Chapter 91: Tiger Hunting (5)

Yuri and the tiger-striped woman clashed in an instant.

And just as they started, a loud noise echoed as Yuri was sent flying backward.

Bang-!

Although it seemed that the first blow had delivered a considerable impact, Yuri was smiling broadly.

'As expected, the first move is the key to victory!'

The first attack didn't cause much damage.

However, thanks to the preemptive strike a moment ago, he could easily get through the first round.

He hadn't even used his prepared cards or the Brain Wing.

Despite being hit hard and sent flying backward, there was no better situation than this.

I hope the situation continues to go this well.

'Of course, that's impossible.'

The tiger-striped woman followed Yuri, who was flying backward.

Her fist approached Yuri's nose.

Seeing this, the memory of his nose bleeding a few days ago resurfaced.

'I won't fall for the same trick again!'

Patsuk-.

The Brain Wing was superimposed on his movement.

His figure was enveloped in lightning, shimmering like mist.

Hong-.

The tiger-striped woman's fist struck Yuri's head.

Or rather, it pierced through the afterimage of Yuri's head.

And at that moment.

'...?!'

She hastily pulled her head back, sensing the danger.

Patsuk-.

A sharp pain arose on the tiger-striped woman's left cheek.

Thud-.

"..."

The tiger-striped woman stopped in her tracks.

She stared at Yuri, who had moved 7 meters away, and rubbed her cheek.

A faint trail of blood appeared on her metal gauntlet.

Her eyes widened slightly at this.

A smile formed on her lips as she saw her own blood.

"Huh?"

She couldn't believe it.

In this incredibly boring mission.

To be injured by a rookie who had just entered the arena.

The tiger-striped woman's smile began to take on a cruel edge.

"Indeed... it's fun."

She followed Yuri, who was 7 meters away, without relaxing her tension.

Patsuk-.

This was a move that was impossible unless she was 100% sure her prediction was correct.

If her calculations were even slightly off, it would result in wasting one of her limited Brain Wing uses.

Fortunately, Yuri's calculations were spot on.

Swish-.

The fist aimed at Yuri's left side seemed to graze him.

Conversely, Yuri's sword was flying toward her neck.

The entire process took about three seconds.

If someone had seen this scene, they would have tilted their head in confusion.

To them, it would have looked like Yuri was maintaining his stance when the tiger-striped woman suddenly appeared and missed, even offering her neck.

Yuri was confident.

'This worked!'

It was a perfect prediction, so much so that it seemed to have worked.

But what Yuri hadn't predicted.

Was that just as he could read moves, so could his opponent.

Especially since the tiger-striped woman, who had already been cut on the cheek, was no longer complacent.

Recognizing Yuri as a true adversary, she was giving it her all.

Swoosh-.

Kang-!

As if she knew, her gauntlet blocked the sword aimed at her neck.

At the same time, the thumb on the fist that had grazed Yuri's side suddenly shot out.

If he stayed like this, her thumb would surely touch his side.

'...?!'

Yuri was surprised by the tiger-striped woman's unconventional move.

Despite his panicked mind, his body instinctively activated the Brain Wing to change direction.

Patsuk-.

'Damn!'

Yuri's face stiffened.

His perfect sword strike aimed at her neck was completely blocked by her gauntlet.

He had wasted another Brain Wing to counter her unexpected move.

Even with using the Brain Wing, he couldn't fully avoid her attack.

Her thumb barely, just barely grazed his side.

As a result.

Ud-.

The sharp pain made Yuri's expression contort.

* * *

Aerin, standing on a tree branch, watched the person facing Yuri in the clearing.

'That's... a tiger.'

Even from a distance, the fierce aura made her hair stand on end.

Aerin recalled what Yuri had said, with a stern expression.

[Unlike bear hunting, tiger hunting won't take more than a few minutes. And what you need to do isn't difficult. Well, is it difficult?]

A task that was not difficult but also not easy.

Yuri's request was simple.

[You and Poppi just need to give me two opportunities.]

He had also given a warning that wasn't quite a warning.

[I know you're hiding something. I am too. But this time... don't hide and give it your all. Otherwise, it won't be easy to create an opportunity.]

It wouldn't be easy.

Poppi had agreed to show her hidden cards.

But Aerin was a bit reluctant.

'A tiger is that strong?'

Just how strong was the tiger that it required her to reveal her hidden cards?

But such doubts faded as she saw the tiger emitting a fierce aura.

'If it's this intense from this distance... the one facing it directly must be... '

Yuri, who was directly confronting the tiger, must be receiving several times the intensity.

