Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

Under normal circumstances, Yui would have dealt with this situation by breaking through her foes' encirclement and forcing them to pursue until she found an advantageous position or managed to give them the slip. With Nobu's fate unknown, however, she couldn't simply leave the area, so, even if she knew it was a mistake, she allowed herself to be led around by Yuriko while Rynka provided support from the shadows.Realizing that Yui had no intention of leaving the area, Yuriko continued to reposition around trees in an effort to bait the former into exhausting her Aura. She knew where all the traps were located. All she needed to do was lure Yui to their location."This is the penultimate weakness of a warrior. Concerning yourself with the safety of others makes you weak..."As those words left her mouth, Yurko rolled forward to evade the glistening golden blade that had cleanly bifurcated the tree she had been hiding behind. At the same time, she tossed a handful of marble-sized paper balls towards the periphery. These immediately erupted into a cloud of bright-red powder, a combination of ground-up chili peppers, skin irritants, and poison.Noticing the paper balls the moment she darted around the tree, Yui spun on her heels, a golden plate manifesting behind her as she backed through the cloud without a moment's hesitation. This was an incredibly foolish maneuver, but, fearing Nobu's time might be running out, Yui abandoned caution in favor of results.With the exception of the golden plate and the sword in her hand, Yui had completely deactivated her aura. She needed speed more than defense at the moment, so, even when Yuriko performed a backward flip, slinging a handful of kunai in the process, Yui charged through them with bloodshot eyes, shouting, "You're really starting to piss me off...!"Though she was more than a little surprised by Yui's 'suicide charge', Yuriko found herself at a loss for words when she heard the former's outburst. Yui was the type of person who kept her emotions bottled up, refusing to let others see her weakness. She wasn't the type of person to lash out at her opponent in the middle of a battle, and, even if she sustained heavy injuries, she wouldn't so much as flinch.Blocking Yui's heavy blow with a luminous silver sickle known as a kamaitachi, the color in Yuriko's face drained away as she forced a smile and said, "This isn't like you, Yui...you're not this reckless..."Ignoring Yuriko's remark, Yui's pressed forward, her golden aura igniting like a flame that quickly produced a number of spear-like protrusions. Several of these impacted near Yurko's vital points, but, thanks to her silver aura, she was only sent stumbling backward by the momentum contained within the blows.Regretting her earlier musings, Yuriko attempted to take advantage of the distance Yui's attack had sent her by darting to the side. Before she could even get three steps, however, Yui appeared right in front of her, aura nowhere to be seen and an expression similar to an enraged Asura."If I make it through this, I'm tanning that Rynka's hide until it's purple..."With Yui performing a cyclone-like sweep with a golden naginata, Yuriko attempted to leap over it only to discover a familiar silver kunai aimed at the center of her forehead. This caused the pupils of her hawk-like eyes to contract, not because she was fearful of receiving the attack, but because the kunai was one of her own.As that thought crossed her mind, Yuriko was forced to involuntarily blink when the kunai impacted her aura. At that exact moment, a force comparable to a Lightning Boar's charge slammed into the left side of her body, just below her armpit. Her aura managed to hold out, but, due to the weight behind the blow, her left shoulder ended up getting dislocated before her body was sent crashing through a nearby tree.Seeing Yuriko get sent flying, Rynka, who had spent the last couple of minutes looking for a chance to attack, immediately paled. She felt as though a bucket of icy-cold water had been poured across her body, as, despite being hidden, Yui's obsidian-blue eyes snapped towards her the moment she had sent Yuriko flying.Though one of the punishments for abandoning a mission was death, Rynka's instincts told her that she would surely die if she tried to fight against Yui. Unfortunately, the moment she turned around, a figure clad in pale-gold descended to block her path.Forcing a smile, Rynka looked up with the intention of trying to ingratiate herself to the monstrous woman standing in front of her. This effort promptly hindered by Yui's vice-like grip closing around her face, forcing her to remain silent as the demonic woman asked, "Use your fingers. Tell me, how many people did you bring?"Had Yui merely blocked her path, Rynka wouldn't have put up much of a struggle. Being lifted by her face, however, caused her fight or flight instinct to kick in. Thus, without even processing the words that had just left Yui's mouth, Rynka began punching, kicking, and throwing every tool she had in her possession. This ended up being a surprisingly effective strategy, as, among the many items she had thrown, several explosives had been mixed in.With a massive explosion forcibly separating them, Yui smashed into a nearby tree while Rynka was sent tumbling head over heel through a series of shrubs. Their respective auras had protected them from any serious injuries, but, due to the unexpected nature of the attack, even Yui was left cradling her head, ears ringing as a wave of disorientation forced her to lean against the tree for support. As for Rynka, she managed to climb to her feet, but, the moment she tried to walk forward, she ended up moving in a diagonal line before crashing into a tree of her own.........After slipping in and out of consciousness more than a dozen times, Nobu finally reached what he believed to be an exit. He couldn't actually see the end, but, feeling a cold breeze