Chapter 148 The Crimson Essence Revealed By The Moonlit Night
"Eh heh. Darling's blood is a nicer red than I expected. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Ugh, you...!"
(What was that just now? Did the ink turn into a spear?)
Zetsu, blushing with ecstasy, licked the blood off her black blade. More than the pain from her torn shoulder, hermind was consumed by the strangeness of what had just happened.
The ink that spilled from the sword she called Kuroto Kage had turned into a spear, but somehow, blood was dripping from the blade. Given her behavior, that blood must be mine.
(Hmm. Did she just weaponize the shadow? That's a pretty insidious ability. Even though it's a white beast, it looks and feels completely black.)
"Weaponizing shadows...?"
But Ruthless is black too, right? Such trivial thoughts crossed my mind, but I was more concerned about analyzing Ruthless.
I thought she was liquefying a part of itself to use as a weapon, but the possibility of using shadows as weapons definitely existed.
The question was whether it was the former or the latter. It was clear which one would be more troublesome at midnight.
"Wow... you figured out Kuroto Kage's ability so quickly, as expected of you, darling."
"Tch."
Zetsu's candidness, as she struck a pose with delight, made everything black and white.
This is bad. In this pitch-black darkness, if she uses shadows as weapons, even seeing them will be a struggle.
"Hah. Spilled the beans quick, didn't ya? Real loose with yer secrets, eh?"
"Don't think I'm an easy girl. I just wanted you to know all about Zetsu, okay?"
"Ain't that somethin'. Not impressed by yer info-dumping there."
"Aw. I can't get enough of that cold side of you."
Even in my frustration, I found myself at a loss against her delight.
She's a tough opponent, to say the least. Honestly, I don't want to face her in various ways. But as a knight, I can't just turn tail and run, so I shook off the bitter feelings and readied Ruthless.
"...I'm so happy. You finally seem to be getting into it, darling."
"Nah, ain't really my cup o' tea messin' with you lot, but gotta do what a knight's gotta do, ya know? And if this [Svalinn], then it's on!"
I can't afford to hold back against someone stronger.
Attack, defend, speed. With everything raised to the next level, I'm gonna take down Zetsu.
"Hey!"
I went for a pure, head-on challenge. No holding back.
I sprinted at full speed and swung Ruthless straight down. The quick strike to prevent any funny business was easily deflected with a single swipe.
"Don't underestimate me!"
A sword, by its nature, excels at deflecting and redirecting attacks rather than just taking them. Zetsu had always managed to deflect my strikes. So, if I factor in the direction of the force that gets deflected from the start, I can immediately follow up with a series of attacks.
Twisting my body while still being deflected, I launched a roundhouse kick. But Zetsu wasn't a genius for nothing. She simply took half a step back to dodge.
"'Levitation'."
"!"
But what I was really aiming for was the small stone at Zetsu's feet.
The common spell 'levitation.' I had polished this basic magic countless times during my training with Quollio.
I cast it on the small stone. Of course, the boost from Ruthless also affected the common spell.
If I applied a 'levitation' with more than double the usual effect to the stone, it would no longer be just levitation; it would turn into a phenomenon I should call 'jumping'.
"Whoa, that was close!"
The stone jumped up straight towards Zetsu's chin.
If it hit, it would be a painful surprise.
However, Zetsu instinctively leaned back, causing the stone bullet to miss her chin and fly high into the air.
My attempt at a surprise counterattack from the shadow I received didn't land.
But the opening created by her lean back was definitely not small.
"Take this!"
"Ugh!"
Not wanting to miss the opening, I launched a full-powered thrust.
It should be hard for her to deflect while off-balance.
Just as I planned, Zetsu positioned his black blade in front of his chest, choosing to "receive" rather than "deflect." No matter how skilled Zetsu was with a sword, he wouldn't win a simple test of strength.
As she took the straight thrust, she finally let out a pained groan and scraped his feet against the ground, retreating significantly.
And just in time, the small stone that had been airborne fell right in front of me. Of course, I wasn't going to let it pass by without a hit.
"Ha!"
I turned Ruthless into a bat and smacked the stone back like a pitcher returning a ball.
Timing was perfect for a surprise 2-hit combo. I felt a solid response, thinking there was no way they could dodge this.
"Yaah!"
But Zetsu effortlessly sliced through the small stone with a lightning-fast horizontal slash, blocking it completely. Given how confident I felt, I was almost stunned, thinking, "Seriously, this guy?"
But I held back that feeling and, fueled by frustration, took off running for another try.
"[Kuroto Kage]."
"!!"
As Zetsu called its name, I was once again restrained by the extending shadow spear, crushing my follow-up attack right from the start.
"Darling, you've got a cute face, but you're pretty brutal, huh? I didn't think you could use such sneaky tactics."
"So what if I dodged? You think that makes me some kind of slick swordsman?"
"Huh? What's slick? I'm just honestly complimenting you... And besides, darling, you've got some serious talent too. That could be seen as sarcasm, right?"
"Huh? Unfortunately, I was branded as talentless by my instructor a long time ago."
"You? That's a strange story."
