Damn it...
Although Kaguya still appeared calm on the surface, her thoughts were already in disarray.
She had originally planned to properly teach this idiot from the so-called Familia of justice a lesson. Yet somehow, she had been the first to go down instead... No matter what, she refused to accept such humiliation.
I have to find her weakness!
With her keen powers of observation, it took only a few breaths for Kaguya to spot more than one opening in Alise's stance.
As long as she struck at those weak points, Alise's offense would collapse immediately!
Once she seized the timing, Kaguya did not hesitate. She shifted the iaito in both hands and struck sideways, smashing the back of the blade against Alise's wrist.
"Ah!"
The blow clearly caused Alise intense pain, even forcing her to loosen her grip on the sword for a moment.
"Good chance!"
Seeing the sword fall to the ground, joy flashed across Kaguya's face. She quickly adjusted her posture and moved into the next phase of her attack.
All she needed to do now was place her blade against Alise's neck, and the match would be hers.
But reality unfolded in a way she hadn't expected.
Huh?
Why does it feel like Alise is getting closer to me?
It wasn't an illusion.
The distance between them was indeed shrinking. And when they collided completely, a heavy sound followed.
Thud!
It was the sound of Alise and Kaguya smashing their foreheads together. The impact was so loud that even Astraea, watching from behind, broke out in a cold sweat.
How much must that hurt?
Even Kaguya, after suffering a blow like that directly to the head, had no choice but to drop her blade. She clutched the spot where they had collided, tears almost spilling from the corners of her eyes.
"What the hell are you doing? Is this what you call justice?"
"Heh!" Alise snorted dismissively.
Although a large bump had also risen on her forehead, she was clearly in far better shape than Kaguya.
"What justice? Isn't the winner the one who defines justice?"
"Victory is everything!"
Alise said it half-jokingly, but to Kaguya's ears, it carried a very different weight.
Her gaze toward the red-haired girl grew more serious, as if she were truly reassessing her opponent.
"I agree with that. Victory is everything!"
"In that case, I won't hold back anymore!"
Kaguya moved to retrieve the fallen iaito. For the next stretch of the fight, she intended to use her true killing techniques against Alise.
That, in itself, was the highest recognition she could give.
"Heh!"
But before Kaguya could even regain her focus, Alise's attack came again.
The red-haired girl clenched her fist and swung it hard at Kaguya's beautiful face. The force was so great that Kaguya's features visibly distorted under the impact.
Just like that, Kaguya lost her chance to pick up her blade, and another swelling quickly formed on her face.
"Have you lost your mind again?"
Kaguya roared in anger, but Alise simply wagged a finger in front of her.
"I know your swordsmanship is better than mine. Do you really think I'd give you the chance to pick up your blade?"
"..."
A harsh truth—and it rendered Kaguya silent once more.
Not allowing your opponent to use their strengths against you was an extremely wise choice. She hadn't expected this woman to apply it so directly.
"I won't let you pick it up. If you even try, I'll beat you up badly!"
"With these fists of mine!"
"Then come and try. I won't surrender so easily!"
In the next instant, the two of them tangled together again.
This time, neither Alise nor Kaguya held any weapons. They simply used their fists to pummel each other relentlessly.
For some reason, their targets were astonishingly consistent—they were both aiming for the face...
Throughout the fight, Kaguya continuously used the techniques she had learned in the Far East, launching heavy blows at Alise. But the longer the exchange went on, the stranger it felt.
Why do my attacks seem completely ineffective?
And also...
Why is her skin so tough?
It might have been her imagination, but when Kaguya punched Alise in the face, she could actually feel a subtle sting in her own fist.
This woman... is she some kind of durability-specialized human shield?
In the midst of battle, Kaguya's mind wandered.
And that fleeting lapse was all the opportunity Alise needed.
She threw a heavy punch that knocked Kaguya flat onto the ground. As Kaguya clutched her stomach, Alise made her move.
The scene caused Astraea, watching from the side, to widen her eyes slightly. Even the goddess of justice had not expected to witness something so familiar here.
She quickly walked toward the mouth of the alley, keeping watch for passersby.
If anyone saw a member of the Familia of justice brawling like this in an alley, it would likely have a severe negative impact on their reputation.
So what exactly did Astraea see?
To put it simply—
Alise sat on Kaguya's stomach and unleashed a barrage of heavy punches onto her face.
"Aaah!"
Kaguya struggled desperately, trying to escape from beneath Alise, but how could that possibly work?
After Elise's brutal training, Alise had become a well-rounded fighter without weaknesses. Kaguya, on the other hand, had glaring deficiencies in her status.
Her Power and Endurance were far inferior to Alise's!
With such an overwhelming difference in attributes, how could Kaguya possibly break free? She could only take the beating...
As for what Alise was thinking at that moment—
Yahoo!!!
Finally! I've finally done it!
For a long time, being constantly suppressed by Elise had left Alise deeply uncertain about her own strength.
She knew she had grown stronger, but she had no idea how strong she had actually become. Elise always beat her using just slightly superior abilities.
Even when fighting monsters, she had never truly felt it.
You have to fight people to understand. But how could she easily find the perfect sparring partner?
Yet today, she had just happened to meet Kaguya.
Now Alise could clearly understand how strong she had become—because she was finally using the same method Elise had used on her to beat Kaguya.
And so, as she continued pummeling Kaguya, a smile gradually spread across her face. That smile slowly twisted into something distorted.
Anyone from modern times would understand—this was the smile of pure scum!
Before long, Alise began to pant heavily. She was exhausted from punching...
Looking at the bruised and swollen Kaguya beneath her, Alise sincerely expressed her gratitude.
"Thank you, Kaguya!"
Upon hearing those words, Kaguya froze for a moment. Then veins bulged across her forehead.
"You fucking—"