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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 8 Chapter 5.5

「I won’t let you through here.」

She had waist-length black hair, which was distinctive above all other features…

I feel like I’ve felt this presence before. Where was it?

While I was wondering about this, the girl in front of me started walking towards me.

「Eh?」

I’m impressed as I parry her quick attacks. This kid is pretty good. I’d like to see her fight Nonomiya-chan next time.

The more thinks about training her subordinates, the more Shiki seems to be able to parry her attacks with ease.

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This is crazy, what’s going on?

Yukihime was panicking inside. The woman in front of her, Maboro Shiki, didn’t seem to care about her attacks at all.

It only took a glance to know who she was. Because she is one of the GREAT 7 who stood on the stage at the Tanabata Festival venue where I went on a date with Juugo. I never imagined she held a position related to comprehensive security. More than that though…. She’s incredibly strong.

I haven’t been able to land a single hit with my attacks so far. No matter how fast I move, how many feints I mix in, how many times I try to attack her blind spots, nothing works.

「It’s about time I go in.」

The declaration was so nonchalant that it was as if it was scripted.

Booof

「Guh.」

A palm strike was unleashed. Even though she had blocked it with both hands, the force of the impact sent both her feet flying in the air and sent her flying backwards. She somehow managed to land on her feet and prepared herself, but both her hands, which blocked the attack, were numb as if an electric current had run through them.

What ridiculous strength.

A moment later, Shiki was right in front on her.

「!」

She tried to quickly avoid the palm strike aimed at her shoulder, but was unable to avoid it. It dug into her shoulder. The impact alone made Yukihime’s body arch backwards and she was send spinning away.

Not only her strength, but her speed was also off the charts.

Yukihime immediately got up and regained her balance, but Shiki’s hand again reached out and grabbed her arm.

「Got it.」

A chill ran down Yukihime’s spine. She had unconsciously pulled out the short sword hidden at her waist, which was a credit to her regular training.

「Ooops.」

However, Shiki easily dodges even that by letting go of her arm.

Keeping her and the short sword at a distance, Yukhime becomes convinced. They are on completely different levels, there’s no way she can win. This was not intelligence based on experience accumulated through training, but rather instinctive intuition. When it comes to combat, it is impossible to defeat Shiki Maboro. And that is why….

Hyuuu

「Kunai this time?」

Shiki laughed happily as she effortlessly caught the kunai that came flying towards her with her bare fingers.

Yukihime wasn’t going to win, she was just trying to buy time.

Most importantly though…

「This time I’ll go first.」

….if she lets me.

「You’re rather tenacious.」

Yukihime feels like she’s been fighting for hours, but in reality, only a few minutes have passed. In just that few minutes, Yukihime has been completely beat up.

「There aren’t many girls who can hold out this long against me.」

What are you talking about? I’m only able to hold on because you’re just playing with me. If you were serious, I’d be done for in an instant.

In a way this is exactly what I was trying for, but I’ve never felt more humiliated in my life. But even with that being the case I can’t hold out much longer.

「You seem to be having quite a difficult time, Yukihime Fugi.」

Yukihime turned around at the sound of the voice behind her. Standing there was a man dressed in black. She recognized this man. Kagetora Tsurezure.

He is Juugo’s sempai and, above all, a ninja. Yukihime has fought him before and he is quite skilled.

Immediately, Yukihime says, 「Help me.」

「No. I’ve only come to pick up that girl, at Isshin’s command which was Asumi Nishi’s instructions.」

「Someone else will do that. Right now, this problem is more important.」

「I have no obligation to accept your proposal….」

Kagetora stubbornly refused.

Yukihime was feeling frustrated.

However….

「…I think that girl is an incredibly beautiful girl.」

「…..」

She immediately reconsiders. Ah, this man is just a pervert. And so Yukihime Fugi, who is both an excellent kunoichi and a cold-hearted strategist, coldly uses the first strategy she can think of.

