The tavern was pretty busy even at this time of night. People coming in to drown their sorrows and others coming to just wind down after a long day of whatever sort of work they did. In the beginning, I helped around the place. Bussed tables, washed dishes, and even helped just watch over the place. I always was fast about it, never sticking around for too long so I didn't draw too much attention to myself with my features.
That's how I learned how to slip around in a crowd of people practically unseen.
But this time I wouldn't have to do anything like that. Just a couple of hours ago, I learned the Vitality skill 'Void Step'. With just a few moments I had already gotten it down to an art with how easily I could use it.
So much so that I had gotten used to practicing using Void Step by moving around cups and plates in the tavern to mess with a few people. It wouldn't be too farfetched to say I was practically invisible. Despite this, Utanna was quick to constantly remind me that if another Vitality user were to spot me, he'd be able to perceive me easily.
Way to kill the mood sometimes.
After realizing I didn't have the luxury to keep messing around, I left right out the front door of the tavern, completely unbeknownst to both Mother and Ragnor. Before too long, I was running down the main street of the city, heading straight for the front large gates. Keeping my hood up just in case, I found it quite easy to slip by everyone walking, even managing to get by the vehicles that moved down the street.
" You're not too far from the gate. Remember, it's off the main road. "
Utanna reminded me of the target's location as I approached the main gate. Since I was practically unperceivable thanks to Void Step, I would have to hide behind whoever or whatever entered or exited the city. Takoragami had quite a busy nightlife so it wouldn't be too hard to do that.
" Almost there...Go! "
With perfect timing both due to my speed and Utanna's count, I managed to slip right through the main gate as it opened for a carriage of supplies. And with no hesitation or pause, I jumped to the right, looking straight toward the wooded area. In the opposite direction were flat lands with tree stumps left here and there. If the monster-beast was such a problem and had lived in an open area like that, the city's guards would've taken care of it.
So logically, it had to be in the woods.
Because I had already gotten under the cover of the wooded area, I was under the impression I'd be fine to stop using Void Step.
" What do you think it looks like, Utanna? "
" I don't have much to go off of. Monster-beasts are quite varied. "
" Helpful. "
" Hey, I'm your only weapon, aren't I? "
I couldn't argue with that.
Continuing to walk in the forest, I couldn't help but notice just how overtaken with fauna and flora it had been. Small animals had been running all around and all sorts of plants grew around. It was a total surprise. Compared to Takoragami with nearly no animals at all moving throughout it, it was a big surprise. I was never the type to enjoy the outdoors, always preferring to either stay inside or only be outside on a court. I had a newfound appreciation for nature after being cooped up for so long.
I had come across something of a cat, similar to a bobcat. With my stature, muscularity, and weapon I didn't fear it. So, I crouched down, holding my hand out to it for it to come toward me. However, it ran the opposite way, though, not without stopping to look back at me. It intrigued me so I stood again and walked in its direction. And upon seeing my approach, it pranced off, dashing deeper into the woods.
" Not very liked by animals, huh, kid? "
" Can it, knife. "
Continuing, stepping on branches and moving over fallen trunks that had decayed from their long-time standing. Passing over so much while not at all being attacked by anything made me wonder just how supplies managed to get out this far. There wasn't a road leading here and it was just generally not the kind of terrain a supply carriage would manage to traverse without extreme amounts of difficulty.
" I'm getting a bad feeling. "
Muttering as I continued, eventually reaching a clearing. Strong moonlight focused and came down upon the clearing, an abundance of light blue flowers blooming under the light. It was as if they were completely soaking up the moon's blue rays. Within the middle of the flowers was the cat. I had finally caught up to it. I approached and kneeled, this time being allowed to get close enough to touch it.
" See, Utanna. It likes me. "
Utanna was silent. I continued to scratch the feline. And as I did, it looked forward, off at something.
" What's got your attention, buddy? "
I was fond of cats so my guard was sufficiently let down. Suffice it to say: that was a mistake an inexperienced me had made.
