“The inches we need are everywhere”

Kotori was aware of such a phrase from a rather famous man.

Watching Amelie gave her newfound respect. She was outclassed and bleeding heavily, and still trying to fight Yooma.

She carefully watched them as they traded blows.

The clink of their swords gave a haunting melody.

Amelie was on the backfoot.

Yooma's sword struck from all sort of angles and she was holding on.

Kotori was ready to give the orders for Shu and Umi to intervene but out of respect for her friend didn’t attempt to force her way into the fight.

[Ahh, she’s still outclassed]

It was such a slight shift.

A small little shift.

Amelie moved her weight to another foot as she adjusted her stance and her guard fell ever so slightly.

Yooma was not one to let such a small error past him. He jabbed with his tanto. The blade dug deep into Amelie chest. She gave a small pained yelp.

Kotori instantly jumped in forcing Yooma to pull back.

“That’s enough Amelie,” Kotori said

Her Hp was dangerously low. Kotori knew that she was not going to beat Yooma. She wanted to respect her friends wishes but, at this point it would put Amelie’s life at risk.

“P..Please” Amelie said

“Rest!” Kotori said forcefully

her face softening

“You’ve done well.”

Amelie’s face slackened and she conceded to Kotori.

She motions to Shu who quickly put Amelie on her back. He instantly covered her wound with a cast made of mud. At the very least it should staunch the bleeding. Kotori would have to use any left-over mana to accelerate the healing of the wound. Amelie would likely still be bed ridden for a week.

Yooma readied his blades again. Amelie’s blood was slowly dripping off them. Staining the grass in the garden with crimson paint.

“You still believe you can beat me?”

Yooma said

Kotori had waited for this day for a while. She had a theory about Yooma.

They didn’t move. Gauging each other. Kotori's guard was open. In fact, she had not readied herself at all.

Umi may have stood at her side but with Yooma’s speed, Umi would not be able to block a slash in time.

“Trying to die girl?”

“I know you don’t kill women and children” Kotori said

“That strike on Amelie wasn’t lethal and you know it”

“Heh” Yooma laughed

“You are correct, but if you think that I will let you leave unscathed you are poorly mistaken!” He yelled while slashing at Kotori.

Kotori still didn’t ready her guard. Initially, Umi and Shu tried to protect her but they were quickly pacified by an order by Kotori.

As Yooma’s blade snaked towards Kotori's arms. Shu and Umi watch with heavy concern for their master.

It was a concern that was unfounded.

As Yooma’s blade slashes Kotori’s arm

“[Hunter]”

The blade instantly disappeared.

A thin line of blood appeared where the blade wouldn’t hit but it was a little more than a paper cut

“Tch, I was a little slow Kotori said noticing the thin line of blood.”

Yooma looked surprised

He dropped the hilt of the half-dissolved Katana he held and created a new one slashing towards Kotori.

Once again, the blade disappeared.

“What is this!” He said confused

“Ha, You aren’t the only one with tricks. Those blades are made of mana, aren’t they?”

Indeed, Kotori now had a better grasp on Yooma’s [Sword Smith] ability. He would use mana to materialize blades and use mana to hold their forms. If that were true then Kotori realized.

[I can just eat them right?]

As Yooma’s blade bore down on Kotori she activated a mana sucking field around her. The mana within the blades was highly condensed and thus easy to dissolve.

Though, they tasted like rusty coins

[Bleh]

The moment the blade came in contact with her skin they would immediately be eaten.

Each time Yooma tried to attack her it was the same thing. he tried multiple different blades and they all turned to food for Kotori.

Eventually, Yooma stopped attacking.

“What? Tired?” Kotori said taunting Yooma

“Hmm! Don’t think you are going to waste my mana like this!”

[Ah, he figured out my plan] She thought

Kotori was initially going to let Yooma waste his mana trying to land a hit on her but he was obviously smarter than that.

“So what are you going to do?” Kotori said smirking

“I bet those are the last pair of blades you can make”

She had been tracking his mana consumption, and if Yooma was not at his limit he was most definitely close to it. This was likely the last pair of blades he could fully materialize.

Yooma’s stance relaxed

“I’m done here,” He said walking off

Kotori was stunned

“Hey! Wait! Weren’t you trying to stop us?” She asked6

Yooma waved his hand

“No point fighting to the death when I know I can’t beat you, My orders were to stop you from rebelling if possible. It is not possible so I shall concede for now”

He gave them a glare

“Do not expect the kingdom to let you go so freely, There are many, many more warriors who are stronger than me, Many who value their lives less than me, and many who will die for those royals”

Despite Yooma seemingly being their enemy, it almost felt like he was trying to warn them as a friend.

Giorgio peaked out from the hole in the Earl’s manor they had made earlier

“Yooma! Why are you stopping!” his shrill voice coming from the hole.

Yooma looked towards Giorgio and sighed

“I didn’t pledge allegiance to you” he muttered. He turned back towards Kotori and her party

“Leave,” He said shooing them away like an old man trying to get children off his property

“You will never again enter this city, and are effectively outcasts, as long as you stay in this country we WILL hunt you down,” He said

Yooma then slumped his shoulders and walked towards Giorgio leaving Kotori and her party dumbstruck.