PHASE 65 - SWORD OF THE MOON, DON’T STEAL RIKKUN

The increasing tension in the air is so great that it would be harmful to the people who will inhale it. Here am I, watching my friend wield a katana. Her composed stance will make you think that she’s an expert in kenjutsu.

This is the first time I’ve seen Tiara wielding a sword-type Weapon Gem. She already said that she’s not good with swords, but seeing her in a round stance makes her a lot cooler than seeing her wielding a staff or beating the crap out of monsters with her steel gauntlets.

In front of my shrine maiden friend is a haystack formed into a tube, about one and a half meters in height. This is not your regular practice dummy. It wears a wig with long blonde hair tied in twin ponytails. And it has pink ribbon ornaments. D-Does that thing looks a lot like Amy?

Tiara closed her eyes and breathed slowly. Inhale. Exhale. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and swiftly drew the katana from its sheath!

“!!!”

In a split second, everything went dark. The only thing visible is a crescent silver streak with a swift swish sound! When the darkness disappeared, Tiara was already behind the Amy-looking dummy. Slowly, the dummy revealed that it was cut in half, and the head part together with the wig fell down on the floor.

Every other person in this training ground was shocked. Even Heushac, who was busy training had his eyes on that solid performance. That was a seriously amazing spell!

I made several tiny claps for the show while muttering “It’s so cool!”. Tiara then smiled with a blush as she gave me back my Weapon Gem.

“Try it~”

Now it’s my turn. I replicated her samurai movements and even her breathing patterns. I closed my eyes, and uttered the very same spell!

“!!!”

Everything went dark, and there was a silver streak. When the darkness blinked out, the dummy was already cut in half. But my face is already kissing the soil. I can’t handle the spell’s speed!

“R-Rikkun!” Tiara rushed to me and healed my broken nose. “Y-You have to work on your balance first.”

<>

I gave back my katana to Tiara as she demonstrates the upgraded secret sword spell. Same breathing pattern and the same posture as before. She even placed the blonde wig on her new slashing dummy! Just how much did she secretly hate Amy!?

Before she cast the spell, she explained one other thing to me. “ can be used consecutively without cooldowns, so you have to be careful with your mana. I-I’m sorry, I haven’t mastered it yet, but I’ll show you how to cast it.”

Tiara closed her eyes, made a deep soft inhale and exhale and then shouted! “!!!”

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There was this blink-darkness once again, but this time, it has three silver streaks. When the light came back, the dummy was ripped to different parts. But it the head part remained hanging on the main body of the dummy.

I clapped once again, but I noticed that Tiara is giving a deadly aura around her. Her glaring eyes are targeted to the twin-tailed blonde dummy. She raised the katana once again and prepared a chop!

Tiara cried as she went all out to make deadly quick slashes with her sword!

“F-Fall down already! Y-You l-love thief! Y-You stole his f-f-f-first kiss! How dare you! Y-Your love story with him ended years ago! I-It’s m-my turn now! Mudamudamudamudamudamuda!!!”

Slash! Slash! Slash! I didn’t hear her mumble because the slashing noise became so dominant.

“H-Hey, you have to chill!” I held both of Tiara’s arms and looked at her in the eye. Her golden brown irises are sparkling, and she is genuinely about to burst tears from it. What the heck is wrong with this wacko?

“L-Let’s take a break for now. I saw a newly-opened ramen shop nearby. My treat.” I said as I released her hands and patted her head.

Tiara wiped her tears with her hand and smiled like a happy golden retriever. “Mmmm! Mmm!”

At least she calmed down a bit.

Or so I thought. Just after taking eight steps away from the training field, Tiara charged a blue aura on her right fist and released a flame blaster to the poor blonde dummy!

“!!!”

What a sadistic animal!

<>

I kind of regret saying “My treat” to this dumb girl but luckily, there is a promo where the food will be free if we are able to eat a full bowl of delicious beefy ramen in just five minutes.

Never did I know that the bowl is quite humongous. The ramen is stuffed with too much meat that makes it a lot soggy to eat. Other than that, there’s a lot of noodle and soup. It’s impossible to eat all the vegetables in it as well as those three eggs that could give me unnecessary cholesterol!

But Tiara… She finished it in just two minutes and thirty seconds. She swallowed the whole meal without chewing or realizing that the flavor is spicy, and ignored it even it’s hot. She drank everything like iced tea! Now her lips are swollen and reddish!

“Ah! This is so blissful~” Tiara sighed with relief.

I’m having trouble eating this. It’s about ten or twelve minutes, but I’m still far from the half of my noodle. I’m already stuffed. I’m only paying for one bowl anyway, so I don’t need to finish it all.

“I give up.” My head fell to the table. I think I can’t walk anymore. Maybe I’ll just sleep here.

Tiara made a forced smile. “Ahahaha...I’ll eat that if you want…”

I switched bowls with her as she proceeded to eat normally. At least she’s now using her chopsticks. I’m amazed that a girl like her has no problem in eating a leftover meal from a man. If it was Amy, she’ll feel disgusted.

“Hey, Tiara…” I said. “Why are you teaching me the secret sword spell of the Kozukata Shrine?”

She halted eating and put her hands between her thighs. She bowed down and wiggled her shoulders slowly.

“I… I want you to use it against me…”

“Wha-Why!?” I raised my voice due to my surprise.

Tiara made a fake smile. “Your next will come in a week, and you said that I’ll become a Cursed Guardian and torment you…so... I want you to kill me before that happens…”

“Stupid.” I made a bright smile as I pat her head once again.

“..Aauuu…” Tiara cried with a blush.

“My does not accurately predict the future. It only gives us warning on what might happen. We evaded Heushac, Macho Steel, and Amy’s death flags. You won’t become the evil witch just because the destiny dictates you to be so. You are the owner of your fate, and fate will never own you.”

There was a long silence, but I continued to caress her head like a puppy. Suddenly, she burst out a chuckle. A cute soft laugh, with her hands covering her mouth.

“...It’s rare to hear an optimistic speech from you, Rikkun! Ehehehe~”

“Hey, don’t laugh at me…” I coldly said. But I couldn’t hide my embarrassed reddish face.

Suddenly, she pumped her fists! “You’re right about that speech! I will never let destiny dictate me! With determination, I will never give up!”

Then she finished the last bowl of ramen by swallowing it all.

<>

I was an idiot for worrying about my future. I should pity her more for her past.

To be tormented by the Brightmore Witch for all eternity? What a laughing matter.

There is one thing that’s grimmer than an eternal punishment.

And that is the secret behind those cheerful smiles of the witch.

If only I knew that my does not only warn me from the future...