The moment "The Bowel Hunter" laid eyes on her targets, her once-beautiful face twisted into a wild expression. She swiftly drew two kukri knives from behind her back and lunged toward Emilia and the others.
There were four people in the pawnshop, and though "The Bowel Hunter" had already placed them all on her kill list, she decided to start with her main target: Emilia.
Emilia had already expended a lot of her magical energy and physical stamina from her earlier fight with Felt. So when "The Bowel Hunter" charged at her, Emilia—lacking battle experience—was too slow to react.
Though she managed to conjure a thin ice wall in front of her, the delicate barrier stood no chance against the killer's sharp blades.
With a sound like shattering glass, Emilia's ice wall crumbled. Not only that, but her arm suffered a deep gash from the blade's sharp edge.
"The Bowel Hunter" was nothing like Felt. The gap in their abilities was huge. In this cramped space, facing an inexperienced mage like Emilia, "The Bowel Hunter" was like a force of chaos.
Clang!
Just as "The Bowel Hunter" shattered Emilia's ice defense and swung her other blade toward Emilia's stomach, a water arrow hit the knife squarely, deflecting it from its path.
"Miss 'Bowel Hunter,' there's been a gentleman waiting for you for quite some time, yet you ignore him to go after a young girl. Isn't that a bit cold-hearted?" Wood's voice rang out.
Ever since "The Bowel Hunter" had entered the room, Wood had been quietly observing her.
In comparison to Felt and Emilia, who were clearly inexperienced, "The Bowel Hunter" was a genuine assassin. Her movements were smooth, lethal. In a world like Mushoku Tensei, she would probably rank among the Sword Saints.
However, her skills didn't impress Wood as much as he had hoped. Sure, her black stockings and striking appearance were noteworthy, but in terms of power, she was nothing more than a warm-up for him.
If Emilia knew how to fight properly, she might not win against "The Bowel Hunter," but at least she wouldn't lose so easily.
"You know me?" "The Bowel Hunter" took a step back, putting some distance between herself and the group. Her eyes now focused on Wood rather than Emilia. "Are you one of my fellow hunters, or a relative of one of my past victims?"
To "The Bowel Hunter," Wood had appeared to be nothing more than a handsome bystander—he hadn't radiated any danger, nor did he even carry a weapon.
But after that water arrow deflected her blade, she couldn't afford to underestimate him any longer. She now ranked him as the most dangerous person in the room.
Wood had shown her that he was also a mage, and not just any mage, but a highly skilled one.
Unlike Emilia, who had great magical power but little experience, Wood's water arrow might have been simple, but it spoke volumes. For starters, there was the speed. "The Bowel Hunter" hadn't even noticed the magic until it struck her knife.
Sure, it partly had to do with her dismissing him as a threat earlier, but that didn't change the fact that his casting speed was impressive.
More importantly, his precision was exceptional. That water arrow was aimed directly at her knife, not just wildly shot in her direction.
If he had aimed for her head, the outcome would have been fatal.
"No, no, I think this is the first time we've met," Wood replied with a casual tone. "I came looking for you because I heard you're strong. I'm curious to see how my current strength compares in this world."
"The Bowel Hunter" didn't waste time probing further. She swiftly drew another kukri from her thigh holster and charged at Wood.
Whether he was a battle-crazed maniac, an old enemy, or simply another hunter didn't matter. From the beginning, her mission had been clear: everyone in this room had to die.
Judging by Wood's lack of visible weapons and his earlier use of magic, "The Bowel Hunter" deduced that he was purely a mage. And when it came to mages, she knew exactly what to do—get up close.
No matter how powerful a mage might be, they couldn't match her speed and strength in close combat.
As long as she was fast enough, she could disrupt his casting and strike before he had a chance to retaliate.
In this tight space, a skilled assassin like herself had the upper hand over any mage.
Confident in her plan, "The Bowel Hunter" closed the distance between her and Wood with just a few quick steps. But as she sprinted toward him, bracing herself for his counterattack, she was surprised to find that Wood remained completely calm, showing no sign of panic.
"Is this a trap?"
Seeing Wood's serene expression, a sense of unease flickered in her heart. But as an assassin, she knew that her only chance to defeat a powerful mage was to engage them in close quarters.
Even if it was a trap, she had no other choice.
Her two kukris glinted as she leaped toward Wood. She had already marked the perfect spots on his body to strike.
Watching from the sidelines, Emilia wanted to help, but "The Bowel Hunter" was too fast, and Emilia's magic couldn't keep up.
If she used a larger spell, she might hit Wood by accident, leaving her helplessly frustrated.
