Baguette Sword, Thousand Breads

“TORYAAAAAAA!!”

Shouting, Prough closes the distance between us in an instant and, with all his might, swings down the sword raised above his head, I mean, his bread!

Fast!

On reflex, I leap to the side and dodge.

ZUGAAAN!!

Hearing the roar of the bread shattering the ground, I roll, then use the strength in my arms to spring up and steady my stance.

Before my eyes, as I raised my fists again, there stretched a scar that seemed to have been made by that one blow.

A deep fissure in the ground, several meters long!

“As expected of you, Emi! This much, you dodge easily, huh!”

Laughing happily, Prough unleashes a succession of slashes with his bread!

I duck to avoid a flash that scoops upward from the bottom left to the top right.

I leap over the horizontal sweep that follows, right to left, and use the momentum to throw an aerial roundhouse kick, but the blow is blocked by the bread, aimed at me as I float in midair.

Gakii!!

A hard sound rings out from the clash between my kick and the bread!

I use the momentum of Prough's bread to intentionally leap backward, creating distance.

Time to reset.

“Sei! Torya!”

I dodge, dodge, and dodge the bread attacks he unleashes one after another!

ZUGAAAN!!

A flash from Prough rips through the ground again, creating a fissure!

Looking closely, the resulting crack glows golden, and wheat begins to sprout from it rapidly.

<That is proof that the Harvest God's magic power is infused in it! It would be wise to avoid trading blows between his bread and your kicks like before...... when you do, magic power could be poured into you, and you would risk being brainwashed again!>

Seriously!

This makes it so hard to fight!

“Really, you're so nimble! ......But how about this!?”

Here, perhaps fed up that his attacks aren't getting through, Prough makes a new move.

He raises his right hand above his head and chants.

“‘O my god, show forth thy power! 【Thousand Breads】!’”

“!!!”

In the next instant, countless small golden magic circles appear in the air...... and fist-sized pieces of bread are summoned from them!

Instead of stars, the night sky was filled with glowing bread.

“......Go!!”

Following Prough's command, given the moment he swings down his raised right hand, the countless breads floating in the air...... begin charging at me one after another!

While keeping an eye on Prough's movements, I dodge the bread with backsteps!

Zugagagagaga!!

With a sound that makes me wonder if I'm being shot by a machine gun, the bread stabs into the ground where I had been standing just seconds ago.

The ground the bread stabs into glows golden too, sure enough, and wheat grows from it.

Omake-sama! So those are things I'm not allowed to touch after all!?

<You mustn't! Evasion recommended! No intercepting with punches and kicks, please!!>

Aaaah, geez!

This is seriously so hard to fight!!

I mean, this is one of those!

The need to slug it out like an honest fool, none!

I glance behind me, checking for an escape route, but......

“I can't, let you get away!”

Sensing my intent to flee, Prough instantly circles around and blocks the path!

“Tch......!!”

I click my tongue in spite of myself!

I leap to the side, changing direction.

I place my hands on the ground and use the strength in my arms to push my body sharply into the air.

I spring up, kick the trunk of a giant tree that was there, and change direction again!

Zugagagagaga!!

The bread's gunfire still hasn't stopped!

The great tree I kicked a moment ago is riddled like a honeycomb and topples over with a mishi mishi creak.

“RIGHT THEEEEEEEERE!!”

Prough rushes to my landing point and swings his bread down with all his might!

I can't dodge in time...... I have no choice!!

“Raah!!”

I deflect the bread-blade (a blade-ish expression) with a backhand, shifting its trajectory.

ZUGAAAN!!

Prough's bread sinks into the ground, creating a fissure.

“!? Dammit!!”

The bread doesn't come out of the ground, and for a moment, Prough's body freezes.

Without meaning to, I've slipped in, under his guard.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance!

I'll blow a hole right through his stomach!!

I pour magic power into my fist, and pour in murderous intent.

But......!

“!?”

Just before I can strike Prough, a sudden dizziness hits me!

At the same time, memories of the few months I spent in Grounoddka Village come rushing back......!

Everyone's smiles, the beautiful wheat fields, the delicious bread, a happy daily life......!!

<This is bad! It's the Harvest God's magic power encroaching on you! Emi, hold on firmly to yourself!!>

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

I scream!

Happiness?

Happiness, so what!

Because, there...... there!!

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

I scream! I scream! I keep screaming!!

I paint over the happy memories, poured into me and forced on me without my say, with murderous intent!!

Move! Move! My body!!

I'll move it, even if I have to force it!!

I use 【Grasshopper】 to leap backward, putting distance between myself and Prough for a moment!

While I keep dodging, with backsteps, the rain of bread that comes at me without a moment's pause, I grab a clod of dirt from the ground.

I begin intercepting the bread with 【Infinite Pebbles】!

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!!!

In mid-air, the bread and pebbles clash violently, and a roar echoes through the surroundings!

Keeping that up, several dozen seconds.

At last, I had fended off the bread floating in the air, every last piece of it.

The entire area illuminated by the moonlight is a disaster, full of fissures and wheat.

Standing amid it all, are a boy and a girl.

One is me, Emi.

“Hah...... hah......”

I breathe heavily, my shoulders heaving.

It's hard. It hurts. Quite, battered all over.

“Haa......”

The other is the boy, Prough.

Having finally pulled out the bread that served as his sword from the ground, he looks at me and sighs.

He's at ease.

Not at all, does he look worn down.

“Hey, Emi. Why are you resisting so desperately?”

He rests the bread on his shoulder and speaks to me with an exasperated look.

“Calm down, and think about it, okay? You, were surely happy living in Grounoddka Village. Weren't you?”

That, is true.

Even if I was brainwashed, I certainly, was happy.

A world where everyone, affirmed me.

A kind world that accepted me, as a human being, was certainly there.

<E, Emi......>

“Tilling the fields every day, working hard. A happy daily life surrounded by wheat fields. What's wrong with that?”

A happy, daily life......

A peaceful, daily life......

<N, no, Emi. You mustn't listen to him!>

“Right, Emi? Your time for running away from home is over, okay? Come back to the village!”

Prough smiles brightly and extends his hand toward me for a handshake.

I.

My legs. My body.

Unsteadily, make their way toward Prough.

<No! No no no! Emi! EMI, WAKE UUUUUUUUP!!>

And then, I.

Firmly, grasp Prough's hand.

“Welcome home! Emi!”

Hearing Prough's bouncy voice, I raised my downcast face and locked eyes, with him.

And then, with a yank.

I pulled, on Prough's arm.

“Eh?”

Having let his guard down, Prough loses his balance.

And starts to pitch forward.

Right there.

Into the face, of the staggering Prough.

Into that face, for some reason, slightly flushed.

I.

Let go of Prough's arm, the one I'd pulled.

Clenched that fist, tight.

With all my might.

Slammed it in!!!

“Bubeeeeeeeeeeee!!?”

Watching Prough get blown away, crashing through the bushes and rolling across the ground until he was out of sight, I declare!

“I won't go back, to the village...... ever!!!”