I didn't like being woken up. I especially didn't like being woken up after sleeping in a bush for the past two weeks.
Still, I was a somewhat reasonable person. I could understand if some kind Samaritan mistook me for a homeless kid and tried to help.
"You look like a fuckable piece of meat."
That… was not the kind of wake-up call I liked.
The voice was followed by the unmistakable feeling of my relatively clean black pants being tugged down from my hips.
Fat. Hairy. Tall. Those were the three things I immediately registered as I twisted and shook off the oily meaty hands of my would be attacker.
"Awww."
With a frown, I kicked the sweaty behemoth square in the nose with my bare foot—only to be met with surprise when he caught my foot.
With one massive swing he hurled me over his shoulder, sending me crashing into a tree.
'That hurt.'
Groaning, I used the now dented tree for support as I felt my injuries, both internal and external begin to heal.
My eyes locked onto the man, who now stood and turned to face me.
'Bald...' Well, not entirely. There were still a few sad hairs clinging to the top of his scalp. I ignored the detail as he spoke in a low, barely audible tone I would've missed if I wasn't paying attention.
"She was right… she's always right… you are here."
From those words alone, I figured this "she" probably wasn't the Elder.
No, this had to be someone else.
'Either a Branch Leader or the "Spokesperson."'
In any case, I'd find out soon enough.
Cracking my neck, I steadied myself as the sweaty behemoth began slowly advancing.
'He's fast enough to catch my kick… and that smell..'
It wasn't the park around us that much I was sure of. But the man in front of me didn't exactly give off a sweet floral scent either. And it sure as hell wasn't me as I'd been using river dips as my only form of hygiene lately.
"You gonna tell me who sent you? Or how you found me?" I asked.
His face twisted with anger and he charged with speed catching me off guard.
"Fuck, you're fast." I muttered, rolling out of the way as one meaty hand came swinging.
It smashed into a tree like a living cannonball, sending splinters flying and knocking it down with ease.
'Not very bright.' I snorted.
Then- "What the fu-"
The sweaty man caught the falling tree.
With a grunt, he dug his fingers into the wood like it was clay and then swung it at me with wildly, smashing it into my left arm.
-
There were three things I noticed when I regained consciousness.
One, I had blacked out and I wasn't sure if it was from pain.
Two, I was in the air.
And three… I was over a lake.
'Scratch that, four.'
Within the reflection of the water, blocking out the moonlight above, was the giant sweaty behemoth.
'How the fuck did he jump so high?'
Focusing, I stretched out my left arm and angled into the water, shifting my momentum and crashing down with a splash.
I quickly realized it wasn't deep—maybe thigh-deep at most.
SPLASH
The behemoth landed ahead of me, unfazed by the fall.
'Right. This world's different.'
Sometimes in the middle of a fight I forgot that. I wasn't in my world anymore. That reminder usually came when I looked down at my own hands, but this time-
My thoughts were cut off as the man lowered himself into a sumo starter position, yelling out.
"I must kill you for her!"
Without hesitation, he charged toward me with surprising speed.
In turn, I mimicked his stance and opened my arms, grinning.
He looked confused but by then, it was too late.
We clashed and I let myself lose the battle in terms of strength. My feet scraped against the rocks lining the lakebed, the sharp edges slicing them open. They healed only to get cut again.
"Fuck, you're strong!" I laughed.
I jumped back slightly, just enough to disturb his momentum. Then I placed my right foot on his left forearm and Left foot on his right knee. And with all the strength I could muster, I drove my fist into his kidney.
There was a beat of delay before he reacted, trying to grab me with his right hand. But I twisted wrapping my right leg around his neck and spinning my torso. My left knee smashed into his temple with a sharp crack.
I felt his body shudder—then I kicked off his chest, landing back in the shallow water.
He stood there, blankly staring.
'Better finish—'
"Graaaah!"
The man suddenly roared, stomping his right foot into the water sending a wave splashing outward.
"I'll kill you!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a knife under the water. It must've fallen out of my pocket when I was thrown earlier.
'It's within reach…'
"I'll be the only one to make her happy!"
He charged again. I lunged for the knife.
The moment my fingers wrapped around the hilt, his meaty hands were already reaching for me.
I reversed my grip on the knife—and grinned as it met his flesh.
Six of his fingers dropped into the water.
His scream echoed across the lake.
As he clutched at the stumps with the few fingers he had left, I closed the distance and slashed at both of his Achilles tendons.
Another cry. This time he fell back, thrashing in pain.
I let my shoulders drop, relaxing slightly. He was dealt with. Doubtful he could even stand now.
I stepped forward, just out of his reach.
"Who sent you? How did you find me?" I asked.
"I… I w-will make her happy!"
I frowned. His eyes—I knew those eyes.
Loyalty. Fanatical unwavering loyalty.
Sighing, I walked over to his head. He was still babbling about "her" about making his boss happy.
Without a word, I raised my foot and cracked his nose with my heel.
"I'll admit, I'm impressed by the loyalty." I said. "But it doesn't earn you mercy."
I knelt beside him.
"One final time—who sent you and how did you find me?"
This time, his expression changed. A smile crept onto his face, wide and toothy… with what few teeth he had left.
"Lady Enra-sama will want you. So make her happy… in my stead."
His eyes drifted shut.
I sighed.
'Guess that's all I'm getting from him.'
Lowering myself, I drove the knife into his skull.
Then I looked up at the moonlight cutting through the night sky and stood up.
'Now to find this woman… hopefully she knows where Keiji Fujiwara is.'