"So, can you tell me what the meaning of this is?"
This is ridiculous.
How I, of all people, was suddenly chosen randomly by a woman for a duel that I don't even know what it is?
And more than that, how is she even surprised by herself when she chooses me?
The pantherkin woman lets out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of her head as she smiles awkwardly.
"Ahaha... y-yeah, so, uh, you'll be my partner for the duel, okay?"
I cross my arms, eyeing her curiously.
"Yeah, I know. But before I agree to anything, can you explain what kind of duel we're talking about?"
"Oh, it's nothing hard. It's just knife-throwing! Two people throwing knives together at a target. Score the most points and you win. Simple, right?"
She grins as she says that, and she continues with even more confidence and energy.
"Don't worry! We've totally got this. We'll win for sure!"
"Okay, I get it."
But still, I have to find out more about this first.
"But what about those guys from earlier? The ones yelling at you. Did this duel happen because of something you did?"
Her eyes are amethyst, matching the color of her hair and tail. But they feel irritating to me because she blinks and shifts her gaze away from me, then says something with the fakest innocent smile I've ever seen.
"Ehh? I don't know what you're talking about..."
I stare, then yell at her, and it makes her yelp.
"Hey!"
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to drag you into this! I just wanted to look cool and picked someone without looking! I swear!"
This woman...
"But it's not my fault, you know? They're just weaklings trying to blame me for stuff I didn't do!"
She protests, folding her arms across her chest. I ask her again, and it makes her snap.
"Uh-huh. And what about the part where they said you faked your rank?"
"That's all wrong!"
She snaps instantly, and I'm even more curious.
"What do you mean?"
She goes silent for a while. Her tail sways behind her, ears twitching. Then, she opens her mouth.
"I... I..."
"What?"
"...I..."
"Louder, please."
Then, I can finally hear what she says despite it still being barely above her whisper.
"I like sex just as much as adventuring..."
"What?"
She immediately raises her voice.
"I said I like sex just as much as I like adventuring, alright?!"
"Huh?!"
"Those guys are all my former party members, okay? But they're from different groups! We'd go on quests together during the day, and at night, well... we had sex! That's it!"
She explains it quickly, and I'm unable to respond.
"Maybe they're mad because they couldn't keep up with me! So I left them when they got boring. That's not a crime, is it? Now they're just making stuff up to make themselves look better."
"What?"
"Besides, I'm stronger than all of them. No point sticking with people who can't match my pace, right?"
I continue staring, still dumbfounded.
I mean... she's totally at fault here, isn't she? In game terms, she's a total party hopper, the kind of player who jumps from one group to another, riding on their progress for private purposes without actually committing. But in her case... I don't know. Maybe she is strong. Maybe she's telling the truth. Either way, she's confusing. A big, wild, and chaotic fool who can't sit still and has no idea how much she pisses people off, even if she doesn't mean to.
Suddenly, she drops to her knees in front of me, kneeling and bowing deeply with her forehead against the floor.
"Please! I'm begging you! Be my partner! If we win, I'll do anything you want in return!"
Her voice echoes through the alley we're in, and I can't help but sigh.
"Fine, I'll do it."
"Really? Thank you! You're the best!"
Her head shoots up, and she suddenly springs to her feet.
"I'm Chantal! A-rank adventurer, by the way!"
"Motegi."
"Nice to meet you, Motegi-kun! Let's do our best, okay?"
"-kun"?
Well, that's too sudden to call someone with a friendly nickname like that.
"Sure, let's do our best, Chantal."
"Alright! Let's go!"
Before I can react, she yanks me forward and drags me straight toward the dueling grounds. Arriving there, I see a wide circular stage packed with beastfolk who have gathered, and I can hear their noises.
The moment Chantal and I step in, the pantherkin men from earlier are already there. They glared daggers at Chantal. But when their eyes shift to me, their expressions change completely as they're turned into mocking smirks.
"She's really picking a human, isn't she?"
"Guess she's really scraping the bottom now."
"Hah! This'll be over in a blink."
Chantal just rolls her eyes and cracks her knuckles, grinning back at them and completely unfazed. As for me, a person who just got dragged into this mess, I don't even know how to respond to them.
Then, a male harekin in a red and gold vest steps up onto the platform beside the stage, raising his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to today's special knife-throwing duel!"
The crowd roars in response, hooting and whistling.
"This match was officially sanctioned by the Adventurer's Guild after a challenge was issued against A-rank adventurer, Chantal!"
The harekin gestures toward her, and the pantherkin men are visibly tensed.
"There have been claims that she's faked her achievements… and to prove otherwise, she'll compete right here, right now!"
That statement alone makes the crowd go even wilder.
"Now, let's meet our contestants!"
He gestures toward the first pair.
"Representing the Iron Whiskers party... Tabor and Denz!"
The crowd claps as the two stocky pantherkin step forward and raise their fists.
