Chapter 23 (1/2)

Episode Twenty-Three〜 The Smell of a Woman

I do not want to get involved with that group of people.

I sit astride the popob.u.mu, lightly clap my foot on its side and leave. I run to the highway from the back yard.

I return to where I came from and cross the shallows of the Haym River.

To get even a little distance between me and the outskirts of Fad.y.k.e, I run through the darkness.

I pa.s.s a few villages.

The morning sun eventually rises and my surrounding become bright.

Finally, I let the popob.u.mu rest.

Which reminds me, I just killed someone for the first time earlier.

But, I feel nothing.

N? There is a magic essence reaction. I hear the sound of a horse as well.

-Is it a pursuer?

When I look back, after all it is the guy with the white mask.

That fellow, they seem to be running after me without learning their lesson.

Do they have a grudge from losing?

Persistent.

From now on, should I let the pursuer know what kind of existence I am?

Quickly, I grab the black spear from the popob.u.mu with my right hand, and jump- when I fall to the ground I turn my spear around and a.s.sume my stance.

I will wait for the pursuer here.

“Rollo, watch for a little.”

“Nya.”

Rollo the black cat cries in a light voice to say 『Understood』, and a.s.sumes a posture with both her back feet together on the back of the popob.u.mu’s head.

After nodding slightly Rollo moves her crimson eyes and watches the pursuing party.

The white masked rider is standing on the back of the horse and holding a sword in both hands

She can stand and do that?

-Jump?

White Mask jumps while twisting her body, borrowing the momentum of the horse.

Her body spins like a piece.  Her twin swords spin out, borrowing the centrifugal force of her spinning.

A perfect ten-point score! Her physical orbit wants to say, and I move to ward off the slash which approaches me.

The rider less horse runs past my side.

I lift my black spear diagonally and receive the spinning blades. Sword and spear collide, and a harsh *kiin* sounds rings out many times, I handle the black spear in a circle and parry away the spinning blades.

Landing after White Mask’s spinning attack was prevented, advancing while slas.h.i.+ng with a sword, they swing their two swords consecutively.

Watching without receiving the attack, I retreat and avoid the blades.

I also thought of it last night, these swords are extremely well forged.

The reinforcement of the mana used as fighting moji is smooth, a special weapon that seems strong and releases mana.

It must be a special metal.

However, it stops here.

I bend down to avoid an attack and kick out with a fighting moji enhanced leg.

I kick the ground to retreat back and take a distance from them.

Once again, I stare at the white mask.

I stare at the eyes that are slightly visible behind the mask.

At that moment, I smile-

I will go on the offensive for a while.

Head, neck, chest, thigh, knee, I attack with the b.u.t.t end of the spear, aiming for the vitals.

For dozens of seconds, I continue wielding the black spear at high speed ever-changing up down left and right.

White Mask beds down to utilize their smal

l physique, and turning the swords in their hands to repel, quickly avoid my lunges, about half are able to be avoided, a disheveled voice going “ku” and “ha” reaches my ears.

They begin breathing with their shoulders. Is anaerobic exercise hard?

I don’t use my spear martial arts in this high-speed battle.

The rhythm visibly worsens.

And, a gap is created.

I cannot over this slight pause.

-I aim at the right arm.

I s.h.i.+ft to the attack and weave “the skill” and feint a stab to middle as I attack to the left and right.

I half step counter-clockwise on my toes.

I suddenly change the trajectory of the black spear, and hit the opponent’s right upper arm with the b.u.t.t of my spear.

The arm breaks and bends in as a dull sound echoes.

“Ia.”

The White Mask lets out a strangled cry in pain and drops the sword is their hand.

However, white mask continues to advance as if they were never injured.

Cutting the distance between us, they slash down with the sword in their left hand from above.

However, the attack is too weak to pa.s.s.

I elude the sword slash and catch the attack with the black spear held diagonally.

While absorbing the force of the attack with the black spear sparks scatter as the blade slides down shaft.

Then they approach deliberately, and lock our weapons together.

I meet the eyes of the white mask.

