Ruby
The tension in the air grows thicker as the men starts scooting closer to us. Shino stands beside me, his face rather guarded. From his stance, I can tell that he will leap into action the moment something goes wrong. Meanwhile, Clara still has me held behind her firmly, shielding me from our probably will-be attackers.
"Clara, I think we should get out of here." I tell her, clutching one of her sleeves.
"We're surrounded." she responds. "It won't be easy."
It actually is. I can bust us out of here with a little trick. Is what I want to say but I probably shouldn't say that, or do that either. If Clara really does have nothing to do with the supernatural then I probably shouldn't go all wizard-like in front of her.
"I have a plan." she suddenly says.
And I have a bad feeling about her plan.
"They're after me. I'll distract them while you and Shino run."
Called it.
I should probably tell her something so she wouldn't sacrifice herself for mine and Shino's sake or something.
"Are you telling me to run away and leave you for dead?" I say with dread.
"They won't kill me. I'm too valuable for them."
Even I can tell that, but it's not my principle to leave someone in danger. I have to at least help her or something. I'm seriously considering using my powers to get us out of here.
"I'm not going to leave you behind." I retort with confidence.
I glance at Shino who meets my gaze. His expression is as stoic as ever, but his eyes are telling me that he agrees with me. Clara, for the short time she spent with us, is already a cherished friend to all of us in Plum Blossom Mansion. And besides, Sakura-nee will have my hide if she finds out I left a girl to fend for herself even if she's a reaper for the mafia.
"We're going to fight by your side."
As if taking that as cue, Shino pulls out a katana out of nowhere and puts up a defensive stance. I open my [Item Box] and browses through my collection of blades, which I have never really used now that I think about it. I choose a bronze dagger and pull it from the messenger bag I have been carrying around ever since we started the trip. I give it to Clara whose eyes were wide with surprise.
"You've been carrying a dagger all this time?" she exclaims and snatches the dagger from my hands, and looks at it skeptically. "This is… this is dangerous!"
*SIGH*
That's her problem?
"Guys, they're on the move." Shino suddenly says. I relay this to Clara and the both of us are immediately on guard. "April, will you be fine?"
I give Shino a grin and put up a defensive stance.
True, I've been training in manipulating energy all throughout this summer and I've been working on the supernatural side most of the time, but I have my foundation in hand-to-hand combat. Despite my size, I'm pretty sure I can give them a run for their money.
What I like about my current body is that I'm pretty fast and agile in it. And no, it usually does not have anything to do with my stats.
Clara suddenly vanishes from my sight and she reappears not that far from me, bashing an attacker with the hilt of the dagger. She then proceeds with the next attacker. Meanwhile Shino was hitting his opponents with the blunt side of his katana, knocking them out in the process.
"Look, it's a kid." says an approaching man. I'm pretty sure he's speaking in Italian. I don't even need
These guys really…
Wait, Ruby?
I can't help but eye Clara at my peripheral vision. I should ask her later.
I put up my fists in front of me, my guard up and my body ready to move at a given movement. The idiot and his companions start laughing and mocking me, saying really insulting things like 'a brat trying to be brave', 'small thing that can be easily crushed', etc.
Seriously…
I'll show them how scary a chibi[1] can be then. It may be a bit of a cheat to use my skills to support me but I think it's a good lesson for these thugs.
In a speed of light, I move behind idiot, dumb and dumber, and deliver consecutive kicks on their backs. They sprawl into the ground, groaning in pain. I'm pretty sure one of them got knocked out, but who cares!
I suddenly sense an incoming person with a pretty obvious bloodlust. I hear him swing something in my direction which I evade easily. I then backhand him in the face and my attacker stumbles towards his friends.
"I can't believe the Dawn Union has a brat as talented as him!" shouts one of them, the one I dubbed as idiot. "What have they been up to?"
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" I ask and proceed to get closer to them. "Why are you after Clara?"
"You… can speak Italian?" asks idiot with an idiotic look on his face.
Tch!
The idiot with his idiotic look is pretty much of an idiot. How idiotic. [2]
But seriously, that's his problem?
"That's not what I'm asking about." I huff and glare at them. "Why are you after Clara?"
"How is that the concern of a yakuza twerp like you? Ruby belongs to Sceptre! A runaway like her must be dealt with!"
These guys are seriously getting on my nerves. I'm as stressed as it is already and they're really making me blow my top.
I stomp my foot pretty harshly between idiot's legs, close to where they meet. I let out a pretty menacing aura, something unheard of for a thirteen year old. I see them tremble in fear.
Ah, there's a small crater to where I hit my foot. I'm pretty sure he knows he would've lost his family jewels if I stomped any closer.
"I suppose Ruby is Clara? Then Clara is a runaway and Sceptre wants her back. Is that right?" they nod their head rather fast. "Why did Clara run away in the first place?"
The three of them look at each other, their expressions all confused.
"We don't really know. We're just following our orders to bring her back." answers one of them almost immediately.
"Hmm… Is that so…"
Looks like I won't be getting anything else in return. I suppose I need to ask someone high up in the chain of command.
"Well thank you very much!" I say with enthusiasm give each of them a kick, knocking them out.
Now then, I have to find someone that can give me answers.
I once again feel an approaching presence, someone from the enemy's side.
*SIGH*
Well they do outnumber us, so I guess there's no helping if there's abundance in attackers.
I should just steel myself and finish the incoming one so I can interrogate him. And then-
*WHACK!*
Eh? Are my eyes deceiving me? Did a yokai[3] residing in one of the trees just help me by knocking out an incoming enemy? I'm pretty sure the yokais and local spirits doesn't like me due to reasons that still elude me.
"I don't like you but you are still under the protection of her ladyship the Maiden of the Stars. I can't see you get hurt on my watch."
Oh… Right.
"Uhm… Thanks?"
I probably shouldn't tell her (yes, it's a female yokai) I had it handled.
"Be careful Slayer." she warns me, her voice rather deep. "People like you do not only have their foot in the supernatural side of the world."
Err… what?
What is she even talking about? I- ah, she's gone.
What was that yokai trying to tell me?