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The Paper User: Exiled for a ‘Trash Skill,’ Awakens True Power and Rises with Two Unique Skills - Chapter 10

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Chapter 10 : Mock Battle

We left the tavern and moved to a nearby open field.

"Alright, then..."

Kinako turned to face me, cracking his neck with a soft pop.

"You’re going to fight me here. If you can land a hit on me, I’ll join your party."

"So… a mock battle?"

"Exactly. Simple rules, right?"

"Well, yeah… pretty straightforward."

I studied Kinako carefully.

He was a member of the catfolk, smaller in stature than most humans. Honestly, he looked more like a bipedal housecat than a fearsome warrior. His appearance didn’t exactly scream "strong."

But the fact that he was an A-Rank adventurer meant he had to be incredibly powerful.

"Don’t worry."

Kinako tapped my thigh with one of his soft paw pads.

"I’ll go easy on you. Relatively speaking."

"Do your best!"

Almine gave my shoulder a hearty smack.

"Kinako has a Unique Skill called Unarmed Amplification, so don’t let your guard down just because he’s fighting barehanded."

"Unarmed Amplification, huh? That’s the Skill that increases attack power when fighting without weapons, right?"

"Yup. He also has the combat Skill Speed Boost. People say his combat power is practically at S-Rank level. That’s why he’s got a nickname."

"‘Kinako the Demon Slayer’..."

My throat went dry.

The demonkin were a race descended from the ancient evil god Dorlz, and natural enemies of humankind. They came in all shapes—some monstrous, others nearly human—but they all possessed immense magic power. The strongest among them had wiped out entire towns or villages on their own. And Kinako had apparently taken down dozens of them.

No doubt about it. Letting his fluffy appearance fool me would be a grave mistake.

"Now then—come at me already."

Kinako lowered his hips and pointed his soft pink paw at me.

"...Got it."

I didn’t know if my Paper Manipulation Skill would work against someone like Kinako, but I had to try.

I focused my mind and materialized five paper daggers.

They shot toward Kinako like arrows.

These were modified versions of my standard paper swords. By reducing the amount of paper, I’d increased their speed. The blades were shorter, but for anything smaller than a giant monster, they should be more practical.

Kinako dodged them with ease, not even breaking a sweat. One after another, the daggers embedded themselves in the ground.

Fine, then. Let’s double it—ten daggers!

Ten more paper daggers formed and launched toward him.

"Hmph. That’s all you’ve got?"

Kinako’s claws extended, each one growing over twenty centimeters. With a blur of motion, he shredded the daggers into confetti in an instant.

The fluttering paper dissolved into the wind like white snowflakes.

I stared at him, mouth half-open.

Amazing… I couldn’t even see his movements. And he sliced up my reinforced paper like it was nothing. Those claws—are sharper than magic blades.

"I see now..."

Kinako’s golden eyes bored into me.

"So this is your ability?"

"Yes. It’s a Unique Skill that lets me materialize and manipulate paper."

"Hmm… For a ‘paper dagger,’ it packs more punch than I expected. Still—"

He bared his fangs in a wide grin.

"—your attacks won’t land on me. Ever."

"‘Ever’?"

"That’s right. If you don’t believe me, keep coming at me!"

"Understood!"

I took a deep breath.

Kinako’s speed was overwhelming. But… I do have a way to hit him.

Keeping my gaze locked on him, I focused again.

Three hundred paper daggers materialized around him, floating in a perfect sphere. Every single blade pointed directly at Kinako.

His eyes and mouth widened. The fur on his entire body stood on end.

With this, there’s no space for him to dodge. And even his claws won’t be able to cut through them all.

"Whoa, whoa, whoaaa—!"

Kinako flailed both arms in panic.

"W-What the hell is with all these daggers!?"

He stared up at the floating blades, golden eyes wide in disbelief.

"How much base magic power do you have?"

"I think it’s because of my Unique Skill—Maximized Mana Capacity."

"Maximized Mana Capacity, you say!?"

"Yes. Almine used Appraisal on me earlier and found it."

As I explained, I pointed at the daggers.

"Alright—here I go!"

"...Forget it! I get it already!"

Kinako glared at me with a scowl.

"You’re unbelievable. To think you’ve got two Unique Skills..."

"You did it, Yakumo-kun!"

Almine rushed up to me, beaming.

"You got Kinako—an A-Rank adventurer—to surrender! That’s incredible!"

"I didn’t surrender!"

Kinako puffed out his cheeks in protest.

"I just didn’t see the point in continuing. I understand now—Yakumo’s the real deal."

"So you’ll join our party?"

"...Yeah. I’ll keep my word."

Kinako looked me straight in the eye.

"But tell me, why’d you join Almine’s party? A guy like you must’ve gotten offers from way more powerful guilds."

"Actually, it’s the opposite. I was told I was useless and got kicked out of my last party."

"They said you were useless?"

Kinako tilted his head, clearly confused.

"That makes no sense. With your strength, you could easily become A-Rank—or even S-Rank someday. Who would kick someone like you out?"

"Back then, I couldn’t use Maximized Mana Capacity yet."

"Even so, your paper manipulation is a solid Skill. Versatile and effective."

"That’s… the first time anyone’s said that to me."

Hearing someone praise my Paper Manipulation Skill made me genuinely happy.

Until now, everyone had mocked it.

"...Thank you, Kinako-san."

I bowed my head to him.

"No need to thank me. I’m just stating the facts. And drop the ‘-san.’ Just call me Kinako. We’re teammates now, aren’t we?"

He tapped my thigh again with his soft, pink paw pad.

"And with that, our party is complete!"

Almine nodded, clearly pleased.

"Alright! Let’s head to the Megado Mountain Mine and take down that Crystal Dragon!"

📝 Translator’s Notes:

  • Unarmed Amplification (無手強化 / Musho Kyōka): A Unique Skill that boosts strength when fighting without weapons.

  • Maximized Mana Capacity (魔力極大 / Maryoku Kyokudai): A previously sealed Unique Skill Yakumo possesses, granting him immense magical reserves.

  • Kinako: Despite his cute name (also the word for roasted soybean flour in Japanese), he's a deadly A-Rank catfolk martial artist with the nickname "Demon Slayer."

  • Paper Manipulation (紙使い / Kamitsukai): Yakumo’s "Trash Skill" that's now proving itself highly versatile and powerful.


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