CH 88

Chapter 88: Anise, the Battle Maniac

“For now… let’s make sure nobody gets injured, okay?”

“Got it ♪.”

“Understood!”

Kanata spoke, and the two nodded at each other.

Honestly, Kanata felt uneasy about the two of them fighting in a place like this. However, it turned out all right considering they were outside the Royal Capital. In general, few people leave the capital’s outer walls, such as merchants travelling to various places or adventurers heading to dungeons.

“There’s really no one around here. Well, it’s quite far away too.”

Even though Kanata glanced around, there was not a single passerby in sight.

Since Mira and Anise were supposed to be considering their surroundings to some extent, Kanata felt relieved somewhere deep in their heart, thinking they wouldn’t cause a commotion that attracted too much attention.

“…”

Kanata swallowed his saliva, trying to alleviate the tension.

Mira wielded her sword while Anise concentrated magical power in the palm of her hand.

As the tense moment lingered, the two finally began to move.

Anise conspicuously unleashed large-scale magic, causing numerous ice pillars to appear around her.

“As impressive as ever.”

The chilling cold that reached Kanata, with his experience from their mock battles, made him fully understand the power of this magic.

In an instant, a world of ice was born, and within it, Mira swiftly dashed forward. Kanata watched the unfolding battle before his eyes with an excited feeling.

The battlefield, which Kanata observed with bated breath, was a place forbidden for ordinary people.

Mira fought without using magic, relying solely on her own skills, while Anise relied primarily on magic. Their fighting styles were completely different, and it was unclear which one had the advantage and which the disadvantage.

“…”

However, unlike Mira, who maintained an unchanged expression, Anise’s expression was stern.

By unleashing large-scale ice magic, the entire vicinity transformed into a world of ice, but even in such an environment where her magic could be maximized, Anise never let her guard down.

(Her opponent is a legendary assassin… Who kills her targets with terrifying speed and precise strikes. That’s why a momentary opening could be fatal!)

Her usual demeanour faded away, and she showed her face as the Ice Witch who confronted formidable enemies before her eyes.

At the same time, in addition to the chilling blizzard swirling around, Anise’s inner thoughts burned hotly in the face of a strong adversary.

“Now, now, entertain me!!”

Her battle-maniac side, which could be said to be a characteristic of the Imperials, manifested itself unabashedly.

As Anise swung her arm, the ice responded by heading towards Mira, but Mira sliced through it all with her sword. Without making much noise, it was as if she was slicing through ham: silently and swiftly.

“Erm, isn’t that a bit of a drastic change in personality?”

“Do you think so? Well, I want you to understand! It’s because I’m able to fight against Raven, you know! Battling formidable enemies is what brings the most enjoyment, yeeeeeaaaahhhh!!”

“… I’m also from the Empire, but I’m glad I didn’t turn out like that.”

After hearing this exchange, Kanata nods in agreement.

Not only Anise but Fest also had a battle-crazed temperament. This temperament was common among the people of the Empire.

However, Mira, someone fundamentally composed, did not exhibit any of those traits because she had trained in the art of assassination as Raven. Assassins can’t afford to make a fuss like this; it’s a very simple concept.

“Don’t hold back, okay? I don’t think I can win, but as someone from the Empire, what I hate the most is being underestimated!”

“You can rest assured about that. I don’t want to lose either, so I have no intention of holding back.”

The moment Mira said those words, she disappeared from Anise’s field of vision.

Anise tried to scan her surroundings to figure out where she went but then almost instinctively created a wall of ice behind her.

Just as she heard the sound of something piercing through the ice, she saw the tip of a sword emerging from the other side of the ice, right behind her.

“… Isn’t that a bit too fast?”

“My proudest attribute is my speed, after all. But you defended your rear quite well, didn’t you? Based on Anise-san’s demeanour, you shouldn’t have noticed at all.”

“It’s just my intuition. But I’m glad I was saved.”

Anise’s wall behind her was truly like an instinct.

Impressed by this, Mira, with her usual composure, remained unfazed. However, Anise tightly grasped Mira’s sword without caring about injuring her own hand.

“I won’t let you escape now!”

“!?”

Anise’s hand naturally got cut as she tightly gripped the sword.

