American Isekai - Chapter 91 (Patreon)

Umara sat nervously in the stands around the arena. Her parents and sister were to her side, as well as the Chief and several other high level spectators.

Hundreds had already gathered from out of nowhere. Most of them were students of the Martial League. Tindereye was one such student.

But she didn’t care about the popularity. She was worried about whether or not John would be able to avoid killing Tindereye.

She knew how his weapons worked better than anyone, so she knew that it was incredibly difficult to reign in the power of his guns.

Not to mention the fact that he was drunk.

She watched as he took another swig from a bottle of alcohol. She wasn’t sure where he got it from. Maybe he pulled it out of his ass.

Regardless, a drunken man with those weapons was a recipe for disaster. She hoped Tindereye was stronger than he looked, for his own sake.

It would be problematic if he killed someone of the Raven Family, after all.

“Allow me to establish the stakes of this duel.”

Tindereye’s voice echoed through the stands.

“If you lose, you will stop pursuing Lady Umara!”

“Huh? Guy, I really hope you don’t actually want to make those the stakes.”

“Why? Are you afraid of your own weakness? A Summoner isn’t worthy of her hand, so you should face that reality now.”

“Son, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m saying, if you make those the stakes, I’m going to have to kill you. So don’t, for your own sake.”

*Click*

Shotgun in hand, John pulled the slide and ejected a shell, catching it and inspecting it.

“This is a slug, right? Hey, do you have armor on?”

“...I do not.”

Tindereye responded, unsure of what to make of John’s antics.

John looked between him and the shell a few times, making Umara’s anxiety increase.

She shouted.

“No slugs!”

“...Fine.”

He shrugged and tossed the shell, ejecting the rest before slotting in buckshot.

She sighed in relief, sitting back and earning her mother’s curiosity.

“What are slugs?”

“It’s a type of projectile his gun shoots. They’re meant for punching through tough armor, so if he uses them while Tindereye doesn’t have armor, he’ll kill him.”

“He was serious about that?”

She looked surprised, as did the others nearby.

Umara massaged her temples.

“Please stop underestimating him. His summons are wholly devoted to killing and he regularly fights above his Authority. Now he’s been challenged to a duel by a knight while drunk. If Tindereye really threatens his life, then John will kill him.”

“Hm, well, at least you know he’ll kill for you.”

“How romantic.”

Feay nudged Umara with a teasing face, causing her to blush a bit while pushing back.

“Umara.”

A voice interrupted their play fight. Umara turned and found Shadowbane walking over.

She waved.

“Hi Shadow.”

“So your man is trying to be unseated, hm? What happens if he loses?”

“He won’t. If he does it would be on purpose.”

“That seems like a convenient excuse. It’s a good thing I trust you.”

Shadowbane sat down in front of Umara, resting her back on Umara’s legs.

“Let’s just watch. I’ll step in if you want me to.”

“Thank you.”

Umara smiled at her friend’s courtesy.

After that, John and Tindereye finished their preparations.

By now, almost 300 people had gathered in the stands, and more were still coming.

Umara looked around and suddenly understood why this was getting so popular.

It wasn’t every day that a summoner appeared in their city, let alone one that could fight. They were all curious.

Not only that, but Tindereye was somewhat famous himself. There were rankings for each of the classes at the Martial League, and Tindereye was regularly on top. He was also a direct descendant of the Chief, giving him the same familial status as Shadowbane.

It was the reason he was one of Umara’s suitors. If he married her, it would strengthen the alliance between the families. And even beyond that, Umara knew that he was actually one of the good ones.

It was precisely because of the alliance between their families that he actually treated her very well. While he may be a bit impassioned as evidenced by his eagerness to duel John, he was still a good person. It was just unfortunate for him that the two never saw much of each other given their geographical separation.

Either way, there were several good reasons to watch this fight, and people didn’t want to miss it.

Umara watched as John pulled out a pistol, holding the Trench Gun in his spare hand.

“Alright, I’m ready.”

“As am I.”

The two finished their preparations, and the Chief raised his arm.

“Fighters ready. Fight!”

*BANG*

John fired the pistol right as the arm went down, startling everyone watching with the explosive sound.

And the bullet hit Tindereye right in the gut, startling him.

“Agh! That hurt…”

He lifted his shirt, seeing as John only fired once.

And he saw a huge welt on his abs, specks of blood coming out as the flattened bullet fell off.

