Chapter 50

That night. At the inn where we were staying.

I turned off the hanging light and slipped into bed.

I had already stopped the spying and eavesdropping I had been doing with the shikigami throughout the capital. So, I could sleep without a care.

Despite the tremendous effort, it wasn’t very efficient...

If I lose as planned tomorrow, my tournament will be over.

After that, I just need to return to the academy.

But before that, maybe I can spend a day sightseeing. Unlike those two, I haven’t really explored the capital much...

“...Seika-sama”

Yuki’s somewhat suspicious voice.

“Hmm?”

“Are you really going to lose tomorrow? You’re not thinking of winning, are you?”

“No, no. What’s the point of that?”

“You’re right, but... somehow, Yuki had a feeling about it.”

“True, kitsune can predict things, but have you ever succeeded?”

“Well, Yuki can predict the weather for the next day!”

“That’s a choice between rain, shine, and clouds... and you were often wrong.”

I yawned and closed my eyes.

“Are you going to sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Then... Yuki will sleep too. Good night.”

As soon as I heard her voice,

something soft touched my left arm.

When I opened my eyes, a white girl was hugging my left arm.

“...Hey”

“Yes?”

Yuki, in her human form, looked at me with a curious expression. In the dark, it seemed like she was trying to suppress a smile.

“No... what’s with this sudden change?”

“Let’s sleep together again! Seika-sama!”

“You’re already sleeping on my head.”

“No, I mean, like this. Besides, it’s been a long time since Yuki has taken human form!”

“Well, that’s true.”

“It’s fine, isn’t it, once in a while? The bed in this inn is quite wide!”

“...Alright, if you insist.”

“Hehe!”

Yuki hugged me.

I remembered that when I first gave her a human form, she used to be so playful, refusing to return to her fox form and even sneaking into bed at night.

Even though she has lived for quite a long time as a kitsune, she still seems like a child. Maybe that’s what happens when you don’t have a mate.

Then, Yuki reached out and touched my cheek, patting it.

As she leaned in, she seemed to be grinning.

“Hehehe, Seika-sama’s face is so cute...! Just like little Haruyoshi-sama.”

“Stop it...”

At that moment,

I sensed something and focused on the owl perched on the roof.

This is...

“Was little Haruyoshi-sama like this when he was a child... Wait, Seika-sama!?”

I turned my body and grabbed Yuki’s shoulder with my right hand, causing her to gasp.

“N-no, Seika-sama! Y-Yuki is a kitsune and can’t mate with humans!”

“Just be quiet for a moment.”

I held Yuki’s slender body and leaned over her.

Then, I rolled to the other side and fell off the bed.

A thud echoed.

“Oof”

Yuki, who fell with me, groaned.

The next moment,

A figure broke through the ceiling and plunged a dagger into the bed.

A loud noise echoed through the inn.

The bed, unable to withstand the impact, was shattered like a carp pierced by a spear.

Yuki, startled, returned to her fox form and hid in my hair.

I rolled further, grabbed a human-shaped talisman, and got up.

Then, I turned my gaze to the person standing at the center of the destroyed bed.

“Ha, a bit too intense for a night visit, Mabel.”

Mabel’s response was a flashing throwing dagger.

I ducked to avoid the silver blade.

The missed dagger pierced the wooden wall behind me, creating several large holes. The power was indeed extraordinary. A cool night breeze blew in, chilling my skin.

After throwing the dagger, Mabel immediately rushed forward with a short sword.

I grabbed her arm to deflect the thrust, but I couldn’t stop her momentum. Unable to withstand the impact, I was thrown into the wall, which had already been breached, and we were both hurled into the air.

The city streets spread out below us.

We were on the third floor. Not a big deal.

While falling, I kicked Mabel to create some distance, focused on the flow of energy, and adjusted my posture in mid-air to land.

In front of me, the girl assassin landed on the road with the lightness of a feather.

In the night of the capital,

we faced each other silently in an empty alley.

Under the moonlight, the face of the gravity manipulator showed no expression. I couldn’t read her thoughts.

Mabel threw another throwing dagger.

I rolled to avoid the whistling blade and formed a seal with one hand.

《Wood phase—Vine Binding Technique》

Vines sprouted from under Mabel’s feet.

She widened her eyes for a moment but reacted quickly. She cut the vines at their roots and stepped forward to escape the others.

Then, she closed the distance between us with her momentum.

A short sword was thrust at my shoulder.

But the blade pierced a human-shaped talisman.

I had teleported behind Mabel and attached the talisman to her back.

“Sorry, but I’ll send you back.”

《Sun phase—Energy Release Technique》

Energy was added to the talisman, and Mabel was supposed to be blown across the alley—

But.

She suddenly crouched.

As she started to fly, she plunged her short sword into the cobblestones.

A loud scraping sound echoed as the cobblestones were worn down.

At the same time, her momentum rapidly decreased... and eventually, she stopped.

A burnt smell filled the air.

Hmm...

I had put quite a bit of force into it, but it wasn’t enough. She must have significantly increased her weight, which slowed her down considerably.

Mabel slowly stood up.

She seemed to be slightly out of breath, having been in a close call.

I sighed.

She’s strong.

It’s too dangerous to leave her if she’s trying to kill me.

Reluctantly, I decided to eliminate her—

“What’s with the noise... Oh!”

I turned at the sound.

A middle-aged man, apparently returning from a bar, was peering into the alley. He was staring at the broken cobblestones and the damaged wall of the inn with wide eyes.

“Unwelcome intruders are such a nuisance.”

Before I could use a technique,

Mabel’s throwing dagger was already flying toward me.

The thin dagger hit the street wall at the corner where the man was standing, causing a spectacular explosion. Debris and dust rained down on the intruder.

“Ah!”

The middle-aged man screamed and ran away.

When I turned around, Mabel was already gone.

The quiet returned to the night alley.

I took a deep breath, calming down.

“Hmm...”

As my head cleared, my thoughts returned.

Reflecting on the battle, I noticed a few things.

Yuki cautiously peeked out from my hair.

“Seika-sama... What was that just now?”

“...It was like a prelude to tomorrow. Alright, I’ve decided, Yuki.”

I smiled and told Yuki.

“Since she came to see me, let’s spend the night with that girl.”