But he was still easily bigger than me and several times my weight. With my strength typical of an average high school boy, there was no way I could support myself. I was slowly being pushed backwards, leaving a trail on the ground. Even though he was still paralyzed for now, he could easily snap my neck the moment he came around. At this close range, there was no telling when that would be.
“...!”
But being so close had an unexpected benefit. I looked up and suddenly realized why the mask wasn’t coming off his face.
“Sherlyn! The mask is attached to his skin!”
“Whaaat?! If it’s part of his face, I can’t steal that!”
“Just think of it like ripping off a bandaid! Pull with all your might in one fell swoop!”
I was holding him in place right now, after all. And as long as I was pushing him one way and Sherlyn was pulling the mask the other, that sucker should come right off... I hope!
“Graaargh!”
“Uh-oh!”
The paralysis must have finally worn off, as the Gold Yaksha shrugged off my grip and swung his hatchet upward. I nearly closed my eyes reflexively, but Corona jumped in and kicked his arm, sending the hatchet flying far away.
“Reckless as always, aren’t you?!”
“So we just have to hold him back, right?!”
Iris joined the two of us in holding on to him.
The mask seemed to be pulled stronger than before, showing the seam between face and mask clearly. But it still wouldn’t come off completely.
“You lot...”
“Chirika!”
At some point, Chirika had stood up in a daze to watch our attempts at tearing the mask off the man’s face.
“Chirika! Use your Silkworm Slash to separate the mask from his face! The seam is easily visible right now because Steal is pulling on it!”
When I saw that she was still holding on to her katana, I yelled on the spur of the moment.
“What?! If I mess up, he’ll...!”
The borderline between skin and mask... Thickness-wise, I was asking her to cut something with surgical precision. I knew it was a lot, but...
“You can do it, Chirika!”
She was a master at her craft, able to achieve god-like feats without breaking a sweat, overcoming layers of obstacles like the iron box and bottle to slash only the flag at the mast of the intricate model ship. If she could resolve herself, I was certain she had this in the bag.
“Stop... it! Without... this, I...!”
“Wha?! He suddenly got stronger!”
The Gold Yaksha grew stronger the harder we pulled. Despite there being three people on our side, we were overwhelmed by his swelling muscles that threatened to shake us off at any moment. We couldn’t hold on for much longer.
“Chirika! Which would you prefer?! Having to end up killing this man because of your fear of failure, or believing in the skill that you refined and using it to save a life... What would a samurai do?!”
“...!”
The hesitation in Chirika’s eyes transmogrified into anger. It looked like using her frankness and pride as a point of provocation was the correct choice... I’d have to apologize later.
“Fine...! I’ll do it! Make sure you hold him in place properly!”
Chirika braced her katana with a unique stance, breathing in once as she locked on to her target. Then...
“Silkworm Cut!”
An invisible blade was launched from her katana. The next moment, the Gold Yaksha we were so desperately trying to hold back froze on the spot... and all the energy drained from his body.
Thunk!
“Ow!”
Something hard bounced off my head and tumbled to the ground. I looked down as I supported the slumped-over man... to see the face of the Gold Yaksha fallen on the ground with holes where the eyes should be. It was the Mask of Greed. We’d managed to get it off.
“Phew...”
All the strength drained from my body too, and I gently let the man down on the ground before sinking down myself next to Iris and Corona.
“I-I’m so tired.”
“Me too... He sure got strong there.”
At Iris’s words, I turned to look at the man who had been possessed by the Mask of Greed just moments ago. He was lying on the ground, breathing steadily. After the mask was removed, his body had shrunk until he wasn’t much taller than me. His wife was right, apparently. He did look kinda timid—certainly nothing like a demon. But I reckoned this face was more fitting for a person who could set out alone for a world he knew nothing about in order to save everyone.
“You really did manage to make it work somehow...” Chirika muttered as she approached my sitting form while sheathing her katana.
“It wasn’t me. Iris and Corona were the ones who held him back, and you and Sherlyn were the ones that really got the mask off.”
Hearing my answer, Chirika gave a quiet huff.
“Assuming your point was correct, then that’d mean the lords and princesses who give their subordinates orders are doing nothing too.” She huffed again before bowing her head. “If I were alone, even if I knew of this man’s circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to take any action other than ending his life for the sake of the princess. I may have had to bear that scar for the rest of my life. Without your determination, this man wouldn’t have been saved... And so, thank you, Rekka.”
“...No problem. Let’s take him back to Laputa with us. Hibiki and the others are waiting.”
The people of Shangri-La should all be in Laputa by now, his wife included. It would be good to get them together again. And with that in mind, I picked up the Mask of Greed lest it fall into the wrong hands. We then headed back to the airship and set off once more for the flying island.
Chapter 4: The Greedy King
After we returned to Laputa and delivered the unconscious man to his wife, we met up with everyone else in the Laputian king’s private quarters.
“Good to see you back safe, Rekka,” said Hibiki.
“You can say that again...” I sighed.
I had almost been decapitated, after all. At any rate, I explained to Hibiki and the gang how we’d come to resolve Chirika’s story. Then it was Hibiki’s turn to tell us how things had gone for them.
