"So it's like an excuse? You just want to test my strength or something?"
"Yes. Also, in case you didn't know, fighting while using your art also makes you stronger and improves your technique. And this has more effect if it's with someone powerful."
"Oh, I heard that. Ling-Ling said something about real combat experience. So that's what it was."
"Well, since you know... come and fight me."
"But you know, I still don't really feel like fighting."
"Hey! Is it because you think I'm too weak? Isn't my bracelet enough incentive for you? Well, tell me what else you want, so you'll stoop to fighting me."
"That's not the problem! Ah, wait... hmm, first of all, I have a question: under the robes you wear pants or something, right?"
"Huh? Why the question?"
"This is important if you want to fight, so answer me first: do you wear pants?"
"Yes. Well, look... I'm wearing leather pants..."
She showed Cassian without any problem what was under her tunic, and it was just as he had thought: underneath, she was wearing black leather pants.
That was what he was looking for... and much more important than the fact that her hair was getting in the way. Yes, that came into play. He would have no problem fighting.
"Alright, I'll do it — if you throw in the robe and pants, too."
"Y-you... damn you! Are you trying to embarrass me!? Do you want to leave me naked!? I misjudged you. Do you want to laugh at me as I return to my village in shame!? Grr... fine! Since you want to play with my dignity, I accept, but it will be a duel to the death."
"Wait! I didn't mean your— ah!"
At that moment, she seemed to misunderstand Cassian's request, asking if she could somehow get him a pair, maybe at a store or something.
But before he could clarify this, she jumped at him, her face reddened and thirsty for blood.
She was fast. In fact, Cassian sensed the danger and narrowly dodged: the daggers were heading for his neck from below.
The problem was that it seemed Nahara was indeed aiming for his life, as she said. Not to mention that he was taken by surprise by such a determined attack.
And again, what seemed like a reflex reaction made him quickly knee her, who had come closer.
Luckily, she was agile and flexible like a cat, and somehow managed to dodge Cassian's blow before it hit her, and she stepped back.
"Phew... that was close."
"Your reflexes are good. Next time I won't miss."
She said, stepping forward again. This time she drew a sword from behind her back and aimed it again at Cassian, who was relieved—more because his blow had missed.
The blow had been delivered before he could understand and adjust his strength.
He didn't know what would happen if he hit her squarely... he didn't want to kill Nisha's daughter by accident. Cassian made a mental note to control those reactions better.
He felt that if he became conscious of it, he would not make any mistakes.
Once again, he saw Nahara running toward him with the short sword wrapped in fire, pointing the blade at his chest, once again with the intention of claiming his life.
"Haah~ this is the first time this has happened to me with a woman..."
Right now, he understood that he was the cause of this, but he wondered if from now on even women would be included in picking fights with him. Just thinking about it made him a little sad.
But more importantly, he really wanted to clear up the current misunderstanding. After all, he didn't want a fight to the death, but she wasn't giving him the chance.
Cassian clearly saw the sword approaching, clearly saw her movements, and when its fire-covered tip was about to strike his chest, he consciously put one of his hands—with the bracers—in the way.
CLANG!
Cassian felt the impact: it was clear and concentrated in a single point. He didn't understand why, but at that moment he felt the need to circulate his art.
In that brief moment, being quick as Yeling had told him, he put it into action immediately.
Art of the Inner Void: Finder's Keepers
As he did so, he began the technique and felt the mana move toward his arm, absorbing the impact, the flames, and their repercussions. Somehow it temporarily encapsulated them and then began to move through his body without affecting him.
That sensation and mana moved from his arm to his forearm, shoulder, passed through his chest... he felt something happen there and his own mana was added.
It became stronger... and continued to his other arm, gaining strength and moving with great power toward Nahara's head.
A fist that carried the full impact of Nahara—who did not hold back—plus the added force of Cassian working with his art.
That was a blow at least... several times stronger than the one that killed the demon yesterday.
And—
Bang! THUD!
"Oh no!"
And there was a very bad result, although it wasn't a reflex reaction like the previous ones. The problem was that Cassian felt that this time the technique was about to work, something he hadn't achieved in all this time.
Because of that, Cassian let himself get carried away... to the point where he was about to complete the technique at the cost of blowing Nahara's head off.
But luckily, he stopped just inches away from hitting her, something that was difficult even for him.
Even so, his blow carried great force and speed, in addition to the characteristic of his art, and somehow generated an impact beyond the fist that he did not expect, and it hit her squarely and knocked her down.
In fact, she hit the ground hard afterwards, causing another strong impact to her head.
"Now I've ruined it... Is she alive?"
Cassian, normally calm, panicked. He didn't think his strength, combined with his art, could do something like that.
He quickly approached to see if she was alive... What gave him hope was that, at least, her head hadn't been scattered.
.
..
"Huh? What happened? I was just— Ah! Right! I lost... ugh, and you didn't kill me. I guess you won't be satisfied with that, damn it, I'll do it! I'll fall into disgrace, but I won't break my promise as a warrior... I'm sorry, Father, I'm sorry, Mother. Just before the prophesied battle, to fall into disgrace..."