I look at the eyes of my enemy behind the white mask.

Beautiful eyes- during that short moment, I feel the center of gravity of the white mask fall to the side.

The weight of the sword attack can’t resist sliding- the weight of white mask falls forward.

I let them lean forward, and half-turn my body while catching white mask’s body.

I take white mask’s back.

Grasping the left hand of the white mask while forcibly grabbing their elbow, perform and arm lock skill with the black spear.

This is another one of the variety of <spear sparring=””> skills.

I twist the left hand with the sword up forcibly and dislocate their shoulder.

“I, gaa kyaaa.”

Oh? A woman!? The white mask makes a shrill scream.

The white mask drops the last sword grasped in their left hand.

The sword pierces the ground.

I am surprised by the woman’s voice, and turn them around to check.

I put a hand on the black cloak, and grope their chest over chain mail, ma.s.saging them…Fumu. (TL: There are other way to check than groping the poor woman.) These are definitely b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

And they are soft. Dome–shaped oppai.

As a consultant for the breast research society, I am instantly able to tell the shape of the breast from grasping it.

“Ah, let me go…what are you doing.”

Since the masked woman is constricting her chest I give a weak sigh and resist.

I am feeling a “woman” after such a long time.

My crotch is hard; it is developing a peak like Mount Everest.

Because I am curious about this woman’s face, I immediately act.

I untie the mask’s string and remove along with the ragged black cloak.

I release her and step back.

And I see the woman’s face.

Oooh, surprising.

What a beautiful woman.

This beautiful a.s.sa.s.sin lady, is it ni○ta?

She seems to be wearing a chain mail outfit underneath the cloak.

Moreover, the length of the dress is shorter.

Her thighs are exposed, and soft look peach-colored skin is visible.

The black armor reminds me of a “kunoichi.” (TL: Female Ninja.)

Nevertheless, her short raven-black bobbed hair and black eyes have the atmosphere of a modern woman.

Rather than ni○ta, is she not closer to ○mika? A small face, this is a beautiful woman. Possibly the same town?

“…A woman?”

While I stare at the woman, using her broken hand, she holds her dislocated shoulder while trembling. (TL: Dude, you’re giving her some really rapey vibes.)

She is glaring at me with eyes clearly colored with contempt.

Sometimes, she looks over at the sword she dropped.

-Do you want your sword?

She is easy to read. Again, she is glaring at me.

“You, what is your name?”

“…”

Is she being silent? If I am not mistaken this one’s name is Yui…

At the beginning, before I was attacked, I remember the Marquis Hewso summoning her.

“You are called Yui.”

“Na.”

Oh, a reaction. So Yui really is your name.

However, you’re still giving of a blood thirsty aura.

Since she is releasing such a dangerous aura I glare at her.

“…Is Yui all right?”

“Na, why, did you stop? Why didn’t you kill me?”

Ma, more than her name, I am worried about one from that place.

“When I stopped, I wanted to talk with you a little…I think it was because you’re a woman? Because I heard a cute voice, I wanted to see what underneath the white mask. Honestly…I was really surprised to find such a beautiful woman.”

Yui’s dark eyes wavers at my words.

“Eh, na…”

“Also, I thoroughly enjoyed your chest. You also have a nice figure.” (TL: I don’t know what to say.)

“Y-you are trying to humiliate me, guaaa!” (TL: Can also mean rape.)

Yui cries out and forces her joints to move, picks up the left sword and takes a distance.

Ue, it is painful, you should not overdo it.

Using her fractured hand, she forcibly pops her left shoulder in… I mean, she can move in that condition, she must have gone through training to deal with such considerable pain.

Ma, it is a fair argument for such a thing.

“…Oi, oi, after you selfishly attacked me, are you going to run away without permission? Besides, you should have the resolution to yield after being defeated.”

“Shut up!”

Judging from this reaction, she had no intention of losing to me.

“Even your right hand is fractured? Your left hand is hanging down painfully with no strength, are you going to kill me like that?”

“Noisy, shut up, that’s nonsense.”