Woman of the Hour · Stela Cole

POV Hana

"Fuu~haa. Fuu~haaa. HA!"

`Crack! Crumble~

My breathing is perfect, allowing for the maximum strength to be exerted as my fist smashes through a monster of solid stone. The only downside is that I'm too weak to perform this feat without rooting myself in place. Being able to utilize this strength while moving, or more quickly, would have been damn perfect.

'It would have been enough to destroy that reptile... .'

My fists shake in frustration, demanding that I get revenge for what it has done to me. I want to pulverise and tear apart that abomination with reckless abandon, but... it's difficult. I'm not strong enough... .

Staring at the pile of rubble at my feet, I will it to transform faster.

"Come on, suck it up already, I haven't got the whole day."

Fighting lone monsters is terribly inefficient. The battery just won't collect the mana as fast as I want it to and I'm left waiting for longer than fighting. It's frustrating.

"Finally!"

Grabbing the slow thing, I dash towards the next area with more targets. The terrain doesn't affect my strides. When the ground becomes jagged or uneven, I continue running over it, when sudden pitfalls appear, I continue running over them. When a monster appears in my path...

'Hurricane fist!' `Crash!

I stomp hard and send it flying into a wall with a satisfying crack. If I'm lucky, there will be another monster behind the first one, so that I can smash the two in one go, reducing both to chunks of inert rubble.

Every once in a while there will be a group of three, and I take my time to align them into a perfect position to perform an overcharged skill, sending the biggest monster crashing into the other two, scoring extra points for the impressive feat.

`Crack! CRASH! "Strike!.. ..Tch."

'Almost!'

One of them didn't get hit hard enough and continued crawling towards me like an insect. A broken, harmless, WEAK insect. It's frustrating.

"RRrraH!!!" `SMASH!!!

A raging force smashes it into the ground, sending gravel and monster parts flying outwards in a circle. Some pieces look to be out of range now, so with nothing better to do, I kick the bigger fragments into a pile next to the battery. Doing so is much more preferable to grinding the damn loot into power.

"Fuuu~ My Mp is down to 60% and this thing should be full after 3-4 more stops. Might as well backtrack to the last fork and take a different route on my way out."

Checking the map, I memorize the new route through these winding tunnels and set off without unnecessary delay. Any monsters that are stupid enough to show themselves to me get turned into rubble without mercy. Very unfortunately, I end up with five of them becoming loot by the end of my delve.

'I can't even make an excuse that I've run out of mana! Tough luck today.'

While not looking forward to grinding rocks for the next half an hour, I don't drop my other chores half-heartedly. The mana battery is properly plugged in, fully drained and put back into storage. My relatively clean gear is given a light dusting before I neatly put it away back into my locker. Once everything is in order, I sit down and slowly work on the rocks. Soaking them in my mana, trying to compress it to the limit and finally, slowly grinding them down to coarse sand.

"Label and... everything is done for today."

Walking up to the staircase, I hesitate, but take one more detour before going to the hot spring. My feet take me downstairs to the crops field. The slowly growing marvel has become a gigantic expanse of 0.1 km².

Jumping into the air and looking around, I find the farm boy hidden behind bushes and crawling on his knees along a carpet of berries. Subconsciously, I look forward to eating a freshly baked blueberry pie tomorrow, but ignore that treacherous train of thought and drop down next to him.

"Hana: Hey. Which ones do you need?"

"Valentine: Joptwashu! ...Can't you walk like a normal human being?! Or wear a fricking bell around your neck, so that I can hear you dropping out of the sky."

It wasn't my intention, but seeing him bunny hop face first into the ground was amusing enough to smirk at.

"Check that area starting from the peaches. I've seen some of the fruits becoming slightly overripe, so I'll blend them into naturally sweet smoothies or ice-cream if the reserves are running low."

The indicated area isn't too big. At a glance, I count less than thirty fruit trees that need to be checked.

'If I pace myself, there should be enough Mp to last for 20ish minutes.'

