"Why are you both looking at me like that?"
Noticing Asuna and Kotoko's incredulous gazes, Asagiri retracted the chain connected to the Rope Dart, wrapping it around his hand and forearm. He swung the blood-stained Rope Dart head with one hand, even continuously drawing circles in the air beside him with the Rope Dart head, as easily as playing with a toy.
"Even without using my Persona's ability, dealing with a Yokai of this level is still very easy for me."
"The key is, you're too exaggerated…"
Just as Asuna was halfway through speaking, she heard the Minotaur Yokai's angry roar and saw its tall, burly body break free from the indentation in the wall, its four hooves once again landing on the ground.
"Tch... is it that hard to kill…"
"It being hard to kill is perfect, we can practice our tactics."
Kotoko first said this softly, then covered her right prosthetic eye with one hand, using only her left eye to meet the gaze of the Minotaur Yokai, activating her newly acquired skill, 'Curse Gaze'.
The moment she activated the skill, she felt a slight dizziness and fatigue. It seemed this represented the consumption of mental energy.
The next second, Kotoko's deep purple left eye suddenly dimmed slightly, and a faint black mist seemed to emerge within her beautiful purple pupil.
Roar!
The Minotaur Yokai, which had been tensing its body and preparing to charge at Asagiri, suddenly swayed. It was as if its skill's wind-up had been abruptly interrupted. It vigorously shook its head, but even standing steady was difficult.
At this moment, Asuna, who was over ten meters away, had already gripped the Exorcist Longsword in her hand. Her slender figure was like a slightly glowing blade, using all her explosive power to perform a thrust at the fastest speed.
"Leader!"
"Got it."
Asagiri, who was less than three meters away and closest to the Minotaur Yokai, nodded. Looking at the Minotaur Yokai, which was still in a dizzy state due to Kotoko's "Curse Gaze", he said softly.
"King's Gambit."
The next second, Asagiri, who had been standing there, suddenly appeared over ten meters away. Replacing his original position was Asuna, holding the Exorcist Longsword, unleashing all her speed, and charging forward fearlessly.
Seeing Asuna suddenly appear in front of it, the Minotaur Yokai wanted to defend itself, but it was already too late.
Only the tip of the sword, flashing with cold light, gradually magnified in the reflection of its pale white eyeballs.
.........
"Is it finished...?"
With a single sword thrust through the Minotaur Yokai's head, watching its massive, fur-covered body gradually dissipate, Asuna didn't rush to withdraw her weapon. Instead, she pulled out her Exorcist Longsword, gripping the hilt tightly until she confirmed the Minotaur Yokai had completely vanished without a trace. Only then did she exhale in relief, canceling the summoning of her weapon.
"That combo skill of yours is really something."
Kotoko adjusted her beret, looking at Asagiri with a smile.
"Leader's King's Gambit, when swapping positions, maintains the original state of both parties. This is equivalent to a full-speed Violet instantly teleporting over ten meters right in front of the enemy, giving them no time to react at all."
Asagiri nodded slightly and chuckled.
"That's true, but only Violet can use this kind of combo skill with me. For someone whose reaction speed and physical balance aren't as outstanding, suddenly teleporting and swapping positions while in a full-speed sprint would only cause them to lose balance and run straight into the enemy's attack, essentially courting death."
Kotoko blinked her beautiful deep purple eyes and made a playful, cute expression.
"Hmm, but it doesn't have to be a combo skill, right? You can bind multiple targets anyway. If I'm in danger in the future, I'll trouble the Leader to use this skill to save me~"
"Haa..."
At this moment, Asuna, who had slain the Minotaur Yokai, looked down at her hands and let out a long sigh.
"I can vaguely feel it... after eliminating this guy, my speed... it really seems to have increased a bit..."
Asagiri nodded solemnly and spoke slowly.
"Yes, strive to become the Flash Asuna as soon as possible. Shiny Pokémon are something every trainer wants to collect."
"Collect what...? What exactly do you take me for...?"
Asagiri replied without hesitation: "Family!"
"Really, family...?"
Asuna outwardly looked skeptical, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but curve upwards. She raised her hand and tucked a strand of her flaxen hair behind her ear.
"Although Necro had the monster pull out the camera wire, we should still leave as soon as possible before the security guards who heard the commotion arrive. We can chat more when we get back."
"No, it's not over yet."
Asagiri suddenly said this, and then his gaze shifted towards the distance.
"Standing there watching for so long, even eavesdropping on our conversation, aren't you going to come say hello?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Asagiri suddenly say this, Asuna and Kotoko couldn't help but show expressions of confusion. Following his gaze, they looked over and only then noticed a girl standing quietly beside a water dispenser. She was wearing a white dress paired with a red jacket and a white beret.
"Eh? Since when...?"
Kotoko and Asuna were both stunned.
They hadn't noticed the existence of such a girl nearby at all, from beginning to end....
Looking closely... this short-haired girl had a very delicate and cute face. Although her figure was slender and tall, it was clearly curvy, incomparable to the washboard Kotoko.
However, the other party's aura seemed a bit strange.
Like calm lake water without ripples, or a fawn leisurely strolling in the forest, her entire being exuded a quiet and serene temperament. Even though Kotoko and Asuna were currently looking at her, they always felt as if the girl's presence was very faint, easily overlooked if one wasn't careful.
"Um... I'm sorry."
The girl's voice was very pleasant. There was no panic or anxiety in her tone; she simply spoke at a steady, comfortable pace that made one feel at ease.
"I didn't intentionally try to eavesdrop on your conversation. I just felt it wasn't a good time to interrupt you earlier. I should introduce myself."
"Hello, I'm a first-year student at Toyogasaki Academy, Megumi Kato. It's nice to meet you."
Asuna showed a hesitant expression, thinking to herself about this girl who called herself Megumi Kato....
...Wasn't her attitude a little too calm?
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