The Tale of how I got the Title of Rogue Hero.

The samurai's stance was troublesome enough but his insane speed was on another level. Immediately I could tell that I couldn't cut corners when it came to avoiding his attacks.

After numerous failed attempts to land a blow on me, the samurai stepped back and entered the Jōdon-no-Kamae stance once again. " I don't want to kill a fellow hero. But I won't hesitate to do so if you don't let me do my job. "

This guy was really getting on my nerves. " How could you even say that! Killing innocent girls is your job!? Call me old fashion but to me, that's just plain wrong! " Unfortunately in my outburst of anger the samurai found the perfect opening.

The samurai quickly closed the twelve feet gap between me and him, but he acknowledged that he couldn't get any closer without giving me enough time to defend, so he released his right hand from the tsuba and extended his left hand forward and slashed down my face.

The blade cut deep down my right eye and chest, my armor was made basically useless because of the power behind his strike. I could feel my own warm blood trickling down my chest, I could hear as rapidly falling droplets of crimson created a puddle at my feet, yet my mind remained clear. In spite of the fact that I was in more pain then I thought possible.

 " Where I come from it's traditional to show a skilled enemy a honorful death. " The samurai raised his wooden mask and revealed a middle aged man's face with black hair and green eyes full of sorrow and genuine regret. " My name is Musashi Licht. Goodbye. "

He raised his sword above his head once again to end me. I closed my eyes and braced myself.

 " Wait! "

I opened my eyes to see Graxia standing over me protecting me with her body as Musashi halted his blade mid swing.

" You know I could end you both in one strike. " Musashi said cold as ice as Graxia began to tremble, yet she stayed where she was protecting me. " I'll give you three seconds to move. "

I began to look around the room as quickly as possible, Graxia stalled my death but the situation was still dire. Unfortunately nothing nearby looked remotely helpful.

 " Three. "

Graxia remained as she was knowing full well that she would die, I had no choice but to admire her for that. But admiration wouldn't save anyone.

 " Two. "

I hastily looked at my spells hoping to come up with a plan. Finally I did but it was risky and highly relying on Musashi's abilities.

 " One. Farewell high priestess. "

Just as Musashi was bringing his blade down I stood up and pushed Graxia out of my way, and out of danger.

" Hahahahaha. " I laughed as my wounds appeared to heal, in truth though it was me using greater illusions. " Somebody's getting ahead of himself. "

 " That's impossible! " Musashi panicked as he assumed another stance, Chudān-no-Kamae he pointed his blade at a downward angle towards my ankles while positioning his left foot behind his right with his left heel slightly elevated. " A cut from a hero's blade never heals. And yet you aren't even scarred. "

Seeing him in a defensive stance I bluffed in hopes of breaking his spirit even more. Unfortunately I was actually thankful of my highest level profession. Edgy catchphrase. " Maybe your right. A cut from a hero's blade is normally a death sentence, for a mortal. But I'm far beyond that. Don't believe me? Try again. " I waited for him to strike, I knew he would go for a diagonal upward slash because of his stance and the difficulty of dodging a diagonal slash, so I used spatial manipulation.

Spatial manipulation allows me to create a set of small portals anywhere in sight, too small for me to fit through the portals aren't useful for transportation, but they can be used to redirect an attack. The portals themself however are incredibly easy to spot especially since I have to make two because portal A must redirect the attack through portal B, luckily I can just use greater illusions to make the portals appear invisible.

Musashi struck exactly as I predicted, his blade appeared to faze through me as it was redirected by portal A. Just before his own blade cut into his back where I positioned Portal B. He jumped out off the way.

 " How come just as I was about to strike you down. Every fiber of my being told me to stop, to run. " Musashi was now in a state of peril but still he held his blade sternly and full of resolve.

 " Isn't it obvious? It's because..." I used a trick to make it appear as though I teleported. I used vanish to disappear and then I made a decoy with greater illusions appear right in front of Musashi. " I'm better then you. " My decoy whispered in his ear.

Musashi executed a beautiful horizontal sweeping slash, but since he was in truth swinging at thin air his blade fazed through my decoy. 

Musashi was finally where I wanted him, he was terrified now was my only chance. But I could feel my strength waning. " I wonder how I should kill you. Should I slit your throat? Break your neck? Maybe I'll keep you here for a few days. Anything I do to you I can blame on the Demon Lord. Oh the great hero Musashi fought well but he was no match for Bulbyr. "

Musashi gritted his teeth thinking he was in a impossible situation. 

 " But I won't. Your innocent, a victim really. A victim of false information. When we were reincarnated we were told we had to slay the Demon Lord in order to return home. But we were never told the Demon Lord was an innocent girl. We were reincarnated as heroes, would a hero really be abled to do something so cold-hearted as kill an innocent person! Would a hero really put his own selfish desires before a child's? To me that's the very opposite of of heroic! " This was my biggest gamble yet, I took the place of my decoy. Then I offered my hand to him, knowing full well if he simply declined I would not be abled to prevent him from killing me. " Your better then this. I can see it in your eyes. You were manipulated into doing this, it's not your fault. "

Tears welled up in Musashi's eyes. " How could I do this? You guys can't be any older then my daughter. Hana wouldn't want to see her father like this. I wouldn't want to see her like this, if I had to kill a child to return home I wouldn't deserve to, let alone three. " He cried as he reached for my hand.

