It sounded like he was saying I was stronger than Cecil.
“Cecil is much stronger than .”
“Don’t be ridiculous. A beast woman who can’t even read the flow of mana is like a newborn babe to .”
The flow of mana?
Coming from a seasoned master like him, those words must hold so weight….
But honestly….
This is practically my first real fight since coming to this world.
Don’t try to raise the tension with so unknown power I’ve never heard of.
If I start expecting so hidden power within , I won’t be able to focus!
‘Like that’s ever going to happen.’
I catch my breath and gauge the distance.
Since the enemy has Cecil hostage, I have to consider using her as a shield…!
Woosh!
“Cecil!”
Damn it, I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off him!
As Viscal throws Cecil with all his might, my attention wavers.
But…!
“Ugh!”
Viscal stumbles!
Cecil lands gracefully on all fours beside .
“Cecil! Are you okay?”
“I got him good!”
Serves him right for letting his guard down.
See? I told you Cecil is stronger than .
Viscal, wiping the blood from his mouth, says with annoyance,
“…I’ll give you credit for kicking with a broken leg.”
Broken leg?
I look down at Cecil’s leg in horror.
It’s bent at an unnatural angle….
Her ankle, which was in Viscal’s grasp, is severely twisted, discolored into a sickly shade of green.
Cecil, drenched in sweat, smiles.
“Don’t underestimate . I’m Oppa’s bodyguard…!”
“Cecil!”
I imdiately pull out a High Potion and toss it to her.
“Drink this. It’ll ease the pain…!”
Cecil gulps down the High Potion without hesitation.
And then….
Her broken leg rapidly returns to its original state.
‘Holy crap!’
This is even more magical than magic itself!
Peridot, thank you…!
“…Hmm.”
Viscal, witnessing the scene, frowns with displeasure.
“A potion, huh? Weaklings relying on convenient tools….”
Cecil grins.
“Soone who gets hit by a baby isn’t exactly strong either!”
“What… did you say?”
Don’t provoke him!
Besides, I’ve already spent 30 gold coins on healing.
There’s no way I’m turning back now.
I help Cecil to her feet and whisper our strategy.
“I’ll create an opening with my knife. You aim for a powerful attack when he’s vulnerable.”
“Got it, Oppa!”
Can we really pull this off?
Viscal hasn’t even drawn his sword yet….
As long as this isn’t a fight to the death, we still have a chance.
“Let’s make a run for it if he draws that greatsword on his back.”
“Okay…!”
“Planning your strategy right in front of ? You think it matters?”
“You can’t do anything about it even if you know!”
If the opponent is stronger, it’s only natural to attack together.
But if they’re too much for us to handle, running is the best option!
Cecil lowers her stance, ready to pounce at any mont, her knuckles gleaming.
“Hmph.”
Viscal makes the first move.
“You two, block that blond guy with the dagger!”
“W-Wait! You’re ganging up on him? That’s not fair!”
“I’m not like that arrogant beast. I’ll crush this little girl first, then break your arms!”
“The Captain has spoken! Don’t move!”
Damn it!
He’s strong enough as it is, and now he’s calling for backup? This is cheating!
The two beast guards surround .
“Oppa!”
“Focus on Viscal! We have plenty of potions!”
“Right!”
“Aren’t you ashad, beast woman, relying on money for another chance?”
“Not at all! It’s the money Oppa worked hard to earn! So… I won’t waste it this ti!”
I need to focus too.
One is ard with a spear, but the bear beastman isn’t….
I’ll break through this way!
“Heh heh. Trying to fight barehanded?”
I brandish Dawn Moon like a fang.
“Gah!?”
The bear guard instinctively raises his arms to protect his face, giving the perfect opportunity to slash at his thick, fur-covered arm.
Shhk!
‘Damn, that felt….’
That felt… good!
No, I shouldn’t be enjoying this….
These guys, looking all beastly like this… it’s kind of fun!
It’s awakening my primal instincts!
“Whoa! Captain! This guy, he cut through my hide with his bare hands!”
“You idiot! It’s not his hands. He hid a knife!”
“See?”
Camouflage grip.
I hid Dawn Moon behind my hand after drawing it.
This elent of concealnt is another advantage of a dagger.
I switch to a reverse grip and unleash a flurry of blows on the bear guard.
“Ugh! Oof!”
His reactions are priceless!
He’s a big guy, and yet…. He’s going down with just a few punches!
Every ti he tries to grab , I slash at him with the hidden dagger, leaving shallow cuts.
Whether human or beastman, they all fear the blade.
His companion, unable to watch any longer, shouts,
“Hey, what are you doing? Getting your ass handed to you by a guy like that!”
“S-Sothing’s wrong…. I can’t move properly! Ugh!”
‘Got him right where I want him.’
What an apt expression.
After showcasing the sharpness of my dagger, I’ve instilled enough fear to paralyze him!
