Author note: Sorry about the 2 week without update. I'm still alive, but really busy with Rl. In a week i only got around 2 days of freedom, but sometimes it become 1 because of test or assignment. There's nothing i can do about that. I prioritize RL first because, like hell i want repeat this pain the the ass for another year.

After 2 week of delay, this chapter become rather longer than usual. Rejoice, it's a battle scene!

Without further explanation, please just read it and enjoy the chapter.(not the grammar)

After saying that, Feral loosen his grip. Selia immediately pulled back her sword, and both of them jumped back to make a distance.

After retreating to a safe distance both of them immediately fixed their posture and once again clashed again each other.

Both of their attacks were equal. Although if it was by speed Selia was better, but Feral perfectly predicted her attack and timing his attack to her so that he didn’t become disadvantage from the next attack.

The moment their attack met Feral already started his next attack. The moment both of their attack was stopped by each other, Feral’s other hand already moving.

Feral swung his fist toward Selia, but it was blocked with her before it reached her. Without letting Selia to counter,Feral already made his next punch.

Another punch connected with the sword and made a colliding sound. Before the punch reach its target Selia already moved her wrist to align her sword body to block the incoming punch.

Because of the strength behind it Selia was slightly pushed back. The punch kept coming at her, and she keep blocking it by aligned her sword with it.

After around five punches her wrist started to feel pain, but she endured it and waited for her chance to change their position.

However Feral was merciless. He didn’t slow down his attack and keep his attack coming at her with even faster speed.

Punch after punch Selia’s wrist that received the greatest burden from the attack became weaker, and weaker.

Feral’s continues attack was fast and heavy. After receiving around ten of it, Selia was already unable to hold her defensive position. Thus she failed to block one of his attacks and received a punch at her shoulder.

Selia’s defense was broken. She can no longer block any of the incoming attack, but she still refuse to give up only because of that.

Because his attack finally connected a slightly longer gap was made between his attacks.

Enduring the pain on her shoulder, Selia immediately put her sword back to it sheath. This was for reversing the situation.

Feral felt the strangeness in her action, but he kept himself from reacting to it because it would slow his attack, and gave her the opportunity to reverse their situation. So he continued his attack.

Selia did add that reason to her mind. However it was only as something she only expected a little from. She didn’t hope for such thing from her current opponent.

Even if she hates to admit it, she acknowledged Feral as a strong foe.

Strength, endurance, agility, battle sense. She was inferior in all of that aspect. Her gender was one of the main causes, and the other one was the difference in experience.

Because she was born female, her starting point and grow rate was already inferior when compared to a male like Feral, who keep trained himself. Normal male aside she can’t win again man like Feral in term of body.

Moreover, Feral was rich in real battle experience. Unlike Selia whose battle experience was only from sparing, and beating up a hoodlum. He can predict his opponent move, and easily handle any situation in battle because of his experience.

On the other hand, the only aspect Selia excels from Feral was her swordsmanship that enabled her to launch attack faster than him. The swordsmanship that she polished with all of her sweat and blood.

That was why she didn’t count on the unlikely mistake of her opponent, and count on herself, on her skill.

The bone-smashing fist came closer to her, but she was already finished her preparation for it.

Selia put her hand above her sword, and in position to draw it anytime. The moment Feral’s fist reached an unavoidable distance, she drawn her sword.

Without sound, Feral stopped his attack. On his fist a large slash cut appeared, and blood gush out from it. It flow down his arm and fell into the ground making a small pond of blood.

Feral brain can’t follow what just happened. To him, he suddenly stopped moving out from his will, and a wound appeared on his hand that was supposed to be covered with flesh gauntlet.

“Southern cross- style, 4th draw technique, Mirage!”

Only her voice entered Feral’s ear.

Although a large amount of blood dripping down from his arm, he didn’t feel any pain. It was because his brain can’t keep up on what just happen. The reason he stopped moving was also because of the same reason.

Feral who stopped moving became a naked target of Selia’s sword.