flow from further ahead, he managed to wiggle his way through a tunnel that was only accessible due to his severely malnourished figure."If I get out of this...I'm never going underground again..."Since these words were intended for himself, Nobu's body instantaneously froze when he heard a delicate voice reply, "That's probably for the best. The only time people should stay underground is when they're dead. Now, come on out. If you surrender obediently, I promise I won't harm you..."Hearing the voice coming from an unseen source beyond the bend a few meters up the tunnel, the expression on Nobu's face darkened as he contemplated wiggling back the way he came. His newly acquired phobia was rapidly nearing debilitating levels, but, far more than being buried alive, Nobu feared being used to harm the people he cared about. Yui wasn't quite at that level, but, as the only person he had really spent time with since his reincarnation, she was the closest approximation to a person he genuinely cared about...Just as Nobu was forming the resolve to move backward, a piercing pain radiated from his ankle as the same voice from before calmly explained, "I have already spread my familiars through the entire burrow. If you refuse to come out, they will continue biting your legs until you either come forward or pass out from blood loss..."With his jaw trembling from anxiety and pain, Nobu's eyes became progressively more bloodshot as he forced the chattering to stop by tightly clenching his teeth. He felt like he was being made to experience all of the most deeply ingrained fears humans had developed since their ancestors were still living in caves. Not only was he trapped in an extremely claustrophobic tunnel, but, someplace he couldn't see, unknown creatures were nipping at his feet, heels, and legs as if he were a fucking buffet."God fucking damnit! I'm sick and tired of this bullshit! If you want me, come and get me you little shit! You think I'm going to make things easy for you!? Go fuck yourself...!"Though the confines of the tunnel didn't allow him to move around much, Nobu still managed to kick at whatever was biting him. Even the collapsing of the tunnel didn't deter him, as, much like he had told Yui, he would rather die than become something like a hostage. At least this way he could give that damned Goddess a piece of his mind before being sent off to god knows where.........Hearing the sounds of a struggle from within the tunnel, the owner of the voice, a young girl with shoulder-length pink hair tied up into a short ponytail, fringe-bangs framing a face with amethyst eyes, muttered, "I'm not sure if I should call him brave or suicidal..."Shaking her head, the youthful-looking girl slipped her hand into the slit of her kimono before reaching deep into her cleavage and producing a series of paper talismans that vaguely resembled human. Then, after placing these between her index and middle fingers, she whispered, "Try not to hurt him too much..." before throwing the talismans into the tunnel.After an inordinate number of expletives and enough thrashing to cause the entrance of the tunnel to emit a cloud of dust, several child-sized paper figures resembling macaques emerged from the burrow with an extremely tall yet gaunt man in tow. The average height of females in Nian was only around 148cm when fully grown, and, while their men were markedly taller, most averaged between 160-165cm. Nobu, not that she knew his name, was just over 177cm, so, while he wasn't particularly tall back on Earth, he was practically a giant in Nian."I don't think I've ever seen a man this big...is he a foreigner? He has Nianese features though..."Since Nobu had been strangled unconscious by a paper snake coiled around his neck, the woman, Yoshitsune Shizune, could only speculate who he was and where he came from. Their mission only required them to hinder Yui and prevent the latter from returning before the official deadline of her mission. This would be impossible under normal circumstances, but, thanks to the strange man she was escorting, they weren't helplessly outmatched.Poking Nobu's cheek with her finger, a smile developed across the pink-haired girl's face as she softly mused, "I've never seen a man from this close before...I wonder if his height is the only thing big about him..."Though she really shouldn't be taking her time like this, Shizune's eyes crawled over Nobu's body before lingering on the hemp cord holding his trousers in place. She found it a little strange that he wasn't wearing a traditional kimono or hitatare with hakama-style trousers. Instead, he was wearing a type of linen pants common among farmers, a two-layered tunic, and a pair of leather boots that appeared to be imported from overseas. He dressed nothing like a typical Nianese, yet, even with a veritable bird's nest of hair, his facial features could easily pass for a member of the Noble Clans..."Hmmm...?"As that thought crossed her mind, Shizune noticed that Nobu actually shared several key features with the current Lord of the Oda Clan. Everything from the shape of his brow, the thickness of his nose, and the angle of his jaw were a perfect match for a younger version of Owari's Lord.Were it not for the fact that Lord Senken wasn't famous for loving a single woman, Shizune could have been convinced that the man lying before her was the Lord's illegitimate child. The similarities were frightening, so much so that Shizune actually began to feel as though she was committing a grave mistake by not bowing her head.Fortunately, like every other member of the Yoshitsune Clan, Shizune had committed the names and faces of the Oda Clan to memory. The man before her didn't match any of these people, so, after a brief moment of hesitation, a mischievous smile developed across her face as she lifted the hem of Nobu's trousers and softly exclaimed, "Oh my...you might be a dirty commoner, but you're quite the little Lord where it counts..."......(A/N: Oh my...)

