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"Y-y-you... what the hell were you thinking??"
The moment her feet touched solid ground again, the first thing Sayaka Kirasaka did was wrench her hand away from the youth's grasp, then lightning-fast draw her Bow from her back.
Drawing, nocking, aiming—all in one fluid motion.
Huff... huff...
The red-faced War Dancer panted heavily.
Normally, archery required the archer to remain calm and focused, concentrating entirely on the bow's feedback and environmental changes. Agitation and aggression were to be avoided at all costs.
But Sayaka couldn't care less about that now. At this distance, she could shoot with her eyes closed and still hit her target.
The main issue was that someone had dared to grab her hand without permission!
No, actually—such wanton touching of a War Dancer's body should already warrant a death sentence!
War Dancers were the Lion King Organization's assassination specialists—experts in curses and killing. Based on the theory of using assassins against assassins, they were often assigned as bodyguards for important figures who might become targets of curses or assassination.
Because of this, War Dancers unconsciously maintained powerful curses around themselves, preventing others from casually touching them.
Only War Dancers of equal or higher rank could touch them, or those the War Dancer explicitly permitted.
But clearly, Bokue Keikain had violated this taboo.
Splash—
Under the golden morning sunlight, cool seawater lapped against the artificial island dock's embankment. The slightly salty sea breeze tugged at the youth's shirt hem.
"...Why aren't you dead yet?"
Sayaka gritted her teeth.
"What?"
Bokue slowly formed a question mark.
What did she mean, why wasn't he dead?
He was just being aimed at with a bow and arrow. Setting aside whether this Bow could even affect him, it would only matter if the arrow was actually shot. Just aiming at him and expecting him to die... did she think she could glare him to death?
"Alright, alright, stop being silly. I teleported you here to save time. If we'd really waited for a taxi, we might not have made it here even by noon."
Bokue waved his hand, indicating she should drop it.
"More importantly, where's the boat you chartered?"
"Ugh..."
Sayaka froze momentarily, then after another brief standoff, she finally huffed angrily before lowering her bow. She slung the Bow back over her shoulder and returned the arrows to the leather quiver strapped to her outer thigh beneath her skirt.
She surveyed their surroundings, apparently confirming their direction, then turned her back to Bokue with a cold:
"This way."
Then marched off on her own.
Bokue shrugged and followed.
After barely two minutes' walk, moving away from the cargo docks, they arrived at a secluded boat slip.
Cool blue waves lapped with reflected light against the boat slip's ceiling. A single speedboat sat quietly in the water below.
So this was it.
But... wasn't it a bit small?
Standing on the shore looking down at the speedboat, Bokue hesitated.
When Sayaka had mentioned chartering a boat, he'd imagined at least something the size of a fishing vessel. He hadn't expected a speedboat without even a proper cabin—the cockpit was semi-open, identical to the one Sam and Nathan used in Uncharted.
Was this really suitable for a sea rescue?
But before Bokue could hesitate further, Sayaka had already jumped down from the shore onto the boat, looking up at him with dissatisfaction.
"If you don't get on, I'm leaving without you."
"Yeah, yeah~"
Since she thought it was fine, Bokue had no objections and jumped down as well.
Meanwhile, seeing the youth board, Sayaka turned and entered the cockpit, starting the engine for final pre-departure checks.
"Do you have a photo of our rescue target? Let me see."
Hearing Bokue's voice from behind, the War Dancer reflexively turned around.
But when she looked back, she saw someone had already brazenly walked into the cockpit from outside, clearly intending to share the confined space with her.
"Stop!"
Sayaka shouted, her hand moving from the wheel back to her Bow while her other hand blocked his advance. Her face, still flushed, was full of wariness.
"You can't come in. Stay outside properly. In such a cramped space... staying near you too long will definitely get me pregnant!"
"?"
What did she mean, cramped space? Weren't you the one who chose this boat?
This was pure unreasonableness. Bokue decisively rolled his eyes.
"Isn't that your problem? For a sea rescue, you should've at least chartered a larger fishing vessel. How could this speedboat not be cramped?"
"N-none of your business..."
The War Dancer was momentarily speechless.
"I chartered this boat yesterday morning right after arriving at Itogami Island and getting notified. I was originally planning to do this mission with Yukina. Two girls obviously don't need that much space. And Yukina told me on the phone the day before yesterday afternoon that you weren't on Itogami Island. Who knew you'd come back so quickly and at such perfect timing?"
"That's not my problem."
Bokue spread his hands, refusing to take blame that wasn't his.
"More importantly, show me a photo of our rescue target first. I still don't even know what the person we're saving looks like."
"..."
Sayaka didn't immediately respond, just silently held Bokue's gaze. The atmosphere in the cramped space fell into another standoff.
After about two or three seconds, the War Dancer looked away with a pout, wordlessly pulling a photo from her skirt pocket.
"Here, keep it..."
She reached toward a protruding storage compartment in the cockpit, intending to place the photo on top for Bokue to take himself, avoiding physical contact. But unexpectedly, just as she produced the photo, the youth reached over and took it directly from her hand.
In that instant of contact, their pinkie fingers lightly brushed.
!!
As if electrocuted, that momentary physical contact made the War Dancer's body tremble again.
Touched... touched again!
In less than twenty minutes since leaving Yukina's home, this was already the second time Sayaka had been touched by Bokue Keikain.
But strangely, this time she felt no urge to draw her bow, nor any feelings of nausea or revulsion.
In fact, thinking carefully, when she'd aimed her Bow at him earlier, it seemed more from embarrassment and being startled.
After all, they barely knew each other. Being suddenly grabbed by the wrist so forcefully would startle any girl.
And the War Dancer's protective curse seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.
What exactly was...
Stiffly withdrawing her hand still suspended in mid-air, Sayaka turned away, looking down incredulously as she flexed her finger joints a couple more times.
This was too strange.
Maybe... she should find another opportunity to verify this later?
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