The blue sword that faced the sky turned around, and went down toward the ground in a single motion.

*Slash*

A red stain once again fell into the ground, and increased the size of the small pond, making it into a puddle. Or it was supposed to be

The blood did fell in fell into the ground, but the sword never made a full motion it was supposed to do.

Shortly after it started moving down something obstruct it, making it failed to deal a fatal damage to Feral.

Selia looked toward what obstruct her, and widen her eyes in surprised.

In front of her was Feral who raised the corner of her mouth, and shortly below her sigh was a pal. A large sword cut was made across it and there was no sign of the blood from stopping.

Judging from the deep wound on it, it was unlikely for him to mutter all of his strength using that hand anymore. That goes the same for his other hand.

It was supposed to be a favorable condition for Selia. With both of his hand injured Feral was unable to fight like he was before.

However, the action he took to stopped her from dealing the finishing blow sent a shiver to Selia’s back.

Before she realized it Feral was already clenched one of his injured hand, and sent it toward her.

“You monster.”

Selia was unable to block the incoming attack, and was sent flying deep into the forest.

Just like what Selia thought, he was unable to mutter his strength to the previous attack. The bleeding and damage was so bad that he was failed to finish her with the attack he used on Ashe.

The best he can do was sent her flying to gain some distance. Of course because of that the damage she took was small, only around broken ribs.

Now that Feral gained some distance between her, he was shown few options.

First was changes his direction, and leave the village from the other direction. This was perfect thinking about his condition and it also fulfills his objective. He doesn’t have the obligation to fight her in the first place.

Second was give up on escaping and wait for other opportunities when he recovered. Although it wasted his effort and injury for nothing, this was one of the safest options left for him. Because even if he fought and win again her, with the wound he got it was worrying whatever he will survive or not in this dangerous world.

The third was the stupidest option, go after her and break his way through in that condition.

“……”

A grin appeared on his face.

Before the options exist his decision was already fixed. He felt like laughing for even thinking the first two options.

For Feral rather than escaping from here, fight and win again Selia already became his objective. His objective already changed from enjoying the fight again her.

“How far will you make me enjoy it, sword pony-tail.”

Feral was in ecstasy. Similar to how when Asche fought again Feral and the other, now Feral replaced her position and enjoying the fight.

After decided to go after her into the forest, Feral finally noticed the dripping blood from his hand.

“As expected it wasn’t funny to die because of blood lost.”

The word lose didn’t come out, instead die replaced it. That was how far Feral certain about his own victory.

He took off his dull brown shirt, and tore it. He used the tore part to warp both of his hand. However the blood didn’t stop with just that, it only slow the bleeding. The brown clothes were instantly dyed with red.

Thinking that it was sufficient, Feral went into the forest to chase after Selia.

Slightly deeper into the forest, Selia was having a hard time to get up.

After she was sent flying toward the forest, her injured shoulder unluckily hit a tree and made her on all four from enduring the pain.

The wound from being sent flying was few broken ribs. It was better than she had thought. However it was still a significant damage to her. Every times she breath a pain ran through her body.

She was already exhausted from the exchange from before, and with the additional damage on her body she was reaching her limit.

“I… can’t… give up… yet!”

She stubbornly tried to stand up even though she knew that she was reaching her limit. What pushes her from doing all this was no other than her own feeling.

Hate, resentment, guilt, all sort of emotion pushed her back so that she stands up once again.

“… kheh…!”

Selia fell down.

She tried to stand up once again, but her leg gave up on her. Once again Selia fell from unable to support herself.

Her action repeated few times until she finally lost all of her energy, and stayed in the ground just like that.

“Hah…hah…”

Her vision started to blured. There was nothing she can do to fix that. With her blurry vision she can only look at the clear sky that was rare in modern world.

The sky was filled with thousands of unfamiliar stars. All of it decorated the clear sky with their light, making it a beautiful starry sky.

Selia who saw that beautiful sky remembered of a certain memory with her close friend.

