Shivers ran down my spine.

I didn’t sense anyone behind me, until a female talked.

Even though I have a strong and dreadful Veronica in front of me, I still had to turn around.

I kept the Divine steel katana at ready.

When I turned around, the first thing I saw was a seifuku uniform.

I measured the sudden guest from head to toes.

She was not a ‘normal’ human. On top of her jet-black hair were fox ears. And from her lower back were growing fox tails.

“Who the hell are you?” I prepared for a combat. The fox girl spared me a glance, and then stared at Veronica.

“It does not concern you. Your job here is done.” She walked closer to Veronica, and lifted the girl’s chin.

Veronica looked at me, and whispered.

‘Kill… me…’

“Your answer?” The fox girl stepped aside, giving me a clear opening to strike at Veronica.

I had no desire to do it.

“Sometimes I feel like you did help us from the shadows. Not to mention, it is not up to me to be a judge and headsman. I am not going to kill you.” Veronica’s dead fish eyes started filling with tears.

Then, the fox girl turned the girl’s head.

“You see~? Your little rebellion was of no use. Your destiny is set in stone.” The fox girl hit Veronica with her palm, and knocked her unconscious.

“YOU!”

“You are still here…?” The girl looked at me apathetically, and tried to pick up Veronica.

“Where are you taking her?!”

“It is none of your con…” Before she finished, I swung the Divine steel katana.

‘PING’

The all-cutting blade was deflected by a naginata that appeared in the girl’s hands out of nowhere.

“Fool.” She swung the blade at me but I successfully blocked it.

I tried to counterattack, while the naginata was still driven by inertia.

“ARGH!” The weapon’s pole hit my leg, and I fell down.

Before the girl managed to split me in two, I rolled away and stood up.

Once again, I tried attacking, and rushed with the tip of the katana aimed at the girl.

She elegantly stepped aside, like a matador. I barely managed to block the naginata, which was aimed at my back.

Unlike with Veronica, the fox girl didn’t play around with me. She was aiming to kill.

I launched attack after attack, the girl blocked them with ease.

‘PING’

When she swung the naginata again, I blocked the blade with the katana, and pushed her away. The staggered girl was about to be cut, when something pushed me away.

“Foolish creature!” In the next second, the naginata was already in front of me.

“AAARGH!!!” If I didn’t sacrifice my arm, then I would be dead by now.

Dying is painful, dying is scary…

“Got you!”

‘Swoosh’

I cut the girl’s side, making her jump away from me. The problem is, she was at her perfect range for striking.

“Sorry for the intrusion!” I tried closing the distance but I almost had my head threaded on the blade.

I could only dance around, to avoid being cut by the swift thrusts of the naginata. Just from a glance I could tell that the girl is more experienced with it than I am.

I tried to do anything but I was running out of options.

We both were wounded but the difference is that I am showering everything with blood.

The girl’s green eyes were mesmerizing. I had some time to notice that the girl simply doesn’t care about our fight. Her face showed neither fear, nor anger.

‘Ping’

I found a good moment, and deflected the naginata, ducking below the blade and approaching the girl. I could only get a bit closer but not break the stalemate.

‘Swoosh’

“ARGH! DAMN IT!” Before I noticed it, I fell down and couldn’t stand up.

My pool of HP was rapidly draining.

‘PING’

‘PING PING PING’

The girl used my situation, and attacked me again and again. I barely parried her strikes but after she tried to slam through the block, I saw an opening.

‘Thrust’

“KHA!” She leaped away with another wound.

I tried standing up, and noticed that one of my legs was cut off. I was now completely in defense.

The disparity in our skills was somehow negligible. Even in my situation, I could block her thrusts, and found an opening or two.

I tried leaping with the remnants of a body I have, and was wounding her. Not as seriously as she did to me, however.

‘Ping’

‘PING’

After another exchange of blocks and parries, the girl suddenly stepped back.

“Not what I expected.” The girl looked at me with some curiosity, and instead of continuing to fight me, she walked towards Veronica.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” She stopped.

‘… maybe?’ She murmured and turned around.

“Sleep.” She blew some dust on me, and I lost consciousness.