The sound of the wind being cut as the portrait giant swung its axe and fist showed just how much power was behind them, but the emperor scavenger slime managed to barely dodge its attack, and throw the portrait giant.

Uk!?

The slime intentionally received the fist of the portrait giant, letting it penetrate its body as it took its arm. The moment the portrait giants center of gravity inclined forward, the slime slid beneath the portrait giant and grabbed its neck. As it enlarged its body, it threw the portrait giant in a manner similar to a judo throw.

As the portrait giants colossal body slammed into the stage, a heavy dull sound resounded, and the cheers of the crowd echoed throughout the arena.

The slime tried to choke the portrait giant, but its arms werent strong enough. As the portrait giant jumped up, it fixed its posture and glared at the slime.

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While the a.n.a.lyst was explaining, Ryouma gave out orders to the slime. After receiving the order, the slime extended out two tentacles.

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As all eyes gathered on the slimes two tentacles, the tentacles drooped down. And as the slime twisted its body, the tentacles started swaying. Seeing that, the portrait giant that had been attacking all this time stopped. It carefully watched the slime.

Then in the next instant.

GUOu!

Left, right, left, right. The tentacles that were stretched out on both sides attacked the portrait giant along with the slime.

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The emperor scavenger slime twisted it body as at it lashed out its tentacles. With the added power of centrifugal force and its weight, its whipping tentacles had enough power behind them to send a human flying. Moreover, with the long reach of the tentacles, the slimes attack was outside of the portrait giants range.

The left tentacle struck against the axe and then as it came back, the right tentacle whipped against the left shoulder of the portrait giant. Continuing, the left tentacle swung about, and then after revolving once, it went for the giants face from the right. Although the giant was able to dodge, the tentacle ended up hitting the giants right arm. After which, the right tentacle went for the giants armpit.

The portrait giant tried to s.h.i.+eld itself with its arm and s.h.i.+eld as it looked for an opening, but the slimes attacks seemed to be effective as anger could be seen on the portrait giants face.

OoOOO!!!

When the giant roared, it covered its face with its left arm and swung its axe against the slime. At the same time, for whatever reason, whether it was because the slime wanted to pressure the giant further or whether it just did so without any particular thought behind it, the slime strongly stepped forward with its right side, and the axe descended on it.

But before it could hit it, the slime dodged to the left, and then it whipped back against the back of the giants knees with its left tentacle, causing the giant to fall down to its right knee.

The portrait giant looked like it was about to fall, but it managed to endure. But then the slime whipped with its tentacles again. The right tentacle whipped against the right shoulder, forcing it backward, while the left tentacle wrapped itself around the giants neck, pulling it down.

As one might expect, the portrait giant wasnt able to endure the slimes attack, and it finally fell to its back. Immediately, the slime went to hold it down.

(Attack with the tentacles from the middle and long, and then throw the enemy when in close combat. Maintain this situation. Theres no need for a strong attack. Just fight carefully like this. If you could get the giant to drop its axe, thatd make the fight a whole lot easier. But since the giant seems to be h.e.l.l-bent on maintaining its grip on its axe even when thrown, then its fine even if you dont. Dont push yourself. Ill step further back so as not to get in the way.)

Because the portrait giant kept pus.h.i.+ng forward, the position Ryouma was standing in was relatively close to the center of the fight. Not to mention the river raptors trying to surround the slime from afar. Because of all this, Ryouma stepped back a little further, back down toward the entrance.

But then something unexpected happened.

Mu

Stop!!

GIGIi!

One of the river raptors surrounding the two magical beasts in a fierce battle from afar ran toward Ryouma and attacked him. Seeing that, Matthew panicked and immediately ordered it stop. When the crowd heard Matthews words, all eyes focused on Ryouma and the river raptor approaching him. Shrieks of dread and voices telling Ryouma to run away resounded. At the same time, the adventurers that were positioned by the entrance in case of emergency showed themselves.

The river raptor thrusted its claws against Ryouma, but Ryouma was like a willows leaf as he easily dodged the attack and unsheathed his katana. But because the river raptor didnt attack again, Ryouma didnt attack.

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Matthew bowed his head to the announcer and to the surrounding crowd, but he didnt bow to Ryouma, and even stealthily glared at him.

(Was it really an accident? Or was it just made to look like an accident? I dont know, but in any case, I should take some distance. I know hes been warned that there wont be a second time, but still)

As Ryouma sheathed his katana, he distanced himself from his slime, and ordered it to take its time and fight at the center of the arena.

Although an accident occurred, the crowd remained on fire. The emperor scavenger slime was currently pus.h.i.+ng back the portrait giant with technique, but if its nucleus were to be hit, the portrait giant would immediately be declared the winner. With the battle close enough that either side winning wasnt strange, the crowd couldnt help but watch with abated breath.

