As a sudden explosion rang out, a sharp right arm swung towards my neck.
While my body flew back, I instinctively deflected her arm aimed at my neck and, aiming the [Al Capone's Tommy] at her face, pulled the trigger.
"Quite a rough welcome!"
The gun fired.
As the sound of rain echoed from the Tommy, the guy's body, which he had covered his face with his arms, was pushed back.
"Looks like you're rough too, huh...!"
Blanca, who had been pushed back by the barrage of bullets, glared at me and licked her arm that had blocked the bullets.
Despite the close-range shooting, there were no visible wounds on her arm.
While she was incredibly tough in the game, I didn't expect her to not even get a scratch.
"Even the guards in Niflheim didn't shoot as painfully as that. What the hell did you shoot?"
While she was licking her arm with her tongue, she glared at me with a pained expression. I waved the gun in my hand and taunted her.
She frowned.
"…That toy wouldn't work on me, would it? Must be disappointing, huh?"
"Originally, I planned to take you out with a surprise attack. How did you know I was there when I was being so quiet?"
Blanca, who heard my question, laughed as if it was amusing and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Are you that curious? If you answer my question, I'll tell you."
"Question?"
A Q&A session, huh?
Interesting.
I nodded at her suggestion, and she clapped her hands and smiled.
"I didn't expect you to agree so easily! Alright, then I'll ask first?"
She smiled brightly, looking very pleased.
"Where are you from?"
…Starting with my identity, huh.
Still, I learned an important fact.
"From the way you asked, it seems Lath hasn't talked yet."
"Ah, him? Surprisingly stubborn. I think you should answer more easily. Okay?"
I glanced at Lath, who was tied to a chair and unconscious. Her clothes were already covered in blood and dirt, making it hard to recognize their original form.
I decided to answer.
"I'm from the Familia."
"…Familia? Never heard of it."
"It's inevitable. It's an organization that's only been around for less than a month."
Blanca leaned forward and suddenly closed her eyes. After a moment, her nose started twitching.
"You don't seem to be lying… Alright, then it's my turn to answer, right? You asked how I knew you were outside the door, right?"
She pointed to her nose.
"Smell. I smelled something new from outside."
She smiled confidently.
"…You smelled the aura?"
"Wow, good intuition? Yes, that's right. Also, I can distinguish lies by smell. Shall we continue?"
I shook my head at her confident statement.
"No, I'll hear the rest after subduing you."
"Really? Tough guy."
She stopped licking her arm, slowly crouched down, and started clenching and unclenching her fingers.
It was the prelude to one of Blanca's attack patterns, a charge.
Her characteristics were quick mobility and solid defense.
Judging that the [Al Capone's Tommy] wouldn't be useful, I put it back in the cube, clenched my fist, and looked at her.
"What? You don't use a gun?"
"Are you disappointed?"
"No, I prefer hand-to-hand."
Click.
As she licked her lips, she vanished from my sight.
"Then, let's start by tearing your mouth, shall we?"
She appeared in front of me in an instant and slashed at my face with her claws.
"Predictable."
Blanca's first attack pattern.
After a specific motion, most of her charge attacks target the upper body, with the first attack usually aiming for the face.
This strategy, discovered through countless battles, still proved effective in reality.
"Huh? What—?!"
Bang!
The sound of a sonic boom.
I dodged to the left and swung my right fist at her hand. A massive shockwave erupted, and a sound like an explosion echoed.
Blanca naturally flew back to dissipate the impact and landed lightly with a quick foot movement.
"…What's going on? I didn't feel your speed, but… have we met before?"
"No, I have a common face."
"No way. I don't forget the face of a handsome kid like you. If we didn't meet before… did you investigate me?"
She smiled and shook her hand, which had been hit by my fist. Blood was dripping from her hand.
"From your skills and equipment, you don't seem ordinary… What exactly does Familia do?"
"Still, one thing is clear, right?"
"Hmm?"
"You're part of the Villain Alliance."