A bright and pleasant memory from three year ago. The memory when she was still a normal girl who only did swordsmanship for self-defense.

The time where her world shine the brightest, just like the starry sky.

From reminiscing the past, tears start flowing from her eyes.

“Sorry……Shelly…I can’t…”

Selia silently cried as she muttered that. A soundless cry that only wet the ground. How long had it been since Selia let her weak side went into the surface?

Since that day three year ago, she had endured all of it, and averted her attention by trained herself. However she can’t hold it anymore.

She can’t endure the shock of losing even after she had trained herself to the point of wasting her youth.

“If only……I was……stronger…”

They say that hard work will always be paid off, but what reality offered was different.

No matter how much someone diligently worked, there will always another person that made them think that their hard work was nothing.

Talent, fate, luck. There many ways of saying it, but the point it was that hard work itself meant nothing to them. To challenge them using hark work was stupid. In the end result was everything.

There was nothing Selia can do. Even she was already on the verge of letting her emotion take over, and let herself flow along with her memory to a pleasant dream.

However the world didn’t let her do that. From afar she can heard of something came closer to her. It was a loud and firm step. Even from Selia position, she can understand that he was barely has any problem with his body.

It won’t be long before he found her. At the very least Selia was still stubborn enough not to show her weak side to the person she hate.

Selia moved her hand to wipe her tears, but at that moment her eyes saw something.

Red. Her mind was filled with that color alone.

A pure and thick red. That liquid stirred the deep of her conscious, and slowly crawled out from the bottom of her stomach.

Red. Red. Red. Red. Red. Red. Red. Red.

“Urgh…!”

Because of the swelling feeling, Selia throw up the inside of her stomach. It didn’t have anything to do with her wound because the blood itself wasn’t her’s, but Feral’s.

“……Urgh.”

Even after she puked the inside of her stomach, she still feels sick.

Selia was fine with blood. That was an obvious fact. If she afraid of blood then it would be impossible for her to defeat monsters, and injured Feral.

She was fine with the blood itself, but the sight of blood covering her hand was something she can’t handle. Every time she saw it, an unpleasant scene would replay again and again inside her head.

Her red hand covered with blood, cold asphalt, dim street lights, and someone’s unmoving body.

Selia was fully aware of her weakness, but she can’t do anything about it. No. She just doesn’t have any intention of fixing it.

The unpleasant feeling calmed down, and Selia once again tried to stand up.

Her leg vigorously trembled, but she ignored it. Using her trembling leg Selia forced herself to stand.

Obviously her leg gave in. Selia once again headed toward the hard ground, but

“Tch!”

Selia stabbed her sword into the ground and use it as her support to get up. Her body slowly lifted up, and before she knew it she was standing.

Because of what she saw from her memory, Selia’s eyes were once again filled with determination. Followed by that, her leg also stopped trembling.

Selia already regained her will. As if the weak crying girl from before never exist, there wasn’t any sign weakness from her current figure. Instead, she looked even stronger than before, despite her current condition.

“So this’s where you are!”

A savage voice called out to her from behind the tree in front of her. The owner of that voice had a large smile on his face as he said that, but on his eyes was a sharp gaze that looks like a beast that found it escaped prey.

Selia who saw that didn’t immediately move, but she slowly lifted her head. On her face was also a intimidating gaze that rivaled Feral’s gaze.

Feral laughed when he saw that, and he waited for her to pull out her sword.

Selia respond to that by pulled out her sword from the ground and made her stance. It was a refined movement that was unbelievable for a girl who feel pain just by breathing. There was certain esthetic feeling in her movement. Even Feral thought so.

However this and that was a different matter.

After Selia entered her stance, Feral also did the same.

Because there wasn’t any sign of Selia to start her attack, Feral started it first.

Selia, who saw that, silently planned to vent her emotion on him.

Feral resume the fight with a straight punch.

Selia easily dodged that, and a loud sound echoes the forest as Feral’s fist hit the tree behind her.

