I'll Show You Insanity

Chapter 48

Yuma's opponent lumbered forward, the human embodiment of physical strength.

His hair was black and choppy, eyes an icy blue. His muscles rippled beneath the tan flesh stretched over them, easily visible from his lack of shirt. He towered menacingly over the charcoal haired girl, a war hammer strapped diagonally across his back.

"Wooooah~!" Yuma giggled, leaning back as she looked to his face, falling back on her butt.

The man released steaming air from his flaring nostrils as a vein pulsed in his temple. "What kind of joke is this!? This is an insult!" He roared, his hand reaching behind him and seizing the handle of his hammer.

The mighty weight fell forward with a vengence, hitting the charcoal haired girl against her torso and bringing dust into the air as a large tan cloud. This rose commotion among the watching crowd, drawing gasps of horror, cries of concern, and even a few bloodthirsty cheers.

The brutish man smirked, chuckling coldly as he picked his mallot up and rested it against his shoulder.

"Yuma!" Genma yelled, rushing to assist the no doubt injured girl. She laid there, still as a corpse, smile still on her lips. Fearing the worst, his rage made him turn to the man responsible.

"That was cowardly and disgraceful!" He barked, senbon clicking angrily against his teeth. "There is an honorable way to fight, and it is clear that any honor you had was lost with your humanity! Have you no shame, or is your existence shameful enough?!"

The beast of a man released a breathe through his nose, releasing bursts of steam from his nostrils.

"I don't have to take lectures from a worm like you," he rumbled, swiftly planting a foot harshly against Genma's gut and sending him flying.

The proctor hit the arena wall with a grunt of pain, coaxing more gasps to flow from the lips of the audience.

"And I don't need lessons of pride and honor from any scum as week as you!" The brute exclaimed in addition, seizing his weapon once again and heaving it at his target at break-neck speed.

Many in the crowd screamed in concern, as the breathless man in danger hadn't yet looked up to see the new attack. He was still trying to regain the air lost from his lungs because of the hard impact against the concrete. When he did lift his head, his dark eyes widened as he spotted the weapon mere feet from his stationary body.

Suddenly, a charcoal grey and crimson red blur zipped across the arena, stopping between Genma and the assaulting weaponry.

"Yuma?!" The man behind the figure exclaimed in horror, as the giant hammer was mere milliseconds from hitting her bloodied form again.

But she was ready, stepping slightly to the side when the rapidly spinning hammer was close enough to strike her. Her hands swiftly moved, placing themselves against multiple places on the staff of the war hammer, continuing the spinning as she used the momentum to manipulate the trajectory of the weapon. As she turned her upperbody, she also changed the direction the hammer would fly once she allowed it to continue, and as she released it, it zoomed at a faster speed towards it's owner, who barely jumped out of the way in time to avoid the attack.

"What the hell?!" He yelled, outraged. "You shouldn't even still be alive!"

Silence followed as Yuma smirked. A small trail of drying blood was present at the corner of her mouth, and she was covered in bruises and cuts, but she was otherwise unharmed.

It appeared a miracle as she giggled, winking playfully at the monstrous man. "Woah, you really screwed up, Mister! Now I'm really gonna make you pay for hitting my friend!" Her voice was light, but somewhat eery with the threat.

However, before carrying out the malicious promise, she turned to check on Genma.

"You okay?" She asked, crouching beside him and poking his cheek with a worried pout.

"Are you?!" He ignored her concern and scrambled to her, checking her over for major injuries. "That coward!" He snarled.

"I'm fine, Gen-nii," Yuma giggled, patting his head before grabbing his hand and yanking him to his feet.

"Don't just turn your back on me!" The livid man across the arena barked and Yuma lifted her hand without looking, catching four shuriken with her fingers in the holes with ease.

Turning her head, she sent the shocked man a chilling smile. "Be patient, you'll get the snot beat outta ya soon enough!"

"Are you still okay to fight?" Genma asked, worried for the smiling girl.

She released a pent up breath, grin only growing. "There's no way he's getting out scot-free now."

He sighed, still concerned. "You just be careful, alright?"

"As long as I'm alive, I'll protect this village with my life, and that includes those in it."

Her declaration, like before, had carried to everyone in the audience. And because of this, many villagers were left speechless. After all the times they'd shunned her, beaten her, hurt her, she would still make such a promise?

Meanwhile, many of the Lords and Ladies that had previously wondered about what made the girl so special, instantly realized the answer.

Her heart.