* RUSTLE *
Leaves and all sorts of things that were on the ground moved as something approached. Right as my eyes had traced the direction at which the cat had been looking and the sound originated, a black flash of steel had come down upon me.
" Watch out, Raksha! "
* SLASH—TEAR *
For a moment I heard Utanna's voice before a blade dug into my left shoulder and dragged down, ripping through the jacket that served as my primary method of hiding my appearance with its hood. And far beyond that, it tore through my red flesh, staining my shoulder and chest in my red blood.
PAIN. INDESCRIBABLE AGONY.
The force at which I had been struck caused me to be knocked onto my back, my hand coming to grab at the remnants of fabric and cloth that had been left in the wake of the strike. I tightened my grip, feeling the soaking wet reminder that I was struck.
" Get up, Raksha! You don't have time to stay on your back! It's the Monster-beast!! "
My eyes, pained to open, looked up at my assailant. It was a figure clad in all black, almost a smokey appearance, haze flowing from nearly every part of it. It was horrifying. And a grim reminder that this wasn't some fun fantasy I was living in. No, it was my new reality.
And it hurts.
Seeing as the creature began to raise its black blade again, I knew I had to get away. Propping my foot up, I pushed myself backward, rolling back and getting into a much more ready position. I removed my right hand from my wound and grabbed at Utanna's hilt, feeling my chest heaving up and down as the red dripped.
" Any ideas on what I should do...? "
Cautious...After having been struck like that suddenly, I was off to a bad start.
" Gauge its skills. Don't be too aggressive. You need to conserve your energy. "
" …Alright. "
I gritted my teeth. I hated fighting on the backfoot when I was Ryota and I certainly wouldn't enjoy it in this tense moment. But there was nothing I could do. Standing completely, I brought Utanna forward, preparing myself. My breathing was ragged and drained. But eventually, I calmed down.
Almost as if instinctually, I began to use Void Step. It was an energy-consuming skill but it helped me calm down and gather myself.
Pressing down on my leading foot, I prepared myself for any movements it made. However, it was much faster than I anticipated and despite being on guard, it still surprised me.
It lunged forward, its blade pointed forward for a thrusting stab. Had I not used Void Step to collect myself, I would've been caught completely.
I raised Utanna, using its flat side to put a stop to the blade's thrust, trusting in Utanna's sturdiness and durability. My body rattled a bit, clearly not completely stable due to the injury I sustained.
But it was doable. The monster-beast wasn't overwhelming me in strength.
It retracted its blade, readying it now, probably understanding that it could no longer catch me by surprise. I had reacted to its head-on thrust.
" Now! "
It was my turn for an attack.
Dashing forward, my mind not clouded by any fear of being struck down or worries about the pain, only focusing on the death match in front of me, I was able to close the gap in an instant.
I was faster than it physically.
I tightened my grip on the hilt, pointing the blade forward and aiming to replicate the creature's previous attack: thrusting right toward its face area.
However, the black mass of mist and imposing strength raised its knee, slamming it right into my chest. Possibly due to my inexperience in sword-fighting, I had forgotten that the blade wasn't the only thing I had to worry about.
The air left my lungs as I paused, one of my eyes shutting and the other straining to remain open as I processed the pain.
The monster-beast gave me no time to relax, grabbing at my horn and lifting me off the ground. Its strength was immense. Maybe it had only been testing the waters before when thrusting at me. Using its tight grip on the horn that protruded from my forehead, it reeled back the same leg it had kneed me with, kicking me full force backward and into a tree.
The force at which my back met with the tree was enough to cause it to come crashing down on top of me, trapping me under it for a moment.
" Get up, kid! I can't help you if you don't get up! "
I coughed up bits of blood, staining the grass under me. I slowly tried pushing myself up, managing to use my larger stature and my natural strength to get the fallen tree up off of me. I narrowed my eyes in the direction of the bastard who had gotten a few cheap shots off of me.
