Chapter 049: Strike! Behead Zank!

Kobayashi held his long sword horizontally, his mental focus growing even sharper. He no longer confined himself to mere swordsmanship, deciding to combine sword techniques and magic together.

"Taking a wide stride forward for a horizontal slash, gripping the sword with both hands to turn and follow up with an upward thrust, placing the blade horizontally for a downward smash to use [Sword Skill: Low-Stage Cleave] to nullify the stiffness recovery, and taking advantage of that window with my left hand to cast [Magic: Flame Arrow]... Heh heh heh, this young man is truly straightforward. How delightful, how delightful!"

Zanku the Decapitated easily dodged every single offensive maneuver while continuously hurling taunts.

Kobayashi was not provoked into disordered breathing or messy attacks; he continued to deploy sword skills and magic at the exact same rhythm. Yet no matter how he attacked or fired sneak spells, he could not manage to harm Zanku at all.

That initial surprise attack had made Zanku highly vigilant, causing him to dodge any unfamiliar type of attack well in advance.

An ability to read minds is unexpectedly troublesome.

Kobayashi felt somewhat depressed.

The necklace Aqua gave him seemed to possess zero resistance against mind-reading. Even though it could apparently immunize against visual hallucinations, she had exaggerated wildly by claiming it could block mental shocks.

Could it be that because mind-reading carries no actual malice, the necklace fails to block it?

Still, there were ways to counter it.

"Your mind-reading ability is indeed troublesome, but I have already come up with three ways to deal with it."

"Oh? Three ways, you say? How delightful, how delightful!"

"The first method: blanking my own mind to avoid thinking entirely, letting my body execute unconscious attacks and defenses. In other words, what martial artists often call the state of selflessness."

Unfortunately, Kobayashi could not use this method.

Having been thoroughly corrupted by the vibrant, distracting world of his past life, he was simply incapable of clearing his mind and erasing all stray thoughts.

"The second method is a bit more straightforward and crude."

"...Magic?"

[Bingo! Correct!]

With those words, Zanku's ability to peer into Kobayashi's mind reached its absolute limit. After that, he could sense nothing at all, only an empty void.

——[Magic: Mental Barrier]

This was a spell originally derived to prevent enemies from using mental-type magic to control friendly mages. However, since the mind was now completely shielded, it naturally granted immunity to mind-reading.

"Alright, round two begins."

Kobayashi licked his lips. Seeing Zanku's expression grow even more unhinged and wild, his own fighting spirit surged higher.

The roles of offense and defense reversed!

Zanku, who had been relying on defensive counterattacks all this time, suddenly took the initiative. The short swords in his hands moved with blinding speed, thrusting and slashing to form an airtight wall of steel. A single moment of carelessness would result in being chopped to pieces with limbs flying everywhere.

Kobayashi felt a slight wave of surprise.

It seemed Zanku didn't rely solely on his Teigu for intimidation; he genuinely possessed a fair amount of real martial skill.

However...

Kobayashi caught Zanku's twin short swords with his long sword and suddenly launched a low kick with his left leg. Yet Zanku countered by raising his own left leg to block, while stepping forward to evade Kobayashi's subsequent right kick cleanly and swiftly.

Disengaging his long sword from the short swords, Kobayashi immediately pressed downward to force Zanku off-balance so he could not generate power. But Zanku had anticipated the move a step ahead, exploiting Kobayashi's momentarily undefended lower stance to kick him flying.

"Isn't this completely useless?!"

Kobayashi scrambled up from the ground, unable to stop himself from cursing aloud.

"How delightful, how delightful!"

Zanku tapped his forefinger lightly against the Teigu on his forehead, speaking with a rather boastful tone: "Future Sight. Even if I cannot pre-read your mind, I can still see through your next move simply by reading the microscopic twitches of your muscles."

"What kind of tenth-generation Vongola boss are you?!"

Kobayashi shouted inwardly in frustration.

It seemed this approach still wouldn't cut it. He was aware of the Future Sight ability and had wondered if weakening the mind-reading aspect would let him pull off a win, but reality proved otherwise.

His own swordsmanship was still in its infancy. Beating an opponent of exceptional skill who could simultaneously foresee the trajectory of incoming attacks was completely hopeless.

Wait.

Did he even have any necessity to fight this guy? To be precise, did he have any need to fight a Zanku who was currently wielding a Teigu?

If the Teigu was so troublesome, wouldn't it be easier to just steal it?

"Heh heh heh heh heh..."

Kobayashi's smile suddenly twisted into something demonic. The fingers of his right hand, held by his side, began to twitch and writhe in a bizarre pattern, as if he were performing some kind of preparation ritual.

Even though it looked like a completely useless and weird gesture, Zanku still sensed an aura of danger.

Especially given that he already knew the opponent possessed strange, unorthodox techniques, his sense of crisis heightened dramatically.

Kobayashi extended his right hand, aimed squarely at the Teigu, and shouted: "——Eat this! Stea..."

"Kobayashi! Are you alright?!"

"——Gah?"

The words choked in his throat. That frustrating sensation of wanting to fire off a skill yet being unable to release it was intensely agonizing.

Who dared to interrupt my incantation?!

Oh, it's just you, kid.

Watching Tatsumi rapidly approaching from behind, the corner of Kobayashi's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

True to being the protagonist, always stealing the kill at the crucial moment?

