Chapter 685 – 685. Couplet 1
“Sparring?”
Aki nods when I ask.
Her expression shows the same shyness from earlier when they were alone.
“It’s not difficult. But… Why are we sparring all of a sudden?”
“I just wanted to know my level.”
I asked to spar just because I wanted to know the level, but is that something to be so shy about?
Hmm… I’m not sure. What are you thinking?
“It’s not difficult. But how? Like in real life?”
“I’d like to, but… Is that possible?”
Is it possible?
If you get hit by something like Aki’s Annihilation, I think you’ll die instantly even if there’s damage reduction or something like that, right?
Moreover, if you hit her arm or leg incorrectly, it will be chopped off.
That’s damage reduction, it’s nonsense, and I don’t think it’s meaningful…
If I do state regression, will the severed limbs reattach? Have you not tested this yet?
Ah! Right. There was a party, right? If you have a party, you won’t take any damage, right?
“Do you think it will work? Then… Just wait a moment. I’ll be right back. One minute?”
Leave Aki behind and teleport to the bunker.
Seunghee happens to be in the living room. I’m glad. It saved me the trouble of looking for it.
“Seunghee. I’m going to disembark from the party to test something. Don’t be surprised.”
“Really? I understand.”
Seunghee smiles at me. I immediately disbanded the party and then teleported back to the ark.
“I came. And… Party creation.”
Create a new party and invite Aki.
So I opened the gate right in front of her, which became my party.
“Get in.”
“Huh? Are you telling me to just ride somewhere?”
“We can’t spar here, right? We have to do it outside.”
“Ah…”
Aki gets on the gate right away. And then we came to leader.
“Okay… Then let’s test just one thing.”
“Where am I?”
“Leader.”
“Why are we here all of a sudden…”
“I told you. I’m testing it. Follow me.”
I used flight and headed to a place where there was a sign of a person.
Then, he immediately charms a woman he sees, picks him up with his telekinetic tentacles, and brings her to a quiet place.
He invited the leadern woman to a party and ordered her to accept it. A woman who came into the party right away.
As soon as I confirm that, I put myself to sleep and tell Aki.
“Try cutting this woman down with space cutting or annihilation.”
Aki makes a puzzled expression at my words. An expression that asks if this is what you want to do now.
“What are you doing?”
“What on earth is this?”
“What are you talking about? Let’s spar? We’re just checking to see if you can freely use space cutting or annihilation, right?”
“I know that much. I know… But do we have to test it like this?”
Aki looks furious.
It feels like there is even a slight aura of contempt in the expression and voice as he looks at me.
And I looked at her pitifully.
Rather, her expression changed into an absurd expression at my expression.
“Look, Mr. Aki. What are we going to do now? Are you kidding me?”
“Eh…?”
“You’re the one who asked me to spar, right? I’m just doing this to make sure I can spar to my heart’s content. Is there a problem?”
“What on earth do you think about human life!? If the damage is not negated by the party effect, this woman could be maimed or die!”
Aki even screams… I answered without blinking.
“So?”
“So?”
“I think I’m misunderstanding something.”
As I approached closely, Aki hesitated and tried to take a step back.
Because of the difference in height, her posture made her look down on me, and Aki glared at me without giving up.
“I don’t care what happens to anyone except the people I care about. I can kill anyone without blinking. Do you know that?”
Slightly shaking eyes.
Although he earned the name of Sword Saint and the reputation of being an absolute powerhouse… It still looks like the old days with less water.
Okay. You can’t say that’s a bad thing. But now it’s an unnecessary feeling.
Useless hesitation and pity will only eat away your life.
“If you don’t like it, quit. I won’t force you. But if you don’t use your skills to cut this woman down, I won’t care about the defense of the Ark at all in the future. I have no intention of following your values as I please. What will happen to that? It will be your sole responsibility whether this happens.”
“… Are you threatening me?”