Taking some of the empty wicker baskets with me, I walk over to the fruit trees area and ascend to the treetops height. Zooming in on the fruits to categorize them all is time-consuming and I don't have enough Mp to last that long. Instead, I move in, pick the best looking ones that are within arms reach and move away to the next spot. The small basket in my hand is steadily filled to the brim, then emptied into the big one on the ground and I repeat the process again and again, for as long as my Mp lasts. ...Or until I'm stopped.

"Valentine: Quality control... FAILED. I said to get the overripe ones. If I wanted to pick at random, I would use the long stick to reach the top hanging ones."

"Hana: Aah? The hell you complaining about? I'm picking all the best ones."

"Valentine: You DON'T have to grab something with each jump. For crying out loud, stop overcompensating."

"Hana: I AM NOT."

The little shit decided to get personal, and it's rubbing me the wrong way.

"I'm helping you out of the goodness of my heart while also getting some training done."

"Valentine: Yeeaah, and I'm not leaving this part of the city because I'm toooo lazy. It has absolutely noooo other reason besides that."

The sarcastic tone is downright insulting, but I hold myself back. It's frustrating.

"We both know that this is your idea of "paying me back" for fishing your mangled, half dead ass out of that puddle. Just fucking go back out there and turn the crocodile look-alike into a punching bag if you need closure."

Swish! Clap! Punch! "ACHH!"

I grind my teeth and hold back a groan of pain. The straight punch that should have connected squarely with his face was slapped aside and a punch to my abdomen sent spikes of pain running through my body.

"No. You don't get to bother me for weeks on end and then bitch slap the obvious facts out of your sight. Everyone else from your group is either preparing for tomorrow's exam, or spending time with friends, or catching up on their hobbies, or something else entirely. No-one else is throwing a hissy fit and going around the dungeon solo, preying on low leveled mobs to prove their strength. Do what every reasonable adult does. Pack all of your trauma up into a box, and put it away to the deepest, darkest, most insignificant corner of your memories and forget it ever existed in the first place."

"Hana: Idiot. It's the complete opposite. ...and it's not working either way."

I've kept it bottled up. I've talked it out. But sometimes, the nightmares of helplessness awake me. Heart leaping out of my chest and a silent scream stuck in my throat.

"Valentine: `Sigh. ... like I've said..., gather a hunting party and go for the kill. ...I sometimes go to slowly dispatch the trap-strawberry monsters on the third floor. Being half eaten alive by a fucking strawberry is twice damning, and you didn't have to crawl for dear life on your stumps down a mountain only to slip into darkness without any hope of rescue."

'...That was a grotesque sight indeed.'

"Hana: FINE. Maybe I am venting a little bit. Besides, I'm on probation. Not allowed to get excessively hurt and end up a cripple, because someone's healing hot spring was found to be unreliable."

"Valentine: Heh, only for those in the loosers club."

'Hurricane fist.' `Swish~

'Tch. I should tell Risa to stop sparing with this asshole.'

Despite using the bare minimum of mana for the skill, he noticed it and wisely decided to evade with an excessively large movement. Going as far as taking cover behind the baskets.

"Now, now, no playing with food. That is just childish."

I recognize the fact that I won't get a proper hit on him without making a mess of things. It doesn't feel worth the effort, but at least he won't get the last word.

"Hana: Not as childish as your new haircut. Were you too scared of going to a proper hairdresser and decided to simply shave it all off? A monkey could have done a better job."

'Ugly void of individuality. Using a bucket and a pair of scissors would have been an improvement to this lazy hairdo.'

"Valentine: Ha! If I need extra bravery, I can down a bottle of liquid substitute! Unlike someone else, I don't become a perverse foot fetishist when drunk."

"Man whore!" "Virgin chicken!" "Cheapskate!" "Wastrel!" "Hairy foreigner!" "Sadistic bitch!"

""COWARD×2""

"Hana: Ha! You are a much bigger coward than I could ever be! Now, please excuse me. A relaxing bath is awaiting my arrival to wash off today's hard work."

There's no comeback thrown at my retreating figure. The coward knows that I'm right and can do nothing but glare in silence. ...Not that my mood is any less crap than his.