Selia ignored the sound. She turned her sword toward Feral from below, and made an upward slash. It only gazed Feral, but she didn’t stop.

From her sword position, she once again turned her sword.

“Southern cross- style, 1st strike technique, Flash!”

Her sword disappeared, and then it reappeared together with a wound on Feral’s body.

Flash was a flexible technique that allowed her to make a high speed strike from any position.

However the down part was that it can’t be use continuously because it leave a time gap each time she use it, and it will leave her unguarded when she failed to finish her opponent in one strike.

Therefore, Selia didn’t use it from the start. She was now defenseless to Feral’s attack.

Feral’s fist came to her defenseless body, but it was stopped. Something stopped it and spin few times in the air until it fell into the ground. It was a sheath.

On Selia’s hand there was anothing. She let go of her sword the moment she did Flash, and immediately grabbed the sheath to block Feral’s attack. She avoided the full force of his attack by let go of her sheath at the right timing.

She once again grabbed the sword that was half stabbed in the ground, and inflicted wound on Feral’s straighten arm.

Selia’s attack was faster than Feral’s reaction speed, that was why Feral unable to dodge it, and received a large wound.

Selia tried to continue her attack, but it was stopped by Feral’s incoming kick.

Selia took a few steps back to dodge the kick. The poor tree that was unable to dodge both previous fist and current kick was heavily damaged, and has a large crack on it.

The strength of someone’s leg was on a different level than their arm. It would have been dangerous if Selia had taken that kick.

While at it Selia also picked up her sheath that incidentally thrown near her current location.

Feral noticed the change in Selia, so he opened his mouth.

“Look like there’s some change in you. What change you in this short time?”

“……Anger.”

Selia silently replied. Then Feral laughed from hearing her answer.

“Hahahaha! Interesting! Then show me more of your anger!”

Feral openly invited her to vent out her anger on him.

“Then I will do just that.”

Just shortly after Selia said that, her sword disappeared. Then a creaking sound can be heard from somewhere.

Several leafs fell into the space between them, and a large shadow cast down on Feral. Without checking on it, Feral immediately moved away from it.

A loud falling sound was made, and numerous leafs scattered around the air. Some hindered his vision, but even so he noticed that Selia’s attack was still coming.

Several shadows approached him and became bigger as they came closer. Feral jumped back to this previous location that already became higher, and rhythmically jumped toward the source of the sound few second after.

Without missing a step or two, Feral agilely approached Selia using the dense falling leafs. It only took few seconds for him to get in front of her.

Selia noticed Feral’s movement. She was already in position to strike him the moment he entered her range.

She swung her sword, but Feral dodged the incoming attack by jumping, and landed behind her.

Selia tried to turn back, but she was not fast enough. The sword only managed to went half-way around her before Feral’s kick hit her side along with her sword.

Selia’s face twisted in pain as her hand made a worrying sound, and her injured ribs were hit again. Selia flew few meters away and rolled in the ground few times before she finally stopped by the nearby tree.

She groaned from the pain, but immediately stood up again. She once again picked up her sword only to repeat the same thing over and over again.

She attacked using her sword, Feral dodged it or only receive small wound. Feral attacked Selia, Selia unable to dodge his attack, and was sent flying again. Then Selia stand up again.

After around four times of repeating the same action again and again, Selia’s body was already heavily damaged.

Broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, fracture hand, and several internal injuries from falling and collided into trees. Despite all of her injuries, she was still standing no matter how much Feral hit her.

Feral on the other hand has slash-wound all over his body, and nonstop bleeding from the wound that keep being made. However that was still better than Selia’s.

Even Feral started to feel bad about her because this wasn’t even a fight anymore, but a bullying. Althought Feral loves fighting, he never picked a weak with the weak. Being provoke was a different matter.

Previously, Selia had said that Feral was a monster before she was sent flying into the forest, but to Feral it was the opposites.

Selia who keep standing after all of his attack, and keep making wound on him despite her injury was the real monster.

