Tsubaki had noticed
That the blind girl's hand was already resting on her hilt,
Poised and ready to strike at any moment.
This terrifying mastery over her environment,
And the composure of being ready for a lethal strike before a crisis even occurred,
Rather than saying she was being protected by everyone,
It would be better to say...
Because the others were too eager to act, they simply never gave her the chance to draw her blade.
Thinking of this,
Tsubaki screwed the cap back onto her water bottle, hung it casually at her waist, and strode with her long legs directly toward Inaba Tsukiyo, who was resting with her eyes closed after the long walk.
"Tsukiyo..."
"May I call you that?"
Tsubaki looked down at the girl who was as delicate as a porcelain doll, her tone unusually softened.
"Of course, Tsubaki... Senior."
Inaba Tsukiyo tilted her head up.
Those blood-red pupils lacked any focus,
Yet they gave Tsubaki the illusion of being precisely locked onto.
"I noticed you haven't made a single move this whole way."
"Is it because you can't see, or..."
"Do you feel that those battles weren't worth drawing your sword for?"
Tsubaki didn't beat around the bush; she simply sat cross-legged opposite Inaba Tsukiyo, her voice tinged with inquiry.
The question was blunt,
But it suited her usual habits.
Chapter 31: Tsukiyo Shows Her Strength, Iai: Cloud Shine, The One-Hit Kill Witnessed by Tsubaki
As Tsubaki's blunt words landed,
The surrounding girls, who were either bickering or wiping their weapons, all paused their movements in unison.
Several gazes quietly converged on them.
After all,
Though they didn't say it aloud,
They were all curious about what Inaba Tsukiyo would say next.
Faced with Tsubaki's direct questioning,
Inaba Tsukiyo did not show the slightest bit of awkwardness.
She merely adjusted her sitting posture slightly, her hands resting gently on the scabbard of the tachi named white egret placed across her knees.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Senior Tsubaki must be joking."
"The reason Tsukiyo hasn't drawn her blade..."
"...is simply because Tsukiyo feels everyone's swords are too fast."
"Before those monsters could even get within a few steps of Tsukiyo, they had already turned to dust."
"Since everyone is so full of desire for battle,"
"Why should Tsukiyo vie for credit and spoil everyone's fun?"
"If it's just about not wanting to compete for credit,"
"Then what if..."
"What if an opponent appeared that even they couldn't react to, coming straight for your throat?"
"At that moment."
"What would you do?"
"If such an uninvited guest truly appears..."
"Then the blade in Tsukiyo's hand will naturally contribute its meager strength."
"After all..."
"While Tsukiyo does not wish to compete for glory,"
"I also do not wish to become a burden that drags everyone down."
"Oh?"
Hearing these words, Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, a flash of brightness crossing her single eye.
This tone.
It certainly suited her taste.
However.
Before Tsubaki could say a few words to casually change the subject.
Suddenly.
A sudden change occurred.
*Sizzle...*
On the ground behind Inaba Tsukiyo.
Originally, it was just an ordinary shadow cast by a rock.
But in an instant.
That ordinary shadow seemed to come to life.
The originally static blackness boiled and twisted as if it possessed life.
Immediately following.
*Gurgle.*
That pool of black liquid surged upward violently.
In the blink of an eye.
The stain finally solidified into a humanoid silhouette.
The monster was roughly 1.6 meters tall.
To put its appearance simply, it was a pure black shadow with only slender limbs and three sharp, glinting hooked claws at its wrists.
This was precisely a type of monster that generally only begins to appear after the 6th Floor.
—War Shadow.
Relying on agility far exceeding that of Goblins and Ugly Demons, they often deliver a fatal blow when a rookie party lets down its guard.
Because of this, they were dubbed the "Rookie Killers" by the Adventurers of Orario.
And at this moment.
The timing of this War Shadow's appearance could be said to be excellently chosen.
It was exactly during the gap when everyone had relaxed their vigilance and was chatting.
Furthermore.
After that faceless, pitch-black visage appeared, the target it chose was locked straight onto the blind girl sitting upright on the rock with her eyes closed, who was closest to it!
In an instant.
"Hiss—!"
The War Shadow let out a strange hiss without the vibration of vocal cords.
Those sharp claws, carrying a gust of wind that tore through the air, went straight for Inaba Tsukiyo's slender neck.
The distance was less than half a meter.
Fast.
It was indeed very fast.
Compared to the sluggish Goblins encountered before, this War Shadow's speed was on a completely different level.
In a surprise attack at this distance, an ordinary rookie would have their head removed before the thought of turning around even surfaced.
