Practice Makes Perfect #Kazu

I had experienced being swallowed alive by different kinds of massive monsters a lot. It was very slimy and wet inside their stomachs and throats, and I could feel their muscles contracting and relaxing around me.

I don't know why, but being trapped and digested by them… I'm starting to like it. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Kazu, out.

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Whizz! Thunk!

Some people curl up with books, some lose themselves in games, and some binge on movies. Me? I have a different way of spending my leisure time. It's not like I spend every waking hour hunting down and slaying monsters. I also make time for honing my skills and improving my methods of killing.

Thunk! Whizz!

I feel a surge of adrenaline as I flick my wrist and release two blades at once, watching them fly through the air and hit their targets with a satisfying thud. I'm almost there, almost a master of throwing dual blades with one hand. I can hit any mark I want, no matter how far or how small. I practice regularly, trying out new techniques and tricks. Right now, I'm aiming at a row of wooden dummies that I set up in the forest. Each one has a different shape and size, and some of them are swinging on ropes.

Whizz! Thunk!

Sweat drips from my forehead as I strain my muscles to keep up the pace. This is no easy feat to accomplish. I have paid a high price for this skill. I have lost blades, pierced my eyes, and severed my fingers on sharp edges, which forced me to restart.

But I never give up.

I always learn from my mistakes and refine my craft.

I often experiment with whatever crosses my mind.

Like, last time when I researched a way of dying that is efficient and also looks cool while engaging in battle.

My dad had once mentioned Hara-Kiri, an honorable and noble way of ending oneself to death by cutting one's stomach.

I shuddered at the thought. Honorable or not, it was a slow and agonizing way to end one's life. I wanted nothing to do with it. I threw another pair of blades at the last moving target, hitting it right in the heart.

Thunk! Thunk!

I don't know, maybe I had misunderstood the whole thing. But I was done with cutting my stomach. I had had enough of that.

I experimented with different methods to end myself away, and I found one that suited me well. If I sliced deep enough into the sides of my neck, I would start to die immediately. It was a painful and intense sensation, but it also gave me a sudden death. I wondered why slicing the front or back of my neck did not have the same effect. Instead, I would just burst into uncontrollable spasms and drown in my own blood for several minutes.

I had two preferred ways to end myself away. One was the neck method I just described, which was quick and exhilarating. The other was to stab my heart and then twist and pull it out. They both worked well in different scenarios.

Thunk! Thunk!

Two of my knives pierced through the wooden targets with a satisfying sound, and I smiled. I had been practicing for hours, trying to master the art of throwing two knives with each hand. If I kept this up, I might be able to hurl four knives with remarkable precision and skill in each hand.

However, my smile faded as I saw six of my knives fly past their mark and fall to the ground. I still had a long way to go before I could call myself a master.

Huff! That was enough for today!

I walked over to collect my twelve knives that I had flung. They were all diverse and distinct, made of different parts and materials. Five were nails, four were fangs, two were horns, and one was a tail. Yes, a tail. It belonged to a monstrous creature with a rigid and pointed tail. A bizarre monster, indeed. It never utilized its tail in battle, as if it was protecting something precious.

"Is its groin that important?" I muttered to myself as I examined the tail knife. Its edge was still smeared with crimson from our fight.

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I roamed around without any direction or purpose after the practice session.

Sohhws~

A bush rustles nearby.

A rabbit? It bounces and jumps carefree. Occasionally, I encountered animals like this.

Aww. It gazed at me with its eyes as round as saucers. I hurl two sharp blades with one hand. One misses and the other strikes its forehead. It squeaks and dies instantly.

I felt no thrill or joy in killing animals. They didn't even resist or retaliate. I marveled at how they survived. Should I torment one next time? Their squeak was music to my ears. Is this how the strong feel about the weak? Did they regard them as dust under their feet?

I continued to walk while pondering about this.

◇

At last, a monster that used magic!

I deflect the incoming fireball by hurling a knife at it. Huh, it works. It seems that the fireball is not that powerful, then.

I sprint towards the monster with a grin. It has six spindly legs, but it does not resemble any wolf or tiger I have ever seen. It has a strange shape that did not match any animals I know.

I notice its eyes glow red whenever it casts a fireball. It unleashes a barrage of fireballs at me, but I stand my ground. The fireballs hit me, leaving burn marks on me, but they do not slow me down.

As I run, I throw a knife at the six-legged monster, aiming for its head. And then another one right after, aiming for its chest.

What??? It leaps. It seems to sense its impending doom.

