*Bam!* Being unable to resist the impact, Asuka was sent flying into the air before...
*Splash---!*The water of the river sprayed up as Asuka fell into it. The faerie clusters had also dispersed like mist as they flee from the scene. Asuka was now hugging a boulder that jutted from the middle of the river as she kept her body afloat.
Sitting on Deen’s shoulder, Percher used a bored expression to look down upon Asuka who was in the river.
“It’s enough right? If I were to repeat the same thing for the fifth time, I would really be tired of it.”
“……Ugh……!”
To prevent herself from being washed away by the river’s flow, Asuka could only cling tighter to the boulder for dear life.
It was just as Percher said. This was already the fourth result of their contest and it had also been the same with the previous ones: with Asuka falling from Deen as the last act that signed her defeat.
Deen with its lower half immersed in the river reached out a huge palm towards its master as it rescued her from the waters.
“……thanks, Deen.”
“DeN.”
Deen gave a curt reply. Although it’s voice was a monotone, it seemed to lack the usual domineering spirit(haki).
Percher lightly floated to Asuka’s side before asking with a really annoying smile on her face:
“So, what do you want to do now? Wanna continue? If you want to continue, it will just be similar to me bullying you, but it isn’t as if I’m unwilling.”
“……No. It’s enough.”
“Oh, really?” Percher continued to have that smile on her face as she coldly dropped that line before flying off to the side.
Perhaps it was the victory over Asuka, who had a strong will and confidence in herself, that caused Percher to be in an especially good mood. And as she lightly skipped her way back to Jin’s side, what welcomed her was far from praises.
“Percher, this contest is supposed to iron out the problem between the clash of two opposing elements. You shouldn’t have directly aimed for Asuka but fight with Deen itself.”
“Well, that was my original intention too……But that little red girl was full of openings and I just couldn’t resist that urge. It was just begging for me to take advantage of it when she’s in that state.”
Saying that, Percher sat herself at the river’s bank and started to kick at the water with her feet to send the water spray into the river with the sound of splashing water.
Although the words that came from her mouth were full of arrogance, but she did catch on quickly about Izayoi’s real intention when she first heard of the contest.
“I had also wanted to have a contest with her for real……but that little red girl is basically just a normal human. In fact, it’s just fortunate for that sort of person to successfully survive in my Game and that sure is something I must admit to be quite a feat.”
Percher had a leisurely smile on her face as she made her dig at Asuka.
That’s right---It was just as Percher had pointed out, Asuka’s body was just that of a normal human being. Even after obtaining a strong and big subordinate like Deen, it did nothing to wipe out that flaw.
If it were just another normal enemy, it would be a different matter but when matched up with a higher classed Demon or a Eudemon that had strong physical abilities, Asuka would be unable to protect herself.
“……but I have something that I agree too. The Red Metal Doll’s Gift that has been strengthened by her is definitely a threat. In terms of strength, durability, the godly speed and the smoothness of its stretching ability, if it were to be in a completely powered up mode, it would definitely be tough enough to make my former God class form to be unable to do a thing about it. And that’s something that I must admit too.”
Her Black winds of Death hadn’t been effective on that Red Metal Doll when she was a God class spirit. And when it was given support from Asuka, Deen’s strength would increase tremendously.
That was something that even Percher would admit.
“But, the main point is that the master is seriously too weak. No matter how strong a puppet she may have, lacking any means for self-defense, the puppeteer isn’t the least bit frightening. Let’s not even start on the talk of Demon Lords. Just matching her with any of the Eudemons found in this area will already be enough to spell her defeat.”
Percher glanced at Asuka while smiling as she said those words that were dripping with sarcasm. The reason for Percher being so blunt with her provocative words would most probably be due to her being spiteful of the fact that Asuka had been the one who landed the finishing blow to her in the previous Game.
Jin frowned as he seemed ready to admonish Percher who couldn’t seem to control her tongue.
“Percher, that’s too much. Could you mind that tone slightly---?”
“Nope, I don’t wanna. Anyways, isn’t it that freak’s intention to make her recognize her own shortfalls? Then I’ve just completed my job with a hundred and twenty percent of my effort. If you want me to spend more thought on how to comfort her, that would be too unreasonable already isn’t it?”
Percher continued to smile serenely as she cast her gaze towards the window of the main VIP room.
Just then, Sala had also arrived at the main VIP quarters to have a look.
Kuro Usagi who watched the progress of the battle situation below from the main VIP quarters had also acknowledged Sala’s arrival politely with her eyes, but a bitter smile hung on her lips.
“Sala-sama…… um…you saw?”
“Nn. I had come to check out the cause of the tremors……and I see…you guys are doing a small test of strength?”
“YES. In preparation for the battle tomorrow, we have borrowed the Underground Cavern for today.”
Sala gave an *Mhn* as she looked down once more. But what she was focusing on wasn’t on Percher or Asuka but the footprints that were left behind by Deen that did not seem to match the owner.
[That being a metal doll created from the Rare Sacred Iron…… a metal Titan that can stretch as it please. But even if it were to be created from the Rare Sacred Iron, the total weight shouldn’t be any different……could it be the effect from that girl’s Gift?]
Taking note of the depth of those footprints left behind by Deen, Sala sank into deep thought.
On the other hand, Asuka was standing with her head down at the side of the river, thoroughly drenched and dripping but not moving an inch.
“Asuka-san……”
Kuro Usagi called her name worriedly, albeit in a soft murmur.
Even after the consecutive belittling comments, Asuka did not even return a violent retort nor did she meet Percher’s eyes.
Although this was an expected result, but this was much too cruel a defeat for Asuka who was a girl with much self-confidence and would surely be a huge wound to her pride. Although not telling Jin about the intention of the fight might be her bad in the first place, but now that it had come to this, Kuro Usagi could only regret about having allowed Percher and not herself to fight Asuka.
To completely shatter the determination that Asuka had for the rescuing of Yō and the others in the enemy camp, it really was too cruel.
Just as Kuro Usagi was wracking her brains for a solution to repair the situation……Izayoi’s figure could be seen taking large strides in the Cavern below and entering Kuro Usagi’s field of vision.
And there were huge pails in each of his hands.
Kuro Usagi immediately felt a chill creep up her back.
“Iza, Izayoi-san…… what is he planning to do?”
“Who knows? He seems to be carrying pails to me.”
The two who continued to watch him tilted their heads in puzzlement. What Izayoi held in his hands were metal containers that were rounded and protruding at the right places. In other words, they were just normal pails that could not be mistaken for any other thing.
Izayoi was only carrying those pails while walking along the bank of the river…… but watching Izayoi’s movements, Kuro Usagi’s rabbit ears had pressed themselves flat on her head, seeming to have sensed something bad approaching.