Just when Lily fell into deep thoughts with perplexed expressionâŠ
A dwarf-like figure stealthily approached her. It was peeking at Lilyâs alluring back from a dark corner of the battle formation.
Without any warning, that dwarf-like figure sprinted towards Lily with incredible speed!
In order to hide her strength, Lily didnât use Spirit Perception. When she noticed the danger coming from behind, that figure was already very close.
Nobody noticed the figure approaching Lily. The appearance of the figure was clearly reflected in Lilyâs sword. That was a fat little demon with pale skin and nasty expression. It had an oversized baby head with one horn sticking out on the top. As Lily recalled, this was the Mischievous Demon. It had remarkable strength but rather than harming people, it preferred to pull a prank on others.
That Mischievous Demon was quite fast, if Lily tried to dodge without using Spirit Power, she could still barely evade it!
âShould I dodge it? And then counterattack?
No, that Mischievous Demon wouldnât be able to kill me with its power. Whatâs more, it is very rare for them to actually harm people.
Maybe I should pretend not having noticed it and put on an act!â Lily instantly made her decision.
Thus, she stayed still as though she didnât notice the demonâs approach.
âFlipâ!â The Mischievous Demon moved its hands fiercely behind Lilyâs back and lifted up her skirt.1
âKyaaaahâ!â Lily naturally let out a scream.
Hojo Dijon looked over curiously.
Lily reflexively used both hands to press down her skirt in between her legs. Then she adjusted the angle where the skirt had been lifted towards the square cloth, where Hojo Dijon and the other major samurai were stationed. All they saw was the Mischievous Demon lifting Lilyâs skirt and didnât see the exposed parts. That was because Lily didnât wish for senior sisterâs body to be seen by others, but she also needed to use this chance to show that sheâs âsmall and weak,â thereby further reducing Dijonâs doubt on her.
This act was close to perfection, even Dijon wouldnât be able to tell she was actually faking it.
However, that Mischievous Demon wasnât about to give up just yet. It jumped up suddenly and pushed Lily onto the ground.
âMiss Kagami!â Kimura and Kanzaki brandished their swords at the Mischievous Demon. They didnât expect the Mischievous Demon to be a Superior-High Rank monster, it vigorously used its palm to send the two men flying, along with their sword and all. After that, it ran to the front of Lily and pulled her hair. If it was the usual Lily, she would already discharge her Spirit Power and cut down the Mischievous Demon. But right now, she needed to act the part of a helpless girl who couldnât do anything once her hair was grabbed. She let out a scream and used her hands to resist, letting go of her katana in the process.2
âKill!â At this time, four to five powerful Hojo samurai rushed over with spears in hands. Only then did the Mischievous Demon jump into the square cloth to steal a flag before disappearing into the darkness. But of course, it didnât forget to pull a face at the dishevelled Lily before doing so.
A few arrows were shot, but none managed to hit the target.3
Finally, Lily got up from the ground with a sheepish yet depressed face. It looked like she was about to cry. She meekly straightened out her skirt before stooping down to pick her the sword. Her first priority in the battlefield was not her weapon, but her skirt instead, this act truly exhibited she was a girl who would make a mistake at a crucial point. Not a trace of an expertâs demeanor could be seen in her action at all.
Dijon âwho had been observing all alongâ had a downcast face with sweat. Perhaps he was really thinking too much, Lily was nothing more than a frail girl with sex appeal.
He might be extremely strong, but Dijon was still a crude man in the end. There was no way he could tell if Lilyâs reaction was genuine or fake.
Although Lily had the soul of a boy, her act could put real girls to shame. Maybe this was what they call to be quick witted in an emergency. Despite that, Lily was still pretty much a boy in her heart, truly!
âSenior sister, I said it before, and Iâll say it again; I am willing to do anything for you, even going as far as to act like the weak little girl I despise the most!â Lily reminded herself internally, âMy resolution might be strong enough, but Lily is still much too weak. Hum, but I must survive first before I can get a chance to become strongerâŠâ
âLily does not regret putting up that shameful display today, however, once safety is secured, Lily will act accordingly⊠Fight on!4 I will work harder so that I can conduct myself with pride. Even if I must be a girl, I donât want to rely on the protection of others!â
The Hojo clanâs elite samurai were well-trained indeed. A large quantity of wolves had been killed in the melee, causing the remaining herd to retreat in a fluster. The mountain woods had returned to its former tranquility for the time being. However, the Hojosâ casualties added up to nearly two tenths of their samurai.
Just then, the winds changed direction, carrying with them the thick stench of Demon Fury. A pained yet overbearing howl echoed across the fields. All the samurai present felt a chill travel up their spine.
âItâs coming!â Dijon shouted grimly. He had already all but forgotten about Lily and focused all his attention on the looming danger.
All of a sudden, they heard the crunch of leaves beneath heavy steps from the woods ahead of them.5
References
Silva: Whistle~ âȘ
Robinxen: U â i â ha â ru!
Silva: Damn⊠like I said, seriously, someone give Lily the Oscar Award for the Best Actress of the year!
Robinxen: These hecking dudes shot arrows in her direction?! At least wait until itâs a bit further away.