When the excitement of the crowd reached its peak, the slimes tentacles caught the face of the portrait giant.

Having been hit at the nose, the portrait giant faltered. It held its nose with its left hand as it stepped back. But the slime wasnt about to let that chance go, and it caught the giants right arm with its tentacles.

Immediately, the giant jumped back, but because the slime didnt resist the giants attempt, the giant ended up jumping back more than it expected and it jumped back one or two steps back. After the giant landed, the slime rammed its body against it, broke its posture, and then threw it from its back.

KAFUu GOFUu

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The portrait giant was able to immediately stand back up, but now it was right beside Matthew just like when it was first summoned out. As Matthew glanced at the giant who was catching its breath and not attacking, Matthew instigated the river raptors against the slime and yelled at the river crab.

What are you doing! You can still fight, right? Then fight!

Matthews voice was neither pet.i.tioning nor jeering, if anything, it was desperate. But the portrait giant wouldnt move. It was his own magical beast, so of course, he knew that the portrait giant couldnt just attack rashly after being thrown time after time again. But Matthew still ordered it to. He couldnt help it, after all that was the only thing he could order it to do.

While the portrait giant was at a loss on how to continue, the slime waved its tentacles as if it were shadow boxing, threatening and pressuring the enemy. But as it did that, Ryouma felt something amiss.

(Hmm? Whats with this magic power? Moreover, whats with this anxiousness thats reminiscent of beginner magicians failing at control?)

Because Ryouma excelled at Magic Perception, he was able to sense that trace of magic power. When he focused his senses to search for its source, he was able to find out that it was leaking from Matthews left arm.

As Ryouma was wondering what that was, the trace of magic power suddenly burst and vanish just like a balloon. Ryouma continued to observe Matthew, but as nothing seemed to change, he ordered the slime to continue attacking the portrait giant as always, but then in the next moment

Ha

Matthews body was blown to the back. The portrait giant had kicked him. Its action was a lot closer to someone kicking a bug by their feet rather than an attack, but with the portrait giants thick leg, Matthew spun two times, and when he stopped, he was right by the entrance. Matthew was still alive, but he didnt look like he was about to wake up anytime soon.

Commentators and spectators alike felt as if a dull sound had reached their ears as they went silent for a moment. Then

Gya!!

Oi! Is he alright!?

As the crowd started to panic, the match was put to a halt. The announcer tried to calm the crowd down, saying there are barriers and equipment installed, but the crowd still panicked. The crowd near the portrait giant in particular were especially panicked. People standing up to run away even just a moment sooner could be seen here and there. In the midst of the commotion, the tournament staff and the hired adventurers began to move. At the same time, a great voice loud enough to hurt ones ears erupted.

o, !!!!!

That was none other than the cry of a wild magical beast meant to instill fear into those who heard it. The crowd that tried to flee all came to a halt as they looked toward the portrait giant. What happened next caused them all to gulp.

The portrait giant lifted its axe and affixed its eyes on its prey. But its target was not the slime. Instead it was its very own master, Matthew!

Not only did the portrait giant kick its own master, its even planning to finish the job. No matter how you look at it, this portrait giant was going wild. The hired adventurers went to save Matthew, but the axe swung down toward him Right before it landed, something stopped the giant.

GUU!

The slime hit the back of the portrait giant, causing it to turn toward it.

Although Matthew was an annoying guy, Ryouma didnt really mind him as long as he didnt get in his way. Ryouma didnt hate Matthew to the extent that he would quietly watch him be killed by a magical beast right in front of his eyes. Besides, if this magical beast were to go wild, things would get dangerous. So Ryouma didnt hesitate to order the slime. At the same time, he also unsheathed his blade.

Because of its battle with the slime so far, all of the portrait giants attention was now focused on the slime. As the portrait giant rushed toward the slime, the adventurers saved Matthew, and carried him back to the pa.s.sage used by partic.i.p.ants when entering the stage.

The slime and the portrait giant were fighting at the center of the stage just as they did a while ago, but the river raptors and the river crab were different. A while ago they were just surrounding the slime while watching from afar, but now theyre all scrambling to run away, attacking all those in their way.

(Theres no reason for them to fight without an order, so theyre running away before they get caught up in the mess. This is about expected, I guess Coming toward here are 11 river raptors, while the river crabs headed for the adventurers Wait a moment, isnt that Glen-san and Raypin-san? The adventurers over there are pretty much just my acquaintances.)

The reason theyre here is because the organizers for the tournament predicted that some high ranking magical beast might come out especially, in the finals so they made sure to get some high-quality adventurers. So it isnt strange for someone like Glen, who is an S Rank, or Raypin, who is an A Rank, to come out.

