The Primal Hunter

He had known from the very beginning he would be the primary target of anyone interested in joining Jake’s party. The reason for this was manifold. Firstly, he was the only other human in the group and an earthling like Jake, which unintuitively made him stand out. Miyamoto also had what most would perceive as the most replaceable role in the group, as he was simply a swordsman. The Fallen King was a Unique Lifeform, and the Sylphian Hawk was clearly closely tied to the Chosen and had unknown powers, while he himself was just a man.

Seeing as no one would dare challenge a Unique Lifeform, and Sylphie wasn’t an appealing target either, they naturally scrutinized him. The only thing Miyamoto had was his status of being a Transcendent, and while that perhaps spoke to his talents, it wasn’t necessarily tied to combat power. A Transcendent skill was not one that could simply be used repeatedly to settle any and all conflicts, either, so it didn’t make him that much more threatening due to its unreliability.

Which once more reduced him to just a swordsman.

To make matters more complicated, he was also given the task of communicating with those who wanted to join not as a replacement but as the fifth party member. Sylphie could not – or simply didn’t want to – communicate using actual words, and the Fallen King was thoroughly disinterested in who would join outside of directly rejecting some individuals.

Alas, it was a responsibility he had to take on with Jake absent.

Shortly after Jake had disappeared, several individuals approached their group of three. The first ones to arrive all had cocky looks on their faces and radiated confidence. Miyamoto felt glad to see the talented young man and eight women all so full of vigor to prove themselves.

Sadly for them, he was also responsible for teaching them where they were lacking.

“Greetings, I am Ulgransir from the United Tribes,” a beastfolk woman was the first to introduce herself.

“Hello there, I am-“

Seven of the nine were polite, which made him think better of them. All were there not to join as the fifth member but were aiming for his spot, so he would, unfortunately, have to fight. He had anticipated this, and sizing them all up, he made a decision.

“It is a pleasure to meet all of you,” Miyamoto bowed towards them, and he saw one of the A-grades from the Order was already nearby. “Rather than delay the inevitable, we should get it over with. What say you all?”

“I like your thinking,” the one man said as he turned to the attendant. “Would you be willing to teleport us there?”

As he had been briefed on already by the Hall Master named Viridia, an arena of sorts was prepared as they all knew this would happen. One that would also show their battle for all to see.

The attendant looked at them all for confirmation, and after getting nods all around, the Sword Saint was teleported away together with the nine challengers. Sylphie and the Fallen King also chose to join him, but both went to the stands, with the hawk having decided the crown of thorns on top of the Fallen King’s head was an acceptable nest. The Unique Lifeform did not protest.

Miyamoto appeared standing in a sandy colosseum-like arena, and he couldn’t help but smile internally. He had never battled in a proper arena before, especially not with such a large audience. Everything was broadcasted into the main hall, and the Sword Saint hoped a display of strength would help scare off any annoyances. As the seconds passed, more and more C-grades teleported onto the stands, and Miyamoto had a feeling most were there to challenge him.

Lastly, the attendant from the Order teleported in.

“A lot of interest in joining our Chosen for his conquest of Nevermore, with such little room in the group. While there are no official rules regarding this, the human named the Sword Saint has agreed to take on challengers. Mind you that even if you win, it does not ensure any actual membership of his party. However, this is a chance to prove yourselves,” the attendant-turned-announcer said as he looked down at the nine. “Now, who of you wish to go-“

would

attendant frowned, and Miyamoto saw many unsatisfied expressions from the stands, with

certain?” the attendant asked. “I will try to prevent deaths, but there

certain,” the

well,” the attendant simply

woman

up on you. Do not disrespect us,” she said

did not mean to disrespect you,” the Sword Saint shook his head. “But I shall honor

were amplified, and two fang-like daggers appeared in her hands. Energy revolved as she disappeared from where she had been standing, kicking up a

A speedy one.

moved his hand to the handle of his

him, and he spun around. The Sword Saint had wanted to end it in one strike but found himself pleasantly surprised when she managed to raise her arm and block it with her bracers. She was still sent tumbling but rapidly stabilized

Saint chose to focus on defense. The woman was incredibly fast, and her striking

bit of Jake…

before his blade hit, the beastfolk woman suddenly sped up significantly, and Miyamoto felt the concept of time. A defensive skill of some kind, also similar to the one Jake had used. Albeit not truly

vibrated, and the beast woman lost the speed she had

“Winner: the Sword Saint.”

side of the arena with wide eyes and a small slit on the side of her neck with blood running

and gave advice. “Moreover, the mental attacks you use continuously can be worked on. It seems you are trying to mix concepts too much, and an opponent with a steady mind will not find themselves faltering. Finally, you are used to fighting beasts, are you not? Your style is designed for it, and rather than mimic bestial tenacity, consider looking into more formal combat training. These are just my thoughts, and it is your choice if you wish to take them

the Sword Saint had a hard time holding himself back. The woman was clearly talented and had the foundation, and if she had formal training, she could have put

as she felt the wound on her neck.

turned his head to those

mage entered the

left again to

warrior in full plate armor

too, was taken away after a relentless barrage of stabs embedded him in a

another, ending with the Sword Saint once more standing alone within the grand arena, the only signs of battle on

wasn’t the fairest. He was not a monster hunter or specialized in dungeons. He had struggled against massive opponents in many instances, and he was not as experienced in

or human, they had the same movement patterns, the same basic strategies, and the same fundamentals. To him, these young geniuses were ultimately not skilled enough to pose a challenge. If powerful beasts had also wanted to participate in this event, perhaps things would have been different, but alas,

Sword Saint looked at the stands and put his hand on his sheathed sword as he regarded them. “Who next will join this old man in exchanging

found an opening or perhaps simply hoped the human had gotten tired from the many previous fights. Barely any fights lasted a minute, and

but they were secondary. Especially in duels like this, where no one truly went all-out, and the use of powerful skills was discouraged, he reigned supreme. Even when the opponent used strong