249. VS Vanguard – Ninja God Shuri (Part 1)

Holding Sui, I broke through the window and leapt out of the room.

The moment I landed on the ground, I pushed Sui into the shadows.

『P-Papa—』

“Sui, stay still for a while. Got it?”

『Y-Yes, sir.』

Sui looked like she wanted to say something, but she patiently sank into the shadows.

Good, now Sui won’t be caught up in this.

“—Ts!?”

In that split second, I barely dodged a thrusting attack coming from behind.

I leapt away to put some distance between us.

That was close… If I’d taken another hit to the heart, I would have actually died this time.

(The skill I got from the advanced job of Ascetic Monk came in handy sooner than expected…)

The advanced job of Ascetic Monk: “Seeker.”

The skills I obtained were “Exorcism” and “Truth-Seeking.”

“Exorcism” is a skill that increases attack power against undead-type monsters.

And “Truth-Seeking” is an ability that nullifies an attack that would be a fatal wound, once per day.

In extreme terms, even if my head is crushed or my heart is pierced, it’s a rule-breaking skill that can nullify it once.

(It was my ace in the hole, and I’ve already burned it. Dammit.)

“Truth-Seeking” doesn’t increase in frequency even if the skill level is raised. Instead, it only increases the damage threshold and the severity of the wounds it can nullify. At max level, it can nullify damage up to four times my HP, or attacks like those to the brain or heart that would be instantly fatal.

Against higher-tier opponents like Libera-san or the Vanguard, I could win even in the worst-case scenario by forcing a double-knockout.

It was one of my trump cards for the final battle.

And it’s already gone.

(…Change your mindset. Assume she wasn’t an opponent I could beat with just a double-knockout anyway.)

She looks like a slender girl, but the pressure she exudes is equal to that of Libera-san or the Sea King.

She’s an opponent I can’t beat unless I go all-out from the start.

The girl in front of me—Shuri—and I activated ninja arts simultaneously.

「「Fire Style Jutsu!!」」

A massive pillar of fire and an explosion erupted before us.

But—

“Guh… As I thought, her power is higher.”

My fireball was gradually being swallowed by the opponent’s flames.

I reflexively made “Earth and Sand” rain down from the Item Box to extinguish the fire.

“Arrogance! You’re going to be a bit numb, but bear with it. —Imbue, Lightning Style Jutsu!”

『Hey, you—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!』

Gripping Arrogance imbued with lightning, I stepped forward.

“……”

Shuri didn’t move.

Is she trying to gauge the timing to dodge?

No, that’s not it.

Before I knew it, two ninja blades emitting an ominous aura were gripped in both her hands.

(Ninja blades imbued with ninja arts, huh.)

Before fully closing the distance, I swung Arrogance.

A series of invisible extended slashes imbued with Lightning Style.

It was the very attack I had struggled against when fighting Arrogance.

“……”

Yet, Shuri didn’t change her expression.

She merely narrowed her eyes for an instant and blocked every single one with the ninja blades in her hands.

“Wha—!?”

You’re kidding? She blocked that?

Invisible slashes—and strengthened even further by Lightning Style compared to when Arrogance used them.

“—Style Jutsu.”

Shuri’s mouth moved in a whisper.

The next moment, her form vanished.

“Ts—!?”

I reflexively leapt to the side.

Shuri was standing exactly where I had been.

Positioned precisely to aim for my heart and neck from behind.

“……I missed, then.”

“Haa… haa…”

That was dangerous.

Dodging that attack was pure luck.

If she had approached from the side instead of from behind, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid it.

I would have been dead for sure this time.

(That was Wind Style just now…)

Looking closely, wind was swirling around her feet—her shoes.

Just as I imbued Arrogance with Lightning Style, she must have imbued her shoes with Wind Style to boost her speed. And with far greater precision than I could manage.

(Strong… too strong…)

It’s only been a few seconds of offense and defense, but I clearly understood.

