Chapter 156: What Happened to Not Fighting and Being Amicable?
The next day.
Early morning, during their workout time.
Ryohei Tanaka was jogging along the street, holding Beth's leash, with Minos leading the way. Suddenly, Minos slowed down, drifted next to Ryohei, and gently bumped into him, nearly sending him flying.
Ryohei shot her a look of pure confusion. 'What was that for?' (ο´･д･)??
"Um..." Minos, oblivious to the fact that she had almost knocked him over, gathered her thoughts. "Last night, the teacher called me..."
"Hm? The Second's mother?"
"Yes." Minos nodded and looked at Ryohei sheepishly. "The teacher wants the Second to train with me for a while... She said her body is too weak and hopes to improve it."
Ryohei understood immediately. A thought sparked in his mind—this was probably the real reason the Second had come to the human world. "I have no objection," he said. After a moment, he added, "But if you plan on letting her stay, have her move into your room. It's not really appropriate for her to keep sleeping in the living room... Also, you'll have to talk to Yurine about it yourself."
"Alright, no problem!" Minos was delighted to have Ryohei's approval.
Ryohei wiped a bead of sweat from his face, breathing heavily. He glanced at Minos, who wasn't even flushed or out of breath, and said with a smile, "Later, I'll take you guys to buy a summer sleeping mat, a pillow, and a light comforter. She can sleep on the floor in your room."
"No need for a mat. My bed is quite big; we can just sleep together," Minos said with a wave of her hand.
Ryohei paused, then teased, "I'm just afraid you're not a very still sleeper and might accidentally hurt her. With her constitution, if you bump into her, she'll definitely cough up blood, and she might even break a bone or two."
"Tanaka-kun, that's so rude! I'm a very good sleeper!" Minos couldn't help but lightly swat his arm.
"Alright, alright... my mistake. You're a great sleeper!" Ryohei said with a grin.
Then, he saw Minos hesitate. "Just to be safe," she said, "let's buy a sleeping mat." Ryohei's words had shaken her confidence.
"..." Ryohei was taken aback for a second, then laughed and agreed.
...
After their morning run, it was already past six o'clock when they returned. Ryohei walked into the living room and saw that the Second was already up and chatting with Lucoa, who had arrived at some point. He greeted them and went straight to the kitchen. Before leaving, Ryohei had put on a pot of eight-treasure congee. Now, he just needed to lift the lid and give it a stir to ensure everything was cooking evenly and not sticking to the bottom.
"Tanaka-kun, you're so mean!" Lucoa came up to the counter, her long, straight legs carrying her gracefully. Her voice was full of mock resentment, as if Ryohei had done something to wrong her. "You refused to let me stay the night, but you're letting someone else stay!"
"That's because you wanted to sleep on the floor in my room. How is that the same thing?" Ryohei rolled his eyes at her. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted, but he couldn't actually go through with it.
"Ah... my heart aches!" Lucoa dramatically placed a hand on her world-class chest, lifted her left eyelid to peek at Ryohei, and continued, "I'm so hurt!"
"Are you really so easily hurt?" Ryohei asked, his tone flat as he placed the ladle aside and put the lid back on the pot.
"Of course! Please don't overestimate my defenses!"
"..." Persephone II watched them, feeling completely unable to get a word in.
Just then, Yurine came downstairs, sleepily saying, "Good morning."
"Morning," Ryohei replied casually. "I'm going to take a shower." In this weather, even a three-kilometer jog could make you break a sweat, but it felt good afterward.
"I'll help you scrub your back," Lucoa said with a grin, starting to follow him.
Yurine's face darkened. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed Lucoa's arm. 'Trying to pull a fast one right in front of me, are you?'
"Just kidding," Lucoa said with practiced ease.
Persephone II's eyes lit up. It looked like some drama was about to unfold...
...
By the time Ryohei finished his shower, Minos was also back, drenched in sweat and steaming. A few strands of blue hair clung to her flushed cheeks, rising and falling with her breath. Her white sports tank top was soaked and clung to her body, clearly outlining her full figure. Her red sports shorts were also darkened with sweat, sticking to her long, pale legs.
"Hm? Tanaka-kun, you're done?" The two met at the top of the stairs.
"All done," Ryohei replied, feeling refreshed. "The congee should be about ready. I'll dish it out now, so it'll be the perfect temperature by the time you're out of the shower."
