Ester Rhapsody

<Ester Appleberry POV Side>

“”ORAAAAHHHHHHH!!!””

SMAASH! Making an exhilarating sound, our cross-counters honorably hit each other’s faces.

This is good.

A ‘fight’ has to be like this, after all.

“Th-That’s a preeetty good ‘Iron Fist’, ain’t it…! Can’t believe you’re a ‘Lady’!”

“Oh my… your ‘Iron Fist Punch’ isn’t bad either…! You have ‘Killing Intent Motivation’, it’s wonderful…!”

The sound of my cheekbones creaking mishi-mishi echoes in my brain.

If the magic circle wasn’t cast on the dungeon, my jaw might have been shattered.

Even though my bones are supposed to be quite sturdy.

Back when I was a daughter of a poor merchant family, even if I was hit GONG! in the back of the head with a hammer during a fight, the hammer was the one that broke.

I was ‘Hot-Blooded Wild’ back then~.

How nostalgic~.

…Perhaps today, for the first time in a while, I must return to the feelings of those days.

Because this gentleman seems to be ‘Used to Fighting’—

He and I jump back to create distance.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t heard your name yet. May I ask?”

“‘Yeah’! I’m Carol Pahuins! People call me ‘Massacre Carol’, that’s me! ‘Night Dew Death Suffering (Pleased to meet you)’!”

“My, what a lovely alias you have! My name is Ester Appleberry! Please, call me the ‘Brawling Art Bare-Knuckle Young Lady’!”

When I introduce myself elegantly, Carol makes a very surprised face.

“…! Appleberry, you say!? I see, so you are the president’s daughter of ‘Appleberry & Power Company’!”

“Oh my? You know my company?”

“Of course! A little girl from a poor merchant family threatened by corrupt wealthy merchants, beat up the wealthy merchant who brought twenty thugs all by herself, and in the end plundered all the merchant’s company and fortune… Among ruffians, it’s handed down as a legend even now!”

“My, my, to think I’ve become such a Legend! It makes me blush! But calling it plundered is rude. I just won the fight and took my legitimate reward. If I lost, my property would have been taken. It was tough, you know?”

“Ester Appleberry… I express my Respect to you! As one living the Way of the Ruffian!”

“You say kind things. But I am not a Ruffian, I am a Young Lady, you know?”

“No, you are a Ruffian! My hot Soul recognizes it! That’s why—I’ll go with Serious Respect!”

Carol straightens his regent hair and infuses O-Power (Magic) into all the muscles of his body.

“—<Suicide Attack Rhapsody ・ Pure Heart Shining Star >!!!”

In the next instant, every muscle in his body hypertrophies, ripping and bulging.

He transforms into a gorilla-macho man that would make Orcs and Hobgoblins run away barefoot.

“Hmm, Body Strengthening magic?”

“Yeah! This is the only and strongest magic I can use! Full power!”

“Bursting Muscles… wonderful, I’m entranced. But—”

“Huh?”

“—If you think fake muscles are stronger than a Maiden’s Resolve, you are greatly mistaken.”

Tan! Kicking off the ground, I instantly warp into Carol’s guard.

Clenching my right fist tightly, gichi-gichi.

“CHESTOOOOOOOO!!!”

“Goooh──AAAAAAHHHHH!?”

I serve a full-force O-Punch right into his gut.

Mekya-mekya! Goki-boki! Along with heavy, dull impact sounds, Carol is blown away.

Looks very painful.

But please rest assured.

Since there is a magic circle in this dungeon, no matter how much I punch him, he won’t die!

“Do you understand? This is the weight of a Maiden’s Resolve… and True O-Power (Superstrength) forged solely through pure spirit and guts.”

I shall never forget…

Those painful, difficult days when I was still a daughter of a poor merchant family…

Because we had no money, we couldn’t hire people, and my physically disabled father couldn’t do physical labor.

Even so, trying to liven up the shop, I performed heavy physical labor for ten people all by myself every day.

Carrying large barrels weighing tens or hundreds of kilograms, going back and forth between the shop and the warehouse.

It was very hard, but I had a Dream.

Someday, I would become a real Young Lady—

With that faint dream of a lady in my heart, I simply continued to work hard. As a result—my Muscles were forged to a supreme realm.

I was once told by Paula-sensei too.

“Ester-san’s body is abnormal! With Body Strengthening magic, no matter how vast the magical power, one cannot produce such superstrength!”

“Through pure muscle training—just training alone, your Muscles seem to have transcended magic!”

Ah, to think my Muscles surpassed magic with just effort and guts…

What a sinful woman I am…!

But—that is precisely why I can assert.

I won’t lose to some fake imitation.

“He… hehe…! That was quite a Tough blow just now…!”

Carol stands up while his stomach is largely caved in.

You have quite the guts too.

Very well!

I’ve returned to the feelings of those days!

To the days of my Youth, spent engaging in fights with land sharks and thugs to protect the shop and Father!

“Oh my, that was just a greeting. The Real Deal starts now, doesn’t it?”

“Bring it on! Witness Massacre Carol’s Departure!”

“”LET’S GO ORAAAAAAA!!!””

---