The snow outside mostly melted letting the grass show itself.
Two slimes faced each other.
「Punin」
「Punyon」
Let’s do our best, they exchanged a greeting.
Quite friendly for someone they met just a few minutes ago.
Is it because the opponent is a fellow slime?
However, Iris couldn’t get along with Cindy all that well.
She was too scared to stand before her, so she spoke from behind Marion’s back.
「Hey. Explain the rules at least」
「Aren’t you a bit to calm for someone who hides behind me?」
「Well, I somehow feel at ease here……」
「I-Is that so….」
「Yup…!」
Embarrassed for some reason, Iris felt her face getting hot.
Marion was also fidgeting.
She only said she felt confident behind her friend’s back. Why did it feel so weird?
「Let’s cut to the chase……ring open!」
With a scream, Cindy spread her hands wide.
Light appeared on the grass and gradually formed a circle.
About three Iris in diameter.
It looked quite magical, but it was no more than a circle of pale light.
「……Does something come out of it?」
「Come out?! I’m not an archmage! It’s the stage for slime sumo! Nothing more than that!」
「Ah, I see……」
「Yes! Rules are simple! The one who gets pushed out of the circle loses! No weapons are allowed! All the help from the outside is prohibited! Anything else is OK!」
「Simple indeed. Are you ready, Punigami?」
「Puni!」
「Sure. Let’s begin」
「Punin!」
Punigami overflowed with fighting spirit.
「Do your best, Punigami~」
「Do you best as the representative of this village」
Eclipse and Muriel cheered for him.
Riding on the encouragements, Punigami entered the ring.
「It’s your time to shine, Punyobaron!」
「Punyo!」
Punigami and Punyobaron faced each other inside the ring.
Ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
「Someone should signal the start!」
Cindy could’ve just done so by herself, but since she was a participant, they needed a third party.
「If you don’t mind, Marion」
「Me?! No way, it’s embarrassing…..」
「What is there to be embarrassed about?」
「I don’t want to hear that from someone who hides behind my back!」
This is this and that is that.
Iris wasn’t hiding because she was embarrassed but because she was scared.
Either way, it was rather pathetic, so she chose not to elaborate.
「Then I, as the Lord, shall oblige. Ready, go!」
Together with her signal, slimes collided with each other with great intensity.
「Puni!」
「Punyo!」
Their voices are full of spirit.
A great collision happened!
Then they bounced back from the momentum!
Another collision!
Seeing the successive strikes and rebounds, the peanut gallery watched with their fists clenched……or not, they were rather nonchalant actually.
After all, the two are slimes. They are too soft.
No matter how hard they tried, they just bounced back.
Only one person, Cindy, watched with bloodshot eyes.
「Push, Punyobaron! Do your best! Push harder!」
She cheered with all her power.
How does she gets so excited by such a peaceful fight, mused Iris.
However, encouragement is important.
Iris decided to say a piece of her own.
「Punigami, don’t lose」
「Puni!」
Responding to Iris, Punigami rolled spun with unprecedented before momentum and struck Punyobaron.
「Pu-Punyon!」
He was pushed all the way to the edge of the ring.
「Amazing! The power of cheering!」
「Punini!」
「Power overwhelming!」said Punigami!
In that case, more encouragements were in order.
「To push my Punyobaron so one-sidedly…..as expected of the slime I admire. Your color isn’t just for show! However…..Punyobaron, use magic!」
「Punyopunyon!」
Punyobaron’s body glowed red.
Simultaneously a fist-sized fireball flew at Punigami.
「Puni?! Punini!」1
「Punigami, are you okay?!」
The fireball hit him.
Punigami, who originally didn’t like hot things, rolled on the ground to put himself out.
「That’s cheating!」
「Wasn’t it about pushing each other? You shouldn’t cheat~」
Muriel and Eclipse immediately accused Cindy.
Yet she was unperturbed.
「That’s not cheating! As I explained before, you can’t use weapons and outside help. Anything else is OK!」
「Mumu, I see……If the slime himself uses magic it’s not cheating….but then Punigami is at a disadvantage!」
Iris grabbed and shook Marion in frustration.
「Why are you venting your frustration onto me!?」
「Grrr! But, but, but! Punigami is going to lose!」
「Doesn’t mean you should shake me! Don’t pull on my twintails either…..ah, Punigami is in trouble!」
「Punigami, evasive maneuvers!」
「Puni!」
Punigami dodged the fireball with a side jump.
However, Punyobaron wasn’t done yet.
His evasive tactics won’t work forever.
「In that case, Punigami-sama has no choice but to use magic himself. Punyobaron-san can use magic. This means Punigami-sama has to be able to do the same as a fellow slime!」
Sheryl’s thoughts went into an outrageous direction.
「There is no way for him to suddenly master magic in a pinch! Magic is something you learn gradually. I’m sure of it」
「How much did you learn, Iris-sama?」
「No….I’ve been using it since birth」
「Me too~」
Eclipse raised her hand in high spirits.
「This Mistress is the same」
「As for me……I did train, quite a bit」
Muttered Marion in a tiny voice.
「See, you don’t need to learn to use magic」
「Don’t just casually dismiss me, Sheryl!」
「It’s three versus one. Marion-san is in the minority. It’s more probable to use magic without learning!」
「This logic is flawed……definitely flawed…….I’m the normal one…..」
「Punigami-sama, ignore the incoherent mumbling and use magic. I believe you can absolutely do it! It’s time for a convenient awakening!」
「Pu-Puni!」
Punigami continued to dodge fireballs as he listened to Sheryl’s nonsense.
However, he had little space to maneuver and was almost hit by a fireball.
「Punigami!」
Iris screamed.
At that moment, rainbow-colored light spilled from Punigami.
「Pu-Puni?」
Punigami didn’t seem to understand what happened.
However, that same light easily extinguished the fireball.
Yes. It was the light of magical power.
Iris didn’t use magic.
Neither did Eclipse and Muriel.
It belonged solely to Punigami.
「The color. It’s the same as big sis Iris’~」
「What’s happening?」
「It’s that isn’t it? After being close to Iris-sama for so long he absorbed her perspiration. After all, Iris-sama’s magical power is potent enough to turn this place into a grassland. There is nothing unexpected about that!」
「Iris’ perspiration…..soaking into Punigami…….licking Punigami is the same as licking Iris? Cindy…..what a schemer!」
「Hm? Do you want to lick Iris-sama’s perspiration?」
「O-Of course, I don’t…..!」
Marion answered while avoiding eye contact.
She couldn’t agree to it, especially in Iris’ presence.
「Seven colors?! It’s like a rainbow…..however, color doesn’t correlate with strength! Don’t falter, Punyobaron!」
「Punyo!」
Punyobaron continuously shot fireballs at Punigami.
However, instead of dodging, Punigami rushed straight at him.
At collided with full force.
「Punyonyo!」
Not only was Punyobaron pushed out of the ring but he also rolled all the way down the hill.
「Yay! Punigami’s victory!」
Iris dismounted Marion and jumped at Punigami.
「Puni!」
Punigami pushed his metaphorical chest in pride.
Since this time he was actually amazing, she didn’t mind him showing off.
Iris patted Punigami.
「Ah…..my Punyobaron…..I didn’t expect his fireballs to be repelled. My eyes didn’t deceive me! Iris-san! Punigami-san! You have to participate in the slime festival! You might even take the crown from the Puniqueen!」
「Slime festival…..?」
「Punini?」
What is the slime festival?
Who is Puniqueen?
Iris wanted to take a nap, but would she?
The future holds many mysteries.