“A threat. That doesn’t sound like it. I’m just curious to see if you’ll show disappointment. I’m just waiting to see if you’ll stop paying attention or not.”
“That’s a threat!”
“Stop being so weird. ‘If you don’t use her skills on this woman right now, I’m going to cover her mouth, tie her up, and rape her as I please?’ What do you think? This is what a threat is. Do you understand what I mean?”
After hearing what I said, Aki looks at me with an expression of disbelief.
And he stutters to me in a slightly trembling voice.
“Why on earth… Why are you always like that? Why do you always speak harshly and hurt people…?”
“Wounded? You haven’t hurt anyone yet?”
“You gave it to me!”
“You really… I don’t know how you survived until now.”
Aki couldn’t say anything and just looked at me.
Looks like he doesn’t know what to say? Does it seem like that?
“It can’t be a world where everyone is happy. A peace where everyone laughs and only produces food to eat without risking each other’s lives… There is no such thing. Do you know what I mean? If you really don’t know, I have no choice but to re-evaluate you. ?”
“That and these are different! This woman is no threat!”
“If you die from someone who could be a threat, you could become that guy’s coin. So isn’t that a threat after all?”
“It hasn’t happened yet!”
“After what happened, it’s too late. Do I really need to break your heart one more time by bringing up the story of your friend?”
When the story of one’s friend comes out… Aki froze.
Aki’s friend who died after being raped by a masked bastard.
That story is Aki’s Achilles heel. It’s a wound that hasn’t healed yet.
Was it a bit harsh to even bring up your friend’s story? I felt a little regret in my heart, but it was already spilled water.
He looks at Aki with a calm expression, without changing his expression.
Aki looks at me like he’s sick of me.
“I… I don’t understand. Why does it make it so easy for her to hurt others?”
“Well… The answer is not difficult. Because I don’t want to get hurt.”
At my words, Aki looks at me with a look in his eyes as if I am saying such nonsense.
“That’s literally it. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to lose you and get hurt for trivial reasons. That’s why I’m trying to prevent that from happening in advance. It’s better to kill tens of millions of people who can harm you than to lose you and get hurt. Because it’s better.”
“I have nothing to do with them. Don’t talk like that.”
“Really? That’s a bit unfortunate. I value you very much.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
Aki’s face turns red. Even in this situation, are you reacting sensitively to such words? Anyway, what are women?
No. I guess not all women are like this. Aki, I’m saying this because he’s a stickler and a smartass.
Oh my. I can’t believe I have the upper hand with something like this. The world is such a mess. Oh, no.
“It’s not a joke or a joke. I like you, Aki. You should have known that without me having to say it. If I didn’t like you, you would have already been raped and killed by me in Sendai.”
“Tell me to speak kindly! Why do you keep talking about rape and murder? That’s all you talk about!”
“Because that’s what I always do.”
When I shrugged my shoulders and said, Aki glared at me with a puzzled look.
“If you keep looking at me so lovingly, I will kiss you.”
“Stop playing around… Profit!”
When I put my face in as if I was going to kiss her, Aki immediately pulled back.
And he looks at me with a really absurd expression.
Ah. She’s a woman who really has a taste for teasing. How can I bear to see such a reaction?
“Okay. Now, let’s stop playing around and decide quickly. If you want to spar, use a skill on this woman. Space cut or annihilation. It doesn’t matter. If you use it, she’ll spar with you, but if you don’t use it, it’s over. There’s nothing complicated.”
After saying that, I smiled and looked at Aki.
The look of someone biting their lip and thinking after hearing what I said.
I think this is why it’s important to be brave.
And when I saw him worrying like that, I could clearly see how dull I was.
Aki, he has feelings for me. I’m sure.
I can’t be swayed like this by a man who has no heart.
No matter how much your personality is like that, there’s no way you’d be dragged around like this.
“Really… It was terrible.”
Aki muttered like that and created a sword of light.