“To get straight to the point, we agreed to settle things with Boboza via contest.”
“Via contest?”
“A contest for the throne. If we lose, we have to teach Boboza the time-stitching technology. But if we win, he’ll allow Nyanyan to take the throne and will support her politically so long as we overlook the little coup incident.”
“Wait, so... he gets something either way?”
In other words, even if he lost, he’d get off scot-free for trying to take over the kingdom. He’d just go back to being the next in line for the throne. And if he won, he’d have everything he needed to officially begin his reign as king. It was win-win for him.
“And Nyanyan’s okay with all this?” I asked skeptically.
“I only told her she’d have to compete for the throne.”
“Uh, don’t you think she’s gonna be a little upset when she finds out the rest?”
“Probably.”
“Come on...”
My shoulders slumped dejectedly at Hibiki’s all-too-flat reply. But even so, she was as calm as ever.
“Have you forgotten what’s at stake here, Rekka? In three days’ time... No, it’s already been over a day now. In just two days, Atlantis is going to sink. We need to get Nyanyan on the throne before then.”
“I know, but...”
“In the event that Nyanyan actually manages to earn the right to the throne, the king of Laputa has agreed to arrange the coronation ceremony here on Laputa.”
“The coronation ceremony? Here?”
“Fortunately, Laputa and Atlantis have a close-knit alliance. They’re practically the same kingdom. We’ll have every citizen of Atlantis attend the ceremony, then we’ll ex
tend the ceremony to include all kinds of other events and make it last the whole day.”
If all went according to plan, that would mean the people would be moved—no, evacuated—before Atlantis sank.
“The Nyanyan we met at the bottom of the ocean... Her wish was to save the Atlantians, not Atlantis. Right, Rekka?”
“Yeah... You’re right.” I couldn’t argue there. “If we can win this contest or whatever, it’ll solve both Nyanyan and Sherlyn’s stories at the same time. You’re amazing, Hibiki. You came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone.”
At the honest praise, Hibiki started blushing and looked away.
“I-It was simply what the situation called for. Really, it’s only possible thanks to the cooperation of the Laputian king.”
The rulers of Laputa and Atlantis had a long history and a common bloodline. Apparently, an offshoot of the Laputian royal family had descended to Atlantis to establish their own dominion. That relationship, combined with the fact that she’d been the one to give the Atlantians the time-stitching technology, gave the Laputian king a great deal of influence over Atlantis’s affairs.
“Also, do you remember how Nyanyan mentioned that Laputa and Atlantis were twin islands?”
“Yeah, she said something about them moving together.”
“That’s right. Specifically, Laputa is pulling the island of Atlantis along. Do you know what that means?”
“Uh, well... It means that Laputa determines the course of Atlantis, right?”
“Yes. It’s the same as a car being pulled by a tow truck. Atlantis is a moving island, but it doesn’t move on its own. Now, just imagine for a moment if you will... What would happen if Laputa flew over a continent?”
“Atlantis would crash right into it!”
“Bingo. It would be a total disaster. So no matter how else you look at it, the fate of Atlantis is in Laputa’s hands... Though I doubt the current king would do anything like that.”
True, she didn’t seem like the evil type. Or rather, that didn’t seem like the kind of thing that would interest her. Which, of course, was great news for all of Atlantis.
“Well, I understand now why you wanted to bring the Atlantians here, but what about this competition? Please don’t tell me Nyanyan and Boboza have to fight each other.”
“As if I’d sign a child up for a fistfight. The competition is going to take place in the form of Atlantis’s most traditional sport...”
▽
“A boat race, huh?” I muttered as I looked over the crowd of spectators gathered along the coastline to witness the race for the throne.
Boat racing had a storied history in Atlantis. It had been popular for over a century, and was normally celebrated in a grand, annual competition. The course was set as a single lap around Atlantis itself. While the island was relatively small, paddling by hand would make the race a grueling contest of endurance rather than speed, but...
“I guess with all the other technology Laputa has, I shouldn’t be surprised there are motorboats...”
They were the kind steered by a tiller rather than a wheel, and while their appearance was rather retro, their functionality was on par with any modern motorboat I’d ever seen. Actually, their top speed clocked in at a hundred kilometers per hour, which for all I knew well surpassed modern technology.
As for the race itself, the winner would be the first team to complete a lap around the island. The “teams” were really the boat crews, which consisted of four people including the helmsman. Circumnavigating the island would take roughly ten to fifteen minutes, and the whole thing could be watched via long-distance projection machines—basically cameras—mounted on the boats and various checkpoints around the course.
“Bohahaha!”
Suddenly, my eardrums were assaulted with the sound of a grating, obnoxious laugh. When I looked to see who the culprit was, I spotted a stout man with a strange hairdo that resembled a seahorse sitting on top of his head. I recognized him from the projection future Nyanyan had once shown us. But this was my first time seeing him in the flesh.
“So that’s Boboza...”
This was Nyanyan’s uncle, the mastermind behind the coup.
