impressively rational. But I go even further beyond."

A white flash covered my vision. I focused deeply on myself as if experiencing the end of the world.

Consciousness gradually slowed down. I felt nothing of the blinding light or the deafening sound. Instead, there surged a feeling akin to omnipotence.

Slowly, I drew the string.

When I released the string, the manifested imaginary arrow countered the slashing attack.

"Eek!"

Starting with Hina's scream, what swept through the forest after the explosion was a gust almost like a lull.

My strike nullified Shiranui's strike. It was akin to a recoil.

"...What did you just do?"

"What do you mean? I just swung my arm. With Fuyuka's buff, this is nothing -"

"Don't dodge the question! You can't pull off such a stunt just with a buff. Even I can see that. So, what did you do?"

That's bad. Maybe I went too far? Claiming to deflect the strike of the academy's strongest man just by swinging my arm. In hindsight, that wasn't a good excuse.

"Well, never mind that. So, are you going to do it? Or not?"

"Do what?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? The blue team lost their captain. The red team swept all the white team's points and 550 points from the blue team. When time's up, it's game over. Are you still up for a fight with me?"

For the blue team to win now, they must defeat the red team. With Rikimaru gone, there's no chance of a comeback from here.

"It's pointless even if you try. Just stop. Whatever trick you pulled earlier won't work again. Did seeing that weakling not convince you it's futile?"

Shiranui looked down on me mockingly, observing the upperclassman Rikimaru I was supporting. Behind him, several students burst into giggles.

"You seem mistaken... I'm not really intending to win."

"Huh?"

"So, I don't really intend to win. I didn't do this to win in the first place."

I only agreed to help Rikimaru show something to Setsuna. I never fought with the intention of winning from the start.

With Rikimaru down now, there's no merit in continuing the fight. I don't want to engage in a futile battle, so it's more rational to withdraw or pretend to lose to Shiranui.

"...Haha, what's this? So, in the end, only Rikimaru had the will to win!"

As soon as heckling from a red team 3rd-year sounded, the other red team students burst into laughter. Some were laughing so hard they were crying.

"How will Rikimaru feel when he wakes up?! To realize he was just a self-righteous, useless fool!"

Unfortunately, the world isn't fair.

Effort and perseverance are sometimes important. But besides that, human factors such as the environment one is born into, what one possesses, and even luck are important.

Sorry to Rikimaru. But I'll make the rational choice -,

"Don't laugh, please!!"

At that moment, someone's cry resounded sharply, silencing the students.

The voice belonged to - Tōka.

"Rikimaru isn't self-righteous, useless, or a fool! He worked hard for his goal, and fought until the end! It may not always yield results, but the time, effort, stamina, and belief he invested aren't in vain! Rather than judging people as strong or weak and doing nothing, his efforts are far more noble!"

Fuyuka was in tears. Her legs shook, almost about to give out.

Ugh, if she can raise her voice so loudly, it would be far more rational to speak up louder during class.

Why do I blurt out such good lines in moments like this?

"Senpai, you seem to be misunderstanding still. I wasn't doing this with the intention of winning from the start. - But I'm not doing it with the intention of losing either."

"...What?"

Why did I say something like that?

Was it out of sympathy for Tōka's tears? Or was it the sight of Rikimaru that inspired me?

The answer is probably both, yet neither.

"If the blue team loses now, Rikimaru won't look cool, will he? Besides, I want to teach you something too, Shiranui-senpai."

"Me? What on earth -"

I held up three fingers toward Shiranui.

"First. There's nothing wasted in this world. Sure, Rikimaru lost. At first glance, his efforts might seem in vain, but they can bear fruit in unexpected ways. They can become the strength that helps someone else rise."

"Second. The value of victory. You've never lost before, not just in sports festivals - anywhere, right? So, I'll tell you just how much Rikimaru poured into the 'victory' he naturally achieved."

"And... third. Defeat. Me, who has spoken about the importance of effort and challenges, will teach you to defeat mercilessly, rationally, and decisively."

After saying that, I delivered a full-force straight punch to Shiranui's torso.

In an instant, the sensation of flesh and bone transmitted through my fist as his nearly 180-centimeter body got sent flying.