By circulating her aura internally, Yui managed to recover from her disorientation after a few deep breaths. This was exponentially faster than Rynka, so, while the aforementioned was still struggling to stand, Yui grabbed her by the collar of her kimono before slamming her to the ground using an overhead throw.With her usually invisible aura flashing a vibrant silver, Rynka coughed up a small amount of blood, cursing, "You wench...!" before attempting to grab something from one of the many pouches lining her body. This was rewarded with a stomp to the face before Yui used a bident-like weapon to pin the hostile kunoichi's neck to the ground.Though a person's aura could protect them from harm, it wasn't an absolute defense. A sufficiently powerful blow would cause it to deform, so, taking advantage of her aura's inherent characteristics, Yui raised her left foot, an inordinately thick golden greave manifesting around her calf and foot as she dropped it with meteoric might against Rynka's diaphragm.With her neck pinned to the ground, Rynka's offensive and defensive options had been significantly reduced. Thus, when Yui's foot came crashing down, an audible crack resounded through the forest as an intense pain radiated through her entire chest. Her aura, which had manifested to protect her, now had a foot-shaped imprint just beneath her breasts, and, as a result, all the air had been forced from her lungs.As Rynka had been the one to set off the explosion that had potentially buried Nobu, Yui felt very little remorse about the internal injuries she had inflicted upon her younger clanswoman. The only reason she didn't outright kill her was that she didn't believe the Elders of the Yoshitsune Clan, not even the ones who hated her, would arbitrarily issue a mission to kill her. If that were the case, they would have sent a team of elites, not a trainee and someone she had defeated well over a hundred times in training.Using several other bident-like weapons, colloquially known as sasumata, Yui systematically pinned each of Rynka's joints before leaving her to writhe painfully on the ground. Immediately after that, she leaped to the branch of a nearby tree to get a better vantage point on Yuriko's position."As expected...Yuriko wouldn't be taken out so easily..."Lamenting the time she had wasted on Rynka, Yui shook her head before shooting a golden line into a distant tree. Then, with the assistance of several other cables, she was able to navigate the densely packed forward with a finesse that could have rivaled a certain spider-themed hero from Brooklyn.........After retreating a safe distance and painstakingly setting her dislocated arm, Yuriko showed no hesitation regarding the decision to leave Rynka to her fate. She seriously doubted that Yui would kill a member of her own clan. Rather, if she was truly as coldhearted as people made her out to be, she wouldn't have insisted on pursuing the path of an 'honorable warrior'.Confident in her assessment of Yui's character, Yuriko raced back to the location of the burrow. Her highest priority at the moment was securing the man Yui had been escorting. The brief skirmish had made it exceedingly clear they couldn't defeat Yui in a direct confrontation, so, now that their initial plan had gone south, they had little choice but to rely on their contingencies."It's fortunate I left Shizune in charge of his capture. That personality of hers could use some work but she shouldn't have had any difficulties capturing a commoner..."Despite the apparent confidence in her tone, Yuriko ignored the pain radiating from her left ribs in order to reach her destination as quickly as possible. Shizune might have been able to capture their quarry with relative ease, but, should Yui get to her first, the pinkette lacked the mental fortitude to issue and follow through with threats.Shizune was someone who abhorred unnecessary violence, and, were it not for the fact she could command Shikigami, an exceptionally rare ability, she most likely would have ended up working in a brothel to gather information. Such was the fate of incompetent kunoichi, as, even with the Oda Clan's backing, they still needed to earn additional income in order to purchase the equipment and resources required to nurture the more talented members of their Clan.Fortunately, while Shizune had earned a poor evaluation regarding her slaughter and assassination techniques, her actual combat prowess wasn't bad. She could also infiltrate manors and businesses with her Shikigami, so, while most trainees would immediately be regarded as a failure for refusing to kill, the Elders had made an exception in regards to the peculiar pinkette. After all, when it came to conducting operations in foreign territories, the ability to covertly gather information was often more important than individual lethality.The biggest problem with Shizune was that she had developed the mentality that she was already an important asset to the Yoshitsune Clan. She