"Fucking asshole. Lumping us together just because I've made ONE mistake, only ONCE!"

'Or... twice? ...Going in alone without backup does sound a bit reckless, but I've always taken a spare tank of breathing gas with me. ...It's not like something can hurt me in there as long as I'm carefully, so it's fine!'

"IT'S FINE!"

My hands are shaking. They hurt from punching through solid rock over fifty times today. Dispersing the resulting backlash from an overcharged skill is tricky and requires exemplary concentration or a healing potion to patch up the damage. I didn't want to sign off that I've used them on myself, so I didn't take any with me.

Angrily shoving my dirty clothes into the washing machine lets me cool down a bit and I make a beeline for the showers.

"`Huaaa~ mmm~"

A small amount of tiredness washed over me from the healing process, as I sit down leisurely, stretching out and enjoying the feeling of hot water against my tired body. If I wanted to, I could float on my back across the adjacent giant pool, but I'm not in the mood to get out right now.

'This feels like a resort, if not for the deplorable customer service.'

Once my body becomes uncomfortably hot, I get out and grab a bottle of fruit milk from the nearby cooler. Wanting to do a bit more thinking and possibly reflecting, I enter one of the tubs with colder water to spend more time relaxing.

'The insensitive asshole was right about one thing. I must drag that crocodile out, tie its tail around a high branch and use it as a punching bag for an hour. Then have it skinned and turned into handbags to give away as souvenirs.'

Risa has already gone out on a rampage a couple of times, so it's proven to be a relatively safe area. Furthermore, there are bound to be a few people who will want to let out steam after the exam week, so I'll easily find volunteers to join me.

"For safety reasons, I'll have to ask Risa to cut off its long snout, but after that, I'll take care of breaking each of its limbs by myself."

'When I learn how to make my wind blades sharper and cut deeper, then I'll be able to do it myself. For now, I will have to be content with this.'

Maybe I was overstressing myself, either overthinking or overcomplicating things. Perhaps even ...overcompensating for my mistake. Beating the artificial life out of my enemy should have been the go-to response, but the shock of being inches away from death must have messed with my head. Having it bluntly pointed out has put things back into a more familiar perspective.

"He is still an asshole for hitting a delicate, young woman. If I were any more vindictive, I would have called Meiko over to beat the shit out of him."

'That... That would raise questions about my own actions and reasons for being here so late in the evening, alone and without telling anyone... . I'd rather choose the lesser evil now and join Risa for their sparing session once I'm at full strength later. It will be a fine excuse to wipe the floor with him all I want while giving "pointers".'

Around an hour later I'm fully satisfied with the bath and sluggishly get out. The moment that I firmly stand on my feet, the waves of exhaustion hit me. Despite having a stronger body, the increased gravity combined with prolonged physical exertion has left me wobbling like a purin on a plate.

"Fuck. I may have overdone it today."

Fighting the desire to flop down on the floor, I make my way out of the bathing room and behind a partitioned section in the changing room. Falling onto a reclining chair for a brief rest, I reassure myself that I'll out of here in a moment... or two.

'I'll head back to my room and straight to bed once I can walk without stumbling. Showing my pathetic state to anyone would be unacceptable.'

Closing my eyes, I surrender myself to the comfortable chair and focus on recovering enough strength... for a short walk... back... .

.. .

I shift away from something tickling me. More and more, something is prodding and caressing my legs and arms. A rough brush runs over my body here and there, stirring me to wakefulness with every passing moment. Feeling groggy from suddenly waking up, I have difficulties in regaining awareness of my surroundings.

The black cat that enters my blurry vision doesn't make much sense to my struggling brain either. There is an instinctual pull to accept this as a dream and go back to sleep. ...However, I'm slowly coming back to my senses, and the cat is definitely neither a hallucination nor part of my dreams.

'Ok. I probably should start freaking out, but I'm not quite sure how much freakout is expected in this situation.'

Looking at the meter and a bit tall cat, I notice two tails poking out behind it, and the fact that it's standing upright without any difficulty, while wearing something akin to clothes.