Then she takes a deep breath and mutters briefly as she uses her skill.
“Extinction.”
It is a simple movement that is lightly swung, but its power is by no means simple.
The sword of light swung at the lying leadern woman left a terrifying scar on the ground.
The land is deep enough for one person to enter. But the woman… It was fine.
The woman’s body and the back of the ground on which she lay appear unharmed, as if nothing has happened.
I already knew that skills have no effect on party members, but it seems like they completely cancel out physical attacks using a sword like this?
“Good job, Aki. You shouldn’t have done that sooner.”
Even though I said that, she didn’t react at all. She just looks at me as if she resents her.
I don’t care about her and will do my own test this time.
“Create rebar.”
Obviously, a rebar was created to pierce the leadern woman’s body, but the rebar was not created.
No, it was created. But it is short.
When I gently remove the woman’s body, I see that the rebar has been created only to the extent that it touches her body.
Hmm… Party members can’t be harmed in any way? This is so convenient.
If I do well, I think I can do something with this.
“Okay. The test is done.”
After saying that, he opened the storage compartment and swallowed the leadern woman.
Aki’s eyes widen as he sees the woman disappearing in an instant.
“If you’re going to say something strange again, don’t open your mouth at all. It’ll be more convenient to change your perception than to nag me that won’t work.”
I think she was trying to say something, but she couldn’t say anything because I hit her.
Okay. Give up. It’s easier if you give up. And they are tamed by me one by one.
“Okay, now that the test is over, shall we have the sparring you want? But,”
She still doesn’t seem to fully understand me, but since the conversation has moved on to sparring, there is a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
“What happens if you win in sparring?”
“What?”
“No… Just sparring is good, but wouldn’t you need some motivation to gain strength? That way, you’ll give it your all. Otherwise, you’ll end up feeling restless.”
“Sparring is not like that. It’s not about betting on something! It’s about learning the feel of real fighting and checking your own skills…”
“I know that too. I know the meaning of the couplet. Still, there has to be something. Hmm… How about it? Something like granting a wish?”
Aki frowns slightly at my words. An expression that says you don’t like it.
But I can feel a strange heat inside her expression. Like… Feeling like you’ve been waiting for this?
“How about it? Call?”
“Ha… Except for wishes that are too reckless or don’t make sense.”
“What is reckless and nonsense?”
“You have to judge such things based on common sense!”
“Hmm… My common sense is quite liberal. Are you okay?”
“Just stay within the boundaries. You can do that, right?”
“Okay. Well… Then. I feel like I need to decide in detail before going, but… Ah. Is that possible? If you ask me to kiss you, will you do it?”
“Reject!”
“What? I can’t even kiss you?”
“I told you to exclude wishes that are reckless and don’t make sense! Are you saying you should stick to the line?”
“My line is dirty.”
“Really!”
“Okay, okay. Ah, that’s really tricky. If I can’t even kiss you, what on earth should I ask for?”
“I don’t think it will be too late to think about that after we win, right?”
Aki looks strangely confident. Is that funny? Does he think he can win?
“Okay. Well… Let’s give it a try. Then the rules are like this. Since each other’s attacks can’t cause damage anyway, if you are clearly hit, you can clearly acknowledge it. For example, if it becomes clear that your annihilation passed through my body, That’s my defeat. Instead, if my iron bar touches your body, it’s the same as being pierced through your body.”
“Okay. Do that.”
“Then let’s start right away?”
“As you wish.”
I picked up a rock from the floor, looked at Aki, and said.
“It starts when this rock falls on the ground. That’s it, right?”
“Okay.”
Aki is glaring at me with the sword of light.
When I throw a rock, Aki and I both look at the rock at the same time.
And the moment I touched her ground, I immediately put the inevitable sleep upon her.
With just one short ‘sleep’, Aki went from blink to sleep and fell asleep.
Ah. This is so funny. I’m really curious how he will react if I wake him up.