didn't particularly care about earning the official title of kunoichi, as, from her perspective, she would never be assigned the tasks that led some kunoichi to commit suicide. Simply put, she had developed something of a Princess mentality, and, while she would generally follow orders, she rarely put in more than a middling amount of effort.Fearing that her young protege might simply 'give up' if she deemed the task too annoying, Yuriko reached the site of the burrow in just under a minute. To her relief, she immediately noticed Shizune crouching next to their unconscious target. What Yuriko didn't expect was to find the troublesome pinkette in the middle of fiddling around with the target's genitalia..."Trainee Shizune...what the hell are you doing...?"Though she startled upon hearing Yuriko's voice, Shizune quickly regained her composure, smiling as she explained, "You should see it for yourself. Look. Isn't this one much larger than the toys used in our lectures? It isn't even hard and it's already as long as my hand."Despite sneaking a quick peek, largely due to disbelief, Yuriko still struck the top of Shizune's head with her fist, asking, "What the hell is wrong with you!? At least tie him and secure him someplace safe before you start fooling around...!"With her aura protecting her, Shizune felt no pain from Yuriko's strike. Instead, she offered a half-eyed smile before bringing the tips of her fingers together and replying, "That's a wonderful idea. It's no wonder everyone calls you a genius, Yuriko-san."Ignoring the insincere compliment, Yuriko quickly bound Nobu's hands and feet before tying a rope around his body and throwing him over her shoulder. This caused her ribs to scream out in protest, but, without so much as a single change in expression, she turned towards Shizune and said, "Yui is a lot stronger than we anticipated. We need to move quickly before she finishes dealing with Rynka and follows suit. The way she is behaving is very abnormal so we might not be able to use this man as a hostage. Our best bet is to split up and find someplace to hunker down. So long as we can buy enough time, this is our victory."Though she didn't disagree with Yuriko's words, the former's casual mention of Rynka being dealt with caused Shizune to adopt a wry smile and ask, "Ano...what should I do if Yui-sama catches up with me...?"Placing her hand on Shizune's shoulder, Yuriko adopted a thoroughly heartless expression as she said, "Just do your best. Don't worry. Even if she tortures you, your life shouldn't be in any danger..."Paling in response to the relatively straightforward answer, Shizune was about to suggest they stick together when Yuriko gave her shoulder another pat and said, "This is an order, trainee. Flee as far as you can. If you are captured, do not give up any information. Your ability to use shikigami might be invaluable to the Clan, but, if it is discovered you will readily part with the information you have collected, you will become a liability. Do you believe your mother will be able to protect you if the other Elders learn you gave information to the 'enemy' just to avoid a bit of pain?"With her smile quickly morphing into a pretentious glower, Shizune surprised Yuriko quite a bit by saying, "Leave the man with me. I don't want to get tortured just to buy you some time. So long as I have him, Yui shouldn't do anything extreme. You know I hate violence. If anyone is going to act as bait, it should be the person with the highest speed and maneuverability. It's also highly likely that Yui-sama will also assume you're the one with the hostage so there's no sense in forcing me to take unnecessary risks. Hand him over."Like a spoiled child demanding candy, Shizune extended her hand towards Yuriko, her milky white and callus-free palm facing upward. Even more surprising was the fact that a moderately murderous aura was emanating from her body, clearly indicating that she would rather fight for ownership over the unconscious man than face off against an enraged Yui.Disapproving of Shizune's behavior, Yuriko's expression immediately morphed into a scowl. She was generally a pretty laid-back person, but, sensing the malice contained in Shizune's tone as the latter unabashedly committed insubordination, her fury quickly increased to dangerous levels. Were it not for the fact this was merely a training mission, she would have immediately cut Shizune's throat for such an egregious breach of the chain of command.Inhaling a deep breath, enough to cause her ribs to throb in pain, Yuriko did her best to calm down and assess the situation. If she analyzed things objectively, Shizune's words weren't incorrect. It was highly likely that Yui would first pursue her as she was very clearly the team leader. She was also the only one ruthless enough to slit a hostage's throat when push came to shove, so, after realizing that the other person was Shizune, the first person Yui would try to eliminate is her.Though the actual