'If this is not a dream, then is this an alien invasion? Have cats taken over the HQ and are now snuggling up to the sleeping students? Conquering the academy by virtue of cuteness?'

"WTF?" "Meow meow?"

"Hana: Mm, hey. Can you speak any ...human language?"

"Mururr: Prr meow meow meow?"

I pinch myself to double check that I'm not dreaming this up... it doesn't help.

"Hana: Yeah... Ok. Let me get dressed and find that human to animal translator. He's got some explaining to do."

Curiosity got a hold of me, and I gave the cat some scratches and pats, finding its fur silky and moist. In return it rubbed its head against my belly before walking away.

"Auch! Yes, not dreaming at all. Hm~? I've actually fallen asleep down here ...and I really should have told someone that I'll be going out. Otherwise, no-one would check whether I'm back in my room by nightfall or gone missing."

First things first, I get dressed and go looking for answers. Walking upstairs seems like the best course of action and I can do a full search going back down if he is someplace else.

As I pry open the door to the top floor, the smell and sound of a busy kitchen tells me that he is likely to be here. I march straight up to the kitchen, while looking around for any more alien cats. A cat invasion sounds ludicrous on paper, but so does interplanetary travel and fighting real-life dungeon monsters. Nothing can be dismissed without solid evidence.

"Valentine: I didn't order a night crawling service. Certainly not from you."

I turn to the sudden voice to my right. With a frown on his face, the fucker is looking at me like I'm the problem and not the alien cat walking around unattended. As an afterthought I rule out a possible hostile invasion and switch to a likely friendly visitor assumption.

"Hana: ... I fell asleep after lying down and got woken up by a distinctly alien cat. Care to explain?"

"Valentine: I assume that you want to hear about the cat and not for me to point out your reckless behaviour again? Heh. Well, she's Mururr, a forest critter that I've come across. ..."

'And? That's it?'

He doesn't elaborate any further and goes back to cooking like nothing is wrong!

"Hana: Details! I sure as hell didn't hear anything about any giant cats being ever so much as seen by anyone!"

"Valentine: Different planet, none of you have been there yet. Besides, I'm not required to report every single animal that I come across or bring back for a visit. Not to mention that the "bird Lady" might declare genocide on them if her precious chickens get eaten by mistake."

"Hana: What different planet?"

"Valentine: One from the trash bin. Oh, and I've spent mana that I have personally earned, so don't start complaining about cost or whatever."

'It is far too late in the night for this kind of shit... or is it morning already? I'll have a headache from this. Of that I'm certain.'

"On a more serious note. In terms of technological advancements, they seem to be basically hunter-gatherers with a hint of magic mixed into everyday life. I haven't gone all that far away from the gate to explore, because they aren't pushovers in terms of personal battle prowess and judging by the weapons they carry, there are mages, or something along the lines, among their numbers. I'm slowly learning their "cat talk" to understand their situation and not cause any first contact shitstorms because of a miscommunication. Mururr, the black cat downstairs, was chosen by their authority figure to do the same, but obviously I have an advantage. ...Being an all purpose lab rat and all that jazz."

Somehow, that sounds plausible enough to silence me. A first contact with any alien species has more chances to go wrong than to be received with open arms by both parties.

'Mari would definitely loose an arrow at anyone eating one of hers right in front of her eyes. Laying some groundwork seems damn reasonable to be honest.'

Thinking things over for a bit and glancing at the clock, I come to a decision. I need more sleep to tackle this issue with any kind of rational thinking involved.

"Hana: I'm going back to sleep... in the game room. Wake me up in five hours to hear more about this whole affair."

"Valentine: Wash your hands with soap if you've touched the cat. She was "decontaminated", but you can never be too safe with those things."

'Why do you think I'm not going straight to the dormitory? I'm not an idiot.'

I refrain from thinking too deeply about what has just happened and followed a thorough wipe go back to sleep. Otherwise, these thoughts are bound to keep me awake for the night, and I have that useless exam to look forward to around noon.

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