"Tatsumi, your timing is impeccable."

"Right? I sensed something was wrong and came running over immediately! Good thing I made it in time!"

No, I meant the exact opposite.

Tatsumi completely misunderstood.

Yet Kobayashi could not allow him to meddle. Vaguely positioning himself to block Tatsumi's path, he said, "Tatsumi, fall back."

Tatsumi looked somewhat agitated. "It's better if the two of us fight together, right?"

"No. Have you forgotten the golden rule of battles between Teigu users?" Kobayashi scolded him sharply.

That's right!

Tatsumi remembered. A battle to the death between Teigu users meant one side was bound to perish.

No wonder Kobayashi had been blocking his way from the start—he was trying to protect him.

Tatsumi was deeply moved.

The actual reason, however, was that Kobayashi didn't want him stealing the final kill.

Kobayashi was intensely interested in the Teigu [One-Tail's Observer / Spectator], and naturally wouldn't let Tatsumi interfere.

Tatsumi, however, asked in confusion, "Wait a minute. If this is a battle between Teigu users, why isn't Ruriji-小姐 here?"

Congratulations, you've spotted the crucial detail.

"That's what she said."

Kobayashi raised his head to look at the graceful automaton standing under the moonlight above, and called out loudly, "It's your cue, Ruriji."

"I am not a Teigu, I am a doll. Please do not make mistakes, Lord Tatsumi. However, Lord Kobayashi looks truly pathetic, failing to deal with mere vermin. My evaluation of you is bound to drop."

Ruriji's cold, sharp-tongued voice drifted down from above.

Kobayashi spread his hands in helpless resignation. "Yes, yes, yes. That's precisely why I have no choice but to rely on you. You can do this, right, Ruriji?"

"Understood. Following Lord Kobayashi's command."

Ruriji fluttered gracefully down from the heights. The evening gown she wore remained completely undisturbed, making her look as elegant as a noble lady.

"I don't think I told you about the third method yet, did I?"

Kobayashi flashed the exact same wicked smile as Zanku, stating: "The strength of a Teigu, aside from biological types, generally depends on its user. In other words, humans have their limits, but a humanoid Teigu does not!"

Pre-reading the mind?

Ruriji has no inner thoughts!

X-ray vision?

Ruriji's entire body is made of interlocking gears!

Future Sight?

Ruriji's speed surpasses his entirely; even if he foresees the attack, he physically cannot dodge in time!

"My master rarely asks me for favors, which deals quite a blow to me as an attendant. Therefore, I intend to fulfill this commission to absolute perfection."

Ruriji gathered her skirt with both hands, executed a slight, elegant curtsy, and delivered a final verbal strike: "Therefore, would you mind terribly dropping dead?"

"A humanoid Teigu, you say... How delightful, how delightful!"

Zanku couldn't help bursting into wild laughter, exclaiming with excitement, "What does it feel like to sever the neck of a Teigu? Let me experience it and find out for myself!"

With those words, he rushed forward with a powerful stride.

From beneath Ruriji's skirt flashed two high-tech, formidable large scythes, leaving one to wonder just how much mysterious spatial dimension could possibly be hidden beneath a young girl's garments.

Clang——!

High-tech met cold steel as the giant scythes and short swords clashed passionately in the night sky. The speed escalated rapidly, sending countless sparks flying into the air before vanishing.

Compared to Zanku, who was constantly twisting his body and furiously slashing with both hands, Ruriji remained remarkably composed. Standing in place, she executed her attacks entirely with the scythes concealed beneath her dress, looking infinitely more elegant.

"How delightful, how delightful! Is this the power of a humanoid Teigu?"

At that moment, Zanku felt as though he had broken through his own limits. Empowered by his Teigu, he believed he had surpassed the boundaries of human capability.

Yet, it was still not enough!

"Lord Kobayashi is waiting. Let us bring this to a swift conclusion."

Ruriji's speed suddenly accelerated by several tiers. Unencumbered by the restrictions of human joints, she proved vastly superior to Zanku, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks that forced him into a continuous retreat.

"Hah—hah—, how delightful, how delightful!"

Zanku panted heavily. Everyone present could see that he had reached the end of his rope.

Ruriji stepped forward leisurely, her sharp tongue delivering the verdict: "When all is said and done, you are merely a bug. Even with a so-called Teigu, you are nothing more than a slightly stronger bug. A mere Teigu is entirely incomparable to my performance."

Her sense of rivalry was unexpectedly intense.

Kobayashi inwardly clicked his tongue. Was it because he always praised Teigus in front of her?

It seemed he would need to pay more attention to her feelings from now on.

"Very well. Since there are no fresh performances left, you might as well exit the stage. That is the most basic etiquette for a clown, is it not?"

"A clown... you say?"

Ruriji's venomous tongue nearly caused Zanku to lose his composure entirely.

Regrettably, Ruriji cared nothing for his mental state. She moved at blinding speed, weaving a gorgeous yet deadly dance around him as her twin scythes flashed with brilliant, fatal light.

Even though Zanku resisted with every ounce of his remaining strength, it was utterly futile. He could only endure as the wounds on his body multiplied and his stamina drained away.

In the end, under Ruriji's high-speed slashing, his head was sent soaring into the night sky.

"Is this my finale? How delightful, how delightful!"

A decapitation expert, dying by decapitation.

It was perhaps the most fitting divine retribution for him.