「Do you remember the girl I had with me at the hot springs town before?」

Kagetora’s cheek twitches in reaction.

「If you help me here, I’ll set up a blind date with her next time.」

Yukihime coldly sold out her friend to achieve her goals.

Rummmmmble

In an instant, an extraordinary amount of fighting spirit rose up from Kagetora. He then pointed his index finger at Shiki Maboro, who stood in his way.

「My name is Kagetora Tsurezure, and I will use this life to stop your advance!」

Feeling the fighting spirit rising from his body, Yukihime was convinced. This man really was strong. And really perverted.

「But there is one condition.」

「? What’s that?」

「Bring your kohai, Juugo Yama, along and we make it a mixer.」

Kagetora thinks for a moment (presumably to judge whether Juugo is the more desirable male), then grins.

「All right. The mixer will be three on three.」

Yukihime Fugi is not only an excellent kunoichi, but also a cold-hearted strategist. She not only sells out her friend, but also mixes in a little bit of her own desires.

By the way, she has no intention of handing over her best friend to this perverted ninja. During the mixer, or after, she plans to coldly butcher the ninja without anyone knowing.

In any case though, she will use anything she can in this desperate situation.

Shiki had been watching the two of them interact and sighed.

「What? Are you joining us, Ninja-kun?」

「I don’t even remember joining you in the first place.」

「Ibara-chan will get angry at you.」

「That’s fine. Ibarais doing all this on the orders of the man she loves.」

Hearing this, Shiki sighs in disgust.

「Ah, no way. Just looking at this kid in love makes me sick. Seriously, it pisses me off.」

And then the two of them confront Shiki.

「Let’s go Yukihime Fugi.」

「Don’t tell me what to do.」

The ninja and kunoichi attacked from both sides at the same time. Shiki Maboro continued to dodge the pincer attack without a care in the world though.

「Is that all you can do with the two of you?」

Shiki simultaneously blocked Kagetora’s back fist approaching her face and Yukihime’s kick as she tried to sweep her legs out, and simply pushed them back with all his might. The block alone pushed the two of them back. She is truly a monster. Not even two people could handle her.

「Then how about three?」

Yukihime and Kagetora turned around at the voice from behind them.

「You are Masaaki Kishitani?」

Yukihime recognized the man who had arrived. He was a friend of Nishi Asumi and had also worked as a banker in the Second Stage. More importantly, he seems like a good fighter too.

Masaaki walks between the two of them and comes face to face with Shiki.

「I believe you are Shiki Maboro from the GREAT 7.」

「Who knows….」

「I’ve heard rumors for a long time, that you are the strongest woman.」

「Oh, that’s nothing but a lie. There aren’t many women as weak as me.」

Shiki lies without any remorse, and Masaaki takes a fighting stance.

「I’d like to face you as a warrior.」

「I’ll decline. I’m not a warrior.」

Shiki waves her hand in disgust, then looks at Masaaki and the two behind him with a grin.

「So then, all three of you come at me.」

Yukihime Fuigi.

Kagetora Tsurezure.

Kishitani Masaaki.

Seeing the three of them, Shiki muttered to herself, 「It looks like we can have a little fun now.」

Shiki’s attention shifted ever so slightly from duty to curiosity.

At almost the same time, Yukihime noticed something while facing Shiki. The soldiers who had been waiting behind Shiki until recently had started to go around all this to reach the royal castle gates.

「I don’t like that.」

I instinctively tried to move towards them, but Masaaki stopped me with his hand.

「Don’t worry, one of our talented kohai is over there.」

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Taking advantage of the gap created by Shiki’s advance, a unit from the General Security charged into the castle in pursuit of Sansa Kurosu, who was believed to have already infiltrated the castle. With their guns at the ready, they slipped through the castle gate and stepped into the first floor entrance.

「Hmm? What’s that?」

Even though it was early in the morning, someone was standing at the back of the strangely dim entrance.