Blanca tilted her head, confused.
"That's enough for me."
[【Trait: Hitman】activated!]
[2. Hunter of Villains - You are a hitman very familiar with hunting villains. Villains will fear you, and you will find it easier to hunt them.
The fear villains feel towards you increases by 1.5 times.
Your ability to use aura against villains is slightly enhanced.]
Blanca.
She is a villain who enjoys dogfight-style combat.
In other words, she enjoys dirty and tenacious fights at close range.
Interestingly, I also prefer that style.
I spread [Bloodline: Calione] throughout my body and looked at her.
Thanks to the new addition of [Hunter of Villains] to the 【Trait: Hitman】, my aura flowed more smoothly than usual.
"…Red aura? You smell familiar. Are you really from the Familia?"
"Didn't your nose say the truth?"
"That's true, but you could be affiliated with multiple organizations, like those dying rats… right!"
Blanca, who had been looking at me, suddenly turned and ran towards the room where Lath was.
She was trying to take Lath as a hostage to gain an advantageous position.
To prevent her plan from succeeding, I infused my feet with aura and slammed them into the ground with all my might.
The floor caved in with a thud, and we both fell to the first-floor lobby as the concrete floor collapsed.
"Hahaha! Just turning around and you destroyed the building's floor?"
Blanca's voice echoed from the dust that enveloped the surroundings.
"Leaving in the middle of a conversation is bad manners, you know. Haven't you heard?"
The dust was so thick that I couldn't see anything. Moreover, the collapse of the building and the smoky smell would prevent her from tracking me by smell.
This effectively sealed one of her abilities.
I raised my fist slowly while being cautious of my surroundings.
"Manners? Aren't you asking too much from me?"
Her voice came from the dust.
"I'm… a villain!"
As she shouted, I blocked her flying kick with my forearm and instantly exploded my aura, clearing the surrounding dust.
"Fiery, huh?"
"Listening to you just makes me feel bad."
As expected of a named villain, even though I blocked her kick, my forearm ached.
Of course, Blanca was known in the game for her high attack power, but in reality, her strength was baffling.
I tried to pin her to the ground by grabbing her ankle, but she retracted her foot and aimed for my lower body.
However.
"Stay down."
I gathered aura in my fist and forcefully thrust it in. A crackling sound came from my fist as the aura began to vibrate violently.
It was the technique that completely shredded 'Shinshutsuigei's' chest, amplifying the aura's rebound.
I aimed to end her by sacrificing my leg, thinking she would have plenty of elixirs.
She smiled, finding it amusing.
"Interesting!"
As she said, she raised her arms, and a white light enveloped her.
The white aura, like a coat made of animal skin, clung to her arms, legs, and body, forming a shape.
The two shapes fluttering above her head and the white object near her back.
They were the triangular white ears and a dog-like tail—
"…So, you're Blanca."
"Quite beautiful, isn't it?"
Literally, Blanca (Blanca: shining white).
It was her pride, her awakening skill, and the technique that earned her popularity among the wealthy.
A complete aura that formed a shape, enveloping her entire body.
Compared to me, who still struggled to form a clear shape, her aura manipulation was beyond imagination.
"By the way, I just remembered."
Blanca, who had blocked my punch with her arms, kicked my chest.
The shock was beyond imagination. I was choked and overwhelmed with pain, flying backward.
I hit the wall with my back and, despite the pain, kept my eyes on her.
If it weren't for Maestro's suit, DisPater, I might have fainted from the impact.
Was my appearance amusing? Blanca, who was smiling, slowly spoke.
"Your smell. It's similar to that man's."
"…That man?"
"Vito Calione. The damn old man who locked me in Niflheim."
She lowered her arms and one leg and grinned.
"…You're Vito Calione's son, right?"
She finally figured it out.
"Right, that makes everything clear. An organization that can put that guy in Niflheim, an organization investigating the Villain Alliance, and a kid with such skill. It all makes sense if Vito Calione, that old man, is involved."