Chapter 187-4
[Part 4/4]
As my leg is grabbed, I swiftly jump to avoid twisting it. A surprised sound comes out of me. I quickly regain my balance. Still, he keeps coming at me with rapid punches, aiming for my eyes, throat, temples, and other sensitive spots without pause. If this continues, I'll soon be in trouble.
"Is it over, huh!!"
I swing my arm for another sweep. The head of the family quickly jumps out of the way, creating a small window of opportunity for me to recover. I seize it and counterattack. Stepping forward, I throw rapid punches at an opponent who is momentarily stunned in mid-air.
"Then!"
"Ouch!?"
The head of the family, who was jumping in the air, counters my punch with a headbutt. Is it some kind of trick or just pure strength? My punch loses to the impact of their iron-like forehead. I pull back my arm in pain. The desperate struggle flips again in an instant. The head of the family bends their legs to land and then performs a backflip, aiming to crush my jaw with both feet. Caught off guard, I retreat in a wide arc. This sudden movement creates an opening. The head of the family, having completed the flip, is now ready to strike right in front of me.
"This ends here...!"
"Bring it on!"
The head of the family's clearly more powerful knife-hand strike doesn't break my head, though. Their hand stops. No, it's being stopped."Whoa!?"
The sleeve of the head of the family's outfit is firmly caught in my mouth. I'm even grinding my teeth while drooling, as if to crush it. The unexpected situation leaves the head of the family momentarily stunned, allowing me to counterattack. In other words...!
"This is a thank-you visit...!!"
"Whoa! What!?"
One arm versus 2 arms. The outcome was clear. I was landing a series of punches, and he was desperately trying to block them with one arm, but the balance shattered before we even counted to ten. I was pushing him back. He managed to grab one of my strikes aimed at his eyes, but that left him vulnerable. My other fist stopped just before hitting his throat. If I extended my fingers, I could easily jab at his throat...
'That's enough!'
The family leader spoke with his kotodama technique. Instantly, everyone fell silent. A brief moment passed, and I missed my opportunity to strike...
"...I concede. As expected from the Household Member Coordinator of Onitsuki."
"No, no, no... are you really saying that in this situation?"
For a split second, my opponent tensed up. In that time, the head of the family took a step forward. It was a jab aimed at my stance, ready to strike at any moment. ℞
If this continued, I could pierce his throat with my fingers or maybe even tear it with my nails. But in return, my important parts would be at risk. I had a protective plate in place, but given the intensity of our sparring, it would definitely get penetrated. It would likely end in a mutual hit. Moreover... he was clearly not going all out. He had barely used any weapons or techniques. He was only showing pure martial arts and physical enhancement.
"Isn't that the same for the Household Member Coordinator-dono? Besides, I caught you off guard and even used a Kotodama technique at the end, leading to this embarrassing situation."
"Well, I've been using outside tactics too..."
"Haha, a good horse indeed. Your training is impressive!"
No, he was probably just angry because he interrupted his meal... but I didn't say that out loud.
"Once again, I apologize. I truly wanted to see the strength of the Household Member Coordinator-dono with my own eyes."
The head of the family relaxed his fighting stance and expressed his gratitude. I also relaxed my stance in response. I took 2 steps back to escape the range of his potential strikes.
"Impressive. Was that a precaution against a surprise attack?"
"Surprise attacks are a basic part of this industry, right?"
I calmed down my blue-haired partner, who had pulled away, and fed him some grass again while I replied. Unlike ninjas, there are no rules for ambushes that say you can only do it once before greeting. If the opponent was really trying to kill me, they could have caught me off guard and done a forbidden double ambush.
"Hmm. As expected from one recognized by Onitsuki. You have a remarkable mindset. I'm truly impressed. ...Later, I'll send you a gift as an apology."
His smile seemed to show he was genuinely impressed with my feelings, but inside, I felt completely drained and annoyed. Ah, I could tell from his background that this family was like that.
(This old man could probably get along with Matsuhige's old man.)
I put my mask back on, accepting it was scratched. I'm on guard now.
"You don't need to worry about that. I don't need any consideration."
The truth was I wanted to tell him to pay up, but I swallowed it down. I acted as if nothing was wrong. I went back to taking care of the horse and made a request in return.
"...More importantly, I have a favor to ask. Please stop doing the same thing to Tamaki-sama. Since she's a young lady before her marriage, there shouldn't be any mistakes."
I said this while stroking the horse's head. I always had a devious thought in my mind, but I was unsure how well Tamaki could handle actions like the one earlier. I refused any rough tests of strength that could leave a mark on her face.
...It might be necessary in the future, but this felt like a bit too much. Is it overprotective to want her to learn in a more gradual way?
"Rest assured. I won't do such things to the representative. There's no need for that."
However, the head of the Juuyaku family shook his head firmly, dismissing my worries as unnecessary. It seemed to be a sincere truth without any deception.
"That's fine. But... then why?"
Why was I the only one being tested? Was it because I was a former servant? No, that seemed like a plausible reason, but given this man's behavior so far, it was hard to believe he would have such a mundane motive. It felt like there was a different, more complex reason behind it.
"Impressive. You don't seem to be lacking in intelligence. Once again, I can only say it's remarkable."
The head of the family, as if sensing my doubts through the mask, nodded vigorously and smiled broadly, almost annoyingly cheerful. He then made a proposal.
"I have a request, and to see if you are suitable, I had to test you earlier. Please forgive my rudeness... So, can you do me this favor?"
"A favor?"
I replied, sounding both suspicious and rude. But the head of the family continued to smile and called out.
"Come here!"
Two figures immediately responded to the call and entered the stable. One was slim and wearing a cloak that seemed to obscure their identity, while the other appeared to be more robust. Their ages... young, perhaps?
"Get ready."
The two intruders nodded and stood against the wall, turning their backs to me. They gripped the railing, bent over, and removed their hoods. Long, flowing hair that would be considered too long for a man hung down. One had a slender and languid figure, while the other had a cute, youthful face. And then... without hesitation, they took off their pants.
"Huh?"
I was dumbfounded, and before I could react, they had already boldly presented their bare buttocks, spreading them wide to reveal their insides.
"So, let's start with one each. Rest assured, it's their first time? They're not bad in terms of talent and quality!"
The head of the family spoke casually, as if discussing the quality of this year's rice harvest. He laughed cheerfully.
A brief silence filled the stable...
"Wait, hold on a minute."
I said, using the phrase too naturally for such an absurd situation.
Fanart:
It's definitely not the protagonist being taken away, trust me! ->here
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