Volume 1 Chapter 12 The Great Villain Of The World, Meets A Master
It's been about ten minutes since Seirei escaped.
What I need to do is buy time until then.
After that, I'll use 'Beast Body Guidance' to slip into a gap in the alley. In a narrow space, the enemy can't follow.
Then I'll run to the main street and meet up with Seirei.
That's all I need to do.
"...There's no way I'm dying here, right?"
In front of me is a small man, Ryuu Gen's companion.
Behind him is Ryuu Gen.
And further back is a man in all black, holding a stick.
"You sure talk big. There are worse things in this world than dying!"
The small man kicks at me.
──He's fast. So he's a martial artist too.
In that case, I'll use 'Beast Body Guidance'――'Turtle Shell Defense (Turtle's Shell is Hard)'!!
Clang!!
"────! ."
A shock hits me.
I used the form of turtle of 'Beast Body Guidance'.
I focused 'ki' energy in both arms to make them like a turtle shell. With that, I managed to block the kick.
There's no pain. Probably thanks to my 'ki' energy.
But... the enemy is strong. That kick was incredibly fast.
On my side, I'm the weakest. How long can I buy time?
Has Seirei already escaped to the main street?
Should I leave this place too?
No, for safety... I should hold them off a little longer──
"Don't underestimate that kid. Your kick doesn't work on him."
The man in black raised his voice.
"It's being blocked by 'ki' energy! Don't let your guard down!"
──He saw through it.
That man in black is the best fighter. Is he their boss?
"Of course he knows martial arts. Big bro."
The small man laughed.
"The son of 'General Skybear' can't not know martial arts. So we need to hurt him so he can't do anything!"
The small man turned around.
While talking to the man in black, he raised his leg to kick me.
──Now's my chance!
I'm using 'Beast Body Guidance' as 'Cat's Sphere' to shrink my body.
I roll on the ground and slip into the alleyway──
"────Huh!?"
On my leg, a black thing grazed it.
It was the black short dagger──the hidden weapon used by martial artists.
"...That's why I said not to let your guard down, you fool!"
The man in black was watching me.
He was the one who threw the dagger.
That man in black is strong.
Could he be a character from 'History of Swordmaster'?
"That kid has good instincts. But it seems he lacks experience."
"We won't give him a chance to gain experience, Big bro!!"
"Ugh!?"
A kick came.
I defended again with 'Turtle Shell Defense.'
The impact hit me──I was slammed against the wall. The gap in the alley... was getting farther away.
"If he trained, he could have become someone great. What a pity."
"K-Kill him! Just kill him!!"
Ryuu Gen shouted.
Hearing that voice, the man in black twisted his mouth,
"Hey, Ryuu-san. If we kill him, he won't be a hostage anymore, right?"
"...Ugh."
"You're right, Big bro. Let's use this guy for something else."
"W-What are we going to do then, Ren?"
Ryuu Gen glanced sideways at the small man.
"You understand, right? We'll make sure he can't escape and then use him for negotiations."
The small man licked his lips and pulled out a small knife.
"First, I'll cut the tendons in his arms and legs. Once he can't move, I'll cut off his fingers and send them to the Kou family. If we trade the second son's life, the Kou family will probably hand over Seirei. Am I wrong, Ryuu Gen-san?"
"N-No... not that far..."
"But you said to kill him."
"Th-That was in the heat of the moment... If we kill the Kou family's real son... they'll become our enemies..."
"Let's get serious about this."
The small man with the knife approached.
Ryuu Gen was trembling in the back. The man in black looked uninterested.
I curled up and waited for my chance.
Using 'Beast Body Guidance' and 'Cat Ear Detection (Cats Sense the Presence)' to sense the surroundings.
Right after the enemy tries to attack, I'll counter. It doesn't have to land.
I just need to create an opening to escape.
This is an alley. There are gaps everywhere I could slip through.
I've bought enough time already.
If I can somehow survive here――it's my win.
"Show your face."
The small man came closer.
He probably thought I couldn't move.
"Seeing the scared face of a rich kid is one of the pleasures of this job――."
"...Stop it."
I sensed the man in black trying to stop the small man.
"W-What!? Why not, Big Bro En!?"
"Don't call my name. And don't underestimate this kid."
"...Huh?"
"This guy coming to save the Ryuu Family's daughter with his life on the line, and sticking around this long, was unexpected. So, the time's up."
The man in black sighed.
The small man spoke in a flustered tone,
"W-What do you mean!?"
"Can't you hear? Useless! Teaming up with you was a mistake. Ugh!"
The man in black glared at the small man.
Then he closed his eyes, as if sensing something,
"Sorry, Ryuu-san. I'm pulling out of this job."
Suddenly, the man in black stepped back.
Seeing this, Ryuu Ggen and the small man widened their eyes.
"What!? What do you mean!?"
"W-What are you saying!? Big Bro!!"
"I'm saying time's up! ...This kid wins."
The man in black jumped back.
In the next moment──
"Ah. Indeed, that boy wins!"
──a woman running along the wall slashed at the dagger-wielding man.
"You villain! Don't think you can do whatever you want in Ryougen-kun's territory!"
"Tch!!"
The silver longsword knocked the dagger away from the man in black.
Immediately, the man retreated, creating distance to avoid a second strike.
"I've heard there's a master swordsman among Ryougen-kun's guests. Is that you?"
"I'm not interested in people's opinions."
"Is that so!!"
The man in black kicked at the woman. She dodged.
But the man, with that momentum, jumped backward.
The woman glared at the man in black, still holding her longsword.
"Who are you? With skills like that, how can you be involved in crime?"
...Wow.
The woman with the longsword took control of the situation in an instant.