The bright red blood that flowed from her hand froze upon contact with her magic, turning into crimson ice that attacked Mira.

Mira instinctively let go of her sword and distanced herself, but Anise didn’t miss this golden opportunity.

“This is it!!”

The red and transparent ice mixed together, enveloping Mira.

It formed an ice prison that took shape to prevent Mira from escaping. As Mira was completely trapped, she smiled.

“?”

Naturally, Anise tilted her head in confusion.

She wondered what that smile meant, but at that moment, she felt a sword pressing against her neck.

“Wha…?”

“Checkmate, I suppose?”

Mira’s voice, which shouldn’t have been beside her, resonated.

Mira had already closed in, appearing from where she was about to be enveloped by ice. With unimaginable speed and an absolute strike, she took down her opponent.

If Anise were the target of an assassination, she would have undoubtedly gotten killed by now.

“… Sigh. I guess I lost.”

In other words, with certain death, this mock battle would be Anise’s defeat.

While Anise never expected to win against a legendary assassin, losing still brought about a sense of frustration. She also lost to Kanata, but what overflowed out of her was the pleasure fluid, so that doesn’t count.

“Indeed, I won with that last strike, but if you had used the ice more like a wall, it might have taken a bit more time. Nevertheless, I believe I would have shattered all the ice and dyed your throat crimson.”

Mira declared that she could penetrate defences, no matter how formidable.

“To protect Kanata-sama, I will defeat any enemy that comes our way. As long as I’m determined, I will not lose to anyone ♪.”

“… That’s good. I really like that about you.”

The battle came to a conclusion, and the icy world dispelled.

Kanata also joined them later and expressed his impression, but apparently, he had no idea what had been happening in the middle.

By the way, Raven was supposed to be already dead, but Anise had always believed that Raven couldn’t have died so easily.

“A princess, a saint, and even an assassin by Kanata’s side… The defence is flawless, isn’t it?”

“That’s… indeed what I think.”

“Yes! I won’t let any enemies come near, no matter how many!”

Mira placed her hand on her hip and proudly stood tall with her small frame and big chest. This sight not only captivated Kanata but also brought a smile to Anise’s face.

“Nevertheless, you truly are a legendary assassin, Mira. You’re incredibly strong!”

It was Anise’s heartfelt admiration and comment.

The battle against Raven, a living legend in the Empire, was undoubtedly an invaluable experience for Anise, even though she lost.

“If there’s a chance, I’ll brag about it to Fest ♪.”

Anise was clearly excited, thinking that he would surely be frustrated.

For Anise, the joy of fighting against strong individuals was significant, but now, the presence of Kanata was even greater.

That night, Anise’s excitement from the battle continued.

After finishing dinner and taking a bath, she laid down on the bed in her underwear.

“I remember he mentioned there would be a livestream today, right? Fufu. Let’s listen to Kanata’s voice while calming down this excitement ♪.”

Sitting on the bed with her back against the wall, Anise waited for the moment to come.

[Hey, everyone! It’s that time of the day again!]

“Kyaaah!!!”

Anise let out a joyful scream.

Using Kanata’s voice coming from the terminal as her stimulus, Anise placed her fingers on the sensitive area over her underwear.

However, something unexpected happened at that moment.

“… Huh? An earthquake?”

The entire dormitory began to shake, disrupting Anise’s enjoyable time.

It was undoubtedly an earthquake, and it was bigger than she had anticipated. Anise showed a slight sense of panic, not because she was in danger but because it interrupted Kanata’s livestream.

[… It’s shaking a lot.]

The voice was clearly hearable. And then, Anise heard a sound as if something like dishes had fallen. Without thinking, she glanced towards the boys’ dormitory, wondering if everything was alright.

The shaking grew stronger, and it became evident that it was not an environment suitable for live streaming, as Kanata’s voice could no longer be heard.

“It’s over… Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. I guess.”

Though she felt disappointed that the livestream had ended, her focus shifted from seeking comfort to worrying about Kanata. She no longer had the mood to soothe herself.

As she put on her night clothes and began to button them up one by one, Anise suddenly realized something.

“This earthquake might expose that Kanata is in the capital…”

Anise’s prediction turned out to be completely accurate the following day.