"!"
Seeing this, Tsubaki's pupils contracted slightly.
As a Level 5 First Class Adventurer, she could naturally react.
Almost the instant the War Shadow lunged, her hand had already touched the hilt of the weapon on her back.
As the leader.
She naturally needed to provide backup.
She absolutely could not let a rookie come to harm under her nose.
No matter how much potential these rookies had, facing a surprise attack specifically designed to kill rookies was still too dangerous.
However.
Before Tsubaki's blade could even leave its scabbard by half an inch.
Her movements stopped.
Because.
Someone was faster than the War Shadow!
Only a sound was heard.
*Zheng—*
An extremely clear and resonant ring suddenly erupted!
It wasn't the noise of metal clashing, but the clear cry like a crane's call produced by a sharp blade rubbing against the inner wall of the scabbard at high speed!
Fast!
Too fast!
A flash of white light suddenly appeared in the Dungeon!
Inaba Tsukiyo's left hand pushed open the tsuba!
Her right hand drew the blade from its scabbard as fast as lightning!
The white blade suddenly traced a perfect semicircular arc! It was a shadow of a blade that the naked eye could barely capture!
As if moonlight had suddenly appeared!
—Iai: Unyo.
*Swish!*
The sound lagged behind the light.
When that slight cutting sound reached everyone's ears, the battle was actually already decided.
The War Shadow's pitch-black claws, which were about to touch the girl's nape, stopped dead in mid-air.
The distance from that snow-white neck was less than three centimeters.
But these three centimeters were an absolute chasm between life and death.
Stasis.
The entire scene seemed to have been paused.
The next second.
*Sizzle...*
A faint white line emerged from the waist of the War Shadow's pitch-black humanoid form.
Immediately following.
*Puchi—*
The War Shadow's entire body was sliced clean in half at the waist!
The cut was as smooth as a mirror.
*Thud.*
It didn't even have time to let out a scream before dying.
The two halves of the black remains.
Along with that certain-kill claw from just now, turned into a cloud of dense black ash under this strike and dissipated into the air.
Leaving only.
A magic stone the size of a fingernail and a broken, sharp hooked claw falling to the ground.
"Whew..."
The girl gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Then.
With a flick of her right wrist, she performed a beautiful sword flourish.
She sheathed the blade.
*Click.*
With the crisp sound of the tsuba meeting the scabbard's mouth, the chilling killing intent that had erupted in that instant also vanished without a trace.
It was as if that stunning flash of the blade just now was merely an illusion shared by everyone.
At this point.
Inaba Tsukiyo turned her head slightly, her vacant red pupils accurately facing Tsubaki's direction, her face still wearing that gentle and quiet expression.
"Senior Tsubaki."
"This is Tsukiyo's answer."
"..."
Watching this scene.
Even as a well-traveled Level 5, Tsubaki couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity at this moment.
After all, that drawing speed just now...
The tension of erupting in an instant and perfectly converting between stillness and extreme speed was simply too breathtaking!
And.
The most crucial thing was that judgment.
Without the slightest hesitation, without a half-second of doubt.
It was as if the moment she perceived that sliver of killing intent directed at her, her body had already made the most perfect response before her brain could even process it.
Lord Heimdall really picked up a treasure.
Thinking of this, Tsubaki couldn't help but click her tongue inwardly.
After all.
Although the War Shadow was just a slightly troublesome creature in the upper floors.
But.
Don't forget.
This child named Tsukiyo is still just a Lv.1 rookie!
And she's blind too!
To be able to strike second but land first, killing a monster in one hit during a surprise attack...
...this kind of talent is rare even in Orario.
Even...
In Tsubaki's mind, the figure of a blonde girl known as the "Sword Princess" emerged.
—The [Loki Familia], Ais Wallenstein.
That genius who took only a single year to level up from Lv.1 to Lv.2, breaking the record for the fastest level up in Orario.
For a long time...
...this record has been like a mountain looming over all who followed, leaving them far behind.
But now...
Tsubaki looked at the blind girl.
Her intuition told her.
"If it's this child..."
"Perhaps."
"She might actually have a chance to break that record."
Thinking this far...
...Tsubaki's interest became even stronger than before.
After all, it seemed that taking on this job of leading rookies was indeed the right choice.
Witnessing the birth of a monster...
...has always been a rare pleasure sought after by the gods and Adventurers living in Orario.
Not to mention for a Blacksmith like her.
To see a weapon she forged with her own hands shine so brilliantly in the hands of a peerless genius...
...that sense of satisfaction was more intoxicating than drinking the finest spirits.
-------------------------------
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