Moon Blossom Asura

“So, Who might your highness be?” Yuruki asked the silver-haired boy.

“My name is Punti. I’m planning to take part in the next hero selection test. Also, unlike Marx Redford here, I don’t think I’ll fail.” Punti said with a laugh.

“Hey, Marx, I didn’t know you could fail. Also, this is the first time I’ve heard of you being a hero candidate.” 

“Do you really think it’s easy to obtain the title of hero?”

“Not really.”

Heroes gain certain privileges but also certain responsibilities. And only those with overwhelmingly superior combat skills can earn that title.

“If I can’t beat Marx Redford and his merry band of friends, then I don’t have a chance at beating the test, so I’ll have you serve as my training partners.” Saying this, Punti slowly raised his sword.

“Tsk, why is someone like you in a monster-tamer platoon?” Yuruki said.

It was an unexpected turn of events.

“Isn’t it obvious if you think about it a little?” Punti answered tilting his head. “Or are you just an idiot?”

“…Don’t make fun of Yuruki-Nii,” Ina said, angrily. “He’s just a little slow…”

“I wouldn’t exactly call this back up. Wait Ina, do you really think that about me?” 

“He’s probably here as an insurance policy in case a monster goes out of control,” Marx said calmly.

“Ahh, yeah, right. I was totally thinking the same thing!”

In that case, Punti is capable of defeating a mid-level monster by himself. It would be great if we could retreat, but he doesn’t intend on letting us go. Yuruki thought. Just then a whistling arrow flew through the sky a short distance away. Punti’s attention was drawn toward the sound. It was now or never. Yuruki gave the signal. 

“Whoops.” Punti stepped back. A [Water Prison] was created where Punti’s face was a moment ago. Ina shot an arrow to where Punti moved. Of course, it was supported with [Acceleration]. However, Punti deflected the arrow with his sword. Exploiting that gap, Yuruki closed the distance and slashed with his right dagger, but was dodged. He then slashed with his left dagger with [Acceleration] applied to his left arm. This was the main attack and everything else was just a decoy.

“Nice teamwork. Have you trained a lot to get this far?” Punti said after dodging. He couldn’t evade it completely. Blood was flowing from Punti’s neck, but it was a shallow wound.

“Move!” Yuruki shouted while jumping back. He landed on the opposite street where the monster-tamer platoon was. Yuruki confirmed that Ina and Marx jumped in opposite directions. The three of them were scattered to the east, west, and south. Punti didn’t follow Yuruki. By the way things were going, he almost certainly has gone after Marx. 

“Shit! That guy is strong… He might be better than even Marx.” Yuruki said to himself. Still, though. “We’re just a funny little mercenary group. We don’t mind playing dirty.” Basically, it’s better not to take on a strong opponent head-on. But sometimes, there’s no other choice but to fight. And since this guy is alone…

“I’m counting on you Marx, Ina.”

…Ina can take him down.

***

Punti chased after Marx with no hesitation. As soon as he landed, he slashed his sword, but Marx skillfully parried with his dagger. “Nice! As expected of the man who was supposed to be the next leader of the Asuer knights!” He slashed again, but Marx swept it aside with his dagger.

If possible, I want to fight Marx with him holding a sword. Punti thought.

“…You don’t know how big the world is,” Marx said. “What does that mean? Are you saying I lack experience?” Punit said without even stopping his attacks. Marx’s guard was strong but he was being pushed back. I can win. I can beat Marx Redford. Unlike Marx. No one knows who Punti is. This was his chance to gain fame as the person who defeated Marx Redford before the hero selection test.

“No. That’s not what I meant,” Marx said.

“Then, what did you mean!?” The moment Punti said that Marx jumped to the right. An arrow came flying from the direction Marx was a moment ago. Punti was completely blindsided by it. Their coordination is incredible. Punti thought wondering if Marx had eyes in the back of his head. The arrow that came flying was much faster than a normal arrow. 

A black-haired, flat woman with a sharp look in her eyes– I think I heard her name, but I can’t remember it. Punti twisted his body and managed to avoid the arrow. But not completely, it grazed his left arm. It stung a little. However, he didn’t care. Just before he can regain his footing, Marx jumps in for an attack. Punti dodged his dagger as well. At the same time, he jumped back trying to take some distance.

“You’re fast. I don’t think I can keep up,” Marx said. True to his word he kept his distance. Still wary of arrows Punti readjusted his grip on his sword. “Ha ha, when you said it’s a big world, I guess you were talking about teamwork? Sorry. But that doesn’t work on me.” Marx shook his head. “No. You’re wrong, I’m not that strong. Even if you beat me that’s nothing to brag about.”

“Ha! Marx Redford of the Asuer knights isn’t strong!?”

“I am Marx Redford of the mercenary group Moon Blossom. And although they’re not here right now, our commander and vice-commander are both strong enough to the point I look like a child in comparison.”

“Really? If that’s true, I’d love to meet them.” Meet them, fight them, and win. I’ve never heard of this mercenary group Moon Blossom. If it’s a group started by a hero, I’m sure I would’ve heard about it. In other words, neither the leader nor the vice-commander are heroes. But they’re stronger than Marx? Punti thought they would be perfect to test his skills.

“The vice-commander aside. You’ll definitely regret it if you meet the boss. Seriously. you should avoid meeting her at all costs.” Marx said.

“That just makes me want to meet her even more.”

“Suppose you get the chance to meet her in the future,” Marx said with a serious expression. “If she asks you to join Moon Blossom, you’d better say no. You should absolutely refuse. Consider yourself warned.”