The small man with the dagger and En Man were frozen in place.
It felt like if they moved carelessly, they would be cut down――there was a tense atmosphere.
"...Are you okay?"
While I was distracted by the scene in front of me, another person appeared.
"You've hurt your leg. But the wound is shallow. I'll put my master's ointment on it later."
"...Who are you?"
"I'm here to help you, as ordered by Ryougen-kun."
The person with the sword――a boy――said.
He was about my height, with long black hair tied in a braid behind him.
I had noticed someone approaching.
I heard footsteps when I used my 'cat ear detection.'
But... I never thought it would be help from Ryougen-kun.
"I dislike people who act recklessly without skills."
The boy said while looking at me.
"However, I respect your determination to save your sister. Oh, your sister is safe with my master's companions. Also, I apologize for being late to help. This area is complicated, so it was tough to get here."
"...Thank you."
I bowed my head to the boy.
Then, I suddenly realized,
"Can I ask your name?"
"My name is Sui Kaou. That person is my master, Raikou-sama."
"Raikou-sama!?"
"Don't worry. No one can defeat my master."
The boy, Sui Kaou, held his sword, staring at Ryuu Gen and the small man.
He was keeping watch to make sure they didn't interfere with Raikou-san.
The man in black was still fighting.
On the inside of his coat, there were countless daggers. The man in black was using them to go up against the martial artist Raikou.
He was mostly on the defensive... or rather, it seemed like he was waiting for a chance to escape.
"What a waste. You have potential."
Raikou-sensei said, readying her sword.
"With skills like yours, you could have started your own martial arts school."
"I'm not interested. What I'm aiming for is the world."
"Is someone who talks about the world a kidnapper?"
"You wouldn't understand my ambitions, being Ryougen-kun's pet."
"It seems we can't see eye to eye."
"I also dislike dogs that bark for no reason. I'll take my leave."
The man in black jumped back.
He swung his arm. In an instant, more than ten daggers flew through the air.
A few of them were headed straight for me and the boy.
"Are you using a child as a shield!? You scoundrel!!"
Right after that, Raikou-sensei's long sword drew a silver arc in the air.
The deflected daggers danced in the air, piercing the wall and the ground.
In the meantime, the man in black turned his back and started to run.
Raikou-sensei clicked his tongue and said,
"State your name, kidnapper."
"I stopped being a kidnapper a while ago. Where would you find a fool who would introduce himself――."
Just as the man in black was about to say something――
"That guy's name is Enki! He's an assassin who uses daggers!!"
I blurted out without thinking.
Enki is a character from 'History of the Swordmaster.'
I recognized him from the black daggers and the surname 'En' that the small man mentioned.
He's younger than I remember, but it's probably not wrong.
"...Kou family's young master. I should have killed you!!"
With that, the man in black――Enki――vanished.
"I've remembered his face. I know his name. For now, that's enough."
The martial artist Raikou approached me.
"First, we need to take care of this child. Kids are important. Children with a sense of justice are even more important. If they're hurt, we can't just leave them alone."
"Y-yes, Master."
"Thanks to this child, we found out his name. Now we can track him down and make sure he can never enter this town again. This child is impressive."
"That's true. Hey, how did you know that guy's name?"
"...At the market."
After thinking for a moment, I said,
"When I was shopping at the market, I overheard a traveling merchant talking about it."
"And what about that merchant?"
"He said he came from the north. It was a long time ago, so I don't remember what he looked like..."
...I told a little lie.
I can't say it's from my past life. It can't be helped.
What's more important is this woman.
The sword-wielding martial artist, Raikou.
She's one of the strong characters from 'History of Swordmaster' and the only user of 'Four Divine Steps.'
'Four Divine Steps' is the ultimate escape skill.
Once learned, it doubles your movement speed, allowing you to escape from any opponent.
However, to learn 'Four Divine Steps,' you need to have mastered 'Beast Body Guidance.'
'Beast Body Guidance' only works on the weakest characters.
So, there was almost no point in learning 'Four Divine Steps' in the game.
It doesn't help to increase the movement speed of weak characters.
But, the martial artist Raikou had learned 'Four Divine Steps' since she appeared in the game.
She was a strong character with high movement speed, and she could escape from any enemy, which made her a game balance breaker.
However, she only fought alongside players until partway through the game, then she left.
Now, Raikou-sensei is right in front of me.
If I don't talk to her... I need to make a request....
"Hey, hey. Are you okay?"
When I realized it, Raikou-sensei was supporting my body.
No good... I must have lost my focus; my body isn't moving well.
Of course, it's my first time dealing with life and death, even including my past life.
And the opponent is a strong character from the game.
If Raikou-sensei and the boy hadn't come to help... I might have died.
"You did well, boy. As a reward, I'll listen to your wish."
"...A wish?"
"A good child needs a reward. Do you have something in mind?"
"......To be your disciple."
"Mm?"
"...Please make me your disciple."
"Ah, sure."
"Wait, wait a minute. Master!"
"What is it, Kaou-kun?"
"I'm your disciple, right!? Why are you so easily accepting another disciple――."
The voices of Raikou-sensei and his disciple Suikaou faded away.
In my fading vision, I saw――silver hair.
Seirei. Next to him was someone who seemed to be Ryougen-kun's subordinate.
...Thank goodness. They're safe.
With this, Seirei should no longer go to the harem.
Ah, but... is there a chance that Seirei might fall in love with the crown prince and choose to enter the harem herself? No, as long as she doesn't become a villain, I guess that's fine.
Seirei is my little sister in this world...
As long as she can be happy, that's all that matters...
Thinking about such things, I let go of my consciousness.
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