More adventurers came out from the pa.s.sage behind Ryouma, but this time, they werent Ryoumas acquaintances. They advised Ryouma to withdraw, but Ryouma couldnt just leave his slime who was fighting with the giant by itself. The portrait giant wasnt about to let the slime leave either.

Ryouma told the hired adventurers that he would take care of himself, so the adventurers left him and went to deal with the river raptors. The river raptors were already heading their way, so they didnt have the time to talk things at their leisure.

After that, the six adventurers attacked the river raptors, and after reducing their numbers, the danger was averted. The river crab also fell after having several of its limbs cut. And with it having run out of magic power, it was right at deaths door. With the situation having changed for the better, the adventurers reallocated their forces, and Glen and Raypin along with other adventurers headed for the portrait giant. Seeing that, the panicked crowd finally calmed down, and some even started cheering on the adventurers.

Ryouma ordered his slime to separate from the portrait giant. And although the portrait giant tried to pursue it, the adventurers stopped it. With a group of adventurers that had an S Rank in it as its opponent, the portrait giants prospects were grim.

Raypin used his magic to grab the portrait giants attention, while Glen crushed its knees and feet. After that was a one-sided slaughter. The portrait giant kept its body up with its left hand as it flailed about its axe, but it was only a matter of time now. However, just as everyone was thinking that, the portrait giants axe broke.

Regardless of whether it broke because of long usage or because it was damaged in the fight, when the portrait giant lifted its axe up, it broke, and the vines keeping the rock axe together was cut, allowing the blade made out of rock to slip.

The crowd was even more relieved when they saw the portrait giants weapon break.

(Not good!)

But Ryouma who was watching from a distance, lightly panicked, and he immediately bolted off toward the direction of the detached blade. A few breaths later, the other adventurers finally noticed, and Glens voice resounded.

Someone do something about the axe!!!

The blade was still going up. At this rate, the blade would eventually draw a parabola and fall right into the n.o.ble seats. Elia and the others were there. Theres a barrier to protect against projectiles (physical attack), but theres no guarantee that itd be able to stop that blade of rock. Having thought of that, Ryouma immediately moved his body.

At the same time, in the n.o.ble seats

Ojousamas! Let us take shelter now just to be safe!

Having also thought of their safety, Sebasu persuaded Elia and the rest of the girls to leave.

Ryouma reinforced his legs with ki as he ran toward the emperor scavenger slime. As Ryouma ordered the slime, the slime wrapped itself around Ryouma as it pushed Ryouma up without hindering his momentum, then it threw him.

Big, Ice, Wall!

Ryouma launched up into the air, forming the shape of an arch different from the axe, as he headed straight for the n.o.ble seats. That figure of his being launched was no different from a trebuchet catapulting a rock. Ryouma has practiced this motion with his slimes thousands of times, which is why they are able to pull of this method. As Ryouma tore through the wind, Ryouma focused his mind despite the resistance of the air against his body. He invocated his magic.

Big Ice Wall

After combining the two defensive spells, the water magic, Water Wall, and the ice magic, Ice Wall, the result is a wall of ice more durable on one side than the other.

As Ryouma neared the n.o.ble seats, he casted the wall of ice with Elia and the others as the center. In this moment, his eyes met with Elias group, but they didnt have the time to chat.

Telekinesis!!!!

Using the neutral magic, Telekinesis, Ryouma stopped his momentum, preventing himself from cras.h.i.+ng into his own wall of ice as he descended into the ground away from the falling blade. Immediately after, the blade of rock crashed into the wall of ice. Large cracks appeared on the wall, but the blade couldnt penetrate. The n.o.ble seats managed to get off safely

O-!

The crowd cheered and applauded when they saw that, but then because of the impact, the wall of ice began to collapse.

Uo!!

Ryouma wouldnt get off unhurt if he were to get hit by the crumbling fragments of the ice wall, so he immediately tried to run away. But then

Flame Bomb

Raypin blew away the fragment with his fire magic. And as Ryoumas slime approached him, it extended its tentacle and stood in front of the collapsing wall, protecting Ryouma.

Ryouma looked toward Raypin and the slime. Then after catching his breath, he bowed to them. At nearly the same time, Glen finished off the portrait giant. After that, the adventurers communicated with the host with some signals, and then

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With the danger averted, the crowd all applauded for Ryouma, the slime, and the adventurers. The announcer waited for the applause to end, then he continued.

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The announcer said a few words before finally declaring the victor.

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The crowd that was quietly listening all simultaneously cheered at the announcement, and they all praised Ryouma. In the midst of their praises, Ryouma waved his hand back and answered to their cheers, then he went back to the waiting room.