d'Assassin... Really? I ain't even a month old yet am I?'
Kumi thought to herself. Silently judging both Hilde and the Maid next to her.
"Why don't you introduce yourselves? Go on."
Hilde motioned to them.
Kumi looked at the maid.
"Kumi."
The maid pointed her sharp gaze towards Kumi.
"Speak up."
She said.
'I ain't finna do all that there.'
Kumi then turned to look at Hilde, easily conveying her words through her blank and emotionless stare. Or at least that's what she hoped for.
Hilde let out a little sigh before introducing the maid herself.
"Kumi, Ayaka. Ayaka, Kumi. Jeez, don't take this the wrong way but I don't sense any chemistry here."
'Neither do I.'
Kumi thought in response with a loud sigh and turned her head downwards toward the ground.
Well, in her head. Of course.
"Well, you guys will have plenty of time to get to know each other. I hope soon you'll be the perfect master and disciple pair!"
'That probably won't happen. I get the feeling I am not liked.'
The maid, Ayaka, let out a sigh.
"Well, I'm not keeping you here any longer. Go on, I guarantee that Ayaka is a great teacher!"
Hilde held up a thumb towards the pair.
Kumi glanced at Ayaka to see her reaction.
'Well, that was a fucking lie.'
Ayaka then started to walk away without saying anything.
'And she's the silent type. Amazing.'
Kumi hopped off her seat and quietly followed after her.
Hilde dived into her own thoughts as the two left her office.
Complaining to herself about life.
...
As Ayaka led Kumi outside the mansion and onto a semi-large flat plain next to the building, all without saying a word, Kumi was just hoping to get this over with and continue crafting her items in peace. The activity comforted her and she enjoyed wracking her brain over how to use sticks and stones to beat up someone with indestructible bones.
"Listen."
Ayaka said as she turned toward Kumi.
"I will be teaching you skills. The first one is called Training. The rest will come later."
'Great naming sense. Sooo... does she mean skills or like... Skills?'
Before Kumi could continue her train of thought, Ayaka continued.
"You craft things, yes?"
Kumi stood there, silent. Like nothing was asked.
In her mind, this was happening: Panic, panic, slurs, anger, swears, sadness, speculation, acceptance.
'Is she the one who stole my shit? I had to move because of that!'
"I'll take your silence as a yes. You may use your free time as you like but you will not have much of it."
Ayaka said as she threw the things she had taken from Kumi on the ground.
"Assassins should know how to hide things better."
'Ah. She's that type of teacher.'
Kumi reached down to take her stuff.
Ayaka kicked her in the head while speaking.
"Assassins never lower their guard or their head."
Surprisingly enough, Kumi had dodged the kick by the hairs on her head.
A few pink hairs of her's fell to the ground but she avoided taking any damage.
'She's the type to set the 'rules' straight during the first lesson. Like a teacher giving a test on day one.
It's foggy but I think that was something that happened once in a while back at that one place?'
Ayaka's eyes widened.
Bringing her foot down as Kumi raised her head with her hands full of miscellaneous crafted items, she could see no reaction from Kumi at all.
'Honestly though. I knew she'd do something but I was suspecting a flick on the forehead. What the hell?'
Ayaka on the other hand was strangely silent.
'She is the silent type so I ain't surprised that she doesn't speak much but no reaction at all?'
Ayaka made eye contact with Kumi, closing her eyes, she stated.
"For our first lesson then. Sparring."
Kumi could barely find the words worthy of her honest reaction. So she simply thought, in a deep drug dealer voice.
'... What the hee eell.'
...
The match started suddenly.
Kumi was prepared however, her cautious side always had her ready for 'almost' anything.
Ayaka casually threw a small needle knife toward Kumi. Presumably not even using one-eighth of her strength.
Kumi ducked and dodged before running in.
She had dropped her crafted items on the ground earlier as she ducked to dodge the knife. Carefully, of course.
As she neared Ayaka, she felt something coming from behind her.
'The knife. Slightly blunted but would still do damage.'
Kumi judged the situation and acted accordingly.
As she took another step, she stopped her run by skidding on the ground in front of Ayaka.
Both of her hands and one of her legs were on the ground. She raised her free left leg and waited a single moment.
'The trajectory of the knife seemed straight. A simple back and forward attack.'
And as she had predicted, the knife flew through the location where her head had been moments prior.
As the knife flew past and was about to return to the sender, Kumi launched off the ground using her free leg and hands.
She kicked the flying knife with her leg and changed its trajectory.
The knife was now flying toward Ayaka's face. Although slightly off balance and lacking power.
Ayaka again was plenty surprised yet before the knife could reach her she disappeared and reappeared behind Kumi.
'So she used a Time or Space-related ability just as predicted in plan 4. Didn't go according to plan 1, dodging to show greater Agility and reflexes or plan 2, catching the knife between her fingers or even plan 3, redirecting the knife again, she went ahead and used an ability most likely related to her title of Timeless Knife.'
Kumi thought. Quick. Before following the countermeasure she had set up for plan 4.
Yes. There were many plans. When did she have time to come up with all this? After hearing the title Timeless Knife. Knives. Typically short ranged weapons but rarely used as ranged support weapons.
The reason Kumi shortened the distance was to judge which set of plans she would have to follow.
After she heard the title, she had started to think up countermeasures for any weird knife tricks she might see. One of those countermeasure plan sets had been throwing knives that have special effects.
Following through the tree of plans she had made, she reached to now.
It was possible at all since it took quite a few minutes to walk to where they currently were.
Though the tree of plans had its branches end here since Kumi had no idea what Time or possibly even Space magic was really capable of.
So she made an educated guess and placed a trap. Well, place would be the wrong word, wouldn't it?
[Le Author here. Feedback on the small scuffle in this chap would be nice since I plan on making every fight in this book as absolutely mind-boggling and cooky insane as I can think up.
Guess I should apologize for the update schedule as well. Anyway. Feedback would be appreciated and thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, next chapter out at some point in time, probably.
Have a good one - Author]