Graxia's face showed both awe and horror as she stood up cautiously. " Tokuma how are you healed? He wasn't lying, a cut from a hero's blade is unrecoverable. "

The act was up. I ran out of the necessary energy to keep greater illusions active. The wounds I suffered from reappeared, everything began to darken, my body went cold.

" Tokuma! " Graxia yelled as she began to cast a healing spell on me, but her spell well it was preventing me from bleeding out, didn't have enough power to close my wounds.

I began floating mindlessly in a familiar dark void.

" Hmm. Interesting, your clearly a rogue hero but you seem to have some kind of resistance to the Demon Lord's aura of malice even if it's not complete immunity. What is special about you? I suppose it doesn't matter now. " Thanatos voice echoed in my head. He sounded like a mad scientist analyzing his experiment.

Suddenly I felt a burst of healing magic surge through me, it felt similar to popping my neck, a brief moment of pain followed by bliss.

I saw Bulbyr placing her hand on Graxia's chest as they both knelt beside me, I could barely see her hand because of Graxia's love muffins engulfing it but it was clear that a hand was there. The scene looked like something from a yuri anime.

Unfortunately I couldn't see from my right eye and the very thought of opening it hurt. In a slurred voice I spoke " Um. Is it inappropriate to say that I'm really aroused right now? "

Bulbyr moved her hand from Graxia's breast stopping the flow of magic between the two. " If you tell anyone I did this. I'll kill you without a second thought. " She quickly turned her head away.

" Don't worry my bank of spanks has never been successfully infiltrated. Your secret's safe with me. " I said brimming with confidence. I'd thought it best to not mention my encounter with Thanatos' voice in the creepy void, and to try to forget about it completely.

Graxia embraced me in a warm hug, to my surprise my wounds were completely healed with the exception of a really nasty yet awesome scar. Which is more then my armor could say especially my bandana which was in too bad condition to even wear. " Tokuma your alive! I was so worried. " Graxia said as she squeezed me even tighter, like I said my wounds were closed but she was squeezing so hard I could almost hear my spine cracking. " You could've died. If Bulbyr didn't channel mana to me you would've. "

I could've sworn I saw Bulbyr blush, but she hid her face immediately.

I couldn't even think of what to say. Thank you didn't feel like it'd be worthy. After a moment of silence I realized that Musashi was nowhere to be seen. " Where did Musashi go? "

" He didn't say. He did however say that the horses we originally sought out to investigate were killed by a griffin. He also said that we should collect the reward as a parting gift. "

I looked to Bulbyr and offered " What do you say. Wanna get paid for doing nothing? " Bulbyr didn't even react when I spoke to her as though she didn't know I was talking to her. " Yoo-hoo. Earth to Bulbyr. Actually I guess it's Rexia to Bulbyr. "

The Demon Lord looked at me tilting her head and ears cutely. " Me? But I'm..."

" Absolutely adorable I know, but don't worry I can handle that. So are you coming? "

Bulbyr lit up in joy as her ears perked up, a rather adorable sight. But her tone of voice and her words would suggest otherwise. " If you try anything pervy with me. I won't hesitate to kill you. "

I laughed, but on the inside I was slightly terrified especially with my weird outbursts of perv. " Is that a yes? "

Graxia joined in too. " Please say it is. "

" Yes. "

Graxia began talking to Bulbyr in a frenzied state of excitement. " So you can't really be talking about going to Lyrn in that right? You look like a dude in that armor. "

" But it's good for defense. " Bulbyr replied with a puzzled look.

" I know, talk about a amazing idea! Let's go to your treasury! I'm sure you have something! And you won't mind if I pocket a few handfuls of guld well we're there, right? " Graxia's words flew from her mouth smoothly as though this was her plan all along. 

" Don't rob Bulbyr. " I said in hopes of sounding chivalrous when in reality I was just as curious.

" Ooo. Bulbyr. That name sounds so evil. " Graxia said ignoring me like a trained professional. " I know let's think of a new cuter name. "

Bulbyr nodded in confirmation. " But you better not name me something dumb. Or I'll kill you. "

" Would you stop saying that. It's freaking me out. " I complained.

Meanwhile somewhere in the heavens we were being watched by Thanatos. " Hmm. The Demon Lord's mana being channeled and turned to healing magic by one of my high priestess. If that can heal a cut from a heroes blade what is it's limit? And Musashi, in spite of his determination to return to his family Tokuma persuaded him otherwise. Maybe our rogue hero is more then meets the eye. "

" Chocolate, Vanilla, Cinnamon. Oh how about Caramel? Neko, Kitsune, Tsune, Kit. Come on work with me. " All of my completely original names were immediately rejected. " What do you got? "

Graxia placed her chin in her hand perplexingly " How about, Makono. " Graxia said out of the blue with a prideful glow in her sapphire eyes.

" Is that Japanese? " I asked a little too excited as my otaku senses went haywire. " I think it means something crimson. Wait how do you even know what that means? "

" I didn't. It just sounds so cute doesn't it? " Graxia replied gleefully as she slowly reached for Makono's cute ears.

Makono pulled her head away from Graxia with a look of disdain on her face " Fine. Makono it is. " For some reason I could feel an obvious sense of resentment in Makono's voice. And an odd one-sided rivalry in the future.