Nothing more than a flesh wound, but it had been given in an instant. Not only that, but the weapon it came from was so much smaller than the one in his other hand.

“Come on, bub. Let’s see how far you can get.”

John chuckled before aiming once again, Tindereye jumping out to the side in a panic.

*BangBangBangBangBang*

Bullets rang out in rapid succession as Tindereye did his best to dodge. However, the subsequent bullets were loaded with a bit more power than the first shot. It had been no more than a guage, and now John knew exactly how much Tindereye could take.

9 rounds were fired, and some of them landed. After that though, there was silence as the two parties stopped.

John looked at his pistol for a second before tossing it aside, letting it vanish and raising his shotgun.

And then, to the shock of all the spectators, he walked toward the knight.

Gritting his teeth, Tindereye decided he couldn’t allow John to do as he wished. So he dashed forward as well.

But he was met with a blast from John’s metal tube in response.

*BOOM*

“Agh!”

An even louder explosion, and Tindereye stumbled in his tracks, coming to a halt with a loud grunt.

Everyone watched as blood spilled from the right side of his chest, holes dotting his skin. It didn’t penetrate deep, but it carried shocking pain.

And John didn’t stop.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM*

He let off all but one of his shells, hitting Tindereye in several places around his body including the arms and legs. Each time his skin was bloodied further.

But a knight was nothing if not pain resistant. Realizing that John’s attacks were no more than superficial, he gnashed his teeth and charged through it.

With a burst in strength, he bound across the gap separating them, appearing dangerously close to John.

And John's immediate panic was evident as his woozy demeanor vanished.

As soon as Tindereye landed, John let off his last shell, aiming right for his leg.

*BOOM*

“Ahh!!”

Tindereye let out a scream, his shin blooming with blood and bits of flesh.

He buckled for but a moment, using his other leg to throw himself forward while unsheathing his sword.

That’s when John dodged deftly to the side, his shotgun disappearing and a Springfield taking its place.

*BANG*

He shot again while dodging, putting a hole in Tindereye’s arm.

Once he tumbled and popped back up to his feet, John chambered another round and shot again, putting a hole in Tindereye’s thigh.

“Ahh!!!”

Tindereye yelled in indignation, continuing to try and charge John. He was faster, stronger, and more durable.

But John was able to constantly put distance between them, shooting while dodging and running, Tindereye unable to get close without a new hole appearing on his body.

And once he ran out of ammo for his Springfield, he switched to the pistol and loaded a fresh magazine, letting off a successive series of rounds that did far more damage than the first time he used the pistol.

“Hoo…”

He let out a long breath when Tindereye finally collapsed, heaving for breath while blood drenched his clothes and pooled on the floor underneath him.

His eyes were sharp. Umara knew he had flipped a switch as soon as Tindereye had actually challenged him.

Despite Tindereye being on the floor though, John brought out the shotgun again and loaded it with shells, keeping a close eye on him.

“Stay down. I wouldn’t want to blow off your leg.”

He spoke very clearly, causing chatter to erupt in the stands.

Umara, biting her thumb, suddenly heard her mother from the side.

“Well, I guess it makes sense.”

“Hm? What does?”

“Well, he has more experience fighting people than Scourge beasts. It’s no wonder he handled that fight so well.”

“I suppose... But all the knights here regularly fight each other too.”

“That’s true. It’s also more than possible that nobody has any idea how to fight him. If you keep your distance, he’ll shoot you. If you get close, he’ll shoot you with another weapon. The only way to win is to catch him by surprise or survive long enough to kill him up close. Tindereye was incapable of either.”

Talexia scrutinized, having gotten a relatively good grasp on how John’s fighting style worked.

That’s when Shadowbane stood and stepped down the stands, confusing Umara.

“Alright, fight’s over. John’s the winner.”

She announced as she jumped and landed in the arena, walking over to John.

Just then though, Tindereye, who was on the floor at John’s feet, raised his head and reached out.

His fingers merely brushed by John’s leg with the intention to grab it.

But that’s when his coat flashed with complex purple lines, his head snapping downward as his Aura flared with panic and unbridled killing intent.

He was going to end Tindereye’s life. Through his Aura he was practically screaming it to the world.

“Don’t do it!”

The Chief yelled, realizing what was happening, his body flickering faster than anyone could follow.

Shadowbane was only slightly slower, her body flying so fast across the ground that dust kicked up in a thin line behind her.

*BOOM*

Everything happened at once, everyone holding their breaths as the shot was fired directly at Tindereye’s face.

