Blow It All Away

I don’t know the margin that Vin is showing, she’s at least stronger than the other two. If needed to compare to the Imperial Warrior class, I sense that she is Senior Warrior Class.

The moment I braced myself for battle, an odd-shaped knife was approaching my face as I said, “Come on, let’s make this qui–“

Vin proclaims, “Such good reflexes. Well now, let’s go!”

It is neither martial art nor swordsmanship. She just threw a knife. I ask, “Hold on, you, wha-!?”

Knife throwing technique, but how many does she have?

Enuma said. "This is neither a small sword nor knife. That is a Kunai and Shuriken."

I asked, “What is it?”

Enuma explained, "Basic weapons used by the shadow warriors of Insei. Be careful! Do not react only to what is visible!"

I click my tongue, “Tch, don’t, take me, lightly!”

Enuma warned, "Behind you, boy!"

Don’t react only to visible things, “Huh, it’s, a log!?”

As I was avoiding the kunai, I felt something approaching from behind, and the moment I turned around, a big log with a rope swung at me like a pendulum.

Enuma said, "It is a trap, boy. That little girl was setting up a trap while you were dealing with the other two."

A big log and a kunai flying from the front. A pincer maneuver. However, they are all shot down. I said, “Won’t work, I’m not a beast to be snared! Like this.”

Assuming the half-body stance, I knock down the Kunais by their wide middle parts with the flicker, and intercept approaching the log with a smash from my clenched right fist.

Because I couldn’t add my full weight into it as I made the hand shot, the power is minimal.

I thought, “If it’s about blowing away a little knife and a log, easy”

Enuma warned, "Two kunai, boy!"

At that moment, when I intercepted the log and visible Kunai, I didn’t notice the similar delayed attack that was hidden behind the first attack.

The kunai pierces me in the shoulder, and I jerk back my head and strike the swinging log with my head. She got me good after all.

The pain made me flinch, but I must endure, I can’t fall down, and next I go on the offensive. “Ah, that was cheeky…Eh?”

Just as I thought that of the next move, Vin was nowhere to be seen.

Then, the voice of Vin, who was invisible, echoed, and at the same time, the deep fog covering the forest deprived me of my vision. “Water Art Misty Wind”

I asked, “What is this?”

Enuma explained, "A fog concealment technique, so to speak. Be wary. The opponent prefers to fight in the shadows. In this fog, they are aware of your movements and whereabouts. Incoming attacks would be hidden by the fog too."

I thought “Come on, seriously!?”

Not good, the fog is getting thicker and thicker as we speak. It’s all white, and I can hardly see anything. What if a kunai or other things are thrown in this situation?

Then, it doesn’t matter how good my dynamic vision or peripheral vision is. I can’t see anything. I yell, “Hey, you, that’s cowardly! Come on out!”

However, Vin does not respond to my shouts. She won’t do anything stupid to reveal her whereabouts. And instead of her voice……

Enuma warns, "Boy!"

Kunai flies instead of a reply. A few stab me on my arms, shoulders, and feet, cut my skin, and hurt me. “Huh. Whoa, whoa, whoa!?”

To be honest, you can’t see a Kunai until they’re on the verge of hitting. The moment you see it, it’s too late. No matter how good my reflexes and visual acuity are, there are limits to avoiding this.

Still, the general direction can be grasped based on where the kunai flying from. “There! Thunder Spell Kilo Thunder!”

The lightning strike is dropped toward the direction where Kunai flew from. However, there is no response. Was it avoided?

Enuma scolded me, "Do not shoot blindly into the fog. She is throwing a kunai while moving. Even if done by intuition, your attacks are for naught."

I replied, "Damn, that girl didn’t seem had the nerve to use such awful underhanded tricks!"

Enuma said, "Be calm, boy. This is exactly the way she plays Go."

I asked, "Huh, you mean?"

 a ‘Ninja Warriors’, carries weight.