“Hmph! Hmph!”
I tighten my core and unleash a practiced combination, finishing off the bear guard…!
Using him as a human shield, I approach the spear-wielding dog guard.
“Drop the spear. If you don’t want to die.”
“If I drop it, you’ll just beat to death!”
“You want to see your buddy get a hole punched through him? Huh?!”
Ti for so extre gangster acting!
No, I am the gangster!
I stick out my tongue, threatening the terrified bear guard!
“C-Captain.”
“Hehehe. Bear fur is so soft~? Maybe I’ll make a coat out of this!”
At this point, it’s hard to tell who the bad guys are.
“You bastard!”
The dog guard makes his move!
As he thrusts his spear forward, I kick the bear guard at him, freeing him from my grasp!
“Whoa!”
I instantly circle behind him with Dawn Moon, aiming for his collarbone, then drive the dagger deep into his shoulder!
Damn it…!
I didn’t want to do this…!
“Gah… Ugh….”
The dog guard’s wounds are severe.
I stabbed him at least four tis. If I leave him like this, he’ll bleed out.
I finally have a mont to spare for Cecil and Viscal’s fight.
“Baby Kick!”
“Ugh!”
“Baby Punch!”
“Gah!”
Viscal is being pushed back?
How did this happen?
As I observe further, I realize Cecil is fighting strategically. When she’s at a disadvantage, she drops to all fours, dodging and weaving, then seizes the opportunity to land a few quick blows, chipping away at Viscal’s stamina.
“I see…. I thought she couldn’t read the flow of mana, but her instincts are incredible.
So she was already sensing it with her body…!”
“Baby Dropkick!”
“Enough playing around!”
“Oof!”
Cecil’s been captured!
“Interesting. A master who doesn’t even realize he’s reading the flow of mana and a girl with exceptional instincts….
You two have the potential to beco quite strong.”
“Thanks for the complint.”
“You may pass. However…!”
“However?”
“It would hurt my pride to let you go unscathed. I’ll break a few limbs!”
“Don’t waste the potions! I an, please don’t hurt Cecil!”
“Hmph!”
“Crack!”
This crazy wolf bastard, ignoring my witty joke, is actually going to break her bones?
“Viscal. Stop the violence!”
I stomp on the bleeding dog guard.
“Gah! Captain….”
“Ugh!?”
“Shit. This is my first ti slicing open a guy’s artery, so I’m not sure if I applied the right amount of pressure.
Judging by the blood flow, he’s got about ten minutes before he bleeds out.”
“….”
“But if we give him first aid right now, he might live.”
“Who cares about that trash….”
“What kind of a king abandons his comrades who bleed for him?”
“….”
“Do whatever the hell you want. I’ll do the sa. I’ll kill this dog bastard, then the bear bastard!
And then….”
“You think you’ll get a turn?!”
“I’ll run like hell before you get the chance!”
“….”
“….”
That should be enough!
Just give in a little, damn it…!
“…Fine.”
“Oppa…!”
“Cecil!”
Cecil is released!
“I’ll inflict a fatal wound on this one before I let her go!”
“Viscal!”
Viscal’s nacing greatsword cleaves through the air, aiming for Cecil’s torso!
A chill runs down my spine.
Every hair on my body stands on end.
My mind goes blank.
But…!
“Clang!”
Cecil blocks the attack with her shield.
She’s sent flying back like a baseball, but at least she’s in one piece.
And not only that….
“Ugh! This girl….”
A short spear protrudes from Viscal’s thigh!
In that split second, Cecil unleashed her true potential, displaying agility that surpassed even Viscal.
But was it too much for her?
Cecil collapses, unconscious.
“That’s enough!”
I grab the dog guard’s head and lift him up.
“One more wrong move and I’ll really slit his throat.”
“Hmph.”
Viscal finally sheathes his greatsword.
I imdiately kick the dog guard towards him. While he’s distracted, I make a beeline for Cecil.
“Cecil!”
“….”
She’s just unconscious from the shock.
Thank goodness.
“Go.”
“You think you can just beat us up and tell us to go?”
“I rely acknowledged that you’re sowhat capable. You’re still weak.”
Viscal pulls out the short spear from his thigh and tosses it aside.
The wound on the Beast King’s body… disappears….
Is he regenerating?
“But consider this your reward for proving yourselves worthy of passage.”
“….”
We’ll worry about that later.
Right now, I need to get Cecil out of here….
It’ll be embarrassing to return after just a day, but this is no ti for pride.
And that’s when it happened.
“Huh…?”
“Hmm?”
Viscal and I turn back towards the checkpoint in unison.
Is the ground shaking…?
Instinctively, I shield Cecil with my body. The next mont, the checkpoint explodes, engulfing us in a cloud of dust and debris.
“Cough! Cough!”
“Damn it, what was that?!”
