A Showdown with Esdeath

"What if you lose?"

"Heh, you mean you can beat me?"

"What if?"

"Yes, that's certainly a possibility..."

Esdeath suddenly dropped her arrogance, but the smile on her lips remained unchanged.

"If I lose, it proves I'm weak. Since I've been defeated by you, it's naturally yours. Whether you want to strip me naked and hang me up in chains, or cut me open and eat my heart and liver, it's up to you."

If it were anyone else, hearing the most beautiful female general in the entire empire say such things, they would probably be incredibly excited.

He even wished he could defeat Esdeath immediately and make her his slave.

But Yotsuba Mahiro didn't feel that way; she simply nodded calmly and said:

"Okay, it's a deal then."

"It's settled then. I'll wait for you at the training ground. You'll have half an hour to prepare!"

After leaving those words behind, Esdeath turned and walked away in her high-heeled boots, disappearing from his sight.

Only a room in complete disarray remained.

Mahiro had no intention of refusing the contest, or rather, he simply couldn't refuse.

The best way to get rid of this troublesome woman is to defeat her, then give her a good spanking and make her understand why flowers are so red!

Half an hour later, on the training ground.

Yotsuba Mahiro as promised, and Esdeath had been waiting there for a long time.

The area around the arena was also heavily guarded, perhaps to establish his authority, or perhaps because they had heard that he was going to compete with Esdeath. Many people from the military came to watch the spectacle, and the arena was completely surrounded.

"You've come."

Upon seeing Yotsuba Mahiro's appearance, Esdeath's tense but pretty face broke into a satisfied smile.

"Very good! Even if you fail in the end, you are still a true warrior who feared no challenge!"

"Let's skip this boring nonsense and get started."

Mahiro shook his head, unmoved by Esdeath's words.

Because he will soon make this woman understand who the real challenger is!

"Then, this match, which will definitely be between Lady Esdeath and Vice-Commander Yotsuba Mahiro of the Imperial Capital Guard Corps, shall begin now!"

Nyau, acting as the host, came to the center of the venue and said the following.

As he swung his arm down, Esdeath slowly lowered herself, spreading her long, beautiful legs to a 120-degree angle.

Leaning slightly forward, the body forms a stable triangular support, resembling a cheetah poised to pounce.

Then, it suddenly charged out!

"Such speed!"

Everyone was astonished.

Many people were seeing General Esdeath in action for the first time, and they were all amazed.

Like a ferocious beast, no, it was far beyond the astonishing and explosive power of a ferocious beast. Although the two were hundreds of meters apart, Esdeath arrived in front of Yotsuba Mahiro in the blink of an eye.

They were so close that Esdeath could clearly see Yotsuba Mahiro's calm, still Kurome.

Yotsuba Mahiro, on the other hand, can see the dangerous smile that Esdeath displays when hunting Dangerous Species.

A fist as white as jade arrived immediately, smashing straight at Yotsuba Mahiro's face, accompanied by a fierce wind pressure.

It's clear that Esdeath is holding nothing back.

Faced with such an attack, Yotsuba Mahiro easily dodged it by simply turning slightly to the side. The resulting wind pressure immediately blew aside Yotsuba Mahiro's long, thin bangs.

"Wow, that's amazing! She even managed to dodge a punch like Esdeath's."

"It seems there's a reason why the Minister of the Guard chose him to be the Deputy Minister."

"However, Lady Esdeath is still more powerful and has the upper hand."

Everyone exclaimed in amazement.

If Esdeath had landed that attack, they probably would have been defeated long ago...

No, if it were a direct hit, it would most likely be life-threatening, right?

But for some reason, Esdeath's pretty face was covered with frost, as if she was somewhat dissatisfied.

Landing behind Yotsuba Mahiro, the girl nimbly flipped over, then delivered a spinning kick towards Yotsuba Mahiro's back.

The result was still the same: he missed the target again.

It's as if Yotsuba Mahiro has eyes in the back of her head; no matter what angle Esdeath attacks from, she can easily dodge them.

Despair!

Landed, turned around.

Esdeath launched a barrage of attacks.

His right fist was like a sealed barrier, while his left fist was like a cannonball, launching a pincer attack.

On the surface, it looks like Esdeath is dominating Yotsuba Mahiro, but only she knows that she hasn't even scratched Yotsuba Mahiro's head so far.

"You're as slippery as an eel, is all you can do just dodge?!"

Yotsuba Mahiro silent, only dodging the question.

It must be said that Esdeath, as the daughter of the chief of the Burutus Tribe, a race that specializes in hunting dangerous species, is indeed impeccable in combat.

Whether it's power, speed, or the connection and precision between each move, he far surpasses those he has met in the past.