"Wait! No, don't take anything off! You misunderstood me! I didn't mean your robe or your pants... I meant if you could get me some. I don't know... from your father, or..."
After Cassian checked on Nahara's condition after the fall, he realized that she was, in fact, not breathing.
And he panicked even more. He remembered how Nora had taught him CPR, she gave an argument that made sense, that if he accidentally hit someone badly, he would need to know how to react, and he practiced it with her.
Now was the time. Ignoring Nora's warning that he could only do it on men, he somehow managed to get Nahara breathing, at least.
And just as he was thinking of locating Lys to give her real treatment, she opened her eyes, sat up, and started saying all that... and Cassian finally explained what she meant.
"So... you're not a pervert who enjoys seeing women fall into misfortune?"
"Uh... no. I just want a set of clothes to wear. By the way, are you feeling sick or does your head hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. This is nothing. Although I feel something strange in my mouth... More importantly, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. I thought you were like those guys who sometimes visit the village. Some of them are scum... who even with my mother..."
"Eh?! What happened to Nisha!?"
"Nothing. My father beat those guys up and made mincemeat of them."
"Oh, I see... Ah, wait! Are there more people around here?"
"Of course, our people... and they, they.... Huh?!? Well, that doesn't matter now, you're really strong, I didn't even understand what happened, hmmm, although I'm still not convinced about the saviors thing, now I know you're a great warrior mmm, and well.... sorry for....anyway that's all.... Where will you put my bracelet? I'll put it for you".
"Ah! Oh, thank you. Actually, I'm not very good at tying my hair."
"So you'll wear it there, huh? Well, it seems like a good place. Bend over."
With that said, Cassian bent over and turned his back. Honestly, Cassian usually felt more comfortable with long hair, but now that he had been moving around a lot, it was more of a hindrance.
He didn't want to cut it either, so he thought tying it up was the best option, at least until he had to fight.
It was especially good that he got it now because he had to face a tide of beasts at night.
"I guess you don't know what these bracelets are, do you, and what they mean?
"Huh? Do they mean something?"
"Yes, I should have thought of it before, that this was the case, but never mind, I will tell you that our village bracelets are highly coveted by outsiders. Each inhabitant of our village can only make one."
"Oh, really? Then is it okay to give it to me?"
As she stood behind Cassian and gathered his hair to tie it up, she began to talk about the bracelets.
Cassian had only asked for it because he thought it would be convenient for tying up his hair; he didn't think they were that important.
"Yes. The purpose of making them is to give them to someone else. That's how it works. You asked for it, I accepted and set the conditions, and then you fulfilled them, so there's no problem...is also my acknowledgement to you as a great warrior,ehem....more important, I find this hair color curious. In fact, all of you have curious colors. Are there more like yours where you come from?".
"Well, in my world, yes."
"Your world?"
"Yes, we're all from different worlds, so I don't know about theirs."
"Different worlds? I've heard about that, although I thought it was just a fairy tale, but if it's true, it sounds great. You know, even though I like this town, sometimes I'd like to go outside. Not to the point of going to another world...but, I'd like to get out and explore a little bit."
"Can't you leave town?"
"Well, you can't until you reach adulthood, and for me it was just yesterday .But now there's this tide of beasts .... I guess it'll just stay a wish .... Oh, I'm done. 'Nunc illius est.' Okay, that's it."
"Why? Wait, what was that you said? A spell?"
"It's something like that, it's what you say when I give up my property, and you just have to respond with 'Et recipio.'"
"Huh? Et recipio? Wait... isn't this a weird ritual or something like—? Hey!!, move back—"
Just then, Cassian, who was taken aback by the strange words and wanted to question her to see if they weren't getting into something weird. He didn't feel anything, like when Ellys wanted to involve him in hers.
But he didn't know about these things, and he wasn't sure, so he turned to ask her why she had to say that and what it was about... without realizing that he had said it.
But all those thoughts disappeared from his mind because, the moment he turned around, he saw something forming behind Nahara, and he wanted to pull her away... but in fact, he couldn't move anymore.
Badum!, badum!, Badum!, badum!
Cassian heard it: loud heartbeats, which he couldn't tell if they were his own or if he was just hearing them, were very clear, or so he thought, since it was a slightly strange sensation, like when he talked to Yeling.
But while that rapid heartbeat was heard ,curiously, everything around him seemed to have stopped.
It wasn't like before, when he saw everything in slow motion. Now it felt like total stagnation. Time itself seemed to have frozen.
Neither he nor Nahara moved, and his warning about the strange thing forming behind her remained unfinished.
And, obviously, his hand, which was reaching out to push her away, remained suspended in the air, in her direction, without moving at all.
The strange movement behind Nahara, Cassian did not understand it, nor did he know how to explain it exactly, but it was something transparent that moved, barely visible.
Cassian could barely guess its approximate shape because it seemed to distort the air and the very space around its contours.
Were they blades?