I stood up, using my left hand to wipe the blood off my mouth, and spat the rest of it out.
" Sonuva... "
Grumbling slightly, I began to feel anger take hold. Suddenly, the cool misty gray that surrounded me turned into red, the same color that stained my clothes and the grass I stood on.
Feeling my blood pumping, the adrenaline rushing, and the anger coursing, a smile crept up on my face, my hand coming up to push the strands of hair that fell in front of my face away.
" Come at me, damn freak. "
I taunted the monster-beast, raising my hand and flicking it over in my direction. I felt invigorated as well as incredibly agitated.
It approached me, raising its blade again.
" You've got to do something, kid. Otherwise, it'll just wipe the floor with you! "
" Shut it. "
Snarling at Utanna, I was completely unaware of just how nasty I had sounded. I stomped down against the ground, my rage giving me some sort of boost of strength. Was it the Vitality coursing around me? At the moment I couldn't tell. I was far too pissed off to care.
My body ran in its direction again, watching as it raised its blade as if waiting for me to make the same mistake as before. However, I wasn't the kind to fall for the same trap twice. I dipped and dashed to the side, running around the black mass. I raised Utanna, digging its blade into the back of the monster-beast's leg, right at the space behind its knee, finally inflicting a wound upon it.
It didn't bleed, no, instead black smoke flew from its wound.
I didn't pay much mind to it. Instead, continuing to carve up its leg, starting from its Achilles tendon to its thigh, practically carving up the entire right leg it stood on. The speed at which I dug Utanna into it was reminiscent of when I first got my hands on the dagger, instinct taking over.
The monster-beast began to groan and growl, practically yelling out from what I could only imagine was its sense of pain. But I didn't care. I raised my left hand, punching at the creature's knee, forcing it to fall. Since I was in a crouched position and was digging into it with my blade, it was much harder for it to counterattack from the position it was in, especially with it wielding a longsword.
Once it had been felled, I climbed onto its back, stomping my right foot down onto its right wrist, preventing it from using its blade, my left knee pressing into the back of the creature. Its left arm was free but it had no leeway to do anything more than fumble around and scramble.
" Die already!! "
A scream of pure rage and frustration left my gullet as I raised Utanna, jamming the blade down with all my body weight into the back of the head of the smoke-like creature.
It scrambled and wriggled for a moment, the last few spurts of life in it slowly leaving. I twisted the blade, ending it for sure.
Blood soaked my clothing. Pain flew through my body. But something new came along with it. Complete and utter relief. As if collapsing, I fell off to the side of the monster-beast, letting go of Utanna and laying flat on my back.
" Good job, kid. You were off to a rough start but...you got it. "
" ...Yeah...Whatever. "
I was far too tired to say much more. I picked myself up, noticing the bleeding was slowly stopping entirely. Looking over toward the creature, I took Utanna, cutting off the forearm of the monster-beast.
" I need...some sort of proof I killed it, right? This will do. "
Ripping the arm from its last few remaining connecting tendons, I held it, misty blood leaving its stump. Then, looking down to the ground I sheathed Utanna, grabbing its pure black longsword.
" I've got some questions for that shitty vendor... "
" It seems you noticed it too. "
" Yeah. This bastard was the only thing I ran into in this forest and yet...I'm supposed to believe it was striking down supplies. I'll verify if the vendor's supplies suffered sword marks or anything similar. "
" Good thinking. "
" Of course...But first I'll go get some sleep. "
The pain in my body was real. And I certainly didn't have the luxury of resting here. Walking back toward the city, I'd have to use Void Step to get back inside unnoticed. But I'll take my time doing that.
Despite the trial, it was to kill it...Getting rid of that monster-beast felt good.
Real good.
Utanna mumbled something as I thought that. Utanna never spoke unless it was a snarky remark or something important. But I was far too tired to hear it right now.
I'll ask about it some other time.
CHAPTER 7 END