Chapter 61

Fully using his Ki to detect where the woman was, he was surprised that even then, he can't detect her. But then, a faint presence appears and Hisashi catches another arrow aimed at his head.

'Is she fusing with the trees?' He thought as he catch another one. Seconds later, a dozen more arrows aimed all over his vital areas came. The heart, neck, joints, nape, and even spine.

But with one swift movement, Hisashi dodges it all and caught some. He also flashed to a nearby tree where the last arrow came from. He was about to grab something when he missed and another arrow came flying by.

Within a matter of seconds, the exchange between the two became a matter of life and death as Hisashi draw his wooden sword to deflect the arrow, almost chipping a part of it.

He flashed to another tree and he was about to its trunk when he stopped. Meanwhile, the woman who just finished shooting another arrow before fusing back with the tree. It was then that she saw the straw-hatted man quickly appear in front of her and aim to destroy the tree before she can move from it.

In a matter of seconds, her opponent realized what she was doing and reacted even faster which makes her uneasy. Just before she successfully move to another tree, she saw him stop when he had the chance. This action baffles her and she reveals undoes her fusion from another tree.

"Why did you stop?" The woman said to Hisashi. He just turns around to see his enemy still holding her bow aimed at him.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Stop acting ignorant. You had the chance to hit me earlier with the tree and you didn't. What are you plotting?" She said as she kept her aim at him.

"Why would I? I would've destroyed the tree. And before you say anything… No. I can destroy a tree if I have to. But I won't do it for you." His remark makes the woman's eyes squint.

"Are you mocking me?"

"No. I just don't think that you pose enough harm to make me have to destroy them."

"Then I won't hold back anymore!" The woman fires an arrow before fusing with the tree. In an instant, Hisashi moved to dodge the first… the second, the third, and the fourth arrow coming from all around him. In a matter of milliseconds, she relocated three times and come out to shoot an arrow.

'I thought I have to leave? Why does this seem like a challenge now?' Hisashi thought to himself.

Her speed mesmerizes Hisashi and he gracefully dodges each and every arrow aimed his way. The more arrow he dodges, the faster the next one comes. However, no matter how fast it shoots out, the latter simply either catches it, deflects it or dodges it.

This irritates the woman who starts to notice that her arrows are about half now. But this didn't stop her as she continues to shoot arrows even faster than before.

She was about to shoot one when suddenly, her hand stops moving. Her opponent has caught up to her.

"If it's not working, don't repeat it over and over again. Did your master not teach you that?" He said so as he hold her shooting arm.

"Maybe. But he has taught me this." The woman then lets go of the bow before she kicks Hisashi. She wasn't just kicking though… as it was aimed at his genitals. Given their relative height with Hisashi standing at 5 foot and 7 inches, all she had to do was hit it with her knee.

But Hisashi saw this coming as he blocks the leg with his own. This sends him into disarray as his body reacts quickly. He sent the same leg to catch him after the kick almost making him fall out of balance. After all, the woman just kicked him with such unbelievable strength.

He didn't expect such power to come from someone around his age, or maybe just a little older. Is she physically stronger than him? No, for sure. But even Ryuya who was four years older was quite weaker than him physically.

As fast as everything happened, she uses the arrow she was about to shoot before to try and stab Hisashi – to which he catches her arm.

"That's two times now! You pervert!" The woman said before Hisashi raises his other leg, now with much greater preparation as the woman sends another knee aimed at his genitals.

"Can you stop!? I just told you to never try the same move again after failing once. Especially not after you hinted about such an attack."

"Then what about this?" She said before sending a punch to him. Once again, he caught her attack. But she simply smiles as she bites onto something and blows out dark violet smoke. At the same time, a large needle comes out of her sleeves, aimed at Hisashi's head.

Confident that she got him, she wiggles her way out of his hand but realizes that she cannot. A strong gust of wind then hits the two blowing away the dark mist, revealing something that makes her eyes big. Hisashi sends a blunt wind ball to knock away the straw hat covering his face and showing a needle in between his teeth.

Without saying anything, he crosses her caught arms before wrapping them around her body as her back touches his chest. He held the woman close to him before throwing the needle and placing his head near her ears.

If anyone were to see the two of them, the very general description would be: Two teenagers pursuing their personal interests in the middle of the woods. Yep, definitely. Luckily, other than them, there was no other trace of soul around other than some insects, if they even count.

"So much for hidden weapons used for protection," Hisashi whispers to her ear before letting her go.

"I'm no pervert, nor a troublemaker. I don't even know you nor what you are doing here. I just revealed my face, despite my opposite intention to not do so. Even with my attacks, you know and feel that I do not mean any harm. That's despite you trying to kill me.

I've said it once and I'll say it again. I won't cause any trouble in this country. I don't know if you're some guard or whatnot but I won't go back without even a tour of this goddamn land. Now, if you want to cause trouble for me... Then I'm not the troublemaker here, now, aren't I?" Hisashi said so as he drops all sorts of hidden weapons out of his sleeve.

"That! That's all my weapons!" The woman said before waving her arms around, leading to him stepping away to let her pick the weapons up from a distance.

"Sorry. I have to take it. Or you might waste it once again… as per your habit."