Knock her out.
That was what Hoshino thought, and that was what she did.
Talulah turned around to comfort Rozaliya, who refused to come out, completely unaware of the stunning blow coming from behind. Lilia's sword speed proved its worth once more. Before the sound or wind could arrive, the attack had already struck the back of her neck.
In that brief instant, Talulah finally realized something.
Why was Lilia's offense so impossible to defend against? The reason was simple: she was too fast. By the time one formed the intention to resist, the opponent had already finished an entire sequence of attacks. Her strikes were faster than sound, faster than thought—a complete case of striking after the fact yet arriving first, carrying an utterly helpless sort of sorrow.
"Is this... Higashi's Iaijutsu?"
Hoshino believed Lilia's strike had definitely been powerful enough. Talulah herself had already passed out; the one speaking now was another consciousness lurking within her mind.
"Lilia, Lilia, Sister Talulah has split personalities."
"Oh."
Hoshino truly could not be bothered to communicate. She brought her sword down again, striking the back of Talulah's neck. As usual, it descended with the force of thunder. Before she could even realize it, everything was already over.
"Under heaven, no martial art is unbreakable. Only speed is unbeatable."
With no one around, Hoshino muttered that embarrassingly dramatic line to herself, only to ruin the mood with a yawn.
Time to tie her up.
Hopefully, they could get her back before the people below noticed.
Hoshino glanced at the Talulah who was asleep—physically—and reached out to brush aside the sweat-dampened white hair stuck to her forehead.
"That all depends on your prestige."
Hoshino shook her head.
"Do your best, Talulah. You're the backbone of the Reunion Movement."
She hoisted the unconscious Talulah