Viscal’s voice is laced with surprise.
No one here saw that coming.
Sharp pieces of rock, sent flying from the explosion, pierce my back.
But it’s better than Cecil getting hit. I hold her tighter.
And then…!
A beautiful woman erges from the dust cloud…!
It was just a fleeting glimpse, but her beauty was unforgettable.
Black hair pulled back into a sleek bun, piercing black eyes… an Eastern beauty. She moves with an ethereal grace, like she’s walking on clouds, clad in a white cheongsam embroidered with red flowers.
In her hand, she holds a straight, double-edged sword.
She’s the first of many to erge from the wreckage of the checkpoint.
Police…?
Instead of batons, they wield swords, but their black uniforms remind of law enforcent. They’re all pursuing the woman.
Following close behind are a woman entirely wrapped in bandages, like a mummy, and a group of won in blue silk robes, wielding tridents, swarming like a dark cloud.
“What the hell is going on…!”
The woman in the cheongsam heads straight for the Beast District.
Screams and explosions erupt in her wake.
“Ugh…. Hmm…. Oppa?”
“Cecil, are you alright?”
“Yes…. What happened…?”
“Sothing’s happening in the city. Let’s go!”
This is no ti to be stingy….
I share a High Potion with Cecil.
“Can you walk?”
“A little dizzy, but I’ll manage…!”
“Let’s go!”
“Wait, what about the Devil’s District…?”
“This is more important. Sothing’s happened back ho!”
Was that woman the cause?
The people pouring out of the Devil’s District, they were all chasing after her.
I have a hunch.
We need to find that woman before anyone else!
“Cecil, do you rember her scent? The woman in the cheongsam?”
“Cheong… sam?”
“The dress with the slits on the side!”
I follow the trail of destruction, running blindly with Cecil.
“I’m not sure…! There are too many scents mixed together!”
“You’ll recognize it when you see her again. White cheongsam, hair in a bun!”
“There!”
She’s on the main street!
She’s facing off against the mummy woman…!
The cheongsam woman’s sword is trembling, engulfed in an eerie light.
“Back off! You stray dogs who have abandoned the path of humanity!”
“I should have known words wouldn’t work on you~?”
“If they don’t work, I’ll just have to keep trying until they do!”
A ‘Collapser’!
The sheer pressure from her sword swing is enough to crush the air around them.
The mummy woman, caught in the blast, is torn to shreds, scattered across the ground…. But.
For so reason, she regenerates without spilling a single drop of blood.
‘Holy shit.’
Is the Devil’s District filled with nothing but monsters like her?
“I admire your fighting spirit, but how about we stop here~?
I’ll make sure you feel every inch of your body with my touch…!”
“Co any closer and I’ll cut you down.”
“Like that would work?”
“I’d rather exhaust every ounce of my energy turning you to dust than beco a slave to livestock like you!”
A pause.
The mummy woman hesitates at the ntion of being turned to dust.
…It seems she’s okay with being cut, but not so much with being pulverized.
Cecil and I, like the other spectators, keep our distance, observing the situation.
‘That must be the Collapser Ariella is after. But….’
Can we even intervene?
If that pressure were to hit , I’d probably end up like an ant under a giant’s foot.
There’s nothing we can do with our current strength. However….
“Cecil. Did you catch her scent?”
“Almost….”
The cheongsam woman’s sword flares with light.
“Incoming! Everyone, take cover!”
Boom!
The ground where she stood explodes.
What? That’s quite the technique for turning soone into dust…!
“Damn it! She got away. To think she’d pull a stunt like that at the very end!”
“Cecil!”
I imdiately order Cecil to track her scent.
“This way!”
Cecil darts off.
“…After them!”
Damn it!
Did we make it too obvious? Now we have pursuers on our tail.
Can we outrun them?
The mummy woman’s subordinates are different from the police officers. The won in blue silk robes leap from rooftop to rooftop, wielding tridents, surrounding us.
“Cecil! It’s too dangerous to keep chasing her. We’ll get caught in the crossfire.”
“Should we fight?!”
“No, split up! Just pick a direction and run!”
“Right!”
Cecil and I bolt in opposite directions.
We weave through crowded marketplaces and leap over garbage-filled alleyways, shaking off our pursuers.
Cecil will outrun them easily…. The problem is !
Fortunately, my experience living on the streets cos in handy. I manage to lose them in the labyrinthine alleys.
“Pant…. Pant….”
I’m exhausted.
I can’t run anymore….
Capturing a Collapser, was I aiming too high?
We’re just shrimps caught in a whale fight.
‘Let’s go back.’
As I’m about to admit defeat and turn back, sothing catches my attention.
I hear a woman’s moans.
“….”
I speak softly.
The Milf Radar is reacting, which ans….
The sword empress, having exhausted all her energy, lies collapsed near you.
My eyes widen.
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