odds were something along the lines of 70:30, Yuriko ultimately decided to just go with the flow. This was, after all, a mission to assess Rynka's and Shizune's potential as kunoichi. She wasn't supposed to be completing the mission for them. Her primary responsibility was making sure they didn't lose their lives. Thus, even if the mission ended in failure, Shizune and Rynka would receive a far more severe punishment than the one meted out to her."Very well. However, if I learn that you just hid somewhere and played around while I did my best to buy time, don't expect the Elders to protect you. It might not be today, tomorrow, or even ten years from now. At some point, I will get even with you for today's slights."Releasing a far more powerful bloodlust than the insignificant aura exuding from Shizune's body, Yuriko was hoping to scare the troublesome pinkette into obedience. Instead, the only thing she managed was forcing Shizune to pale slightly before the latter adopted an annoyingly triumphant smile and said, "Understood." in an audibly excited tone of voice.Restraining a sigh, Yuriko basically threw Nobu's unconscious body towards Shizune before bolting up a tree and darting in the opposite direction. This caused the pinkette to adopt an offended look, but, having ultimately gotten her way, it didn't take long for her smile to return. Then, with a slightly mischievous look on her face, she eyed the unconscious Nobu and said, "Knowing Yuriko, she really will do her best to buy time. So long as that monster doesn't immediately pursue us, that gives you and I plenty of time to get to know each other. Ufufufufufu~"Though it was true that her nature was somewhat terrible, Shizune's interest in Nobu was primarily the result of his appearance. There had to be a reason for his uncanny resemblance to the current Lord of the Oda Clan, so, as someone whose primary skills revolved around information gathering and seduction, Shizune was determined to get the answers she sought.........(A/N: What's this!? Is our main boyo in danger!? Will FBI-sama save him from the clutches of a predatory loli or will he be the one to put behind bars!? Find out in the next 'surprisingly pink' episode of Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience...!!!)

With the low-light of the burrow gradually faded, giving way to absolute darkness, a tired sigh escaped Yui's throat. This would have normally gone unnoticed by a heavy sleeper, but, due to the aroma trapped within the humid underground chamber, Nobu had only been able to rest his eyes for a few minutes at a time before stirring awake."What's up...?"Creating a tiny globule of pale-gold to light the interior of the burrow, Yui explained, "We haven't been attacked. Though there is still a chance I was wrong about us being pursued, we're in trouble if I guessed correctly. By now, I imagine there are more than a hundred traps surrounding us. These types of things aren't particularly effective against someone with a powerful Aura but they pose an extreme danger to those without the ability to protect themselves..."Seeing the concern visible in Yui's eyes as she looked toward him, Nobu couldn't resist the urge to roll his own before saying, "It's whatever. If I die, I die. I'm not going to let myself get taken hostage so don't give me any of that crap about putting your life on the line to protect me. If they try to use me against you, I don't want you to hesitate. Even if they did offer you the chance to trade your life for my own, how long do you think I'll survive in the middle of these woods by myself? Besides, if they're the type of asshats willing to take hostages and shit, they'll most likely gut me the moment they're finished with you. Instead of getting us both killed, focus on fucking them up. Understood?"Finding herself, once again, at a loss for words, Yui just stared into Nobu's eyes for the better part of a full minute before responding with a slow and solemn nod. She could understand the logic in his words, and, as he had described, it wasn't uncommon for bandits and thugs to dispose of their leverage the moment it was no longer of use."I understand. If it comes to that, I will not hesitate. I will cut them down without mercy. And then..."Having spent a fair amount of time with Nobu by now, Yui understood he probably wouldn't take kindly to her suggesting she would commit ritual suicide. Others would interpret this as a show of trust and solidarity in the face of adversity. As for Nobu, he would probably just call her an idiot and several other names before proceeding to do something drastic the moment he got caught..."And then...?"Expecting Yui to say some stupid shit about pride and honor, a deep furrow had already set upon Nobu's face. What he never expected was for her to confidently say, "I will force their dead bodies to lower their heads towards your grave before proceeding to take on your name as I travel around Nian as a vagrant warrior. I will make sure the name Nanamori