Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 148

 The one who presented the proposal, surprisingly, was none other than her... Hisame. She, with her torn abdomen, dragged herself closer and made her proposition with a raspy, breathless voice.

 Was her motive for seeking revenge against the one who tried to kill her? Or was it to ensure her own survival in this situation? Regardless, the content of her proposal closely aligned with the possibility of victory in my mind.

 She possessed a supernatural ability known as 'Shiroku Benrei,' which deceived one's perception. Its effect extended only to those she recognized. Similar abilities to Onitsuki Aoi's technique, the needles Hisame had thrown were visible as soon as they left her hand, so these conditions were already within my expectations. If even magic attacks could pass through during its activation, the issue at hand was the limited time.

 The maximum duration of perception interference caused by her ability was 46 seconds within 24 hours. She had already consumed a significant portion of that time during our battle. So now, only 19 seconds are left.

 Also, her ability was not invincible. If her true nature was exposed, countermeasures would be taken immediately. If she couldn't defeat her opponent in one blow, a suitable counter would come right away. Therefore, she couldn't simply disappear and approach unnoticed.

 Therefore, it was necessary to lull the opponent to lower their guard. I knew that a surprise attack from behind alone would not be enough to bring them down. Thus, I made the blast attack look like a trump card, making it seem like I had played my last card.

 By charging forward while carrying her, she intentionally removed me from the target of her supernatural power. Hisame became invisible, and I pretending to be alone. Then, when the moment of counterattack came, she included me as a target of the ability to protect me from the flames.

 It was truly a last-minute nullification. It was insurance to prevent her disappearance from being seen, to make the opponent believe they had killed her. Thanks to that, I didn't end up with half of my body burned and blistered. It was fortunate that the medicine made me painless. I was able to act without my thoughts being disturbed.

 And just when I thought I had killed him, I stabbed him in the vital spot with a blade hidden in Hisame's straw sandals. A stab to the heart... that was my intention. I didn't plan on surrendering; I intended to finish him off.

 There was no room to spare. No sense of duty. Above all, I didn't want to spare his life. There was no room for carelessness or mercy. None at all.

 ...That's probably why I was simply being naive about this.

 "Aiming for the heart, no mercy...!!"

 "...!!?"

 Before I could react, I took a blow to the face. Hisame and I were sent flying.

 "Hisame...!!"

 Just before the intense collision, I instinctively took a defensive posture to protect Hisame. Immediately, my entire body kissed the ground. I coughed. Our gazes met, confirming her weakened breath. There was no need for words, nor was there any room for composure.

 "Haa, haa... this is...!!"

 With a whip-like motion, I raised my upper body from the charred wreckage. That alone was an achievement.

 "It hurts... you bastard, you really want to kill me, huh? And in this place, as a provocation? Huh?"

 Ahead, a man covered in blood forcefully pulled out the blade that was deeply embedded in his chest. He pulled it out and threw it aside. Red streaks dripped down, flowing steadily. This amount of bleeding... damn, so that's how it is!!