"Oh, that poor woman…" Felt, on the other hand, seemed calm, having seen Wood's strength firsthand. To her, "The Bowel Hunter" was in for a rude awakening.
After all, Wood had effortlessly knocked down the giant Rom and captured Felt, despite her speed.
"Wood could probably pass for an elite knight in the kingdom," Felt thought. "The Bowel Hunter has no idea what she's gotten herself into."
Clang!
Instead of sinking into their intended target, the assassin's kukris were stopped mid-air by a blade of ice that had formed in Wood's hand.
Though there was no trap waiting for her, "The Bowel Hunter" hadn't anticipated this.
From his spellcasting speed, it was obvious that Wood was a formidable mage. But instead of using magic to attack, he had quickly conjured a stream of water in his hand, which had solidified into an ice blade.
"It's a shame I don't have a proper weapon on hand, but I suppose this will do for now," Wood said casually. "As you can see, I'm a mage, but I specialize in close combat."
With a flick of his ice blade, he sent "The Bowel Hunter" flying backward, her body unable to withstand the sheer force of his attack.
The power in that single strike left "The Bowel Hunter" astonished. While she knew that women often lacked the raw physical strength of men, her years of training as an assassin had made her far stronger than most males.
Yet, her dual-wielded strikes couldn't match the strength of Wood's single hand. Was this even a mage's body?
"The Bowel Hunter" quickly regained her balance, using her agility to bounce off the ceiling and launch herself at Wood once more.
But this time, Wood didn't just stand still. He pushed off the ground and charged toward her as well.
The dimly lit pawnshop was suddenly filled with the sound of clashing steel, as sparks flew with each strike.
While "The Bowel Hunter" had incredible speed and precision, she was clearly outmatched in both strength and agility. Despite this, her years of experience as an assassin allowed her to use the narrow space and dim lighting to her advantage.
She bounced off the walls and ceiling, launching rapid attacks that, for a moment, made it seem as though she was fighting evenly with Wood.
Of course, this was only from Emilia's perspective. In truth, Wood was holding back.
He wasn't using the magic he had mastered in the Mushoku Tensei world, nor was he employing any of the Six Powers or Haki. Aside from the ice blade in his hand, he was simply relying on pure swordsmanship.
It wasn't that Wood enjoyed toying with his enemies, but he had just arrived in this world. Meeting someone with some skill, he wanted to test the limits of his own abilities.
Clang!
The clash of blades sent sparks flying once again. In a desperate move, "The Bowel Hunter" swung her leg in a roundhouse kick toward Wood's head.
Unfortunately for her, though her legs were long and elegant, the kick itself lacked the necessary power. Wood easily caught her ankle with one hand, leaving her hanging helplessly, her skirt flipping up in the process.
Then, with a single powerful motion, Wood tossed her across the room.
Slamming into the wall, "The Bowel Hunter" coughed up blood, and before she could recover, Wood swung his ice blade again, sending a crescent-shaped wave of sword energy straight toward her.
For the first time, "The Bowel Hunter" felt the true fear of death looming over her. She immediately activated her blessing ability, throwing off her cloak to reveal a hidden cache of blades glinting in the dim light.
In an instant, these blades formed a protective barrier in front of her, thanks to her blessing, which allowed her to control and manipulate them.
Though her attire left much of her exposed, "The Bowel Hunter" had hidden weapons all over her body, and her blessing allowed her to control these blades like a living weapon.
However, even with her blade barrier, the sword energy easily sliced through the knives, continuing its path toward her.
The only reason she was able to dodge in time was because the barrier had bought her a brief moment.
The ground was torn apart, the walls shattered, and the small pawnshop was split cleanly in two by the force of Wood's attack.
Looking at the destruction around her, "The Bowel Hunter" felt a cold sweat drip down her back.
This man had been holding back. Not only had he chosen not to use magic, but his swordsmanship alone was terrifying.
That last strike... There were only a handful of knights in the nearby kingdoms who could manage something like that.
If she had any desire to keep fighting before, it had now evaporated.
Her target was right in front of her, but her life was more valuable than this job.
She could always try again. But if she died here, well... there'd be no more intestines for her to slice open.
After a moment of hesitation, she made up her mind to retreat. Clearly, she hadn't gathered enough intel for this mission.
She had thought this backwater town would be an easy job, but who could have guessed a monster like Wood would appear out of nowhere?
Truthfully, "The Bowel Hunter" couldn't believe that someone like him was an unknown figure. He didn't carry himself like a knight, but if he wasn't a fellow assassin, then he was probably a famous mercenary or adventurer.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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