Despite this, Yuri was burning with determination against the tiger.

For some reason, his back view was etched in Aerin's mind with unusual intensity.

And at that moment.

Yuri's figure blurred and disappeared.

Bang-!

Soon, the sound of a human fist and sword colliding, like a thunderclap, echoed.

'This has started.'

From now on, everything would be decided in a few minutes.

And the moment she could intervene in the fight was fleeting.

So Aerin had to prepare for that fleeting moment.

'He wants me to use everything I've hidden?'

Swoosh-.

She drew an arrow.

'If you want, I'll do it.'

Then she closed her eyes tightly and whispered.

"『Pursuit』."

A short, soft, but strangely buzzing voice.

She lightly touched the arrow's tip with her lips.

Then.

Woo-.

The arrow was enveloped in a pale ivory light.

Aerin immediately nocked the arrow.

Greeek-.

The bowstring was pulled to its limit, screaming.

The blue eyes watching the intense battle in the clearing seized the moment.

Wide-eyed.

Slowed breathing.

A moment when the world seemed to stop.

'Now!'

A white hand released the bowstring.

Pshh-!

The arrow, glowing with light, was launched.

* * *

'Gah, a rib is cracked!'

Just a slight graze from her fingertips.

It seemed to have caused a slight crack in one of his ribs.

If he had been a bit slower in dodging, it wouldn't have just been a crack.

Although a rib was cracked, the real danger was just beginning.

'Posture!'

Yuri's posture was disarrayed due to the sudden unconventional move, but the tiger-striped woman seemed ready to launch her next attack.

In a hurry, Yuri activated the Brain Wing.

Patsuk-.

'This is the fourth time.'

Now, only one Brain Wing remained.

He had to use the precious Brain Wing not just for evasion but for attack, but the situation didn't allow it.

'A gap... just a small gap.'

A tiny opening.

A very small opportunity was desperately needed.

Swoosh-.

An arrow, glowing with an ivory light, appeared.

As if it had teleported, the arrow appeared between Yuri and the tiger-striped woman.

'What?'

'...?!'

In the slowed time.

Yuri and the tiger-striped woman both wore puzzled expressions.

The arrow seemed to be passing between them without any specific target.

But their puzzled expressions quickly turned to shock.

Greeek-.

The arrow moved.

No, it wasn't just moving.

It was...

'The arrow... is bending?'

The arrow, which had been flying straight, was bending as if someone was holding and bending it.

It was an unbelievable sight.

An arrow flying straight suddenly bending?!

And this was because the arrow's tip suddenly changed direction, and the shaft couldn't keep up with the change.

Greeek-!

Ultimately, the arrow bent into a 'ㄱ' shape.

The arrow, which seemed to be passing between Yuri and the tiger-striped woman, gradually slowed to a near stop, and then...

Pang-!

The arrow, which had bent into a 'ㄱ' shape, straightened out and flew in the direction the tip was pointing.

Of course, the target of the arrow's tip was naturally...

"…?!"

The tiger-striped woman.

Even someone as experienced as her would have never seen an arrow bend into a 'ㄱ' shape and fly toward her.

Naturally, she was taken aback by this unbelievable situation and reached out to grab the arrow.

Yuri's eyes sparkled.

'An opportunity!'

He knew who had created this opportunity without needing to think deeply.

He wanted to give a thumbs-up to Aerin, but more importantly, he needed to seize this golden opportunity.

Kwa-.

The moment the tiger-striped woman caught the arrow aimed at her chest and crushed it in her hand.

Patsutsutsuk-.

Yuri's Brain Wing, which he had already pulled back to the limit, surged violently.

At the same time, Yuri, who had activated his powerful sword, aimed for the opening and swung his sword.

The target was the tiger-striped woman's right chest.

Seeing the tiger-striped woman still seemingly frozen, Yuri felt a thrill.

'It hit!'

The opening created by Aerin.

His sword finally reached the tiger-striped woman, taking advantage of that opening.

He was certain this would be a fatal wound.

And one second later.

Kakang-!

Yuri and the tiger-striped woman's positions were reversed.

The two stood back-to-back.

A small drop of blood fell from Yuri's sword.

The blood wasn't his.

So it was clear that the attack had landed.

But Yuri's face was stiff.

He even muttered a curse.

"...Damn."

This was because the feeling at the tip of his sword was strange.

"Hmm... this."

Hearing a voice from behind, Yuri turned around.

Only then did he understand the strange feeling at the tip of his sword.

The tiger-striped woman's shirt was torn from her chest to her shoulder.

Between the tears, a solid metal breastplate was revealed.