"Mhm." Minos nodded happily and then, grabbing her change of clothes, bounded up the stairs.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Jashin-chan, a firm believer in the "morning is the best time to plan the day" philosophy, was pestering Persephone II.
"You said my dropkick is lacking... what part of it?" she demanded. "Tell me! Or I'll finish you!" She shook her fist menacingly.
"Umm..." Persephone II looked troubled. She glanced at Yurine, and just as Yurine was about to speak, she sighed softly and said, "Alright... let's go outside. I'll demonstrate."
"..." Yurine paused, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Excellent!" Jashin-chan clapped the Second on the shoulder approvingly. "You're a wise one. You know what's good for you!" After praising her, she turned to Yurine and said pointedly, "It's not too late to beg for mercy now! Once I've mastered the complete dropkick, I won't be so lenient!" The scummy snake was brimming with confidence, already picturing herself defeating Yurine.
"You want me to kill you?" Yurine's gaze turned icy, her face devoid of emotion.
"...!" Jashin-chan flinched and quickly scrambled to the glass door, slid it open, and ran out onto the street. She turned and beckoned to Persephone II. "Come on! Show me!"
"Some excitement first thing in the morning," Ryohei remarked. He estimated that the congee was done, so he turned off the stove, deciding to let it sit for a bit. He then joined Yurine and Lucoa by the window, eager to watch the show.
Outside, the small figure of the Second shot into the air. She flipped nimbly, her black cloak billowing, and then dove down with lightning speed. Her fierce dropkick, whistling through the air, was aimed straight at Jashin-chan.
"Chotto matte—!" Jashin-chan, who had been standing with her arms crossed, suddenly realized she was the target and quickly raised her hands to call for a timeout. But it was too late. The Second was already upon her, her foot connecting mercilessly with Jashin-chan's body.
With a dull thud, Jashin-chan let out a cry of pain and was sent flying, disappearing from sight in an instant.
"What a magnificent dropkick!" Yurine was thoroughly amused and started clapping. "Bravo!"
Lucoa lifted her left eyelid and looked first in the direction Jashin-chan had disappeared, then at the Second, who had collapsed to the ground after delivering the kick.
Ryohei walked out. "How are you? Can you stand?" he asked, looking at the Second, who seemed even smaller now, curled up in a little ball on the ground.
"I... I can't... My leg is broken," the Second replied, looking up at him with a pained smile, beads of cold sweat on her forehead.
"You're a tough one," Ryohei said, giving her a thumbs-up. She was willing to break her own leg just to land a solid hit on Jashin-chan. It was a classic "injure the enemy by a thousand, injure yourself by eight hundred" move, or maybe even the other way around. 'Tough indeed.'
Yurine, who had followed him out, was speechless for a moment when she heard the Second's leg was broken, but then she figured it made sense. It fit her frail character perfectly.
"I'm not that tough," Persephone II said, waving her hand bashfully. "My leg will heal quickly..."
"Right. I'm so envious of your recovery abilities."
...
Since it wasn't a good idea for her to just sit in the middle of the street, Ryohei had Lucoa carry the Second back into the living room. Just as she was being placed on the sofa, a disheveled Jashin-chan teleported back into the room.
"Damn you!" she snarled, glaring at the Second. "How dare you sneak attack me... you little brat!" She raised her fist, ready to finish her off. "Killer Move Number Two—Royal Copenhagen!" A powerful vortex of air swirled around her fist as she swung it mercilessly at Persephone II.
"Alright, that's enough fighting for one morning. Let's all be a little more amicable," Yurine said, grabbing Jashin-chan's wrist.
"What!?" Jashin-chan screeched, instantly enraged. "Why didn't you say that when she sneak-attacked me? Now you want me to be amicable?"
Yurine didn't bother with kind words. Her face turned cold as she threatened, "If you dare to disrespect me, I'll kill you."
"..." The scummy snake immediately composed herself, her anger vanishing. But she was fuming internally. 'What happened to not fighting and being amicable? What a hypocrite!' she thought, but she didn't dare say a word of it out loud. She pouted and accepted Yurine's intervention.
Persephone II, on the other hand, breathed a small sigh of relief. With her physical condition, she was no match for Jashin-chan. It was always good to avoid a beating.
~~~
Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter