Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Page 293

The Tale of the Lost: The Lost Child - Chapter 371 Hunter and Prey (Two-in-One)

Xiangzi was suddenly carried by bats into the sky where dusk and night intersected.

No, it wasn't the countless bats that actually carried her into the sky, but a monster hidden among the bats, almost blending into the night.

The monster's clawed feet hooked onto her clothes, and its scythe-like hands, resembling those of a praying mantis, clamped Xiangzi's neck between them, seemingly intending to slice her head off.

Of course, Xiangzi wouldn't let it succeed so easily. The Falcon Feather reappeared in her palm. Before the monster's scythe could snap her neck, she recited the key words of the incantation. Her body instantly transformed into a few feathers that were difficult to touch, drifting away from the monster's shackles and falling into the jungle below.

whoosh-

Xiangzi, who had transformed into a streak of red light, disappeared in mid-air. His body reformed into a solid form, and after landing, he rolled over to dissipate the force of his fall.

The rustling of grass and trees in the wind was incessant, and the bats in the sky had vanished without a trace.

Monster attack, or...?

"Cerberus, the hound of the underworld who guards the gates of purgatory, grant me the spiraling spear that pierces your heart."

hum-

The threaded short gun took shape in Xiangzi's hands.

She gripped the threaded gun tightly, wary of her surroundings.

The creature was clearly a monster that was very good at operating in the shadows. In their brief encounter, Xiangzi had already seen its bat-wing-like ears and scythe-like hands.

Its bat-wing-like ears give it the ability to fly, and its scythe-shaped hands give it the ability to kill its target instantly; its shape is simply made for killing.

It waits until the light becomes dim, during the latter half of the transition from day to night, when only a faint glimmer of light remains in the sky. Under the influence of this faint light, the eyes cannot fully adapt to the darkness, and there is no light on the ground. The visibility during this period is even worse than in complete darkness.

The opponent deliberately waited until this moment to make their move, which shows how experienced they are.

Xiangzi dared not let his guard down.

Even though she was on her guard, the monster lurking in the darkness still managed to find countless opportunities.

brush--

As silently as falling leaves, the sickle, following the trajectory of the four leaves as they drifted down, sprang out from a blind spot, almost slicing off Xiangzi's head.

If she hadn't been on guard and hadn't managed to block the sickle's path with her spiral gun, her head would have indeed fallen off.

The assassin failed in his first attack, but he did not give up or continue his attack in a fit of rage. Instead, he quickly disappeared back into the shadows before Xiangzi could see what he looked like.

"Tsk."

Xiangzi clicked his tongue dismissively, touched his neck, and felt a cool, numb sensation in that spot, which was a little scary.

"Monster..."

The reasons for the formation of monsters are varied and many people become monsters in an instant. These people often have great wishes that are difficult to fulfill. The Holy Grail fragments only give them one "chance to fulfill their wishes".

However, a small group of people are different. Their wishes are very "small," so small that they are limited to themselves. Although the false Holy Grail will still only respond to them once, the power of their wishes does not disappear after they make them. Their bodies will continue to change according to their will, first becoming monsters, and eventually turning into real monsters without them even realizing it.

These monsters possess the "consciousness" they had before becoming monsters. They are unaware that they have become monsters, nor do they know that their so-called "consciousness" is actually just a fanatical obsession left over from when they were still human.

However, thanks to this obsession, these monsters were able to communicate with each other to some extent.

From a certain perspective, they can also be seen as highly demonized monsters. At the very bottom of human society, in the circle of monsters and outlaws, there are even monsters that work for humans.

The assassin "MUTO" was one of them.

He is a monster, and also a professional assassin.

MUTO was born into a greedy world, and somehow became a professional assassin.

He was a man with an almost fanatical attitude towards his work. For him, assassination was not just a job, but a pursuit, a pursuit of the art of killing.

The greedy world, a small place, could not satisfy this man's desires long ago, so he came to the world of the greatest desire for life and made a name for himself.

His ears were once his most prized weapon.

Relying on his exceptional hearing, he could lurk in the darkness and complete his missions without being detected.

However, his pursuit of assassination as an art form led him to take on more difficult missions. Time and again, he escaped danger, but he wasn't always so lucky.

During a mission where his life hung in the balance, he was cornered and forced to the edge of a cliff.

At that moment, the voice of the Holy Grail appeared in his ears.

Want to gain power? Then give up what you value most.

Without hesitation, he offered up his prized ear, transforming it into wings, and jumped off the cliff to escape danger.

As a consequence, he lost his hearing.

Next, Muto embarked on a path of no return.

The power of the Holy Grail remained in his body, and whenever he needed it, his body would change as he wished.

In order to kill his target faster and quieter, his hands became mantis-like scythes; in return, his hands could only be used for killing.

To better blend into his environment, his skin became color-changing; in return, he could no longer walk in the sun.

In order to be able to perceive his surroundings more acutely, his mouth became able to emit ultrasonic waves, and his nose became an organ that could recognize "sound waves." In return, he could no longer smell any fragrances, nor could he speak human language.

......

Assassins are becoming less and less human, and more like a combination of various creatures.

He had no name, yet he became the most famous and best-reputed killer in the area—and also the "worst-reputed" killer.

There was a case where an employer was so frightened by his appearance that they abandoned their engagement.

Since then, Muto has never appeared in anyone's sight again.

However, he was still taking on assassination jobs.

You don't need to communicate with him at all. Just put the money in a designated place and leave a letter with the mission objective on it, and the assassin will do anything for anyone.

No matter how difficult or absurd, he would do it as long as he was paid well.

No, perhaps the reward was merely a symbol for him, a symbol of the "difficulty of the task".

