The next morning had arrived.
When I walked out of my room, I met Risa in the hallways.
"Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone." She said.
Good… she was never the one to snitch, anyway.
We went to the first floor where our parties were settled.
As I walked over to the girls, I felt a hostile gaze locked onto me but when I turned around, it quickly faded away.
"Hmm…"
After having our breakfast, I went out towards the same spot where we had encountered the trio from last night.
The mess was being cleaned up by some fellows and while they did that, I turned my attention to the forest nearby.
Entering the forest, I eventually found a blanket that housed three corpses underneath it.
Of course, I wouldn't let them go. Before they fled, I sent my shadow servants to finish them off for me.
I must say that what Risa said is the truth, I am still the same cynical piece of shit I was in the past and that's not going to change. After all, this same attitude is still keeping me alive. If I were to become optimistic, I'll eventually grow soft.
So… why do I still feel like something is wrong…
Before returning to the inn, I rotted the bodies with Necrosis and buried them. I could've drunk their blood but they were already starting to smell, so it was best I got rid of them.
Along the way, I stopped by at a gear shop and bought myself some weapons. I got a dagger with a sheath which I strapped around my right ankle and a broadsword which I strapped around my waist.
I'll be needing these since I get tired of fighting with my fist so much. I could already feel the soreness on the end of my knuckles.
Returning to the inn, the same feeling returned. This hostile gaze…
I walked through the hall and eventually stopped in front of my room door. I reached for the doorknob, that's when that hostile feeling grew larger.
"HAAA!!"
Clang!
Cage swung his sword down on me but I blocked as I equipped the Osiris' right gauntlet. However, he managed to strike me before I was able to fully manifest Osiris, so his blade managed to pierce my flesh.
"Bastard," He said. "What did you do to Lady Risa!?"
"Fool, that's none of your concern."
I grabbed his blade and pulled him to me before delivering a heavy kick to his stomach.
"Ack!"
He stumbled back as I let go of his sword. Healing my arm and withdrew Osiris, I approached Cage.
"Tell me, what did you do!?" He demanded.
"What are you talking about?" I replied with a blank expression on my face.
"This morning when Lady Risa approached us, she had an unfamiliar look on her face. Do you know what it was? It was the face of sadness!"
"And what do I have to do with that?"
"I know you did something to her. She always has a bright expression on her face and today she is totally different! What did you do!? I know you did something!"
"And what if I did? What are you going to do? Kill me?"
"If I have to."
"Then go ahead and try."
Regaining his composure, he charged towards me with his sword ready to pierce, aiming for my stomach.
Willingly, I allowed him to pierce me. His sword drove through my body and I could feel the sword penetrating my organs.
As blood dripped onto the floor, a look of despair appeared on Cage's face but it was quickly concealed when I snatched onto his face.
"You-"
"Quiet down," I said as I formed a shadow blade and stabbed his right arm.
"Mmf!" His cry of pain was muffled as I gripped onto his face.
Tossing him away, I grabbed onto the blade that had impaled me and slowly pulled it out, tossing it back to Cage.
"Is that all?" I said, beckoning him to come at me again.
Cage pulled my shadow blade out of his arm and went to pick up his sword. As he got up, he noticed that the place where he had just stabbed me had closed up.
Knowing that swords were going to be useless against me, he tossed his sword aside and charged towards me, swing his fist.
I easily dodged his first attack and also dodged his second, however as he continued to swing his fist, he was getting faster and it was getting harder for me to follow his movement.
Then the first blow was delivered, hitting me directly in the left side of my abdomen.
Crack!
Did I just… hear my bone crack?
My ears were not lying to me, he indeed did break my bone.
From there, he began his beatdown.
He punched me in the stomach, the ribs, my face, he was brutally beating me as if I was some kind of punching bag.
After pounding me for what felt like a minute, he finished it off with an uppercut, launching me into the air and landing on the wooden floor with a THUD.
As my body slowly healed and my bones mended back into place, Cage grabbed me by the collar and growled in my face.
"Confess… and I'll let you go."
"Why should I confess to a dog?"
"You-! Do you not feel guilty for putting her down?"
"First of all, why are you so concerned about her? Because you like her?"
"Of course not, I am just a servant and a servant only. No one and I say no one will lay their hands on Lady Risa like that. Now-!"
But before he was able to speak, I sank into the shadows and then appeared behind him.
"Wha-?"
Wham!
I swung my fist, striking his right cheek.
As he toppled onto the ground, I mounted him and bashed his face repeatedly.
"A servant only? So you are a slave is what you are saying?"
After receiving a few strikes, Cage caught my fist and his hand morphed into a wolf's claw. Swiftly, he slashed my face three times, managing to slash my left eye, blinding me.
"Son of a bitch!"
I stumbled back and fell to the ground. This time it was his turn to beat me, and he barraged me with a flurry of punches and scratches.
I quickly manifested Osiris as I took on his beating. Eventually, his attacks were starting to do little to no damage.
Then began my turn.
I launched him away using Inertia Fist but he managed to land on his feet, kicking up dust as he stopped himself from sliding.
"You… you aren't human, are you?" He asked.
I unequipped Osiris once again and glanced at him. I tilted my head and grinned before stick my middle finger at him.
"Fuck you," I said before instantly closing the distance between us and slamming his face into the wall.
"What makes you think you can best me?" I questioned. "You couldn't even sense Akane's movement when you declared you were going to take me out. I'll make it clear, you are far from killing me."
I held him by the hair and inched closer to his face.
"You are weak. Sooner or later, you'll be the one getting her killed." I stated before letting go of him.
I turned around to leave but he still stood up.
"Fucker… you just gonna walk away?"
"Give up, you already lost."
"The battle isn't lost until one dies... and I'll never forgive you for hurting her."
"Prideful aren't you?"
He limped towards me with a confident look on his face. Watching him approach me was pitiful. I guess I'll just end him of his misery.
I took a step forward and put all my strength into my right fist. However, before I was able to finish him off, the distance between us was then opened.
I noticed I was much farther than before, then I felt a hand on my arm. I turned around and Akane stood before me.
"Akane."
Behind her came the other two and Risa's party.
"What happened here!?"
Risa quickly ran to Cage's side and begun to heal him. I watched as his injuries healed slowly and a feeling of jealousy filled my body.
She went to his side first... is she favoring him over me?
I clenched my fist as I wanted to let my shackles free but the girls were able to sense my anger and dragged me away before I was able to do it.
The brawl was over between us as we walked away from each other. My injuries weren't major since I could heal them with Instant Heal, but it looks like I won't be able to see with my left eye for now as the wound was deep.
That bastard...
.
.
.