"Rimuru, there's nothing to do, nya," Nekra complains.

 

"How about you go spar with Hakurou? He's been wanting to fight you for a while," Rimuru suggests.

 

"Is this you trying to get out of training, nya? You know they would have none of that back in Sparta, nya," Nekra warns with a piercing gaze, causing Rimuru to shiver.

 

"Spartans were crazy, nya. They beat their own kids and encouraged them to steal, nya," Nekra explains with a mixture of contempt and respect.

 

"But you are Roman, right?" Rimuru asks.

 

"Of course, nya. As barbaric as the Spartans may have been, they were worthy adversaries. Well, the few that were not mercenaries were," Nekra affirms.

 

"I'm going to go spar, nya," Nekra announces, rising and leaving.

 

Rimuru looks at Yuki for reassurance.

 

"It's fine... she gets like that. She had fragmented memories of her previous life and tried to use her knowledge skill to find out who she used to be. Problem is she got all knowledge pertaining to a 1000-year-old empire, including its fall," Yuki explains, her eyes betraying her worry.

 

"So, she has the knowledge of... are you sure she's okay?" Rimuru inquires.

 

"I hope so... I really do. I love her with all of my heart, you know… It’s just that after she did that, shes been a bit distant." Yuki admits, the fox girl very clearly on the edge of tears.

 

"I'm sure we can figure something out, although watching her life’s work and its legacy dying out in perfect detail and clairty with everything that led up to it… Wasn’t it Nero that played the fiddle as Rome burned." Rimuru states, though inwardly, he feels uncertain about how to proceed.

 

Meanwhile...

 

"So, are you going to draw your blade?" Hakurou asks, readying himself.

 

"You know what, sure, let's have this be a test of skill rather than pure strength, nya," Nekra agrees, drawing her gladius and wrist braces.

 

"Well, ladies first," Hakurou jests.

 

"How honorable, just don't regret that, nya," Nekra retorts, disappearing from her spot, the sound of metal clashing filling the air.

 

"Nya? You blocked that, impressive, nya," Nekra acknowledges as Hakurou directly blocked her strike. her strikes.

"Well of course it was highly telegraphed, you could use some additional training." Hakurou

 

"Nya! How dare you!" Nekra shouts as she unleashes a flurry of slashing blows with the gladius which was honestly not how the sword was meant to be welded. 

 

So when the cat girl let the Oni get a strike in she parried the katana up wars before striking with a jab. 

Time seemed to slow for Hakurou, as the pointed edge of a blade approached his neck, he started to lean backwards only throwing off his stance and it was in that moment that Nekra stopped and Hakurou fell to the ground backwards.

"Don't underestimate me again youngster." Nekra states seriously her voice not her normal playful tone. 

"That was impressive," Hakurou concedes, laughing as he lies on the ground.

In what was almost a full one-eighty, Nekra entire demeanor changed

"Nya, good fight," Nekra says, extending her hand to help him up.

 

Applause erupts from the spectators.

 

"That was beautiful," a man with a black leopard's tail remarks.

 

"Thanks, nya," Nekra responds.

 

"So, we are Lord Carrion's delegation here to negotiate a deal... and, I want her," Phobio declares, pointing at Nekra.

 

Suddenly, a storm of magicules erupts, sending Phobio flying several hundred meters away and burying him in the ground.

 

"Did he say something, dear?" Yuki asks, embracing Nekra from behind.

 

"Nya? I don't think so. He's just a neutered cat, nya," Nekra comments about the panther beastman.

 

Several onlookers sweat nervously at her remark.