The power and precision of her ninja arts, and her physical stats.

All of them are superior to mine.

This is the Vanguard… This is the top tier of the otherworlders.

Then, for some reason, Shuri wore a look of suspicion.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“……Hm?”

She didn’t follow up with another attack; she just stared at me intently.

“……What? Do you have something to say?”

When I asked, she actually showed a reaction.

“……No, I just thought your power is quite unnatural. I was a bit surprised to see you use the same ‘Ninja God’ power as me, but the essence of our power is different. Yours feels distorted, as if it were forcibly pasted on from the outside.”

“……”

Forcibly pasted on, huh.

She might be right.

Unlike their world where skills existed originally, ours is a power derived from the system created by Libera and her master.

It’s not our original power; it’s a given power.

From her perspective, it must have been terribly unpleasant.

Shuri’s face distorted as if she were looking at filth.

“It’s warped. Your power is hideously warped. It’s even disgusting. Likely the work of Libera-sama. I truly cannot understand that lady’s thoughts. Did she honestly think giving power to some local primitives would allow them to oppose us? Folly has its limits.”

“……”

Grinding her teeth, Shuri glared at me.

Clear hatred was visible in her eyes.

“Ah, how infuriating. Because she cooperated with monkeys like you, that lady was branded a traitor. We have to dispose of that lady as a traitor—her, who achieved such a great feat and saved our world! It’s you. It’s all your fault!”

“You…”

The next moment, a vast amount of energy overflowed from Shuri’s body.

This feeling… could it be a skill of the same lineage as my “Divine Power Release”?

She hadn’t been serious yet either.

“Die! You monkeys!”

In an instant, Shuri vanished.

Behind me again—no, wait. This is—

(Clone Jutsu!)

Multiple presences. And not just from behind, but from left, right, above, and below.

Clone Jutsu, Earth Style Jutsu, Wind Style Jutsu, Courier Jutsu.

—The simultaneous use of ninja arts, which is impossible for me.

She undoubtedly intends to kill me with this single strike.

It’s true that I can no longer use “Truth-Seeking” to nullify a fatal wound.

And I don’t have the speed to dodge this attack.

So, what do I do?

—The answer is simple.

“—Reflection!”

“Ts—!?”

At that moment, Shuri’s attacks were all repelled at once.

Countless clones stared at me with eyes that couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Kyuu!”

Kiki, emerging from the shadows, climbed onto my shoulder and let out a high-pitched cry.

“Wan!”

Furthermore, Momo took a position at my feet and glared at Shuri.

Shuri clicked her tongue.

“A monster contract?”

“No, they’re comrades who fight alongside me.”

I have never once forced them.

Everyone is fighting together of their own free will.

“Waooooooooooooooooooon!”

Momo howled.

The roar shook the atmosphere, pinning Shuri’s clones in place.

“Kyuu!”

Next, Kiki’s support magic activated.

“Divine Power Release” and Kiki’s support magic can coexist.

With my stats boosted, I swept through the slowed clones with Arrogance in one go.

(The real one is—there!)

I unleashed Arrogance’s long-range slash toward my diagonal rear.

In that instant, the scenery wavered, and Shuri appeared.

“Ts—”

Her eyes were wide with shock.

It was likely unexpected for her location to be exposed.

(… “Cloaking Jutsu,” huh. A ninja art that allows one to assimilate with the background and erase their presence.)

That ninja art is certainly troublesome. It can completely erase form, presence, and even smell.

But—there’s a weakness. We use the same ninja arts. It’s only natural I’d notice.

“……It’s true that our power is borrowed. Compared to you, it might be a warped and unnatural power.”

Even so, the time we’ve spent fighting is real.

Whether it’s borrowed or warped, we will bundle this power together and show you that we can win.

“I’ll say it again, Vanguard. I—we won’t be killed that easily.”

By the way, Arrogance is still numb.

End of 249