“Wh-What do you want, Uncle? Did you come here to laugh at us because you think you’ve already won?”
Despite Nyanyan’s surprise at her uncle showing up out of nowhere, she didn’t lose her cool.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I mean, I was shocked when you suggested a race in the first place... But I wasn’t expecting all of your little friends to be children! Oops, pardon me. I forget that you’re still just a child yourself, Princess Nyanyan,” he replied, chuckling to himself.
I guess from his perspective, we did just look like a bunch of kids.
“Urgh! I won’t lose to you, Uncle! I’m going to win and inherit my father’s title!”
“Bohahaha! I’d like to see you try!”
After getting in another good, obnoxious laugh, Boboza wandered off... Er, I guess he was probably going back to his boat.
“Grr! I’ll show him!”
Nyanyan was raging so hard I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears as she continued to inspect our boat. While she had never entered a race before, she’d apparently been fond of boats since she was young and knew a good deal about them.
“So, Nyanyan,” I asked. “How come a crew is four people? Wouldn’t the boat go faster with fewer people on board?”
“What? Weren’t you listening to the rules? The race allows for interference.”
“Huwah?!”
“Well, directly destroying a boat or intentionally harming the other participants are still considered violations of good conduct.”
“I... I just thought this was a more wholesome sport.”
“It’s typically held as part of a grand event much like a festival. The rules were designed to encourage that flair of excitement. It would be a lot less interesting to watch otherwise.”
So rather than a sport, this was pure entertainment... If she were here, Zeta probably would have scolded me for not getting that sooner.
But interference was considered fair game, huh? That meant the race wouldn’t be decided by speed and skill alone. We’d have to pick our team carefully. If directly harming rival boats or opponents was out of the question, I figured it’d probably be smarter to choose more technically skilled crew members like Satsuki or Shirley.
“Sorry, but I’ll pass,” Shirley said as soon as I brought up who would be participating.
“How come? I bet you’d be good at coming up with ways to hinder our opponent, Shirley.”
“Certainly. But the boat reaches speeds of a hundred kilometers per hour, right? Not to mention how high the waves are today... It’ll be a pretty rough ride. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be able to do much more than cling on to something.”
“Now that you mention it, the same goes for me...” added Satsuki, her eyebrows dejectedly furrowed.
Not that I blamed them. I hadn’t really processed myself what going at a hundred kilometers an hour would be like. Adding the waves on top of that would make it even more taxing, and anyone thrown off the boat could potentially be seriously injured.
Since this was specifically a contest between Nyanyan and Boboza, it was a given that she had to enter. But since she was the most familiar out of all of us with boats, it was just as well. So if I went along too, that would leave two more spots open. It would probably be too much for Harissa or Tsumiki to handle. Iris and Corona had the stamina for it, but straight-up brawn was really their strong suit. Even though interference was allowed, it wasn’t like I could send them to attack Boboza.
“Um, Rekka...” said Rain, hesitantly raising her hand.
“What’s up, Rain?” I asked.
“I don’t know about interference, but I think I’d be useful on a boat. I’ve definitely got sea legs, you could say, and I’d even be all right if I happened to get thrown overboard.”
It was true there probably wasn’t any better ally to have on the high seas than a mermaid. In the event of an emergency, we’d all be glad to have her aboard.
“All right. So the crew will be Nyanyan, me, Rain, and...”
“Why not take me as your number four?”
“Sherlyn?”
Indeed, it was the ever-smiling, mature, laid-back Sherlyn who raised her hand and volunteered to fill the fourth slot. For the record, knowing that there would be trouble if the Atlantians saw it, we’d asked Harissa to hide Sherlyn’s crown with her invisibility magic.
“I’ve fled the police on boats before, so I at least won’t be a hindrance. And I have to say I’m pretty good at outsmarting people. Besides...”
“Besides?”
“My life is on the line here too. I’d like to participate if possible.”
“That’s fair.”
It was easy enough to understand how she felt. Her magic was pretty versatile too, and wouldn’t be against the rules since it wasn’t explicitly offensive. So, with the team finally decided, I went to inform Nyanyan, who was still inspecting the boat.
“...And that’s our roster. Is that okay with you, Nyanyan?”
“It’s fine by me. I’m not old enough to participate in the races normally, so it’s not like I have any familiar teammates to bring along,” Nyanyan said as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
It seemed she’d been pretty rigorous in inspecting the boat. Her clothes were all wrinkled and dirty now.
“Ah, hold still a sec,” I said, reaching out to wipe an oil smear off her forehead.
“Mm...” Nyanyan closed her eyes and held still.
“There. All better.”
“Thanks.”
“Hang on, there’s also... Wait, those are bags under your eyes. Did you not sleep last night?”
“Well, I was up quite late looking after the patients. I might be a little low on sleep right now.”
“Hey... Well, it’s not like I helped or anything, but today’s a big day, you know? Sleep is important.”
“Yeah, you’re right...” Nyanyan smiled with a troubled expression before tightly clenching her fists in determination. “But I’ll definitely win against my uncle! I’ll be the one to succeed my father!”
I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse: Volume 12 Page 13