Zetsu tilted her head in genuine confusion. The delight in her violet eyes told me she was truly curious. Could it be that she sensed some hidden talent because I'm the protagonist? That thought almost slipped out, but Zetsu's next smile quickly pulled me back.
"Because if you were average, there's no way we could love each other this much. It's like a one-hit, 2-hit combo, and then bam!"
"!"
"Since you're still alive after clashing with me, I think you've got plenty of talent in martial arts, darling──especially in [killing]."
"Killing?"
"Yep! I mean, darling, your target spots have been lethal this whole time. You're full of killing intent even without any bloodlust. Thanks to that, I've been getting chills since earlier. So, you see, darling, this [Licking Shadow] guarantees your talent."
"...──."
Me, blessed with a talent for killing?
Suddenly calling me "darling" and trying to kill me while spreading affection? The words of this utterly nonsensical madwoman held no real persuasive power.
Yet, for some reason, my breath was caught as if my shadow had been sewn shut. That can't be right. What the hell are you talking about?
The denial that should have come naturally wouldn't form on my lips. Instead, an unpleasant memory flashed through my mind.
'Atami, you have no talent for the 'way' of martial arts.'
If... if what Zetsu said was true...
The words of the person who had given me such rigorous training...
The true intention of the master's assistant, who valued courtesy and taught the 'art' of martial arts, guiding the 'way'...
"Your face changed color. Were you unaware of it? Ahaha, how nice. That deep inner contradiction is so charming. The scent of destruction is even stronger, and Zetsu's body is getting hotter and hotter."
"Hah! You crazy woman! 'Cause you're gettin' clobbered, you think you can throw some smoke and mirrors my way? That ain't gonna work on me. See right through ya, ya little weasel."
I swung Ruthless at Zetsu as if to shake off something that was crawling up from within me. No. I'm not the kind of person who lives by clinging to such things.
Aspiration... yeah, that's right. I've lived my life desperately chasing only what's important to me. I won't be swayed by such delusions in the middle of the night.
"Hehehe... How cute. The scent of destruction. The taste of ruin. A perfect 100 out of 100. Hey, darling, won't you spend eternity with Zetsu?"
"I'd rather die than be with you, you bastard!"
Our blades clashed, sparks flying. Zetsu's eyes, so close to mine, were an even deeper violet, and their light threatened to further disturb my heart. I put all my strength into my arms, as if to crush her right there.
But then I remembered the words my master's assistant had taught me long ago, "If you let anger control you, you'll lose even when you should win."
The lesson from the distant past reached across time and worlds, grasping my shoulder in the present.
"In that case, I have no choice. Then, Kuroto Kage... [Shadow Fusion]."
"Huh?! What...?!"
As soon as she spoke, a pitch-black shadow crawled up and covered Zetsu's body, then melted and disappeared in an instant. Just like that.
Huh? What just happened? Where did the person in front of me go? I was in a panic, my mind going blank from the unexpected turn of events, but when I heard the sound of water from behind, I turned around.
The white image in my mind was immediately stained red.
"Gghhhh...!"
I had no way to defend against the sudden slash from Zetsu, who had somehow gotten behind me. I was cut from my waist to my shoulder, and a flower of fresh blood bloomed in the dark night.
What the hell just happened? Unable to bear the severe bleeding and pain, I fell to my knees. But Zetsu wasn't satisfied with just looking down at me as I groaned in pain; she held me close to her chest, soothing me like a child.
"Hehe. Surprised? Kuroto Kage manipulates shadows. And Zetsu here is a funny one who can turn herself into a shadow too."
"Y-You..."
Zetsu whispered the secret while rubbing her cheek against my hair. Apparently, she had used her white beast's power to dissolve herself into a shadow and get behind me. On top of her exceptional sword skills, she also had a surprise attack up her sleeve.
"Move, move. The sound of your life flowing out, Master. Ahh. It's so pleasant, I could get pregnant just by listening."
"G-Get... off me!!"
"Noo~."
I struggled to tear Zetsu off me, enduring the pain, and as I frantically brushed her off, blood splattered again from where my sword had been pulled out.
This time, I didn't kneel; I stood my ground. I'd had enough of being at the mercy of this Serial killer. I wouldn't let her do as she pleased.
My anger wasn't the only thing that rose up.
(...Ah, ah. How pathetic, Master. If you lose to such a nasty guy, I have no place to stand, you know?)
(Don't get cocky just yet. This ain't over yet.)
(Hmm. You're still talking big even with such a serious injury. You're really a fool, Master.)
(Keep your yap shut. I can be an idiot if I need to. Not gonna let some punk like that walk all over me.)
On the surface, it was the usual teasing. But in Ruthless's tone, I could feel something boiling.
In the conveyed thoughts, there was an unusual seriousness.
(Ahaha. Yeah. I agree, Master. I can't just let you lose easily when I'm lending you my power.)
We couldn't end it like this. Such emotions overlapped.
In our previous battles, our directions had been different, but now they aligned.
(So, Master.
I'll teach you the real ruthless way of fighting.)
Let's show her what we're made of.
The blood flowing through my body cried out.
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