At this rate both of them will die in a useless fight. Feral from blood lost, and Selia from internal injury.

That was why Feral decided to end this in the next strike. In the next strike he intended to destroy her meant of fighting.

After the repeated action of sending her flying, their location already changed from the forest into the river near it. This was the river that the villager and the other heroes used in the morning to clean themselves.

The water silently flows. In the water reflection Feral and Selia’s figure were facing each other. Neither of them moved from their spot. While Selia was slowly standing up, Feral watched her, and wait.

Selia pointed her sword and him again, and both of them moved at the same time. Their reflection overlapped with each other. It was settled in a single moment.

The water reflection made a ripple because something fell into the water. The ripple stopped and the water became clear again. Inside the river was a part of Selia’s sword, and the other half was still on her hand.

A shallow wound appeared on Feral’s hand, but it was close to nothing.

In the previous clash, Feral intentionally met his fist with Selia’s sword to break it using the technique he learned long time ago.

It was a simple technique that uses all part of his body to put it force into his fist. This was the same technique he used to injure Asche, except that he modified it a little to change the target of the force. Even with his injured hand, it was enough to break Selia’s thin sword.

With her weapon broken, she can continue to fight him. Or that was what Feral thought.

Selia was completely unfazed from seeing her sword broken into half. She had the expression as if it was about time.

If this was a normal sword then there’s nothing she can do about it, but her sword was different. Made using pure water stone, her sword has few functions the normal most swords don’t have.

Selia touched the river water using her broken sword. As if the sword was drinking the water, the water was sucked by the sword. After drunk the river water, it length grow thirty centimeter from it half size back into it

original length.

From the river a sharp thin blue object also peeked out. It was the other half of Selia’s sword. Selia didn’t take it because currently she can only use one of her hand.

The blue lake sword, Nimue.

That was the name given to the blue one-sided sword by the blacksmith who made it.

It was one of the kind sword that was made using minimum amount of pure water stone without reducing its effectiveness.

Self-grow, was one of the functions it came with. As long that it has enough water, it can grow no matter how much time it break.

The only exception was when it disappeared by tremendous attack like Asche’s Levatein. Even it preceding sword, Kalimaya, that was made full with pure water stone was unable to recover from it.

“Let’s continue.”

Selia said that without any tone.

“Aah, damn! Who the hell thought the idea of self-repairing sword?! It was a pain in the ass!”

Feral who saw the fully repaired sword, can’t help but complained.

To him this fight was no longer a fun thing to enjoy, but a pain in the ass. He wishes that she stop doing this pointless thing and just fell unconscious.

Feral seriously thought of either killing her or go back to the village. However his pride didn’t allow that. The disgrace of retreating from a fight was something Feral doesn’t want.

He was troubled by this annoying situation, and was about to made his last effort. However he thought of something good. It was a sudden moment of inspiration.

Feral decided to try it out immediately.

He made his usual stance, and Selia came to him again. It was just like the previous cycle, but what Feral did changed it. No, he finished it.

Feral and Selia clashed again. Selia tried to cut Feral in half, but it was stopped, and then the water reflection made a ripple because something fell into the water.

The ripple stopped and the water became clear again. Inside the river was not a part of Selia’s sword, but it was Selia herself.

She was thrown into the river after the previous clash. Selia struggled in the water, so that she doesn’t drown.

However with her injury it was an impossible task. Moreover she didn’t let go of her sword in that condition. It didn’t take long before she stopped her struggle and float away with the river current.

It was somewhat anticlimactic.

As Feral saw her flowing away, he said a line out loud.

“I have no intention of saving her. So don’t blame me if she died.”

Immediately after that, a figure appeared from the forest and a big splash was made in the river. He chased after the flowing Selia, and pulled her out from the water all by himself.

That person’s blonde hair was soaked, so does his clothes. Even thought it was quite cold tonight, he doesn’t show any sign of being in cold.

