Chapter 053 – The Specter in Toyogasaki Academy
"Huh?" Seeing Kotoko Iwanaga dodge the black figure's attack with such agile movements, Asuna Yuuki couldn't help but be stunned and released a confused voice. Then she asked, "Necro... don't you not have combat ability? How could you..."
"I'm just not good at fighting, but that doesn't mean my physical ability is poor." Kotoko Iwanaga said as she shook the prosthetic limb in her hand at Asuna Yuuki, then added with a smile, "Look, although I possess much stronger physical ability than ordinary people and the prosthetic limb I've installed is already the best model in the world, if I do like before, my prosthetic leg will break like this."
Having said that, Kotoko Iwanaga looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya and said with a cute, reproachful tone, "Captain, to test me, you even wasted one of my prosthetic limbs. You have to compensate me. I don't accept monetary compensation, only compensation in the form of a date!"
Asagiri Utsunomiya nodded and replied without hesitation, "Okay. Then I'll go on a date with Violet. Consider that your compensation."
Her face turning red with anxiety, Kotoko Iwanaga hopped on one leg and said, "Since it's compensating me, it must be you going on a date with me!"
"Keep it down. Let's do the important stuff first."
Having reminded Kotoko Iwanaga, Asagiri Utsunomiya raised his head and looked towards the stairs, at the creature that was panting heavily and looked strange. He finally saw the true appearance of the so-called specter.
Its appearance was like the legendary Yokai named Kudan, said to be able to predict disasters. Although its head was in in the shape of a bull's head, with a pair of completely white eyes, without irises and pupils. Its body was similar to a human's, but covered in black fur. The ends of its limbs were not feet and hands, but hooves.
"Wow!" Asagiri Utsunomiya let out an exclamation.
Hearing his exclamation, Asuna Yuuki thought that this thing indeed looked terrifying. The Specter of the Drowned Corpse was at least within the human category, but the appearance of this specter in front of them was truly unbearable to look at. It was natural for Asagiri Utsunomiya to react this way...
"Could it be, this is the legendary Minotaur?"
Hearing Asagiri Utsunomiya's question and seeing his excited face, looking like a child seeing a rare animal at the zoo, Asuna Yuuki said somewhat speechlessly, "Minotaur your foot! You don't want to take this thing back and raise it, do you?"
"How could that be? You can't raise something like a Minotaur. It brings bad luck."
As they spoke, Asagiri Utsunomiya, Asuna Yuuki, and Kotoko Iwanaga retreated. Only after the Minotaur-like Specter came down from the stairs and entered the spacious lobby on the first floor did they prepare for battle.
"Violet, get ready."
Hearing Asagiri Utsunomiya's order, Asuna Yuuki nodded, looked directly at the Minotaur-like Specter, and clenched her right hand slightly, as if gripping something. In the next moment, the Exorcist Longsword appeared in her slightly clenched hand.
Asagiri Utsunomiya had no intention of summoning his Persona. After all, this time was mainly to test his newly acquired skill and equipment, and he also had to give the life of this NTR-Symbol<1>... oh no, the Minotaur-like Specter, give the Minotaur-like Specter's life to Asuna Yuuki so she could test her exclusive Talent, The Flash.
If Asagiri Utsunomiya were to instantly kill this specter, this operation would be meaningless.
*Clink!*
Accompanied by the sound of metal friction, a coiled chain appeared in Asagiri Utsunomiya's hand. At the end of the chain dangled a sharp dagger—it was his Vampiric Chain Dagger.
"Here we go."
As his words fell, Asagiri Utsunomiya suddenly stretched out his hand. Along with his movement, a shadow flashed through the air, and the sharp dagger stabbed directly towards the center of the Minotaur-like Specter's forehead.
*Screech!!!*
The Minotaur-like Specter let out a sharp, ear-piercing shriek and raised its thick, fur-covered arm to block. As a result, the dagger pierced directly through its flesh, sinking deeply into its arm. And the accompanying force caused the specter's nearly two meter tall body to retreat backwards.
Before the specter could react, a cold metallic glint flashed from its side.
Accompanied by the sound of a sword cutting through the air, Asuna Yuuki struck the Minotaur-like Specter's other arm with her sword. However, the blade only penetrated about one centimeter deep and did not directly cut off its arm.
"Tch..." Asuna Yuuki first made a sound of displeasure, then muttered, "Strength is indeed my weakness..."
In the next instant, Asuna Yuuki did not hesitate to draw back her sword and perform a sideways roll, narrowly dodging the Minotaur-like Specter's stomping attack with its hoof.
*Thump!!!*
*Crack!!!*
Under the Minotaur-like Specter's powerful stomp, several cracks appeared in the building's hard floor tiles, and even gravel splattered out.
When Asuna Yuuki saw this scene, she made a judgment, and also realized her disadvantages, saying, "This guy's strength is very high."
Although she was of a melee combat job, her defense and strength were not outstanding. Speed and reflex were her forte.
And the most effective sword move that converts speed into power is not cleave, but...
Just then, the Minotaur-like Specter's human face showed a distorted expression, as if in pain, because it was injured by the anti-spirit property of Asuna Yuuki's Exorcist Longsword and Asagiri Utsunomiya's Vampiric Chain Dagger. However, the worst damage was due to the latter.
Its pair of pale eyes looked towards Asagiri Utsunomiya, who was standing several meters away. Then, panting heavily through its nose and mouth, it opened its mouth, bit down on the metal chain connected to the dagger, and pulled out the dagger from its limb.
Following that, it fell to the floor on all fours, changing from an upright walking state to a beast-like posture. Like a true fierce beast, it aimed its huge, sharp horns at Asagiri Utsunomiya and charged forward.
"Hoh, you can even switch forms? That's interesting." Asagiri Utsunomiya commented and stood still, with no intention of dodging. He just let the Minotaur-like Specter charge towards him.
Just then, he suddenly closed his hand, gripping the chain connected to the dagger tightly. In the next second, he took a step sideways and swung hard with one hand, using the force of the Minotaur-like Specter's own charge to swing it, like the head of a flail, directly into the nearby wall.
*Ka-boom!!!*
Under this sudden impact, the entire first floor's ground trembled slightly.
Asagiri Utsunomiya retracted the Vampiric Chain Dagger, looked at the Minotaur-like Specter embedded in the crater in the wall, and said with a light chuckle, "Hehe, daring to eat anything will only harm you."
Asuna Yuuki and Kotoko Iwanaga looked at Asagiri Utsunomiya standing in front of a cloud of dust. Both of them seemed too shocked to say anything.
No, that was nearly two-meter-tall, massive Minotaur-like Specter, and you just grabbed the chain with one hand and swung it directly into the wall, even creating such a deep crater? Are you still human?
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Footnote:
<1> The Minotaur, or a humanoid bull, is known as a symbol of NTR by the majority of Chinese netizens.