Enuma’s words, saying this is matches her board game tactics, "What Shinobi find essential is not strength. This is the realization of the objective. Foremost is to kill the opponent, not to win the battle. That is her style."

I said, "Are you serious."

While pointing out the naivety of me complaining about hiding and such a stealthy battle, Enuma said, "But, on the other hand, though you denounce that little girl as cowardly, still she is apprehensive."

While pointing out the naivety of me complaining about hiding and such a stealthy battle, …

Enuma adds, "Had that little girl applied lethal poison on her weapons, at this point the fight would be over."

I was stunned at the realization, "What?"

Enuma then said made me shudder, "In other words, she is still being apprehensive and going easy on you. For a shadow warrior to not have poisons is unfathomable."

I mean, if she meant to kill me, I would be dead already. Could I die so easily? No, it’s not the only possibility. A Kunai could hit a critical spot. This is no joke.

Vin's voice rang out, “Throwing Art Multiple Shuriken Shadows”

A shuriken appeared in front of my eyes. This time, I noticed it very quickly and tried to shoot it down with my fist, but my punch slipped right through. I am frustrated, “Ah, hey, you got me so many times! What?”

Illusion. Then, the second shuriken, which had been thrown in the shadow of the first, pierced my body this time.

“When, what? What is this?!”

Enuma explained, "Shuriken Clone, it is an attack that mixes an illusionary shuriken with the real thing."

You’re too mean! How do you handle a hidden opponent, compromised sight, and even a mix of real and fake attacks? I shout with frustration, “Damn it, get out here! You flat board  hussyyyyyyyy!!!” 

Enuma started to say, "It is no use. She will not bring personal feelings of everyday life into these situations. In a way-"

Turns out she was capable of making mistakes, as Vin cried out, “Flat board, I, er, no, nuah~”

She was very self-conscious and easily provoked over her boob size. However it changed nothing. Vin only then had thrown more kunai and shurikens.

I am full dodging and block while taking small cuts, “Damn it. One move. Seriously, how can I defeat her in this situation?”

Enuma scolded me, "Boy, learn. This is an actual battle. The strong do not necessarily win. Those who have no power also use strategy to defeat the strong. It is only natural. If you fight head-on in the arena, you will win. In actual combat there are no holds barred."

What Enuma is saying sticks to me. But now is not the time for this. They still have comrades. The group approaching Aka, I can’t get stuck in a place like this. 

I’ll proceed with confidence. “Let’s go, Breakthrough Mode!”

The Breakthrough state that cloaks the entire body with magic. However, no matter how much physical strength I have, there’s no point if I can’t find the opponent’s whereabouts. It just increases my defense.

I raise my right hand and use, “Great Magic Spiral!!”

It is a large magic spiral that influenced my life in various ways. I didn’t think I would be using it two days in a row. This isn’t just a great magic spiral.

Instead of just using it as a drill to punch a hole by pushing it into the opponent, hold it up like this, and rotate it violently.

I shout, “Blow it all awaaaaaaay!!!!!”

Vin panics, “Eeehh!?”

It causes intense tornadoes and blows away all the fog and trees with the Earth Spiral Tornado!

The surrounding trees fly, the ground is gouged out, and the fog dissipates, and my view becomes clear.

Vin screams, “Ah, th-this is!? Eeek!?”

I laugh, “Ahahahaha! I see you!”

While trying desperately not to be blown away by the wind, a short skirt rolls up, panties, white, simple approach, Instant Memory Magic-- I mean, I found that girl!

Enuma was muttering something a bit complicated but can’t dwell on that right. "Exactly how The Great Demon Spiral, Spiral Tornado destroyed that city."

We’re separated by some distance; I can’t let her hide again. I said, “I’m not letting you go anymore.”

I won’t even let you use a kunai or shuriken, or even activate your art. Vin cries out, “Oh! That’s fast!”