There was a faint red color on his back because he unintentionally got hurt by Selia’s sword, but that person, Yuu, didn’t care, and checked Selia’s breathing and let out a sigh of relieve.

“A-are you alright?”

Soon, after Yuu pulled Selia out from the river, another figure appeared from the forest. Her pale white hair moved together with her chest as she came to Yuu.

She was flustered about Yuu’s small wound rather than Selia’s condition.

“I’m fine. Can you please take care of her?”

“Y-yes!”

Marie nodded. She moved her feeble-looking body closer, and began to heal Selia.

Yuu who can’t do anything to help her, separate from them and headed toward Feral.

“Since when did you notice?”

“Since the very start. You aren’t the type to let other people handle your job, and your companion, that weak girl, pretty much revealed your location in the forest.”

When Feral fought in the forest, from time to time he can heard someone’s shriek voice. Although he didn’t have much time to look for the source, he already figured out who was involved in it.

“You sure know me. We didn’t stucked to each other for nothing.”

Feral felt the same.

“So you’re really going? Can’t you at least change your objective?”

“Nah, I already decided about it. I won’t be satisfied without a rematch.”

“Then at least bring some people to help you.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nah, nothing.”

Feral ignored his previous attempted.

“If you think that we’re too weak, then what about her? From how I look at it, she was someone on your level. She should be sufficient to help you.”

“I doubt that. She hates me for some reason.”

“Really?!”

“Aah, if it wasn’t me she would have already killed her opponent.”

Yuu pondered about it for a while. Then he opened his mouth again.

“Can Mary and I come along?”

“No.”

“Why? I know that I still haven’t got my additional title, but that also mean I still can choose what I want to become. I think it’s a plus if you think ahead. Mary also the same, she’s a healer. There’s nothing wrong about bringing her, and if you’re worried about her poor fighting ability, let me join you. I can protect her while you fight.”

What Yuu said make sense. There was nothing except benefit from bringing them with him. However Feral didn’t care about that and replied.

“No!”

“Why!?”

“Bringing unnecessary people will only slow me down.”

That was a simple reason. With more people then Feral’s pace would become slower to match up with the other.

Yuu wasn’t convinced with that reason, but he knew that Feral doesn’t have any intention of bringing them. He let out a sigh of resign.

“Fine then. At least promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“You must come back to us after you finish, and help us.”

Hearing that Feral made a smile.

“Sure, if you people were still alive by then.”

His answer was full of confident. It was the same as saying ‘I won’t die’. Yuu already gave up and somewhat feel relieve. Because he believed that his friend won’t go down that easily. He can’t even picture him dying except from illness or age.

Mary who finished healing Selia came over to them.

“I-I’m finish healing.”

“Good work, but can you also heal him? Can you still do it? If not, at least please heal the most severe wound.”

“Don’t need.”

“I-I’m still fine!”

“Thank you. Later I will treat you food or something.”

“N-no. I feel bad.”

“Please let me treat you. I won’t accept otherwise.”

“T-then……”

“….. I will be going now.”

Feral tried to escape while they were busy being humble, but he was caught. Then he was healed by Mary. It felt somewhat warm and relaxing.

“Then…”

“Here!”

Yuu gave Feral a gauntlet.

It was a steel gauntlet that covered third of his arm. Although Feral has a skill called flesh gauntlet, it was still his flesh. So he took damage from it.

Feral wasn’t a masochist so he gladly took the gauntlet.

“I appreciate it.”

“You better come back alive.”

“You should worry about yourself rather than me.”

Feral equipped the gauntlet and headed off. He crossed the river using the wooden bridge not far from there. He went inside the deeper forest that already categorized as a monster zone.

Feral didn’t look back, and His figures slowly fade in the dense forest.

The only one that saw him off was his childhood friend, and feeble looking girl. They saw him off as he went on his way toward the demon lord castle.

After seeing him off, they carried the unconscious Selia, and went back into the village.

In the next morning, the other was surprised about the missing middle-school students, and Feral’s individual action.