Rogue

Chapter 27

"Hey, Grim Reaper." The boy's distaste for the woman was obvious. His demeanor was the complete opposite of Akira's; rigid, on edge, and incredibly angry. However, the woman graced him with a smile. It had been so long since she'd seen him; he looked so different. He had grown so much in the last few years. She might not have recognized him had she not been waiting for this moment for so long. "I finally found you."

Akira cocked her head, her smile still beaming.

"Oh? I didn't know you were looking for me."

"I came to avenge my parents and to keep you away from Hiroto-sensei." Her smile fell, eyes filled with disdain. "Don't worry, Akira. I'll put you out of your misery once and for all." The girl stood motionless for a moment as she thought everything through. Of course, that hag Hiroto had lied to her brother and blamed her for everything. Of course, Erias believed him. Why wouldn't he? He was only ten at the time.

She steeled herself. This was gonna be an ugly fight. No matter how it ended, she wanted to make sure he knew the truth, whether he believed her or not. Akira's green eyes narrowed, her hand summoning her scythe and tightening around the staff.

"Do you really think you can kill me?"

"I'm stronger than you think," he boasted. She simply snickered at him. Not only was he still incredibly young and naive, but he was lacking in raw experience. She could tell that much just by looking at him. He was probably about as strong as Midorikawa if she was analyzing him correctly. He had skill, but he was still a child.

"We'll see about that." Erias was on her in a second, a long yet thin sword clenched in his left hand. It was similar to a Kogetsu but dual-edged. He sliced at her torso as she had yet to move but felt as his blade simply slipped through the air as she jumped back.

Erias had heard about her speed. She was lethal to fight against because of her quick agility and skill. Of course, he had to worry about all of that as well as her weapon of choice. A scythe wasn't exactly popular in the Neighborhood, but Akira made it well known. It had become a symbol for her along with her kill count, deeming her fit for her title of the Grim Reaper. Just catching sight of her usually meant that death was approaching your doorstep.

However, he showed no fear and advanced toward her again. She had to admit, he was pretty damn fast―probably faster than Kuga―but he was still no match for her. To her, it was like he was moving in slow motion. She slipped past his blade once again, still not needing to make use of her weapon.

Izumi watched as this young boy continued to attack Akira but made no progress. It looked like she was toying with him. He knew of her reputation at this point and had never seen her so lax in battle. Even with the last guy, she took the fight straight to him and finished the job quickly. He couldn't wrap his head around why she was dancing with death.

Erias seemed to have sped up slightly, trying to catch her unexpectedly. His blade flew like a dagger directly to her throat. The tip of his blade gleamed in the sun as it made its approach, matching the glint of success in his eyes. Suddenly, her scythe spun into his view and roughly shoved his blade aside. It would've gone flying had he not kept his grip on it. The boy stumbled back from the force and prepared to be killed in his opening. However, she just watched as he caught his balance.

He grit his teeth, flying back into danger as if he hadn't just been tossed aside. Akira grinned at his refusal to back down and agreed to his challenge, meeting him in the middle with her own blade. The two clashed, trying to force one another back. Erias struggled to hold his ground while Akira just leered at him like an unmoveable force. "Come on," she taunted. "Show me what you've got, little brother!"