Nobu goes down in history as one of the greatest warriors of all time. I will not allow you to be forgotten."Unable to find words to describe how he was feeling, Nobu stared at Yui as if she had gone batshit crazy. He knew she had the makings of a 'yandere' but he never imagined things would develop to the point she was promising to make corpses bow and shit. Nanamori Nobu wasn't his actual name either, so, even if she did keep her promise, she would be making the wrong person famous...Believing he was about to try and dissuade her against taking such a course of action, Yui adopted a serious expression as she asserted, "It is my choice how I spend my life. Weren't you the one who told me that? If you die here, I will make sure all of Nian knows your name before I follow you into the afterlife. If you don't like this then make sure you do everything in your power to preserve your life...it's that simple..."Blinking in surprise, Nobu found himself muttering, "Yui, you...." with a conflicted look on his face. Before he could speak any further, however, Yui just shook her head and said, "It's time to go. The longer we stay here, the more difficult it will be to escape. They'll never give me the chance to wait till sunrise. We should move while there is still a bit of light left."With Yui quickly moving to investigate the exits for any signs of foul play, Nobu's only options were to stay inside the foul-smelling burrow or crawl after the overzealous beauty. Luckily, at least for the aforementioned beauty, the interior of the burrow literally smelled like a rotting animal cadaver; so, even if he did want to be obstinate, Nobu knew he only had a single option available to him."This is what I get for sticking my dick in crazy..."Though his decision had very little to do with the fact he and Yui had fucked, Nobu needed some kind of excuse to propel himself forward. He didn't know if it was some kind of plot sense, but, the moment Yui mentioned the possibility of traps existing, his brain was abuzz with the sound of alarm bells. This wasn't literal, of course, but it was the best description he could up with to represent the level of anxiety he was feeling. After all, there would have to be something seriously fucked with his head if the notion of entering a trap-filled forward near sunset didn't affect him...Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any traps near the entrance of the burrow as Yui quickly waved for him to emerge. For a brief moment, this tricked him into thinking his anxiety was pointless, but, almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Yui exclaimed, "Fuck...!" before leaping away from the burrow's entrance.At nearly the exact same moment that Yui's voice reached his ears, unbridled panic spread through Nobu's body as an explosion erupted near the mouth of the burrow. Dirt and gravel began to rain down on him with the intensity of a shower, and, were it not for the fact he had still been near the base of the exit tunnel, he might have been buried alive for a second time.........Seeing the explosion ripple outward near the mouth of the burrow, Yui's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as fear and anxiety, not for herself, swelled within her heart. Unfortunately, she didn't have the time to think about Nobu's safety, as, the moment she jumped away, her path was impeded by a series of razor-thin wires. Her aura managed to protect her, but, for a very brief moment, she was a sitting duck suspended in the air."Ha! I told you she was worthless! Eat this, you traitorous sow...!"Though she was marginally surprised by the fact she recognized the voice, it wasn't enough to distract Yui from what needed to be done. She instantly manipulated her aura to produce a series of sweeping blades to cut her free, but, rather than fall to the ground, she manifested a grappling crossbow with her left hand, firing it at a distant tree before pulling herself to safety.Thanks to her quick thinking, Yui managed to evade a shimmering silver cloud of aura that cut through the area she had been suspended with the force of a tempest. It also emitted a blinding light that could dazzle anyone looking directly at it, but, having experienced more than her fair share of battles against Silver Adepts, Yui knew better. Instead, she shot out a number of golden threads into the nearby trees before charging in the direction of the attack's origin, a young girl with black hair tied into a ponytail."Rynka..."Seeing Yui charging towards her in a very un-warrior-like fashion, Rynka's face immediately paled as she shouted, "Don't come this way, you damn hypocrite...!"Controlling the length of the golden threads, Yui managed to instantaneously change direction mid-flight, not because of Rynka, but because a silvery light had flashed in the periphery of her vision. Immediately thereafter, a series of silvery kunai flew whistled through the area she would have been if she continued her original trajectory.By retracting