Oy, oy. Ain't that too high? How can it jump so high?

"Hey! Wait up! Don't run! Let me kill you first!" I yell, blurting out something absurd.

Huh? Fuhhh… Hahaha.

"Here, here, six-legged monster…" I taunt. I stalk it leisurely, savoring the hunt. Hahaha. This is fun.

It only knows how to leap. It does not have any other skills or tricks. I can catch up with it just by walking.

I fling a knife at it as it plunges in the air.

Ick!

How cute, it squeaks like a rabbit. Should I torture it after I wear it out?

I find it amusing to see it struggle and panic. It tries to escape from me, but it is no match for my strength, and its speed is laughable. I toy with it like a cat with a mouse.

We play this game for a while. I throw knives at it, making it squeak. It fires fireballs at me, making me laugh and mock.

Pwwwww!

Tsk! I am about to reach the peak of my excitement, but someone interferes.

Pwwwww!

Ah! Its dart pierces the six-legged monster!

Tsk, someone interrupts my game. What an asshole.

Who has the nerve to spoil my fun? Who has the audacity to snatch my prey? Who has the courage to defy me?

I charge towards the asshole who dares to shoot my prey; I zigzag between the trees, using their huge trunks for cover.

A spear? What kind of bizarre weapon is that? It whizzes past me, missing by a mile. I snort as I evade another one. Does it have a blindfold on or something? The asshole can't even aim.

Pwwwwww! Pwwwwww!

The faint streaks in the air mark its arrows. I follow them, running through the dense and dark forest. The smell of damp earth and rotting leaves fills my nostrils. The sound of birds and insects is drowned out by its shooting.

Pwwwwww!

Its accuracy is getting better. It must be getting used to its fancy tricks. I need to get closer to it and finish it off.

Pwwwwww!

Ughh! One of its invisible bolts pierces my left shoulder, making my left hand go numb. I gasp and clutch my shoulder, feeling the sticky and crimson blood seeping through my fingers. The knife I hold falls to the ground.

"Fuck!" I curse and scream. "That hurts like a bitch!"

I slow down a bit, but I don't stop running.

"Come on, show yourself!" I yell at it. "What are you afraid of?"

It doesn't answer. It just keeps hopping between trees, shooting at me from behind them. I can see its silhouette there.

A faint streak of air whizzes past my ear, barely missing me. It looks like a spear, but it isn't. It's a blast of compressed air, shaped by magic. It looks cool and scary at the same time.

Magic? Made of air? Air spear?

"I see you…" I mutter under my breath. The asshole thinks it can hide from me? Keep dreaming.

I grip the two knives in my right hand and prepare to throw them at it. But before I can, something slams into my back and sends me tumbling to the ground.

Pwe!!! I spit out the dirt that fills my mouth. It tastes bitter and disgusting. I cough and gag.

Damn! My back is bleeding a lot.

Another asshole? No, that's not it.

I grab my knife and restart. I don't move right away. I wait for its next move. It's a cunning jerk, this asshole. All this time it can control the trajectory of its sharp air spears. Yes, there's no one else around, it's just me and this freak.

Ho-ho-ho, you want to play tricks? I'll give you one. I pretend to be dead and don't blink at all. I wait patiently for it to come closer.

If a human sees me, they would notice a huge grin on my face. I can't help it, I'm too excited. This is the most fun I've had in a long time.

I watch the scaled creature approach me cautiously. It pauses every few steps and scans its surroundings, as if expecting an ambush. Its eyes dart from side to side, betraying its fear. It clutches its chest, where faint red veins glow under its green skin.

It looks like a monkey, but with scales instead of fur. A clever adaptation for camouflage in this dense forest.

Pwwwwww!

A blast of magic hits my back from close range. I grit my teeth and suppress a groan. This pain is nothing to me. I've endured worse.

Pwwwwww! Pwwwwww! Pwwwwww!

It keeps firing at me, as if trying to make sure I'm really dead. The force of its attacks pushes me deeper into the ground. Blood seeps from my wounds. Come on, dude, I'm dead. Can't you see?

Pwwwwww! Pwwwwww!

Isn't that overkill? This is getting annoying. If this continues, I'll split in half.

Don't be a coward and come closer. Come on, don't be shy. Come and see for yourself.

Pwwwwww! Pwwwwww! Pwwwwww!

It draws both hands to form the magic, leaving itself open to attack.

Three more steps and you're dead, asshole. Three more steps and you'll feel my wrath. Three more steps and you'll regret ever messing with me.