“I’m not joining. I don’t want to be a mercenary. I just want to meet her and defeat her.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening. The boss doesn’t play fair, A straightedge guy like you can never win” Marx chuckled. “But you’re lucky, you might die before meeting her. That depends on the commander though.”

“Huh? What…Are you…” Huh?… My body…Feels numb. Punti managed to stay up by using his sword as a cane. “That arrow from earlier…It was poisoned or something…That’s dirty…” The conversation they’ve been having was to buy time for the poison to kick in.

“All of Ina’s arrows are poisoned. You lost the second you got grazed by one of her arrows. I forgot to mention if our boss doesn’t play fair, then naturally, as her subordinates we would do the same. Well then, commander what should we do with him.”

“Hmm? I’m not sure. There’s no point in killing this guy, and it would be interesting to take him back and let him meet the boss. Ina, what do you think?” Yuruki’s face peeked out the window of a house. Ah, I see. Punti thought Yuruki was planning on launching some sort of attack from there. But Marx started to stall for time, so he just sat back and watched. A truly despicable trio.

“…Ha!” at the same time he heard the black-haired, flat woman behind him. Punti felt a severe pain in his crotch. He wanted to scream, but all he could muster was a hapless “Guhee,” like a squashed frog. Unable to support himself, he fell to the ground.

“…How about we bully him before we kill him…” Ina said happily.

“That’s not really my style. If we’re going to kill him, I’d rather just we’d just do it now.” Yuruki said with pity in his voice.

If…If by chance…They don’t kill me…If I somehow survive, I’ll definitely kill that black-haired, flat-chested woman. Punti vowed to do this before losing consciousness.

***

“Nice view, isn’t it?” At the scene of corpses floating in a sea of blood as a result of using [Divine Punishment]. Asura asked a question.

“…By the way, boy do you have any place to go to?” Asura asked the boy, but he didn’t reply. The boy was dazed, as if he was dreaming. 

He must be basking in the afterglow of the carnage. Asura thought.

“It was a magnificent one-sided massacre, wasn’t it? I quite enjoyed it, how about you boy?” Asura patted the boy’s head with her right hand. Her left arm was still broken.

“Ah, Umm…Thank you very much for avenging my parents…”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. It was part of our mission. So? Do you have a place to go?”

“My uncle raises livestock in Terrace village…I can…”

“Huh! Livestock? You’re gonna spend the rest of your life raising livestock with your uncle? That’s ridiculous!” 

“How about you join my mercenary group?”

“Huh?” At Asura’s words. the boy’s eyes widened, and Lumia looked surprised.

“You’re pretty good, boy. You escaped from the platoon all by yourself. Most people would’ve just shivered in a corner waiting to be killed. But you chose to run. You’re quick-witted and lucky. And best of all, you watched them be cut down without closing your eyes even once. It was quite the sight wasn’t it?” Asura started laughing and the boy nodded and laughed too.

“Hee hee. Your heart is already broken by the trauma of having your family murdered in front of you. You’re already a sociopath. Even if you go to your uncle’s place, you’ll just end up killing livestock to relieve your sorrow. Eventually, you’ll start killing people. If you’re going to become a murderer, you’re better off becoming a mercenary. You will be praised for killing your enemies, and you will even get paid for it.”

The boy seemed to be in thought. 

“Asura. How can you be sure that kid will become a murderer?” Lumia asked.

“Seriously? The boy laughed at a scene like didn’t he?” The scene was filled with blood and flesh. Death and despair. A burning village and the smell of war.

“That’s not something normal people do, is it? he same as you and me.” Asura said.

“I don’t enjoy this scene,” Lumia replied.

“But it’s not like you feel anything seeing this, right?”

“I do. I regret that I had to do it again.”

“And I guess your excuse is that it was my order?”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s a fact.”

“Well, let’s leave it like that. Oh, yes, don’t worry, I won’t order you to use [divine punishment] in front of the others.” Using it means Lumia’s true identity would be revealed. However, Asura thinks that the group would accept it. All that’s left is for Lumia to have the courage to expose herself. And once she accepts who she really is, she can enjoy her life.

“Seems like they’ve cleared that section too. I guess that means there’s only one left.” Asura said.

“Yes. What are we going to do next?”

“Nothing. We’ll leave it to Yuruki and the rest. So, boy, have you made up your mind yet?”

“I want to be a mercenary, just like you Onee-Chan.” The boy chose fighting over raising livestock.

“Then, from now on, you can call me boss. What’s your name and age?”

“Reko, I’m 11.”

“Okay. From today on you are a member of the mercenary group Moon Blossom. I’ll make you into an excellent magic soldier,” Asura said happily. “Ah, I can’t wait to go back and buy Salume and raise her with you Reko. Lumia knows this too, I love teaching.”

“…If you can call that teaching, well I don’t doubt it but…” Lumia sighed and shook her head. “… You poor kids…” 

“Heh heh heh, where should I start?” Asura muttered to herself with a joyous expression. “I guess it would be too early for them to start with my basic training. Should I start them with physical training, or magic training or maybe I should start with instilling the spirit of absolute obedience to orders? Ah, I can’t wait to start!”

“So you’ll be the first person…To go through Asura’s elite training…” Lumia said while hugging Reko.

Marx, Yuruki, and Ina were very much capable of fighting from the start. So they only needed to go through basic training, but Reko had to be trained from zero.

“Oh lord…Please grant Reko a strong will to pull through it…”

——-

And this was chapter 5 see you in the next one.

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