"Next up, from the Moonclaw party... Kris and Vano!"
Two leaner, sharp-eyed pantherkin took their places.
"Third team... Rek and Zido of the Talon Fangs!"
More applause.
"And finally... our fourth and final team! A rather unusual pair, Chantal, and… a human man?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
"A human? For real?"
"She really is weird!"
Chantal just smiles and waves at the crowd like she is a celebrity on tour. And me, again, I don't know what to respond.
Then, the announcer claps his hands. A large curtain behind the stage slowly parts, revealing two spinning contraptions and the audience gasping instantly.
The first is a small horizontal disk, like a roulette table, spinning steadily. Face-shaped targets pop up and down from its surface, closing and opening unpredictably. Behind it, another one spins vertically like a mini Ferris wheel, with the similar face-like targets hanging from each arm, turning and rotating in place.
Then, the announcer continues speaking.
"And now, the rules! Each team must throw their knives together at the same target. Only when both knives strike the face will the target be destroyed and points awarded!"
Okay...
"If you miss the timing or the face, no points. And remember, knives only!"
I study the obstacles quickly. So basically, Chantal and I have to pick which target we choose and sync our time. If one of us misses, we'll score nothing.
"And finally, this duel will be supervised by official judges from the Adventurer's Guild. So let's keep things fair and clean!"
A roar of approval erupts from the crowd. I glance at Chantal, and she grins.
"Still confident?"
"Yup. We're totally gonna crush this."
Honestly, I'm not so sure. I've never thrown knives before, but I'm thrilled to try it. And with that, the announcer raises his hand to officially commence the duel.
"First up, Iron Whiskers!"
The crowd cheers as Tabor and Denz step forward. Then, with a synchronized motion, both of them flung their knives toward one of the targets on the spinning horizontal disk, landing cleanly on it.
THUNK!
"Bullseye!! Team Iron Whiskers starts off strong!"
The announcer shouts, and the crowd erupts in applause.
"Next, Moonclaw party!"
Kris and Vano follow up, confidently stepping into position. They too nail the timing and strike another rising target dead-on.
THWIP!
THWIP!
"Another hit! These guys aren't playing around today!"
More applause and whooping from the crowd.
As Rek and Zido of the Talon Fangs step forward, I turn to Chantal, and I'm surprised to see her pulling a blindfold out of her pocket.
"Wait. What the hell are you doing?"
Without hesitation, she slips the blindfold over her eyes and ties it tight behind her head.
"Relax, I got this, Motegi-kun..."
Before I can stop her, I see Rek and Zido make their throw perfectly. And the crowd claps as the announcer shouts.
THUNK!
"Team Talon Fangs hits the mark! That's three teams in a row!"
Then, it's our turn.
"And now, the final pair! Chantal… and the human!"
That alone earns a few laughs. But when the announcer notices her blindfold, his voice shoots up.
"Oho! What's this?! Chantal's going in blind! Ladies and gentlemen, I can't wait to see what she can do with her eyes closed!"
The crowd buzzes with curiosity. Some even started cheering her on. Chantal tilts her head toward the noise, then smirks like she really expects this attention.
This woman...
She's really just showing off!
Still, I have no choice but to follow along. I take a deep breath, dagger in hand, and stand beside her.
"Two… one!"
We both throw.
THUNK!
CLANG!
Chantal's knife lands cleanly in the face target.
Mine? Missed.
"Unbelievable! Chantal, blindfolded, scores a hit! But her human partner, with full vision, completely misses!"
The announcer shouts, and laughter bursts from the crowd and her old party members.
"Haha! What a joke!"
"Blindfold's doing better than him!"
Chantal tilts her head, her ears perking up.
"No worries, Motegi-kun! We'll nail it next round. We can still win this!"
"Thanks. I appreciate that."
I'm happy about her positivity, although her blindfold still makes me sigh.
"But can you at least take it off? You didn't even see me miss."
"Nah. I don't have to."
Then, the second round kicks off.
"Team Iron Whiskers hits again!"
"Moonclaw lands another clean one!"
"Talon Fangs keeps the streak alive!"
The announcer's voice hypes the already roaring crowd. Once again, the other three teams deliver perfect throws, landing their blades right into the face targets.
Then comes our turn again.
"Next up… Chantal and the human!"
Chantal, still blindfolded, raises her knife without hesitation. I raise mine too, but not as smoothly as hers.
THUNK!
CLANG!
Chantal's blade lands dead-on again, and mine misses again.
"Another miss by the human! At this rate, Chantal's team doesn't stand a chance unless her partner starts scoring!"
The announcer shouts, and the crowd laughs again as we enter the third round.
This is bad.
I have to think of something... "Knives and daggers only." It said what we could use, not how we had to throw them. There is no mention of magical restrictions unless the knife itself is being controlled.
So technically, it only just has to hit.