certain threads and producing countless others, Yui was able to glide through the dense trees like a phantom. As for Rynka, she ended up clicking her tongue before disappearing along a planned route. Had Yui continued toward her, several more wires would have been waiting. Unlike the previous set, however, these were attached to a series of explosives. This wouldn't have been enough to take her out, but, more often than not, battles between cultivators of the Metal Infusion Technique were more about reducing the enemy's aura than quickly ending the fight. In terms even Nobu would have been able to understand, Aura was essentially a person's HP(Health Points), and, so long as their opponent was unable to pierce their defenses, cultivators of the Metal Infusion Technique were, basically, immortal.Though she would have liked to give chase, Yui knew better than to follow after a kunoichi that had been given adequate time to prepare. Instead, she shifted her focus to the person who had thrown the kunai, her expression darkening as she stopped on the branch of a tree and muttered, "Yuriko..."Using wires of her own to recover the kunai she had previously thrown, Yuriko turned to meet Yui's gaze before raising her hand and casually greeting, "Yo. Haven't seen you in a few months. Enjoying life on the road?"Furrowing her brows, Yui extended her right hand to the side, asking, "Why are members of the Yoshitsune Clan attacking one of their own?" while slowly and deliberately molding her Aura into the shape of an inordinately long katana known as an odachi.Shaking her head, Yuriko crossed her arms, 'inadvertently' accenting her breasts as she answered, "You know I can't reveal the details of a mission in progress. If you want answers, live long enough to obtain them..."As those final words left her mouth, Yuriko stepped back, a glittering silver aura exploding at her previous location like a cloud of smoke. In the next instant, she appeared beneath the shimmering cloud, her feet clinging to the branch she had been standing on as if her soles were magnetic.Though she didn't expect Yui to be blinded by such an obvious feint, that didn't stop Yuriko from throwing out a series of kunai with silver wires attached. This was, somewhat ironically, a technique she had copied from Yui. It allowed the user to both attack and reposition themselves at the same time, and, while it consumed a tremendous amount of Aura, you could mitigate the cost so long as you recovered the projectiles and retracted the wires.Understanding that Yuriko would be able to reposition herself if her kunai connected with a hard surface, Yui leaped towards the attack without fear or hesitation. The restriction of Yuriko's ability was that she couldn't manipulate her aura at will. She needed to create the kunai and wires ahead of time, and, even if she wanted to reabsorb them, it would take time. This was one of the distinct advantages a Golden Warrior had over a Silver Adept, and, while she undoubtedly pursued the path of a warrior, Yui's concern for Nobu allowed her to set aside her pride and make use of all her skills.By manipulating the lengths of several wires, Yui was able to add a spin to her charge, and, as a result, she managed to cut through the vast majority of Yuriko's silver threads. This caused the latter's amber-eyes to glisten in the waning darkness, a smile developing across her face as she muttered, "I was wondering why you chose such a cumbersome weapon..."Making use of one of the few genuine advantages she had against her opponent, Yuriko kicked away from her inverted perch with extreme speed. She was currently the fastest in her generation, as, the moment Yui ascended to the Realm of Golden Warrior, her speed had drastically decreased. In fights between cultivators, the ability to land and evade attacks was often more important than the volume of a person's aura, so, while Yui was undoubtedly more skilled, Yuriko was confident she could outmaneuver her.........While a climactic battle between kunoichi was occurring outside, Nobu was currently lamenting his entire existence. He had managed to avoid being buried alive, but, due to the tremendous volume of dirt and debris, his mask resembled an oil rag that had been thrown into a dust bin. This made it completely unusable, and, thanks to the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he was powerless to restrain the urge to breathe deeply.Though his instincts were screaming at him to return to the surface, Nobu's progress was inhibited by the convulsions of his body, the pitch-black interior of the burrow, and an overwhelming sense of panic that he could only attribute to his newly awakened claustrophobia. It prevented him from thinking clearly, and, were it not for the fact he was constantly on the verge of passing out, Nobu might have thought to use the stone tablet as a light source.........(A/N: Not gonna lie. The thought of being buried alive is pretty terrifying.)

Chapter 30: Recklessness