But luckily for him, John’s body was ordinary. Even with the powers of his coat, his body wasn’t fast enough to beat the Chief.

The Chief’s hand rested in front of Tindereye's face, buckshot pellets flattened across his palm.

And Shadowbane’s sword was skewered through Tindereye’s wrist, pushing it away from John’s leg.

The four were interlocked for a moment before John caught himself, muttering with a scoff.

“Fuck. Way to kill my buzz. Sorry for making you move, Chief.”

“No need to apologize. One of our students didn’t know when he was in over his head. I don’t blame you for reacting the way you did. Even half drunk, you’ve got better instincts than most.”

“Huhu, thank you, Chief.”

He gave a goofy grin, alcohol clearly still very present in his system.

Umara facepalmed from the stands as Shadowbane spoke up.

“It'll be my turn next. Let’s do it later though.”

“I’m down. Just let me know when.”

“Mm.”

She nodded, pulling her sword out of Tindereye’s arm and causing him to yelp.

After that, some healers came and took Tindereye away.

The Chief looked around as everyone chattered in the stands.

“I announce the result of this duel as John Cooper’s complete victory! A talented Cold Summoner has appeared within the Magisterium! May his future be prosperous, and may the Scourge quake at the sound of his weapon! Invictus!”

“Invictus!”

Everyone cheered with the Chief, John looking around like he was confused.

After that, everyone cleared the arena, retreating to the dining hall for the celebration.

……

…

After the fight, Umara took away my bottle of alcohol and stuffed a cigar in my mouth. After that I was forced to sober up.

Thankfully there was nobody else who wanted to duel me. If anything, I became a bit respected. There were many students from the Martial League who came to converse with me, wondering how a cold summoner, the weakest type of Magus, was able to defeat a knight like Tindereye.

With some explanations about my weapons, they were able to understand a bit more. Besides, they had all seen it in action. Some had even retrieved some of the pellets and bullets as souvenirs, passing them around.

However, shock was further amplified when they learned I was still an Authority 4, a level below Tindereye.

Most weren’t sure what to say, while many doubted my words. I didn’t bother trying to convince them though. I could only shrug and let them believe whatever they wanted to.

After an hour or so the time for conversation passed and I was allowed some reprieve. A big feast was also prepared in that time, so everyone took their place at a grand table that seated over 100 people. That wasn’t to mention the side tables holding everyone else surrounding it.

Just the waiters numbered 5 dozen, all of them rushing around to cater to their guests. Platters of meat slabs were constantly cycled as they were devoured. And wine flowed like a river, as if everyone here were an alcoholic.

I didn’t partake in the wine, but it was still fun to watch.

2 hours were spent eating, taking up a large chunk of the night. And it was toward the end when the Chief suddenly spoke up with a small announcement.

“Umara and Faey Talerria. I have some small gifts I’d like you to accept. But first, I can’t help but mention something I overheard. Mr. Cooper. I heard that you wanted a lute.”

“Hm?”

I looked up, caught off guard by the mention of my name.

Looking around, I just nodded, making the Chief smile.

“The six string lute you had been eyeing during the theater performance was a Bassan, and while we don’t have a Bassan specifically, we have one rather similar. For your victory during the duel, I’d like to reward you with one.”

“I-”

(Accept it! Don’t deny his generosity.)

I heard Umara hastily command within my mind, preventing me from denying the gift, as I had just been about to do.

As I was silent, a butler brought out the instrument. It was carried in what was basically a guitar case, and when he presented it, I saw the instrument within.

It was very similar to a guitar, with six strings and a body that could be comfortably held within one’s arms. So while the shape wasn’t the same, a bit slimmer than a normal acoustic, it still looked to have the same function with the sound hole and frets.

However, it was incredibly nice. The wood was an odd deep blue bordering on black, and the strings were made of slightly golden metal. There were also some enchantments across its back.

The craftsmanship was extraordinary. I couldn’t help but reach out, too excited to use it.

I grabbed it out of the held case, taking it in my arms and plucking a few of the strings.

I adjusted them as I did so, tuning them until it sounded as close to what I knew as possible.

*Thrum*

I ran my thumb across all six, hearing that familiar blissful melody, smiling contentedly.

“It’s amazing. Thank you, Chief.”

“I’m glad it meets your standard. Now, allow me to present the Talerria daughters their gifts.”

With his word, more butlers appeared with items in hand.

I looked up, interested to see what they would get.