Although his every move was devoid of beauty, it was filled with chilling killing intent, making him a true battle maniac!

Not to mention, they also possess outrageous physical strength, in no way inferior to those level-one dangerous species, and even slightly surpassing them!

If it were anyone else, they would probably have been trampled under this woman's heels long ago.

Unfortunately, Esdeath chose the wrong opponent.

Snap!

Esdeath sidestepped, her right leg springing and striking out at Yotsuba Mahiro's waist with a thud that reverberated from within Yotsuba Mahiro!

This was the first time Esdeath had landed a hit on Yotsuba Mahiro's body since the start of the match.

The problem is, her thighs are also firmly locked in place by Yotsuba Mahiro, making it impossible for her to move.

"Hmph~ Not planning to keep hiding? You still want to catch me this way? Your thinking is still too naive!" The frost on Esdeath's face melted away with this attack, replaced by a beautiful and crazy smile.

"Really? I don't think so."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Esdeath leaped up on one foot. As she was airborne, she used Yotsuba Mahiro as a support point and thrust her other slender heel toward his forehead.

It's over.

Both Esdeath and the onlookers thought so.

However, the fact that she was able to fight General Esdeath for so long is enough to demonstrate her strength.

But--

"I don't think so."

Tendo Style Fighting Technique, Form Two, Sixteenth Move – "Hidden Zen: Black Heavenly Wind!"

Yotsuba Mahiro grabbed Esdeath's attacking ankle with one hand, and then kicked Esdeath hard between the legs in a superhuman manner.

Although this was a move that Satomi Rentaro had used before, and he accidentally copied it, the power he used was completely different.

Even if Rentaro Satomi had used the ammunition cartridges in his prosthetic leg as a propulsion device, the power he unleashed was still no match for Yotsuba Mahiro's.

Esdeath, who was strapped to him, was sent flying backward like a cannonball with a thunderous sonic boom.

It flew across the arena as a fleeting, icy blue afterimage, shattering a corner of the training ground.

The collapsing rubble immediately buried her underneath.

"Lady Esdeath... was knocked away?"

She glanced at Yotsuba Mahiro in place, and then at the collapsed training ground.

Everyone felt like they were dreaming.

While they didn't have a clear understanding of Esdeath's strength, they knew she was a nightmare for other races.

No matter the war or the enemy, General Esdeath would eliminate them swiftly and decisively.

He's even more terrifying than Bulat, the 100-man killer.

But now, this undefeated god of war has actually been defeated...

Is it true or false?

Am I dreaming?

"Look, what is he going to do now?!"

Someone shouted this, and everyone snapped out of their daze and focused their attention back on Yotsuba Mahiro.

He walked step by step toward the collapse site.

Esdeath brushed the rubble off her body, but what came into view, besides the azure sky, was that familiar figure.

Yotsuba Mahiro's cold gaze was fixed on her, and under her gaze, Yotsuba Mahiro raised her leg above her head, a heavy shadow of death enveloping her.

Then, he stomped down hard!

Boom!

In an instant, the earth churned, and rubble flew everywhere.

"Lady Esdeath!"

At that moment, everyone was filled with terror.

What did Yotsuba Mahiro do?

Wasn't it supposed to be a competition?

Could it be that he's going to kill Lady Esdeath?!

"Wow, as expected of you, you can still laugh in this situation."

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, Yotsuba Mahiro looked down at Esdeath beneath him.

He didn't step on Esdeath's body, but rather on the side of her head, less than three centimeters away from it.

The ground beneath his feet was already cracked, revealing terrifying black cracks resembling a spider web; even the hardest bluestone slabs were shattered by this one step.

However, the woman showed no fear whatsoever; instead, her smile grew even brighter.

If that kick had been even three centimeters off target, she would have died.

The distorted survival philosophy instilled in the girl by her father from a young age had long since made her fearless of everything, even life and death.

A thrilling and satisfying battle would bring her much more pleasure!

"Well, whatever, I'm too lazy to find out what you're thinking, but you've already lost, General Esdeath."

"Ah, that's right, I lost." Esdeath was quite accepting of her defeat.

He had originally thought that Esdeath would offer some explanation or express her dissatisfaction.

"Heh, what kind of person do you take me for?"

Those icy blue eyes saw right through his thoughts.

"A loss is a loss. I, Esdeath, am not the kind of fool who deceives herself. I lost to you because I was too weak, and there is no doubt about that."

"Just like we agreed before, from now on, whether you want to strip me naked and hang me up with chains, or cut me open and eat my heart and liver, it's up to you."

This woman is serious.

He truly regarded his loss in just one match as a trophy.