A subtle, almost imperceptible airflow emanated from the ventilation holes on the MUTO's visor, silently exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. It lay quietly in the darkness, its eyes fixed on the wary and bewildered target nestled among the trees.

In those compound eyes that could capture heat, Xiangzi became countless brightly lit orange-red figures.

The mission to assassinate the traitor Toyokawa Shoko was the most rewarding one it had ever received, which also meant that the other party was very strong, unprecedentedly strong.

Its ability to fight head-on is unmatched, even by a demonic body.

But it doesn't matter, Muto thought. Everything is under control; it's just a matter of catching a turtle in a jar.

The monster in the darkness raised its deformed hind legs with reverse joints. These legs gave it extraordinary explosive power and speed, but made it look incredibly ugly.

Compared to the cost of not being able to smell anything, this is actually the least costly one for it.

The monster vanished from its spot, its camouflage skin blending seamlessly into its surroundings. Its padded hind legs allowed it to move with elegance and speed, launching a second sneak attack on Xiangzi from the darkness.

The sickle shot out like a bullet, making a loud "bang!" sound as it cut through the air.

when--!

The scythe's blade blocked the short gun's shaft. This was its second failure. Its opponent was already stronger in direct combat, and it hadn't expected that its sneak attack would be detected.

"People of Ymir, grant me strength!"

The second sneak attack failed, and Muto quickly fled into the darkness, running around the target. A pitch-black fist formed in Xiangzi's hand, chasing after the fleeing monster.

boom--!

The fist landed on empty air, breaking a tree in two.

Muto ran away again, its footsteps so light they were almost as soft as falling leaves.

It doesn't matter. During the second sneak attack, Muto noticed that his opponent's attention and reaction speed had decreased compared to the first time. He guessed that maintaining a high level of concentration for a long time must be very tiring.

Victory is on your side. You just need to patiently wait for every opportunity to launch a sneak attack. If you do it a few more times, you will surely succeed.

The monsters continued with their previous tactics, following their own will.

It imagines itself as a hunter, using various traps, ambushes, and chases to constantly wear down the attention and stamina of its much stronger prey. When the prey is exhausted, it delivers the final blow.

When it was still human, it used this method to single-handedly remove the head of a target who was exhausted despite being heavily protected by more than a dozen people.

Even after becoming a monster, this tactic was still etched into his soul.

Patience, caution, precision—this is the motto of the monster known as "Muto".

On the third sneak attack, Xiangzi could no longer defend himself and rolled aside in a sorry state, avoiding the deadly sickle.

"Homesick warriors, lend me your remaining will to live!"

Xiangzi lay on the ground, chanted a spell at the monster, and a burning golden arm guard appeared out of thin air on his feathered right hand, which flew toward the monster after a loud bang.

Offering: Gauntlets of a Dead Soldier

Power: C, Attribute: Heat, Uses: B, Rarity: B

The offering that can launch hot metal blocks that track enemies is a fragment left behind by Jack-o'-lantern, who could not return home. Deep homesickness is contained in the fragment, and sometimes it flows into the caster's consciousness. The required spell is "Homesick Warrior".

The metal block struck Muto and exploded, the fragments piercing the surrounding trees like sieves.

However, Muto was completely unaffected and once again concealed his presence.

laugh--!

The fourth round of attacks, the fifth round, the sixth round...

Within ten minutes, Muto launched no fewer than ten sneak attacks, sometimes with long intervals and sometimes with short intervals, with no discernible pattern.

The response to the target is becoming increasingly slow, and it is almost on the verge of success.

Finally—after countless sneak attacks—the scythe left a bloody mark on the opponent's arm, and the paralyzing toxin attached to the blade would soon take effect.

The monster retreated safely into the shadows, waiting for the poison to spread.

—“The seed of healing…”

To everyone's surprise, the other party took out offerings with healing effects, posed in front of it, and chanted incantations.

It wouldn't let the other party succeed. Every time the target chanted a spell, it deliberately left her a chance to finish chanting, which must have subconsciously made her feel that she didn't know how to interrupt the chanting.

This desperate, reckless chanting was the winning opportunity that Muto had been waiting for.

blow--!

As Xiangzi chanted his incantation, Muto leaped out of the shadows, its menacing scythe once again hurtling towards Xiangzi. But who knew that in a battle where it should have been in control, it saw a cunning smile on its target's face.

When it finally saw that smile, it realized it had been tricked.

Every time the opponent casts a spell, it chants a complete verse, so much so that it subconsciously believes that casting a spell requires chanting the entire sentence.

But.....

Monsters cannot hear sounds, but they can see the mouths of their targets through their compound eyes.

she says:

"Actually, the only key word is 'the seed of healing'."

As early as the second sneak attack, Xiangzi had already figured out the opponent's tactics. It seemed like she was being led by the nose, but in reality, she was not the one being led by the nose.

There are not many spellcasters in this world, and strange people do not need any incantations or offerings to use their magical abilities. Therefore, few people know the details of what the "incantation" is.

Every time she launches a sneak attack, whether or not she has the opportunity, she will use an offering to chant the complete spell name, giving the opponent the impression that "the spell is very long and you must concentrate on chanting it before you can cast the spell."

She had been waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the monster to interrupt her.

brush--

Xiangzi had anticipated this and dodged the sickle, which grazed his cheek as he produced another offering made of bone.

Ymir.

boom!

Steam enveloped his right hand, and Xiangzi grabbed the sickle with his arm that had grown instantly. He raised his foot and stepped on its joint, his arm bursting with incredible power.

With a teeth-grinding tearing sound, Xiangzi forcefully pulled the monster's scythe off!

"—!"

A sharp cry emanated from the monster's mouthparts.