All sorts of emotions flashed through my mind.

Joy.

Excitement.

Admiration.

Anticipation.

Unease.

Fear.

Dread.

Terror.

When Akagi-sama drew the sword, I immediately understood, that unless she goes easy on me, I will be turned into shreds.

Yuri was a dangerous opponent, but her stance was still awkward. There were weak spots in her defense and attack.

This… being… There are no weaknesses. Just from her gaze I felt like she calculated the fight up to the point where I am defeated. Every move I would make will fall in the plan.

---

[Are we starting?]

I thought in anticipation. Even though she looks experienced, there are no people infallible.

The move of her chin was barely visible. Yet, she didn’t attack.

Heck, she didn’t even take a stance.

But I had a premonition. A very bad one that is.

I charged at her, and when I felt like the Divine steel katana is about to connect to the woman’s unguarded belly, she disappeared.

‘PING’

I barely managed to block the swing from behind. The Goddess was already there, unfazed.

I ducked below her odachi, and by using the sheer length of this…

Before my move was finished, I saw my head fly off.

“G-GHA!” Even though I was immediately revived, it was still terrifying.

“Never considered I could move it faster than you move?” She nonchalantly brushed the blood off the blade.

“I… will remember…” I stood up and prepared.

I charged again. This time I aimed for the legs.

‘Ping’

She didn’t bother evading, and just blocked with the blade.

I immediately diverted the attack to the side, and tried to pierce her other leg.

‘Ping’

Unsurprisingly, the sword was once again blocking.

‘Swoosh’

The last thing my falling head saw was the apathetic look of her eyes.

“G-KHA-KHA!”

“You never considered that your head is required for you to stay alive?” Akagi-sama indifferently cleaned the odachi.

“Why not go easy on me?”

‘Swoosh’

I immediately understood my mistake. She moved so fast, that it appeared like she didn’t even move from the spot.

An ant was crushed by an elephant.

“HA-HA-HA…”

[I better shut up, and move.]

“A wise choice, for a change.” She continued brushing the blood off the blade.

‘Ping’

‘Ping-Ping’

‘PING’

I attacked like crazy, only to be repelled without a chance. Then, my head flew off.

“GHA-GHA… I feel like I could get used to that. WAIT!” Before she could get an idea, I shouted.

Though it didn’t look like her lukewarm attitude changed.

---

This time I decided to approach her carefully. I stopped right at the distance where the odachi shouldn’t reach me. I properly aimed the strike, and charged.

‘Ping’

Before she retaliated, I fell back to the doubtfully safe distance.

‘Ping’

When I tried attacking again, she blocked me, even before I approached her.

All this time, the Goddess didn’t even bother with looking in my direction.

[Hey, can you see what I am about to do? Like, your mind reading?]

“You are too slow to have it required.” (A)

‘Ping’

‘Ping-Ping-Ping-Ping’

No matter how hard I tried, I was way too far from her. She intercepted me long before I could even try damaging her body.

‘Swoosh’

In my next instance, I tried another way. Since attacking didn’t work, I stood and waited.

And waited…

And waited…

‘PING’

“JESUS! HAVE SOME CONSCIENCE!” She suddenly attacked me. This time she was slow enough for me to at least see her afterimage, and react in time.

‘Swoosh’

“I have none.” She nonchalantly answered, when I was revived.

---

I changed my tactic once again. I started circling around her, in search for a spot to attack her from.

Though I couldn’t sense any possibility.

Finally, I stopped right in front of her.

“Hey, let’s get this over with!”

“You accepted your death?” (A)

“NO! WAIT! NO! I mean, that let me try one last time, and if I can’t, maybe we do something else? Like, chess? Or a tic tac toe? What about rock paper scissors?”

“Very well. One last attempt. If you die, I will consume your soul.” Are my words an empty sound to you…?

“Yes, they are. You have 10 seconds to attack.” [Why am I even talking…?]

‘PING’

When I charged at her, I managed to be intercepted in a way, that allows me to deflect the odachi away, and continue attacking using this little gap.

‘PING’

‘PING-PING-PING’

‘Swoosh’

After I somehow managed to lose only a half of my neck, and stay alive for one more strike, I swung the katana at her own neck.

‘t’

At the edge of my fading view, I saw how the katana was caught by her fingers, right by her neck.

Though, she caught it from behind the blade…

“Passed.” With her words said, I lost my conscience. And yet another cat life.