"Let's go, Motegi-kun."
We step up again, this time I focused on summoning a small Wind element spell silently. I want to reduce the blade's weight, just enough to let it sail through the air unfazed by drag or wind.
And the moment we throw...
THUNK!
THUNK!
The target shatters for the first time.
"Woahhh!! Chantal and the human just scored a perfect hit! Their first clean strike of the match!"
The announcer screams, and the crowd bursts into cheers. But then...
"Objection!!"
One of the pantherkin steps forward, and I think it's Kris from Moonclaw.
"He used magic! That's cheating!"
The announcer uses this chance to keep making the crowds interested.
"Well, folks! Looks like we've got a protest! Can't wait to see how this shakes out!"
After a moment, the head judge, who is a wolfkin, steps forward.
"After review, we conclude that the human's use of magic did not violate the rules. The knife itself was not controlled—only enhanced in flight. Since it struck the target on its own, the point stands."
"Ruling stands! No rules were broken! Chantal and the human score!"
Cheers erupt again after the announcement. Kris scowls and turns away, followed by the others.
"This is nonsense!"
"Bullshit!"
Still blindfolded, Chantal tilts her head toward me.
"Told you we'd win. Feeling confident now, Motegi-kun?"
"Yeah… we can actually do this."
And we do.
Round after round flies by. Chantal and I keep scoring, catching up with every throw. By the final round, we're tied with the Moonclaw.
Kris and Vano go first and land another flawless hit. As we walk to the stage again, Chantal leans in close.
"Hey, Motegi-kun, let's end this with a bang."
"A bang?"
"I'm throwing mine full force this time. Just follow my lead."
"Okay?"
I don't get it. But I trust her somehow.
Then, we throw our knives together.
THUNK!
BOOM!
CRACK!
One target exploded.
Then another behind it.
And then a third dangling on the spinning wheel behind that.
The entire stage falls into silence for a moment before the announcer screams.
"What?!? Ladies and gentlemen, that's a triple hit! A perfect shot on three targets from Chantal and the human! What a finish!! They've done it! They win the duel!!"
The crowd goes wild, and the announcer continues to shout.
"And with that, Chantal's A-rank is confirmed as legitimate!"
"You're the best, Chantal!!"
"Human man, you've done it!"
As for her former party members, they just slump in defeat.
"No way..."
"We lose..."
Chantal finally unties her blindfold, tossing it into the air and laughing loudly.
"Hahahaha! That's how you win with style, baby!"
This woman… she's absurd, but somehow ridiculously attractive.
After the duel, we head into an empty spot, as Chantal wants to keep her earlier promise.
"Alright! A promise is a promise. You help me win, so come on. What do you want? Anything. I mean anything."
Actually, I don't know what to ask either.
But then...
"Chantal!!"
"Nyaa!"
She yelps so hard when she hears the bark, like a scolded cat. The wolfkin head judge stomps toward us, clearly irritated.
"I knew you'd start something again. Even after we confirmed your A-rank, you still cause problems! Do you think picking fights with half your former party in public is how a recognized adventurer behaves?! You win the duel and think you're off the hook?! Keep this up, and the guild will strip that rank faster than you can blink!"
Chantal shrinks, her hands raising in defense.
"W-Wait, it wasn't like that, they started it...!"
"Nope, you're going to the guild with me..."
"Wait, no, no, no...!"
With a sigh of long-suffering patience, he reaches behind her and pinches the back of her neck like he's picking up a misbehaving kitten.
"Nyaaahh!! Put me down!! I'm sorry, okay?! I'm really sorry!!"
She screams, but the wolfkin doesn't care about it. As she is carried off, she shouts over her shoulder.
"Motegi-kun!! We'll meet again, okay?!"
I can't help but laugh, shaking my head as I wave back.
"Yeah, we will!"
Once she is out of my sight, I can hear my stomach growl.
Grrr...
Right. I haven't had lunch.
Then it hits me, Yomogi. She said she was making lunch at home.
Perfect timing.
Without wasting time, I make my way back through the jungle village, retracing my steps to her treehouse. As I open the door, Yomogi greets me with her usual gentle smile.
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back, Motegi-chan!"
Once I enter the house, she asks me something.
"Did you enjoy your sightseeing?"
"Yeah… it was good. Kinda fun, actually."
Well, of course I don't tell her what really happened. How I got dragged into a ridiculous knife-throwing duel by a random pantherkin woman, blindfolds and all. It isn't exactly something you can casually bring up over lunch. Still, I can't deny it's fun.
"Here you go, the lunch is ready."
"Wow! That looks delicious!"
The moment I sit at the table, she serves perfectly cooked steaks that glisten with juice and a hint of seasonings on wooden plates, handing one to me with a smile. Beside the steaks, two wooden glasses of orange juice are served for drinks.
"Let's eat!"
And just like that, we eat our meals together.